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Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru

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(History of the Welsh Independent Churches)

By Thomas Rees and John Thomas; published in 1871+.

These 8 chapel histories were extracted by Gareth Morgan from the CD published by Archive CD Books (Feb 2008)  - no translations

The main project page is on /big/wal/ChurchHistory/Indchapels#Glamorgan

Proof read by Yvonne John (March 2008)

GLYNNEDD (Cadoxton j Neath parish)

(Vol 2, p 111)

Er mai yn ddiweddar mewn cydmariaeth y dechreuwyd yr achos yn y lle hwn, etto y mae addoli wedi bod yn Nghwmnedd er dyddiau boreuaf   Anghydffurfiaeth yn Nghymru. Ar drumun craig uwchlaw afon Cwrach, mewn llanerch gysgodfawr, o fewn llai na haner milldir i orsaf Glynnedd, y mae hen gapel Blaengwrach, ac yr oedd yma achos Ymneillduol er yn foreu iawn. Ystyrid y lle am dymor hir fel cangen o'r Chwarelaubach, Castellnedd, ac yr ydoedd dan yr un weinidogaeth. Ond tua'r flwyddyn 1718, urddwyd Mr. Henry Davies yn weinidog yn Blaengwrach, a llafuriodd yn y lle am yn agos i ddeng-mlynedd-ar-hugain. Dan ofal Mr. Davies yn Blaengwrach y bu yr hyglod Lewis Rees yn yr ysgol, ac yno y derbyniwyd ef yn aelod ac y dechreuodd bregethu, ac yno heryd yr urddwyd ef Ebrill 13eg, 1738, fel y crybwyllasom yn hanes Llanbrynmair. Mae enwau a rhifedi yr aelodau yn y flwyddyn 1734 i'w gweled yn awr yn llawysgrif  Mr. Davies. Yr oeddynt yn 63 o nifer; 34 o wrywiaid a 29 o fenywaid, ac yn wasgaredig trwy Glyntawy, Ystradfellte, Cwmdulais, a Glyncorwg, yn gystal a Chwmnedd. Mr. Davies, Blaengwrach a sefydlodd yr eglwys yn y Cymer, Cwmrhondda, fel y cawn sylwi pan ddeuwn at yr eglwys hono; ac ar ol ffurfiad yr eglwys yno symudodd i gymeryd ei gofal, a dilynwyd ef yn Blaengwrach gan Mr. Thomas Lewis, aelod o Benmain, yr hwn a fu yno o'r flwyddyn 1748 hyd 1773, pryd yr ymadawodd i Lanharan. Dilynwyd ef gan Mr. Thomas Morgan, yr hwn oedd yn Armin, os nad yn rhywbeth pellach; ac yn ei amser ef y dirywiodd yr eglwys yn ei golygiadau, nes o radd i radd yr aeth y lle yn hollol i ddwylaw y Sosiniaid, a chanddynt hwy y mae hyd y dydd hwn. Bu Cwmnedd am dymor maith yn y cyfwng rhwng dirywiad y weinidogaeth yn Blaengwrach, a chodiad yr achos sydd yn awr yn Glynnedd, heb ddim pregethu efengylaidd o'i fewn; ac yr oedd y trigolion yn cydymroddi i bob rhysedd ac annuwioldeb. Yr oedd yma ychydig o grefyddwyr yn foreu yn y ganrif bresenol, a chlywsom rai o hen bobl Glynnedd yn son gyda pharch am un hen wraig, yr hon a fuasai unwaith yn aelod yn Blaengwrach, ond pan aeth y weinidogaeth yno i roddi sain dyeithr a ymaelododd yn Nhy'nycoed, ac a gerddai yr holl ffordd yno er mwyn clywed yr efengyl yn ei phurdeb. O gylch y flwyddyn 1812, dechreuodd Mr. Morgan Lewis, Ystradfellte, bregethu yn ei dý ei hun yn Abernantyfedwen a'r Banwaen Byrddyn, a ffurfiwyd eglwys yno, a derbyniwyd amryw aelodau o Gwmnedd yno. Yr oedd yn Nghwmnedd, ar y pryd hwnw, a chyn hyny, amryw aelodau o eglwysi Godrerhos, Melinycwrt, Ty'nycoed, a Hermon, y rhai a gynhalient gyfarfodydd gweddio a chyfeillachau crefyddol bob wythnos yn Penystair, Tainewydd, a lleoedd eraill, a deuai ambell bregethwr atynt yn achlysurol. Yr oedd Mr. Phillip Griffiths, Alltwen, yn mysg yr ychydig ffyddloniaid yma, yn ddyn ienangc llawn bywiogrwydd a gwres crefyddol. Deuai Mr. Morgan Lewis i bregethu iddynt bob mis ar nos Fawrth, ac wrth weled yr achos yn myned rhagddo mor llwyddianus, ac yn cael ffafr yn ngolwg trigolion y Cwm, penderfynwyd symud o Abernant-y-fedwen i Gwmnedd, ac agorodd un Jenkin Morgan, Maesmarchog, ei dý i dderbyn yr Arch. Cafwyd trwydded ar y tý rhag i neb gymeryd eu rhyddid i aflonyddu arnynt, symudodd Mr. Morgan Lewis i Gwmnedd i fyw, ac yr oedd cael ei bresenoldeb cyson yn mhob moddion yn help mawr i'r achos yn ei gychwyniad. Torodd diwygiad grymus allan yn fuan ac ychwanegwyd degau at yr achos, llawer o ba rai a fu yn addurn i'w proffes hyd angau. Aeth tý Jenkin Morgan yn llawer rhy fychan ar of hyny, a soniwyd llawer am gael capel, ond yr oedd cael tir i'w osod i lawr yn anmhosibl ar y pryd. Ogylch y flwyddyn 1816, trwy ganiatad cwmpeini Camlas Cwmnedd, cafwyd benthyg ystordy helaeth oedd yn eiddo iddynt; ac er nad oedd yr hen Storehouse ond lle cyffredin, etto yr oedd yn gaffaeliad gwerthfawr o dan yr amgylchiadau yr oeddynt ynddynt. Wedi bod yma am flynyddau, a'r achos yn myned rhagddo yn llwyddianus, daeth angen y Storehouse ar y cwmpeini, gan fod eu masnach yn ymeangu; ond rhoddwyd rhyddid i'r eglwys os mynant i roddi llofft ar yr ystordy ac y caent ei gwasanaeth, gan mai y gwaelod yn unig oedd yn angenrheidiol ar y cwmpeini. Derbyniwyd y cynyg gyda diolchgarwch, a dechreuwyd ar y gwaith yn ddioed. Gwnaed hi yn ystafell eang a chyfleus iawn, gyda phulpud a meingciau ynddi, a grisiau oddiallan i fyned iddi. Bu yr eglwys yn ymgynnull yma am lawer o flynyddoedd, ac nid yn fuan yr anghofir, gan y rhai a'u mwynhaodd, y cyfarfodydd hwyliog a melus a gafwyd ynddi. Bendithiwyd yr eglwys a diwygiad grymus, ac ychwanegwyd ugeiniau o bobl i'r Arglwydd. Llawer gwaith y gwelwyd llawr yr ystafell yn plygu gan fel y byddai plant y diwygiad yn neidio ac yn gorfoleddu. Yr oedd yr eglwys yn un o'r rhai mwyaf nodedig am ei gwres crefyddol, ac ni roddid ganddi fawr gwerth ar yr ymborth a gynygid iddi o'r pulpud os na byddai yn iach ac yn dwymn. Wedi disgwyl am flynyddau, cafwyd o'r diwedd dir ar brydles o 999 0 flynyddoedd i adeiladu capel arno gan W. Williams, Ysw., Aberpergwm ar un o'r llanerchau prydferthaf a mwyaf swynol yn yr ardal, a chodwyd capel hardd arno yn mesur 46 troedfedd wrth 32 troedfedd, ac y mae mynwent helaeth yn nglyn ag ef yr hon sydd wedi ei hamgylchynu a choed, fel y mae y capel a phob peth cysylltiedig ag ef yn ddymunol i'r golwg. Costiodd fil o bunau. Galwyd ef " Addoldy Glynnedd." Agorwyd ef yn y flwyddyn 1839. Wedi myned i'r capel newydd teimlodd yr hen weinidog, Mr. Morgan Lewis, fod ei nerth yn gwanhau, gan ei fod yn awr ar fin pedwar ugain oed; a thua'r flwyddyn 1843, daeth Mr. David Williams, Tredwstan i'r ardal i fod yn gynorthwywr iddo. Bu Mr. Williams yma yn llafurio gyda gradd o gymeradwyaeth am fwy na thair blynedd; ond gan nad oedd yr eglwys yn unol drosto, rhoddodd ei le i fyny. Cyn diwedd haf 1846, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. John Morgan Thomas, aelod o Gwmllynfell, ond a fuasai am dymor dan addysg yn Hanover, ac  urddwyd ef Hydref 13eg a'r 14eg, y flwyddyn hono. Ar yr achlysur gweinyddodd Meistri J. Bowen, Penywaun; E. Jacob, Abertawy; R. Pryse Cwmllynfell; J. Williams, Ty'nycoed; E. Watkins, Canaan; W. Williams, Hirwaun; Ll. R. Powell, Hanover; P. Griffiths, Alltwen; W. Edwards, Aberdar; E. G. Williams, Ysgetty; D. Evans, Castellnedd; E. Rowlands, Pontypool; J. Thomas, Cefncribwr; J. Davies, Mynyddbach; W. Morris, Glandwr; D. Rees, Llanelli, a J. Davies, Hanover.* Ni bu yr hen

* Diwygiwr, 1846, Tu dal. 379.

weinidog, Mr. M. Lewis byw ond ychydig ar ol urddo Mr. Thomas, canys bu fawr Rhagfyr 21ain, 1846, yn 85 oed; ond llonwyd ei galon yn fawr fod un wedi ei ddewis yn olynydd iddo oedd wrth fodd calon yr holl bobl. Bu adfywiad neillduol ar y canu, ac ar yr Ysgol Sabbothol yn y tymor byr y bu Mr. Thomas yn weinidog yma, a derbyniwyd cryn nifer o ieuengctyd y gynnulleidfa yn aelodau o'r eglwys. Llai na thair blynedd yr arhosodd Mr. Thomas yma, canys derbyniodd alwad o New York, America, ac ymfudodd yno yn Gorphenaf, 1849.

Cyn diwedd y flwyddyn hono derbyniodd Mr. John Thomas, Bwlchnewydd alwad gan yr eglwys, a dechreuodd ei weinidogaeth yma yn Chwefror, 1850; a chynaliwyd cyfarfodydd ei sefydliad Ebrill 17eg a'r 18fed. Tymor marwaidd ar fasnach y lle oedd y tymor y bu Mr. Thomas yma, a gorfodwyd llawer o deuluoedd i ymadael, yr hyn a effeithiodd ar yr eglwys a'r gynnulleidfa; ond daliodd yr achos ei dir er hyny, ac yn y cyfnod yma y talwyd gweddill dyled oedd yn aros ar yr addoldy. Yn niwedd y flwyddyn 1853, derbyniodd Mr. Thomas alwad o'r Tabernacle, Liverpool, a symudodd yno yn nechreu y mis Mawrth canlynol. Wedi bod am flwyddyn yn ymddibynu ar weinidogaeth achlysurol, rhoddwyd galwad. i Mr. John Thomas (Ieuan Morganwg), yr hwn a urddwyd yma Gorphenaf 25ain a'r 26ain, 1855. Gweinyddwyd ar yr achlysur gan Meistri E. Griffiths, Abertawy; D. Price, Aberdar; J. Thomas, Bryn; D. Jones, Bethlehem; E. Jones, Myddfai  J. Thomas, Aberdar; D. Roberts, a J. Hughes, Dowlais; P. Griffiths, Alltwen; W. Williams, Hirwann; D. Evans, a J. Mathews, Castellnedd; T. Davies, Llanelli; J. Davies, Aberaman, a W. Edwards, Aberdar.*  Bu Mr. Thomas yma yn barchus a derbyniol am yn agos i dair blynedd, ond gan nad oedd ei iechyd yn gryf rhoddodd i fyny ei ofal gweinidogaethol ac ymneillduodd i drigianu i'r Mumbles, gerllaw Abertawy. Ar ol bod drachefn am fwy na blwyddyn heb weinidog, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. David Williams, myfyriwr o athrofa y Bala, ac urddwyd ef Mawrth 1af a'r 2i1, 1859. Ar yr achlysur gweinyddodd Meistri B. Thomas, Gurnos; D. Thomas, Pentre-estyll; E. Evans, Sciwen; J. Cunnick, Aberdar; P. Griffiths, ' Alltwen. J. Mathews, Castellnedd; J. Rees, Moriah-Aman; D. Price, Aberdar; R. Lewis, Ty'n-ycoed; W. Humphreys, Cadle; W. Williams, Hirwaun; W. Watkins, Maesteg, ac S. Davies, Aberdar.+ Cafodd Mr. Williams dymor llwyddianus yma. Yr oedd masnach yr ardal yn myned yn dda ar y pryd, a llawer o bobl yn dyfod i'r lle, ac ychwanegwyd o honynt, yn gystal ac o blant y gynnulleidfa, lawer o bobl i'r Arglwydd. Bu Mr. Williams yma hyd y flwyddyn 1862, pryd y derbyniodd alwad gan eglwysi Rhydybont, Capelnoni, a Brynteg, ac y symudodd yno. Yn nechreu y flwyddyn 1863, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. Rees Morgan, Llechryd, yr hwn a ddechreuodd ei weinidogaeth yma yn ddioed, ac a fu yma yn dderbyniol a llwyddianus hyd ddiwedd y flwyddyn 1870, pryd y symudodd i Bethlehem, St. Clears, ac er hyny hyd yn hyn (Tachwedd, 1871,) y mae yr eglwys yn amddifad o weinidog. Gwelir fod yr eglwys hon wedi myned trwy lawer o gyfnewidiadau yn y deng-mlynedd-ar-hugain diweddaf, yn enwedig gyda symudiadau mynych ei gweinidogion, ond y mae yr achos er y cwbl yn dal ei ffordd, ac yn ychwanegu cryfder, ac mewn cystal gwedd yn awr ag y gwelwyd ef o gwbl.

* Diwygiwr, 1855. Tu dal. 283.

+Diwygiwr, 1859. Tu dal. 155.

Mae i'r eglwys hon er ei sefydliad amryw ganghenau lle y cynhelir Ysgolion Sabbothol, cyfarfodydd gweddio, a chyfeillachau. Cyfarfyddent mewn tai anedd ar y Banwaen, Penwaenmarchog, Pontwhalby, a Chwmgwrach. Bu y ganghen yn y lle olaf a enwyd yn gref unwaith pan yr oedd gweithiau haiarn a glo y lle yn myned yn mlaen yn dda; ond siomwyd disgwyliadau y rhai mwyaf hyderus yn nglyn a'r gweithfaoedd byny. Soniwyd llawer o bryd i bryd am godi capel yno, ond yr anhawsder oedd cael tir, ond yn y flwyddyn 1862, aeth Mr. Williams, Hirwaun at N. E. Vaughan, Ysw., Rheolau, i ymofyn am ddarn o dir, a chafwyd ef yn ddinacad, am yr ardreth isel o swllt y flwyddyn. Adeiladwyd yma gapel bychan cyfleus, ac agorwyd ef Ionawr 18fed a'r 19eg, 1863, pryd y pregethwyd gan Meistri D. Williams, Rhydybont; R. Morgan, Llechryd; J. Mathews, Castellnedd; R. Lewis, Ty'nycoed; D. Thomas, Ystradfellte, a W. Williams, Hirwaun.* Mae CAPEL CWMGWRACH yn parhau yn ganghen o Glynnedd, lle y cynhelir pob moddion yn rheolaidd, ond nid oes eglwys wedi ei chorpholi ynddo.

Mae eglwys Glynnedd wedi bod yn nodedig yn mysg eglwysi yr enwad am ei gwres crefyddol. Dechreuodd mewn adeg fywiog, ac yr oedd ei hen weinidog cyntaf, a'r hwn a adawodd ei ddelw yn ddwfn arni, yn ddiarhebol am ei danbeidrwydd a'i angerddoldeb. Ymlynai yr hen dô cyntaf yn dýn wrth hen athrawiaethau yr efengyl; ac er nas gallesid eu cyfrif yn rhai eang eu gwybodaeth, etto, yr oedd taflod eu genau yn deall camflas, ac nid anghofir gan y rhai a'u gwelodd, yr olwg foddhaol a fyddai arnynt pan yn gwledda ar frasder yr efengyl. Aeth Thomas, brawd Mr. Williams, Hirwaun, adref yn orfoleddus yn ngwres ei gariad cyntaf. Sion Hopkin, Blaengwrach oedd un o'r rhai mwyaf tanllyd ei ysbryd. Sion Siencyn a fu yn ddiacon ffyddlon am oes hir; ac nid oedd yn yr eglwys neb o gyffelyb feddwl, yr hwn a wir ofalai am yr achos, ac er nad oedd yn un o'r rhai mwyaf tanllyd, etto, pan y cyffyiddid a'i galon, byddai ei "amen" a'i "o diolch" gwefreiddiol yn ysgwyd yr holl le. Llawer brwydr galed fu rhwng William Morgan, Penmarc a'r diafol, cyn cael y goncwest arno. Richard Dafydd oedd un o'r dynion diniweitiaf a charedicaf, ac er nad oedd ond anllythrenog hollol, etto, anaml y gwrandawsom neb mor flasus a gafaelgar mewn gweddi. Yr oedd yma hefyd lawer o wragedd rhagorol gynt, ac er nas gallwn eu erybwyll oll, etto, y mae enw Margaret Williams (neu modryb Peggy, o'r Banwaen, fel yr arferid ei galw), yn haeddu cofnodiad parchus. Llawer gwaith y gwelsom hi wrth wrando a'i theimladau yn ymgroni o'i mewn, ac wedi hir ymatal torai allan yn fonllef uchel; ac yr oedd dylanwad ei chymeriad da yn gyfryw fel y cerddai trydan oddiwrthi i'r holl gynnulleidfa. Magodd deulu lluosog o fwy na deuddeg o blant i'w cyflawn faintioli, er fod eu tad am lawer o flynyddau olaf ei oes yn gorwedd ar ei glaf wely, o afiechyd poenus; ac wedi ei gladdu, ymfudodd hi a'i theulu mawr i America, lle y bu hithau farw, ond y mae y rhan fwyaf o'i phlant yn aros etto yn aelodau defnyddiol yno mewn gwahanol eglwysi. Nid oes ond ychydig o hen deulu y Storehouse yn aros, ac er fod en holynwr yn amddifad o'u tân a'u gwres hwy, etto, y mae yn y plant lawer o ragoriaethau nad oedd yn eu tadau, ac y maent yn cario crefydd ymarferol yn mlaen yn llawer mwy effeithiol; ond pe gellid uno yn nghyd wres crefyddol yr hen dô, a threfnusrwydd ymarferol y tô presenol byddai yn gydgyfarfyddiad hapus.

* Diwygiwr, 1883. Tu dal, 55.

Codwyd y personau canlynol i bregethu yn yr eglwys hon: -

  • Richard Jones. Urddwyd ef yn Cymer-glyn-corwg, a bu wedi hyny yn Cwmogwr, lle y daw ei hanes dan ein sylw.
  • Evan Pritchard. Urddwyd ef yn Sgethrog, sir Frycheiniog, lle y bu lawer o flynyddoedd; ac y mae yn awr yn byw yn Sciwen, ac er nad oes ganddo ofal eglwysig y mae yn pregethu fynychaf bob Sabboth.
  • William Williams. Urddwyd ef yn Nhredwstan, ac y mae yn Hirwaun bellach er's deuddeng mlynedd-ar-hugain.
  • William Griffiths. Urddwyd ef yn Cerig-cadarn, ac y mae yn awr er's blynyddau wedi rhoddi ei ofal gweinidogaethol i fyny, ac wedi ei dderbyn ar Drysorfa yr hen weinidogion.
  • David Price. Urddwyd ef yn Siloa, Aberdar er's with-mlynedd-ar-hugain yn ol, ac yno y mae yn aros etto.
  • Thomas E. Evans. Addysgwyd ef yn athrofa Aberhonddu. Urddwyd ef yn Rhosllanerchrugog, a symudodd oddiyno i Booth-Street, Manchester, a bu farw yn mlodeu ei ddyddiau. Daw ei hanes ef yn nglyn a Booth-Street, Manchester.
  • John E. Evans. Bu yn athrofa y Bala, ac urddwyd ef yn Merthyr-cynog.
  • John M. Evans. Aeth at y Bedyddwyr, ac wedi hyny i'r America, lle y mae etto.
  • John Rogers. Addysgwyd ef yn athrofa y Bala. Urddwyd ef yn Pant-teg, ger Caerfyrddin, ac y mae yn awr yn Jerusalem, Penbre.

COFNODION BYWGRAPHYDDOL (Not extracted fully)

MORGAN LEWIS. Ganwyd ef Medi 29ain, 1761, yn y Creunant, yn mhiwyf Llangattwg, gerllaw Castellnedd. .................

JOHN THOMAS. Ganwyd ef yn y Cwmdubach, gerllaw Caerfyrddin, Ebrill 13eg, 1811...........................

 

Translation by Eleri Rowlands (Dec 2008)

Even though the cause in this place started comparatively recently, yet worship has been taking place in Glynneath since the earliest times of non-conformity in Wales.  On the ridge of a rock above the river Cwrach, in a shady glade,  within less than half a mile of Glynneath station, there is the old chapel of Blaengwrach, and here was a non-conformist cause since early times.  It was considered for a while to be a branch of Chwarelaubach, Neath and was under the same ministry.  But about the year 1718, Mr Henry Davies was ordained as minister in Blaengwrach, and he laboured in the place for close to thirty years.  The famous Lewis Rees was in school under the care of Mr Davies in Blaengwrach, and there he was accepted as a member and started preaching, and there also he was ordained on April 13th, 1738, as we mentioned in the Llanbrynmair history.  The names and numbers of members in the year 1734 are to be seen now in Mr Davies'document.  They were 63 in number; 34 men and 29 women which were spread out across the Tawe valley,  Ystradfellte, the Dulais valley, and Glyncorrwg, as well as the Neath valley.  Mr Davies, Blaengwrach was the one who established the church in Cymer, Rhondda valley, as we shall see when we come to that church; and after the formation of that church he moved to care for them, and he was followed in Blaengwrach by Mr Thomas Lewis, a member of Penmain, who was there from1748 until 1773, when he left for Llanharan.  He was followed by Mr Thomas Morgan, who was an Arminian, if not something further; and in his time the church deteriorated in it's views, until gradually it went completely Sosinian, and it is in their hands until this day.  Cwmnedd was for some time caught in the gap between the deterioration of the ministry in Blaengwrach, and the raising of the cause that is now in Glynneath, without any evangelical preaching within her; and the inhabitants dedicated themselves as one to excess and pomposity and ungodly practices.  There were a few religious people early on in this century, and we heard of a few of the old people of Glynneath who mentioned with respect one old woman, who was at one time a member in Blaengwrach, but when the ministry there started putting on a strange sound she joined the church at Ty'nycoed, and walked all the way there so she could hear the gospel in it's purity.  About the year 1812, Mr Morgan Lewis, Ystradfellte, started preaching in his own house in Abernantyfedwen and Banwen Byrddyn, and a church was formed there, and several members from Glynneath were accepted there.  In Glynneath, at that time, and before that time, several members from the churches of Godrerhos, Melincwrt, Ty'nycoed and Hermon, held prayer meetings and religious societies every week in Penystair, Tainewydd and other places, and certain preachers came to them occasionally.  Mr Philip Griffiths, Alltwen, was amongst this faithful few. He was a young man, full of life and the religious heat.  Mr Morgan Lewis came to preach to them every month on a Tuesday night, and in seeing the cause becoming so successful, and becoming favourable in the sight of the people of the valley, it was decided to move from Abernant-y-fedwen to Glynneath, and one Jenkin Morgan, Maesmarchog, opened his house to accept the coffin.  A license was obtained on the house in case anyone caused trouble for them, Mr Morgan Lewis moved to Glynneath to live, and his regular presence in every meeting was a great help to the cause at the beginning.  A great revival soon broke out and tens of people were added to the cause, many of whom were faithful to their conviction till they died. Jenkin Morgan's house was soon too small after this and many talked about having a chapel, but obtaining land was impossible at the time.  About the year 1816, through the permission of the Neath Canal Company, a vast storehouse was borrowed; and even though the storehouse was a common one, yet it was a great acquisition under their circumstances.

Having been here for years, with the cause becoming more successful, the company then needed the storehouse, as their trade was growing; but the church was allowed to put a loft into the storeroom and continue with their services as the company only needed the ground floor.  The offer was accepted with thanks, and they started on the work immediately.  It was made into an expansive and very suitable room,  with a pulpit and benches, and stair outside to reach it.  The church met here for many years,  and the people who enjoyed it will never forget the many sweet, joyful services that were held here.  The church was blessed with a great revival, and scores of people were brought to the Lord.  Many times the floor of the room was seen to bend as the children of the revival jumped and glorified the Lord.  The church was one of the most noted for its religious warmth,  and they paid no heed to what was offered from the pulpit unless it was healthy and warm.  Having waited for years, they managed to obtain land, at last, at a lease of 999 years to build a chapel from W. Williams, Esq, Aberpergwm on one of the most beautiful and most charming glades in the area, and a beautiful chapel was built there measuring 46 feet by 32 feet, with a large churchyard which is surrounded by trees, so that the chapel and everything connected with it is pleasant to look at.  It cost a thousand pounds.  It was called 'Addoldy Glynnedd'(Glynneath House of Worship).  It was opened in the year 1839.  As he went to the new chapel the former minister, Mr Morgan Lewis, felt his strength weaken, as he was now nearing eighty years old; and about the year 1843, Mr David Williams, Tredwstan came to the area to be an assistant to him.  Mr Williams laboured with a degree of approval for more than three years; but as the whole church was not on his side he gave up his post.  Before the end of the summer of 1846, a call was given to Mr John Morgan Thomas, a member from  Cwmllynfell, but he was for a while under instruction in Hanover,  and he was ordained on October 13th and 14th, that year.  On the occasion Messrs J. Bowen, Penywaun;  E. Jacob, Swansea;  R. Pryse, Cwmllynfell;  J. Williams, Ty'nycoed;  E. Watkins, Canaan;  W. Williams, Hirwaun;  Ll. R. Powell, Hanover;  P. Griffiths, Alltwen;  W. Edwards, Aberdare ;  E. G. Williams, Sketty;  D. Evans, Neath;  E. Rowlands, Pontypool;  J. Thomas, Cefncribwr;  J. Davies, Mynyddbach;  W. Morris, Glandwr;  D. Rees, Llanelli, and  J. Davies, Hanover, preached.*

 * Diwygiwr, 1846, page. 379.

 The old minister, Mr M. Lewis, didn't live long after the ordination of Mr Thomas, and he died on December 21st, 1846, at the age of 85 years; but he was greatly heartened that a minister who was popular with everyone had been chosen as his successor.  There was a new revival to the singing, and also to the Sunday School for the short time Mr Thomas was a minister here, and a fair few young people from the congregation were accepted as members of the church.  Mr Thomas stayed here for less than three years, as he accepted a call from New York, America, and he emigrated there in July, 1849.

Before the end of that year Mr John Thomas, Bwlchnewydd, accepted a call from the church, and started his ministry here in February, 1850; his induction services were on April 17th and 18th.  Mr Thomas'term at this church was a very poor one, and many families were forced to leave the church, which affected the church and the congregation; but the cause held up despite this, and during this time the outstanding debt on the chapel was paid.  At the end of 1853, Mr Thomas accepted a call from Tabernacle, Liverpool, and moved there at the beginning of the following March.  Having spent a year depending on occasion ministry, a call was sent out to Mr John Thomas (Ieuan Morganwg), who was ordained here on July 25th and 26th, 1855.  Messrs E. Griffiths, Swansea;  D. Price, Aberdare;  J. Thomas, Bryn;  D. Jones, Bethlehem;  E. Jones, Myddfai;   J. Thomas, Aberdare;  D. Roberts, and   J. Hughes, Dowlais;  P. Griffiths, Alltwen;  W. Williams, Hirwaun;  D. Evans, and   J. Mathews, Neath;  T. Davies, Llanelli;  J. Davies, Aberaman, and  W. Edwards, Aberdare.* ministered at the occasion.  Mr Thomas stayed here much respected and acceptable for close to three years, but since his health was not strong he gave up his ministerial care and he retired to live in Mumbles, near Swansea.  After being without a minister for more than a year, a call was sent out to Mr David Williams, a student from Bala college, and he was ordained on March 1st and 2nd, 1859.  On that occasion Messrs B. Thomas, Gurnos;  D. Thomas, Pentre-estyll;  E. Evans, Skewen;  J. Cunnick, Aberdare;  P. Griffiths,  Alltwen;  J. Mathews, Neath;  J. Rees, Moriah-Aman;  D. Price, Aberdare;  R. Lewis, Ty'n-ycoed;  W. Humphreys, Cadle;  W. Williams, Hirwaun;  W. Watkins, Maesteg, and  S. Davies, Aberdare, ministered.+  Mr Williams was successful here.  Trade in the area was good at the time, and many people came here, and were added to the people of the Lord including the children of the congregation who were also there.  Mr Williams was here until 1862, when he accepted a call from the churches of Rhydybont, Capelnoni and Brynteg and he moved there.  At the beginning of 1863, a call was sent to Mr Rees Morgan, Llechryd, who started his ministry here immediately, and he was here very successfully until the end of 1870, when he moved to Bethlehem, St Clears, and from that time until now (November 1871) the church has been without a minister.  It is clear that this chuch has been through many changes in the last thirty years, especially considering the frequent movements of ministers, but the cause, despite everything is surviving and is growing in strength, and is in as good a condition now as it has ever been.   

 * Diwygiwr, 1855. page. 283.       +Diwygiwr, 1859. page. 155.

This church has, since its establishment, several branches where Sunday Schools, prayer meetings and social meetings are held.  They meet in dwelling houses at Banwen, `Penwaenmarchog, Pontwalby, and Cwmgwrach.  The branch in the last place mentioned was very strong when the iron and coal works were successful; but the expectations of  the most confident in the valley and the works were dashed.  The idea of building a chapel there was mentioned many times but the difficulty of finding land prevented it, but in the year 1862, Mr Williams of Hirwaun went to see N.E. Vaughan, Esq., Rheola, to ask for a piece of land, and it was given readily, at a low rate of a shilling a year.  A small, convenient, chapel was built which was opened on January 18th and 19th, 1863, when Messrs D. Williams, Rhydybont; R. Morgan, Llechryd; J. Mathews, Neath; R. Lewis, Ty'nycoed; D. Thomas, Ystradfellte, and W. Williams, Hirwaun preached.*  CAPEL CWMGWRACH continues as a branch of Glynneath, where every means of grace is held regularly, but no church has been embodied in it yet.  

The church at Glynneath has been notable among the churches of the denomination for its religious fervour.  It was started in a lively time and its first old minister, who left his image deeply on it, is proverbial for its great heat and its passion.  The first old generation held on tight to the old gospel teachings; and, although they could not be considered as having a wide knowledge, yet, but their palate was such that they could recognise a bad taste, and no one who saw them could forget, the look of satisfaction they had on their faces as they feasted on the fat of the gospel.  Thomas, Mr Williams, Hirwaun's brother went home joyfully in the warmth of his first love.  Sion Hopkin, Blaengwrach was one of the most fiery of spirit.  Sion Siencyn who was a faithful deacon for a long time; and there was nobody in the church with such a mind, who really cared for the cause, and even though he wasn't one of the most fiery, yet, when his heart was touched, his thrilling 'amen'and his 'oh thanks'shook the whole place.  There were many hard battles between William Morgan, Penmarc and the devil, before he conquered him.  Richard Dafydd was one of the most innocent and kind of men, and even though he was completely illiterate, yet, rarely do we hear anyone more tenacious or sweet in prayer.  There were, also, many excellent women, and even though we cannot mention them all, yet, the name of Margaret Williams (or Auntie Peggy, from Banwen, as she was called), deserves a respected mention.  A sort of electricity came from her during services and spread to the whole congregation.  She had twelve children and emigrated to America after the death of her ailing husband.  Only a few of the Storehouse family are now still there, and even though their successors have lost their fire and warmth, yet, many of their children possess excellent qualities that their fathers did not possess, and they carry their practical religion forward more effectively; but if the religious heat of the old generation could be joined with the practical organizing of the present generation it would be a happy union.  

*'Diwygiwr', 1883. page, 55.

The following persons were raised to preach in this church:-

  • Richard Jones.  He was ordained in Cymer-glyn corwg, and was then in Cwmogwr, where he comes to our notice.
  • Evan Pritchard.  He was ordained in Sgethrog, Breconshire: he now lives in Skewen, and even though he does not have the care of a church he usually preaches every Sunday.
  • William Williams.  He was ordained in Tredwstan, and he has now been in Hirwaun for thirty two years.
  • William Griffiths.  He was ordained in Cerig-cadarn, and has now given up the ministry.
  • David Price.  He was ordained in Siloa, Aberdare twenty eight years ago, and he is still there.
  • Thomas E. Evans.  He was educated in Brecon college.  He was ordained in Rhosllanerchrugog, and moved from there to Booth-Street, Manchester, and died early.
  • John E. Evans. He was educated in Bala college, and ordained in Merthyr-cynog.
  • John M. Evans. He went to the Baptists, and after that to America where he still lives.
  • John Rogers.  He was educated in Bala college. He was ordained in Pant-teg, near Carmarthen, and he is now in Jerusalem, Pembrey.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES (Not extracted fully)

MORGAN LEWIS. He was born on September 29th, 1761, in Creunant, in  Cadoxton parish near Neath. .................

JOHN THOMAS. He was born in Cwmdubach, near Carmarthen, on April 13th, 1811...........................

 

 

MAESYRHAF, CASTELLNEDD (Neath parish)

(Vol 2, p 95)

Yr eglwys a ymgyferfydd yn y capel hwn yw yr eglwys Ymneillduol henaf yn y parth hwn o Forganwg. Nid oes genym ddefnyddiau i roddi hanes manwl o ddechreuad yr achos. Mae yn sicr fod rhai o drigolion y dref a'r ardal hon wedi cofleidio golygiadau Puritanaidd er yn fore iawn. Yr oedd Robert Powell, yr hwn oedd yn Buritan selog, yn weinidog plwyf Llangattwg oddiar 1622, a bu yno hyd ryw amser ar ol 1649. Nis gallasai gweinidog o ddoniau, gweithgarwch, a golygiadau efengylaidd Robert Powell fod am gynifer o flynyddau mewn ardal heb ennill llawer o ddysgyblion. Dilynwyd Mr. Powell yn Llangattwg gan Mr. Jenkin Jones, ryw amser rhwng 1649 a 1660. Yr oedd Jenkin Jones, fel y gwyddys, nid yn unig yn Buritan, ond hefyd yn Ymneillduwr selog. Mae yn debyg mai efe sydd i'w ystyried fel sylfaenydd yr achos sydd yn awr yn Maesyrhaf, oblegid, "Eglwys Llangattwg" y gelwid yr eglwys hon gynt. Nis gallwn benderfynu pa gymaint o amser cyn adferiad Siarl II. y cafodd ei chorpholi. Yn ddioed ar ol adferiad y brenin gorfodwyd Jenkin Jones gan erledigaeth i ffoi o'r ardal. Cymerwyd gofal ei bobl ar ol ei ymadawiad ef gan Mr. Robert Thomas, yr hwn a droisid allan o eglwys plwyf Baglan. Efe oedd y gweinidog yn 1669 ac yn 1675,* a pharhaodd yn y cysylitiad hwn a'r eglwys hon yn nghyd ag eglwys Ty'rdwncyn a'u canghenau hyd ei farwolaeth tua'r flwyddyn 1693. Dywedir fod "Eglwys Llangattwg," yn ei amser cyntaf ef fel ei gweinidog, yn gynwysedig o Annibynwyr, Bedyddwyr, a gwrthfedyddwyr, hyny yw, dynion yn gwrthwynebu pob math o fedydd dwfr, ond mae yn debygol i'r Bedyddwyr ymneillduo o honi yn hir cyn marwolaeth Mr. Thomas, ac hefyd i'r gwrth-fedyddwyr ymuno a'r Crynwyr. Cynorthwyid Mr. Thomas yn y weinidogaeth am rai blynyddau gan Jacob Cristopher a Richard Cradock. Yn amser yr erledigaeth o adferiad Siarl II. hyd Ddeddf Goddefiad cyfarfyddai gwahanol ganghenau yr eglwys mewn anedd-dai mor ddirgel ag y medrent, ac nid ydyw yn ymddangos i'r eglwys oll fod yn addoli yn nghyd trwy yr holl flynyddau hyny, oddieithr iddynt gyfarfod yn achlysurol yn 1672 a 1673, pan y caniataodd y brenin ychydig o ryddid i'r Ymneillduwyr. Yr ydym yn cael fod tý, Robert Thomas yn Baglan wedi cael ei drwyddedu yn 1672 at bregethu ynddo a Robert Thomas ei hun wedi cael ei drwyddedu yr un dydd i fod yn bregethwr Annibynol yn ei dý ei hun. Yr un amser hefyd trwyddedwyd tý, Elizabeth Morgan yn nhref Castellnedd, a thai Lewis Alward, yn Cynffyg, a Watkin Cradock yn y Dref Newydd. Rhoddwyd hefyd drwydded i Watkin Cradock + i fod yn bregethwr Annibynol yn ei dý ei hun. Ar yr 16eg o Gorphenaf, 1672, y rhoddwyd y trwyddedau hyn. Heblaw y manau a drwyddedwyd yr oedd yr eglwys wasgaredig hon yn ymgynnull mewn amryw leoedd yn mhlwyf Llansamlet, Llangafelach, a Llanguwg, ac oddiwrth y canghenau a gyfarfyddent yn y ddau blwyf olaf y cyfododd yr eglwysi yn y Gellionen a Chwmllynfell. Wedi marwolaeth Mr. R. Thomas, dewiswyd Mr. Lewis Davies o blwyf Llanedi yn ganlyniedydd iddo yn Nghastellnedd a Thy'rdwncyn a'u canghenau. Bu Mr. Davies yn cael ei gynorthwyo am dymor gan Mr. John Thomas, Aberafan, a Llewellyn Bevan, Cwmllynfell. Yr oedd Mr. Davies yn weinidog rhagorol a llafurus iawn, ac fel y nodasom yn hanes y Mynyddbach, darfu iddo sefydlu cyfarfodydd holwyddori ac Ysgolion Sabbothol yn yr eglwysi dan ei ofal ugeiniau o flynyddau cyn fod son am Ysgolion Sabbothol yn gyffredin yn y wlad. Bu farw fel y tybiwn ryw bryd tua 1712, neu yn fuan ar ol hyny. Yr oedd ei gylch gweinidogaethol ef yn cyrhaedd o Blaengwrach hyd Gasllwchwr, ac o'r Drefnewydd i Gwmllynfell, ond yn fuan ar ol ei farwolaeth rhanwyd y maes; gadawyd plwyfydd Abertawy Llanrhiadau, Casllwchwr, Llandilo Talybont, Llangafelach, a rhan o blwyf Llansamlet i gylch gweinidogaeth y Mynyddbach, a pharhaodd y parth hwnw o'r wlad o'r Drefnewydd i Gwmllynfell mewn cysylltiad a gweinidogaeth Castellnedd dros rai blynyddau.

Mewn anedd-dai, fel y crybwyllasom eisioes, y buwyd yn addoli o ddechreuad yr achos hyd ar ol marwolaeth Mr. R. Thomas. Yn 1695,

* The Lambeth MSS. and the Broadmead Records.

+Richard Cradock yw yr enw yn y Lambeth MSS. a'r Broadmead Records, ond Watkin Cradock yw yr enw yn y cofrestr o drwyddedau sydd yn y Record Office yn Llundain. Os yr un person a olygir mae yn rhaid fod yr enw wedi ei gam osod yn y naill neu y llall o'r llawysgrifau hyn, ond dichon eu bod yn ddau berson gwahanol,

yr adeiladwyd capel y Chwarelaubach, yn agos i Gastellnedd, ac yn yr un flwyddyn yr adeiladwyd capel y Gellionen. Yr oedd Mr. Busey Mansel o Lansawel, boneddwr o gyfoeth a dylanwad mawr, yn aelod o'r eglwys hon, ac wedi i'r Ymneilldnwyr gael rhyddid yn ol cyfraith y tir i addoli rhoddodd ef dir, coed, a cherig iddynt at adeiladu y capeli yn Chwarelaubach a'r Gellionen. Dywed Edmund Jones, yn ei lawysgrifau, i Mr. Mansel fynu adeiladu capel y Chwarelaubach ychydig bellder oddiwrth y brif ffordd, rhag pe buasai yn ymyl y ffordd i bob gelyn wrth fyned heibio daflu ceryg i ddryllio y ffenestri. Dichon mai ffyrnigrwydd gelyniaeth y werin yn erbyn Ymneillduaeth oedd yr achos pa ham na ddarfn i bobl Castellnedd adeiladu capel cyn 1695, oblegid yr oedd Deddf Goddefiad wedi ei phasio naw mlynedd cyn hyny.

Dywed Dr. John Evans, mai Thomas Davies oedd y gweinidog yma yn 1715. Nid ydym yn gwybod dim am y gwr hwn, ac yr ydym yn gogwyddo i dybied mai gwall yn llawysgrif y Dr. yw Thomas Davies, ac mai Lewis Davies a ddylasai fod, ac os yw ein tyb yn gywir, ni bu Lewis Davies farw hyd ar ol 1715. Pan ranwyd y cylch gweinidogaethol ar ol marwolaeth Mr. Davies, dilynwyd ef yn Nghastellnedd a'r canghenau gan David Thomas a Henry Davies. David Thomas oedd yn benaf yn gofalu am y fam-eglwys yn Nghastellnedd, a Henry Davies am y ganghen yn Mlaengwrach. Bu yr eglwys yn Nghastellnedd dan ofal Mr. Thomas hyd 1748, pryd y bu farw. Yn 1740, cafodd Mr. John Davies o athrofa Caerfyrddin ei urddo yma yn gynorthwywr i Mr. Thomas, ond ni bu ei arosiad ef yma yn hir. Yn 1750, derbyniodd alwad oddiwrth ei fam-eglwys yn Nhrelech, a symudodd yno, lle y bu hyd derfyn ei oes. Wedi ymadawiad Mr. Davies, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. Joseph Simmons, yr hwn, fel yr ymddengys, oedd wedi bod yn weinidog i rai o ganghenau yr eglwys bon, megis Gellionen, Cwmllynfell, &c., am fwy nag ugain mlynedd cyn iddo gael galwad gan y fam-eglwys. Bu Mr. Simmons yn weinidog yma o 1750 hyd derfyn ei oes yn 1774, ond yr oedd ei fab Noah Simmons wedi ei urddo yn gynorthwywr iddo tua thair blynedd cyn ei farwolaeth.

Gan fod capel y Chwarelaubach wedi myned yn hen, ac yn anghyfleus o herwydd ei fod allan o'r dref, cafwyd darn helaeth o dir at fynwent ac adeiladu capel yn y dref gan Syr Herbert Mackworth, o'r Gnol, tua 1771, ar les o 999 o flynyddau am yr ardreth o bum' swllt yn y flwyddyn, ond fod y gynnulleidfa yn rhoddi yr hen gapel a'r ychydig dir perthynol iddo, i Syr Herbert yn gyfnewid am y llall. Mae yr eglwys er's ychydig amser yn ol wedi prynu y 1le gan berchenogion ystad y Gnol, fel y mae yn awr yn feddiant hollol i'r gynnulleidfa. Cafodd y capel ei adeiladu yn ol cynllun rhyw gapel a welsai Syr Herbert yn Lloegr, ac yr oedd ar y pryd yr adeiladwyd ef y capel helaethaf a phrydferthaf yn Nghymru. Ei faint oedd 50 troedfedd wrth 40, ac yr oedd yn ddigon uchel i osod dwy oriel, un uwchlaw y llall, ynddo. Ar ddydd ei agoriad yr urddwyd Mr. Noah Simmons yn gydweinidog a'i dad. Dywedir i'r oriel y diwrnod hwnw, o herwydd lluosogrwydd y dorf, roddi ychydig o'i ffordd. Parodd hyn lawer o ddychryn, ond ni chafodd neb niwed. Yr oedd Syr Herbert Mackworth yn wyddfodol ar y pryd, ac er rhagflaenu pob trychineb rhagllaw, penderfynodd osod colofnau cedyrn ar ei draul ei hun o dan yr oriel. Cafwyd cryn lawer o helbul yn nglyn ag adeiladu capel hwn. Gan nad oedd mor hawdd y pryd hwnw i gael coed at adeiladu o'r America ag yn awr, penderfynwyd anfon dyn drosodd i'r America i brynu y coed. Casglwyd digon o arian at eu prynu a thalu traul y prynwr. Yn mysg eraill, darfu i un  Richard Jones, diacon a phregethwr yn yr eglwys, werthu dau fustach a rhoddi eu harian i'r drysorfa at brynu y coed. Aeth y prynwr i'r America, ond hoffodd ei le yno, ac ni welwyd mo hono ef, na'r coed, na'r arias byth mwyach yn Nghymru; ond llwyddwyd i gael coed ac i orphen yr adeilad. Yr oedd y dywededig Richard Jones yn faendowr wrth ei gelfyddyd, a darfu iddo doi y tý a'i ddwylaw ei hun yn rhad. Wedi cael y capel yn barod ymddiriedwyd i ddyn arall i fyned i Loegr, gasglu at y ddyled, and darfu i hwnw hefyd hoffi ei le yn Lloegr, ac ni ddychwelodd byth, er y bernir iddo gasglu digon i daln yr holl ddyled. Fel hyn yr ydym yn gweled mai mewn amseroedd blinion yr adeiladwyd, muriau y ddinas hon. Yn fuan ar ol ei urddo aeth Mr. Noah Simmons i Loegr a chasglodd yno ddigon i dalu yr hyn oedd o ddyled yn aros ar y capel.Bu Mr. Simmons yn weinidog yma am ugain mlynedd wedi marwolaeth ei dad; ond tua diwedd ei dymor yma cyfododd rhyw bersonau maleisus yn ei ben gan ddwyn cyhuddiadau mwyaf gwaradwyddus yn erbyn ei gymeriad, ac er nad oedd pobl y dref, na mwysfrif y gynnulleidfa, yn credu dim o'r cyhuddiadau, etto, barnodd ef mai gwell oedd iddo ymadael, ac felly ymfudodd i'r America yn 1794. Yn niwedd 1795, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. Thomas Bowen, Maesyronen. Mae yr alwad wedi ei geirio fel y canlyn: -

" CASTELLNEDD, Rhagfyr 27ain, 1795. ....................

.....................................JOHN DAVIES.  CWMAMAN, lonawr 24ain, 1837.

(Parts of pages 98 - 100 were omitted for the sake of brevity)

Yn Ebrill, 1837, rhoddodd yr eglwys alwad i Mr. Daniel Evans, Nazareth, sir Gaerfyrddin, a dechreuodd ei weinidogaeth yma yn fuan ar ol hyny. Dywed Mr. Evans ei hun yn y Diwygiwr am 1849, yr hyn a ganlyn am y llwyddiant anghyffredin a ddilynodd ei sefydliad ef yma : - " Yn amser y gweinidog presenol yr adgyfodwyd yr Ysgol Sabbothol yn Maesyrhaf o farw yn fyw, ac yr ymledodd yn chwech o ganghenau yn dra buan, yn cynwys amryw ganoedd o rifedi - y sefydlwyd chwech neu wyth o gyfarfodydd gweddio at y rhai oedd o'r blaen - y cynyddodd yr eglwys o saith ugain heibio i bedwar cant o aelodau, mewn llai na chwe' blynedd - y gwelwyd pedwar ugain ar yr un amser ar brawf yn y gyfeillach - y gwnawd dwy bunt a deugain at achos y Genhadaeth yn yr un flwyddyn - y dygwyd dirwest a chyfarfod gweddi y gwragedd i'r capel - yr adeiladwyd addoldy Salem, ac y talwyd am dano - y codwyd y canu i sylw a siarad parchus yn y dref a'r gymydogaeth - y dygwyd gas i oleuo y capel," &c. Bu Mr. Evans yn rhyfeddol o lwyddianus a pharchus yma am ddeg neu ddeuddeg mlynedd, ond yn ol, yn hytrach nag yn mlaen, yr oedd yr achos yn myned yn mlynyddoedd olaf ei dymor ef. Dichon fod hyn i'w briodoli mewn rhan i farweidd-dra yr amseroedd gyda golwg ar grefydd, ac mewn rhan hefyd i'w ddull pigog ef o geryddu pechod, ac i fesur o chwerwder yn ysbryd, yr hyn a achosid gan y gofidiau a gyfarfyddodd yn mlynyddau diweddaf ei oes. Nid oedd yr eglwys yn ddim lluosocach, os oedd mor lluosog, yn niwedd tymor ei weinidogaeth ef ag yr oedd yn ei ddechreuad. Bu farw y gweinidog da a llafurus hwn ar ol rhai misoedd o gystudd a nychdod, Ebrill 17eg, 1859.

Wedi i'r eglwys fod am ychydig gyda blwyddyn yn ymddibynu ar weinidogaeth achlysurol, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. Jonah Roberts, myfyriwr yn athrofa Aberhonddu, ac urddwyd ef yma Mehefin 20fed a'r 2lain, 1860. Dechreuwyd cyfarfod yr urddiad trwy weddi gan Mr. Mathews, Castellnedd, pregethwyd ar natur eglwys gan Mr. E. Roberts, Cwmafon; derbyniwyd y gyffes ffydd gan Mr. E. C. Jenkins, Rhymni; traddodwyd siars i'r gweinidog gan Mr. J. Morris, o athrofa Aberhonddu, a siars i'r eglwys gan Mr. T. Rees, Cendl. Pregethwyd yr hwyr blaenorol, ac ar brydnawn a hwyr dydd yr urddiad gan Meistri Williams, Hirwaun; Davies, Aberaman; Thomas, Glandwr; Rees, Canaan, ac eraill. Mae Mr. Roberts wedi llenwi ei le yn dda yma am fwy nag un-mlynedd-ar-ddeg bellach. Gan fod y capel wedi myned yn hen, ac i raddau yn anghyfleus fel lle addoliad, penderfynodd yr eglwys a'r gynnulleidfa ei dynu i lawr, ac adeiladu un newydd, a mwy teilwng o'r dref a'r oes. Gosodwyd careg sylfaen y capel newydd Awst 18fed,1864, gan y diweddar Mr. Evan Evans, yr hwn ar y pryd a roddodd 50p. at draul yr adeiladaeth. Cynaliwyd cyfarfod cyhoeddus ar yr achlysur ar y fynwent, dan lywyddiad y Maer, y diweddar Mr. W. T. Morgan, yr hwn hefyd a roddodd ddeg gini at yr adeiladaeth. Bu amrvw weinidogion, ac eraill, yn areithio yn y cyfarfod hwnw. Mr. Thomas Glandwr, oedd cynllunydd y capel hwn, ac y mae prydferthwch yr adeilad yn glod iddo. Trwy fusgrellni y gweithwyr buwyd ddwy flynedd cyn ei orphen. Cynaliwyd cyfarfodydd yr agoriad Awst 12fed, 13eg. 14eg, 15fed, 16eg a'r 19eg, 1866. Pregethwyd gan Meistri W. Rees, D.D., Liverpool; T. Rees, D.D., Abertawy; R. Ferguson, LL.D., Llundain; J. Davies, Caerdydd; T. Davies, Llandilo; E. Hughes, Penmain; W. Williams, Hirwaun; J. Williams, Castellnewydd; J. Thomas, Liverpool; R. Pryse, Cwmllynfell, ac eraill. Maint y capel hardd hwn yw 62 troedfedd wrth 42 tu fewn i'r muriau, ac ysgoldy wrth un pen iddo pa 42 troedfedd wrth 13. Costiodd dros 2,200p., ac o'r swm hwn yr oedd dros wyth gant o bunau wedi eu easglu erbyn diwedd cyfarfodydd yr agoriad. Y mae rhai canoedd wedi eu casglu wedi hyny, a'r ddyled fawr yn toddi yn barhaus o flaen ymdrechion pobl sydd a chalon ganddynt i weithio.

Gan fod yr eglwys hon yn un o'r rhai henaf yn Nghymru, a bod gweinidogion dysgedig ac enwog wedi bod yn gofalu am dani o oes i oes, mae yn hynod na buasai rhyw gofnodion eglwysig wedi cael eu cadw gan rai o honynt,er rhoddi manylion hanes yr achos, a'r dynion mwyaf nodedig fuont yn perthyn iddo, ond er pob ymchwil yr ydym wedi methu dyfod o hyd i ddim o'r fath. Mae yn ddiameu fod llawer o aelodau teilwng a rhagorol mewn llawer o bethau wedi hod yn y lle hwn o bryd i bryd, ond o ddiffyg defnyddiau yr ydym yn gorfod gadael eu henwau a'u hanes mewn ebargofiant. Clywsom am David Rogers, Ysw., fel aelod amlwg iawn yma er's tua dwy genhedlaeth yn ol; ac y mae coffadwriaeth David Davies, o'r Fynachlog; Mathew Arnold, William Thomas, Morgan Morgans, ac amryw eraill sydd wedi eu symud yn ddiweddar, yn barchus gan llawer.

Mae yn ddigon tehyg fod llawer o bregethwyr wedi cyfodi yma yn yr oesau gynt, ond yr ydym ni wedi methu cael enw cymaint ag un o honynt.

Thomas Jones, pregethwr cynorthwyol, a fu farw rai blynyddau yn ol, a J. R. Davies, Rhosymeirch, Mon, yw yr unig bregethwyr y gwyddom ni am danynt a gyfodwyd yma.

Mae yr hen eglwys hon, er iddi fyned trwy lawer o dywydd mewn tua dau gant ac ugain mlynedd, a chael ei hysgwyd yn ofnadwy gan derfysgiadau mewnol amryw weithiau, yn ymddangos yn awr yn gref ac iachus, a digon o elfenau bywyd ynddi i ddal ei ffordd am ganrifoedd etto. Hi yn briodol yw mam yr holl eglwysi o'r Llwyni a'r Drefnewydd hyd Gwmllynfell a Chwmaman. Hyderwn fod dyfodol gogoneddus yn ei haros.

COFNODION BYWGRAPHYDDOL (Not extracted fully)

JENKIN JONES. Ganwyd y gwr enwog hwn yn y Tymawr, yn mhlwyf Llanddetty, sir Frycheiniog. Enw ei dad oedd John Jones, neu John ap John Howell. Mae amser ei enedigaeth yn anhysbys. Bu farw ei dad yn 1646, ac yr oedd ei fab yn Sirydd Brycheiniog yn 1658....................

ROBERT THOMAS. Nid oes genym unrhyw hanes i'w roddi am dano ef ond iddo gael ei droi allan gan Ddeddf Unffurfiaeth o eglwys Baglan, ac iddo o'r pryd hwnw hyd amser ei farwolaeth tua 1693, fod yn weinidog yr eglwys wasgaredig a gyfarfyddai mewn gwahanol fanau yn ardaloedd Castellnedd, Llangafelach, &c.

JACOB CHRISTOPHER. Yr oedd ef yn Henaduriad Athrawiaethol," hyny yw, yn bregethwr yn eglwys Mr. Robert Thomas. Mae yn ymddangos ei fod yn pregethu cyn 1662, ond nid ymddengys ei fod yn dal un fywioliaeth eglwysig pan ddaeth Deddf Unffurfiaeth i rym, ac felly ni chafodd ei droi allan o un lle neillduol. Yn mis Ebrill, 1664, darfu i ynad o'r enw John Aubrey, anfon milwyr i ddal Mr. Christopher, a thri eraill, am gynal cyfarfod yn nhy Lewis Alward, yn Cynffyg. Ni ddywedir wrthym pa cyhyd y buont yn garcharorion.+  Yr oedd Mr. Christopher yn fyw ac yn pregethu yn 1675, a dyna yr hanes diweddaf sydd genym am dano.+

RICHARD CRADOCK Enwir ef yn llawysgrifau Lambeth fel un a gadwai gyfarfodydd crefyddol, ac a bregethai yn ei dy ei hun, yn y Drefnewydd, neu Newton Nottage, yn 1669, ac yn 1672. Cymerodd Watkin Cradock, o'r un lle, drwydded i bregethu, a thrwydded ar ei dý, at bregethu ynddo. Nis gwyddom pa un a'i dau berson gwahanol oeddynt, neu i'r enw cyntaf gael ei gamosod yn y naill neu y llall o'r llawysgrifau. Dichon y gallasent fod yn ddau frawd, neu dad a mab, a bod y ddau yn pregethu. Nid oes genym un wybodaeth pellach am danynt.

LEWIS DAVIES.  Mae y cwbl a wyddom am dano ef i'w gael yn nglyn a hanes y Mynyddbach.

THOMAS DAVIES. Nid oes genym unrhyw wybodaeth am dano ef ond ei fod yn cael ei grybwyll yn llawyagrif Dr. John Evans fel cydweinidog a David Thomas yn Nghastellnedd yn 1715.

DAVID THOMAS. Mae ei hanes yntau yn hollol anhysbys i ni. Mae yn ymddangos iddo gael ei urddo ryw amser rhwng 1710 a 1715, a pharhaodd i weinidogaethu yma hyd ei farwolaeth yn 1748; ond cafodd John Davies ei urddo, naill ai yn ganlyniedydd neu yn gynorthwywr iddo, yn 1746.

JOHN DAVIES. Yn nglyn a hanes Trelech y rhoddwn yr hyn a fedrom gasglu am dano ef, gan mai yno y terfynodd ei oes.

JOSEPH SIMMONS. Ganwyd ef yn agos i Foxhole, ger Abertawy, tua 1694. ...........................

NOAH SIMMONS. Mab Mr. Joseph Simmons. Mae amser ei enedigaeth yn anhysbys i ni. Derbyniwyd ef yn fyfyriwr i athrofa Abergavenny, Hydref 3ydd, 1768. ........................

THOMAS BOWEN. Ganwyd ef yn rhywle yn mhlwyf Llandilo yn sir Gaerfyrddin, yn 1756. ....................

JOHN DAVIES.  Ganwyd ef yn Esgairfynwent, plwyf Llanfihangel-rhos-y-corn, sir Gaerfyrddin, yn y flwyddyn 1799. ...........................

 DANIEL EVANS. Ganwyd ef yn Mhenygraig, Ystlumgwyli, yn mhlwyf Abergwyli, sir Gaerfyrddin, Hydref 4ydd, 1803. .....................

  + Broadmead Records p. 514  

Translation by Eleri Rowlands (May 2008)

The church that meets in this chapel is the oldest non-conformist chapel in this district of Glamorgan. We do not have the material to give a detailed history of the cause. It is certain that some of the inhabitants of the town and this area have embraced Puritan views since early days. Robert Powell, who was a zealous Puritan, had been a minister in Cadoxton-juxta-Neath parish since 1622, and was there till some time after 1649. No minister with such gifts, industriousness, and evangelistic views as Robert Powell had could have been working in an area for so many years without gaining many disciples. Mr Powell was followed in Cadoxton by Mr Jenkin Jones, some time between 1649 and 1660. Jenkin Jones, as it is known, was not only a Puritan, but also a zealous non-conformist. It is apparent that he is to be considered as the founder of the cause that is now in Maesyrhaf, since this church was formerly called "The Church of Cadoxton". We cannot decide how long before Charles II's restoration that it was established. Without delay, after the restoration of the king Jenkin Jones was forced by persecution to flee from the area. After he left his people were cared for by Mr Robert Thomas, who had been turned out of Baglan parish church. He was the minister in 1669 and in 1675* and he continued in connection with this church along with Ty'rdwncyn church and their branches till his death in about 1693. It was said that "Cadoxton Church," in his first days as their minister, consisted of Independents, Baptists and those against baptism, that is, men who oppose every type of baptism with water, but it seems likely that the Baptists dissented from it a long time before the death of Mr Thomas, and also that those dissenters joined the Quakers. Mr Thomas was supported in his ministry for many years by Jacob Cristopher and Richard Cradock.  During the persecution from the restoration of Charles II until the Act of Tolerance different branches of the church met in dwelling houses as secretly as they were able, and it does not seem as if the whole church worshipped together throughout all those years, apart from meeting occasionally in 1672 and 1673, when the king allowed a certain amount of freedom for the non-conformists. We believe that Robert Thomas' house in Baglan was licensed in 1672 for preaching and Robert Thomas himself was licensed on the same day to be an Independent preacher in his own house. At the same time Elizabeth Morgan's house in Neath town, was licensed, and the house of Lewis Alward, in Kenfig, and Watkin Cradock in Newton. Watkin Cradock + also received a license to be an Independent preacher in his own house. These licenses were given on 16th July, 1672. Besides the places that were licensed this scattered church met in many places in the parishes of Llansamlet, Llangyfelach and Llanguwg, and it was from those branches that met in the last two parishes that the churches of Gellionen and Cwmllynfell arose. After the death of Mr R. Thomas, Mr Lewis Davies of the parish of Llanedi was chosen to follow him in Neath and Ty'rdwncyn and the branches. Mr Davies was supported for a term by Mr John Thomas, Aberafan, and Llewelyn Bevan, Cwmllynfell. Mr Davies was an excellent and a very hard-working minister, as we noted in the history of  Mynyddbach, he established catechism meetings and Sunday schools in those chapels under his care many many years before there was mention of Sunday schools in the country. He died, as we understand about 1712, or soon after that. His ministry circuit stretched from Blaengwrach to Lougher, and from Newton to Cwmllynfell, but soon after his death the field was divided; the parishes of Swansea, Llanrhidian, Lougher, Llandilo Talybont, Llangyfelach and part of Llansamlet parish was left to the Mynyddbach circuit, and that side of the country from Newton to Cwmllynfell was left in connection with the ministry in Neath over many years.

As we mentioned before the worship was practised in dwelling houses from the beginning of the cause until after the death of Mr R. Thomas.  

* The Lambeth MSS. and the Broadmead Records.

+Richard Cradock is the name in the Lambeth MSS. and Broadmead Records, but Watkin Cradock is the name in the register of licenses that is to be found in the Records Office in London. If they are the same person the name must have been registered mistakenly in either one or the other record, but it is possible that they are two different people.  

The chapel in Chwarelaubach, near Neath, was built in 1695, and in that same year the chapel in Gellionnen was also built. Mr Busy Mansel from Briton Ferry, a wealthy, influential gentleman, who was a member of this church, after the non-conformists had freedom within the law, donated land, trees, and stone towards building the chapels in Chwarelaubach and Gellionnen. Edmund Jones, in his documents said that Mr Mansel was determined to build Chwarelaubach chapel a little further away from the main road as, if it was close to the road, any enemies who happened to pass that way could throw a stone and break the windows. It is possible that it was the anger of the peasantry who were enemies of non-conformity that caused the people of Neath to delay building a chapel there before 1695, because the Act of Tolerance was passed nine years previously.

Dr John Evans said that Thomas Davies was the minister in 1715. We do not know anything about this man, and we are leaning towards believing that Thomas Davies is a mistake in the Dr's manuscript, and that it should have been Lewis Davies, and if our guess is correct, Lewis Davies did not die until after 1715. When the preaching curcuit was divided after the death of Mr Davies, he was followed in Neath and the branches by David Thomas and Henry Davies. David Thomas was mainly responsible for the mother-church in Neath, and Henry Davies for the branch in Blaengwrach. The church in Neath was under Mr Thomas' care until 1748, when he died. In 1740, Mr John Davies from Carmarthen college was ordained here to support Mr Thomas, but his stay here was not long. In 1750, he received a call from his mother-church in Trelech, and he moved there, where he stayed for the rest of his life. After Mr Davies left, Mr Joseph Simmons was called, who, as we noted, had been a minister to some of the branches of this church, such as Gellionnen, Cwmllynfell, etc., for more than twenty years before he had the call from the mother-church.  Mr Simmons was a minister here from 1750 until the end of his life in 1774, but his son Noah Simmons had been ordained as his assistant about three years before his death.

Since the chapel at Chwarelaubach had become old, and unsuitable since it was well outside the town, a large piece of land was obtained for a cemetery and the building of a chapel in the town from Sir Herbert Mackworth, of the Gnoll, about 1771, on a lease of 999 years for the rate of five shillings in the year, but that the congregation was to give Sir Herbert the old chapel and the small amount of land it possessed in return. The church has, a while ago, bought the place from the owners of the Gnoll estate, so that it belongs completely to the congregation. The chapel was built according to the  plan of some chapel that Sir Herbert had seen in England, and it was, at the time of building the biggest and most beautiful chapel in Wales. It was 50 feet by 40, and it was high enough to place two galleries, one above the other, into it. On the opening day Mr Noah Simmons was ordained as co-minister with his father. It is said that the gallery, that day, because of the great number of people, moved a little out of place. This caused a lot of fear, but no one was hurt. Sir Herbert Mackworth was present at the time, and in order to forestall a disaster, he decided to place strong columns at his own expense, under the gallery.  There was quite a bit of trouble connected with the building of this chapel. Since it was not as easy to obtain wood from America in those days as it is now, it was decided to send a man over to America to buy the wood. Enough money was collected to buy it and to pay the way for the buyer. Among others, Richard Jones, a deacon and preacher in the church, sold two bullocks and donated the money to the treasury towards buying the wood. The buyer went to America, but he liked the place, and neither he nor the wood nor the money was seen again in Wales; but the wood was successfully obtained to finish the building. The said Richard Jones was a stone mason for his skills, and he roofed the house by his own hand free of charge. Once the chapel was ready another man was put in trust to go to England, to collect towards the debt, but he too liked the place in England, and did not return, even though it was believed he had collected enough money to pay the whole debt. So we can now see that it was in difficult times that the walls of this city were built. Soon after his ordination, Mr Noah Simmons went to England and there he collected enough money to pay off the whole of the debt on the chapel. Mr Simmons was a minister here for twenty years after the death of his father; but towards the end of his term here some malicious people arose and made some shameful accusations against his character, and even though neither the people of the town, nor most of the congregation, believed any of the accusations, yet, he considered that it was best if he left, and so he emigrated to America in 1794. At the end of 1795, a call was given to Mr Thomas Bowen, Maesyronen. This is how the call was worded:-

"NEATH, December 27th, 1795................................

                        JOHN DAVIES, CWMAMAN, January 24th, 1837

(Parts of pages 98 - 100 were omitted for the sake of brevity)

  

In April, 1837, the church sent out a call to Mr Daniel Evans, Nazareth, Carmarthenshire, and his ministry started here soon after that. Mr Evans himself said the following in the Diwygiwr for 1849, about the unusual success that followed his induction here:- " In the time of the present minister the Sunday School was resurrected in Maesyrhaf from death to life, and increased to six branches quite quickly, including some hundreds in number  -  that about six or eight prayer meetings were also added to those that were there before  -  that the church increased from a hundred and forty to beyond four hundred members, in less than six years  -  that eighty at one time were on test in the fellowship  -  that forty two pounds was raised towards the Missionary Society in the same year  -  that temperance and prayer meetings attracted women to the chapel  -  that a place of worship called Salem was built and paid for  -  that the singing was brought to the notice and respectful discussion in the town and community  -  that gas was brought to light up the chapel, "etc.  Mr Evans was extraordinarily successful and respected here for ten or twelve years, but the cause went backwards instead of forwards in the last years of his term. It is possible that this was partly owing to the lifelessness of the time where religion was concerned, and in part also to his prickly attitude towards sinfulness, and in part to the bitterness of spirit, which was caused by the worries he experienced in the latter years of his life. The membership was not more numerous, even as numerous, in the latter days of his term as it was at the beginning. The good and hard-working minister died after a few months of illness and feebleness, on April 17th, 1859.  

After the church had been depending on occasional preachers for about a year, a call was given to Mr Jonah Roberts, a student in Brecon college, and he was ordained here on June 20th and the 21st, 1860. The ordination meeting started with a prayer from Mr. Mathews, Neath, the sermon on the nature of the church was preached by Mr E. Roberts, Cwmafon; Mr E. C. Jenkins, Rhymney accepted the confession of faith; Mr J. Morris, from Brecon college charged the minister and Mr T. Rees, Kendle, charged the church. There were sermons the  previous evening and the afternoon and evening of the ordination day, from  Mr Williams, Hirwaun; Mr Davies, Aberaman; Mr Thomas, Glandwr; Mr Rees, Canaan, and others. Mr Roberts has filled his place well here for more than eleven years now. Since the chapel has grown older, and to some extent is unsuitable as a place of worship, the church and the congregation decided that it should be pulled down, and a new chapel be built more worthy of the town and the age. The foundation stone of the new chapel was laid on  August 18th, 1864, by the late Mr Evan Evans, who at the time gave £50 towards the building. A public meeting was held at the occasion on the graveyard, under the leadership of the Mayor, the late Mr W.T. Morgan, who also gave ten guineas towards the building. Several ministers, and others, spoke at that meeting. Mr Thomas, Glandwr, was the architect of this chapel, and the beauty of the building does credit to him. Through the feebleness of the workers two years went by before the chapel was finished. The opening meetings were held on August 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 19th, 1866. The sermons were from Mr W. Rees, D.D., Liverpool; Mr T. Rees, D.D., Swansea; Mr R. Ferguson, LL.D., London; Mr J. Davies, Cardiff; Mr T. Davies, Llandilo; Mr E. Hughes, Penmain; Mr W. Williams, Hirwaun; Mr J. Williams, Newcastle; Mr J. Thomas, Liverpool; Mr R. Pryse, Cwmllynfell, and others.  The size of this beautiful chapel is 62 feet by 42 inside the walls, with a schoolroom at one end which is 42 feet by 13. It cost over £2,200, and from this sum over eight hundred pounds had been collected by the end of the opening meetings. Some hundreds have been collected since then, and the great debt is melting continuously before the endeavours of the people who have the heart to work.  Since this church is one of the oldest in Wales, and that famous, learned ministers have been caring for it from generation to generation, it is amazing that they have never kept church minuites, even though we have the history of the cause, and the names of the most notable men connected with it, but despite much research we have failed to find any such thing. It is obvious that many worthy and excellent members have been in this place from time to time, but from a lack of information we have had to leave their names and their history in oblivion. We heard of David Rogers, Esq., as a very prominent member from  about two generations ago; and a memory of David Davies, from the Abbey; Mathew Arnold, William Thomas, Morgan Morgans, and many others that have been moved lately, are respected by many.

It is quite apparent that many preachers have been raised in the past generations, but we have failed to find the names of any of them.

Thomas Jones, a lay preacher, who died some years ago, and J.R. Davies, Rhosmeirch, Anglesey, are the only preachers we know about who were raised here.

This old church, even though she weathered a lot in two hundred and twenty years, and has been shaken terribly by internal riots several times, appears now to be strong and healthy, and has plenty of life elements in her to hold on for centuries yet. She is suitably the mother church of all the churches from the Llwyni and Newtown to Cwmllynfell and Cwmaman. We are confident that a glorious future awaits her.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ( Not extracted fully)

JENKIN JONES. This well-known man was born in Tymawr, in the parish of Llanddetty, Breconshire. His father's name was John Jones, or John ap John Howell. The time of his death is unknown. His father died in 1646, and his son was a Breconshire Sherriff in 1658..............................

ROBERT THOMAS. We have no history to give for him except that he was turned out from the church in Baglan by the Act of Unifiation, and that he, from that time till his death about 1693, was a minister of the dispersed church that met in different places in the Neath, Llangyfelach, etc area.

JACOB CHRISTOPHER. He was a "Doctrinal Alderman", that is, a minister in Mr Robert Thomas' church. It appears that he was preaching before 1662, but it does not appear that he held one church living when the Act of Unification came into force, and so he was not turned out of any specific place. In April, 1664, a magistrate by the name of John Aubrey, sent soldiers to catch Mr Christopher, and three others, for holding a meeting in the house of Lewis Alward, in Kenfig. We were not told how long they were prisoners. + Mr Christopher was alive and preaching in 1675, and that is the last history we have for him.+

RICHARD CRADOCK. He was named in the Lambeth documents as one who held religious meetings, and preached in his own house, in Newtown, or Newton Nottage, in 1669, and in 1672. Watkin Cradock, from the same place, had a licence to preach, and a licence on his house, in order to preach in it. We do not know if they were two different people, or that the first name was mistakenly placed in one or the other of the documents. Perhaps they were two brothers, or father and son, and that the two preached. We do not have any further information about them.

LEWIS DAVIES. All we know about him will be found in the history of Mynyddbach.

THOMAS DAVIES. We do not have any information about him except that he is mentioned in Dr John Evans'document as an associate minister with David Thomas in Neath in 1715.

DAVID THOMAS. His history is completely unknown to us. It appears that he was ordained some time between 1710 and 1715, and continued to minister here until his  death in 1748; but John Davies was ordained, either as a successor or as his assistant, in 1746.

JOHN DAVIES. We have placed what we are able to collect about him in connection with the history of Trelech, since it was there that he ended his life.

JOSEPH SIMMONS. He was born close to Foxhole, near Swansea, about 1694...................................

NOAH SIMMONS. The son of  Mr Joseph Simmons. His birthdate is unknown to us. He was accepted as a student in Abergavenny college, October 3rd, 1768.

THOMAS BOWEN. He was born somewhere in the parish of Llandilo in Carmarthenshire in 1756 .........................

JOHN DAVIES. He was born in Esgairfynwent, in the parish of Llanfihangel-rhos-y-corn, Carmarthenshire, in 1799 ......................

DANIEL EVANS. He was born in Penygraig, Ystumgwyli, in the parish of Abergwyli, Carmarthenshire, on October 4th, 1803 .....................

+ Broadmead Records p. 514

MELINYCWRT  (Llantwit j Neath parish)

(Vol 2, p  108)

Mae y lle hwn yn Nghwmnedd, yr ochr ddeheuol i'r afon wrth fyned i fyny o Gastellnedd, o fewn ychydig gyda phum' milldir o'r dref. Hyd yn agos i ddiwedd y ganrif ddiweddaf nid oedd ond ychydig o'r trigolion yn meddwl fawr am grefydd. Cyrchai ambell un i Godrerhos, ac yr oedd rhai yn arfer myned i lawr i Gastellnedd, ond treuliai y rhan fwyaf eu Sabbothau yn hollol ddifeddwl am grefydd. William Griffiths, Bottle and Glass, ac Elenor ei wraig, (tad a mam Mr. Daniel Griffiths, Castellnedd), ac Ann Davies, Cefnygelli, oedd yr unig dri y mae genym sicrwydd am danynt oeddynt yn aelodau yn Nghastellnedd yn yr adeg yma. Yn fuan wedi sefydliad Mr. Thomas Bowen yn Nghastellnedd, daeth i fyny i Cefnygelli ar un prydnawn Sabboth i bregethu, a daeth cynifer yn nghyd fel y bu raid iddo bregethu allan. Daeth i fyny yn fuan wedi hyny a phregethodd i dorf fawr yn muarth ty William Griffiths, ac yr oedd yr Arglwydd yn rhoddi iddo, ac i'w weinidogaeth, ffafr yn ngolwg yr ardalwyr. Pregethodd drachefn yn mhentref Melinycwrt, a thro arall cafodd genad i fyned i dy eang oedd gan gwmpeini y gwaith haiarn oedd yn y lle at gadw g1ô, ac un tro buwyd yn addoli yn y tawdd-dy (cast house). Yr oedd y gwaith haiarn oedd yn y lle wedi dwyn cryn lawer o bobl i'r ardal ar y pryd, ac yr oedd gweinidogaeth Mr. Bowen yn gymeradwy ganddynt oll, a gogwyddwyd llawer o honynt i geisio yr Arglwydd. Penderfynodd Mr. Bowen gynal cyfeillach grefyddol yn nhy William Griffiths, ac er nad oedd neb ond William Griffiths, a'i wraig, ac Ann Davies, a Hopkin Hopkins, aelod gyda'r Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, ynddi gyda Mr. Bowen y tro cyntaf, nid hir y bu raid disgwyl cyn gweled amryw yn ymwasgu a'r dysgyblion. Derbyniwyd cyn pen ychydig fisoedd un-ar-bymtheg o'r ardal yma ar yr un Sabboth yn gyflawn aelodau yn Nghastellnedd, a daliodd y rhan fwyaf o honynt eu ffordd hyd y diwedd. Yn y fintai gyntaf yma yr oedd Howell John, un o'r rhai fu a'r llaw flaenaf yn nghychwyniad yr achos yn Nghwmafan. Trwyddedwyd ty William Griffiths i gynal gwasanaeth yn rheolaidd, ac wedi bod yno dros dymor, barnwyd mai gwell a fuasai symud yn nes i bentref Melinycwrt, ac agorodd un Mary Cook ei drws i'w derbyn, a chymerwyd trwydded ar ei thy. Llwyddodd yr achos fel yr aeth y lle yn rhy gyfyng, a theimlid yn llawn bryd edrych am dir i adeiladu capel arno. Er y cynhelid yma bob moddion yn rheolaidd, nid oedd yma eglwys hyd yn hyn wedi ei ffurfio, ac elai yr holl aelodau i Gastellnedd i gymundeb. Bu siarad am amryw leoedd i godi y capel - mynai rhai ei gael ar dir Pentwyn yn agos i'r Ynysfach, ond barnai eraill mai gerllaw Melinycwrt y dylasai fod, lle yr oedd y boblogaeth luosocaf ar y pryd. Cafwyd tir gan Mr. Jones, Llwyncoedwr, ar brydles o 300 mlynedd, am yr ardreth o ddeg swllt a chwe' cheiniog y flwyddyn, a chafwyd digon o dir at gapel a mynwent helaeth yn nglyn ag ef. Codwyd y capel y flwyddyn olaf o'r ganrif ddiweddaf, yn mesur 32 troedfedd wrth 22 troedfedd, ac agorwyd ef y flwyddyn ganlynol, ac yn fuan wedi ei agor ffurfiwyd eglwys ynddo o'r aelodau oedd eisioes yn y lle, a bu gofal yr eglwys ar Mr. Bowen tra y gallodd gyflawni ei weinidogaeth. Yn fuan wedi codi y capel, methodd cwmpeini y gwaith haiarn oedd yn y lle, a gwasgarwyd y bobl, yr hyn a effeithiodd yn fawr ar yr achos, ond glynodd rhai yn ffyddlon wrtho er pob digalondid, ac er gorfod myned yn mhell i weithio, cyrchent adref erbyn pob Sabboth, ac yn aml deuant i gyfarfodydd yr wythnos. Yr oeddynt yn nodedig yn eu serch at eu gilydd, ac ni bu eglwys erioed yn fwy cariadus nag y bu yr eglwys hon am yr haner canrif cyntaf o'i hanes. Tua'r flwyddyn 1806, bendithiwyd yr eglwys a diwygiad grymus pan yr ychwanegwyd llawer o bobl i'r Arglwydd, ac yn yr adeg yma y derbyniwyd yr hybarch Phillip Griffiths, Alltwen, yr hwn "wedi cael help gan Dduw sydd yn aros hyd yr awr hon." Be diwygiad grymus drachefn yn yn y flwyddyn 1816. Dyma y pryd y derbyniwyd y diweddar Mr. Daniel Griffiths, Castellnedd, yn aelod, ac yr oedd teimladau mor ddwysion yr adeg yma fel yr oedd y bobl yn "neidio ac yn moli Duw."

Bu gofal yr eglwys ar Mr. Bowen hyd nes y dewiswyd Mr. Daniel Griffiths yn gydweinidog ag ef yn Nghastellnedd a Melinycwrt, ac er i gysylltiad Mr. Griffiths a'r eglwys yn y dref gael ei dori, etto parhaodd ei gysylltiad a'r eglwys hon hyd ddiwedd ei oes. Er mai ei ardal enedigol ydoedd, etto nid oedd neb a ddeuai i'r lle yn fwy cymeradwy gan y bobl nag ef, ac ymgynnullai yr holl wlad i wrandaw arno, ac yn yr holl amgylchiadau blin a'i cyfarfu glynodd ei fam-eglwys yn ffyddlon wrtho.

Wedi marwolaeth Mr. Griffiths, yn anffodus daeth un Joseph Jones, a fuasai yn weinidog yn Bristol, i'r ardal, a chafodd fwyafrif yr eglwys i roddi galwad iddo, ond ni chafwyd ond gofid oddiwrtho tra y bu yma, ac wedi hwylio yn annyben am fwy na blwyddyn, ymadawodd a rhyw ychydig gydag ef at y Bedyddwyr, a dyna ddechreuad yr achos sydd gan yr enwad hwnw yn yr Ynysfach. Bn gofal y lle am ychydig ar ol hyn ar Mr. John Ridge, gynt o Cendle, ond gan ei fod yn byw yn rhy bell i'w gwasanaethu gydag un cysondeb rhoddodd y lle i fyny. Yn nechreu y flwyddyn 1850, ar symudiad Mr. John Thomas, o Bwlchnewydd i Glynnedd, cymerodd hefyd ofal y lle hwn, a bu yma hyd ddechreu y flwyddyn 1854, pan y symudodd i Liverpool. Er na bu llwyddiant mawr ar yr achos yn y blynyddoedd hyny, etto bu yr eglwys yn nodedig o heddychol a thangnefeddus, a gwnaed rhyw adgyweiriadau a chyfnewidiadau yn y capel ac o amgylch iddo, a dygwyd yr holl draul gan y gymydogaeth ar y pryd. Bu gofal y lle ar ol hyn dros ysbaid ar Mr. William Watkins, Maesteg, yr hwn yn ffyddlon a ddeuai yma dros y mynydd ar bob tywydd, ond yr oedd teithio y fath ffordd anhygyrch ddwywaith yn y mis yn ormod iddo, ac oblegid hyny rhoddodd y lle i fyny. Wedi iddo ef ei rhoddi i fyny, cymerodd Mr. J. Mathews, Castellnedd ofal yr eglwys, a chyrchai yma yn ffyddlon am rai blynyddau, nes yn mhen amser wedi i Mr. Rees Morgan sefydlu yn Glynnedd, cymerodd ef ofal yr eglwys, ac felly y parhaodd hyd ddiwedd y flwyddyn 1870, pryd y symudodd Mr. Morgan i Bethlehem, St. Clears, ac er hyny y mae yr eglwys hon heb neb yn neillduol i fwrw golwg drosti. Gwelir ei bod wedi myned trwy gryn gyfnewidiadau, ond yn y cyfnewidiadau hyny y mae wedi mwynhau gwahanol ddoniau, ac er nad yw yr achos yn gryf a lluosog y mae yma ychydig enwau yn glynu wrth yr Arglwydd, a'r achos ar y cyfan mewn agwedd siriol a chalonog.

Mae yma lawer o bersonau wedi bod yn nglyn a'r achos y buasai crybwylliad am danynt yn ddigon gweddus pe buasai ein terfynau yn caniatau, ond gallwn grybwyll nad â caredigrwydd a ffyddlondeb hen deuluoedd Llwyncoedwr, Clungwilym, y Felin, ac eraill, ddim yn angof yn fuan, a gobeithiwn fod eu disgynyddion yn etifeddu eu hysbryd.

Codwyd y personau canlynol bregethu yn yr eglwys hon: -

  • Phillip Griffiths. Derbyniwyd ef, fel y crybwyllasom, yn y flwyddyn 1806, ac y mae er's yn agos i haner can' mlynedd yn gweinidogaethu yn yr Alltwen.
  • Daniel Griffiths. Gweler ei hanes ef yn nglyn a Zoar, Castellnedd.
  • Thomas Evans. Bu ef am dymor hir yn ddiacon ac yn bregethwr cyn-northwyol parchus yn yr eglwys, ac arno ef yn benaf yr oedd gofal yr achos, ac yr oedd yn gwir ofalu am dano. Yr oedd yn un o gyfoedion Mr. Daniel Griffiths, ac yn gyfaill mawr iddo. Yr oedd Thomas Evans yn ddyn o ddeall cryf, wedi darllen llawer, ac yn meddu gwybodaeth helaeth am bethau yn gyffredinol. Er nad oedd yn ddoniol o hyawdl fel pregethwr, etto yr oedd ganddo ddawn rhwydd i draethu ei feddwl heb fod mewn un modd yn boenus i wrandaw arno. Ymdriniai yn benaf a phethau athrawiaethol, ac yr oedd ei olygiadau ar drefn yr efengyl yn eang a rhyddfrydig, etto nid mewn un modd i gymylu graslonrwydd yr iachawdwriaeth. Yn ei gyfeillach ymyfrydai yn fawr i siarad ar byngciau duwinyddol, a chael eglurhad ar yr hyn a ymddangosai iddo ef yn dywyll, ac ni fynal un amser ymgymeryd ag un golygiad heb reswm drosto. Bu ei dy am dymor hir yn agored i lettya pregethwyr, ac nid yn fuan yr anghofir gan y rhai a fu dan ei gronglwyd am ei garedigrwydd dirodres ef a'i wraig. Yr oedd er's blynyddau yn dyoddef oddiwrth ddiffyg anadl, yr hyn a'i hanalluogai i bregethu, ac gorfodai hefyd i ymgadw rhag myned allan i awyr y nos, fel nas gallodd fod am y pymtheng mlynedd diweddaf o'i oes o'r fath wasanaeth i'r achos ag y bu mewn blynyddau blaenorol. Bu farw Mawrth 25ain, 1869, yn 73 oed.*

* Yr ydym yn ddyledus am ddefnyddiau yr hanes uchod, yn enwedlg y rhan flaenaf, i ysgrif Mr, P. Griffiths, Alltwen, a ymddangosodd yn y Diwygiwr, 1849. Tu dal. 107.

Translation by Eleri Rowlands (April 2009)

This place is in the Neath Valley, on the southern side of the river as you go up from Neath, within five miles of the town. Up to the end of the last century there were just a few dwellers who had great regard for religion.  The occasional one would travel to Godrerhos, and some used to go down to Neath, but most spent their Sundays not even thinking about religion.  William Griffiths, Bottle and Glass, and Elenor his wife, (the parents of Mr. Daniel Griffiths,  Neath), and  Ann Davies, Cefnygelli,  were the only three that we have any certainty who were members in Neath at this time. Soon after the induction of Mr. Thomas Bowen in Neath, he came up to Cefnygelli one Sunday afternoon to preach, and so many gathered that he had to preach outside. He came up soon after this and preached to a great crowd in the yard of  William Griffiths' house, and the Lord gave him, and his ministry, favour in the sight of the people of the area. He preached again in the village of Melinycwrt, and another time he was lead to an extensive house that the local iron works used to store coal, and once he worshipped in the cast house.  The local iron works had gathered many people to the area at the time, and Mr Bowen's ministry was favoured by them all, and many of them were inclined to seek the Lord.  Mr. Bowen decided to hold a social meeting in the house of William Griffiths, and even though only William Griffiths, and his wife, and Ann Davies, and Hopkin Hopkins, a member with the Calvinist Methodists, attended with Mr. Bowen the first time, they did not have to wait long before seeing many joining the disciples. Within a few months, sixteen were accepted from this area on the same Sunday as full members in Neath, and most of them kept to the way to the end.  In this first group was Howell John, one who was instrumental in the foundation of the cause in Cwmafan.  William Griffiths' house was licenced to hold regular services, and having been there for more than a term, it was judged to be better to move closer to the village of Melinycwrt, and one Mary Cook opened her door to accept them, and a licence was obtained on her house. The cause succeeded and the place became too confined, and it was felt that it was high time they looked for land on which to build a chapel.  Even though every means of grace was held here regularly, a church had not been formed, and all the members would go to Neath for communion.  There were many discussions about where to raise a chapel - some were determined to raise it on Pentwyn land near to Ynysfach, but others judged that it should be near Melincwrt, where the most numerous lived at the time.  Mr. Jones, Llwyncoedwr, offered land on a lease of 300 years, for a rent of ten shillings and six pence a year, and enough land was obtained for a chapel and an extensive graveyard connected to it. The chapel was raised during the last year of the last century, measuring  32 feet by 22 feet, and it was opened the following year, and soon after the opening a church was established in it from the members who were already there, and the church was to be under the care of  Mr. Bowen while he could fulfil his ministry.  Soon after raising the chapel, the iron works company in the place failed, and the people were scattered, which affected the cause greatly, but some adhered faithfully to it through each disappointment, and even though they had to go far to work, they travelled home for every Sunday, and they would often come to weekly services.  They were notable for their love for each other, and no church was ever more loving than this church for the first fifty years of its history.  About the year 1806, the church was blessed with a strong revival when many persons were added to the Lord's people, and at this time the venerable Phillip Griffiths, Alltwen, who "having received help from God is still committed to this hour." There was another revival in the year 1816. This is when the late Mr. Daniel Griffiths, Neath, was accepted as a member, and feelings were so deep at that time that the people were "leaping and praising God."

The church was under the care of  Mr. Bowen until Mr. Daniel Griffiths was chosen as assistant minister in Neath and Melinycwrt, and even though Mr. Griffiths' connection with the church in the town was broken, yet his connection with this church continued till the end of his life. Even though it was his area of birth, yet no one who came to the place was more approved of by the people than he, and the whole country joined together to listen to him, and during all the unfortunate circumstances he met the mother church stayed faithful to him.

After the death of Mr. Griffiths, unfortunately one Joseph Jones, who should have been a minister in Bristol, came to the area, and he got the majority of the church to give him a call, but they had nothing but grief from him while he was here, and after drifting for more than a year, he left along with a few others for the Baptists, and that was the beginning of the cause that that denomination has there in Ynysfach.  For a while after this Mr. John Ridge, formerly from  Kendle, had the care of the church, but because he lived too far to minister to them regularly he gave up the place.  At the beginning of 1850, when Mr. John Thomas, from Bwlchnewydd moved to Glynneath, he also took the care of this place, and he was here until the beginning of 1854, when he moved to Liverpool. Even though there wasn't great success in the cause during these years, yet the church was notably peaceful, and some repairs and changes were made to the chapel and around it, and the whole cost was borne by the community at the time. Mr. William Watkins, Maesteg had the care of this place for a while, he faithfully came here from across the mountain in every weather but travelling such an unpleasant way twice a month was too much for him, and so he gave up the place. Once he had given it up, Mr. J. Mathews, Neath took the care of the church, and he travelled there faithfully for some years, until with time after Mr. Rees Morgan had settled in Glynneath, he took the care of the church, and that continued until the end of 1870, when  Mr. Morgan moved to Bethlehem, St. Clears, and since then this church has had no-one in particular to keep an eye on it. It can be seen that it has gone through many changes, but in those changes it has enjoyed different talents, and even though the cause is not strong or numerous there are here a few names who adhere to the Lord, and the cause is, on the whole in a cheerful and hearty state.

There are many persons who have been connected with this cause that should suitably be mentioned if we had more space, but we can mention that the families of  Llwyncoedwr, Clungwilym, y Felin, and others, will not soon be forgotten, and we hope their descendants inherit their spirit.

The following people were raised to preach in this church: -

  • Phillip Griffiths. He was accepted, as we mentioned, in the year  1806, and he has been ministering in Alltwen for close to fifty years.
  • Daniel Griffiths. See his history connected with Zoar, Neath.
  • Thomas Evans.  He was, for a long time, a deacon and a respected lay preacher in the church, and it was he, mainly, who bore the burden of the cause, and he truly cared for it.  He was a contemporary of  Mr. Daniel Griffiths, and a great friend of his. He was a man of great understanding and widely read and had a great general knowledge. Even though he wasn't eloquently amusing as some preachers were, yet, he was pleasant to listen to.  His house was always open as a lodging for ministers, and the welcome he and his wife gave will not soon be forgotten. He died on March 25th, 1869, at 73 years old.*

* We are indebted to Mr P. Griffiths, Alltwen for the material above, especially the early information, which was published in 'Diwygiwr', 1849. page. 107.

LIBANUS, TREFORIS  (Llangyfelach parish)

Proof read by Yvonne John (Feb 2008)

(Vol 2, p 55)

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Er nag oes ond tair-blynnedd-a-deugain er pan gorpholwyd yr eglwys a gyferfydd yn y capel hwn yn eglwys Annibynol, yr oedd yn y gymydogaeth hon gangen o egwys Ty'rwncyn yn cynal addoliad cyhoeddus yn rheolaidd er's amryw oesau. Bernir fod gwasanaeth crefyddol wythnosol yn cael ei gadw yn gyson yn y Tycoch er y flwyddyn 1682, os nad cyn hyny, gan aelodau Ty'rdwncyn a gyfaneddent yn y gymydogaeth a byddai rhai o aelodau y Chwarelbach, Castellnedd yn dyfod yn fynych i'r cyfarfodydd hyn. Dywedir fod y bobl a gyfarfyddent yn y Tycoch yn rhai diarhebol am eu gwresogrwydd crefyddol. Pan gyfododd Methodistiaeth daeth rhai o brif bregethwyr yr enwad hwnw yn achlysurol i bregethu i'r gynnulleidfa yn y Tycoch, a'r canlyniad fu yno, fel agos yn mhob ardal arall, i rai o'r bobl fyned yn Fethodistiaid, a ffurfio achos Methodistaidd yn Llansamlet. Mae yn deilwng o sylw, mai canghenau o'r hen eglwysi Ymneillduol oedd agos pob un o'r cymdeithasau Methodistaidd cyntaf a ffurfiwd yn Nghymru. Nid ydym yn gwybod am gymaint ag un gymydogaeth hollol ddi-Ymneillduaeth lle y gosododd Methodistlaeth ei thread i lawr am y pump neu y deng mlynedd cyntaf o'i hanes. Teimlid er's blynyddau fod y Tycoch yn le lled anghyfleus i gynal y cyfarfodydd wedi i boblogaeth Treforis luosogi, a bod angen am adeiladu tý cyfarfod, ond yr oedd Mr. Lewis Rees, a phobl y Mynyddbach. yn groes i hyny, rhag; ofn y  buasai pobl Treforis ar ol cael tý cyfarfod, yn ymneillduo o'r Mynyddbach,  ac yn myned yn eglwys Annibynol. Syniad cyffredin yr hen bobl dda gynt oedd cael rhyw un lle mawr i gyfarfod ynddo bob bore Sabboth, a chadw addoliadau yn yr hwyr mewn pump neu chwech o wahanol ardal  

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oedd. Edrychid ar adeiladu capel o fewn dwy neu dair milldir i addoldy y fam-eglwys yn gystal a rhwyg, ac yn brawf o ddiogi. Ystyrid cerdded llawer o filldiroedd i'r addoliad ar fore y Sabboth fel prawf o ragoriaeth mewn crefydd. Mae y syniad hwn o eiddo yr hen bobl yn cael ei osod allan yn dda gan Williams, Bethesda, yn y penill canlynol: -

" Mae crefyddwyr a'u tiemladau,
'Nawr mor dyner nad aent trwy
Wres nac oerfel i addoliad,
O fewn milldir fach neu ddwy;
Rhaid cael temlau'n agos agos,
Tý cwrdd yma, tý cwrdd draw,
Gormod gwaith yw cerdded milldir,
Chwaethach oerdded wyth neu naw."

Barnai pobl y Mynyddbach mai diogi i gerdded, a difaterwch crefyddol, ac nid lles ysbrydol eu hardal boblog, oedd yn peri i bobl y Tycoch awyddu am gael addoldy yn Nhreforis. I'a fodd bynag, fe drefnodd rhagluniaeth yn ei hamser i bobl Treforis gael yr hyn a ddymunent. Daeth galwad i Mr. William Edwards, gweinidog y Groeswen, ddyfod i aros am rai misoedd yn yr ardal, pan yr oedd yn adeiladu Pontyfforest, wrth Dreforis. Yr oedd Mr. Edwards yn wr dylanwadol iawn yn mysg boneddwyr y wlad ar gyfrif ei fedr a'i enwogrwydd fel adeiladydd pontydd, ac yr oedd iddo barch mawr fel pregethwr gan bawb a'i hadwaenai. Llwyddodd Mr. Edwards i gael gan Mr. Rees a'i bobl yn y Mynyddbach foddloni iddo ef adeiladu capel yn Nhreforis i'r gangen a gyfarfyddent yn y Tycoch, ond gosod amod yn y weithred, na byddai cyfarfodydd i gael eu cynal ynddo ar foreu y Sabbothau, rhag lleihau cynnulleidfa y Mynyddbach, ac na byddent i fyned yn eglwys ar eu penau eu hunain. Cydunodd y bobl a'r amodau caethion hyn. Adeiladodd Mr. Edwards y cupel, a chasglodd ddigon i ddwyn y draul yn mysg y boneddigion yr oedd ef yn adnabyddus a hwy, a rhoddodd y capel heb un geiniog o ddyled arno yn anrheg i'r gynnulleidfa. Cymerodd hyn le yn y flwyddyn 1782. Capel cymharol fychan eedd hwn, ond yr oedd yn ddigon i ateb i boblogaeth y lle y pryd hwnw. Yn fuan wedi sefydliad Mr. Davies, Llangeler, yn y Mynyddbach, aeth capel Treforis yn rhy fychan i gynwys y gwrandawyr, fel y bu raid ei helaethu yn 1796. Yn 1831, cafodd ei ailadeiladu a'i helaethu yn fawr, ac yn 1857, adeiladwyd a helaethwyd ef y drydydd waith, pryd y costiodd yn agos ddwy fil o bunau, y rhai a dalwyd oll mewn ychydig o flynyddau. Eleni, (1871,) etto, mac y gynnulleidfa gref, anturiaethus, a gweithgar hon. yn adeiladu ei chapel y bedwerydd waith, ac y mae hwn i fod yr addoldy helaethaf a mwyaf ardderchog yn yr holl Dywysogaeth. Bydd yn werth o saitb. i wyth. mil o bunau. Mr.. John Humphreys yw yr adeiladydd. Dan yr un weinidogaeth a'r Mynyddbach. y bu yr achos hwn o'r dechreuad hyd farwolaetb. Mr. Daniel Evans, yna dewisodd yr eglwys -weinidog iddi ei hun. Ei gweinidog cyntaf oedd Mr. William Hughes, o Amlwch, brawd y diweddar Mr. D. Hughes, Trelech. Urddwyd ef yn nechreu y flwyddyn 1836. Bu yma hyd ddechreu y flwyddyn 1841, pryd y bu raid i'r eglwys ymwrthod ag ef o herwydd anfoesoldeb ei gymeriad. Wedi hyn buwyd am rai blynyddau yn byw ar weinidogaeth achlysurol. Tua y flwyddyn 1845, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. W. Morris, mewn cysylltiad a Glandwr. Hoffid Mr. Morris yn fawr, a bu ei weinidogaeth yn dra -llwyddianus am y tymor byr y bu yma. Yu 1847, derbyniodd alwad o    

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Birkenhead, a rhoddodd yr eglwysi yn Nglandwr a Threforis i fyny. Yn 1850, ymsefydlodd Mr. Thomas Jones, yn awr o Abertawy, yma, a bu yn gwasanaethu yr achos yn efeithiol a rhyfeddol o barchus hyd y flwyddyn 1858, pryd y symudodd i Lundain, Yr oedd yr eglwys yn Libanus yn lluosog oddiar agoriad y capel a adeiladwyd yn 1831, ond yn nhymor gweinidogaeth Mr. Jones y daeth y lle i enwogrwydd cenhedlaethol. Oddiar ymadawiad Mr. Jones, buwyd drachefn yn ymddibynu ar weinidogaeth achlysurol hyd 1862, pryd yr urddwyd Mr. Evan Evans, o athrofa Aberhonddu. Cymerodd urddiad Mr. Evans le Mehefin 25ain a'r 26ian, a bu yn nodedig o boblogaidd a pharchus tra yr arosodd yn y lle. Yn 1865, derbyniodd alwad o Salem, Caernarfon, a symudodd yno, yn groes iawn i deimladau yr eglwys a'r gynnulleidfa yn Nhreforis. Wedi byw unwaith etto ar weinidogaeth achlysurol hyd 1869, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. Willíam Emlyn Jones, y gweinidog presenol, ac yr ydym yn hyderu fod i Mr. Jones dymor hir o ddefnyddioldeb a chysur yn y lle pwysig hwn, yr hwn sydd yn cynyddu yn gyflym yn ei boblogaeth. Mae eglwys Libanus er's mwy nag ugain mlynedd bellach wedi ei chyfodi i sylw ac enwogrwydd neillduol trwy fod ei gweinídogion mor enwog ac adnabyddus; a'n dymuniad ydyw iddi gael y fraint o gadw y safle uchel yr hon y mae wedi gyrhaedd. Mae haelioni yr eglwys a'r gwrandawyr yn teilyngu y ganmoliaeth uwchaf. Y rhai canlynol yn unig a gyfodwyd i bregethu yma er pan y mae yr eglwys ar wahan oddiwrth y Mynyddbach.

  • Richard Richards. Dechreuodd bregethu yma yn 1847, ac yn fuan wedi hyny ymfudodd i'r America, lle yr urddwyd ef. Bu am ychydig amser yn weinidog yn Ebenezer, Pontypool, ar ol ei ddychweliad i'r wlad hon. Mae yn awr yn byw yn Abertawy.
  • Josiah R. Lewis, yn awr o Dorrington, sir Amwythig. Dechreuodd bregethu yn 1861. Ar derfyniad ei efrydiaeth yn Aberhonddu, urddwyd ef yn Glasbury, a symudodd oddiyno yn ddiweddar i Dorrington.
  • W. M. Davies. Yn 1861 y dechreuodd yntau bregethu. Aeth o athrola Aberhonddu i Edinburgh i astudio Phisygwriaeth gyda y bwriad i Fyned allan Yn genhadwr. Y mae wedi cyrhaedd safle uchel fel myfyriwr meddygol.
  • Joseph Joseph, a ddechrouodd bregethu yn 1867, ac sydd yn awr yn fyfyriwr yn athrofa Aberhonddu.

Bu amryw ddynion rhagorol yn dal cysylltiad a'r achos hwn o bryd i bryd. Megis John Evans, yr 'hwn oedd yn ddyn o feddwl galluog, yn gyfansoddwr emynau chwaethus iawn, ac yn swyddog eglwysig defnyddiol a dylanwadol. Yr oedd llawer o ragoriaethau yn perthyn i Thomas Evan, William James, a Thomas Richards, ac yr oedd Daniel Evans yn un hynod o ddefnyddiol a medrus gyda chyfarfodydd gweddio y bobl ieuainc. Nid yn gyffredin y cyfarfyddid a dyn mwy medrus mewn cyfeillach eglwysig na Daniel Dafydd, yr hwn yn ddiweddar a gyrhaeddodd ben ei daith. O'r holl hen frodyr ffyddlon a welsom yn Libanus ddeugain mlynedd yn ol, nid oes braidd un yn aros ar dir y byw, ond yr hen frawd gonest a di-dwyll Mr. Josiah Rees, ac y mae yntau yn cyflymu tua'r wlad, lle na ddywed y preswylwyr, "Claf ydwyf." Mae yn deilwng o sylw, mai cangen o Libanus yw eglwys y Methodistiaid yn Nhreforis. Fel y nodasom yn hanes y Mynyddbach ac Ebenezer, yr oedd rhai yn yr eglwys yn awyddus am ddewis Mr. John Davies, Llansamlet,

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yn gynorthwywr i'w dad-yn-nghyfraith, Mr. Lewis Rees, ac yr oedd yn naturiol i'r hen weinidog deimlo yn ffafriol i hyny. Wedi i Mr. Davies, Llangeler, ddyfod yn weinidog i'r lle, barnai cyfeillion gwresocaf Mr. Davies, Llansamlet, fod yr hen weinidog yn cael ei anmharchu, trwy angerdd y parch a ddangosid i'r gweinidog newydd, ac felly, cynyddodd oerni rhwng y ddwy blaid, nes y darfu i'r rhai mwyaf selog dros Mr. Davies, Llansamlet, yn fuan ar ol marwolaeth Mr. Rees, ymneillduo o'r Mynyddbach a Libanus, Treforis, a gosod addoliad i fyny yn nhý Mr. Evan Rees, Treforis. Yr oeddynt o bymtheg i ugain o rif. Aeth Mr. Davies, Llansamlet, i weini yr ordinhadau iddynt, ond o herwydd eu bod yn cael edrych arnynt fel gwrthwynebwyr i Mr. Davies, Llangeler, a'i bobl yn y Mynyddbach a Threforis, nid clai nemawr o bregethwyr yr Annibynwyr atynt, ond Mr. Davies, Llansamlet yn unig. Parhaodd ef i fod yn weinidog iddynt, yn cael ei gynorthwyo gan bregethwyr y Methodistiaid, hyd ei farwolaeth, yna rhoddasant eu hunain a'u capel i fyny i gyfundeb y Methodistiaid. Hyn oedd dechreuad Methodistiaeth yn Nhreforis.

Translation by Heulwen Jenkins (Nov 2008)

Although there's not more than twenty-three years since this church was incorporated  & met in this chapel as an Independent Church, there was in this neighbourhood  a branch of Tirdonkin holding regular public worship for many years. It's reckoned that there was a weekly religious service held in Tycoch since the year 1682, if not before that, by the members of Tirdonkin  who lived in the neighbourhood & some of the members of  Cwarelbach, Neath  often came to these meetings. It is said that the people who met in Tycoch were well-known for  their warm faith. When Methodism rose some of the foremost preachers of that calling occasionally came to preach to the congregation in Tycoch, & the result there was, like almost every other area, that some of the people became Methodists & formed the Methodist cause in Llansamlet. It's worth noting, that branches of the old Non-Conformist churches were close to every one of the first Methodist societies formed in Wales. We don't know of even one neighbourhood completely non- Non-Conformist where Methodism put  it's foot down for the first five or ten years of it's history. It had been felt for years that Tycoch was a rather inconvenient place to hold meetings after the population of Morriston  multiplied, & there was a need to build a meeting house, but Mr. Lewis Rees, & people of Mynyddbach , were against that, in case Morriston people, after having a meeting house, would leave Mynyddbach, & become an Independent church. A common view of the good old people was to have a big place to meet in every Sabbath morning, & keep evening worship in five or six different areas. They looked at building a chapel within two or three miles of the place of worship of the mother church as good as a rift & proof of laziness. They considered walking many miles to the worship on Sabbath morning as proof of excellence in religion. This idea of the old people is set out well by Williams, Bethesda, in the following verse:-

"The believers & their perceptions,
Now more gentle they go through
Warmth not cold to worship, within a small mile or two,
Must have a temple very near,
Meeting house here, meeting house there,
Too much work to walk a mile,
Much less walk eight or nine."

The people of Mynyddbach judged it laziness to walk & religious apathy,  not spiritual benefit for their populous area, that was the cause that the people of Tycoch wanted a place of worship in Morriston. However, providence arranged in time for the people of Morriston to have their wish. A call came for Mr. William Edwards, minister of Groeswen, to come & stay for a few months in the area, when he was building Pontyfforest, near Morriston. Mr. Edwards was a very influential man amongst the country gentlemen on account of his ability & his fame as a bridge builder, & he was greatly respected as a preacher by all who knew him. Mr. Edwards succeeded in getting consent from Mr. Rees & his people from Mynyddbach for him to build a chapel in Morriston for the branch that met in Tycoch, but with the proviso, that there would be no meetings held there on Sabbath mornings, not to lessen the congregation of Mynyddbach, & they would not become a church in their own right. The people agreed to these rigid conditions. Mr. Edwards built the chapel, & collected enough to bring the expense amongst the gentlemen with whom he was well-known, & they gave the chapel to the congregation, without a penny of debt on it. This happened in 1782. This was a comparatively small chapel but it was enough to address the population of the place then. A little after the induction of Mr. Davies, Llangeler, in Mynyddbach, the Morriston chapel became too small to hold the listeners, it was necessary to extend in 1796. In 1831, it was rebuilt & enlarged, & in 1857, it was rebuilt & enlarged a third time, when it cost almost two thousand pounds, which was paid in a few years. This year (1871) again this strong, enterprising, & industrious congregation is building it's chapel a fourth time & this is to be an extensive & most grand place of worship in the Principality. It will be worth seven or eight thousand pounds. Mr. John Humphreys is the builder. This cause from the start to the death of Mr. Daniel Evans was under the same ministry as Mynyddbach,  then the church chose the minister itself. It's first minister was Mr. William Hughes, from Amlwch, the brother of the late Mr. D. Hughes, Trelech. He was ordained at the start of 1836. He was here until 1841, when the church had to renounce him because of the immorality of his reputation. After this it existed with occasional ministry for a few years. Towards 1845, a call was made to Mr. W. Morris, in conjunction with Landore. Mr. Morris was well liked, & his ministry was very successful for the short time he was here. In 1847, he accepted a call from Birkenhead, & he gave up the churches in Landore & Morriston. In 1850, Mr. Thomas Jones settled here, now from Swansea, & he worked the cause effectively & with great respect until the year 1858, when he moved to London. The church in Libanus was numerous since the opening of the chapel built in 1831, but in the term of Mr. Jones' ministry the place became nationally renowned. Since Mr. Jones' departure, they depended again on occasional ministry until 1862, when Mr. Evan Evans, from Brecon College,  was ordained. Mr. Evans' ordination took place May 25th & 26th, &  was remarkably  popular & respectable while he stayed there. In 1865, he accepted a call from Salem, Caernarvon, & moved there, against the wishes of the church & congregation in Morriston. After existing yet again on the occasional ministry until 1869, a call was given to Mr. William Emlyn Jones, the present minister, & we trust that Mr. Jones will have a long term of usefulness & comfort in this important place, whose population grows quickly. For more than twenty years, Libanus church has been raised to attention & special fame through it's ministers being so famous & well-known, & our wish is for them to have the privilege to keep the high prestige that they have achieved. The church & congregation's generosity deserves the highest praise. Only the following were raised to preach here since the church separated from Mynyddbach.

  • Richard Richards. He started preaching here in 1847, & soon after that he emigrated to America where he was ordained. He was, for a little time, the minister of Ebenezer, Pontypool, after his return to this country. He now lives in Swansea.
  • Josiah R. Lewis, now from Dorrington, Shropshire. He started preaching in 1861. After finishing his study in Brecon, he was ordained in Glasbury, & he moved from there lately to Dorrington.
  • W. M. Davies. He started preaching in 1861. He went from Brecon College to Edinburgh to study medicine with the intention of going out as a missionary. He has reached a high place as a medical student.
  • Joseph  Joseph.  Started preaching in 1867 & is now a student in Brecon College.

Many excellent men kept a  connection  with the cause from time to time. Like John Evans, a man with a powerful mind, a composer of very decent hymns, a useful church official & influential. There were many distinctions relating to Thomas Evan, William James & Thomas Richards, & Daniel Evans was one remarkably useful & clever with prayer meetings for the young people. It's not common to meet a man more clever in ecclesiastic fellowship than Daniel Dafydd, who lately came to the end of his journey. Out of all the old brothers we saw in Libanus twenty years ago, there's hardly one left living except the honest & non-deceitful old brother Mr. Josiah Rees, & he is speeding towards the land where the inhabitants don't say"I am a sick-person". It's worth noting , that the Methodist church in Morriston is a branch of Libanus. As we noted in the history of Mynyddbach & Ebenezer, some in the church were eager to choose Mr. John Davies, Llansamlet, as an assistant to his father-in-law , Mr. Lewis Rees, & it was natural for the old minister to feel favourable towards that. After Mr. Davies, Llangeler, came as minister, the closest friends of Mr. Davies, Llansamlet, decided that the old minister was being dishonoured , through the passion of the  respect being shown to the new minister, & so, the coldness increased between the two sides, until the more ardent  over Mr. Davies, Llansamlet, scattered, a little after the death of Mr. Rees, retiring from Mynyddbach & Libanus, Morriston, & setting up worship in the house of Mr. Evan Rees, Morriston. They were from fifteen to twenty in number. Mr. Davies, Llansamlet, went to minister the sacrament to them, but because they were looked upon as opponents to Mr. Davies, Llangeler, & his people in Mynyddbach & Morriston, hardly any Independent ministers went to them, except Mr. Davies, Llansamlet. He stayed as minister to them, assisted by Methodist ministers, until his death, then they gave up themselves & the chapel to join the Methodists. This was the start of the Methodists in Morriston.

PENTRE-ESTYLL (Swansea parish)

(Vol 2, p 78)

Mae y lle hwn o fewn milldir i Abertawy, ar y ffordd i Langafelach. Yr oedd ugeiniau o aelodau Ebenezer yn byw yn yr ardal hon er dechreuad yr achos yn y dref, a llawer o'r preswylwyr yn perthyn i'r Mynyddbach cyn hyny. Cychwynwyd yma Ysgol Sabbothol effeithiol rai blynyddau cyn fod son am adeiladu capel yn y lle. Dau neu dri o aelodau Ebenezer ddarfu ei chychwyn, ac ar y pryd nid oedd y cyfeillion yn Ebenezer yn gwbl foddlon i hyny, rhag ofn y buasai yr ysgol hono yn gwanychu yr ysgol oedd ganddynt yn barod yn Mhentrefgethin. Pa fodd bynag, yn mlaen yr aeth yn llwyddianus. Pan ddarfu cysylltiad Mr. T. Davies ag eglwys Ebenezer, yn Mehefin, 1842, glynodd llawer o'r aelodau yn nghymydogaeth y Pentre wrtho a chawsant eu ffurfio yn eglwys ganddo. Ar ol bod am beth amser yn addoli mewn anedd-dai yn yr ardal, adeiladwyd capel yma, yr hwn a agorwyd Mai 15 fed a'r 16 eg, 1844, pryd y pregethwyd gan Meistri Williams, Aberafon; Davies, Cwmaman; Watkins, Canaan; Griffiths, Castellnedd; Stedman, Newton, a Powell, Caerdydd. Maint y capel hwn oedd 30 troedfedd wrth 30 y tu fewn i'r muriau, a chan fod oriel gyfleus ynddo, cynwysai lawer o bobl. Bu Mr. Davies yn gweinidogaethu yma i gynnulleidfa wresog hyd derfyn ei oes, yn Awst, 1861. Yn niwedd y flwyddyn 1862, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. David A. Jones, Cwmsaerbren, a chynnaliwyd cyfarfodydd ei sefydliad yma Tachwedd 18fed a'r 19eg, pryd y cymerwyd rhan yn y gwasanaeth gan Meistri J. Davies, Aberaman; J. Morgans, Cwmbach; T. Rees, D.D., Abertawy; W. Williams, Hirwaun; D. Evans, Salem, Llandilo; D. Price, Aberdar; J. Thomas, Bryn, a W. Thomas, Rock. Yn 1864, dechreuwyd adeiladu capel newydd yma, yr hwn a agorwyd yn y flwyddyn ganlynol. Mae hwn yn gapel prydferth dros ben, yn mesur 60 troedfedd wrth 40. Costiodd 1,500p., ac y mae yr eglwys a'r gynnulleidfa trwy eu hymdrechion diflino wedi tynu y ddyled i lawr i dri chant, ac y maent yn debyg o dalu y geiniog olaf yn fuan. Yn mis Medi, 1865, rhoddodd Mr. Jones ei ofal weinidogaethol i fyny, a symudodd o'r ardal. Yn mis Ebrill, 1866, dechreuodd Mr. W. Jenkins, Brynmawr, ei weinidogaeth yma, ac y mae yn parhau i lanw ei gylch gyda pharch, llwyddiant, a dylanwad mawr yn yr eglwys a'r ardal. Tua thair blynedd yn ol adeiladodd yr eglwys anedd-dy hardd owerth 500p. i'w gweinidog. Byddai yn ddymunol i bob eglwys ddilyn ei hesiampl yn hyn. Mae rhif yr aelodau yma rhwng tri a phedwar cant, ac er nad oes yma nemawr yn uwch eu sefyllfa na gweithwyr, y maent wedi gwneyd mwy mewn pethau arianol at achos crefydd na llawer o gynnulleidfaoedd sydd yn ymffrostio yn eu masnachwyr cyfoethog a'u tirfeddianwyr.

Y rhai canlynol, cyn belled ag y gwyddom ni, yn unig a gyfodwyd i bregethu yn yr eglwys hon: -

  • Richard Martin. Yn Zoar, Abertawy, y mae efe yn bresenol yn aelod.
  • David Prosser. Urddwyd ef yn ddiweddar yn weinidog yr eglwysi yn yr Aber a Thalybont, Brycheiniog.
  • David Evans. Y mae efe newydd orphen ei efrydiaeth yn athrofa Caerfyrddin, ac i gael ei urddo yn fuan yn Rehoboth, Brynmawr.
  • Richard Williams. Y mae efe yma yn awr yn aelod, ac yn bregethwr cynorthwyol.
  • David Evans. Mab i'r enwog Mr. Daniel Evans, Mynyddbach yw efe. Dechreuodd bregethu yma yn ddiweddar.
  • Joseph Devonald. Mae yn awr yn fyfyriwr yn yr athrofa Normalaidd, yn Abertawy.
  • William Stephen Jenkins, mab Mr. Jenkins, y gweinidog. Mae y gwr ieuangc gobeithiol hwn yn awr yn fyfyriwr yn New College, Llundain.

COFNODIAD BYWGRAPHYDDOL (Not extracted fully)

THOMAS DAVIES. Ganwyd ef yn Ninbych yn y flwyddyn 1796. ........................

Translation by Heulwen Jenkins (May 2008)

This place is within a mile of Swansea, on the road to Llangafelach.  There were scores of Ebenezer members living in this locality from the start of the cause in the town, & many of the inhabitants belonged to Mynyddbach before then. An effective  Sunday School was started here before mention of building a chapel in the place. Two or three members of Ebenezer scattered to start it & at the time the friends at Ebenezer were not too willing for that, for fear that the school would weaken the school they already had in Pentregethin. Whatever, on it went successfully. When the connection between Mr. T. Davies & Ebenezer was broken, in June, 1842,  many of the members in the Pentre neighbourhood stuck with him & they were formed into a church by him. After worshipping for some time in dwelling-houses in the area, a church was built here, which was opened May 15th & 16th, 1844, when Messrs. Williams, Aberavon; Davies, Cwmamman; Watkins, Canaan; Griffiths,  Neath; Stedman, Newton, & Powell, Cardiff , preached. The size of this chapel was 30 feet by 30 within the walls, &, because there was a convenient gallery within, it held many people. Mr. Davies ministered here to an ardent congregation until the end of his life in August, 1861. At the end of the year 1862, a call was given to Mr. David A. Jones, Cwmsaerbren, & his establishment meetings were held here November 18th & 19th, when Messrs. J. Davies, Aberaman; J. Morgans, Cwmbach; T. Rees, D.D., Swansea; W. Williams, Hirwaun; D. Evans, Salem, Llandeilo; D. Price, Aberdare; J. Thomas, Bryn, & W. Thomas, Rock took part in the service. In 1866, a new chapel started to be built here, which opened in the following year. This is an extremely beautiful chapel, measuring 60 feet by 40. It cost £1,500, & the church & congregation, through their untiring efforts, have brought the debt down to three hundred, & they are likely to pay the final penny shortly. In September, 1865, Mr. Jones gave up his ministerial charge, & moved from the region. In April, 1866, Mr. W. Jenkins, Brynmawr, started his ministry here & he continues to fill his circle with respect, success & great influence in the church & locality. About three years ago, the church built a beautiful dwelling-house, worth £500, for it's minister. It would be pleasant for every church to follow it's example in this. The number of members here is between three & four hundred, & although there are few in number of higher position than workmen, they have done more in monetary things towards religious cause than many congregations who boast about their rich merchants & landowners.

The following, as far as we know, were raised to preach in this church:-

  • Richard Martin.    He is at present a member of Zoar, Swansea.
  • David Prosser.      He was lately ordained as minister of the churches in Aber & Talybont,Breconshire.
  • David Evans.        He has newly finished his study at Carmarthen College, &, shortly to be ordained in Rehoboth, Brynmawr.
  • Richard Williams.  He is now a member here, & an assistant  preacher.
  • David Evans.         He is the son of the famous Mr. Daniel Evans, Mynyddbach.  He recently started preaching here.
  • Joseph Devonald.   He is now a student at Swansea Normal College.
  • William Stephen Jenkins, the son of Mr. Jenkins, the minister. This hopeful young man is now a student in New College, London.

Biographical Notes (Not extracted fully)

THOMAS DAVIES.  He was born in Ninbych in 1796 ..............

Y SANDFIELDS ( Swansea parish)

(Vol 2, p 86)

Y rhan isaf o dref Abertawy a elwir wrth yr enw hwn. Mae yn y rhan hon o'r dref o saith i wyth cant o anedd-dai gweithwyr, a thebygolrwydd yr adeiledir yma lawer yn ychwaneg yn dra buan. Yn y flwyddyn 1866 cymerodd Dr. Rees, ddarn o dir ar les o 499 o flynyddau gan E. M. Richards, Ysw., A.S., a'i frodyr, ac adeiladodd arno ysgoldy, o'r un faint a'r un cynllun a'r ysgoldy yn Fabian's Bay, yn y flwyddyn 1867. Y mae etto ddigon o dir o flaen yr ysgoldy at adeiladu capel pan y bydd galwad am dano. Pan orphenwyd yr adeilad dechreuwyd cadw ysgol Sabbothol a phregethu achlysurol yma gan weinidog a rhai o aelodau eglwys Ebenezer. Pan ddaeth Mr. J. Thomas yma o Dredegar yn 1868, rhoddwyd gofal y lle iddo ef. Corpholodd eglwys yma, a thrwy ei lafur ef a'i briod, yn nghyd a llafur dibaid Mr. Julias Smith, un o aelodau yr eglwys yn Walter Road, gyda yr ysgol Sabbothol, y mae yma eginyn achos yn cael ei gadw yn fyw, ac yr ydym yn gobeithio nad yw yr amser yn mhell pryd y gwelir yma eglwys gref a lluosog o'r dosbarth gweithiol o'r bobl. Yn yr iaith Saesonaeg yn unig y dygir y gwasanaeth yn mlaen yn y lle hwn. Traul adeiladaeth yr ysgoldy hwn oedd 278p., a thalwyd am dano o'r arian a gasglwyd gan Dr. Rees at adeiladu capeli Saesonig yn Abertawy.

Translation by Heulwen Jenkins (Nov 2008)

The lower part of Swansea is called by this name. In this part of the town there are from seven to eight hundred workers' dwelling houses & in all probability many more will be built shortly. In 1866 Dr. Rees had a parcel of land on lease of 499 years from E. M. Richards, Esq., & his brothers, & in 1867 he built a schoolhouse on it, of the same size & design as the schoolhouse in Fabian's Bay, there is still plenty of land in front of the schoolhouse to build a chapel when there is a call for it. When the building was finished they started keeping a Sabbath school & occasional preaching here by the minister & some members of Ebenezer. When Mr. J. Thomas came here from Tredegar in 1868, he was given care of the place. A church was incorporated here, & through his & his wife's work, together with the unceasing work of Mr. Julias Smith, one of the members of the church in Walter Road, with the Sunday school, a germ of a cause is being kept alive here, & we hope that the time will not be too long before we shall see a strong & numerous church from the executive class of the people. The service only goes ahead in English here. The expense of building this schoolhouse was £278 & it was paid for from the money collected by Dr. Rees towards building English chapels in Swansea.

  

WALTER ROAD, ABERTAWY

(Vol 2, p 86)

Un o brif ddybenion T. Rees wrth symud o Cendl i Abertawy yn 1862, oedd gosod ei hun mewn amgylchiadau mwy manteisiol i wneyd rhywbeth yn effeithiol er helaethu dylanwad yr enwad Annibynol yn mysg Saeson y dref fawr a chynyddol hon. Yn y flwyddyn 1865 cymerodd ef a'r diweddar David Davies, masnachydd coed, ddarn o dir cyfleus yn Walter Road at adeiladu capel. Yna cawsant gan weinidogion, a rhai lleygwyr, yn y dref a'r gymydogaeth, i ymffurfio yn bwyllgor er cynllunio mesurau i fyned yn mlaen a'r adeiladaeth. Wedi cael addewidion am symiau da o arian gan Samuel Morley, Ysw., A.S., John Crossley, H. O. Wills, a C. Jupe, Ysweiniaid, a rhai Saeson haelionus eraill, penderfynwyd ceisio gan H. O. Wills, Ysw. i osod i lawr gareg sylfaen y capel newydd, yr hyn a wnaeth yn ngwydd torf fawr o edrychwyr yn Medi 27ain, 1866. Gan nad oedd etto ddigon o arian mewn llaw nac mewn addewid i gyfiawnhau y pwyllgor i fyned i gytundeb ag adeiladydd, gadawyd y gwaith i aros ar ol adeiladu y muriau o'r sylfaen at wyneb y ddaear. Ar ol hyn buwyd am tua dwy flynedd yn cynllunio ac yn casglu arian ac addewidion. Yn y cyfamser, ar anogaeth yr haelionus Mr. S. Morley, A.S., darfu i T. Rees gymeryd y Music Hall at bregethu a chadw ysgol Sabbothol, er casglu cynnulleidfa barod i fyned i'r capel newydd pan orphenid ef. Telid punt yr wythnos am wasanaeth y Music Hall, ond addawodd Mr. Morley 50p. y flwyddyn, a Mr. Jupe 10p., at gynorthwyo y gynnulleidfa newydd i ddwyn y draul. Ar y Sabboth cyntaf yn Ionawr 1867, pregethodd T. Rees yn y Music Hall yn y prydnawn a'r hwyr, i gynnulleidfaoedd lluosog o Saeson. O hyny allan cafwyd gweinidogion enwog o Loegr a Chymru i bregethu yno bob Sabboth. Nos Wener, Mawrth 8fed, 1867, cynaliwyd cyfarfod dan lywyddiaeth T. Rees, er corpholi eglwys. Ar y pryd rhoddodd lythyrau i ddeuddeg o aelodau yr eglwys yn Ebenezer i ddyfod i'r Music Hall i gychwyn yr achos newydd; daeth Mr. Richard Prust a'i wraig trwy lythyrau yno o Heolycastell; derbyniwyd hefyd ar y pryd unarddeg eraill, wyth o ba rai na fuasent yn aelodau erioed o'r blaen, Felly rhif y cymmunwyr y waith gyntaf oedd saith-ar-hugain. Y nos Sabboth canlynol, pregethodd T. Rees a gweinyddodd swper yr Arglwydd i'r eglwys ieuangc yn cael ei gynorthwyo gan Mr. D. Jones, B.A., Merthyr. Ar y pryd dewiswyd gweinidog Ebenezer yn weinidog i'r eglwys hon, a pharhaodd yn y cysylltiad hwn nes i Mr. Jones, y gweinidog presenol, ymsefydlu yma. Aeth yr achos rhagddo yn llwyddianus o fis i fis fel yr oedd rhif yr aelodau erbyn fod y capel newydd yn barod yn agos i gant.

Yn haf y flwyddyn 1868, cytunwyd a'r Meistri Thomas, Watkins, a Jenkins, adeiladwyr, Abertawy, am adeiladu y capel yn ol cynllun y Meistri Paull a Robinson, Manchester. Maint yr adeilad yw 96 troedfedd wrth 50 o fewn y muriau. Mae yr addoldy hwn, yn ol ei faint, yn un o'r capeli harddaf, cadarnaf, a mwyaf cyfleus yn y deyrnas. Costiodd o gwbl tua £5850. Casglodd T. Rees o'r swm hwn dros dair mil o bunau, yn benaf yn mysg y Saeson yn Lloegr. Rhoddodd Mr. S. Morley 700p., Mr. John Crossley 350p., Mr. C. Jupe 200p., Mr. H. O. Wills 100p., a Syr Titus Salt 100p. Mae etto tua 2400p. o ddyled yn aros, ond gan fod y gynnulleidfa mor luosog. cyfoethog, a haelionus, bydd y geiniog olaf wedi ei thalu yn dra buan. Eleni adeiladwyd ysgoldy eang yn ymyl y capel, yr hwn a gostiodd 800p., ac yr ydym yn deall fod y swm hwn agos oll wedi ei gasglu eisioes.

Pan orphenwyd y capel newydd cynaliwyd nifer o gyfarfodydd agoriadol nad ant yn fuan yn anghof gan drigolion y dref a'r gymydogaeth. Awst 26ain, 1869, pregethwyd yn y bore gan Mr. Thomas Jones, y pryd hwnw o Lundain, i dorf ddirfawr o wrandawyr. Yn hwyr yr un dydd pregethodd Mr. W. Cuthbertson, B.A. Awst 31ain a Medi laf, traddodwyd preg ethau Cymreig gan Dr. W. Rees, Liverpool, a Mr. J. Davies, Caerdydd. Ar y Sabboth, Medi 5ed, pregethwyd y bore a'r hwyr gan Dr. Halley, Llundain; a'r Sabboth canlynol pregethwyd yn y bore gan Mr. Thomas Binney, ac yn yr hwyr gan Mr. Ll. D. Bevan, Ll.B. Nos Lun, Medi 13eg, diweddwyd y cyfarfodydd agoriadol, â chyfarfod cyhoeddus dan lywyddiaeth S. Morley, Ysw., A.S. Yn y cyfarfod hwn darllenwyd papyr ar hanes yr ymdrech i gyfodi achosion Saesonig yn Abertawy, gan Mr. B. Williams, Canaan, a thraddodwyd areithiau cynhyrfus gan H. Richard, Ysw., A.S., Dr. Halley, Mr. Binney, Mr. Bevan, Dr. Rees, ac eraill.

Yr oeddid yn gobeithio er pan ddechreuwyd adeiladu y capel y llwyddesid, pan gawsid ef yn barod, i gael gwasanaeth Mr. Thomas Jones fel gweinidog i'r gynnulleidfa, ac ni chafodd y gobaith hwnw ei siomi. Yn nechreu y flwyddyn 1870 symudodd Mr. Jones yma o Lundain. Mae ei weinidogaeth wedi llwyddo i orlenwi y capel helaeth o wrandawyr cyson. Mae tua mil o bobl yn ei wrandaw agos bob Sabboth trwy y flwyddyn. Mae casgliadau yr eglwys a'r gynnulleidfa yn y ddwy flynedd ddiweddaf wedi dyfod i fyny i'r swm anrhydeddus o dros un cant ar ddeg o bunau yn y flwyddyn. Os parha yr Arglwydd i wenu ar yr achos hwn, fel y mae wedi gwneyd o'i gychwyniad hyd yn bresenol, bydd yr eglwys hon yn fuan yn un o'r rhai mwyaf llewyrchus, cyfoethog, a dylanwadol yn y deyrnas. Teimla ysgrifenydd yr hanes hwn, fel yr un fu a'r llaw flaenaf ganddo yn nghychwyniad yr achos newydd a llwyddianus yma, ei rwymau neillduol i'w frodyr ffyddlon yn y weinidogaeth, Mr. E. Griffiths, Mr. B. Williams, Mr. F. Samuel, a'r diweddar Mr. W. Humphreys, yn nghyd a'r Meistri W. Harries, John Prust, J. B. Pritchard, a D. Isaac Davies, a chyfeillion eraill yn y dref, am y cymhorth a'r calondid a roddasant iddo yn yr anturiaeth bwysig. Yr ydym oll yn awr, ar ol blynyddau o lafur a phryder diattal, yn alluog i ddyweyd, " Yr Arglwydd a wnaeth i ni bethau mawrion, am hyny yr ydym yn llawen."

Translation by Heulwen Jenkins (Nov 2008)

One of the chief aims of T. Rees on moving from Beaufort to Swansea in 1862, was to put himself in more advantageous circumstances to do something to extend the influence of the Independent denomination amongst the English of this large & growing town. In 1865 he & the late David Davies, timber dealer, took a convenient  piece of land in Walter Road to build a chapel. There they had, by the ministers, & some laymen, in the town & neighbourhood, to form a committee to plan measures to go ahead with the building. After receiving promises of good sums of money by Samuel Morley, Esq., A.S., John Crossley, H. O. Wills, & C. Jupe, Esq., & some other generous English, they determined to seek from H. O. Wills, Esq., to lay the new chapel's foundation stone, which they did in front of a large crowd of spectators on September 27th, 1866. As there was not yet enough money to hand, nor promised, to justify the committee to agree to build, the work was left after building the walls from the foundation to the ground surface. After this,  they were planning & collecting money & promises for about two years. In the meantime, on the advice of the generous Mr. S. Morley,  T. Rees to took the Music Hall to preach & keep Sabbath school, to collect the congregation ready to go to the new chapel when it was finished. A pound a week was paid for the Music Hall service, but Mr. Morley promised £50 a year, & Mr. Jupe £10, to help the new congregation to bear the expense. On the first Sabbath in January, 1867, T. Rees preached in the Music Hall in the afternoon & evening, to numerous numbers in the congregation of English. From then on, they had famous ministers from England & Wales to preach there every Sabbath. Friday, March 8th, 1867, a meeting was held under the presidency of T. Rees, to incorporate the church. At the time letters were given to twelve members of Ebenezer church to come to the Music Hall to start the new cause; Mr. Richard Prust & his wife came there through letters from Castle Street; eleven others were accepted at the time, eight of whom had never been members before. Therefore the communicants numbered seventeen the first time. The following Sabbath, T. Rees preached & he administered the Lord's supper to the young church, helped by Mr. D. Jones, B. A., Merthyr. At the time the minister of Ebenezer was chosen to be minister of this church, & he remained in this connection until Mr. Jones, the present minister, settled here. The cause became more successful from month to month as, by the time the new chapel was ready, the number of members was close to a hundred.

In summer 1868, it was agreed with Messrs. Thomas, Watkins, & Jenkins, builders, Swansea, to build a chapel with the design by Messrs Paul & Robinson, Manchester. The size of the building is 96 feet by 50 within the walls. This house of worship, by it's size, is one of the most beautiful, strong & most convenient in the kingdom. The lot cost about £5850. Of this amount T. Rees collected over three thousand pounds, mostly amongst the English in England. Mr. S. Morley gave £700, Mr. John Crossley £350, Mr. C. Jupe £200, Mr. H. O. Wills £100, & Sir Titus Salt £100. There is still about £2400 debt left, but , as the congregation is so numerous, wealthy & generous, the last penny will have been paid before too long. This year a large schoolhouse was built beside the chapel, which cost £800, & we understand that this sum has already nearly been collected.

When the new chapel was finished, a number of opening meetings were held which won't be easily forgotten by the inhabitants of the town & neighbourhood. August 26th, 1869,  Mr. Thomas Jones, then of London, preached in the morning, to a vast crowd of listeners. The evening of the same day Mr. W. Cuthbertson, B.A. preached. August 31st & September 1st, Welsh sermons were delivered by Dr. W. Rees, Liverpool & Mr. J. Davies, Cardiff. On the Sabbath, September 5th, Dr. Halley, London, preached morning & evening, & the following Sabbath Mr. Thomas Binney preached in the morning, & Mr. Ll. D. Bevan, Ll.B. in the evening. Monday evening, September 13th, the opening meetings finished, with a public service under the presidency of S. Morley, Esq. A.S.  In this meeting a paper was read by Mr. B. Williams, Canaan, on the history of the efforts to raise the English causes in Swansea, & exciting speeches were delivered by H. Richard, Esq., Dr. Halley, Mr. Binney, Mr. Bevan, Dr. Rees & others.

It was hoped, since they started building the chapel, they would succeed, when it was ready , to have the service of Mr. Thomas Jones as minister to the congregation, & that hope wasn't disappointed. At the start of 1870 Mr. Jones moved here from London. His ministry has succeeded in over-filling this extensive chapel with regular listeners. There are almost a thousand people listening to him almost every Sabbath through the year. The collections of the church & congregation in the last two years have come to the honourable sum of over one hundred & ten pounds per year. If the Lord continues to smile on this cause, as he has from the beginning to the present, this church will soon be one of the most flourishing, rich, & influential in the kingdom. The writer of this account feels,  first hand since  the beginning of the new & successful cause here, his special bonds to his faithful brothers in the ministry, Mr. E. Griffiths, Mr. B. Williams, Mr. F. Samuel, & the late Mr. W. Humphreys, together with Messrs. W. Harries, John Prust, J. B. Pritchard & D. Isaac Davies, & other friends in the town, for the assistance & encouragement they gave him in the important enterprise. We are all now, after years of work & non-stop anxiety  able to say " The Lord made great things for us, for that we are glad."

 

HEBRON, CLYDACH  (Llangyfelach parish)

(Vol 2, p 66)

Mae y pentref prydferth hwn yn cael ei enw oddiwrth yr afonig Clydach, yr hon sydd yn rhedeg trwy ei ganol, ac yn ymarllwys i'r Tawy ychydig islaw iddo.

Mae yr ardal hon yn hen artrefle Ymneillduaeth. Adeiladwyd capel y Gellionen yn y gymydogaeth hon mor foreu a'r flwyddyn 1692, a bu olyniad o weinidogion efengylaidd eu golygiadau yn pregethu ynddo i gynnulleidfaoedd lluosog hyd o fewn ychydig i ddiwedd y ganrif ddiweddaf. Pan ddechreuodd udgorn y weinidogaeth yn Gellionen fyned i roddi sain anhynod, cymerwyd anedd-dy yn Mhentrefmalwod, yn agog i Glydach, at gynal moddion crefyddol gan bobl y Mynyddbach. Mae yn dra thebygol fod yma wasanaeth crefyddol lled gyson yn cael ei gynal er amser Mr. Lewis Rees, ond yn nhymor gweinidogaeth Mr. David Davies y ffurfiwyd yma eglwys. Nis gwyddom a gymerodd hyny le cyn y flwyddyn 1809, pryd y rhanwyd y cylch gweinidogaethol rhwng Mr. D. Davies, a Mr. D. Evans. Y pryd hwnw cymerodd Mr. Davies ofal yr eglwysi yn Ebenezer a'r Ysgetty, yn nghyda'r gangen fechan yn Nghlydach, a gadawodd y Mynyddbach a Threforis i Mr. Evans. Parhaodd Mr. Davies i ofalu am yr achos yn Nghlydach hyd derfyn ei oes, ac yn y flwyddyn ar ol ei farwolaeth ef, sef yn 1817, rhoddasant eu hunain dan ofal Mr. Evans, Mynyddbach. Gan fod yr anedd-dy yn Mhentrefmalwod yn rhy fychan i gynwys y gynnulleidfa, penderfynwyd adeiladu capel yn mhentref Clydach. Addoldy lled fychan ydoedd, ond rhwng y llawr a'r oriel, cynwysai o ddau i dri chant o bobl. Agorwyd y tý hwn, Mawrth 22ain, 1821. Yn y boreu, dechreuwyd yr addoliad gan Mr. W. Beynon, Llangynwyd, a phregethodd y Meistri W. Jones, Penybont; M. Lewis, Ystradfellte, ac H. Williams, Llanelli, oddiwrth Salm cxxxviii. 2., Esaiah xxv. 6., 1 Petr iii 18. Yn yr hwyr, pregethodd Mr. David Griffiths, Cydwely, a Mr. Thomas Davies, Abertawy. Cafodd yr addoldy bychan hwn wasanaethu i'r gynnulleidfa hyd 1848, pryd yr adeiladwyd y capel hardd a helaeth presenol. Gan fod llafur Mr. Evans mor fawr, a bod yr eglwys yn Nghlydach wedi dyfod yn gymharol gref, anogodd hwynt i ddewis gweinidog iddynt eu hunain. Rhoddasant alwad i Mr. William Thomas, o athrofa y Neuaddlwyd. Urddwyd ef yma Rhagfyr 17eg, 1830. Yn ngwanwyn y flwyddyn 1834, bu raid iddynt ymwrthod ag ef am nad oedd yn ymarweddu yn deilwng o'i swydd, ond o herwydd ei fod yn ddyn mor hynod o serchus, a'i ddoniau fel pregethwr mor swynol, darfu i rai o'r aelodau lynu wrtho, ac adeiladu capel bychan iddo mewn rhan arall o'r ardal. Daw y capel hwnw dan ein sylw etto. Yn Gorphenaf, 1834, dechreuodd Mr. David Jones, Tai-hirion, ei weinidogaeth yma, a pharhaodd i lafurio yn y lle hwn mewn cysylltiad a Chadle, o'r pryd y dechreuwyd yr achos yno, hyd ei farwolaeth yn Ionawr, 1845. Yn haf y flwyddyn 1846, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. Thomas Thomas, y pryd hwnw o Abertawy. Urddwyd ef yma Mehefin 16eg, 1846. Rhoddir hanes yr urddiad yn y Diwygiwr fel y canlyn :- " Mehefin 15fed a'r 16eg, cynaliwyd cyfarfodydd yn Hebron, Clydach, er neillduo Mr. Thomas Thomas, o Abertawy, i gyflawn waith y weinidogaeth, dros yr eglwys gynnulleidfaol a gyferfydd yn y lle hwnw. Am 6 nos Lun, gweddiodd Mr. Morgan Evans, Milo, a phregethodd Meistri T. Rees, Siloa, a D. Evans, Castellnedd. Am 10 bore ddydd Mawrth, gweddiodd Mr. J. Davies, Mynyddbach; traddododd Mr. D. Rees, Llanelli, araeth ar natur eglwys; derbyniwyd y gyffes ffydd gan Mr. D. Davies, Llundain; gweddiwyd yr urdd-weddi gan Mr. W. Morris, Glandwr, a phregethwyd siars i'r gweinidog gan Mr. P. Griffiths, Alltwen. Am 2, gweddiodd Mr. J. Thomas, Bwlchnewydd, a phregethodd Meistri W. Jones, Abertawy, ar ddyledswydd yr eglwys, a Thomas Roberts, Llanelli, a J. Evans, Capel Sïon, i'r gynnulleidfa yn gyffredinol. Yn yr hwyr, pregethodd Mr. J. Davies, Cwmaman, a Mr. D. Davies, Llundain. Yn nechreu y flwyddyn 1848, cymerodd Mr. Thomas ofal yr eglwys yn Nglandwr, and ni roddodd Glydach i fyny am rai blynyddau wedi hyn. Rhanai ei lafur yn gyfartal rhwng y ddwy eglwys. Yn mhen amser, gyda bod ei lafur yn cynyddu, teimlodd yn angenrheidiol iddo roddi Clydach i fyny, a chyfyngu ei hun i Landwr. Yn 1853, rhoddodd yr eglwys yn Hebron alwad i Mr. David Evans, o athrofa Aberhonddu. Urddwyd ef yma Rhagfyr 28ain a'r 29ain, 1853. Pregethwyd ar natur eglwys gan Mr. T. Jones, Treforis; holwyd y gofyniadau gan Mr. T. Davies, Llandilo; gweddiwyd yr urdd-weddi gan Mr. E. Jacob, Abertawy; pregethwyd ar ddyledswydd y gweinidog gan Mr. E. Davies, athraw athrofa Aberhonddu, ac ar ddyledswydd yr eglwys gan Mr. T. Thomas, Glandwr. Wadi i Mr. Evans symud oddiyma i Briton-ferry, rhoddwyd galwad i Mr. Esay Owen, o athrofa Aberhonddu, ac efe yw y gweinidog yma yn bresenol, ac i fod, fel yr hyderwn, am flynyddau lawer etto. Urddwyd Mr. Owen, Mehefin 27ain, 1861. Dechreuwyd yr addoliad gan Mr. E. Griffiths, Abertawy; pregethodd Mr. J. Thomas, Liverpool, ar natur eglwys; holwyd y gofyniadau arferol gan Mr. W. Williams, Hirwaun; gweddiwyd yr urdd-weddi gan Mr. P. Griffiths, Alltwen; pregethwyd ar ddyledswydd y gweinidog gan Mr. J. Morris, athraw duwinyddol athrofa Aberhonddu, ac ar ddyledswydd yr eglwys gan Mr. D. Rees, Llanelli. Traddodwyd hefyd amryw bregethau yn y prydnawn a'r hwyr, ac yn yr hwyr y dydd blaenorol, yn Nghlydach a'r Glais. Yr oedd 38 o weinidogion a phregethwyr yn bresenol. Mae eglwys gref, heddychol, a gweithgar, yn Nghlydach er's amryw flynyddau bellach, a phob arwyddion yn bresenol mai yn gryfach gryfach yr â. Yn mysg y ffyddloniaid o'r eglwys hon sydd wedi diangc i'r wlad well, gellid enwi David Davies, ac Evan Jones, Rhydypandy, y rhai fuont yn henuriaid yn yr eglwys. Yr oedd y ddaû yn nodedig am eu gwresogrwydd a'u gweithgarwch gyda chrefydd. Yr oedd Richard Jones, Cefnygarth, a John Jenkins, Gelliwastad, yn ddiaconiaid, ac yn ddynion diwyd a haelionus iawn. Bu Morgan Griffith, Ynyspenllwch, brawd y diweddar Mr. Griffith, Casnewydd, yn aelod a diacon defnyddiol am lawer o flynyddau.Yr oedd yn ddyn hynaws a llawn o hawddgarwch, ac yn un o'r rhai ffyddlonaf gyda holl foddion gras. Ni byddai ei le yn y capel un amser yn wag. William Baker, a fu yn ddiacon am flynyddau. Yr oedd yn grefyddwr gweithgar ryfeddol. Byddai ei ysgwydd ef dan y pen trymaf i'r arch bob amser. Dyn cryf o feddwl, siaradwr doniol, a chanwr rhagorol, oedd Daniel Davies. Bu yntau yn ddiacon am flynyddau. Mae enwau y ddau frawd rhagorol Jcseph a Benjamin Rees, yn deilwng o'u cofnodi. Dynion gwerthfawr oedd y ddau. Rhagorai Joseph Rees fel tangnefeddwr. Efe fynychaf oedd yn cael ei benodi i derfynu pob anghydfod rhwng brodyr a chwiorydd tramgwyddedig, ac anfynych y methai lwyddo. Un rhagorol i feithrin ieuengctyd mewn crefydd oedd Benjamin Rees. Yr oedd yn dwyn sel mawr dros yr ysgolion dyddiol a Sabbothol, ac yn wastad yn myned yn mlaen gyda'r oes; ïe, yn blaenori pob mudiad daionus yn yr eglwys a'r ardal. Bu farw y ddau frawd teilwng yma o'r Geri Marwol o fewn pedwar diwrnod i'w gilydd, yn mis Hydref, 1866. Flynyddau yn ol yr oedd yma hen chwaer nodedig iawn o'r enw Ann Jones, neu "Nancen o'r Hendy," fel y gelwid hi. Yr oedd yn un hynod o danllyd dan y gair, byddai ei hamenau yn uwch na'r eiddo neb arall yn y gynnulleidfa. Yr oedd Mr. Davies, o'r Alltwen, yn un o'i hoff bregethwyr hi.

Y pregethwyr a godwyd yn yr eglwys hon ydynt, Evan Jones, mab Evan Jones, Rhydypandy. Dechreuodd bregethu yn 1824 neu 1825. Bu yn pregethu am flynyddau lawer. Trodd at y Methodistiaid ryw gymaint o amser cyn ei farwolaeth.

  • William Thomas, mab David Thomas, o'r Fagwyr, un o henuriaid eglwys Clydach. Dechreuodd bregethu o gych y flwyddyn 1831. Efe a drodd at y Bedyddwyr.
  • William Hill. Addysgwyd ef yn yr Athrofa Orllewinol, yn Plymouth. Urddwyd ef yn Bodmin, yn Mawrth, 1851. Mae yn awr yn Beeralston, gerllaw Tavistock.
  • William Williams. Dechreuodd bregethu yn 1845. Urddwyd ef yn y Bryn, Llanelli, yn 1849, a bu farw yn mhen ychydig ar ol hyny. Rhoddwn ei fywgraphiad yn nglyn a hanes eglwys y Bryn.
  • Isaac James. Dechreuodd bregethu yr un amser a W. Williams, a chafodd ei urddo yn weinidog i'r Cymry yn Walker, gerllaw Newcastle-on-Tyne, yn 1862.
  • David Davies. Dechreuodd bregethu yn 1860. Bu am ddwy flynedd yn cael addysg yn yr athrofa Normalaidd yn Abertawy, a phedair blynedd yn athrofa Aberhonddu. Urddwyd ef yn Mynyddsion, Casnewydd, 1867, ac yno y mae etto yn barchus a llwyddianus.*

* Llythyr Mr. E. Owen.

COFNODIAD BYWGRAPHYDDOL

DAVID JONES. Ganwyd ef yn Nhreforis tua y flwyddyn 1784. Derbyniwyd ef yn aelod yn y Mynyddbach gan Mr. David Davies, a dechreuodd bregethu oddeutu y flwyddyn 1808. Urddwyd ef yn Ebenezer, Aberdar, Gorphenaf 29ain, 1813, pryd y gweinyddodd y Meistri Davies, Abertawy; Hughes, Groeswen; Evans, Zoar, Merthyr; Lewis, Ystradfellte, ac eraill. Symudodd yn mhen tua dwy flynedd o Aberdare i Lanharan a'r Taihirion, lle y bu am flynyddau yn enwog a llwyddianus iawn. Yn mhen rhai blynyddau rhoddodd Lanharan i fyny, a chyfyngodd ei lafur i'r Taihirion a Bethlehem, Pentyrch - achos a ddechreuwyd trwy ei lafur ef. Tua y flwyddyn 1833, cyfododd teimladau anghysurus rhyngddo a rhai o aelodau y Taihirion, fel y barnodd yn well ymadael. Yn Gorphenaf, 1834, fel y nodwyd eisioes, dechreuodd ei weinidogaeth yn Nghlydach, lle y treuliodd weddill ei oes. Pan ffurfiwyd egiwys yn Nghadle, cymerodd ef ei gofal mewn cysylltiad a Chlydach. Bu farw yn ddisymwth iawn Ionawr 2i1, 1845. Yr oedd wedi myned i Gadle i bregethu mewn angladd, a thra yn sefyll ar y fynwent i ddisgwyl yr angladd, syrthiodd i lawr mewn llewyg, fel y tybid. Cludwyd ef i'r Beaufort Arms, yn ymyl y fynwent, ond erbyn ei fod yno yr oedd yr enaid wedi ymadael a'i babell bridd. Bu farw yn driugain mlwydd oed.

Bu David Jones am rai blynyddau yn un o'r pregethwyr mwyaf poblogaidd yn Morganwg a Mynwy. Efe fyddai fynychaf yn nghyfarfodydd cyhoeddus Mynwy a dwyrainbarth Morganwg, yn pregethu yn gyntaf yn yr oedfa ddeg o'r gioch, a Hughes, Groeswen, neu Jones, Pontypool, ar ei ol. Yr oedd yn ymadroddwr rhwydd, a'i lais yn berseiniol ac effeithiol iawn. Claddwyd ef yn mynwent Cadle, lle mae maen prydforth wedi ei osod ar ei fedd.

Translation by Heulwen Jenkins (Nov 200)

This pretty village gets it's name from the Clydach brook, which runs through it's centre, & pours into the Tawe a little below it.

This area is the home of Non-Conformity. Gellionen chapel was built in this neighbourhood as early as 1692, & a succession of evangelical ministers preached their views in it to numerous congregations till within a short while of the end of the last century. When the trumpet of the ministry in Gellionen started, it gave an uncertain sound, a dwelling-house in Pentremalwed, close to Clydach,  was taken by the people of Mynyddbach to sustain religious means. It is very likely there was a religious service held here rather regularly from the time of Mr. Lewis Rees, but a church was formed here in the term of Mr. David Davies' ministry. We don't know if that took place before 1809, when the ministerial area was split between Mr. D. Davies & Mr. D. Evans. That time Mr. Davies took care of the churches in Ebenezer & Sketty, together with the small branch in Clydach & he left Mynyddbach & Morriston to Mr. Evans. Mr. Davies continued to look after the cause in Clydach to the end of his life, & in the year after his death, namely in 1817, they put themselves under the care of Mr. Evans, Mynyddbach. Because the dwelling-house in Pentremalwed was too small to hold the congregation, they resolved to build a chapel in Clydach village. It was a fairly small house of worship, but between the ground & gallery, it held two to three hundred people. This house opened March 22nd, 1821. In the morning the worship was started by Mr. W. Beynon, Llangynwyd, & Messrs. W. Jones, Bridgend; M. Lewis, Ystradfellte & H. Williams, Llanelli, preached from Psalm cxxxviii. 2, Esiaiah xxv. 6, Peter iii.18. In the evening, Mr. David Griffiths, Kidwelly & Mr. Thomas Davies, Swansea, preached. This small place of worship serviced the congregation until 1848, when the present beautiful & extensive chapel was built. As Mr. Evans' workload was so big, & the church in Clydach had become comparatively strong, he urged them to choose a minister for themselves. They gave a call to Mr. William Thomas, Neuaddllwyd College. He was ordained here December 17th, 1830. In the spring of 1834, they had to reject him as his conduct wasn't worthy of his office, but because he was such a remarkably pleasant man & his talents as a preacher so charming, some of the members decided to stick by him & build a chapel in another part of the area. That chapel will come to our attention again. In July, 1834, Mr. David Jones, Tai-hirion, started his ministry here & he continued to work here in conjunction with Cadle from the start of the cause there, until his death in January, 1845. In summer 1846, a call was made to Mt. Thomas Thomas, at that time from Swansea. He was ordained here June 16th, 1846. The story of the ordination was given in The Revivalist as follows:- "June 15th & 16th, meetings were held in Hebron, Clydach, to separate Mr. Thomas, from Swansea, to complete the work of the ministry over the Congregational church which is held in that place. At 6 on Monday, Mr. Morgan Evans, Milo, prayed & Messrs. T Rees, Siloa & Mr. D. Evans, Neath, preached. At 10, Tuesday morning, Mr. J. Davies, Mynyddbach, prayed, Mr. D. Rees delivered a speech on the nature of the church; the confession of faith was given by Mr. D. Davies, London; the ordination prayer was prayed by Mr. W. Morris, Landore, & the charge to the minister was preached by Mr. P. Griffiths, Alltwen. At 2, Mr. J. Thomas, Bwlchnewydd, prayed & Messrs. W. Jones, Swansea, preached on the duty of the church, & Thomas Roberts, Llanelli & J. Evans, Seion Chapel, to the ordinary congregation. In the evening, Mr. J. Davies, Cwmaman, & Mr. D. Davies, London, preached".

At the start of 1848, Mr. Thomas took care of the church in Landore & didn't give up Clydach for some years after this. He shared his work equally between the two churches. After a time, as his workload was increasing he felt it necessary for him to give up Clydach & limit himself to Landore. In 1853, the church in Hebron called  Mr. David Evans, from Brecon College. He was ordained here December 28th & 29th. Mr. T. Jones, Morriston, preached on the nature of the church; questions were asked by Mr. T. Davies, Llandeilo; Mr. E. Jacob, Swansea, prayed the confirmation prayer; Mr. E. Davies, professor at Brecon College,  preached on the duty of the minister, & Mr. T. Thomas, Landore, on the duty of the church. After Mr. Evans moved from here to Briton Ferry, a call was given to Mr. Esay Owen, from Brecon College, & he is the present minister here, & will be, we trust, for many years yet.  Mr. Owen was ordained, June 27th 1861. The worship was started by Mr. E. Griffiths, Swansea; Mr. J. Thomas, Liverpool, preached on the nature of the church; the usual questions were asked by Mr. W. Williams, Hirwaun; Mr. P.Griffiths, Alltwen,  prayed the ordination prayer; Mr. J. Morris, professor of divinity at Brecon College, preached on the duty of the minister, &  Mr. D. Rees, Llanelli, on the duty of the church.  Several sermons were delivered also in the afternoon  & evening, & in the evening of the previous day, in Clydach & Glais.  38 ministers & preachers were present. There's a strong, peaceful, hard-working church in Clydach since many years, & all signs are present that it will get stronger & stronger. Amongst the faithful of this church who have escaped to the better land, we can name David Davies & Evan Jones, Rhydypandy, the ones who were elders in the church. The two were renowned for their warmth & activity with religion. Richard Jones, Cefnygarth, & John Jones, Gelliwastad, were deacons, & diligent & very generous men. Morgan Griffith, Ynyspenllwch, brother of the late Mr. Griffith, Newport, was a member & useful deacon for many years. He was a kind man & full of amiability, & one of the most faithful full of grace. His place in the chapel was never empty. William Baker was a deacon for years. He was an unbelievably hard-working religious person. His shoulder was always under the heaviest end of the ark. Daniel Davies was a strong-minded man, a witty speaker, & an excellent singer. He was a deacon for years. The names of the excellent brothers Joseph & Benjamin Rees are worthy of recognition. The two were valuable men. Joseph Rees excelled as a peacemaker. He was usually appointed to end every disagreement between offended brothers & sisters, & he seldom failed to succeed. Benjamin Rees was excellent in nurturing youngsters in religion. He brought much zeal to the day & Sabbath schools, & always going on with life; i.e. leading every good movement in the church & area. These two worthy brothers died of Cholera within four days of each other in October, 1866. Years ago there was a famous  old sister here called Ann Jones, or "Nancen from Hendy", as she was called. She was famously fiery about the word, her amens were louder than anyone else's in the congregation. Mr. Davies, from Alltwen, was one of her favourite preachers.

The preachers raised in this church were

  • Evan Jones, son of Evan Jones, Rhydypandy. Started preaching in 1824 or 1825. He preached for many years. He turned to the Methodists many years before his death.
  • William Thomas, son of David Thomas from the Magwyr, one of the elders of Clydach church. He started preaching around 1831. He turned to the Baptists.
  • William Hill. He was taught at the Western College, in Plymouth. He was ordained in Bodmin, in March 1851. He is now in Beeralston, near Tavistock.
  • William Williams. He started preaching in 1845. He was ordained in Bryn, Llanelli, in 1849, & died a short while after that. His biography is given in the history of Bryn chapel.
  • Isaac James. He started preaching at the same time as W. Williams, & was ordained as minister to the Welsh in Walker, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, in 1862.
  • David Davies. He started preaching in 1860. He was taught for two years in the Normal college in Swansea, & four years in Brecon College. He was ordained in Mynyddsion, Newport, in 1867, & he is still  respectable & successful there. *

* Mr. E. Owen's letter.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

David Jones, born Morriston, c.1784. Member in Mynyddbach & started preaching c.1808. He was ordained in Ebenezer, Aberdare, July 29th, 1831. After two years he moved to Llanharan & Taihirion, & after some years he gave up Llanharan, & confined his work to Taihirion & Bethlehem, Pentyrch. After a disagreement with some of Taihirion's members, in 1834 he moved to Clydach, & he also looked after Cadle chapel after its formation. He died very suddenly on January 2nd, 1845. He'd gone to preach at a funeral in Cadle, & whilst in the graveyard watching the funeral, he fainted. He was conveyed to the Beaufort Arms, nearby, but his spirit had left. He was sixty years of age.

For some years he was one of the most popular preachers in Glamorgan & Monmouth. He was usually in  public meetings in Monmouth & eastern Glamorgan, preaching at the ten o'clock service, & Hughes, Groeswen, or, Jones, Pontypool, after him. He was a quick speaker, with a personable & effective voice. He was buried in Cadle graveyard, where a beautiful stone was placed on his grave.