DAVIS
,
DAVID
(‘
Dafis Castellhywel
’;
1745
-
1827
),
Arian minister, poet, and schoolmaster
;
b. at
Goitre-isaf
,
Llangybi, Cards.
,
14 Feb. 1745
, son of
Timothy
Jacob
, he was accepted as a member at
Cilgwyn
‘in the year
1763
in the 18th year of his age.’ He was taught by
David
Jones
(
Llanybydder
),
T.
Lloyd
(
Llangeler
),
and
Joshua
Thomas
(q.v.)
, and further (
1763-7
) at the
Academy (Grammar) School
and the
Academy
at
Carmarthen
[then under
Jenkin
Jenkins
, q.v.
]; he was, for a time, an
assistant master
at the school. Towards the end of
1768
he became, jointly with
David
Lloyd
(
1724
-
1779
) (q.v.)
,
minister
of
Llwyn-rhyd-owen
,
Ciliau Aeron
,
Allt-y-blaca
,
Pen-rhiw
, and
Mydroilyn
, and later on of
Bwlch-y-fadfa
as well, making his home at
Plas-bach
,
Ciliau Aeron
, where he m.
Anne
Evans
of
Foelallt
, grand-daughter of ‘
Squire
Davies
’ of
Plas-bach
. About
1782
he moved to
Castellhywel
in the
vale of Cletwr
, and from that time on was known as ‘
Dafis Castellhywel
.’ Here he
kept a school
for over thirty years and his reputation as a
teacher
spread throughout
Wales
; for many years candidates for
Anglican
orders were ordained direct from the school. The names of 111 of his former pupils are to be found in the list of subscribers to
Telyn Dewi
. He was a friend of
Richard
Price
,
Edward
Williams
(
Iolo Morganwg
)
,
Thomas
Roberts
, of
Llwyn'rhudol
,
John
Jones
of
Glan-y-gors
, and
Thomas
Evans
(
Tomos Glyn Cothi
)
(qq.v.); and through his influence many in his neighbourhood became supporters of the
French Revolution
. In
1801-2
there was dissension in his churches, and the more advanced elements built the
Unitarian
chapels at
Pant-y-defaid
and
Capel-y-groes
. He retired
16 Jan. 1820
after having been a
minister
for fifty-two years. He published a translation of
Henry
Scougal
's
God's Life in Man's Soul
,
1779
, another of
Gray
's ‘
Elegy
,’
1789
,
Cri Carcharor dan farn Marwolaeth
,
1792
, and in
1824
a volume of his own verse entitled
Telyn Dewi
. He d.
3 July 1827
and was buried in
Llanwenog
churchyard.
Bibliography:
-
Memoir by ‘Tau Gimmel,’
1824
;
-
Lloyd Letters (1754–96)
, 1908
(liv-Ixi);
-
National Library of Wales Manuscript
5490;
-
Yr Ymofynnydd Coffa
,
Oct. 1927
;
-
Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography
;
-
Hanes Plwyf Llandyssul
, 1896
, 102-8.
’
Dafis Castellhywel
’ ‘s eldest son was
DAVID
DAVIS
of
Neath
(
1778
-
1846
),
Unitarian minister
and
schoolmaster
[b., according to
Walter J.
Evans
(
N.L.W. MS. 10327
),
2 April 1778
]. He was educated at home and at
Carmarthen Academy
(
1796-1800
), and settled at
Neath
, where he
opened a school
[
1801
] and became the first
minister
of the
Unitarian congregation
in that town. Here, he fell under the influence of
Joseph
Priestley
and, in
1802
, founded the
Unitarian Society of South Wales
, although the credit for this is usually given to
Edward
Williams
(
Iolo Morganwg
)
(
Monthly Repository
,
1811
, 189). After many years spent as a
minister
and an able and erudite
schoolmaster
, his health broke down [
1827
] and his
mind was impaired
for the rest of his life [from
1843 to 1846
he lived at
Swansea
]. He
published a number of small booklets
and
edited
Telyn Dewi
,
1824
. He suffered a disappointment when
D. Lewis
Jones
(q.v.)
was appointed (
1814
)
tutor
at
Carmarthen
, and for a time he and
John
James
of
Gelli-onnen
(
1779
-
1864
) (q.v.)
seriously considered starting a specifically
Unitarian college
at
Neath
, but the project came to nothing. He d.
4 Dec. 1846
and was buried in
the cemetery of
Lammas Street chapel
,
Carmarthen.
Bibliography:
-
Oriel Coleg Caerfyrddin
, 1909
,
1796
;
-
The Unitarian Students at the Presbyterian
College, Carmarthen…1796–1901
, 1901
, i;
-
Yr Ymofynnydd
,
1885
, 282;
-
Monthly Repository
,
1807
(444),
1811
(686);
-
[
National Library of Wales Manuscript
10327].
TIMOTHY
DAVIS
(
1779
-
1860
)
[b.
20 Nov. 1779
] was the second son of ‘
Dafis Castellhywel
,’ and he too was a
Unitarian minister
and
schoolmaster
; having been educated at home, in the
Academy (Grammar) School
,
Carmarthen
, under
David
Peter
(q.v.)
, from
3 Jan. 1798
until he went later in the year to
Carmarthen Academy
, where he remained till
1802
, he became, about
1801
, joint
minister
with his father although he was at the same time assisting at the college school under
Peter
—
‘even at Carmarthen my last two years were spent in attending principally to the Grammar School.’
He was
minister
at
Llwyn-rhyd-owen
from
1801/2 to 1810
, and it was this appointment which was probably the bone of contention between ‘
Dafis Castellhywel
’ and
Charles
Lloyd
(
1766
-
1829
) (q.v.)
. He was
minister
at
Coventry
(
1810-19
) and
Evesham
(
1819 — 18 July 1853
). He
translated
(part of)
Coke
's
Scripture Commentary
and published two
Welsh
sermons,
1832
and
1848
. He d.
28 Nov. 1860
. [His very interesting diaries are now in the
National Library
—
N.L.W.MSS. 5487-99
.]
Bibliography:
-
Oriel Coleg Caerfyrddin
, 1909
,
1798
;
-
The Unitarian Students at the Presbyterian
College, Carmarthen…1796–1901
, 1901
, 5;
-
Monthly Repository
,
1815
, 446;
-
Yr Ymofynnydd
,
1864
;
-
Christian Reformer
, 1815–63
,
1861
;
-
National Library of Wales Manuscript
5490;
-
[
Enwogion Cymreig
(1700–1900), Vol. 1,
1907
].
Author:
Rev. Thomas Oswald Williams, M.A., (1888-1965), Lampeter
There was another
TIMOTHY
DAVIS
(
1709
-
1771
),
minister
of
Cilgwyn, Cards.
, and its associated congregations. He m. in
1740
Mary
(or
Sarah
), daughter of
Jenkin
Jones
(
1695
-
1725
)
, also
minister
of
Cilgwyn
, who was son of
John
Jones
(
1640?
-
1722
)
of
Llwyn-rhys — see
the article
Jones
of
Llwyn-rhys
and
N.L.W. MS. 10327
.
Author:
Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, C.B.E., D.Litt., Ll.D.,
F.S.A., (1881-1969), Bangor
