DAVIES
,
GETHIN
(
1846
-
1896
),
Baptist minister and college principal
;
b. at
Aberdulais, Glam.
,
18 Sept. 1846
, son of
Joseph
and
Catherine
Davies.
When he was still a child his parents moved to
Landore
, where his father became a
forge manager
at the
Landore tinplate works
. He was educated at the
Havod British school
and there served a five years apprenticeship as
pupil teacher
. In
1864
he entered the
Graig House Academy
,
Swansea
, then conducted by
G. P.
Evans
(q.v.)
,
minister
of
York Place Baptist chapel
, going thence, in
1866
, to
Bristol Baptist College
. In addition to theological studies he pursued courses for the external degree of the
University of London
, passing the intermediate examination in
1869
. He was appointed
classical tutor
at the
Llangollen Baptist College
in
1872
. From that time he threw himself with great energy into the task of strengthening the position of the
Baptist
denomination in
North Wales
; he was particularly active in assisting weak churches. He was also in great demand as a
preacher
,
conductor of musical festivals
, and
adjudicator at eisteddfodau
. He succeeded
Hugh
Jones
(
1831
-
1883
) (q.v. in Appendix)
as
principal of the college
in
1883
.
The foundation of the
University College of North Wales
at
Bangor
in
1884
raised the question whether the
Baptist College
should be removed there.
Gethin
Davies
recognized that the development of university education in
Wales
represented an important new departure, and warmly advocated an arrangement by which the more secular work of the denominational colleges should be taken over by the university colleges. In the face of much opposition he gained his point and the removal from
Llangollen
to
Bangor
was effected in
1892
, for he, was convinced that a
Baptist college
should be retained in
North Wales
, where so many churches largely depended on the support it could give them. He d. in
London
,
17 March 1896
.
As ‘
Gethin Dulais
’ he
contributed verse to Welsh periodicals
; he also
wrote a number of Welsh hymns
.
Bibliography:
-
North Wales Chronicle
,
21 March 1896
;
-
W. J. Rhys
,
Hanes Dinas Noddfa, Glandwr
, 1934
,
1934
;
-
E. Cefni Jones
,
Hanes Coleg y Bedyddwyr yng Ngogledd Cymru,
1862–1927
, 1928
,
1862-1927
,
1928
;
-
D. Rhys Phillips
,
The Hist. of the Vale of Neath
,
Swansea, 1925
,
1925
.
Author:
Emeritus Professor Sir James Frederick Rees, Ll.D., (1883-1967), Tenby
/ Cardiff
