EDWARDS
,
ELLIS
(
1844
-
1915
),
Calvinistic Methodist minister and principal of Bala Theological College
;
b. at
Mold
9 June 1844
, son of
Roger
Edwards
(q.v.)
. He was educated at
Edinburgh University
(
M.A.
, and later
D.D.
honoris causa
)
, was ordained in
1872
, and was
minister
of
Albert Road
,
Oswestry
,
1872-4
. Before the end of
1873
he had been appointed
tutor
at
Bala
, where he remained until the end of his life, becoming
vice-principal
in
1889
and
principal
in
1907
. He lectured there on different subjects: ethics, apologetics, comparative religion, and afterwards divinity. Before the college was converted into a purely theological institution (
1891
) he devoted himself largely to
Latin
,
Greek
, and
English
literature. He delivered the
Davies lecture
(‘
The Being of God
’) in
1903
. He fell far short of
Lewis
Edwards
in theology and of
Thomas Charles
Edwards
in exegesis, but in all subjects which lay on the border line between theology, philosophy, and literature, his knowledge was profound. He
composed some hymn-tunes
,
lectured
frequently outside the college (‘
Lady Macbeth
’ and ‘
Some Sounds in Nature
’ were two very popular lectures),
spoke on political questions
, and was regarded as a most attractive
speaker
and as a
preacher
who stood in a class by himself. His sparkling animation and many-sided culture were characteristic, and because of his pleasant and courteous personality few teachers inspired such affection. He wrote little and left no book behind him. His
deafness
was a social disadvantage, and there is an extensive canon of stories about him. Towards the end of his life he met with an accident at
Chester
and d.
2 Feb. 1915
.
Bibliography:
-
Y Goleuad
,
1915
;
-
Y Drysorfa
,
1915
;
-
G. A. Edwards
,
Athrofa'r Bala, 1837–1937
(
1837-1937
).
Author:
Rev. Gwilym Arthur Edwards, M.A., D.D., (1881-1963), Oswestry
