FRANCIS
,
ENOCH
(
1688/9
-
1740
).
Baptist minister
,
b. at
Pant-y-llaethdy
on the
Teify
, between
Llanllwni
and
Llanybydder
, son of
Francis David
Francis
, of a family whose religious roots were at
Rhydwilym
; see the table by
T.
Shankland
in
Traf. Cymd. Hanes Bed.
,
1911-12
, which shows that at least eleven of the family became
ministers
.
Enoch
Francis
's upbringing was in the ‘
Tivy-side church
,’ either at its first centre at
Glandŵr
(
Llandysul
), or at
Dre-fach
, or (perhaps more probably) at
Rhos-goch
(
Llanarth
). About
1707
he began
preaching
, at
Llanllwni
; when he was ordained assistant to
James
Jones
(d.
1734
),
pastor
of ‘
Tivy-side
,’ is not known, but it was obviously before
1721
, the year in which he was selected to preach at the
Baptist Association meeting
(at
Hengoed
) in
1722
. He had m. (
c.
1718
)
Mary
Evans
, of
Hengoed
, and was living at
Capel Iago
in
Llanybydder
. His Association sermon in
1729
(at
Llangloffan
) was published — reprint in
Traf. Cymd. Hanes Bed.
,
1911-12
. In the
Arminian controversy
of
1729
, when his second-cousin
Abel
Francis
(q.v.)
went over to
Arminianism
,
Enoch
Francis
was on the
Calvinist
side, and in
1733
published
Gair yn ei Bryd
, in defence of
Calvinism
. By that time, he had moved to
Pen-y-gelli
on the outskirts of
Newcastle Emlyn
, and had been since
1734
superintendent minister
of ‘
Tivy-side
,’ with four or five collaborators — the church had a number of congregations, which later on became separate churches, such as
Aberduar
,
Pant Teg
, etc.
Francis
itinerated diligently within (and
without) his wide circuit, and acquired great fame as a
preacher
— to judge from the words of
Joshua
Thomas
and others, it would seem that ‘majesty’ and sobriety, rather than revivalistic emotionalism, were the marks of his preaching. In
Aug. 1739
his wife d., and on
4 Feb. 1739/40
(when away from home, at
Fishguard
) he himself d., at the age of fifty-one; he and his wife were buried at
Cilfowyr
. He had six children. A daughter of his m.
Stephen
Davies
(q.v.)
; and
Jonathan
Francis
of
Pen-y-fai
(q.v.)
and
Benjamin
Francis
of
Horsley
(q.v.)
were sons of his. As has been mentioned,
Abel
Francis
was his second-cousin.
Bibliography:
-
Joshua Thomas
,
Hanes y Bedyddwyr ymhlith y Cymry
(more particularly 374-84), and
A History of the Baptist Association in
Wales
, 1795
.
Author:
Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, C.B.E., D.Litt., Ll.D.,
F.S.A., (1881-1969), Bangor
