GRIFFITHS
,
SAMUEL
(
1783
-
1860
),
Independent minister
;
b. at
Blaenbrwynen
in the parish of
Clydau, Pembs.
He began to
preach
at
Tre-lech, Carms.
He was a
stonemason
by trade and, as his education had been neglected, set about teaching himself; after which he
opened a school
at
Llwyn-yr-hwrdd
. From
1813
until
Napoleon
had been overthrown he was compelled to
serve in the county militia
. In
1818
he was ordained
minister
at
Horeb
, near
Llandysul, Cards.
, where he laboured strenuously to
keep a school
and to
establish new Independent churches
. In
1821
he took charge of
Carmel
,
Pantdefaid
; in
1833
he built
Bwlch-y-groes chapel
and started a church there; and in
1839
he founded the church at
Bryn-teg
,
Llanwenog
. His publications included
Traethawd ar Swper yr Arglwydd
,
1822
;
Traethawd ar Grefydd Deuluaidd
,
1828
;
Cofiant y Parch. Morgan Jones, Trelech
,
1836
;
Gwaedd yng Nghymru
,
1853
; and a number of catechisms for the
Sunday school
. He rendered service to a large area as
unpaid legal adviser
and
arbitrator
. He d.
4 July 1860
at the age of seventy-seven, and was buried at
Bwlch-y-groes
.
William
Griffiths
(
1788
-
1861
) (q.v.)
,
Calvinistic
Methodist minister
of
Burry Green
,
Gower
, was his brother.
Bibliography:
-
E. Pan Jones
,
Cofiant y Parch. Samuel Griffiths,
Horeb
, 1879
;
-
Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru
, iv, 201.
Author:
Rev. Thomas Eirug Davies, M.A., B.D. (1892-1951), Lampeter
