LEWIS
,
MORGAN JOHN
(
c.
1711
-
1771
), or
JONES
,
MORGAN
,
Methodist exhorter and hymn-writer
;
b.
c.
1711
, a native of
Cwm Ebwy-fawr
,
Aberystruth, Mon
. He was converted under the ministry of
Howel
Harris
,
c.
1738
, and is said to have seceded from the communion of the
Church of England
when
Daniel
Rowland
was forbidden to
preach
in
Aberystruth
church. He began to
write hymns
, and comes to our notice as one of the early
hymn-writers
of the
Methodist revival
. A hymn written by ‘
Morgan
Jones
o
Flauneu gwent
’ will be found in
Llwybur Hyffordd ir Cymru
(
Shrewsbury
,
1740
). He and
Edmund
Williams
(q.v.)
, of
Cwm Tyleri
, were the joint publishers of
Hymnau Duwiol o Gasgliad Gwyr Eglwysig M.J. ac E.W.
(
Pontypool
,
1741
). Another hymn written by him will be found in
Sail, Dibenion, a Rheolau'r Societies
(
Bristol
), a booklet published by the
Methodist Association
in
1742
. He began to
preach
to the
Methodists
and was appointed a
public exhorter
at the
Watford Association
,
1743
; later, he was appointed
supervisor of a number of societies
. He was a lively and popular
preacher
who exercised considerable influence over his brethren, and he was one of the leaders of the party which advocated secession from the
Church of England
. He favoured
Howel
Harris
in the dispute between him and
Daniel
Rowland
but, after the
Llanidloes session
of
1751
, he joined
Rowland
's party. He was ordained
pastor
, after the manner of the
Independents
, of
the society assembling at
New Inn
, in the parish of
Pant-teg
,
Monmouthshire
, on the advice, it is said, of
Rowland
. The ordination took place on
Whit Monday, 1756
, and caused a sensation at the time. He d. tragically at the beginning of
1771
.
Bibliography:
-
Edmund Jones
,
A geographical, historical and religious
account of the parish of Aberystruth in the county of
Monmouth to which are added memoirs of several persons of
note who lived in the said parish
, Trefeca, 1779
,
1779, 105-6
;
-
diary of
William Thomas
(
Cardiff Manuscript
4877);
-
Cynnwysiad Byr o Feddyliau'r Eglwys yn New
Inn, Swydd Fynwy, yr hon a ymgorffolodd wrth y drefn hon yn
Neuadd Pant-teg yn y flwyddyn 1751, yn gyffelyb i'r modd eu
professwyd ar ddydd urddiad ei gweinidog cyntaf, Llun y
Sulgwyn 1756 at yr hyn y rhagddodwyd hanes yr eglwys yn y
lle
, Brynmawr, 1851
,
1851, 3-6
[this pamphlet was first printed by
John Rowland (
fl.
1764
, q.v.)
at Bala].
-
Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru
, i, 76-7, 81-2;
-
Methodistiaeth Cymru
, 1851–6
, i, 448, iii, 372-6;
-
Y Tadau Methodistaidd
, 1895
, i, 230-2;
-
[
Cylchgrawn Cymdeithas Hanes y Methodistiaid
Calfinaidd
, xxxv, 38-9].
Author:
Rev. Gomer Morgan Roberts, M.A., (1904-93), Pont-rhyd-y-fen / St
Dogmael's / Llandybïe
