REES
,
RICHARD
(
1707
-
1749
),
Arminian Independent minister
;
b. in
1707
on his family freehold,
Gwernllwyn Uchaf
,
Dowlais, Glam.
, and educated at
Carmarthen
under
Thomas
Perrot(t)
(q.v.)
. At the end of his course there (
1732
) he was ordained co-
pastor
with
James
Davies
(d.
1760
) (q.v.)
of the
Independent church
at
Cwm-y-glo
,
Merthyr Tydfil
; the congregation was a mixture of
Calvinists
and
Arminians
,
Davies
(the senior pastor) being a
Calvinist
. Concord endured no longer than
1747
, when
Rees
and his fellow-
Arminians
seceded and formed a new church at
Cefncoed-cymer
— it has long since become
Unitarian
.
Rees
d. in
Aug 1749
. Three of his sermons were published by
Philip
Charles
(q.v.)
in
1754
; he was also a
hymn-writer
.
Bibliography:
-
Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru
, ii, 248-9;
-
C. Wilkins
The history of Merthyr Tydfil
,
1867
, 178;
-
W. A. Griffiths
,
Hanes Emynwyr Cymru
, Caernarfon,
1907
, 245;
-
Y Geninen
,
1907
, 44;
-
Cambrian Bibliography
, Llanidloes, 1869
, 439.
Author:
Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, C.B.E., D.Litt., Ll.D.,
F.S.A., (1881-1969), Bangor
