ROBERTS
,
MORRIS
(
1799
-
1878
),
Calvinistic Methodist minister, and later Independent minister
;
b. at
Llechwedd-ystrad
,
Llanuwchllyn
, in
May 1799
. He attended for a time one of
Dr.
Daniel
Williams
's schools, which was kept in the ‘
Old Chapel
,’ but the
teacher
at that time was highly incompetent; however, he was given an excellent grounding in the
Bible
by
George
Lewis
(q.v.)
. The family was so poor that he had to start earning a living when he was 10 years of age, and
worked on a number of farms
, mostly in the
Bala
district, until the economic condition of the countryside deteriorated and he was allowed to join his uncle at
Bryn Llin
,
Trawsfynydd
, where for some time he had to work for nothing more than his keep. He joined the chapel at
Llanfachreth
where he was given the opportunity of practising his gift for
public speaking
. In
Feb. 1820
he began his career as a
Calvinistic Methodist preacher
. In
1824
he went to live at
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog
, where he
rented a small farm
and continued to
preach
regularly. While there, he got into trouble because of his opinions in regard to ‘
certain matters relating to the teachings of the Gospel
.’ He was accused of leaning towards the ‘New System’ in doctrinal matters and of following
John
Roberts
of
Llanbryn-mair
(
1767
-
1834
) (q.v.)
and other
Independent ministers
. In
June 1828
his case was brought before the
Bala Association
and he was forbidden to
preach
outside his own county until the Association met at
Caernarvon
in the following Sept., when he was restored to favour. In
June 1831
he emigrated to
America
, whither his father had gone in
1818
. He settled, first of all, at
Utica
, where he was ordained
7 Aug. 1831
, but moved to
Remsen
in
1833
where he not only
preached
regularly in a number of churches but also
had a farm
. Here again he came into collision, this time with some of the elders, on questions of church discipline and doctrine, and he was excommunicated. He now joined the
Independents
, among whom he played a very prominent part in the county of
Oneida
until his retirement in
1871
. He d.
30 June 1878
, and was buried in
Fairchild Corner cemetery
,
Remsen
. He was a notable
preacher
. He visited
Wales
in
1866
and was given quite a warm welcome, although his name was under a cloud in some quarters because he had closed his chapel against
Samuel
Roberts
of
Llanbryn-mair
, with whose opinions on slavery and war he disagreed.
Bibliography:
-
Edward Davies
,
Cofiant y diweddar Barch. Morris Roberts,
Remsen, N.Y.
, Utica, 1879
;
-
R. T. Jenkins
,
Hanes Cynulleidfa Hen Gapel
Llanuwchllyn
, 1937
, 169-70;
-
Owen Thomas
,
Cofiant y Parchedig John Jones,
Talysarn
, New York, 1868
, 576, 577;
-
Jonathan Jones
,
Cofiant y Parch. Thomas Jones o Ddinbych yn
cynnwys ei gyssylltiad a duwinyddiaeth a llenyddiaeth ei
oes
, Denbigh, 1897
;
-
Cymru
, xx, 169-70.
Author:
Rev. Richard Griffith Owen, M.A., (1890-1973), Bangor
