SAMUEL
,
CHRISTMAS
(
1674
-
1764
),
Independent minister
;
b. in the parish of
Llanegwad, Carms.
, in
1674
. He came of a fairly well-to-do family; he succeeded to the family property and thereafter resided on it for the remainder of his life. It is thought that he attended school under
William
Evans
(q.v.)
at
Pencader
or
Carmarthen
. He was received into church membership at
Panteg
, it was there also that he started to
preach
. He was 14 years old when
Stephen
Hughes
(q.v.)
died. When
Thomas
Bowen
retired as
minister
of
Panteg
in
1707
,
Samuel
was recognized as unordained
minister
of the church. He was eminently successful in that capacity. In his report on his visitation in
1710
archdeacon
Tenison
called on the parishioners to arm themselves in the fight against the flourishing cause at
Panteg
. On
23 Sept. 1711
Samuel
received a call from members residing in five parishes, to become the
minister
of
Panteg
. He was ordained the same day — the most independent
Independent
ordination ever heard of. His labours and his influence went on apace and he succeeded in building a powerful church in the Independent tradition. For a long period
Milbourn
Bloom
(q.v.)
was a co-worker.
Samuel
was a supporter of many weak churches and of every elevating influence in the social life of the district and in the church. He was a strong advocate of
Griffith
Jones
of
Llanddowror
's
Circulating Schools
; he was also one of the main patrons of the men who were associated with the literary renaissance that came about in the district between the rivers
Towy
and
Tivy
at the
end of the 17th cent. and the beginning of the 18th
. His name is associated with
Isaac
Carter
's (q.v.)
printing press at
Trefhedyn
in
south Cardiganshire
. He was connected, in some form or other, with the publication of such works as
Gemau Doethineb
,
1714
;
Llythyr at y Cyfryw o'r Byd
,
1716
;
Catecism o'r Scrythur
,
1719
;
Llun Agrippa
,
1723
;
Golwg ar y Testament Newydd
,
1729
;
Y Cyfrif Cywiraf o'r Pechod Gwreiddiol
,
1730
; etc. [The only work written by himself was
Lloffion
y Gwr Tywyll
,
1759
.] He d.
18 June 1764
at the age of 90. He was
blind
for the last five years of his life.
Bibliography:
-
Y Dysgedydd
,
Dec. 1935, Jan., Feb., and March 1936
;
-
Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru
, iii, 457-8;
- Panteg church book in N.L.W.
Author:
Rev. John Dyfnallt Owen, M.A., (1873-1956), Aberystwyth
