THOMAS
,
WILLIAM THEOPHILUS
(
Gwilym Gwenffrwd
;
1824
-
1899
),
Congregational minister and poet
;
b. at
Holywell, Flints.
As a young man he went to
Manchester
, where he joined the
Welsh Congregational church
at
Gartside
, and was of much service to it and to other churches in the vicinity. He served as an
assistant preacher
until
1851
, in which year he was ordained — at
Cana
,
Llanddaniel
,
Anglesey
. His health broke down during the short period which he spent there. Having recovered his strength he moved to
Mold
to
serve in the office of a solicitor
; later he was invited to take charge of
Soar
and
Jerusalem Congregational churches
near the town. When he was in
Manchester
he associated with members of the
Welsh
societies and exercised his gifts as
poet
and
prose-writer
,
writing much to Welsh periodicals
. He was the
author
of
Y Trefniedydd Cyfreithiol
,
1863
, and
Sylwadau ar Fodolaeth Enaid
,
1883
. He d. at
Mold
,
11 May 1899
.
Bibliography:
-
Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru
, iv, 429;
-
The Congregational Year Book
, 1846
ff
,
1900
;
-
Cardiff Free Libraries, Catalogue of Printed
Literature in the Welsh Department
, 1898
;
-
National Library of Wales Manuscript
9271.
Author:
Rev. John Dyfnallt Owen, M.A., (1873-1956), Aberystwyth
