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LEWIS, DAVID WYRE (1872-1966), minister and administrator (B); b. 13 May 1872 at Felinganol, Llanrhystud Mefenydd, Cards., son of the poet and musician John Lewis (‘Eos Glyn Wyre’; 1836-1892; DWB, 556), Tŷ-mawr, and Jane (née Davies; 1844-1917), Felinganol, and nephew of the musician David Lewis (1828-1908; DWB, 550). He was educated in the church school in the village, and was apprenticed to a carpenter at Trawsgoed. Because of lack of work locally he moved to Maerdy, Glam., and then to Pen-y-graig, where he was baptised as a member of Soar church, Ffrwdamws and began preaching. Following a short period at night school in Porth and 14 months at Severn Grove Academy, Llanidloes (1893-94), he was accepted by Bangor Baptist College, but he postponed commencing his course until Sept. 1895, spending the first year at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth to matriculate, and the following four years at Bangor sharing the time between the University College and the Baptist College. On 3 July 1900 he was ord. minister of Nefyn and Morfa Nefyn churches, where he built a new chapel for the first and put the finances of the latter in order, and had ‘totally inexplicable’ experiences during the Revival of 1905. On 19 Apr. 1910 he was inducted minister of Calfaria church, Llanelli, where he came face to face with the disturbances of the railway strike in Aug. 1911. He moved 1 Sept. 1913 to Penuel church, Rhosllannerchrugog, where he carried out his most mature work and where he was required from the beginning, as in Llanelli, to assimilate his personal ministry with the social gospel which was gaining ground among the church members. He retired 7 Apr. 1946, but continued to live in the district.

He was an experienced conference man and a leading member of his denomination. He was secretary of Caernarfon Baptist Association, 1906-10, secretary of the Denbigh, Flint, and Merioneth Association, 1919-39, and took particular responsibility from 1934 onwards for the requirements of the Sustentation Fund. He was president of the Assembly (Cymanfa) twice (1930-31, 1954-55), and having previously addressed the Union (1910, 1920) he was elevated president 1938-39. He published his 1920 address, Crist a'r werin and the 1939 address, Yr Eglwys a'i chyfle heddiw. He was chairman of the Memorial Fund, the committee for the new hymnal, Y Llawlyfr Moliant Newydd (1955), and the Sustentation Fund committee (from mid-1950s until his d.), and organizer in Wales for the Reorganizing Fund (Trysorfa Ad-drefniad; 1944).

He was a prolific writer and published a short memoir in J.T. Rees (ed.), Detholiad o donau, anthemau a rhanganau Dafydd Lewis, Llanrhystud (1930), and Yr eglwysi a'r Undeb. Y weinidogaeth a'i pherigl heddiw (1939). He was at the forefront in the revival of Seren Gomer in 1909, was editor of the periodical, 1910-16, laying special emphasis on his ‘notes on books’, and his articles down to the 1930s include biographies of contemporary Baptists of Wales, reports of annual conferences and substantial essays on various topics. He contributed much to Yr Hauwr (later Yr Heuwr) and its successor Yr Arweinydd Newydd, from 1904 to the mid-1930s.

He was awake to the needs of the nation as well as his denomination. He was secretary of Llŷn and Eifionydd Temperance Association. Being a pacifist through and through, he was a member of the group which initiated Y Deyrnas, Oct. 1916, and secretary and recorder for the Peace Conference which was convened at Llandrindod 3-5 Sept. 1917. In 1940-41 he was chairman of the Committee for safeguarding Welsh Culture, and when it joined the National Union of Welsh Societies in 1941 to form the New Wales Union (Undeb Cymru Fydd) he was from the beginning a member of the Council and several committees of the new body and later chairman and president. The University of Wales conferred on him an hon. D.D. in 1961, and many considered him to be the most important Baptist of the 20 c. in Wales.

He m. (1), 13 Apr. 1904, Elizabeth Ellen Roberts ( 1896-1941), Holyhead; (2) 20 May 1946, Eleanor Thomas (b. Dodd), Pen-y-cae, Wrexham. Two sons were born of the first marriage. He d. 9 May 1966 at his home, Tŷ Cerrig, Pen-y-cae, and his ashes were interred in his first wife's grave in his mother-church, Salem, Llanrhystud.

Bibliography:

N.L.W., MSS. from his library, particularly the main collection of 1969, which includes a holographic autobiography to 1914, see N.L.W. Ann. Rep., 1969, 28-9;
for particulars of other collections, ibid. 1970, 32, and 1976, 45;
N.L.W. MSS. 8177-277, a collection of music, letters, etc., belonging to his father John Lewis and uncle David Lewis — see ibid., 1929, 23-4, and N.L.W. Handlist of MSS., iii, s.n.;
NLW, a holographic family tree produced by E.T. Price, Llanrhystud;
Mynegiad Caernarfon Association, 1905-06, 7-9;
Denbigh, Flint and Meirioneth Assc. Letter, 1930-31, 3-13, 1938-39, 23 and 1954-55, 3-4;
Adroddiad of annual Services of the Baptist Union of Wales, 1910, 56-63;
Adroddiad Undeb Bed. Cym., 1938-39, 5-16, and 1965-66, 16;
Y Greal, 1904, 305 and 1910, 136;
Ser. Cymru, 27 July 1900, 8 Apr., 6 May 1910, 1 Aug., 12 Sept. 1913, 16 Mar. 1928, 1 Sept. 1939, 18 Apr., 16 May 1941, 3 May 1946, and 27 May. 3, 10 June 1966;
Ser. G., 1920, 259-69, 1939, 41-5, 1940. 41-7, 1961, 1-6, and 1966, 29-60 (memorial number);
Seren yr Ysgol Sul, 1939, 198-203;
Y Genhinen, 1950-1, 205-8;
Deyrnas, 1917, June 6-7, July 6, Aug. 6, Sept. 5-6, and Oct. 12;
S. Rowley (ed. Lewis Valentine), Hanes Eglwys Penuel Rhosllannerchrugog, (1959), 124-33, 159;
Undeb Cymru Fydd. Adroddiad blynyddol, 1965-6, [4-5];
Llawlyfr Bed., 1967, 115-6;
Bapt. Hdbk., 1967, 365;
Cefn Chronicle, 6, 13 Sept. 1913;
Rhos Herald, 20 Nov. 1943, 15 Apr. 1946, and 22 Apr. 1961;
Wrexham Leader, 13, 20 May 1966;
information from his daughter-in-law, Mrs. J. C. Lewis, Llanrhystud, and E. R. Morris, Llanidloes;
personal acquaintance.

Author:

Benjamin George Owens, M.A., Aberystwyth