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By SUSAN BECKLEY, B.A., D.A.A. | |||||||
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By SUSAN BECKLEY, B.A., D.A.A. | |||||||
Carmarthen Record Office Among its records of Llanddowror parish, the Carmarthenshire Record Office is fortunate to hold three original letters written by the celebrated Reverend Griffith Jones, 1683-1761, for many years incumbent of that parish. The letters are addressed to the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (S.P.C.K.). |
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Bibles by SeaBy SUSAN BECKLEY, B.A., D.A.A.Carmarthen Record Office Among its records of Llanddowror parish, the Carmarthenshire Record Office is fortunate to hold three original letters written by the celebrated Reverend Griffith Jones, 1683-1761, for many years incumbent of that parish. The letters are addressed to the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (S.P.C.K.). Griffith Jones was appointed rector of Llanddowror in 1716, having become a corresponding member of the S.P.C.K. three years previously. During the years he spent in Llanddowror, he was very involved with S.P.C.K. activities, supporting efforts for a new edition of the Welsh Bible in 1717 and 1727. He is also remembered for his work in organising and training teachers for the Welsh Circulating Schools where pupils were taught to read the Welsh Bible and learn the Catechism. After his death in 1761 this work was continued very successfully by Bridget Bevan of Laugharne. The following transcript from the earliest of the three letters in the Record Office (Ref. CPR/58/17), illustrates the deep involvement of Griffith Jones in the work of the S.P.C.K. and his concern for the provision of Welsh Bibles for the people of Wales: Revd and dear Sir Landowror 4 Feb 1748/9Other documents in the Carmarthenshire Record Office relating to Griffith Jones include two further original letters dated 1749 and 1752 (Ref. CPR/58/18+19); a volume of copy letters from Griffith Jones to Madam Bevan, 1732-1738 (Ref. Museum 347); and the earliest volume of the Llanddowror parish registers (Ref. CPR/58/1) which records in the register of burials for 1761: "The Revd Mr. Griffith Jones (the worthy pious charitable faithful Rector of this par. for 45 years) . . . . was buried April 11th . . . aged 77."N.B. This article first appeared in the Quarterly Newsletter of the Dyfed Archive Service, September 1980. |