Bridgwater Manuscripts

This collection contains miscellaneous papers relating mainly to Thomas Charles, Bala and to his grandson David Charles, Trefeca.

Thomas Charles ('Charles o'r Bala'; 1755-1814) was most likely born in Longmoor in the parish of Llanfihangel Abercywyn, Carmarthenshire. He became one of Wales's greatest Methodist leaders and educationalists, taking a primary role in establishing Cymdeithas y Beiblau (The Bible Society) in order to disseminate inexpensive Bibles in the Welsh language, and also in establishing sunday schools - an aspect of religious life which became prevalent amongst the Methodists.
David Charles (1812-1878), Calvinistic Methodist minister and grandson of Thomas Charles, was born in Bala. In 1837 he established a school which later became Coleg y Bala (Bala Congregational College). In 1842 he was appointed principal of Trefeca College, a position he held for twenty years.

Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 4796-4807.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.

Presented by Griffith Jones, Holford, Somerset (formerly of Penarth, Glamorgan), per T. Bruce Dilks, Bridgwater, in 1944.

Thomas Charles ('Charles o'r Bala'; 1755-1814) was most likely born in Longmoor in the parish of Llanfihangel Abercywyn, Carmarthenshire. He became one of Wales's greatest Methodist leaders and educationalists, taking a primary role in establishing Cymdeithas y Beiblau (The Bible Society) in order to disseminate inexpensive Bibles in the Welsh language, and also in establishing sunday schools - an aspect of religious life which became prevalent amongst the Methodists.
David Charles (1812-1878), Calvinistic Methodist minister and grandson of Thomas Charles, was born in Bala. In 1837 he established a school which later became Coleg y Bala (Bala Congregational College). In 1842 he was appointed principal of Trefeca College, a position he held for twenty years.

The descriptions are also available in the Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume II (Aberystwyth, 1951).

September 2005.

This description was compiled by Bethan Ifans for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS.

Published