Erastus Jones Papers

Papers of the Reverend Erastus Jones relating to his contribution to the Ecumenical Movement in Wales, including papers of such movements as the Welsh Ecumenical Society, the Council of Churches for Wales and the New Advance in Wales, including correspondence, minutes, some accounts and other papers; papers relating to his work and ministry in Blaendulais, 1948-1967, and his work within the community of Aberfan after the disaster of 1966, including minutes of various committees, correspondence, publications, accounts and papers relating to the Blaendulais Ecumenical Centre and Tŷ Toronto; papers relating to the Ecumenical Movement in Wales in general and relating to contacts in Europe.

Erastus Jones was a minister and an ecumenist who worked with the Council of Churches for Wales and the Welsh Ecumenical Society. He moved in 1967 to Aberfan to help in the aftermath of the 1966 disaster.
He was born in 1918 in Liverpool, where he also attended the University to study Social Sciences. During the Second World War he was a conscientious objector and stayed in Liverpool, during which time he decided to enter the ministry. He then went to Bangor College to study divinity. His first post was at Crewe after which in 1948 he went to Blaendulais. He stayed in Blaendulais until the churches of Merthyr called him in 1966 to represent them in Aberfan following the coal tip disaster. His work was to serve the community as it tried to heal itself, while also using the lessons learned in Aberfan to challenge the rest of the South Wales valleys.
He served as a member, secretary and treasurer of many committees and was a member of the Student Christian Movement, the New Campaign in Wales, the Welsh Ecumenical Movement, and the Council of Churches for Wales. In 1947 he visited the Ecumenical Institute in Bosey and attended the international ecumenical conferences of Amsterdam in 1948 and Uppsala in 1968. While in Blaendulais he set up the Blaendulais Ecumenical Centre and Ecumene (the Ecumenical youth movement) under the auspices of the Welsh Ecumenical Movement, and later in Aberfan he worked as a representative of the community through Tŷ Toronto: both establishments were important to the Ecumenical movement in Wales. Following the Aberfan disaster the 'Call to the Valleys' was sent out by Tŷ Toronto with the aim of uniting and regenerating them.

Arranged into seven series by Erastus Jones before it came to NLW as follows: The New Campaign in Wales, Blaendulais, The Welsh Ecumenical Society, The Council of Churches for Wales, Church Unity, Toronto House, Aberfan and the Valleys. The original order has been retained in the first six series; for the seventh series see the appropriate level of description.

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

Donated by the Rev. Erastus Jones, Porthmadog, December 2000.; A2000/98

Erastus Jones was a minister and an ecumenist who worked with the Council of Churches for Wales and the Welsh Ecumenical Society. He moved in 1967 to Aberfan to help in the aftermath of the 1966 disaster.
He was born in 1918 in Liverpool, where he also attended the University to study Social Sciences. During the Second World War he was a conscientious objector and stayed in Liverpool, during which time he decided to enter the ministry. He then went to Bangor College to study divinity. His first post was at Crewe after which in 1948 he went to Blaendulais. He stayed in Blaendulais until the churches of Merthyr called him in 1966 to represent them in Aberfan following the coal tip disaster. His work was to serve the community as it tried to heal itself, while also using the lessons learned in Aberfan to challenge the rest of the South Wales valleys.
He served as a member, secretary and treasurer of many committees and was a member of the Student Christian Movement, the New Campaign in Wales, the Welsh Ecumenical Movement, and the Council of Churches for Wales. In 1947 he visited the Ecumenical Institute in Bosey and attended the international ecumenical conferences of Amsterdam in 1948 and Uppsala in 1968. While in Blaendulais he set up the Blaendulais Ecumenical Centre and Ecumene (the Ecumenical youth movement) under the auspices of the Welsh Ecumenical Movement, and later in Aberfan he worked as a representative of the community through Tŷ Toronto: both establishments were important to the Ecumenical movement in Wales. Following the Aberfan disaster the 'Call to the Valleys' was sent out by Tŷ Toronto with the aim of uniting and regenerating them.

The title of the fonds is supplied from the contents. The original titles of the series, sub-series and files were kept, but have been adapted and translated from Welsh into English. The original titles have been supplied in inverted commas on the folders.

A hard copy of this list is available at NLW.

November 2004.

Created by Hywel Gwynn Williams.

The following sources were used in the compilation of this catalogue: Erastus Jones, Croesi Ffiniau Gyda'r Eglwys yn y Byd (Tŷ John Penri, Swansea, 2000).

Usual copyright laws apply

Action: The fonds has been appraised (see appraisal form HW/2005-06/2). Details are given at the appropriate level(s) of description..

Accruals are not expected

Papers, 1972-1984, regarding the Tŷ Toronto project are also held at University of Wales Swansea (South Wales Coalfield Collection). Further papers relating to the Welsh Ecumenical Society and the Council of Churches for Wales are in NLW: Papurau Huw Wynne Griffith. See also appropriate level descriptions.

Published