Rev. Owen Davies Collection,

Papers collected by Rev. Owen Davies relating to Welsh Baptism, 1623-1905; correspondence and personal papers of J. R. Jones, 1796-1816; correspondence, sermon notes and papers of Christmas Evans, 1800-1830, and Dr John Prichard, 1819-1871; sermon notes and correspondence of Richard Griffiths, 1822-1867; miscellaneous deeds and papers, 1623-1893, miscellaneous letters, 1843-1863; registers of Llangollen and Glyndyfrdwy Baptist churches, [c.1823]-1827; and the personal papers of Rev. Owen Davies, 1859-1919.

Owen Davies (1840-1929), Baptist minister, was born at Cae Plan, near Pwllheli, Caernarfonshire. He was educated at Llanystumdwy, Caernarfonshire, and Yokehouse, Pwllheli. After serving an apprenticeship as a draper, he turned to preaching, and entered the Baptist College at Llangollen, Denbighshire, in 1862. Between 1876 and 1905 he was the minister for Caernarfon. He was also the first secretary of the Welsh Baptist Union, becoming chairman in 1888, and lectured on homiletics (the composition and delivery of sermons) and pastoral theology at the North Wales Baptist College, Bangor, between 1895 and 1915. Davies wrote several books including the Welsh biographies of prominent Welsh Baptists, Dr John Prichard of Llangollen (in 1880), Christmas Evans (1898), Robert Jones (1806-1896), Llanllyfni (1903), and a history of the Welsh Baptists (1905). He gathered original material relating to the history of Welsh Baptism, including the papers of J. R. Jones, minister (1765-1822), John Prichard (1796-1875), Christmas Evans (1766-1838), and Richard Griffiths (fl. 1822-1877) of Tymawr, Rhoshirwaen, Aderdaron.

Arranged by subject, and numbered NLW MSS 19552-19606.

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

Donated by G. T. Gregory, Oxford, 1966.

Owen Davies (1840-1929), Baptist minister, was born at Cae Plan, near Pwllheli, Caernarfonshire. He was educated at Llanystumdwy, Caernarfonshire, and Yokehouse, Pwllheli. After serving an apprenticeship as a draper, he turned to preaching, and entered the Baptist College at Llangollen, Denbighshire, in 1862. Between 1876 and 1905 he was the minister for Caernarfon. He was also the first secretary of the Welsh Baptist Union, becoming chairman in 1888, and lectured on homiletics (the composition and delivery of sermons) and pastoral theology at the North Wales Baptist College, Bangor, between 1895 and 1915. Davies wrote several books including the Welsh biographies of prominent Welsh Baptists, Dr John Prichard of Llangollen (in 1880), Christmas Evans (1898), Robert Jones (1806-1896), Llanllyfni (1903), and a history of the Welsh Baptists (1905). He gathered original material relating to the history of Welsh Baptism, including the papers of J. R. Jones, minister (1765-1822), John Prichard (1796-1875), Christmas Evans (1766-1838), and Richard Griffiths (fl. 1822-1877) of Tymawr, Rhoshirwaen, Aderdaron.

Title supplied from contents of fonds. Some records acquired by Owen Davies predate his birth.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at the National Library of Wales and the National Register of Archives.

March 2003

Compiled by Richard Burman for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Owen Davies Schedule; The Dictionary of Welsh biography down to 1940 (London, 1959).

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Action: All records donated to the National Library of Wales have been retained..

Accruals are not expected.

The records were used by Owen Davies to provide source material for his biographies of Welsh Baptist ministers including, Cofiant y Parch. John Prichard, D.D., Llangollen (Caernarfon, 1880), and Gweithiau y Parch. Christmas Evans (Caernarfon, 1898).

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales