Methodism/Congregationalists

Montgomershire Farmers related. Bunner,Davies,Ellis Evans,Howell, Hughes,Jehu,Jones,Morris,Owens, Reynolds, Roberts ,Rogers,Williams

Shropshire Farmers related. Beddoes,Brisborne,Calcott, Chidley, Downes,Gittins, Hobson ,Kent, Lewis Powell, Slater,Smith, Wynn

U.K.Familes related Billington,Church, Cobb.Edmunds, Frazer ,Hooker, Johnston, Jourd, Morgan, Norris, Price, Rake, Remi,Stanley, Steele,Wilkinson. Warren,Woods.

Montgomeryshire Farms. Berriew ,Blackwood,Dyffryn , Llwynderw,Wernllwyd .Upper Brithdir Churchstoke. Bacheldre. Forden Edderton Rhydygroes GuilsfieldBurntHouse Llanbrynmair Diosg Hafodwen Tynyrwtn, Llandysilio.Church House,Gwernybuarth Llanerfyl Coed Talog,Neuadd Wen Llangadfan Blowty,Cyffin,, Penygribin, Llanfair Berthfawr Bryn Penarth, Dolgead, Gelli,, Gelligason, GwaenynogGwynyndy Llanloddian Isa and Ucha, Moeldrehaiarn, Rallt Issa,Rhydygro Llanfechain Bodynfol,Finnant, Tybaen, Llanfihangel Dolwar Fach Rhydebyde, TynyCyl, Llangyniew The Weeg (Wig Ucha). Llansantfraidd Plasgwyn. Llanwnog Grosstyd Llanwydellan Ty Issa Meifod Garth Tietref Nantymechiead. Pontyscowrid(Pant yr Cuenyd) Tregynon. Gwaintrebedde Welshpool Glan Hafren, Radnorshire Pentre Farm (Corwen)

Shropshire Farms, at Alberbury -Eyton Upper and Lower Farms and Brook House,Crew Green. Fields Farm Melverley. at Berrington- Fox Farm,Betton Strange and Russell Place. at Bitterley-Brook House farm,Snitton Hall Farm and Church Farm and Hall Farm Ditton Priors. at Edgmond-Adney Farm.Ellerton Grange and Whitley Manor,Chetwynd. at Oswestry -Dunewydd Farm Whittington,;New Hall Hanmer,;Church House Farm St Martins,; Pleasant Grove Gobowen; Lower House Farm, Knockin; Penypark.Maesbury. at Shrewsbury south -Wellbatch Farm Annscroft ;Longden Hall Farm, ;Langley Hall Acton Burnell,; Lower Farm Pitchford ; The Manor Farm Stapleton ;Side Farm ,Netley,;Picklescote Farm Smethcott,; Walford Farm Dorrington; Castle Place Pulverbatch.,; Rectory Farm Woolstaston; Middle Farm Batchcote.Upper and Lower Sutton Farms, at Westbury Stretton Hall,,Field Farm,; Lower Wallop Farm. at West Felton The Fords Farm.Twyford OtherAreas Albrightlee Farm Battlefield .;Ash Hollow Farm Weston & Wixill Highfield House Clive,; Priors Halton Farm Ludlow; .Tudor Lodge Shawbury

Indepedent Churches /Chapels Ministers at Ebenezer,Siloh and Penarth Chapels at Llanfair.John Hughes’s Chapel at Pontrobert. Zion Chapel, Oswestry. Coedway Chapel, Alberbury. Bethel Chapel,Aberdare . Penmaen Chapel at Blackwood. Ruyton X1 Towns Chapel., Threapwood,Malpas, Weedon and Flore Chapels in Northants and Ross on Wye.

Draper/Stores.,Assistants ,Managers,or Owners at. Norbury House Aston; 290-292 Gypsy Lane,West Ham. .Bon Marche at Brixton; Thomas Yeo. Plymouth; Wallace Hughes in Brixton; Thomas Fearn, Kilburn High St.; Bobby’s of Eastbourne; Griffin and Spalding at Nottingham. M.Evans,Montreal Bunners, Ironmongers of Montgomery.R.Ellis, Boat Builder Shrewsbury. Thomas Hughes Mirror Manufacturer,Euston.

Overseas. Australia.- Charters Towers Gold Fields,: Noyea and Windaroo Sugar Plantations at Mt Warren.,:Dubbo News papers,:.Sydney- League of Health and Beauty. Africa. Mashonaland Expedition,Fort Victoria, Boer War -Relief of Kimberley.,Driefountain etc Salous Scouts Rhodesia, Irving and Bonnar, Lagos, Nigeria Canada. Molson’s Brewery,Montreal. Various Drapers Shops Montreal.. India. Madras Civil Service.Royal Asiatic Society,Royal.Engineers,Siaklot, Punjab U.S.A Georgetown Silver Mines,Colorado. East Tennessee Welsh Migration.Lake Forest, Lake County,Illinois. Ohio Preaching Tour World War 1, Egypt,Gaza,Palestine, Ypres Arras and Flanders.

Congregationalism arose as an important part of the Nonconformist religious movement in Britain during the Puritan reformation. In Congregational Churches or Chapels each congregation “Independently” governs itself and appoints its own clergy and with other local churches / chapels sets up its own circuit of lay and ordained preachers.,otherwise the service etc is very similar to the Church of England.It had great appeal to isolated Welsh farming folk ,living miles from the nearest town Church, paying tithes to absentee Cof E clergy and wanting their own sevices in Welsh, Originally starting with meetings and fellowship groups within the Church of England with over 400 fellowship groups in Wales by 1750 they eventually seceeded in 1811 , having set up their own Training Colleges for Clergy,including an important Centre at Bala From here in 1865 the first expedition of 165 Welsh settlers to Patagonia was planned,the descendants now number over 20,000. See under Samuel Roberts of Llanbrynmair for details of the expedition in 1857 to set up a farming community in East Tennessee ..By 1859 80% of the population of Montgomeryshire worshipped in non conformist churches and chapels,mainly Congregational Independents or Wesleyan / Calvinistic Methodists.The Independent movement has been of great importance in promoting Welsh history and culture. and the education of national leaders in all walks of life. Congregational emigrants to the U.S.A have been greatly influential in the drawing up of the Constitution and Bill of Rights and the establishment of their great Universities,


John and Jane Hughes of Rhydebyde(later at Llanloddian Isaf) were bringing up their young family at the same time as two famous Welsh Methodists were beginning to make their name locally--see pamphlet and photos below.Undoubtedly farmers like John and Jane Hughes and others living on isolated homesteads were very much influenced by the simple and direct teachings of these early Methodists (Ann Griffiths of Dolwar was one of their best loved hymn makers and the Rev John Hughes of Pontrobert, one of the best loved preachers,who wrote down Ann’s hymns,after her death) and most hamlets had soon built their own small chapels to meet at and worship in.Here Sunday School classes were given where children were taught to read and write and even go on to a Grammar School and with their education later to achieve success in many walks of life. It also explains why a number of the Hughes ,Jones and Davies girls married Non-Confomist Ministers and Lay preachers ,because it was the custom for a local farmer to invite the visiting preacher, after the Sunday sermon, to sit down to lunch with his family. In fact before the Chapels were built, services were held in some isolated farm houses.Note Dolwar Fach the farm of Ann Griffihs is only 1/2 mile N.W. of Rhydebyde where lived John and Jane Hughes(see Multimap below ).Note that John and Jane Hughes son Thomas Griffiths of Llanloddian Farm had all his children baptised at the Ebenezer Congregational ( Independent) Chapel in Llanfair and that his daughter Jane married Robert Evans ,Independent Minister at the Siloh Chapel in Cross hamlet,Llanfair. Surprisingly Thomas Griffiths and Elizabeth his wife are buried in a hipped tomb in St Mary’s churchyard at Llanfair.This is probably because Methodist Chapels generally had no or very little land for burials.



	This Multimap shows the Ford(Rhydebyde) across the R.Vyrnwy with the Cyffin farms (Cyffin-fawr means Border-big)less than 1/2 mile S.W, and Dolwar Fach the home of Ann Griffiths(the well-known Methodist Hymn maker) just 1 mile N.E. of the home of John and Jane Hughes c.1800.,Note that Blowty Farm and Llangadfan Town lie approx 3 miles S,W of Cyffin.The R.Vyrnwy separates the Parish of Llanfihangel from the Parish of Llangadfan to the South. Llwydiarth Hall home of the Lords of the Manor - the Watkins William Wynn Family lies just N of Pentre.



		Dolwar Fach,- The home of Ann Griffiths. A typical homestead for a small tenant farmer in Momtgomeryshire. Photo from Gathering of the Jewels web-site.The home of our John and Jane Hughes , less than a mile away ,at Rhydebyde would have been very similar.




		Llanfihangel Church with the Ann Griffiths monument on the right and many Jones,Davies and Hughes buried in front,side and back of graveyard.



		River Vyrnwy - a ford here at the Sheep Dip, Dolanog near Dolwar Fach. The Rhydebyde Ford is just half a mile up the River.




		The simple but beautiful interior of Llanfihangel ,St Michael’s Church.



			Pontrobert village churchyard looking towards John Hughes ‘s Memorial Chapel in middle distance.


	Multimap showing Pontrobert village where John Hughes lived and preached is only a mile further down the R.Vyrnwy from Dolanog and Dolwar Fach where AnnGriffiths farmed..Note that Bala the great centre for Methodist worship and training lies only 10 miles N.W. Llanfihangel The dotted red line marks the route of “The Jane Griffiths Walk.”




	John Hughes, of Rhydebyde and Llanloddian Isa ,son Thomas Hughes of Llanloddian Isa had his first six children baptised at The Ebenezer Independent Chapel in Llanfair Caereinion.- these records were eventually found after many years searching on the IGI website at Salt Lake City,Utah.




		Maurice Hughes of Bryn Penarth Farm,the elder brother of John Hughes of Rhydebyde and Llanloddian Isa is buried in the central row at the Penarth Independent Chapel.,Llanfair Caereinion.




	The Rev Robert Evans’s first post was at the Siloh Independent Chapel at Cross just south of Llanfair.Did the newly weds live in the small chapel house now derelict-although the Chapel is still well maintained.


	Thomas Hughes of Llanloddian Isa youngest daughter Jane Hughes marries the Rev Robert Evans at the Siloh Independent Chapel at Cross,Llanfair Caereinion.Photo many years later at Penmaen,Glamorgan,with their five children

Elizabeth Davies,who marries Thomas Hughes of Llanloddian Isa son Maurice Stephen Hughes has a younger sister Harriet Davies,who marries the Rev John Landel Jones ,who trained as an Independent Minister at Brecon.She probably met him at his first Ministry at Ruyton XI Towns. His biography in Welsh can be found in the Album Aberhonddu,which details all the Independent Ministers trained at the five Welsh Training Colleges,between 1755 and 1880.See photo left.




	In his will of 1896 EvanJones of Eyton - a cousin of Thomas Hughes of Llanloddian leaves £1250 to the Coedway Chapel,nr Alberbury.

Extract from the will of Nesta Irene Jones of Madeira Av ,Worthing.daughter of the Rev J.Landel Jones “Part 5,iii To the Trustees of the Bursary Fund of Caterham School,Surrey A Trust Deed dated 4/9/53 a gift of £3000 in memory of of my brothers Dr Ernest Heber Landel Jones and Victor Jones and to be referred to as the Dr Landel Jones Memorial Bequest to be used for the benefit of sons of Congregational Ministers at the School.”

		It would appear that most of our Hughes,Davies,Jones families ,were staunch supporters of the Independent /Congregational Church of Wales.




	In 1872 Thomas Hughes of Llanloddian Isa son Maurice Stephen Hughes marries Elizabeth Davies his first cousin and the sister of Harriet Davies,at the Zion Congregational Chapel,Oswestry.


	John Edward Rogers,grandson of John Hughes of Edderton Farm,becomes a Congregational Minister in Cardiff after W.W.1


	[Hughes Davies Jones in Montgomery / Salop] [Jones Family of Gwaenynog,Llanfair Caereinion] [Hughes Family.Origins in Llangadfan] [Thomas Hughes of Llanloddian,Llanfair Caereinion] [Billy Hughes. Australia P.M.] [Richard Ellis. Boat Builder of Shrewsbury] [Methodism/Congregationalists] [Davies Family of Berriew]