Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jones, Griffith (1683-1761)

by Robert Williams

JONES, GRIFFITH (1683–1761), Welsh clergyman, and founder of the Welsh charity or circulating schools, born of nonconformist parents, in the parish of Cilrhedyn, Carmarthenshire, in 1683, was sent to the Carmarthen grammar school. Having joined the established church, he was ordained deacon by the Bishop of St. Davids (George Bull [q. v.]) on 19 Sept. 1708, and priest on 25 Sept. 1709. He began his ministrations in his native parish, and was afterwards for some time curate of Laugharne (Rees, Hist. Protestant Nonconformity in Wales, p. 314). In 1711 he obtained the living of Llandilo Abercowyn, and while here he married Margaret, daughter of Sir Erasmus Phillips of Picton Castle. In 1716 he became rector of Llanddowror, the patron being his brother-in-law, Sir John Phillips.

From the first Jones set himself to improve the religious and social condition of Wales. He travelled through South Wales, preaching in churches as he passed, and often left the ‘pulpit for the tombstone or the green sward when he found the church too small for his audience’ (Johnes, Causes of Dissent in Wales, p. 23). Many of the clergy, however, regarded his efforts unfavourably, and refused him ‘the use of their churches on week days, however desirous their parishioners might be to hear him’ (Rees, Hist. of Nonconf. in Wales, p. 315). One of his sermons is said to have been the means of ‘converting’ Daniel Rowlands of Llangeitho [q. v.], one of the principal founders of Welsh methodism (Johnes, Causes of Dissent in Wales, p. 35). Jones's fame soon reached beyond Wales. His contemporary, Williams of Pantycelyn [q. v.], in his elegy, says that he preached before Queen Anne, and also in Scotland (Works, ed. Kilsby Jones, p. 608). Moreover, when Howell Harris [q. v.] met John Wesley in Bristol about 1732, the latter prayed, before retiring to rest, ‘for Griffith Jones, for myself [i.e. Harris], and for Wales’ (Autobiography of Howell Harris, quoted in Johnes's Causes of Dissent in Wales, p. 35). Jones afterwards accepted an invitation from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts to become one of their missionaries in India, but did not leave England (Williams, Eminent Welshmen, p. 255; cf. Y Drysorva, 1813, pp. 1 sqq.)

It was Jones's custom to catechise his parishioners before ‘Sacrament Sunday,’ and he felt the difficulty of dealing with people who could not read. To remedy this defect he in 1730 established the first of his charity schools. He had no fund to defray the expenses except ‘what could be spared out of a small offertory by a poor country congregation at the blessed sacrament’ (Welsh Piety, i. 3). The scheme grew rapidly. Jones engaged as his schoolmasters religious men of ability, without regard to denomination, and distributed them gradually over the Principality. Adults as well as children were thus taught in day and night schools to read the Bible in Welsh, the teachers stopping in each town or village for a few months at a time, and ‘thus making a continual circuit of the whole country’ (Johnes, Causes of Dissent in Wales, p. 18; Foulkes, Enwogion Cymru, p. 592). The schools multiplied with great rapidity, the funds for their support being derived largely, if not chiefly, from England. Mrs. Bevan, formerly Miss Bridget Vaughan of Derllysg, with whom Jones began his long intimacy when preaching at Llanllwch, was also a warm supporter, and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge gave a donation of bibles and other books. In 1737 thirty-seven schools were opened, with 2,400 scholars. Before Jones's death over 3,000 schools had been opened, and over 150,000 had been taught in the day schools alone (Welsh Piety). The success of Jones's efforts was hindered by the want of books, and in 1741 he published ‘An Appeal to the Charitable and well disposed in behalf of the Poor in the Principality of Wales’ for funds to print an edition of the Bible and prayer-book in Welsh. By 1742 a considerable sum had been collected, and in 1746 an edition of the Welsh Bible and prayer-book was issued by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, under the direction of Richard Morris (d. 1764) [q. v.] A second edition appeared in 1752 (Rowlands, Cambrian Bibliography, pp. 386, 406, 429).

The Welsh bishops had never been friendly to the schools, and many of the clergy continued hostile. In 1752 John Evans, vicar of Eglwys Cymmun, published a virulent personal attack upon Jones, which was said to be inspired by a bishop. The pamphlet was entitled ‘Some Account of the Welch Charity Schools, and of the Rise and Progress of Methodism in Wales through the means of them, under the sole Management and Direction of Griffith Jones, Clerk, Rector of Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire, in a short History of that Clergyman as a Clergyman.’ Evans's statement that Jones suffered prosecutions in the ecclesiastical courts for twenty years is not supported by the diocesan registers.

Jones died at the house of Mrs. Bevan on 8 April 1761, his wife having predeceased him in 1755. He was buried in Llanddowror, where a monument was raised to him by Mrs. Bevan, in whose charge he left the funds of the charity, augmented by property of his own, to the value of over 7,000l. (Morgan-Richardson, History of Mrs. Bevan's Charity, 1890).

Jones was a prolific writer in Welsh and English, chiefly on theological subjects, his works showing strong leanings to Calvinism. His ‘Welsh Piety,’ an annual publication, which reached twenty-four numbers (1737–1761), contained yearly accounts of the progress of the circulating schools. His chief works were:

1. ‘The Platform of Christianity; being an Explanation of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England.’
2. ‘Letter to a Clergyman, evincing the Necessity of Teaching the Poor in the Principality of Wales.’
3. ‘The Christian Covenant, or Baptismal Vow,’ first and second parts.
4. ‘Esboniad ar Gatecism Eglwys Loegr, yn cynnwys Corph cryno o Ddifinyddiaeth.’
5. ‘Galwad at Orseddfainc y Gras.’
6. ‘Hyfforddwr at Orseddfainc y Gras.’
7. ‘Ffurf o Weddiau.’
8. ‘Cynghor rhad yr anllythrennog.’
9. ‘Annogaeth i foliannu Duw.’
10. ‘Casgliad o Ganiadau y Parch. Rhys Pritchard.’

[Jones's Welsh Piety; Collection of Letters to Mrs. Bevan, ed. Morgan; article by the Rev. Thomas Charles in Y Drysorva for 1813, pp. 1 sqq.; Williams's Eminent Welshmen; Ffoulkes's Enwogion Cymru; Johnes's Causes of Dissent in Wales; Rowlands's Cambrian Bibliography; Dr. Rees's Hist. of Protestant Nonconformity in Wales; Bevan's St. Davids (Diocesan Histories).]

R. W.