Welsh Journals

from Jones's testimony contrasts markedly with his sympathetic portrayal of Lampeter, where Jones settled in 1901. Despite the evidence of difficult personal circumstances, he seems to have been more content in Lampeter than in his native Aberystwyth. The College at Lampeter did not possess the influence in the town that was enjoyed by its counterpart in Aberystwyth, and Lampeter was essentially a market town serving an area which was witnessing a severe economic depression and considerable out- migration of its people. Whilst areas such as the Vale of Aeron enjoyed comparative prosperity, other areas close to Lampeter, particularly to the south and east of the town, suffered particularly from low wages, bad housing conditions and a high instance of poverty-related illnesses. The sojourn at Lampeter provided Jones with an opportunity to acquire a more diverse religious experience than was possible in Aberystwyth, where his family was so closely involved with the Methodist denomination and Salem in particular. It also brought him into closer proximity with *Y Smotyn Du', the stronghold of Welsh Unitarianism in the Teifyside area on the Carmarthenshire- Cardiganshire border. Jones had already displayed sympathy for the Unitarian cause prior to leaving Aberystwyth in 1901, mainly as a result of his friendship with George Eyre Evans. The Unitarians were an unorthodox group of people who rejected the Divinity of Christ. Many of them questioned the very existence of God. A highly-politicized group, Unitarians also adopted progressive attitudes on social questions, and as a result they were obliged to endure periodic hostility from more orthodox religious denominations. When David Jones returned to Aberystwyth in 1904, he relinquished the Methodist faith and joined the Unitarian congregation. While certain members in Salem, notably David Samuel adopted a conciliatory attitude, the reaction of the majority of the chapel's members was singularly unfriendly. Jones suffered considerable personal abuse and was denounced for betraying the chapel to which his family had contributed so much.19 David Jones's experience showed Welsh Nonconformity at its most dogmatic and intolerant. The fact that such intolerance was demonstrated by Salem's members is even more significant in view of the emphasis that Welsh Nonconformist