Welsh Journals

May 16, 1888. 13YE-G0NES. 103 Market Place, and put against the Plough Inn, and the public indulged in some rough play, there being no police in those days. I also recollect seeing men flogged at the cart's tail in the Square, and very well remember the effort made by friends of the prisoner to induce Bayley's old horse to mend his pace, by belabouring the poor brute with whips and sticks. Iu those days all the produce brought to market was put on the stones, and the cart had to go all round the heaps of vegetables, potatoes, &c. J-W. AZARIAH SHADRACH (Apl. 25, 1888).—The per¬ son bearing this very distinctive name, a translation of whose poem on the river Dovey, &c, by"T.W.H." ap¬ peared in your issue of April 25th, was, in many ways, a remarkable man. He was born June 24th, 1774, at a place called Carndeilofach, in the parish of Llanfair, near Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. When about ten years of age he was placed under the care of a paternal aunt living at Fagwyreinion-fawr, near Moylgrove (Trewyddel), in the neighbourhood of Cardigan, and at that time, according to his own testimony, " he knew not a letter on a book, and scarcely had he heard either a prayer or a sermon." Soon, however, light began to penetrate his benighted mind, and whilst yet young he was admitted a member of the Congregational Church there, and ere long began to preach at the Congrega¬ tional Church at Rhosycaerau, in the same county. About this time, in the year 1797, whilst he was twenty- three }rears of age, the French made a hostile landing near Fishguard, at Pencaer, and it seems that young Shadrach was one of the brave countryfolks who went there to oppose them. After certain literary advan¬ tages, obtained under great difficulties, Shadrach went, in the year 1798, to keep school at Hirnant, near Peny- bontfawr, Montgomeryshire, and to preach, in the face of much opposition, wherever he might get the oppor¬ tunity. From this place he soon removed to the neigh¬ bourhood of Machynlleth, to keep sohoel at Pennal, and preach as before. In a short time he removed again to Derwenlas, just the other side of the river Dovey. Whilst here, he found Mr Williams of Gelligoch, grand¬ father of the late Mrs Richard Cobden, a generous patron to him whilst engaged in teaching Mr Williams's children. About the year 1802 he removed to Trefriw, Carnarvonshire, still sustaining his double capacity of schoolmaster and preacher. He made Trefriw a basis of operations to preach the Gospel for many miles around, whilst caring, more especially, far the infant Church at Llanrwst and its branches at Porthllwyd and Capel Garmon. Whilst here, too, he had many preaching stations; and at some of them, such as Khydlydan and Pentrefoelas, he was successful in planting Churches. His promised stipend at the time amounted only to £5 a year, and yet out of it he cheerfully paid a good portion as rent for places to preach in, and for other requisites for worship, such as candles, &c. In the year 1806, he removed to Talybont, Cardiganshire, to repeat there his labour and his self-denial for the sake of Christ; and ultimately he settled at Aberystwyth, where he ha I been the means of planting the Congregational Church, and of building for it an expensive chapel. A minute history of this remarkable man, such as 1 have attempted to give in his biography, would vividly show the ways and means whereby the evangelization of Wales has been effected. In addition to all his labour as school¬ master for many years, and to the end as a minister of the Gospel, he actually published about twenty-three books of different kinds and sizes, one of which was in English, and another, The Backslider's Mirror, has been translated into English by Edward S. Byam, Esq , " late of the Mauritius." He brought up four children, two sons and two daughters. One of the sons was for some time employed at the Times Printing Office; and the other was the Rev. Eliacim Shadrach, the respected minister of the Congregational Church at Pembroke Dock. _ But, possibly, your readers will be more interested in the particulars of the Poem which has been so literally and so well translated by my old friend "T.W.H." Its history is briefly this: —Mr. Shadrach, in May of the year 1836, paid a visit to his old friend. Mr. Thomas Lewis of Caersaer, near Machynlleth. Whilst there, Mr. Lewis, as was his wont with his friends, took him out for a stroll to see the beauty and grandeur of that locality. Soon, however, he found that his friend Shadrach had become very reticent, apparently absorbed in deep meditation. Shadrach, hia visit now ended, returned to Aberystwyth; and, in a few days, the prob¬ able cause of the reverie was explained, by the arrival of a letter to Mr. Lewis from his friend Shadrach, enclosing the Poem in question, boldly and clearly written out by the Author, and bearing on it the date May 26th, 1836, and the initials A. S. After Mr. Lewis's death in the year 1858, this poem, as well as others of his papers, fell into the hands of his Trustee, the late Mr. John Davies of Erglodd, near Talybont, from whom, for the purpose of writing Shadrach s Biography, I fortunately obtained it in the year 1862. The original copy is still in my possession, as a valued relic of a good man, the interest in whom seems to be growing as its predictions, however to be accounted for, are being literally fulfilled. You will observe by the date that Railways were only in their infancy at that time. Let me add that other predictions, of Shadrach's, the particulars of which I give iu his Biograph)', have been remarkably verified. Let me give only one example :—" You shall see,'' said he to one of his friends, " that the Calvinistic Methodists will not long continue as they are now (itinerating.) When they will be about a hundred years ©Id as a Body, they will be seeking for a stated Ministry." Such, we all know, is literally the fact. Mr. Shadrach died Jan. 12th, 1844, and was buried at St. Michael's, Aberystwyth, where his tombstone may be easily seen near the avenue leading to the Church. Let me add that I have repeatedly obtained these particulars, concerning Mr. Shadrach's visit and poem, from Mrs. Lewis, the clearheaded widow of Mr. Thomas Lewis, above referred to, who is still living at Machynlleth. She also repeatedly got the particulars from her husband's own mouth, as she tells me. Machynlleth, Josiah Jones. CURRENT NOTES. The death is announced of Mr Owen Pierce, of Dol- gelley, County Surveyor for Merionethshire, aged 69. It is stated that the curacy of Borth, rendered vacant by the preferment of the Rev G. Roderick to the vicarage of Llancynfelin, has been offered to and accepted by Mr Poole Hughes, B.A,, Worcester College, Oxford, grandson of the late Archdeacon Hughes.