JONES
,
DAVID
(
1797
-
1841
), a
missionary
connected with the
Madagascar Mission
for nearly twenty-five years under the
London Missionary Society
; b.
1797
at
Pen-rhiw
, near
Neuadd-lwyd, Cards.
He studied when 14 under
Thomas
Phillips
at the
Neuadd-lwyd Academy
, and later at
Llanfyllin
and
Gosport
. At 16 he felt the urge to
preach
, and, offering himself for service under the
L.M.S.
, was appointed to
Africa
and ordained at
Neuaddlwyd
,
20 and 21 Aug. 1817
. He m.
Louisa
Darby
of
Gosport
. Directed to
Madagascar
instead of
Stephen
Laidler
, he landed in
1818
, and was laid low with
fever
; he buried his wife and child at
Tamatave
. He settled at
Antananarivo
in
1820
, and in conjunction with
David
Griffiths
(q.v.)
translated the
Bible
into
Malagasy
; he also, with the help of
David
Johns
(q.v.)
, published a
Spelling Book
, a
Catechism
, and a
Hymnary
. He was forced to leave but used
Mauritius
as a base for evangelization. He d. there in
Sept. 1841
.
Bibliography:
-
A Register of Missionaries, Deputations etc
from 1796 to 1885/1923
London Missionary Society, 1886
(Second edition), 1923 (Fourth edition)
,
1923
;
-
Enwogion Sir Aberteifi
, 1868
;
-
E. Lewis Evans
,
Cymru a'r Gymdeithas Genhadol, sef hanes ei
Chychwyn
, 1945
.
Author:
Rev. Dr. Evan Lewis Evans, D.Th., (1898-1978), Pontardulais /
Swansea
