PETER, DAVID (1765 - 1837), Congregational minister and academy principal

Name: David Peter
Date of birth: 1765
Date of death: 1837
Spouse: Sarah Peter (née Lewis)
Gender: Male
Occupation: Congregational minister and academy principal
Area of activity: Education; Religion
Author: John Dyfnallt Owen

Born 5 August 1765 at Aberystwyth. He was educated at Troed-y-rhiw and Castellhywel schools, Cardiganshire. Under the influence of Benjamin Evans, Tre-wen, he leaned towards Congregationalism. He became a member at Penrhiwgaled, was at Carmarthen Academy (at Rhyd-y-gors) in 1783, and kept school in S. Ismael's, Pembrokeshire - in 1783. He decided to join the Congregational ministry and began to preach at Penrhiwgaled. He became an assistant tutor at Swansea Academy under William Howell in 1789, received a call from Lammas Street (Carmarthen) church, 9 December 1791, and was ordained there 8 June 1792; among those who signed the call were Sarah Lewis, who afterwards became his wife, and John Ross, the well-known Carmarthen printer and publisher. He was senior tutor of the Presbyterian Academy from 1795 to 1835. His first task at Lammas Street was to institute the Congregational system there; the church soon became one of the largest Congregational churches and the chapel was enlarged twice - in 1802 and 1806. Although he did not possess the eloquence of the popular preacher he was esteemed a substantial, practical, and evangelical preacher, and he stood in the first rank of the leaders of various movements in his time. His Hanes Crefydd yng Nghymru remained for a long time the main source-book for the history of religion in Wales. He died 4 May 1837.

Author

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/

The Dictionary of Welsh Biography is provided by The National Library of Wales and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. It is free to use and does not receive grant support. A donation would help us maintain and improve the site so that we can continue to acknowledge Welsh men and women who have made notable contributions to life in Wales and beyond.

Find out more on our sponsorship page.