b. at
Pantybeudy
,
Nantcwnlle, Cards.
, son of
Daniel
and
Janet
Rowland
— his father holding the living of
Nantcwnlle
and
Llan-geitho
. According to tradition, he was educated at
Hereford grammar school
. He was ordained
deacon
in
1734
and
priest
in
1735
, and became his brother
John
's
curate
in the above-mentioned places. In
1734
he m.
Eleanor
Davies
of
Caer-llugest
. He experienced a profound spiritual conviction under the ministry of
Griffith
Jones
(q.v.)
,
c.
1735
, and began to thunder against the people's sins. On the advice of
Philip
Pugh
(q.v.)
he modified his style and preached grace rather than the law. He began to travel up and down the country, and in
1737
met
Howel
Harris
(q.v.)
; the result was that, before long, these two had joined forces to push forward the great
Methodist revival
in
Wales
. Disagreement arose between him and
Harris
, against whom he published, in
1750
,
Ymddiddan rhwng Methodist Uniawngred ac un Cyfeiliornus
. In
1752
there was a complete split between them and he now became the leader of ‘Rowland's people,’ as his followers were known. In
1760
his brother was
drowned
at
Aberystwyth
and the
revivalist
's son was given the living of
Llangeitho
. For some time he was his son's
curate
and
built a meeting-house
near the parish church for his own services, but
c.
1763
he was, for some reason or other, deprived of his curacy. In
1767
the parishioners of
Nantcwnlle
vainly appealed for his return. From that time on he chose to stay with his people in the ‘
New Church
’ at
Llangeitho
, although he was offered the comfortable living of
Newport, Pembs.
, in
1769
. He d.
16 Oct. 1790
, and was buried at
Llangeitho
20 Oct.
, ‘at the age of 77,’ according to the parish register.
Daniel
Rowland
was, above all, a
preacher
, and for a long time made
Llangeitho
the Mecca of
Welsh Methodists
. Thousands flocked there from every part on Communion Sunday, and he
exercised a profound influence on the spiritual life of his generation
. Small books of
his sermons were published in
1739
,
1762
,
1772
(two volumes), and
1775
. Some of them were translated into
English
and were published in
1774
,
1775
, and
1788
. He also
wrote a number of hymns
’ for the early collections, such as
Llwybur Hyffordd i'r Cymry
,
1740
, and
Sail, Dibenion, etc.
,
1742
. Six of his hymns will be found at the end of
Marw i'r Ddeddf, etc.
,
1743
, nineteen in
Hymnau Duwiol, etc.
,
1744
, and he published a small collection of
Hymnau Duwiol
in
1745
. His last collection was published in
1772
under the title
Pum Pregeth ac Amryw o Hymnau
. He was a
pioneer of the Welsh hymn
before
William
Williams
of
Pantycelyn
had begun to write hymns. He
translated some English books into Welsh
, e.g.
Bunyan
's
Holy War
,
1744
;
Aceldama
,
1759
;
Wetherall
's
Fifteen Sermons
,
1762
; and the elder
Thomas
Boston
's
The Crook in the Lot
,
1769
.
His eldest son was
JOHN
ROWLAND
;
b.
14 Oct. 1735
, ordained
deacon
,
1757
, and
priest
,
1758
. In
1760
he was given the living of
Llangeitho
. He went to
Jesus College
,
Oxford
, in
1757
;
Foster
does not say that he graduated (incidentally, he calls his father
‘
John
’
and gives the date of his admission as
1767
); yet he is described as
M.A.
He was
curate
at
S. Mary's
,
Shrewsbury
, in
1761
, and
curate
of
Clive
,
1783-1810
. He was a
master
at
Shrewsbury school
,
1771-98
. He d.
28 Nov. 1815
. His wife was
Mary
, daughter of the
Rev.
William
Gorsuch
of
Shrewsbury
. Two of his sons may be mentioned:
(a)
WILLIAM
ROWLAND
(
1770
-
1851
),
vicar
of
S. Mary's
,
Shrewsbury
, and
prebendary
of
Lichfield
, and
(b)
DANIEL
ROWLAND
(
1778
-
1839
)
,
antiquary
,
patron of the fine arts
, and
philanthropist
.
Another of his sons was
Nathaniel
Rowland
(q.v.)
.
Rev. Gomer Morgan Roberts, M.A., (1904-93), Pont-rhyd-y-fen / St
Dogmael's / Llandybïe
