DAVIES
,
DANIEL JOHN
(
1885
-
1970
),
Independent minister and poet
;
b.
2 Sept. 1885
, at
Waunfelen
, a cottage in
Pentregalar
,
Crymych, Pembs.
, a son of
John Morris
and
Ann
Davies
. When his father was
killed in a rail accident
at
Boncath
station, his mother and her three sons moved to a house named
Tŷ-canol
, but the mother and the two brothers died soon after and the orphaned boy went to live with his mother's sister at
Aberdyfnant
,
Llanfyrnach
. There he was influenced by
O.R.
Owen
, the
minister
of
Glandŵr Independent chapel
. He started to
preach
there at
Whitsun, 1906
. After a period at
Old College School
at
Carmarthen
he took an honours course in
Hebrew
at
University College
,
Cardiff
and graduated in
1913
, followed by a theological course at the
Memorial College
,
Brecon
. The authorities at
Brecon
had prevented him from taking
Welsh
as his main subject at
Cardiff
. Despite this he won the
chair
twice at the
college
eisteddfod
. He was ordained at
Capel Als
,
Llanelli
, in
1916
- a
staunch pacifist
in the middle of the
Great War
. He held strong radical views, politically and theologically, but he was no
Boanerges
. During his ministry six of the young men of
Capel Als
entered the ministry, one as a
missionary
who worked in
Sudan
.
He won the
cywydd
competition four times at the
national
eisteddfod
.
R. Williams
Parry
said of his poem
Ffynnon Fair
that he knew of no one who could write so easily and so effortlessly within the restrictions of
cynghanedd
. He was second to
Gwenallt
in the chair competition the year before winning in
1932
for his ode ‘
Mam
’ at the
Aberavon National
Eisteddfod
in a competition of high quality. He
adjudicated frequently at the national
eisteddfod
and he
composed a number of acceptable hymns
. He published a collection of his poetry,
Cywyddau a chaniadau eraill
in
1968
. He
held classes in
cynghanedd
in
Llanelli
.
Although he was shy by nature, he became one of the leaders of his denomination; he was shrewd and wise with an unforced sense of humour and a pleasing personality. He was elected to the
chair
of the
Union of Welsh Independents
and his address from the chair was published in the Union's annual report for
1957
. He was one of the
editors
of the
Caniedydd Cynulleidfaol
which was published in
1960
. He retired from his ministry at
Capel Als
in
1958
. He d.
4 June 1970
. His ashes were buried in
Glandŵr
cemetery. His likeable and talented wife,
Enid
, was the daughter of
D. Stanley
Jones
(
DWB
, 1132)
,
minister of the Independent chapel
at
Caernarfon
.
Sources:
-
Blwyddiadur yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg
,
1971
, 165;
-
Y Tyst
,
June, 1970
;
- personal knowledge;
-
Maurice Loader
,
Capel Als
(Swansea, 1980)
(1980)
.
Author:
Reverend Iorwerth Jones (1913-92), Gorseinon
