b.
3 May, 1904
, the ninth child of
Benjamin
and
Rachel
Jones
,
Llan-saint, Carms.
He was educated in
Carmarthen Grammar School
, and after graduating first class in
Hebrew
at
University College Cardiff
in
1926
, he went on to
Cambridge
with a
Hody Scholarship
. He was at
Wadham College
, where he won the
Junior LXX prize
and the
Pusey and Ellerton scholarship
in
1927
. He graduated
B.A.
in
1928
with a first in theology, and
M.A.
in
1931
. He was awarded a
D.D. (Lambeth)
in
1950
. Chosen as
Kennicot Scholar
in
1928
he spent a year at
Wycliffe Hall
,
Oxford
. He was ordained
deacon
by the
Bishop of St. David's
in
1929
and
priest
in
1930
. He was
curate
in
Llanelli
1929-33
and in
Aberystwyth
1933-34
with responsibility for students. In
1934
he entered the missionary field in the
Bishop Tucker Memorial College
,
Mukono
,
Uganda
, as
tutor in theology
. From
1939-45
he was
warden
and sole
administrator
at the college. With the assistance of his wife
Mary
, daughter of
William
Lewis
of
Carmarthen
and a professional
nurse
, he
established a section to educate the wives of native clergy
. He returned to
Wales
in
1945
as
vicar
of
Llanelli
. He was enthroned as
Bishop of Bangor
,
Epiphany 1949
— the first time this ceremony was performed in
Welsh
. He d. in
Bangor
on his way home from
St. Winifred's School
Llanfairfechan
,
Sat. 13 Oct. 1956
, and was buried in
Llandysilio
cemetery
18 Oct
. He left a widow and one daughter
Ann
, wife of
Donald
Lewis
who became
vicar
of
Swansea
in
1977
.
In the seven years he was
Bishop
he compressed a lifetime's work and influence. He brought new life to the diocese, and a unity and strength never seen before. He was known in
the remotest parish, a bishop to all — ‘
belonging to us all
’ as one
Methodist elder
put it. In the summer of
1950
he led more than 4,000 people along the pilgrim route to
Aberdaron
. The exhibition of the treasures of the churches in the see, held in
Bangor
3-5 March 1953
, was an opportunity to bring everyone together as well as emphasising the traditions and the inheritance that extended over four centuries. The quarterly
Bangor Diocesan Gazette
, which he founded in
July 1954
, was another effort to unite the whole see.
He used to fly to the
Middle East
to visit the armed forces, and in
1954
he took part in a
world-wide conference of Christian churches
in
Evanston
, and in the
conference of Anglican bishops
in
Minneapolis
.
It is difficult for those who never saw his small, frail figure to appreciate his serene spirituality and the strength of his faith and vision.
