Welsh Journals

The First Methodist Society in Wales By the Editor A CERTAIN amount of obscurity once surrounded the origins of the first Methodist society in England, but it is now gener- ally agreed that it was formed by John Wesley, and held its first meeting, on December 24, 1739 in the Foundery in London. A similar obscurity still surrounds the origins of the first Methodist society in Wales, and it is doubtful whether it will ever be com- pletely dispelled. No one has done more to throw light on the problem than the Rev. Griffith T. Roberts, the Assistant Editor of this Journal. In an article published in our first issue,1 he suggested that the Cardiff society (which he rightly equated with the first society in Wales) was originally a Methodist society pure and simple, without any theological 'label' attached to it what- soever, and that it eventually became 'Wesleyan' after the theolo- gical dispute between John Wesley and George Whitefield over the doctrine of Free Grace. In a later contribution (this time to the Proceedings of the Wesley Historical Society),2 he took the argument a stage further and advanced the view that a leading part in its formation was played by the Rev. David Williams, a Dissenting minister in Cardiff, who, for a few years, was in full sympathy with Methodism. There can be no question about David Williams' quondam Methodist sympathies3 — nor, for that matter, about those of other Welsh Dissenters such as Edmund Jones, Pontypool, Henry Davies, Blaen Gwrach, and Lewis Rees, Llanbrynmair. But even ignoring for a moment the later cool- ness and even antipathy of some of these men towards Methodism, it is difficult to believe that they deliberately and with benevol- ence aforethought set out to establish Methodist societies. Sym- pathy, and even active co-operation, with the leaders of Meth- odism was one thing; the creation of Methodist cells within and for the benefit of the Established Church was quite another. George Whitefield visited Wales for the first time on Wed- nesday, March 7, 1739. Accompanied by Howell Harris, David Williams and others, he spent a part of the following morning "in Prayer and private Discourse with the Members of the Relig- ious Society" in Cardiff.4 His travelling companion, William Seward (who later met a martyr's death at Hay) informed Daniel Abbot on their return that Howell Harris had been the means under God "of raising about 30 religious societies" in Wales.5 ^Bathafarn, i, 28-32. avol. xxvii. 111-116; 125-128. apost, pp. 32-3. 'Whitefield's Journal, 50. SLH.S.P £ .W., Supplement iv, 152-4.