Welsh Journals

Immediately after the election Morris was too over- whelmed to speak, but he did so in the ensuring days. Messages flowed in to him for weeks and there was much newspaper publicity and editorial comment, particularly on Morris's inability to speak Welsh. If the ensuring controversy is to be seen in perspective a few of the drapes must be removed from the Swansea and Brecon election which had been caused by the translation of Glyn Simon to Llandaff. The college to elect a new bishop of Swansea and Brecon met at Brecon on 27 and 28 November 1957. The opportunity was taken on the 27 November for the Sacred Synod of Bishops to meet and, having received notific- ation of Morris's acceptance of the appointment as arch- bishop and metropolitan proceeded to declare him as such Morris presided at the Swansea and Brecon Electoral College. There were in particular four candidates, each with his backers and detractors; Gwynfryn Richards, rector of Llandudno, aged fifty-five; Hywel Islwyn Davies, vicar of Llanelli, aged forty-eight; Eryl Stephen Thomas, dean of Llandaff, aged forty-seven; and John James Absolom Thomas, archdeacon of Gower and vicar of Swansea, aged forty-nine. Davies and Richards were scholars, independently-minded, Welsh speaking, and subsequently succeeded each other as dean of Bangor. Davies also became professor of religious studies at the University of Ife, Ibadan. John Thomas was a steady man, a good unassuming parish priest and a quiet reformer with an unintrusive personality. He was not Welsh speaking. Eryl Thomas was the best known candidate, a man with flair and sparkle who had leavening dynamism in him yet his strong personality provoked strong opposition as well as attracting great support. Morris gave his support to Eryl Thomas who had been vicar of Risca in the diocese of Monmouth when Morris arrived in 1945. He was one of the many clergy imported into the diocese during Bishop A E Monahan's tenure of the see, and was tained with Monahan's spiky Anglo- Catholicism which was thoroughly uncongenial and unacceptable to Morris. However, Eryl Thomas escaped