Welsh Journals

THE WELSH RELIGIOUS HISTORY SOCIETY SOCIETY NOTES AND NEWS 1997 SUMMER CONFERENCE WALES, WOMEN AND RELIGION IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE University of Wales, Lampeter, 18-20 September The Society's residential conference concentrated upon the post-Reformation period. On Thursday 18th members were welcomed to Lampeter by the chairman of the society's council, Mr Peter Llewellyn. Two papers were read, by Dr Kathryn Jenkins (Lampeter) on "Pantycelyn's Women. Fiction and Fact: An Assessment" and Dr Christine Trevett (Cardiff) on "Women and the Coming of Quakerism to Wales". Dr Trevett was unfortunately unwell, and Mr Llewellyn read the paper on her behalf. On Friday 19th there were three main papers: Dr Geraint Tudur (Bangor) on "Howell Harris' relations with his wife"; E Wyn James (Cardiff) on "Mary Jones, her Bible and her Background"; and Dr J Gwynfor Jones (Cardiff) on "The Welsh Gentlewoman: Piety and Christian Conduct c. 1560-1700". The opportunity was also given for the presentation of shorter communications, the two papers in this category being by Professor Donald Allchin (Bangor) "Ann Griffiths: New Approaches" and Dr Eryn White (Aberystwyth) "Women and the Methodist Revival". During the afternoon members were able to visit the Founder's Library in the college, where the librarian, the Revd David Selwyn, had prepared an interesting small exhibition illustrating the conference theme. In the evening the society's president, Professor Keith Robbins, the vice-chancellor of University of Wales, Lampeter, was the host at a splendid conference dinner. The conference concluded on Saturday 20th with one more paper, by Branwen Jarvis (Bangor) on "Saunders Lewis: A Welsh Catholic View of Women", and two more short communications, by the Revd Roger Brown (Welshpool) on "The Welsh Parson's Wife" and Dr Rosemary Seton (London) on "Welsh Women Missionaries in the 19th and early 20th Centuries". The September 1997 meeting was the society's most ambitious conference to date. All the papers presented stimulated much interest and discussion, as well as that informal interchange of ideas and information which is so valuable a part of these gatherings. It is hoped to include many of the papers