Azariah Shadrach (1774–1844) was a Welsh evangelical writer and pastor.
Life
He was born on 24 June 1774 at Garn Deilo fach in the parish of
Llanfair-Nant-y-Gôf,
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
, the fifth son of Henry and Ann Shadrach of
Nevern
Nevern ( cy, Nanhyfer) is both a parish and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community includes the settlements of Felindre Farchog, Monington, Moylgrove and Bayvil. The small village lies in the Nevern valley near the Preseli Hills of t ...
. As an adult and farm servant to a local
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
minister, John Richards, he had access to his employer's books. At his master's suggestion he decided to enter the Independent ministry, and in 1798 he went on a preaching tour to
North Wales
, area_land_km2 = 6,172
, postal_code_type = Postcode
, postal_code = LL, CH, SY
, image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg
, map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
.
Shadrach was induced by to remain in the area as a schoolmaster, first at
Hirnant near
Bala
Bala may refer to:
Places
India
*Bala, India, a village in Allahabad, India
* Bala, Ahor, a village in the Jalore district of Rajasthan
* Bala, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India
Romania
* Bala, Mehedinți, a commune in Mehedinţi ...
, and then at
Pennal
Pennal is a village and community on the A493 road in southern Gwynedd, Wales, on the north bank of the Afon Dyfi/River Dovey, near Machynlleth.
It lies in the historic county of Merionethshire/ Sir Feirionnydd and is within the Snowdonia Na ...
and
Derwenlas
Derwenlas is a hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in D ...
near
Machynlleth
Machynlleth () is a market town, community and electoral ward in Powys, Wales and within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads. At the 2001 Census it had a popul ...
. Towards the end of 1802 he was ordained pastor of the independent church at
Llanrwst
Llanrwst ('church or parish of Saint Grwst'; ) is a market town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales, and the historic county of Denbighshire. It developed round the wool trade and became known als ...
. There he campaigned against the
Gŵyl Mabsant A Gŵyl Mabsant (Welsh for "Feast of the Patron"), also known as the patronal festival or Wake of a parish,Baring-Gould, Sabine & al''The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales and Cornwall and Such Irish Saints as Have Dedications in ...
au which flourished in the district. In November 1806 he removed to north
Cardiganshire
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...
, where he had charge of the churches of
Talybont and
Llanbadarn Fawr.
In 1819 Shadrach took on a new church which he formed at
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...
, and for which, two years later, he built a chapel, at his own cost. In poor health, he resigned his charges in August 1835, but continued to preach until his death on 18 January 1844. He was buried at St. Michael's Church, Aberystwyth.
Works
Shadrach has been called the "Bunyan of Wales", for his use of
allegory
As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...
, a title also given to
Christmas Evans
Christmas Evans (25 December 1766 – 19 July 1838) was a Welsh Nonconformist (Protestantism), nonconformist minister, described as "the greatest preacher that the Baptists have ever had in Great Britain."
Life
Evans was born near the village o ...
.
He was the author of 27 works, all but one in Welsh. They were mostly
homiletic
In religious studies, homiletics ( grc, ὁμιλητικός ''homilētikós'', from ''homilos'', "assembled crowd, throng") is the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific art of public preaching. One who practices or ...
in character, sketches of sermons that he had given. ''A Looking Glass; neu Ddrych y Gwrthgiliwr'' (Carmarthen, 1807, and reprints), was translated into English by Edward S. Byam, chief magistrate of Mauritius, as ''The Backslider's Mirror: a popular Welsh treatise, translated from the ancient British Language'', London, 1845. His final work, Cerbyd o Goed Libanus'' (Aberystwyth, 1840), included some autobiographical notes.
In 1836 Shadrach wrote a prophetic ballad about the
Aberdyfi
Aberdyfi (), also known as Aberdovey ( ), is a village and community in Gwynedd, Wales, located on the northern side of the estuary of the River Dyfi.
The population of the community was 878 at the 2011 census. The electoral ward had a larger ...
district, which gained a reputation.
Family
Azariah Shadrach married Margaret Maurice in 1805. They had at least four children, Eliakim Lloyd, Eve, Joanna and David Shadrach.
Notes
External links
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shadrach, Azariah
1774 births
1844 deaths
Welsh Congregationalist ministers
Welsh writers
People from Pembrokeshire