Gwilym Arthur Edwards (31 May 1881 – 5 October 1963) was a Welsh Presbyterian minister and writer on theological topics. He was Principal of the

United Theological College Aberystwyth The United Theological College located in Aberystwyth, in the county of Ceredigion in mid Wales, is a Grade II listed building which was the ministerial training college of the Presbyterian Church of Wales from 1906 to 2003 and an associate colle ...

from 1939 to 1949.

Life and career

Edwards was born in

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is ...

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

in north Wales. His father, Owen Edwards, a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister, emigrated to Australia for health reasons, but his wife, Mary, died before she could join him with the children. Edwards was then brought up by his maternal grandparents in

Dolgellau Dolgellau () is a town and community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the traditional county town of the historic county of Merionethshire ( cy, Meirionnydd, Sir Feirionnydd) un ...

and was educated at the county school there before studying at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. He graduated with a BA degree in 1903 and later studied at

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship St ...

(graduating from there in 1908). Edwards had begun preaching at an early age and was ordained in 1909, serving firstly at Zion chapel in Carmarthen. Between 1911 and 1917, he was minister at a chapel in

Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...

; he also worked in chapels in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

(1917 to 1923) and Bangor (1923 to 1928). Edwards was then appointed professor at

Bala College Bala-Bangor was a theological seminary belonging to the Welsh Independents ( Undeb yr Annibynwyr Cymraeg), an association of Welsh congregationalists. It was founded in 1841 at Llanuwchllyn, then moved to a permanent location at Bala, Gwyne ...

in 1929, before becoming Principal of the Aberystwyth Theological College in 1939. After retiring in 1949 he moved back to Oswestry. In 1957 he was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Wales. He died on 5 October 1963 and was buried in Llanycil, Gwynedd.

Works

Edwards lectured and wrote extensively for the periodicals of the Welsh Presbyterian church. He wrote books in Welsh on the Bible and on Christian doctrine, a history of civilisation and a history of Bala College. He also wrote two volumes of stories for children in Welsh and a syllabus for religious instruction in Welsh schools. A pamphlet he wrote on Sunday School teachers and world peace was published by the United Nations in 1934. He was described as a "scholar with a clear, analytical mind" who paid "great attention to detail".

References

1881 births 1963 deaths People from Caernarfon Alumni of Aberystwyth University Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Principals of the United Theological College, Aberystwyth Welsh Presbyterians Welsh Presbyterian ministers Welsh theologians Welsh scholars and academics Welsh non-fiction writers Welsh children's writers Welsh-language writers 19th-century Welsh theologians 20th-century Welsh theologians 19th-century Welsh writers 20th-century Welsh writers {{Wales-writer-stub