Saron Independent Chapel Tredegar - geograph

Thomas Thomas (1817 – 16 March 1888) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

church minister and

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common typ ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, also known as Thomas Glandŵr (Thomas Landore). He is described as "the first national architect of Wales" and the "unchallenged master of chapel architecture in Wales in the 1860s".

Early life

Thomas Thomas was born in 1817 and brought up near

Ffairfach Ffairfach is a village south of the market town of Llandeilo in the eastern part of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is located close to the confluence of the Afon Cennen and the River Towy. Population is 516 according to 2017 census. Etymology The ...

, at

Llandeilo Llandeilo () is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. Its population was 1,795 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to the westernmost point of the ...

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known ...

. His father ran a carpentry business, where Thomas worked before moving to Swansea.

Religious ministry

Though he had no formal training he was appointed as a chapel minister in Clydach in 1848, a post which he held until 1853. Reverend Thomas subsequently became a

Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs it ...

minister at

Landore Landore ( cy, Glandŵr) is a district and community in Swansea, Wales. The district falls in the Landore council ward. A mainly residential area, it is located about 2.5 miles north of Swansea city centre. The north-easterly part of Landore ...

, Swansea, until he resigned in 1875. It has been conjectured that he resigned after it was discovered he was the owner of sub-standard workers housing in north Swansea.

Architecture

Thomas was also known an architect and began designing chapels in 1848 and continued through the chapel-building boom of the 1860s and '70s, designing not only for his own Congregational denomination but for others too. He had redesigned Landore's own Siloh Chapel in 1860. The New Siloh Chapel (1878) in Landore was, however, designed after Thomas's resignation by Thomas Freeman who had been a builder and surveyor of the Reverend Thomas's earlier chapels. Thomas Thomas is credited with at least 119 chapels across Wales. He also made sure he garnered the distinction of preaching the first sermon (or one of the first sermons) at each of his new chapels. His trademark design feature of chapels was the giant arch in the

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

on the facade of his buildings. He also invented the stylistic interior feature of dipping the chapel gallery behind the preacher's

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...

Later life

After resigning as a church minister, Thomas moved to

Mumbles Mumbles ( cy, Mwmbwls) is a headland sited on the western edge of Swansea Bay on the southern coast of Wales. Toponym Mumbles has been noted for its unusual place name. The headland is thought by some to have been named by French sailors, ...

. He died there on 16 March 1888 and was buried at

Sketty The suburban district of Sketty ( cy, Sgeti) is about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the Swansea city centre on Gower Road. It falls within the Sketty council ward of Swansea. It is also a community. Description The area approximates to the Vi ...

Notable works

* Capel Bethel,

Llansamlet Llansamlet is a suburban district and community of Swansea, Wales, falling into the Llansamlet ward. The area is centred on the A48 road (named Samlet Road and Clase Road in the area) and the M4 motorway. Like other places in Wales having a n ...

, Swansea, Glamorgan (1849–51 and 1879/80) * Capel Als,

Llanelli Llanelli ("St Elli's llan (placename element), Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of ...

(1852/3) * Saron Welsh Independent Chapel,

Tredegar Tredegar (pronounced , ) is a town and community situated on the banks of the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in the southeast of Wales. Within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the ...

, Monmouthshire (1858) * Capel Tabernacl,

Dyffryn Cennen Dyffryn Cennen is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 1,176. The community is bordered by the communities of: Manordeilo and Salem; Llangadog; Cwmamman; Llandybie; Llanfihan ...

, Carmarthenshire (1860) * Salem Welsh Independent Chapel,

Porthmadog Porthmadog (; ), originally Portmadoc until 1974 and locally as "Port", is a Welsh coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd and the historic county of Caernarfonshire. It lies east of Criccieth, south-west of Blaenau Ff ...

Caernarfonshire , HQ= County Hall, Caernarfon , Map= , Image= Flag , Motto= Cadernid Gwynedd (The strength of Gwynedd) , year_start= , Arms= ''Coat of arms of Caerna ...

(1860) * Sardis Independent Chapel and Schoolroom,

Ystradgynlais Ystradgynlais (, ) is a town on the River Tawe in southwest Powys, Wales. It is the second-largest town in Powys and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire. The town has a high proportion of Welsh language-speakers. The community includes ...

Brecknockshire , image_flag= , HQ= Brecon , Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= Brycheiniog , Status= , Start= 1535 , End= ...

(1860/1) * Carmel Welsh Independent Chapel, Porth Amlwch,

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a Local government in Wales, principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strai ...

(1861/2) * Capel Mair,

St Clears St Clears ( ; cy, Sanclêr) on the River Tâf in Carmarthenshire, Wales, is both a small town and a community. At the 2011 census, the population was 2,995. The community includes the small settlements of Bancyfelin and Pwlltrap. It is border ...

, Carmarthenshire (1862) * Ebenezer Welsh Independent Chapel, north Swansea, Glamorgan (1862) * Hermon Chapel and Sunday School,

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 Boroug ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

, England (1862), now Grade II* listed. *

Brecon Congregational Memorial College Brecon Congregational Memorial College was a Congregational college in Brecon, Powys, Mid Wales. The college graduated ministers and missionaries who were posted to Africa and India. There were classes in biblical literature, chemistry, class ...

, Brecknockshire (1869), a college until 1959 later converted into flats. * Seion Independent Chapel,

Llandysul Llandysul is a small town and Community (Wales), community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. As a community it consists of the townships of Capel Dewi, Llandysul, Capel Dewi, Horeb, Ceredigion, Horeb, Pontsian, Pren-gwyn, Tregroes, Rhydowen an ...

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. Cer ...

(1870/1) * Hope Independent Chapel,

Pontardulais Pontarddulais (), also known as Pontardulais (), is both a community and a town in Swansea, Wales. It is northwest of the city centre. The Pontarddulais ward is part of the City and County of Swansea. Pontarddulais adjoins the village of Hendy ...

, Swansea (1872) * Jerusalem Independent Chapel,

Resolven Resolven ( cy, Resolfen) is a small village and community in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. It is located in the Vale of Neath. Location The village is situated in the Vale of Neath, north east of the town of Neath, next to the A46 ...

, Glamorgan (1876) * Tabor United Reformed Church,

Maesycwmmer Maesycwmmer ( cy, Maesycwmer) is a village and community in the centre of Caerphilly County Borough in Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. Location Maesycwmmer is located north of Caerphilly, on the east bank of the ...

, Monmouthshire (1876), now Grade II* listed. * Mount Pleasant Baptist Chapel, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire (1878) * Capel Salem,

Llangennech Llangennech (()) is a village and community in the area of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales, which covers an area of . It is governed by Llangennech Community Council and Carmarthenshire County Council. Llangennech is also the name of the coun ...

, Carmarthenshire (1879) * Providence Independent Chapel and house,

Llangadog Llangadog () is a village and community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales, which also includes the villages of Bethlehem and Capel Gwynfe. A notable local landscape feature is Y Garn Goch with two Iron Age hill forts.The Welsh Academy Encycloped ...

, Carmarthenshire (1883/4) * Bethania Welsh Independent Chapel, Bethesda, Caernarfonshire * Bethesda Chapel, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys

Early life

Religious ministry

Architecture

Later life

Notable works

References

Sources

Further reading