Edward Jones (c. 1741 – after 1806), nicknamed "Ginshop" Jones, was a Welsh Calvinistic Methodist "exhorter" and lay preacher in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, who ended his life in disgrace. Jones is believed to have been born in about 1741 in

Llansannan Llansannan is a rural village and community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It lies on the bank of the River Aled and is about 8 miles to the south of Abergele and to the west of Denbigh. The population was 1,291 in 2001, with ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...

. As a young man, he served as a trooper in the Life Guards. At about this time, he was converted to

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

by George Whitefield, and became an "exhorter" at Whitefield's Moorfields Tabernacle, London, and a lay preacher. After leaving the army, he earned his living as a

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

lican and spirit-merchant, resulting in his later nickname of "Ginshop".Jenkins 1959 In 1774 he began to hold

Welsh-language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has al ...

services in

Cock Lane Cock Lane is a small street in Smithfield in the City of London, leading from Giltspur Street in the east to Snow Hill in the west. In the medieval period, it was known as ''Cokkes Lane'' and was the site of legal brothels. 25 Cock Lane is t ...

, Smithfield; and in 1785 he established, and became pastor of, a Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel in Wilderness Row (now

Clerkenwell Road Clerkenwell Road is a street in London. It runs west–east from Gray's Inn Road in the west, to Goswell Road in the east. Its continuation at either end is Theobald's Road and Old Street respectively. Clerkenwell Road and Theobalds Road we ...

), Clerkenwell.Jones 2001, pp. 82, 95. However, he managed to alienate a number of members of his congregation, particularly when he expelled two granddaughters of the prominent Welsh Calvinistic Methodist leader Daniel Rowland for marrying "outside the

Connexion Connexion is a variant spelling of connection and may refer to: Technology and Internet * Connexion by Boeing, an in-flight online connectivity service * Connexions (now called OpenStax CNX), a repository of open educational resources started a ...

". Not long afterwards, Jones's wife died; and in 1799 he became engaged to Gwen Prydderch, a young woman of 28 (30 years his junior). However, on a return visit to Wales in 1800 he married instead a wealthy widow of 63. The younger woman was persuaded by Jones's enemies to sue him for

breach of promise Breach of promise is a common law tort, abolished in many jurisdictions. It was also called breach of contract to marry,N.Y. Civil Rights Act article 8, §§ 80-A to 84. and the remedy awarded was known as heart balm. From at least the Middle ...

, and in January 1801 he was fined £50.Jenkins and Ramage 1951, p. 124.

John Jones (Jac Glan-y-gors) John Jones (10 November 1766 – 21 May 1821), better known by his bardic name Jac Glan-y-gors, was a Welsh language satirical poet and radical pamphleteer, born in Cerrigydrudion, Denbighshire, north Wales. Glan-y-gors was an accomplished and ...

revelled in his disgrace by composing a ribald ballad about his misfortunes; and the anti-Methodist Gwyneddigion and Cymreigyddion Societies added to his embarrassment by publishing a pamphlet of the love-letters which had been read out in court. Many of his congregation abandoned him, and the Calvinistic Methodist Association suspended him, and effectively expelled him from the connexion. He still held the trust-deeds of the chapel, and attempted to turn his congregation out of it, but was eventually persuaded to hand them over in 1806. He was forced to "retire, snarling", and is supposed to have spent the rest of his life in Wales.

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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Edward 1740s births Year of death unknown People from Denbighshire Calvinistic Methodists Welsh Protestant religious leaders Welsh Methodists