LIFE AND TIMES OF GRIFFITH JONES OF
LLANDOWROR. •
Life and Times of Griffith Jones of Llandowror. By David Jones, B.A. (S.P.C.K. 6s.)—Griffith Jones did his best to rouse the Church in Wales to action at a time when it had largely fallen into a condition of lethargy. The evil began with the Bishops, who for the most part used the Welsh Sees as stepping-stones to more lucrative positions. Even the zealous Laud paid one visit only to his Welsh diocesan during an episcopate of three years. Watson was Bishop of Llandaff for twenty-odd years, and never re- sided there. Griffith Jones, ordained in 1708, was presented in 1711 to Llandilo-Abercowyn, and five years afterwards to Llandowror, where he remained for the rest of his life. Both benefices came to him from private patronage. No public patronage was likely in those days to come the way of an "enthusiast." His labours were chiefly spent on catechising in what are called "circulating schools." The speciality of these was that two-thirds of the scholars were grown-up people. Some of these were induced to come by doles of bread; but having come they commonly remained. Instruction was largely religious ; it certainly did not go beyond reading ; writing and ciphering are expressly excluded as being too costly. To this work and to subsidiary efforts Griffith Jones devoted his his and means ; a considerable propor- tion of the clergy were with him, but, it is observed, not a single dignitary. He had an energetic helper in a Madame Bevan, who also gave him a home when he was widowed late in life. He left the whole of his property to her in trust for the schools. The fund increased in her hands to X10,000. At her death it was claimed by one of the trustees, as next-of-kin. The. matter was thrown into Chancery, and there it remained for thirty years. Then a decision was given in favour of the schools; the funds hid accumulated to more than X30,000; but the schools had perished meanwhile,—a truly lamentable story of the law's delays.
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