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Hywel Harris underwent a religious conversion on this day, 1735 while listening to a sermon by the Rev. Pryce Davies in Talgarth parish church. Harris then became one of the main driving forces of the Welsh Methodist revival in the 18th century.
Harris, who was born in Talgarth, Breconshire on January 24th 1714, had become a local schoolteacher and while listening to Pryce Davies's sermon, he came to the conviction that he had received mercy through the blood of Christ and converted to Methodism. Then, when failing to be accepted for ordination in the Church of England, he became a travelling preacher in mid and south Wales. William Williams, Pantycelyn was a follower of his.
He was a determined man of unshakeable beliefs, who was viewed as challenging the established order and provoked hostility, he and his fellow Methodists required considerable personal courage to carry on their ministry in the face of intimidation and violence, with one Methodist, William Seward being stoned to death at Hay-on-Wye in 1740.
Harris was effectively regarded as the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Wales, also known as the Calvinistic Methodist church and when he died, in 1773, twenty thousand people are said to have attended his funeral. Throughout his life, Harris kept a detailed diary, seen as a first eye witness of the Welsh Methodist revival, which is kept at the National Library of Wales. Coleg Trefeca nr Talgarth is a museum and conference centre dedicated to his memory.
Methodism is a branch of Protestant religion that originated in 1739 with the teachings of John Wesley. While studying at Oxford, Wesley and his brother Charles were instrumental in forming a group devoted to study, prayer and evangelistic preaching. They were given the name Methodist, because of their methodical approach to their religious affairs.
Because of their evangelistic methods, the Wesley brothers were barred from preaching in most Church of England churches, so they preached in homes, farm houses, barns and open fields and soon Methodism spread and eventually became an established religion.
On 30th March 1555, Rawlins White was burned at the stake on St Mary Street, outside Bethany Church. (Now part of the James Howell department store, where there is a plaque to his memory) for refusing to denounce his protestant faith.
Rawlins White was a fisherman from Cardiff who had become a devout Protestant in his late 50's and despite not being able to read and write, he had learnt large sections of the bible and begun to preach openly in Cardiff. However when Mary became Queen in 1553, Protestantism was suppressed and White who refused to stop preaching was arrested by the Bishop of Llandaff and sentenced to death by burning.
White who was determined to die bravely, broke down on his way to the stake when he saw his wife and children weeping uncontrollably. However, he regained his composure and struck his breast in defiance.
White then helped arrange the wood and hay for the fire, so he have a quick death and as the flames consumed him he shouted out to the large crowd, not to listen to a priest who was speaking the words of the liturgy and asked the Lord to receive his soul.
On 30th March 1555, Robert Ferrar, Bishop of St David's was executed by burning at Carmarthen.
Robert Ferrar, originally from Halifax, was an Augustinian monk at Nostell Priory, who because of the Augustinians policy of sending, at least, one monk from each of their houses to receive an education, became a student at Oxford University.
It was while at Oxford that he came under the influence of reformers and the works of Tindale. He was made prior of Nostell on his return, but still had sympathy for the protestant reformation, so that when the monastery was dissolved in 1539, he received a pension, eventually married and had three children. He was appointed the chaplain to Edward Seymour (the Lord Protector) and then Archbishop Cranmer.
Then in 1549, he was appointed as Bishop of St David’s, but came into conflict with his parishioners over his over-zealous policies and was imprisoned until Mary Tudor came to the throne.
Ferrar was now in difficulty as not only was he regarded as a protestant but also because he was married. Mary refused to recognise the legality of Ferrar’s marriage and he was deposed of his see. He was tried for heresy and found guilty. He refused to recant and was burned at the stake at Carmarthen on 30th March 1555. It is reported that he met his end with fortitude.
Born this day, 1973 in Cardiff
Mathew Pritchard, professional skateboarder and co-founder of the Dirty Sanchez crew.
Born this day, 1966 in Pontycymer, Bridgend
John Devereux, former Wales and Lions rugby union international and Wales and Great Britain rugby league international.
Born this day, 1913 in Cardiff.
R.S.Thomas - poet and priest who was noted for his nationalism, spirituality and deep dislike of the anglicisation of Wales. He was nominated for a Nobel Prize and awarded the Queen's Medal for Poetry. He is regarded as one of Wales's finest poets, with a career spanning fifty years, he was also a prolific campaigner on issues such as holiday homes, the Welsh language and nuclear disarmament.
Today is the feast day of St Gwynllyw.
Saint Gwynllyw, born c. 450 was King of Gwynllwg and an active and merciless warrior who in one raid accompanied by 300 men, abducted Gwladys, the beautiful daughter of King Brychan of Brycheiniog, with whom, he had a son, the famous Saint Cadoc.
To celebrate his son's birth Gwynllyw went on another raid stealing cattle from Caerwent. In adulthood, Cadoc was deeply religious and according to some sources, persuaded Gwynllyw to seek forgiveness for his sins and give up his life of violence.
Gwynllyw then had a dream in which an angel spoke to him and he saw a vision of a white ox. When he later saw the same ox as in his dream he founded a hermitage on the site of what is now St Woolos Cathedral on Stow Hill overlooking Newport.
On this day, 1461 the Battle of Towton occurred. It was an important battle during the War of the Roses.
The Battle and Welsh involvement
The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars between 1455 and 1485, that pitted the ruling Lancastrian monarchy against the house of York, they had arisen from the slow breakdown of English government under Henry VI, who, prone to bouts of mental illness, procrastinated on decision making, which resulted in factions being formed and enmities being deepened.
This drove Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, to assert his own claim to the throne, but when he was killed in December 1460, his son, the future Edward IV took up the fight.
* Wales played a central role in the War of the Roses, because many of the prominent figures, were of Welsh descent, or owned land in Wales. Wales in the 15th century was divided into two administrative entities.
1) The Principality of Wales, which was under the rule of the monarch and was divided into two groups of shires, centred at Carmarthen and Caernarvon and governed by a justiciar and chamberlain appointed by the crown.
2) The Marcher Lordships, in which each Lord had complete responsibility for government and neither Royal writs nor Royal officials, had any authority.
* The House of Lancaster had a blood connection from Henry VI's half-brothers, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond and Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke and Lancastrian support was therefore strongest in the Principality.
* The House of York had a blood connection from Richard, Duke of York's maternal relatives, the Mortimers, who were one of the most powerful Marcher families. Edward IV was also the Mortimer heir, therefore, Yorkist support was strongest in the Marches.
The battle took place in snowy conditions, on a plateau between the villages of Towton and Saxton in Yorkshire, 12 miles south-west of York. It was the bloodiest ever fought on British soil, with casualties believed to have been in excess of twenty thousand which resulted in the fighting being frequently stopped to remove the dead bodies. The result was a crushing victory for the Yorkists and Edward IV.
On the 29th of March 1895, Dinas Oleu, a gorse-covered hillside in the Mawddach Estuary became the first property donated to the National Trust. The 4.5 acres of land containing rare species of plants and birds was given to the Trust by Mrs Fanny Talbot, a friend of Octavia Hill and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, two of the Trust's founders.
MEMORIES OF REVOLUTION Event 435 Sunday 2 June 2013, 4pm Venue: Digital Stage
Born this day, 1942 in Tredegar
Neil Gordon Kinnock - MP and Leader of the Labour Party, whose period as Leader of the Opposition between 1983 and 1992, was the longest in British political history to date.
Kinnock's grandfather and his political hero Aneurin Bevan were mining colleagues and after graduating from Cardiff University, he worked as a tutor for four years before becoming involved in politics, In 1970 he became Labour MP for Bedwellty and in 1983, he became the only Welsh leader of the Labour party, to date.
Despite a heavy defeat to Margaret Thatcher in 1987, the party kept faith with Kinnock and after Thatcher's resignation, Kinnock held the edge in the close-fought campaign of 1992, until the tabloid press pulled out all the stops, branding Kinnock as a Welsh windbag who would open the floodgates to left wing extremism. His subsequent defeat at the election spelt the end of his career in frontline British politics and he became a European Commissioner.
Neil Kinnock’s big speeches were always intensely emotional, such as his pre-election speech at Cardiff in 1987, which moved many party stalwarts to tears.
Born this day, 1981 in Bettws, Newport.
Gareth David-Lloyd - actor best known for his role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction television programme Torchwood.
Born this day 1833 in Laugharne
Edward Wienholt, Australian pastoralist and politician.
Wienholt arrived in Queensland in 1853, where he and his partners rapidly built up one of Australia's largest pastoral empires, owning 289,966 acres by 1888. He also became involved in local politics and had a district in Murgon and a parish near Dalby named after him.
Pastoralism
Pastoralism is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock and moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and water.
Despite the intention of Australia's founding fathers to encourage agriculture in the colony, pastoralism developed well before farming, with the introduction of sheep, cows and goats in 1836. However this development came at a cost to the native Aborigines, whose initial response was friendly and curious, but as competition for water and land between the indigenous people and cattlemen increased and the arrival of European diseases such as smallpox, measles and influenza swept from one Aboriginal camp to another, the Aboriginal response became fearful and violent, resulting in Aborigines being generally pushed into reserves or missions.
Captain Stephen Halden Beattie from Montgomery, a lieutenant-commander in the Royal Navy was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at the St. Nazaire Raid, which took place on 28th March 1942 during the Second World War.
Beattie was in command of the destroyer HMS Campbeltown, which under intense fire, he deliberately rammed into the dock gates of the Normandie dry dock. The ship had been packed with timed explosives, which took the dock out of action and afterwards, forced German warships to return to home waters for repairs .
'When Kids Could Play Outside' - An Interview With Welsh Author Paul Mansell
By Ceri Shaw, 2013-03-27
Americymru spoke to Welsh author Paul Mansell about his first book, When Kids Could Play Outside. The book is set in the Cynon valley in the 1970's and offers a colorful picture of teenage life in the valleys in that decade. The book ( in electronic form ) can be purchased from the Americymru bookstorehere:- 'When Kids Could Play Outside'
Americymru: Hi Paul and many thanks for agreeing to speak to Americymru. Care to introduce your book 'When Kids Could Play Outside' for our readers?
Paul: Hi Ceri firstly many thanks for the opportunity and I hope you enjoyed the book.
When Tom, a 43-year-old man, goes on a quiet bicycle ride in the Cotswold, little does he expect that his life will soon be changed forever. Suddenly, he has a terrible accident and lies dying in a damp, cold forest, but when he takes his final breath, instead of passing over to the other side, he is reborn in the 1970s.
He gets a second chance and lives his life all over again as a 8-year-old boy. What ensues is a fast and furious account of growing up in the 70s, in a time with very little rules or restrictions, and when playing outside was an education in its own right.
Playing hard was a test of true character and survival where nothing was off-limits.
Tom relives an era full of danger and competitiveness, when pranks were the order of the day, and children experienced freedom and fun that the modern generation has been deprived of.
When Kids Could Play Outside will transport readers back to a time when computer games and the internet were still in their infancy, and childrens idea of fun was a simple outdoor adventure. This is a must read for those lucky enough to have grown up in the 70s, those who had to discover who they were the hard way.
Paul: The Cynon Valley and the beautiful countryside which surrounds it is nestled between The Merthyr and Rhondda Valleys, The Cynon Valley is situated within easy reach of the cities of Cardiff and Swansea and very close to the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Renowned for it's coal mining history, hospitality and beautiful scenery, the small village which I wrote about in the book Penycynon (name change) is only a stone throw from Pontypridd (the land of the voice) Tom Jones,
Americymru; In what way are conditions different for kids growing up in the 21st century? Are they missing out on something? If so, what?
Paul: For me the children of today have been deprived of so much fun and freedom due to ridiculous health and safety laws, hundreds of TV channels, Mobile phones, PC and internet.
If you recorded the top 40 off the radio, made a den, used jumpers for goal posts, got grounded if you were late, vandalised your school desk with a compass, climbed trees, made bows and arrows, rode a chopper bicycle, bought a 10 sweets mix for 10p, only had 4 TV channels, you must have been a Seventies kid !
Americymru: Where can people find your book online?
Paul: When kids could play outside can be found on Amazon - When Kids Could Play Outside
Americymru: 'When Kids Could Play Outside' is your first book. What's next for Paul Mansell? Any new works in the pipeline?
Paul: Well believe it or not I have just completed another chapter for 'Kids' named "Billy the Kid" which is about CB radio's, scrumping apples, sliding down grass embankments on cardboard sheets and entering the Miners show room to get my father.
I have started my second book, which is another true story about my father starting work in the South Wales coal mines at the age of fifteen but progress has been slow and it could take a few years to complete.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Paul: After last weeks brilliant performance against the English, you realise that no amount of time away from Wales can make you forget where you're coming from ! So be proud to be Welsh! You can take the boy out of the valley but you'll never take the valley out of the boy!
March 1997 saw the launch of the "Welsh Language in Chubut" project, which was aimed at promoting and developing the Welsh language in the Chubut region of Patagonia in Argentina.
The initiative, which is funded by the Welsh Government, Cymdeithas Cymru-Ariannin (the Wales Argentina Society) and British Council Wales involves the appointment of a permanent teaching co-ordinator and three development officers in Patagonia, tasked with encouraging the use of Welsh, through both formal education and social activities.
A number of Patagonian Welsh language teachers are also funded in travelling to Wales to attend Welsh language courses and to participate in school observation visits.
Born this day 1950 in Cardiff.
Terry Yorath , former Wales soccer international, who captained the national side on 42 occasions. He was also a key member of Leeds United's championship-winning side in the 1973–74 season.
Born this day, 1912 in Portsmouth.
James Callaghan , who was a Cardiff MP for 42 years and Prime Minister from 1976 to 1979.
Callaghan joined the Labour Party in 1931 and was an active trade unionist, before becoming MP for Cardiff South in 1945.
He is to date the only politician in history to have served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister. In 1983, he became the father of the house as the longest-serving MP and in a knight of the garter in 1987.
Josiah Boydell who died 27 March 1817 was a British publisher and painter, whose main achievement was the establishment of the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery.
Boydell was born 18 January 1752 in Hawarden, Flintshire and at the age of 14, moved to London to begin a seven-year apprenticeship to his uncle, John Boydell, during which time, he learned painting and mezzotint engraving.
Boydell went on to exhibit his work at the Royal Academy and drew a picture collection of Sir Robert Walpole prior to their export to Catherine the Great of Russia.
Released on 27th March 2013, Danny Boyle's film 'Trance' features music by Ammanford-born Rick Smith from the Cardiff band Underworld.
Underworld were also chosen to direct the music for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics and also contributed two original tracks "And I Will Kiss" and "Caliban's Dream", for which they were awarded the 2012 Q Award for Innovation.
Today is the feast day of St Govan
Saint Govan's Head is situated near Bosherston, in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
Saint Govan - Died 586. It is said that Govan was an Irish Monk who travelled to Wales to seek the friends and family of his teacher, Saint David. He was set upon by pirates, but a cliff opened up leaving a gap for him to hide in until the pirates departed. In gratitude, he decided to live on the cliff, to help warn the locals of the impending pirate attacks, living off fish and water from a well. Later in the 14th century, Saint Govan's Chapel was built on the site, under which it is said that Govan is buried.
Born this day, 1856 in Aberdare.
David Alfred Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda, coal magnate and liberal politician.
Thomas was the MP for Merthyr and then Cardiff, but his expectations of high office were disappointed following the 1906 General Election, so he concentrated on business, where his energy and flair for innovation swiftly led him to build a commercial empire, that made him his fortune as the owner of the Cambrian Collieries.
He would return to politics as David Lloyd George's emissary to the United States, where in May 1915, he and his daughter, Margaret were travelling to, when they were among the survivors of the Lusitania, when it was torpedoed and sunk, Then in 1916, he became Minister of Food Control, responsible for introducing an efficient system of rationing. Thomas was described as stern and a disciplinarian, but a fair employer and was genuinely respected by the voters of Merthyr.
The Welsh Ornithological Society was founded on 26th March 1988 at a conference in Aberystwyth.
The Welsh Ornithological Society (Cymdeithas Adaryddol Cymru) is an organisation which promotes the study and conservation of birds in Wales. The television presenter Iolo Williams has been the society's president since November 2009.
On March 26th 1952, Wales won their fifth rugby union Grand Slam.
THREE BLIND WOLVES/ SHY AND THE FIGHT/ THE ADELINES/ BROTHERS - DEMPSEYS FOUR BARS - 23RD OF MAY!
By Ceri Shaw, 2013-03-25
Fresh from supporting Frightened Rabbit, Glasgow's Three Blind Wolves will be playing a show for god is in the tv in Cardiff at Dempseys bar on Thursday the 23rd of May as part of their debut album 'SingHallelujahfor the Old Machine' tour!
23rd of May god is in the tv presents Three Blind Wolves with support from multi legged North Walian orch-pop of Shy and the Fight plus the ace female fronted pop of Swansea's The Adelines and opening with Cardiff youngsters Brothers with their 60 inspired sound@ Dempseys Four Bars . More news to follow you can buy tickets in advance here: We Got Tickets
Stadium sized melodies and four-part harmonies without diving headlong into a pool full of cliches MOJO Magazine
http://threeblindwolves.bandcamp.com/
Having been compared to My Morning Jacket and Neil Young, their recent single 'In Here Somewhere' ( ) features Three Blind Wolves warm Americana-tinged sound, yet with a chilling core. Previously released single Parade ( ), which came out back in October 2012 saw the band rise to great success earning them a great amount of respect from ourselves amongst other tastemakers!They are on tour during May in support of the release of their debut album'SingHallelujahfor the Old Machine'!
The band all met playing shows around the Glasgow music scene, Ross Clark (guitar, vocals) was a solo artist and met David Cleary (lead guitar, backing vocals, mandolin) and Kevin Mackay (bass, backing vocals) through their first group Rainbowsheep. They played their first show together in a Japanese noodle bar and their friendship grew from there, playing in clubs, bars, parks and various flats around Glasgow. When it the time came for the friends to form the band properly, Davie and Kevins a long time friend, Fearghas Lyon (drums), joined and they immediately bonded over jamming to Cream and Daft Punk covers; Three Blind Wolves were born and the four boys havent looked back since.
After releasing their mini album Sound of the Storm in 2011, the band quickly gained support from the press. Scotlands answer to Time Out, The List Magazine, hailed them as a countrified Modest Mouse whilst The Skinny Magazine said their debut recalled genre-defining artists like Bright Eyes and more recently Bon Iver. MOJO Magazine also featured their track Emily Rose on a covermount CD and Rolling Stone said they were the Scottish answer to the Decemberists.
Shy and the Fight:
"They're a multi-legged, multi-instrumented scramble up the precipitous slopes of 20-something hearts, driven along by melodies that'd tan your backside if you dared to flag. There's nothing to buck trends here" -Adam Thomas Walton BBC Wales http://shyandthefight.bandcamp.com/
The Adelines
The Adelines are a guitar-driven quartet comprising Jennie Morris on vocals and guitar, Anton Dodwell on guitar, Eddie Russell on bass and Ray Thomas on drums. Formed in 2011 and named after their next door neighbour's cat, they cut their teeth playing house parties in Swansea and pricked ears with their tom-boyish vocals, jangly reverb-guitars and warped pop sensibilities.
http://www.theadelines.com/
Brothers
Four pieces of psychedelic rock who have been brought together due their love of 60s rock and roll, psychedelia, harmonies and melodies. Brothers consist of 3 members; Joel Hurst (guitar and vocals), Joe Conaghan (bass and vocals), Calum Conaghan (guitar, synth, vocals) and Ethan Hurst (drums and percussion). They aim to capture and reinvent 60s and 90s style rock and roll with more complex structures and experimental aspects. https://soundcloud.com/brothers-band-cardif
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The Independent music and culture webzine.
This is the first in an occasional series of quizzes based on Brett Hull's Welsh Word Of The day blog which is one of our most valued daily features on AmeriCymru. All the answers can be found on this page:- Welsh Word Of The Day Archive Page
We will be developing more resources for welsh learners in the coming months. Whether you want to learn Welsh the lazy way ( one word a day ) OR embark on a serious and intensive online course we will have the right resource for you. Keep checking back for further developments.
meanwhile try the quiz below. No clues! No prompts! Simply fill in the blanks. Feel free to boast about your score in comments below
1. What is Welsh for 'to learn'?
2. What is Welsh for television?
3. What is Welsh for children?
4. What is Welsh for hotel?
5. What is Welsh for today?
6. What is Welsh for house?
7. What is Welsh for valley?
8. What is Welsh for yellow?
9. What is Welsh for old?
10. What is Welsh for door?
