1804 Capel Seion, Cardiganshire. ‘There is no certainty as to how early religious meetings began to be held in this region before the building of the Chapels. It was known as ‘Dyffryn Paith Sunday School.’ [The river Paith rises in Blaenpaith field, Penuwchfawr and runs down past Nantybenglog, Nantyrhydd, Tyncwm, Nanteos, and empties into the Ystwyth near Rhydfelin. Dyffryn Paith is very beautiful and the Nightingale is frequently heard there.] It went around from house to house - Tyncwm, Blaengors, Nantybenglog, Gilfachgoch, Cwmhwylog, Bryngwyn, Ffynnonoer. This school belonged to the Anglicans, Independents, Baptists and the Methodists. In the year 1804 there was a powerful Revival in the neighbourhood called ‘Diwygiad Dyffryn Paith.’ [David Jones, Saer, said that the neighbourhood saw three other very powerful revivals, one some 6-7 years after the building of the chapel, another about 6 years after that, and the general revival in 1859.] It was the occasion of bringing crowds into the Sunday School. In Trysorfa’r Plant for March 1882, there is an interesting account of an old woman from this area called Marged Morris. She was 106 and living at the time in Taliesin. She often spoke of ‘Diwygiad Dyffryn Paith.’ That was when she was converted. She related an account of the interesting event at that period of Capel Seion. She was serving with her uncle in Nantybenglog. It happened one Sunday that the river Rheidol was too flooded to go to Penllwyn. A message came asking permission to hold the meeting for catechising the School that Sunday in her uncle’s house. Permission was granted sparingly [grudgingly?]. Evan Evans, Aberffrwd was to come to catechise. The great topic in the house was how to prepare for the preacher. There was no tea or sugar or bread fit to set before him. Marged Morris said - ‘Give me two measures of potatoes on the mare’s back and I’ll take care of getting enough proper [decent] food for the preacher. And so it was. She fetched white bread, the red [brown?] sugar and the tea from Aberystwyth. The Sunday came and the preacher and the people were there being catechised and answering and rejoicing. The same was desired for the following Sunday and a second time and again. An important religious stirring was kindled in the region, and among others, Marged Morris was wounded and gave herself first to the Lord and then to his people according to the Lord’s will. It is said of her, that repeating two whole chapters of the book of Job, when came to the last verse of chapter 23, her feelings overwhelmed her and she broke out with much weeping. These verses had been the means of convicting her, and she could never read them without tears. [Job 23:16-17: ‘For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me: because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.’]
Marged Morris (it is said) was born in Borth, September 18, 1777, and she died in Taliesin, Jan. 15, 1885 going on 108. [Marged Morris remembered hearing Dl. Rowland preaching in the first Tabernacle chapel, Aberystwyth. I rely upon the Western Mail, Jan. 24, 1885, for the place and date of her birth.] She was thus 27 at the time of Diwygiad Dyffryn Paith.’ [D.J. Evans, Hanes Capel Seion, Aberystwyth, [1935], pp.11-3]
‘We went the previous day to Taliesin for the purpose of seeing Margaret Morris, an old woman, or rather a godly old girl who is now passed one hundred and six years of age, who is so cheerful in her spirit, and so fluent in her speech, as if she were only fifty. [Trysorfa’r Plant, Mawrth 1882, pp.62-4]
1818 Revival Capel Seion, Caernarfonshire (HMA i. 66)
This information was kindly provided by Geraint Jones
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