Gunwen - William O'Bryan Born (1778)




These are the ruins of William O'Bryan's house and are just outside the existing Farmhouse.

William Bryant or as he called himself later O’Bryan, was born at Gunwen in Luxulyan in 1778. His mother used to walk over to Medros (Methrose) Farm (see this website) to attend John Wesley's meetings and then she walked back. She opened her home for meetings as well. It is said that Wesley laid his hands on the boy William and said 'May he be a blessing to hundreds and thousands.'

He was a deeply religious boy and at 23 he devoted himself to being an evangelist; he wrote, 'I felt a deep sense of duty laid on me to seek the wandering souls of men.' He married in 1803 and inherited the farm on the death of his father. In 1808 he began to leave the farm to go on evangelisation tours and eventually he did this full time. He formed the Bible Christians in 1815.


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