1818 Llandderfel, Merionethshire. Revival in February 1818. On the Sabbath morning of September 27th, 28 young people (mostly) received the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper for the first time (Trysorfa, iii. Ionawr 1820, p.154). Many added to the church (MC i. 552)
An early overview of the revival in ‘Large Parts of Merionethshire, and Caernarfonshire’ in the Trysorfafor January 1819 details the general conditions previous to its outbreak and makes the following observation:
That [the revival] has been given in answer to many earnest prayers offered up for the success of the gospel, most especially in this County. It was observed, in a monthly Meeting held towards the end of the year 1817, that the religious state was most base, low, and without increase, in various regions within the compass of the monthly Society of the County; and it was judged that circumstances, in their temporal and religious sense, called for a day set apart to hold a prayer meeting, for the Lord to renew his work among them, in each private society within the sphere referred to. That was decided on, the day appointed and kept, and many still remember that the Lord gave an extensive degree of his presence, and his Spirit aided his servants to pray unto him. And, perhaps, no one would call it presumption to call it an answer to prayer, when the Lord allows the requests of his people, yea, in a more extensive degree in every sense than anyone thought or expected from him.[1]
It further notes that
in those places, in the main, that have been most under distress and straits with respect to their outward circumstances, the revival first started, and has been most powerful. In those places, while the straits still continued, many a one, because of the gracious visitations of the Lord, received strength to suffer not only patiently, but joyfully, until the rod was removed; and then many received a twofold blessing, from heaven and from the earth, from springs above, and springs below.[2]
[1]Trysorfa, iii (1819-1822), p. 20.
[2]Ibid.
One place that was early affected in Merioneth was Llandderfel near Bala. John Owen, an elder with the Calvinistic Methodist cause there, believed that he saw the reward for the years of labour when revival began in February 1818. Many young people came under conviction, and he gave them counsel in the society meetings as they applied for membership. His health, however, began to fail, and the last time he was able to get to the chapel was on the Sunday morning of 27 September. The Lord’s Supper was celebrated, and twenty-eight members, mostly young people, were received for the first time.
ibid., p. 154; also MC, i, pp. 552-3.
This information was kindly provided by Geraint Jones
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