The library of Thomas Llewelyn

Some fragments from the library of Thomas Llewelyn

2020 sees the likely tercentenary of the birth of a prominent 18th century Baptist, Thomas Llewelyn, who did much to assist in the widespread dissemination of Welsh language bibles and also supported the Welsh Baptist mission to North Wales, which was launched in 1776. Although his extensive personal library passed to Bristol Baptist College on his death it has since been dispersed. However, recent provenance work in Aberystwyth University library has uncovered some of the
books and these are being displayed to mark his memory.

Thomas Llewelyn was born in Penalltau-Isaf, Gelligaer, probably in 1720. He was trained as a tailor but was baptised in 1738 in Hengoed, and followed a course of training for the ministry at Trosnant and Bristol. He was ordained in London but was regarded as a poor preacher and instead took charge of an academy, training poor students for the ministry between 1746 and 1770. He followed
various scholarly pursuits, being awarded MA and LLD degrees from the University of Aberdeen. In 1768 he published a Historical Account of the British or Welsh Versions and Editions of the Bible, later translated into Welsh in Seren Gomer, and in 1769 appeared Historical and Critical Remarks on the British Tongue. Both works were later reprinted in 1793 under the title Tracts, Historical and Critical.
After Llewelyn’s work on the bible the SPCK arranged for the publication of 20000 copies of the Welsh bible in 1769 and he assisted in the identification of congregations to receive these. Llewelyn had secured financial independence through his marriage to Mary and provided significant financial and organisational support to the Baptist Mission to North Wales which began in 1776. He had
attempted to mediate between the crown and American Baptists in Ashford, Massachusetts in the early 1770’s. He was also prominent in Welsh cultural life in London, President of the Gwyneddigion Society in 1775 and member of the Cymmrodorion in 1778. He died in 1783 at Castleton in Monmouthshire and is buried in Bunhill Fields, the final resting place for many prominent nonconformists.

Llewelyn was a generous supporter of education and left his library, valued at £1500, to Bristol Baptist College after his death. Sadly much of the collection seems to have been dispersed in the middle of the 19th century, with no record of disposal. It is possible that some volumes remain there but the library has no record of these. Fortunately a number of volumes have recently come to light in Aberystwyth University and these provide some indication of his scholarly pursuits. The volumes are identifiable from their armorial bookplate, inscribed The Gift of Thos. Llewelyn Esq. LLD. Most of the books also carry a later label for the Bristol Education Society, or in one case for the Library, Baptist College, Bristol. There are early library shelf marks from Bristol but the volumes generally carry little annotation. There are a number of classical texts with imprints dating from the later years of the 17th century, including works by Zosimus, Lucian and Callimachus. In addition there is a collection of Welsh language pamphlets from the middle years of the 18th century on varied topics, including a 1768 guide to arithmetic, the first to be published in the language. As to Llewelyn’s own published work the library holds a copy of the 1793 Tracts, Historical and Critical, which has a later bookplate for the Porthmadog solicitor and antiquary, Edward Breese, who gave David Lloyd George his first career opening.
Bill Hines - whh@aber.ac.uk

February 2020