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SWAHSEA ARRIVALS.

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I FANTASTIC DREAM i SHATTERED.…

I LATE MR. J. H. BURCES&___I

IMEDICAL OFFICER REPORTED.

LLOYOy-OGLEBY.

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lOR. JOHNS, CAPEL ALS.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

lOR. JOHNS, CAPEL ALS. DEATH OF FAMOUS WELSH COHSREOATIONAL DIVINE AT MM. FIFTY YEARS' MINISTRY. We regret to announce the death, which took place on Friday evening at his resi- dence in Greenfield Villas, Llanelly, of the Rev. Thomas Johns, D.D., the famous pastor of Capel Als, the historic Welsh Congregational cause in Llanelly. He was Llanelly'e oldest preacher, and, had he livsd another week, he would have celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his ministry. Though in his 7!Jth year, he was preaching up to hist August, when be caught a chill on his way back from Llandrindod Wells. Serious complications set in, and he passed away peacefully on Friday evening. He took a prominent part iL temperance, religious, and social reform work during his half century at Llanelly. Native of Llanwrda. Dr. Johns was born 011 the slopes of Tabor Hill, Llanwrda, in the county of Carmarthen, on the 26th November, 1836. His birthplace provides the key to his noin-de-pluma of Taborfryn as a lit-1 temteur He received his early educa- tion at Llanwrda, Llansadwrn, and Tyn- llet-hr schools, and afterwards kept a school himself. At the age of thirteen he became a member of Tabor Independent Church, the acting minister who gave him the right hand of fellowship being the poet-preacher, the Rev. Thomas Jones, lather of Sir David Brynmor Jones. The young man began to preach in 1858, and next year he entered Llandovery School and then to Brecon Theological College. On leaving college he was invited to the pastorate of Ubenezer, Carnarvon, and he was ordained a minister there in ISC)I. After spending nearly five yetirs in the North Wales town, he had the honour of being invited, in 1869, to succeed at Cape.1 Als, Llanelly (then one of the largest Con- gregational churches in Wales.) the cele- brated David Roes. At Capel Als. For the i5 years prosperity attended his work, and the union between pastor and people was not marred by a single note of discord. The congregation at the chapel was too large for the demands maxie upon it, and steps were taken to build Taberr nacle Chapel, one of the largest and finest edifices of the denomination in Wales, at a coet of £ 4,500. Throe hundred and fifty members of Capel A Is left to form the aucleus of the new church, and the work- ing-class members contributed Cl,t)Z9 at the opening in 1875, all except .£.388 col- lated by Dr. Johns from outsiders. In 1S95 Capel Als was re-built at a cost of £ 5,000, and it has now over 800 members. A library of about 1,000 volumes was formed by the pastor in connection with the church. President of the Union. At the formation of the Welsh Congre- gational Union in 1872, Dr. Johns acted a- joint secretary for two years. The first time tho Union visited Llanelly in 1884 he was secretary to the local committee, and in 1899 when the Union held its annual meetings at Llanelly again he was chairman of the local committee, and at these meetings he was elected to the chair of the Union, and delivered his presiden- tial address the following year at Port- madoc on Tin Church of the Twentieth Century-" The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by an American University in 1903. Dr. Johng wielded a facile pen, and he rendered great service to the denomination as editor foi; the last 44 years of Tywysydd y Plant," a monthly periodi- eal for the young which is circulated in every part of Wales. A feature of the magazine is the pen-sketch given monthly by the editor of the chief ministers in the denomination. Three Times Alderman. -i In tho town itself he had been promi- nent for the last forty years in all mon>-I ments for the social betterment of the people. He was a life-long abstainer, and worked hard for the temperance cause. T L educational matters he wa-s prominent first as manager of Park-street School, thw as one of the governors of the Llan pHt Intermediate ?choolp (of vh!ch 11('. was vice-chairman?, and a member of the County Education Committee. lie had been a member of the Carmarthenshire' County Council since its formation, and wni three times elected as alderman. He was throe times elected president of the Llanelly Free Church Council, and had been foremost in the fight for religious equity in Wales. A man of peace, lie was convinced of the righteousness of the present war forced upon this country, and one of his last acts was to write 4 letter to the Mayor apologising for his absence from a meeting to stimulate recruiting, and con- clrding with Bravo, Hanelly." in praise tif the line response that had already been made. Dr Johns took an active part in poli- tico, and threw the whole weight of his influence in favour of the Progressive cause- His Family. I Dr. Johna was twice married, his first wife brinr; a granddaughter of David Jones, >>f Caio, translator of Dr. Wells' Psalms and Hymne. His eecond wife (who survives hhn) is the daughter of Mr. Fictiard Hammond, a well-known name in connection with the Llanelly Coppor- vf-orks. He leaves three children—the Rev. W. Arvon Johns, Blaenavon: Mr. Aneurin Vaughan Johns, chemist, Acton, London; and Mrs. M. C. Rees, B-A.. wife of th? i'ev. Gwilym S. Rees, B_t\ Congrega- tional minister, Merthyc.

THROWN OUT OF THE ARMY.I

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