John Roberts (Tremeirchion clergyman)
Encyclopedia
John Roberts was a Welsh Anglican
priest and writer.
, north Wales, and educated at Jesus College, Oxford
between 1792 and 1796, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree. He stayed in Oxford to help to correct the edition of the Welsh Bible and Prayer Book that was published by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge in 1799. He was ordained and became curate
of the Oxfordshire
parishes of Chiselhampton
and Stadhampton
in 1798, returning to Wales in 1803 as curate (and from 1807, vicar
) of Tremeirchion
, Flintshire
. He was opposed to the views on Welsh orthography
of William Owen Pughe
, whose views had influenced Thomas Charles
to print the British and Foreign Bible Society's edition of the Welsh Bible in the orthography favoured by Pughe. The views of Roberts finally prevailed after several letters between him, Charles and the Society. He had a similar debate, in print, with John Jones (Tegid)
("Tegid") about the Welsh Book of Common Prayer. Whilst opposed to Methodism
, he used some of their practices such as prayer meetings. He edited a reprinted edition of a translation into Welsh of the Book of Homilies (1817) and published a Welsh hymnal (1831). He died on 25 July 1829.
Roberts is honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA)
on February 25.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
priest and writer.
Life
Roberts was born in 1775 in DenbighshireDenbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, north Wales, and educated at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
between 1792 and 1796, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. He stayed in Oxford to help to correct the edition of the Welsh Bible and Prayer Book that was published by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge in 1799. He was ordained and became curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
parishes of Chiselhampton
Chiselhampton
Chiselhampton is a village on the River Thame about southeast of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.-Toponym:"Chisel" is derived from the old English ceosel or cisel meaning "gravel" or "shingle", referring to the river gravel beside the Thame on which some of the village is built. In a document dated...
and Stadhampton
Stadhampton
Stadhampton is a village and civil parish north of Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. Stadhampton village is on the A329 road and close to the River Thame.-Location:...
in 1798, returning to Wales in 1803 as curate (and from 1807, vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
) of Tremeirchion
Tremeirchion
Tremeirchion is a small residential community in Denbighshire, Wales. It is located on the B5429 road, to the north east of Denbigh and to the west of St Asaph....
, Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
. He was opposed to the views on Welsh orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
of William Owen Pughe
William Owen Pughe
William Owen Pughe was a Welsh antiquarian and grammarian best known for his Welsh and English Dictionary, published in 1803, but also known for his grammar books and 'Pughisms' ....
, whose views had influenced Thomas Charles
Thomas Charles
Thomas Charles was a Welsh Nonconformist clergyman of considerable importance in the history of modern Wales.-Early life:...
to print the British and Foreign Bible Society's edition of the Welsh Bible in the orthography favoured by Pughe. The views of Roberts finally prevailed after several letters between him, Charles and the Society. He had a similar debate, in print, with John Jones (Tegid)
John Jones (Tegid)
John Jones , commonly known by his bardic name of Ioan Tegid or simply Tegid, was a Welsh clergyman and writer....
("Tegid") about the Welsh Book of Common Prayer. Whilst opposed to Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, he used some of their practices such as prayer meetings. He edited a reprinted edition of a translation into Welsh of the Book of Homilies (1817) and published a Welsh hymnal (1831). He died on 25 July 1829.
Roberts is honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA)
Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church in the United States of America)
The veneration of saints in the Episcopal Church is a continuation of an ancient tradition from the early Church which honors important people of the Christian faith. The usage of the term "saint" is similar to Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Those in the Anglo-Catholic tradition may...
on February 25.