The Rev. Rees C. Evans, M. A., of Gloucester, N. J., has translated for us two articles, contributed by him to "Y. Wasg." of Nov. 3d and 10th, 1877, regarding the Welsh settlers of Pencader The two contributions are here given as one.We find from registers in this county that many Welsh people came to Philadelphia in the year 1701, and settled first at Pennypack, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Several left Pennypack and settled in the Great Valley, Chester County, Pennsylvania, in which place they built a church, which was called "Trediffryn Meeting House." At the time of writing this, it is called "The Great Valley Church." In the year 1703, a Welsh Colony went thence to land called "The Welsh Tract," in the State of Delaware. At present it is called Glascow. It lies between Delaware City and Newark, and is about ten miles distant from Wilmington, Delaware. The first Welsh settlers received from Penn, the proprietary, 30,000 acres of land. On this they began to build a church, and in the year 1706 they finished the building in which they worshipped God. The first minister of the "little flock" was the Rev. David Evans, a native of Wales. Mr. Evans not having been an ordained minister in Wales, and not possessing the required qualifications for the ministry, it was necessary for him to go to Yale College. There, after laborious study, he graduated in the years 1713-14. He returned to preach to the churches of Pencader and Tredyffryn. On account of some difference of opinion between him and a Samuel James, he resigned his office at Pencader, but continued to engage in his ministerial duties at the church at Tredyffryn. In this latter church he remained twenty years, when he left to officiate in New Jersey, where he remained until his death in 1750. It is reported of him that he was a very learned man, and possessed high attainments. During his ministerial labors he published a book, entitled "Law and Gospel," showing the fall of man and his restoration by the gospel. We find that the successor of Rev. David Evans in Pencader, was Rev. Thomas Evans, the son of Nathanael Evans, and a relative of the former minister. He came to this country from Carmarthenshire, and settled in Pencader in 1720. After preaching on trial, he was ordained to the work of the ministry in the year 1721, and continued to labor there until his death, which took place in 1742. A few months ago, I was astonished to see the epitaph in the Welsh language, of Rev. Thomas Evans, in Pencader Churchyard. Mr. Evans was remarkable for his zeal in the cause of Education. In Pencader he established an academy. One of his scholars was the late Abel Morgan, who became a Baptist minister in New Jersey; and another was one of the teachers of Mr. Davies, President of Princeton College. Mr. Evans had a valuable library. His books are, without doubt, scattered here and there. The Church in that early period was not left without experiencing the cold winds of religious contention. In the times of Rev. George Whitefield, there was much trouble, and when Mr. Evans was about to "sleep in Jesus," many united with the new body called the "New Light."
Some Welsh, who at that time (1742) spoke the Welsh language, built a church at Pigeon's Run, Red Lion Hundred, Delaware. Unhappily, this building was burnt down, and the congregation was scattered between Newcastle and St. George's. To this day, the burial grounds are to be seen, and the epitaphs are still legible.
Oh. how forcibly came to busy memory a sweet verse whilst walking near the graves of my kindred, and beneath the willows that overshadowed their resting places in Pigeon's Run and Pencader! (Here follows a verse which cannot well be rendered into English rhyme without impairing the sweetness of the original.) We will now give to the readers of "the Press" (Y. Wasg) an account of the Welsh ministers of Pencader, and other places in the State of Delaware, from the year 1773 to the present century. Notwithstanding the religious contentions that took place in the times of Whitefield and the scattering of many of the flock, the Rev. Timothy Gryffydd, the third minister of Pencader Church, extended his duties to a place called Drawyers and Tredyffryn. In the last mentioned place he preached in the Welsh language. "When the country was threatened with the attacks of the Indians, Mr. Gryffydd was appointed commander of the military companies of the State of Delaware. After diligently preaching the word of God, and serving his country faithfully, this soldier was called to his heavenly home, to receive his reward, in 1754, having ministered for twelve years. Valuable aid was rendered Rev. Mr. Gryffydd by an excellent scholar and minister named McDonald, who was the head master of a school established by John Penn. This school (now Newark College) is situated half way between Philadelphia and Baltimore, is at present open, and has many students.
The next period that left its severe impress upon the Welsh settlers in these parts, as well as upon the whole country at large, was the Revolutionary war.
On the 22d of May, 1776, Rev. Samuel Eakin was the Minister. He was the first minister who preached in English in Pencader. From that time to the present, the services have been in the English tongue; though for the space of twenty years after, Welsh preaching was kept up among the Baptists. The services of religion have been observed in Pencader for nearly 170 years, and conducted by eighteen ministers. The following are their names: Dafydd Evans, Thomas Evans, Timothy Gryffydd, Elihu Spencer, A. McDonald, Samuel Eakin, Thomas Smith, William Chealy, John Burton, John Collins, Samuel Bell, Hugh Hammill, James Mclntyre, H. S. Howell, T. B. Jervia, George Foote, Edward Webb, and Jason Rogers.
Now, concerning the church buildings in Pencader:
The first church was built by the first Welsh settlers in 1706. It stood near where the sexton's house is at present, and a little to the right of the burial ground. It was an unpretending wooden building, small when compared with the present one, and was removed to a place on which Mr. John Thornton now resides.The second church building was erected by the Welsh in Pencader in the year 1782, on the spot where the present church stands. It was composed of better material than the first, the walls and floor being made of bricks. The bricks were burnt upon a farm now occupied by David Brainerd Faris. This church was built by Jacob Paris, William Whann, Peter Williams, Joseph Thomas, and others. The church had no facilities for warming. The efforts made by the people showed their love to Christ. They rode on horseback several miles to hear the word of Life spoken, when sometimes the snow would be three, and even four feet in depth.
The third church, the present one, is large and commodious. In it worship the inhabitants of Pencader, who possess much of the 30,000 acres of land owned by the early Welsh settlers.
========== [From The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 2, 1877, pp. 343-5, via Google Books On-line. Transcribed and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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