Item NLW MS 24183F, ff. 7-12. - Letters concerning the Rev. David Jones, Llan-gan

Correspondence, June-October 1781, of [the Rev. William Thomas, vicar of Aberavon with Baglan], including three letters from Shute Barrington, Bishop of Llandaff, August-October 1781 (ff. 10-12), two of which concern the Rev. David Jones of Llan-gan (ff. 11-12). In his letter of 27 September 1781 (f. 11 recto-verso) Barrington charges the recipient with the task of telling Jones to desist from 'relinquishing the duties of his own parish and obtruding himself unauthorised into those of other parishes'. A draft reply written at the end of the letter, dated at Baglan, 21 October 1781, conveys Jones's response (f. 11). In a second letter, 26 October 1781, Barrington confesses that he 'cannot consistently either with common sense, or common humanity proceed against him' (f. 12). As a leading Methodist preacher, Jones was frequently absent from Llan-gan on preaching trips; he also built a chapel in the neighbouring parish of Coychurch.
Also included are: a further letter, 19 August 1781, from Barrington, concerning the relaxation of an order issued by him relative to the Rev. Mr Elias (f. 10); a letter from Anne Bassett, 2 June 1781, requesting changes to the language of services in her parish (f. 7); and copies, [in the hand of William Thomas], of two letters from the Rev. Thomas Davies, Coyty, to the Bishop, 12-30 July 1781, concerning a dispute between the parishioners of Higher and Lower Coyty over repairs to the church (ff. 8-9). William Thomas seems to have been involved with these various matters in his capacity as rural dean (see f. 11).