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Thomas Price (1820–1888) was a leading figure in the political and religious life of Victorian Wales and minister of Calfaria Baptist Chapel, Aberdare. He was born on 17 April 1820, one of six children born to John and Mary Price of Maesycwper, near Ysgethrog, in the Parish of Llenhamlwch, about three miles below the town of Brecon. He began to earn his living at an early age by assisting a local farmer.〔 In early life, he became a page boy for Clifton family of Tŷ Mawr, Llanfrynach. The Clifton daughters taught him to read English. He saved £21 to pay for his own apprenticeship to Thomas Watkins, The Struet, Brecon, a painter, glazier and plumber. His parents had been members of the Established Church, but Thomas became a Baptist during his time at Brecon and was baptised in the River Usk. At the end of his apprenticeship he left for London, walking all the way, a distance of 160 miles. During his four years' stay in London, he continued his studies. In 1842, Price became a student at Pontypool Baptist College. After three and a half years, he accepted a call to the Aberdare Welsh Baptist chapel at Carmel, Monk Street, better known as ''Capel Pen-pound''. He began his ministry there at the end of 1845, was ordained on 1 January 1846, and remained there, his only pastorate, for 42 years until his death on 29 February 1888.〔 On 16 March 1847, he married Ann Gilbert, a widow and youngest daughter of Thomas David of Abernant-y-groes, Cwm-bach. they had a son, who died in infancy, and a daughter, Emily. Ann Price died on 1 September 1849.〔 ==Nonconformist minister== Through Price's skill as an organiser, he was able to further the Baptist cause, not only within his own church, but throughout the valley, by opening Sunday schools and later erecting chapels to cater for the rapidly increasing population. The existing building having become too small, a new chapel was erected nearby for the Welsh-speaking congregation, to be known as Calfaria.〔 In 1856, 91 members from Calfaria were transferred to form an English Baptist Church at the former building, Carmel. During the mid-century years, Price was instrumental in the formation of additional Welsh Baptist causes. In 1855, the Heolyfelin Baptist Church was formed as a branch of the Hirwaun Baptist Church. Bethel, Abernant, was opened in 1857. In 1849 121 members were transferred to form Gwawr, Aberaman (see below); in 1855, 89 were released to start a cause at Mountain Ash, and in 1862, 163 were released to strengthen Bethel, Abernant; in the same year 131 were released to form a church in Ynyslwyd; in 1865, 49 were transferred to form Gadlys Church. In total, it is estimated that 927 members were released from Calfaria to form churches in various parts of the district. As these various chapels were established, Price maintained a connection between them and the mother church at Calfaria and he established, as a result, an overarching influence over the various Baptist congregations in the valley 'and provided the basis for a wider authority within the body of nonconformity as a whole in Aberdare'. This was underpinned by decisions such as that made at the monthly meeting of the Aberdare Valley Baptists on 22 July 1878 that the individual churches be encouraged to maintain joint meetings. In 1913, a local resident recalled. ''I remember that once a month on Sunday afternoons, Dr Price, the Baptist minister, used to baptise his recent converts in the Cynon River, alongside the iron bridge at the bottom of Commercial Street. I have seen as many as 25 or 30 converts, men and women, on the same afternoon. On these occa- sions the whole of the Baptist community used to meet at the chapel and march ii procession through the streets with the converts, the men converts being attired in long black robes and the women in white. They marched through the streets from the chapel to the place of baptism singing hymns. As a matter of course, large crowds gathered on the river banks to witness the immersions.'' In general, the growth of the Baptist community within the Aberdare Valley was driven by enthusiasm. However there were occasional conflicts. The most dramatic occurred in the early history of Gwawr, Aberaman. Price had been in instrumental in establishing the new cause but he soon became embroiled in a conflict with its new minister, David Bevan Jones, known as Dewi Elfed. Dewi Elfed was accused of supporting the beliefs of the Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, and the congregation at Gwawr were expelled from the Glamorgan Baptist Association. Soon after, the Baptists took legal action to recover the building, In November 1851, Price led a march to recover the building. On their arrival at Gwawr, it became apparent that Dewi Elfed had locked himself inside the chapel, along with one of his supporters. A court official stated that he did not have the authority to gain entry by forcing the door. Price then entered the building along with a deacon and there followed'a wild and exciting chase around the chapel galleries'.,〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.cynonculture.co.uk/davidbevanjones.html )〕 Eventually, Dewi Elfed was caught, and thrown out of the chapel by Price.〔 He soon became well known in his denomination as a preacher and lecturer, and was elected to important offices; in 1865 he filled the chair of the Welsh Baptist Union.〔 His marriage had given him an income that lay beyond the means of most nonconformist ministers, and on his wife's death in 1847, after a mere two years, Price inherited her estate. Through his social standing, as well as his political activities (see below) Price forged a close link with some of the leading businessmen of the Aberdare valley. He took a prominent part as he did in furthering the work of the Friendly Societies, particularly those of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and the Ivorites. He held honorary offices in both organisations and there is little doubt that these activities contributed to the prestige in which Price was held by the working classed of Aberdare by the 1860s. As a writer he published many books, addresses and pamphlets, but was better known as the co-editor of the newspapers ''Y Gwron'' (1855–60), ''Y Gweithiwr'' (1859–60), and ''Seren Cymru'' (1860–76); he served as finance secretary to (1853–59), and edited ''Y Medelwr Ieuanc'' and ''Y Gwyliedydd''.〔 Of these publications, the most significant was ''Seren Cymru'', ostensibly a Baptist denominational journal, but turned by Price into a local and national newspaper of some significance which had an important political influence throughout Wales. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thomas Price (Baptist minister)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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