1. THE IMPORTANCE OF A MAN’S BIRTHPLACE
Great importance is attached to the place where a man of fame is born. Should the place be unknown, it becomes the subject of close investigation and much theorising, and people seek for facts to confirm their suppositions regarding it. What is there in ones native place to create such interest? Its connection with him who was born there. When a man, in virtue of his character, his work, his heroism, his liberality, or his efforts in the uplifting of men, sinks deeply into their hearts, everything associated with him becomes dear to them, they love the path he treads. For the same reason the place where he was born becomes dear to them. The degree of interest taken in a man’s native place is always in proportion to the degree of his greatness in a country or a nation’s history. This is very plainly seen in the desire of men through the ages to see Bethlehem, the birth-place of the Saviour of the world. In a smaller degree, this is shown in the history of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, and Howell Harris, Daniel Rowlands, and W. Williams, of Pantyeelyn, three great Welsh Revivalist’s. Those who have read the history of these men, and are in sympathy with them, long for a view of their native place. To one class of people there is another thing that creates interest in the place where a man is born. It is this — the place partly conditions the form of a man’s train of thought. As well might a man seek to escape from his own shadow as to escape from nature’s scenes in the neighbourhood in which he is brought up. They give a colour to all his thoughts, and play an important part in the tone of his feelings, and the strength of his desires. A careful study of the neighbourhood in which a great man is raised would enable us to find out one condition of the characteristics of all his thoughts, and the modes of his mental developments. This is one of the branches the psychologists of the future will emphasise, for this must be done if we are to understand all we can about mental forms and mental distinctions. But it is not our part to do so in this connection. To give a picture, as real as possible, of the neighbourhood in which Evan Roberts was born, is our object. Truly, can it be said, that Loughor has been immortalised in virtue of his birth therein, and the momentous birth of the Revival. Henceforth, it will be named along with the most famous names of Wales. In ages to come pilgrims will journey to ohtain a view of Loughor, and especially of Bwlchymynydd, and Island House — the home of the Revivalist’s parents. Keen interest will be taken in the surroundings, and in every nook and corner of the house itself. No doubt great value will be set upon the stones and the wood of the house, and, who can foretell, to what regions of the world its photograph will reach — though it be but the photograph of an ordinary workman’s cottage. All this is due to the fact that Evan Roberts has found his way to the dearest spot in the hearts of so many thousands in the land, and has caused a thorough moral and spiritual revolution in them. The history of the Revivalist will be handed down to the ages and the children of the generations to come, with warm hearts will hear and Iearn it from their parents on the hearth. They will be desirous of knowing all they can of the neighbourhood and the house where he was born; and their parents will strive to describe them, until their hearts will be on fire with a yearning to see them. Look down across the generations of the future and you will behold godly people on their way to see the place in which was born the hitherto greatest Revivalist that Wales has produced. In saying this we are not unmindful of the Revivalist’s of undying fame that the nation has raised in the past Yet, having given them all due consideration, we must admit that the country was not stirred by any of them to such an extent as it has been by Evan Roberts of Loughor. In the whole of its history, Wales has not experienced in six months such a mighty moral and spiritual upheaval as that brought about though his instrumentality. For this reason, none can tell the measure of men’s desire for seeing Loughor and Bwlchymynydd in ages to come.
II. ANCIENT LOUGHOR
Looking into the primitive history of the town, we find that it was a place of no small importance in the time of the Roman Conquest. The ancient Britons had a strong fortress here, the town being called Tre’r Afanc (Beaver’s Town). That it was a place of note under Roman rule is shewn by the fact that it was the fifth station on the Roman road called Vià Julia, and the ‘Lecarum’ of Richard of Cirencester. Later on we find it possessed by the Kymry; then by the Irish under their Prince, Gilmor Rechdyr. The Irish, however, were not destined to a long rule. The Welsh summoned King Arthur of Caerleon to their help, be defeated them, an made Urien, his nephew, Prince of the district, which was now called Rheged. He was followed by Pasgen, Morgan Mwynfawr, and Owen, the son of Hywel the Good. After the reign of Owen, the place became the scene of many battles, and much bloodshed, caused by the rivalw of the Princes of Glamorgan. Next we find the Normans in possession of the town, and they build a fortress there. Again the town falls into the hands of the Kymry, only to be retaken by the Norman Barons. Eventually, in 12 is, Rhys, Lord of Dinevor, attacked and destroyed the fort, together with all the fortresses in Gower. This part of the country was then given to Edward II by Hugh Le Spenser. At great expense and trouble the fort was rebuilt, and the remains of its walls can be seen today at Loughor. From these facts we see that Loughor was once one of the most important places of defence in the land, and a scene of much shedding of blood. But it must be borne in mind that, whereas, Loughor of ancient and medieval history was noted as being the dwelling place of Princes skilled in the cruel art of war, its name now arises from a far different source, it is famous as the birth-place of a man, who is a Leader of the Army of the Cross. His followers number their thousands, and not hundreds, as did the followers of the old Princes who dwelt in the Castle in the days of yore.
III. MODERN LOUGHOR
It is thought that there is a vast difference between modern Loughor and the one described above, men are of opinion that the present town is not built on the same site as the former. Tre’r Afanc is supposed to have been situated on what is now called The Borough, and the church on the spot called Story Mihangel. The present town is small compared with the old; it stands on the highway road from Swansea to Carmarthen, and near the rail-road from New Milford to London. It is 211 miles from London, 50 from Cardiff, and 8 from Swansea. The town and the parish are in the canton of Swansea, in the Deanery of Gower, the Arch-Deanery of Carmarthen, and the Bishopric of St. David. Though the town is not so important at the present time as it formerly was, its advantages today excel those of the past. Now, there is a station here on the Great Western Railway, making it possible to reach the furthest parts of the land from Loughor in a very short time. We find here a Post Office, a Saving’s Bank, and a Telegraph Office, so that the town is not lacking in its advantages in this respect, small though it is. The means of crossing the large river are greatly improved upon what they once were, the men of former ages crossed in a boat, but now the river is spanned by a fine bridge, two hundred yards long. The railway bridge, a little lower down, however, measures a quarter of a mile. The river Loughor forms the boundary line between the Counties of Glamorgan and Carmarthen. The town has a Public Hall and a Police Station. It has three Chapels as well as a Church of England; those belonging to the Calvinistic Methodists, the Congregationalists, and the Baptists. Taking the population into account, these are in a fairly flourishing state. In the last census that we succeeded in finding, the population numbered 2,064 within the Borough, that of the whole parish being 4,196. The part of the parish within the Borough measures is 9 acres, while there are 48 acres under water when the tide is in. Outside the Borough, and taking in the agricultural district, which comprises Gower, we have 2,489 acres. Though the river has 14 feet of water when the tide is full, the road and railway bridges make it impossible for large ships to enter the port. As early as is 37, Loughor was made a Borough of the Cardiff and Swansea Union, and remained so until 1832. From that time until 1886 it was a Municipal Borough, joining with Aberavon, Neath, and Kenfig, and a part of Swansea, in sending a member to Parliament. Beyond the river there are tin works, while there are several coal mines in the neighbourhood. The number of these works seems to be increasing, but not through them will the name of Loughor be handed down to future ages. Something far different from these will make it immortal, as we have stated at the beginning of the Chapter. At the time when the Castle was last rebuilt, and for centuries afterwards, the neighbourhood was rich in scenes of natural beauty. Then, the picturesque surface of the land had not been marred by a railway, neither by zinc works, nor a coal mine. In imagination we can see the leafy groves, the trees laden with fruit, and the beautiful flowers that cover the ground around the place, the animals grazing in the meadows, the birds on the boughs carolling sweet songs of praise to their Creator. One after another the generations come and go, without the appearance of any one whose fame becomes known throughout his own nation, not to speak of world-wide fame. The centuries roll on, and Loughor is only a name spoken in common with other names in the County. Though the neighbourhood is beautiful, it is not so exceptionally picturesque as to distinguish it from other places in Glamorgan. Situated as it is in the extreme part of West Glamorgan, and being small in comparison with the other towns, its chances of winning fame were small. Passing through Loughor Station the traveller feels no inclination to look out from the window to see any wonderful building or scene. Did one happen to look out he would behold nothing particularly attractive. No one is amazed at the sight of the old Castle ruins, for it is small as compared with some of the large castles of Wales. Now, however, there is a great change when passing through Loughor Station, those who have heard Evan Roberts, those who have read of him and are in sympathy with him, strive for a full view of all they can see. I have seen mother’s holding children, three and four years old, out to ohtain a complete view of everything they could see from the station. What accounts for such a change? Nothing in the town, nor the surrounding country; but the fact that Evan Roberts and the Revival of 1904, in its sweeping form, were born there.
As has been mentioned, the town is a small one, but some scores of years ago it was important as a port. Large numbers of ships were built here, hence, timber was brought in from different directions of the surrounding country. The lower part of the town stands on a small rising near the railway, as remarked above. It was well that it was on a hill in olden times, for the sea came in and completely encircled it. By the present time the sea has gone back. The upper part stands on the slope some distance from the lower part. The town has no form after the manner of towns of late years. We find here a number of old houses, but not more than from two to six of them are joined together. So it may be said of houses built in later years — two here and two there, three in one place and four in another. You would not find a street of twenty houses in the town. From this partly arises the variety that is seen in the place. The sight of an occasional thatched cottage in the vicinity of the town gives one an indication of what Loughor was centuries ago. It seems that every one chose his own spot to build a house, and sought freedom around it. In passing through, one perceives that variety is the distinctive feature of the town. This applies equally well to the whole neighbourhood. We may look in any direction we please, and we shall not see uniformity in the scenery. Seldom do we find a perfectly quadrangular field in the neighbourhood, nor shall we find an even one. We are compelled continually, owing to the unevenness of the ground, to change the position of the eye-axes in order to ohtain a full view of a scene. The parish has no high mountain nor a large plain. On all sides are seen small hills and dales rich in variety. As in the case of the ground, so with the flowers, hedges, and trees: flowers of many different colours, variegated hedges, trees of different sizes, and we behold a good number of them in different directions. As compared with some districts in Glamorgan, we can say that Loughor is woody. Were one asked for a word that sets forth most effectively the characteristic of the town and neighbourhood, Variety would be the best word by far.
Now, let us direct our gaze outside Loughor, what is the sight that meets the eye? Variety again. Towards the south-west, we behold the Loughor River, giant-like in its all-conquering career from its source in the Black Mountain, entering the Severn Sea. A little more to the south, across a corner of the Channel, we see the village of Penclawdd with its tin-works; while behind it is that fine tract of land called Gower, where the Reverend Sire W. Griffiths of Gower ministered. The admiration felt by the inhabitants for Mr. Griffiths, owing to his undoubted piety, was little short of worship. Looking to the south-east, situated in a beautiful spot, on the rail-road to Swansea, we see Gowerton. Turning our eyes again a little to the north-west, the tall chimney stacks of Llanelly. Tinworks in Carmarthenshire appear before us. In this direction we get an extensive view, full of variety. Looking northwards, Llangennech and Pontardulais, and the valley of Loughor, are seen. The scenery in this vale in midsummer is beautiful. In this pretty dale dwelt David Williams of Llandilo Minor when he composed the immortal hymn —
In the deep and mighty waters,
None can save and succour me,
But my dear Redeemer Jesus,
Crucified upon the tree.
He’s a Friend in death’s deep river,
O’er the waves my head he’ll guide,
Seeing Him will set me singing,
In the deep and swelling tide
A mile and a half in the north-westerly direction stands the village of Gorseinon. This cannot be seen from the town of Loughor, for a hillock stands between them. It is a village of recent growth, owing its existence to the large coal mine sunk close to it. The Revival has made it famous amongst other villages in the county and in Wales. Wonderful things took place here at the beginning of the Revival, as we shall point out in another chapter. Before we can adequately describe the marvellous mission of Evan Roberts, we must ever closely connect Gorseinon with its beginning. To the south-east stands Swansea, but not in sight from Loughor.
IV. BWLCHYMYNYDD
We have named the chief places in the neighbourhood of Loughor, as well as described the place. We now come to Bwlchymynydd and Island House Bwlchymynydd a mile to the north from Lower Loughor, having the same characteristics as Loughor — a few houses scattered here and there, and variously built. Here we find Pisgah the little chapel in which Evan Roberts worships. It is a branch of Moriah, the Methodist Chapel of Loughor. We shall have more to say of Pisgah again. Having come to the village of Bwlchymynydd, we keep to the left for some fifty yards, then turn to the right, and having walked on a few hundred yards, we arrive at Island House where our subject first saw the light of day. On the way to it we pass the well called The Well under the Field, which supplies a great part of the neighbourhood with water. In another chapter will be told an account of a strange incident relating to Evan Roberts in connection with this well. A large brick wall has been now built around it, making it visible a great way off. The writer was present on the spot with the Revivalist Christmas-time, 1904. A man drove up to the well, and was accosted by Evan Roberts in the following words, You carry water to quench the natural thirst of people. I do my best to quench their thirst with the living, spiritual water. As soon as we have passed the well, we are quite close to the house, which faces the west. It is not on a main road, but on the side of a narrow lane that runs before it. It is a few yards from the road, and at the north corner we find the entrance towards it. In front of the house a few evergreens add to the beauty of the scene. Near the upper part of the spot is a small green, through which a path leads to the back of the house. On this green stands a tree planted by Evan Roberts with his own hand. Behind, and a little to the south, we see a large garden excellently cultivated. As we draw nigh to the house, what strikes us first of all is the absence of every kind of waste.
Nothing is to be seen save what is necessary to make life pleasant. Things that are absolutely essential, and nothing more, do we see outside the house as well as within. Yet, we find here many things that prove the inhabitants to be possessed of a taste for the good, the lovely, the beautiful, and the sublime. Outside and within can be traced the marks of a desire for neatness and cosiness. We think that neatness is one of the chief characteristics of the father and mother, and the children too. The house is a remarkable instance of what a working man’s dwelling should be. It contains eight rooms, which, though not large, are so neat that one feels quite contented and happy as soon as he sits in one of them. As we go to Evan Roberts’s Library, which is on the left as we enter, we see at once that the family is one that loves the good. This will become more manifest when we have occasion to speak of his Library. When once seated in the house, perfect silence characterises the place. No sounds are heard except the melody of the birds on the boughs about the house. Let us go out in front of the cottage and over against the way is seen a marshy swamp, and beyond that again, there arises a green meadow, called the Great Island. Some recall the sea at high tide coming up and surrounding this meadow. Such a sight not improbably gave the field its present name. Which-ever way we look from the door of Island House, the scenes that meet the eye are characterised by variety. What wonder is it then that he who was born here is so rich in variety in his mind and in his work? At a distance of a few miles from the house, we may behold every scene that Nature can give us; on this side, the surging sea, in the distance behold high-peaked mountains. Nearer to us we see picturesque hills and a broad plain, rich dales and marshy bogs; thick hedges, stout and tall trees; multicoloured flowers, thorn trees, and gorse, and the smoke of mines. We hear the puffing of the steam-engine; see a large river and Iittle streams; narrow winding lanes, and a main road, almost free from so many turnings. It were impossible for a great rich mind not to develop rich in variety in such a place, for it could not but produce in it ideas of different kinds. If we bear in mind the variety in the scenery of the place, it will help us to understand the variety that belongs to Evan Roberts’s mind, feelings, and desires. As far as we are able to describe them, these then are the Loughor and Bwlchymynydd where he was born and reared, whom God used in 1904 to move all Wales morally and spiritually.
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