Hoping for some further help on the above. I have found snippets of information but nothing specific on their years/dates of birth and death and family members.
I know from the obituary of Henry Rees (1834-1908), master mariner and later tin plate manufacturer, that his great grandfather was also a Henry Rees who was instrumental in the early Calvanistic Methodist movement in Llanelly:
“ HIS GREAT GRANDFATHER - ANOTHER HENRY REES – WAS THE FIRST LAYMAN TO IDENTIFY HIMSELF IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY OF CARMARTHEN WITH THE RISING CAUSE OF METHODISM AS PREACHED TO WHITFIELD AND HIS WELSH CO-ADJUSTERS IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, IT WAS HE, WHO GUIDED THE MOVEMENT WHICH RESULTED IN THE BUILDING OF CAPEL NEWYYDD.“
(Note: his great grandfather is not to be confused with another Henry Rees (1798-1868) another very prominent calvanistic Methodist minister. I think this Henry Rees is from a different lineage, as he was from Denbighshire).
From the obituary description this seems to be the Henry Rees mentioned:
“According to the Victorian historian David Bowen, the Calvinistic Methodist Church in Llanelli was founded when Walter Bowen and Henry Rees left the Baptists in Felinfoel and joined the Methodists at Goppa Fach. Gelli Onn c1900. They then met in a dwelling house in Llanelli owned by an old lady who was known only as 'Martha'. This religious assembly became known as 'Society Martha'. Preaching then began in 1786 in a house near West End known as 'Gelli Onn'. Here they also held the first Sunday School in Llanelli which was visited by Thomas Charles of Bala. By 1809 Gelli Onn had become too small for the Calvinistic Methodists, and so they moved to their present location in Felinfoel Road at Capel Newydd. The road system 'Gelli Onn' took on the name of the old building after it was demolished to make way for the present traffic system.”
And another article states:
“One was the name of Walter Bowen, a draper and merchant (father of the late Rev. John Bowen,) and the other was Henry Rees, a smallholder, (father of Mr. William Rees, Cilfig Cottage.)”
So we know Henry was a “smallholder” and he had a son William Rees of Cilfig Cottage.
I have also read 2 members were expelled from Adulam, Felinfoel in 1780 for attending a service at the Calvanistic chapel at Gopa Fach, presumably Walter Bowen and Henry Rees.
Hoping that someone may have come across Henry and William before and therefore have some more information on them.
(Just for reference. Henry Rees’s (1834-1908) father was also another Henry Rees (1809-1866, and also a master mariner)
Thank you
