The stuff I have on file often amazes me, but just as well I am an avid reader and collector of information on Welsh History. Some where along the line, I came across these books and decided to photocopy the covers for future ref. The matter of Tibet which is concentrating my mind at moment prompted my ''Grey Cells'' into reminding me that I once meant to read more on Welsh Missionaries. Never got around to doing that, but at least these rather poor foto copies have come to good use at last, to publish in this post to perhaps prompt your interest in this direction. So note the books and do some sussing out on the web to see what you come up with beyond Wikipedia (see below).
.
.
Griffith John - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Griffith John (December 14, 1831 – July 25, 1912) was a Welsh Christian Congregationalist missionary to China and a pioneer evangelist with the London ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffith_John - 34k - Cached - Similar pages . Griffith John is a very important Welsh historical figure and there is quite a lot on him on the web worth reading, which I have just done (some of it). I remember now where and when I first got an interest in this direction. In years before my father died I used to visit him in Swansea, whilst visiting the library there I came upon a number of books that identified Swansea as quite an important place in post Reformation religious history of Wales.
.
Swansea and area becomes emensly important in history of Protestant roots and revivalism in Wales but also as a very important missionary centre, and still is I believe, one as only to see the number of Chapels (sadly many in decline) in the area to realise this. Here one should take note of the story of Ilston, see link here: Oliver Cromwell - Cromwell Britain - Ilston Ilston is a small, inland village, in the heart of the Gower peninsula, West Glamorgan. It stands at the head of an attractive wooded valley, Ilston Cwm, ...www.olivercromwell.org/ilston.htm - 19k - Cached - Similar pages Note in particular The Ilston Book and it's importance in connection to Welsh History, see link here > Ilston Book - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Ilston Book is the earliest record of a Baptist church in Wales, and is so named after the location of its meeting place near the ruins of the old ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilston_Book - 19k - Cached - Similar pages . There is a great deal worthy of study about Swansea as not just a Welsh Religious Centre but also as a World Religious Centre as example the story of the Welsh Bible College, see link here > Rees Howells, Intercession, Revival and the Bible College. Christian. Afterwards, the college sold it for several times the buying price and put the money into the Kingdom as the Lord had said. Today the Penllergaer council ...www.byfaith.co.uk/paulreeshowells.htm - 43k - Cached - Similar pages.
.
Now more to point and purpose of this post, that is the story of Welsh Missionary David Davies, It would be a good read for anyone but particularly of Welsh Interest is the rather sad connection of David Davies to the story of Gladys Aylward, played by Ingrid Bergman in the film Inn of the Sixth Happiness, this story is revisted in following link on p5. It is indeed very illuminating and rather ironic that Gladys Aylward got all the film fame but David Davies, more or less is forgotten. Does he even have a plaque placed in his memory? Some one let me know please, meanwhile check out Visiting the Inn of the Sixth Happiness P5 in article read via this link > [DOC] The Evangelical Library: ‘LIVE ISSUES’ - Lunchtime Seminar 1, 2003 File Format: Microsoft Word - View as HTML But last year, when I read the biography, by Frederick Tatford, ( called David Davies : Missionary Hero Wester Press second printing 1972) I formed a ...www.evangelical-library.org.uk/lectures/christian_biography.doc - Similar pages . I cannot find anything else on Web at moment regards David Davies but there is the book if you want to know more about David Davies Missionary Hero.
.
.
At present and up to and through August China will be very much be in the News, good opportunity I hope for our Welsh Media to tell the story of Welsh Missionaries to China as Griffith John and David Davies. However, do not contact me for any further Information as I do not know much more than what I have read above, there are others in Wales more knowlegable in these areas than I. In passing, I can bring your attention that Greenwich Maritime Museum Archive Library as some fascinating material on missionary endeavours as letters and ships logs etc. I went there to do research on other Welsh Interests but soon got drawn into the history of British Maritime Imperial expansion in Africa, the Far East and Pacific post 1815 to 1860. It's quite epic, with British Gun Boats shelling African Villages and and indeed Cannibals did eat missionaries. Really amazing ''Boys Own Adventure'' stuff but unfortunatly an history greatly ignored in many ways by modern media as TV & Film.
.
Myself I am pretty much interested in the Pacific history for number of reasons which I will put aside for the moment, I have not here in this post gone political regards subject of Christianity and Imperialism or whatever, suffice to say for one moment I am just focusing on individuals with no grinding of axes. This in mind is there anyone out there who can tell me something about Valmai Dunbar, see photo of her grave stone below. I took this photograph while looking around cemetery of Chapel in Bon y Maen, Swansea, the epitaph really caught my imagination ''She Fell Asleep in Africa'' . Valmai died at the very young age of 32 as a Missionary in Africa it appears stated on the head stone. Myself just do not have time to research much more, but whatever, I have always thought the Epitaph on her grave stone is very emotive, good title for a book or even a song and maybe Mal Pope is the man to write that song, perhaps for his own singer daughter to sing. Anyway, I would be very pleased if anyone can tell me more about Valmai Dunbar, is her body even in this grave stone or was her name placed there ''In Memoriam'', as is often done regards people who die far away from home (see my previous post on a Confederate grave at Ewenny). Suffice to say, this photo is placed here in homage to all those who made sacrifices for their beliefs, I might not be at one with their Christian faith completly but I admire their personal faith to what they believed in and made sacrifices for.
.
.
.
