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Notable Churches in and around Llanelli

The information in this section is an edited version taken from Llanelli - Birth of a Town a CdRom by William and Benita Rees

Methodism

 Chapels & Churches     Nonconformity

In the early days, like today, there were both Welsh and English-speaking Methodists who took a different approach to their faith.

In general the Welsh members followed the Calvinistic Methodists of the Presbyterian Church in Wales and the English-speaking Methodists followed John Wesley’s style. George Whitefield was a Welsh-speaking Calvinistic Methodist who inspired John Wesley, the English-speaking Methodist. Both ministers respected each other, but their approach to their faith was different.

Calvinistic Methodists – Welsh

Following the Toleration Act in 1688 independent places of worship were soon established throughout Wales. It is known that the earliest Methodist Chapel and Sunday School in the town of Llanelli was established by the Calvinistic Methodists of the Presbyterian Church at Gelli Onn (1786-1809).

Gelli Onn, Hall Street

The chapel was a small squat, whitewashed, stone-built barn in the yard of the Prince of Wales Hotel, Hall Street. It was the earliest Methodist Chapel and Sunday School in Llanelli where the local Calvinistic Methodists of the Presbyterian Church held their services from 1786-1809.

The pulpit was a flight of stone steps and the congregation had to stand in a back lane when the Revd C M Evans, Minister of Capel Newydd, organised an open-air service outside the chapel walls during celebrations in 1959 to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of Capel Newydd.

In September 1962 the lane leading into a cul-de-sac off Hall Street was packed again for a Sunday service in which nine Llanelli churches were represented. The service was held to unveil a plaque at Gelli Onn. The inscription on the plaque was in Welsh and it said: "Gelli-Onn, Home of the Calvinistic Methodists from 1786-1809 and the first place for a Sunday School in Llanelly. It was visited by Thomas Charles of Bala."

Revd W R Williams, Moderator of the South Wales Association of Presbyterian Churches and Principal of the Theological College at Aberystwyth, unveiled the plaque.

The exact age of Gelli Onn is uncertain but it was known to be linked with the early days of the Methodists in Wales and of the Baptist cause in Llanelli.

Around 1780 a group of members of Adulam Baptist Chapel, Felinfoel, failed to hold a Communion service on Sunday so that they could hear Revd David Jones of Llangain, preach at a Methodist service in Pontarddulais. Because of this misdemeanor they were disciplined and two of them – Walter Bowen, a clothier of Wind Street and Henry Rees of Pembrey (who later farmed at Machynys Fach) – were expelled.

Following their expulsion, every Sunday, Walter and Henry trudged many miles to attend services at Pontarddulais and Llanlluan. Occasionally, they would hold services at Ty Martha, the home of a Llanelli widow who was a member of the Baptist faith. Eventually they rented Gelli Onn, where services were held for 23 years from 1786 to 1809. It was in 1809 that Capel Newydd was built in a field, known as Cae Halen, given by the Squire of Stradey.

When the Methodists moved to their new chapel Gelli Onn had a chequered history. Before the chapel was demolished to make was for the new road improvement system it was occupied by a Breton onion seller. Sidney Walters who was the licensee of the Prince of Wales knew the Breton as Sebastien. Sebastien used the ground floor of Gelli Onn to rope and store the onions and he lived on the upper floor. Later the upper floor was taken over by the Llanelli Silver Prize Band as a rehearsal room and Sebastien moved to bed and board accommodation, still using the ground floor for his onions.