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Major Arthur Brown looks back to the beginnings of the Army's Welsh-speaking work in Wales.
by Arthur J.Brown B.D.
Over a century ago General William Booth decided to expand the work of The Salvation Army In Wales and, In the late summer of 1886, despatched Major and Mrs Jonah Evans to Caernarfon with express instructions to commence a Welsh-speaking Army and establish their headquarters in that royal town.
An empty Methodist chapel, in Crown Street (Glan Môr Uchaf), was secured for meetings and the salvationists opened fire with an open-air meeting in Turf Square (Pendist), close to their hall.[For more about Crown Street and Pendist CLICK]. From then on open-air meetings were held in various parts of the town where violent opposition to the gospel message was encountered. One of the earliest was held on Twt Hill and there many salvationists were stoned and beaten in an incident described as riotous.
In the back alleysHousing conditions in Caernarfon were very bad in those days, and Captain Clara Winfield was sent to assist in the social aspects of the work during one of the town's recurring cholera epidemics. She came from Birkenhead and spoke no Welsh, yet was determined to reach the hearts of the people through displaying in her own life Christ's love for them. In doing so, she succumbed to tuberculosis contracted while working in the dismal back alleys and slums, and died early in 1887.
William BoothWilliam Booth maintained a lively interest in what was happening in and around Caernarfon. He announced in The Times that the Army had been firmly established in Wales, using the language of the people.He visited Caernarfon three times in the first six years of the Army there and preached to great crowds in the old Pavilion. Such frequent visits to North Wales, at a time when there were many demands on him, indicate his special interest in Y Fyddin.
Leading bards
The publication of books and other literature in the Welsh language played a part in establishing the new work. Not only were special Welsh song books used, but there were Welsh orders of services for Army ceremonies. A Welsh edition of The War Cry, entitled Y Gad Lef, was issued, some copies being printed by the Herald office in Caernarfon.
Y Caniedydd Milwrol (Songs of the Soldier), with words and music, was also issued. The War Cry reported: 'Some of the leading bards and musicians of Wales are contributing to its pages, the words of the fifth song being by the bard Owen Jones of Caernarfon and several translations into Welsh by the Chair Bard, Llew Llwifio. Pencerdd Gwynedd has promised his valuable assistance. The June number will contain a song by Dewi Gwallter to a swinging march tune by J. S. Williams, A.C., of Bethesda, and a tune by Mr J. R. Jones of the Herald office, Caernarfon.'
Today
The work spread quickly throughout North Wales to such places as Pwllheli, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Bethesda. Y Fyddin, not surprisingly, also spread across the Atlantic to Patagonia. In more recent times Major Edward Watkins, a Clynnogfawr man who was a soldier of Pwllheli Corps, commanded the Welsh-speaking Army in Patagonia for a quarter of a century.
Though there are still many Welsh-speaking salvationists, Welsh-speaking corps merged with English-speaking ones in the principality. and the last wholly Welsh corps, at Penrhyndeudraeth, closed in the late 1950s. For a variety of reasons the once strong Salvation Army presence in north-west Wales has virtually disappeared. There is a small group meeting in Caergybi (Holyhead), also this magazine and its associated sites.
Byddin yr Iachawdwriaeth - The Welsh Salvation Army used to have its headquarters in Caernarfon.:::::: CLICK HERE for Major Brown's article.
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Cymraeg