19th century Welsh Bible from Anglesey  © 2013 Simon Peter Sutherland

I was recently in a second hand, part antique, part book shop in North Wales. An old Welsh Bible with crumbling binding and unbound leaves was amongst the books. I took the Bible, purchased it and looked for points of interest within it.

The Bible dates from 1857, so it is not that ancient. It was published, as most 19th century Welsh bibles are in “Llundain”. It is likely to be a print of the 1620 revision of ‘William Morgan’s’ translation, and from the notes an inscription inside, it appears to have been owned by a 19th century preacher. His name was “John Davies”.

From the handwritten inscription written on a blank page between the Old and New Testaments, it appears that Mr Davies lived on Anglesey in the village of “Llannerchymedd” in the 19th century.

Back in those days, the village was home to a busy market, perhaps Anglesey’s most popular. The handwritten tribute in this Welsh Bible says Mr Davies was a “manufacturer” so perhaps he continued his trade in Llannerchymedd.

The handwritten notes pay tribute to Mr John Davies and says that he was from “Flintshire” in North Wales and died “the 4th day of April 1859”. This was the same year of the shipwreck of the “Royal Charter” at Moelfre, where I purchased the book.

The writer says he died “in the 73 years of his age” of which 34 years of his life had been spent a member of a Christian church and was “a local preacher with Baptists”.

The text says “his end was peace”.

So I have written these thoughts on him and hope on my part that it offers just a tiny tribute to a man whom, like so many, time has forgotten.

I would have liked to have visited his grave this time and to have taken that Bible with me, but time forbid me such. So maybe in the future, should I return, I hope to visit his resting place and lay some mark of respect on his grave, a flower or something. It is the least I can do.