Utah Enquirer | 1889-09-17 | Page 1 | An Old Quaker Meeting-House

an old quaker fleeting house the venerable kev dr B W chil daw is on a visit to wales and writes as follows to the cincinnati commercial gazette two centuries ago the religious teachings of william penn reached the inhabitants of the secluded glens were examined believed and accepted by a sufficient number to form a society and to bald a meetinghouse meeting house witnessing for truth and righteousness and growing in number aroused the persecuting spirit of the clergy of the established church who sec cured the aid of the civil to suppress the pestilent heresy godly example of theae true disciples oi christ a thorn in their flesh and a swift witness against the vices and of the times which they made no grecial and effectual effort so discourage or suppress suffering from persecution many of these quaker families emigrated to pennsylvania and settled near philadelphia la an old and interesting beoh A collection of memorials concerning the people called quakers printed in philadelphia originally but reprinted in london 1788 loaned by a friend I 1 find many facts illustrating the principles character and sufferings of of these good people who lived in the vicinity of thia town and by a personal visit to their old meetinghouse meeting house and cemetery my interest has been deepened following an uphill up hill and winding road three miles ire reached on the mountainside ta a farmhouse called dyn y bareg rock farm an old antiquated dilapidated building where two hundred years ago a quaker family lived and near which is tho old quaker graveyard surrounded by a atone wall five feet high the graves are unmarked but there are meyeral headstones head stones of recent date welsh inscriptions tha last quaker burial was some fifty year sago the meetinghouse meeting house feet of rough stone gray wi thage is a little distance from the graveyard it is now called tabor and used as a house of worship by the congregationalists tiona lists between this sacred spot and the town is a hill farm called bryn mawr great hill where an ancient and esteemed quaker named lived he was born in 1650 and convinced of the truth in 1672 united with the quaker society and on account of his testimony suffered five years of imprisonment in 1680 this true disciple of william penn because he would not violate his conscience by taking the oath of allegiance was arrested the judges before whom he appeared and stoutly refused condemned him to suffer long imprisonment and said that in case tho quakers refused the second time to take the oath they should be proceeded against as traitors the men hanged and quartered and the women burned rowland ellis released from prison in 1686 went to pennsylvania bought land a few miles out of philadelphia and came back for his family he called his new home after the farm on which he had lived in wales bryn mawr which is now the name of a station with beautiful surroundings a few miles out on the Penne sylvania railroad Kail road rowland ellis was a minister distinguished for his piety and service an able aavo cate for civil and religions liberty the doctrines and discipline of society and the best interests of humanity he died at the house of his sonin son in law john evans 1729 was buried at the plymouth burying ground and of whom it is said ho rests enjoying the reward of the righteous and hia works follow him C W DOLGELLEY aug