Capel Als, Llanelli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Capel Als, Llanelli |
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| Location | Marble Hall Road, Llanelli |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Independent (Congregationalist) |
| History | |
| Founded | 1780 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 3 December 1992 |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Thomas |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Late 19th century |
Capel Als is a very important church in Llanelli, Wales. It belongs to a Christian group called the Independents, also known as Congregationalists. This means each church manages itself, rather than being controlled by a larger church structure. Many people think Capel Als is one of the most important religious buildings in all of Wales.
There are a couple of ideas about how the church got its name. One story says it's named after a woman called Als (which is like Alice in Welsh) who had a small house where the church now stands. Another idea was that "als" meant "rock" in Welsh, because there's a rock face behind the church. However, "als" doesn't actually mean rock in Welsh, so that idea isn't true.
The building is officially recognized as a Grade II-listed building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
Contents
The Start of Capel Als
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The very first Capel Als building was built in 1780. It was quite simple and small. Later, in 1797, it was made bigger to fit more people. At this time, Llanelli was growing fast because of new industries like coal mining and making iron and copper.
Capel Als was originally connected to a church in Llanedi. A minister named Evan Davies, who worked in Llanedi from 1775, helped start new churches in other towns. These included churches in Cross Inn (now Ammanford), Kidwelly, Pembrey, and of course, Llanelli.
David Rees: A Leader for Change (1829-1869)
A famous preacher and writer named David Rees became the minister of Capel Als in 1829. He was known for speaking out and encouraging people to make changes in society. When he arrived, about 250 people attended the church.
By 1832, the number of members had grown to 446! David Rees then started building a much larger church to replace the old one from 1797. During his time, he also helped start several new churches, including Park Church (1839), Siloah (1841), and Capel-y-Bryn (1841). Even with many members moving to these new churches, Capel Als still had 580 members by 1850.
The church building was rebuilt and made even larger in 1852. This work was overseen by an architect named Thomas Thomas. He liked the design so much that he used it for other churches he built later in Pontypool and Llandeilo.
David Rees also had a big impact as a publisher. He created a strong newspaper called Y Diwygiwr (The Reformer), which encouraged new ideas. He also worked hard to improve education for everyone. He often disagreed with the official church of the time and had many debates with the local rector, Ebenezer Morris. When David Rees passed away in 1869, Capel Als had over 800 members.
Thomas Johns: Continuing the Legacy (1869-1914)
After David Rees, Thomas Johns became the minister in 1869. He was another very important leader in Welsh nonconformity, which refers to Protestant Christians who were not part of the official Church of England or Wales.
Thomas Johns stayed at Capel Als until he died in 1914. Early in his time as minister, a new schoolroom was built for the church. In 1875, some members left to start a new church called Tabernacle. Capel Als even helped pay for this new church.
It was hoped that starting Tabernacle would help with the overcrowding at Capel Als. The church was often very full, especially for Sunday evening services, and it could get uncomfortable and stuffy. So, the church decided to build a new, bigger chapel. Some people wanted to knock down the old building completely, but older members wanted to keep parts of it. They found a middle ground: the new building kept some features of the David Rees chapel but was made much larger. This work was finished in 1894.
More Recent Times
D.J. Davies became the minister of Capel Als in 1916 and served for 42 years until he retired in 1958. During his time, the church reached its highest number of members, with 1,007 people in 1935.
He was followed by Iorwerth Jones, who wrote a book about the life of David Rees. Maurice Loader was the minister from 1975 to 1994.
