William Wroth facts for kids
William Wroth (born 1576, died 1641) was an important minister in the Church of England. He is famous for starting the very first Independent Church in Wales in 1639. For many years, from 1617 to 1639, Wroth was the main minister, or Rector, of the church in Llanvaches, a village in Monmouthshire. This is where his special kind of church, called a Congregationalist chapel, began.
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William Wroth's Life Story
William Wroth grew up in Abergavenny, a town in Wales. He went to Oxford University for fifteen years to study. He earned his first degree from Christ Church in 1596 and a master's degree from Jesus College in 1605. It is said that he went to Oxford as a helper for a well-known person named Sir Edward Lewis. They stayed connected throughout their lives.
Becoming a Church Minister
In 1610, Edward Lewis promised Wroth the job of Rector at the church in Llanvaches once it became available. It opened up the next year, but there was a delay. So, in 1613, Wroth was given the job of Rector at another church, Llanfihangel Roggiet, which he kept until 1626. Then, in 1617, he also became the Rector of Llanvaches. This meant he held two church jobs at the same time. Even with both jobs, he wasn't very rich. He continued to work with the Lewis family, helping them with their family church matters and property.
A Big Change in His Life
Before the 1620s, William Wroth was known for being "addicted to mirth, levity, and music," which means he enjoyed fun, lightheartedness, and playing music. However, he changed a lot in 1625–1626. This happened after one of his church members, who had won a legal case in London, died on his way home. This church member had asked his family to plan a big party for his return, with Wroth providing the music.
When everyone was shocked by the news, Mr. Wroth put down his violin. He knelt down among the people and prayed very seriously, asking for God's blessing during this sad time. This big change in his life also led him to give up his job at Llanfihangel in 1626. This was because the new Puritan group, which he joined, did not approve of ministers holding more than one church job.
Standing Up to the King
After another minister named John Parry, William Wroth became one of the first Puritan church leaders in Wales. He also greatly influenced another churchman, Walter Cradock. Cradock, who was the son of a nearby farmer, also studied at Oxford. He later became a curate (a type of assistant minister) at St. Mary's Church in Cardiff.
In 1633, King Charles I, advised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, brought back an old rule called the "Declaration of Sports". This rule listed the sports people were allowed to play on Sundays and other holy days. It was published to go against the growing Puritan belief that Sundays should be kept very strict, with no fun activities.
Wroth, Cradock, and another minister named William Erbury all refused to read this Declaration to their church members. In 1634, the Bishop of Llandaff reported Wroth to a special court called the Court of High Commission. The Bishop wanted to remove Wroth from his position. The next year, the Bishop warned Erbury and suspended Cradock, who seemed to be the main leader of the group. Wroth's response was to carve these words onto the churchyard gate:
Who Ever hear on Sonday
Will Practis Playing at Ball
It May be before Monday
The Devil Will Have you All
Growing Popularity and New Church
In 1638, Erbury resigned from his church job. But Wroth stayed at Llanvaches, continuing to preach and gather followers. Meanwhile, Cradock, who had become a curate in Wrexham, was also attracting large crowds with his sermons. However, the angry people of Wrexham forced Cradock to leave, and he moved to Brampton Bryan in Herefordshire.
At Llanvaches, Wroth's preaching became so popular that people traveled from many different counties, including Somerset, Gloucester, Hereford, Radnor, and Glamorgan, just to hear him speak. In fact, Wroth often had to preach in the churchyard because the church building was too small to hold everyone who came!
By 1639, even though he had not officially left the Church of England, Wroth formed a "gathered church" within the parish church at Llanvaches. The members of this group made a special promise to each other, and they were the only ones who received the church's special ceremonies, like communion. However, they still worshipped alongside other people in the main church. Wroth also preached at the Broad Mead chapel in Bristol with others who shared his views.
His "gathered church" at Llanvaches was set up "according to the New England pattern." This means it was a Congregational church, following the example of Puritan leaders like John Cotton in New England. This church was officially started in November 1639 with the help of another important Dissenter (someone who disagreed with the Church of England), Henry Jessey. This historic meeting at Llanvaches in November 1639 was the true beginning of Nonconformism in Wales.
His Final Days
William Wroth passed away in early 1641, just before the start of the first English Civil War. He was buried, as he wished, under the porch of the Llanvaches parish church. Sadly, no memorial stone for him remains there. His will, which was once displayed in the church, said:
I leave my body to be buried where ye Lord shall please to call for mee praying him to bring my hoarie-head into the grave in his peace which passeth all understanding.
The current Tabernacle United Reformed Church Chapel was built in the 1920s. The original church building stood in a nearby small village called Carrow Hill. It was rebuilt in Llanvaches in 1802 when a good spot of land was found.
