A letter addressed to the Right Honourable Lord Robert Grosvenor, M.P. explanatory of the object and design of the Chester Cambrian Society — Reading Notes

Transcribed from the 1832 T. Griffith edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

[Picture: Pamphlet cover]

A LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD ROBERT GROSVENOR, M.P.

CHESTER CAMBRIAN SOCIETY.

BY THE REV. EVAN EVANS, CHAPLAIN TO THE SOCIETY.

CHESTER: PRINTED BY T. GRIFFITH, GROSVENOR-STREET; AND SOLD BY H. HUGHES, ST. MARTIN’S LE GRAND, LONDON; AND THE BOOKSELLERS IN CHESTER.

TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD R. GROSVENOR, M.P.

THE relation in which your Lordship stands to the City of Chester, as one of its Representatives, and the lively interest you always evince in every thing connected with its welfare, induce me to address your Lordship on behalf of the CAMBRIAN SOCIETY, established in this City, about six years ago, for the purpose of providing the Welsh residents with the means of religious instruction in their native language; and that in connexion with the Established Church. Though the success with which this Institution has been attended, has far exceeded the most sanguine expectations of its friends; and though the important benefits resulting from it, have been fully appreciated by those, for whom they were originally intended; yet, my Lord, some are still to be found, who entertain conscientious scruples respecting the propriety of supporting this Society—who are yet to be convinced of the expediency of providing the natives of Wales, who come to settle in the principal towns of England, with the means of vernacular religious instruction;—who are of opinion that the Welsh, thus situated, ought to learn the language of their neighbours, by which means they would have access to all their privileges: this, they contend, would supersede the necessity of all such institutions as are founded on the principle of the Chester Cambrian Society.

It is with a view of examining the practicability of this suggestion, that I beg to submit the following pages for your Lordship’s perusal. But, before I enter upon the subject, I trust it will not be considered an improper digression, to furnish your Lordship with a brief sketch of the circumstances which led to the formation of this Society.

A few years ago, a number of the natives of the Principality, resident in Chester, associated, and formed themselves into a body, under the denomination of the “Cymmrodorion Society.” Their original object did not extend beyond the common purposes of meeting together for social intercourse, and communicating with each other, in their native language, on subjects connected with the literature of the land of their fathers. But, after a lapse of time, and frequent interchanges of kindred sentiments, their attention was forcibly directed to the moral condition of the lower classes of their fellow-countrymen, residing in Chester.—They found, upon inquiry, that a considerable number of these, were so imperfectly acquainted with the English language, as to exclude the possibility of rendering it, to them, a proper medium of religious instruction. Nay, that not a small portion of them, especially of those who had lately emigrated from their native hills, were often, from their imperfect knowledge of it, deprived of advantageous situations, which, in every other respect, they were highly competent to fill. This naturally led to the conclusion, that if their ignorance of that language was such, as to incapacitate them for discharging the duties of their secular employments, how utterly incapable must it render them of performing the infinitely more important duties of religion?—Thus was the Society forcibly impressed with the conviction of their destitute condition.