The Life and Hymns of Ann Griffiths Robert Rhys The many and varied events arranged become clear that a talk on Ann to mark the bicentenary of Ann Griffiths in no way interrupts your Griffiths’ death in 2005 confirmed series of meetings on revival. her iconic status within Welsh- speaking Wales and the enduring Biography fascination which her life and work Ann Griffiths was born Ann Thomas holds for many in Wales and in 1776 at Dolwar Fach, a farm in the throughout the world. But it is often parish of Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa in the case that this fascination is not Montgomeryshire. She received grounded in a discerning spiritual some elementary education. Her appreciation of her experience and brother John was the first member of beliefs. Indeed, as has happened with the family to be converted, probably the 1904/5 revival, there has been a in 1792. Ann’s attitude to the tendency to attempt to neutralize or converts in her neighbourhood was to nullify that living spiritual element one of scorn and contempt. Seeing a in her work which Christian readers group setting out to Bala, the capital value so highly. Much has been made our own orthodoxy, I would like us of North Wales Methodism, she is of the uniqueness of Ann Griffiths, to challenge ourselves by comparing reported to have said, ‘Look at the the mystic female religious poet, in an our times and experiences with pilgrims on their way to Mecca’ . Her attempt to drive a wedge between those of Ann Griffiths.We should also mother died in 1794 making her the her and her brothers and sisters in be able to draw comfort from the mistress of Dolwar Fach with care of Christ whose experiences are knowledge that the God of Ann the family. On Easter Monday 1796 basically the same as hers. The Griffiths is our God also. It will also Ann attends a preaching meeting at growth of the Ann Griffiths myth/cult from the end of the nineteenth century onwards is a significant topic, and some aspects of it would shock and dismay evangelical Christians.The popular 20th century Welsh-language poet Cynan, for example, at one time a minister with the Calvinistic Methodists, wrote a poem to ‘Saint Ann’, beseeching her to have mercy upon us and closing with the words ‘O blessed Ann, intercede on our behalf’. Attempts to explain Ann Griffiths in natural psychological terms have continued to the present century, as a musical and a radio play about her life produced in 2005 demonstrated. But rather than reviewing the growth of the Ann Griffiths myth, a path which might lead us to a smug satisfaction with Where Ann Griffiths lived. Llyn Llanwddyn = Lake Vyrnwy unthought of’. It was also a very powerful work:‘Convictions are deep and overpowering.All selfconfidences and vain hopes are powerfully and thoroughly demolished, and the sinner is left naked and helpless before infinite eternal misery ...Their consolations, in general, are strong consolations, which always proceed from a discovery made to their souls of Christ in the divine excellencies and dignities of his person, and glorious fullness and freeness of his redemption.’ (Compare this with the An old photograph of Dolwar Fach response to contemporary preaching.) Another point he makes is nearby Llanfyllin. Benjamin Jones's died on the last day of the month.Ann that it was a growing work: ‘it grows sermon makes an impact upon her does not long outlive her, and is and thrives in the soul of those where and she is spiritually awakened. On buried at the age of 29 in Llanfihangel it is begun... Human speculative Christmas Day the same year she churchyard on 12 August 1805. (It has knowledge, even of divine truths, attends the service at Llanfihangel been suggested that she was one of freeze and starve the soul; whilst Church and is repelled by the those gifted authors whose artistic divine, experimental knowledge unseemly remarks made to her by the faculties were heightened by warms, enlivens and invigorates those curate who offers her no spiritual tuberculosis.) Her hymns were who are blessed with it from above. assistance. In 1797 she joins the published for the first time in a They then become not truths to be Methodist society at Pontrobert collection edited by Thomas Charles. talked upon only, but to feed and to where her brothers John and Edward The most reliable edition of her live upon; and when we live on this were members. By the end of the hymns is an edition made by Dr E. living bread, we cannot but be lively year their father was also converted. Wyn James of Cardiff University, but and strong ourselves'. Salvation has come to Dolwar Fach it is not yet available in popular and it becomes a place of hospitality format. It is a small body of work - 30 This was the great work of God into for itinerant preachers and local hymns, (73 stanzas in total) and eight which Ann Thomas was drawn by Christians. John Hughes, converted a letters. (You can read translations of grace and it was within this spiritual short time before Ann becomes a her hymns on the website edited by atmosphere and under this degree of leader of the cause locally, and Dr James, unction that she lived and wrote her eventually a figure of national http://www.anngriffiths.cardiff.ac.uk) hymns.These were years when many importance; the first records of Ann's of God's people even in this area spiritual feelings are to be found in Revival were empowered to complete work letters written to John Hughes. Ann Let's move on by reminding ourselves extraordinary in its volume and begins to compose hymns during of a very obvious truth, but a crucially influence. Thomas Charles's labours 1801-2; Ruth Evans, a Christian who important one. The years of Ann with his monumental Bible lived as a maid at Dolwar Fach, Griffiths’ conversion and brief Dictionary are well documented; less commits all her mistress's stanzas to pilgrimage were years of immense familiar but extremely influential was memory. Ruth's future husband is blessing and revival, in parts of North George Lewis, who came from the John Hughes, who begins to make Wales in particular. Thomas Charles same corner of Carmarthenshire as written copies of them during Ann's writing to a friend in Wiltshire in Charles and was minister of the lifetime. In October 1804 Ann 1792 describes the features of the independent congregational church Thomas marries Thomas Griffiths, current awakening in the town of at Llanuwchllyn five miles from Bala. member of a prominent Methodist Bala. It was ‘a very gracious work’: In 1797 at the age of 34 Lewis farming family. She gave birth to a ‘Grace abounds towards the chief of published his Drych Ysgrythyrol the baby girl on 13 July 1805, but the child sinners, unsought for, unexpected and first Welsh language systematic theology, a work much valued and and delight and warmth of the first used by the young converts of the love (allied to a dread of becoming revival and it is not unreasonable to cold and losing her spiritual assume that Ann Griffiths read it. ardour). She was, as any Christian will be at pains to emphasize, an Ann Griffiths was one of a new 'ordinary' Christian, but one who generation of Christians effectually was endowed with extraordinary called by God at this time. It is worth gifts and who used them at a time noting that the period of time of exceptional blessing. Writing 34 between the first awakenings of the years after her death her old friend 18th century revival and Ann John Hughes said that she shone Griffiths' conversion in 1796 is very more brightly in spiritual religion similar in length to the one between than any one else he had come the movement of God's spirit in the across in his life. As for the quality late 1940's which eventually led to of the hymns Thomas Charles's the establishing of the Evangelical Rev. John Hughes early assessment needs no Movement of Wales and the present amendment: ‘They display strong day. As the eighteenth century was was John Davies of the same flights, and views of the person of drawing to a close in Wales God was neighbourhood whose name is linked Christ and his sacrifice, which are graciously and powerfully at work. with his mission field,Tahiti.We need sublime and glorious’. Her hymns The great leaders of the revival were also to bear in mind that many areas remind us how important it is to be being called to glory, Daniel Rowland in Welsh-speaking rural Wales were grounded in the great truths of died in 1791, William Williams the as spiritually dark then as they are Christian doctrine as a new-born following year. But the work wasn't today, not in any way more promising Christian. She was nurtured within their work, it was the Lord's work, or amenable to the preaching of the a Christian society which took its and the Lord saw fit to renew it and gospel. The Wales of Ann Griffiths teaching and preaching very to make it flourish. I am sure that this was a country of gross immorality seriously indeed. We now turn to historical correspondence should be and Sabbath breaking and hard look at some of those hymns. a source of comfort and challenge to indifference to the gospel. It was a us to pray that the correspondence dark country.