Market Square - Llanerchymedd (1905)



We continue to have very warm meetings. Three united meetings are held in the different chapels each week, and the young people meet every evening until ten o'clock, and sometimes later. We have had extraordinary meetings during the recent  holidays [i.e. over Eastertide]. There were three prayer meetings here on Good Friday and three on Easter Monday, at the Baptist chapel in the morning and a church meeting full of unction at the Methodist chapel in the afternoon. And in the evening the Independent chapel was full. But the most wonderful meetings here so far were on the day of St Mark's Fair. This is the great fair of the year. It is kept as a festival by all the farm servants in the area. In previous years the day has been characterised by drunkenness and fighting, but this time everything bore a new aspect. Although the farmhands and the maidservants came here in hordes, it was easy to see from their faces that their character had undergone a complete change. Instead of going to the taverns and sauntering aimlessly along the road, a prayer meeting was formed, and filled the New Hall, which holds over 500 people. There they sang and prayed through the afternoon in great heat. Having been released to get something to eat, they returned to form a procession to pass through the streets of the town. This was the biggest parade ever seen here, being made up of hundreds of people of both sexes. The procession traversed some roads twice, singing the tunes of the Revival, till the whole neighbourhood resounded. The scene was quite wonderful. There were four police officers deployed to keep the peace at the fair, this was a holiday for them as well. They had nothing to do but ensure that there was enough room for the parade to pass through the streets. I shall never forget the scene and how cheerful everyone looked. Afterward the procession, they went to Capel Mawr, the Methodist chapel, to hold a prayer meeting, which soon filled the building. Although we have had quite wonderful meetings during the last five months, everyone testified that this was the most wonderful of all. After beginning, briefly, with singing and a reading, the meeting was thrown open, and there was no pause for three hours. It was worth coming a long way to listen to the young men and women giving their testimony in gratitude for the change which they had undergone. Some gave thanks for this year’s St Mark's Fair, where they had been able to worship God instead of sitting in the taverns to sin. Some of their prayers were really excellent. The meeting became warmer as it progressed. The elders' seat was filled with young men and women praying at the same time. Soon there was great rejoicing, and hordes of people were in floods of tears. By nine o'clock there were waters to swim in. Undoubtedly the influences will never be forgotten. We thank God for St. Mark's Fair day this year. At the end we were urged to form a procession, and pass through the town again. Everyone agreed to this. After the procession, a prayer meeting was formed on the Square where there was singing and praying until between ten and eleven o'clock. After that the family from the country went home to their different areas, singing and glorifying God. Our prayer is, "Remain with us, Blessed Lord."

Goleuad - 12th May 1905.

http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3224725

Additional Information

Yr ydym yn parhau i gael cyfarfodydd gwresog iawn. Cynhelir tri o  gyrddau undebol yn y gwahanol gapelau bob wythnos, a chyrddau y bobl ieuainc bob nos hyd ddeg o'r gloch, ac weithiau yn hwyrach. Cawsom gyfarfodydd hynod y gwyliau diweddaf. Yr oedd yma dri chyfarfod gweddi ar y Groglith, a thri ddydd Llun y Pasg sef yn nghapel y Bedyddwyr y bore, a chyfarfod eglwysig llawn o eneiniad yn nghapel y Methodistiaid y prydnawn. Ac yn yr hwyr llanwyd capel yr Annibynwyr. Ond y cyfarfodydd rhyfeddaf a gaed yma eto oedd air ddydd Ffair Farc. Hon yw ffair fawr y flwyddyn. Cedwir ni fel gwyl, gan holl weision amaethwyr y cylchoedd. Yn y blynyddoedd gynt nodweddid y dydd gan feddwdod ac ymladdfeydd. Ond y tro hwn yr oedd gwedd newydd ar pob peth. Er i'r gweision a'r morwynion ddod yma yn lluoedd, yr oedd yn hawdd gweled ar eu gwedd fod eu cymeriad wedi mynd dan gyfnewidiad hollol. Yn lle myned i'r tafarnau  a gwag a rodiana ar yr heol, ffurfio cyfarfod gweddi a wnaed a llenwi y New Hall, yr hon a gynal dras 500 o bobl. Yno y buwyd yn canu ac yn gweddio trwy y prydnawn mewn gwres mawr. Wedi eu gollwng i gael ymborth dychwelasant i ffurfio gorymdaith i fyned trwy heolydd y dref. Hon oedd yr orymdaith liosocaf welwyd yma erioed yn cael ei gwneyd i fyny gan ganoedd o'r ddau ryw. Aed trwy rai o'r heolydd ddwywaith, a hyny dan ganu tonau y Diwygiad, nes diaspedain trwy yr holl fro. Yr oedd yr olygfa yn dra bendigedig. Yr oedd pedwar o heddgeidwaid wedi eu hanfon i ofalu am heddweh y ffair, dydd gwyl oedd hwn iddynt hwythau. Nid oedd ganddynt ddim i'w wneyd ond gofalu fod yr orymdaith yn cael digon o le i fyned drwy'r heolydd. Nid anghofiaf byth yr olygfa a'r wedd siriol oedd ar bawb. Wedi gorymdeithio aed i  Gapel Mawr y Methodistiaid i gynal Cyfarfod gweddi, a llanwyd yr adeilad yn fuan. Er i ni gael cyfarfodydd tra rhyfedd yn ystod y pum' mis diweddaf, tystia pawb mai hewn oedd y rhyfeddaf o'r cwbl. Ar ol dechreu yn fyr trwy ac ni ganu a darllen, taflwyd y cyfarfod yn rhydd, ac ni fu ball arno am dair awr, Yr oedd yn werth dodd o bell i wrando ar y meibion a'r merched yn datgan eu profiadau mewn diolchgarwch am y cyfnewidiad oedd ynddynt. Diolchai amryw o honynt am Ffair Fach y flwyddyn hon, lle yr oeddynt yn cael addoli Duw yn lle eistedd i bechu yn y tafarnau. Yr oedd gweddiau rhai o honynt yn ardderchog mewn gwirionedd. Gwresog ai y cyfarfod wrth fyned ymlaen. Llanwyd y set fawr gan feibion a merched yn gweddio ar unwaith. Yn fuan aeth yn orfoledd mawr, ac yr oedd lluoedd yn foddfa o ddagrau. Erbyn naw o'r gloch yr oedd yno ddyfroedd nofiadwy. Diau nad anghofir y dylanwadau byth. Yr ydym yn diolch i Dduw am ddydd y Ffair Fach y flwyddyn hon. Ar y diwedd anogwyd i ffurfio gorymdaith, a myned trwy y dref drachefn. A hyn y cytunodd pawb. Wedi gorymdeithio ffurfiwyd cyfarfod gweddi ar y Square lle y buwyd yn canu ac yn gweddio nes yr oedd rhwng deg ac unarddeg o'r gloch. Wedi hyny aeth teulu y wlad adref i'w gwahanol ardaloedd dan ganu a gogoneddu Duw. Ein gweddi ydyw, "Aros gyda ni Fendigedig Arglwydd."

Goleuad - 12th May 1905.

http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3224725


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