Next day, the second, the pretty little village of Rossett, about 5 miles north of Wrexham, was invaded by a multitude of people such as, I suppose, it has never witnessed before, and probably never will again. Mr Moody was advertised to lay the foundation stone of a new chapel belonging to the Calvinistic Methodist body at 3:45 pm and afterwards to give a gospel address at 4:30 in the park surrounding Mr Balfour's residence at Mount Allyn, whose guest Mr and Mrs Moody had been for some days previously. Early in the day the people began to converge on the spot where the ceremony was to be performed, coming from all points of the compass and by all sorts of conveyance. The day was dry and warm; the roads were very dusty. A crowd clustered around the intended side of the chapel, and some hymns were given out, but being on the edge of a narrow roadway, only a small proportion of the assembled concourse could get near. Many of them, having nothing to occupy their attention, swarmed into and beseiged the 3 or 4 public houses that are apparently deemed necessary to the well-being of the village, and from a flying inspection of these establishments, I’m afraid I am much afraid that much more intoxicating liquor of various sorts was consumed than Mr Moody would approve of. I saw no signs however of excess.
The ceremony being over, Mr Moody, and the friends who accompanied him, drove to Mr Balfour's fine and extensive Park, followed by a multitude of people which, when completely assembled, must have numbered some 10,000. Here, standing in the carriage, Mr Moody, once more proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation from the story of Nicodemus in his conversation with Christ on the new birth. Mr Moody was listened to with the most devout attention, and at the close of a long and most earnest address, some dozen hands were lifted in answer to his appeal. Mr Aitken supplied Mr Sankey's place in his much-regretted absence and led the singing as well as offered prayers. Under the circumstances an inquiry meeting was hardly possible and the benediction being pronounced, Mr Moody drove away to Mr Balfour’s house, which was seen nestling among the trees at some little distance. The great crowd slowly melted away, much gratified, I doubt not, at having seen and heard the eminent evangelist, but above all, I hope more desirous of profiting by “the words of this life“ which had been so earnestly, though simply proclaimed. Mr Moody cannot fail to carry with him to his own country a fragrant remembrance of the short season spent in Wales, and the honour so universally accorded him, both for his own and for his Master's sake.
"The Christian," August 12th, 1875.
I assume it was near the place marked.