Alfred George Edwards
Encyclopedia
Alfred George Edwards was elected the first Archbishop
of the disestablished Church in Wales
.
The son of a priest of the Church of England, Edwards was born in Llanymawddwy
in Gwynedd
. He studied at Jesus College, Oxford
before being appointed Warden of Llandovery College
in 1875. In the same year he was ordained as a priest and in 1885 he was appointed as the vicar of St Peter's (Carmarthen).
In 1889 Edwards was appointed the Bishop of St Asaph
. He was a strong defender of the rights of the established Church of England in Wales in the face of mounting call for disestablishment from the nonconformist and Liberal majority.
When the Church of England was disestablished to be the new Church in Wales in 1920, he was elected the first Archbishop of Wales
. He retired in 1934, died in 1937 and was buried at St Asaph
.
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of the disestablished Church in Wales
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
.
The son of a priest of the Church of England, Edwards was born in Llanymawddwy
Llanymawddwy
Llanymawddwy is a village in Gwynedd, Wales, which is to the north of the larger village of Dinas Mawddwy, on the minor road which connects Dinas Mawddwy to Llanuwchllyn over Bwlch y Groes. The most notable building is St...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
. He studied at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
before being appointed Warden of Llandovery College
Llandovery College
Llandovery College is an independent school in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was founded and endowed by Thomas Phillips in 1847 to provide a classical and liberal education in which the Welsh language; the study of Welsh literature and history were also to be cultivated.Llandovery...
in 1875. In the same year he was ordained as a priest and in 1885 he was appointed as the vicar of St Peter's (Carmarthen).
In 1889 Edwards was appointed the Bishop of St Asaph
Bishop of St Asaph
The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...
. He was a strong defender of the rights of the established Church of England in Wales in the face of mounting call for disestablishment from the nonconformist and Liberal majority.
When the Church of England was disestablished to be the new Church in Wales in 1920, he was elected the first Archbishop of Wales
Archbishop of Wales
The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...
. He retired in 1934, died in 1937 and was buried at St Asaph
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
.