David Charles was a Welsh

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 hymn-writer.

David Charles was born at Llanfihangel Abercowin in Carmarthenshire

Carmarthenshire

Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...

, the younger brother of the Methodist leader Thomas Charles

Thomas Charles

Thomas Charles was a Welsh Nonconformist clergyman of considerable importance in the history of modern Wales.-Early life:...

 "of Bala". Himself a Methodist

Methodism

Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...

minister, he helped to establish the "Home Mission", but was forced to retire in 1828 after suffering a stroke. His best-known hymns include "O fryniau Caersalem ceir gweled" and "O Iesu Mawr".