On a cold, wintry evening, yet in the warm, hospitable surroundings of The Stag Inn, Jamie Palmer from Burry Port gave an illustrated talk on the history of the Welsh Bible. He brought a small sample of the larger collection of rare Welsh Bibles, of which he is the custodian.
Included was the 1567 William Salesbury translation, and a 1588 first edition of the William Morgan Bible
It was a very special privilege to see and handle (with great care) these invaluable and significant publications, and to hear of the enthusiasm of those who produced them
Jamie explained how people were inspired by their faith to provide Bibles which would be understood and read by the plough boy as well as the preacher. He also highlighted that many such people had links with Carmarthenshire, a number having been pupils at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Carmarthen, among them: Griffith Jones, founder of the Circulating Schools; Thomas Charles, who provided Mary Jones with her own Bible thereby inspiring the foundation of the British and Foreign Bible Society; and Peter Williams, who in 1771 published the first Welsh Bible in Wales.
It was clear from Jamie's presentation that the Welsh Bible has been central to the spiritual, social, cultural, educational, political and linguistic development of our nation, and should be celebrated as such.
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