I know a little about the Thomas Davies
who was described as Rector of Coity who died, I believe, on 24th July 1819. (I'm not
in any way related to him – as far as I know –
but a distant relative married into his family.) Unfortunately, I
don't have any detail of his ancestry although, like you, I seem to
recall reading that he had Carmarthenshire connections.
There seems to have been some confusion
as to who TD married. I have the following detail from the marriage
bonds at the National Library - “Marriage Bond:Davies, Thomas,
bach, clerk, Coity, Glamorgan to Davies, Elinor, sp., Coity,
Glamorgan : 1774 Aug. 24. “ And, in 1844, when Elinor died she is
described in the Cambrain News as “AT BRIDGEND, MRS ELINOR DAVIES,
WIDOW OF REV.THOMAS DAVIES, RECTOR OF COITY.”
Their daughter, Elizabeth 1794 -1855,
married Dan Popkin, tanner, of Bridgend who, himself, was the son of
Mary Prichard of the Talygarn/Collenau family. This, probably, is
where the confusion has arisen.
I don't have my notes handy at the
moment but, from memory, this Thomas Davies was one of a group of
Methodist practitioners in Wales who were provided with their
'livings' thanks to the patronage of a certain lady whose name I
can't recall. (Presumably, TD chose not to go off with the other
people who actually started to appoint their own Methodist ministers
after about 1810.)
I have his Llandaff will showing as
“1819 will of Rev Thomas Davies LL/1819/29”
Although I haven't examined them
myself, I have a note which states “Large collection of Papers of
reverend Thomas Davies of Coity held at Glamorgan Record Office GB
214 DST16. [Personal and professional.]”
Hope some of this is of some help.
Eirwyn Davies, Aberystwyth