Robert Ellis

Robert Ellis

6 Sermons
Robert Ellis (1812–1875), known by his bardic name "Cynddelw," was a Welsh Baptist preacher, poet, and antiquarian whose ministry and literary contributions significantly influenced 19th-century Welsh religious and cultural life. Born on February 3, 1812, at Ty’n-y-meini near Pen-y-bont-fawr, Montgomeryshire, Wales, he was raised in a rural farming family. Initially a farm laborer from 1822 to 1835, Ellis’s passion for literature and poetry was sparked by his mother and local rustic literati. He joined the Baptist church at Gefail-rhyd in 1832, began preaching in 1834, and received ten months of formal schooling in 1835 under John Williams at Llansilin, deepening his theological foundation. Ellis’s preaching career flourished after his ordination, beginning with pastorates at Llanelian and Llanddulas (1840), followed by significant roles at Glyn Ceiriog (1846–1861), Sirhowy (1861–1867), and Caernarfon (1867–1875). Renowned for his exegetical, doctrinal, and practical sermons delivered in eloquent pulpit Welsh, he gained a national reputation as a preacher, eisteddfod adjudicator, and poet. His works included Catechism of the History of Religion (1850), a biography of John Williams (1871), and poetry like the award-winning Yr Adgyfodiad (1849), earning him his bardic title. Despite his lack of formal education beyond his brief schooling, he compiled dictionaries and edited key Welsh literary texts. Ellis died on August 19, 1875, in Caernarfon, leaving a legacy as a multifaceted preacher whose ministry enriched Welsh Baptist life and preserved its cultural heritage. He was buried in Caeathro cemetery near Caernarfon, survived by his wife and children, though specific family details are sparse.
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