John Pryce (1828 – 15 August 1903) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

clergyman and writer on church history, who became

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

Bangor Cathedral Bangor Cathedral () is the cathedral church of Bangor, Gwynedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Deiniol, Saint Deiniol. The site of the present building of Bangor Cathedral has been in use as a place of Christian worship ...

Life

Pryce was the second son of Hugh Price (all three sons chose to spell the surname "Pryce"), of Doldyhewydd,

Merionethshire Merionethshire, or Merioneth ( or '), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was located in the North West Wales, north-west of Wales. Name 'Merioneth' is a ...

. He was educated at

Dolgellau Dolgellau (; ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the traditional county town of the Historic counties of Wales, historic county of Merion ...

grammar school before

matriculating Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship ...

in 1847. He obtained his

B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

degree in 1851, was ordained deacon in 1851, and priest in 1852. After his ordination, he was

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are as ...

of Dolgellau and master of the grammar school from 1851 to 1856 – his elder brother Hugh and his younger brother Shadrach held both these positions at various times. John Pryce was then

perpetual curate Perpetual curate was a class of resident parish priest or incumbent curate within the United Church of England and Ireland (name of the combined Anglican churches of England and Ireland from 1800 to 1871). The term is found in common use mainly ...

of Glanogwen (1856 to 1864),

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

Bangor, Gwynedd Bangor (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Community (Wales), community in Gwynedd, north Wales. It is the oldest city in Wales. Historic counties of Wales, Historically part of Caernarfonshire, the community had a ...

(1864 to 1880) and rector of Trefdraeth,

Anglesey Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...

(1880 to 1902). He was appointed a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

in 1884 and

archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denomina ...

in 1887, before being appointed Dean of Bangor Cathedral in February 1902, succeeding Evan Lewis. (His brother

Shadrach Pryce Shadrach Pryce was a Welsh Anglican priest and educationalist in the last part of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th. Pryce was born in Dolgellau, Merionethshire the son of Hugh Price (1793-1851), a draper, and educated at Queens ...

was

of the cathedral of the neighbouring diocese,

St Asaph St Asaph (; "church on the Elwy") is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and community (Wales), community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census the community had a population ...

from 1899 to 1910.) He died on 15 August 1903.

Works

John Pryce's publications included works on church history such as ''History of the Early Church'' (1869), ''The Ancient British Church'' (1878) and ''Notes on the History of the Early Church'' (1891). History professor Joanne Peason wrote that his essay on the ancient British Church "won the competition for the best essay submitted to the National Eisteddfod of 1876 on the subject of the Ancient British Church, in which he refuted all the legends concerning the introduction of Christianity to Britain." such as those written by

Iolo Morganwg Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg (; 10March 174718December 1826), was a Welsh antiquarian, poet and collector.Jones, Mary (2004)"Edward Williams/Iolo Morganwg/Iolo Morgannwg" From ''Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia''. R ...

Family

Pryce was married to the youngest daughter of Canon Rowland Williams.

References

1828 births 1903 deaths People educated at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford 19th-century Welsh Anglican priests Deans of Bangor Welsh non-fiction writers 19th-century Welsh historians 19th-century Anglican theologians 20th-century Anglican theologians Historians of Christianity {{ChurchinWales-clergy-stub