Rice Rees (31 March 1804 – 20 May 1839) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

cleric and historian.

Life

Rees was born at Ton, near Llandovery,

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known ...

, Wales, son of David- of a distinguished Llandovery family- and Sarah Rees, and christened in the local Independent chapel. From 1819, he was educated for a short time at Lampeter grammar school, under

Eliezer Williams Rev. Eliezer Williams (baptised 4 October 1754 – 20 January 1820) was a Welsh clergyman and genealogist, who served the Earl of Galloway as a family tutor and genealogical researcher. Life Williams was born in Pibwr-lwyd, Llangynnwr, Carm ...

, before being educated at home and by his uncle,

William Jenkins Rees William Jenkins Rees (10 January 1772 – 18 January 1855) was a Welsh cleric and antiquary.Dictionary of ...

. He matriculated at

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 S ...

in 1822. He was appointed to a college scholarship in 1825 and graduated with a B.A. degree in 1826 and a M.A. degree in 1828. His tutor was Llewelyn Lewellin, who in 1827 was appointed as the first Principal of

St David's College, Lampeter University of Wales, Lampeter ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan) was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales, with limited ...

(which later became the University of Wales, Lampeter). Rees was appointed as lecturer in

and librarian at St David's College. He was elected to a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

ship of Jesus College in 1828, retaining this position until his death. E. G. Hardy's 1899 history of the college gives the date of his election as 1830, not 1828. He was ordained deacon in 1827 and priest in 1828, becoming rector of Llanddewi Velfrey, Pembrokeshire in 1832, obtaining a B.D. degree in 1837 and being appointed chaplain to the Bishop of St Davids, John Jenkinson, in 1838. His book, ''The Welsh Saints'', was described by the historian Sir J. E. Lloyd as "full and luminous". It was based on a prize-winning essay Rees wrote for the 1835

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...

eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...

and was thereafter expanded, and published by his brother, William Rees, in 1836. He was also a member of the committee appointed to revise the Welsh

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 ...

. He died suddenly, apparently from overwork, at

Newbridge-on-Wye Newbridge-on-Wye ( cy, Y Bontnewydd-ar-Wy) is a small village in Powys, Wales. It lies, as its name suggests, on the River Wye The River Wye (; cy, Afon Gwy ) is the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, fourth-longest river in the UK, str ...

on 20 May 1839 when travelling from Cascob to Lampeter, and was buried at Llandingad. His unfinished work on the '' Liber Landavensis'', a Welsh 12th century chronicle of the history of the

Diocese of Llandaff The Diocese of Llandaff is an Anglican (Church in Wales) diocese that traces its roots to pre-Reformation times as heir of a Catholic bishopric. It is headed by the Bishop of Llandaff, whose seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Pet ...

, was completed by his uncle.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rees, Rice 1804 births 1839 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Fellows of Jesus College, Oxford Academics of the University of Wales, Lampeter 19th-century Welsh Anglican priests Welsh non-fiction writers 19th-century Welsh historians People from Llandovery