author
Erasmus W. Jones
1817–1909
A Welsh-born Methodist minister who built a long life in the United States, he also wrote fiction shaped by faith, history, and everyday moral struggles. His books range from biblical historical tales to stories of American life in town and country.
1 Audiobook
The Young Captives: A Story of Judah and Babylon
by Erasmus W. Jones
About the author
Born on December 17, 1817, in Llanddeiniolen, Caernarfonshire, Wales, he emigrated to New York in 1833 while still young. After living in places including New York City, Trenton, and Remsen, he prepared for the ministry and entered the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1848.
He spent decades serving congregations in upstate New York and became known both as a minister and as a writer. Reference works describe him as a Welsh-American minister and author, and also note his place in Welsh literary history.
His fiction includes The Captive Youths of Judah, later revised as The Young Captives: A Story of Judah and Babylon, as well as Gold, Tinsel and Trash. Those books suggest the range of his interests: biblical history, moral conflict, and the texture of ordinary life. He died in Utica, New York, on January 9, 1909.