author
Samuel Roberts
1800–1885
A Welsh minister and reform-minded writer, he became known by the initials “S.R.” and used essays, journalism, and public debate to push for political and social change. His life joined faith, radical ideas, and an unusual attempt to found a Welsh settlement in Tennessee.
1 Audiobook
Gwaith Samuel Roberts
by Samuel Roberts
About the author
Born in Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire, on March 6, 1800, he was raised in a deeply Nonconformist family and later became a Congregational minister. In Wales he was widely known simply as S.R., and he built a reputation as a lively political and economic writer as well as a preacher.
He wrote and edited in Welsh, most notably through the journal Y Cronicl, and argued for reform on issues that mattered to ordinary people. Accounts of his life describe him as an energetic public voice who cared about religion, education, and practical improvements in society, which helped make him an influential figure in nineteenth-century Welsh public life.
One of the most striking episodes in his later years was his involvement in an effort to establish a Welsh colony in Tennessee in the 1850s. The plan was disrupted by the American Civil War, but the episode shows the mix of idealism and action that marked his career. He died on September 24, 1885.