BISHOPRIC OF ST. DAVID'S.

THIS DIOCESS

Has all Pembroke, Cardigan, Carmarthen, and Brecknockshires, it has also all Radnorshire, except the parishes of Old and New Radnor, Presteyne, Norton, Knighton, and Michael Church Arrow, which are in the diocess of Hereford; the fourth part of Glamorganshire, eleven churches and chapels in the county of Hereford, two in Montgomeryshire, and three in the county of Monmouth-it is divided into the four archdeaconries of St. David's, Brecknock, Carmarthen, and Cardigan, and contains about 500 churches and chapels. Charged in the king's books, 426l. 2s. 1d.

BISHOPS DURING THE PRESENT REIGN.

Dr. Anthony Ellis, died in 1761.

Dr. Samuel Squire, died May 17, 1766.

Dr. Robert Lowth, translated to Oxford in October, 1766. Dr. Charles Moss, translated to Bath and Wells, 1774. Hon. Dr. James York, translated to Gloucester, in 1779. Dr. John Warren, translated to Bangor, May, 1783. Dr. Edward Smallwell, translated to Oxford, 1788. Dr. Samuel Horsley, translated to Rochester, 1793. Hon. Dr. Wm. Stuart, translated to the archbishoprick of Armagh in Ireland, 1800.

Lord George Murray, D. D. dying in 1803, Dr. Burgess was consecrated Lord Bishop of this diocess.

BISHOP,

Thomas Burgess, D.D. prebendary of Durham.

The Worshipful the CHANCELLor,
Bishop of Bath and Wells.

The Venerable the ARCHDEACON of ST. DAVID'S,
Rev. R. Churton, M. A.

Of CARMARTHEN, William Crawford, D. D.
Of CARDIGAN, John Williams, B. C. L.
Of BRECON, Richard Davies, M. A.

PRESENTATIONS, PROMOTIONS, &c.

REV. JAMES DRAKE, M. A. vicar of Clirow, co. Radnor, appointed by the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells, Chancellor of this diocess, surrowgate for the proving of wills, and granting of marriage licences.

REV. JENKINS, Vicar of Llanliwini, co. Carmarthen, licensed to the curacy of Llanllwch, co. Carmarthen.

REV. I. H. HUMPHREYS, L. L.B. presented to the rectory of Lawrenny, co. Pembroke.

REV. WATKIN PRICE, presented to the living of Laryuke.

REV. DAVID GRIFFITHS, curate of Brampton Bryan, presented to the vicarage of Norton, co. Radnor, see of Hereford.

August 18. Confirmation at Swansea, by the Lord Bishop of this diocess, 250 persons confirmed; August 23, 200 persons, ditto.

REV. SAMUEL DAVIS, B. D. Fellow of Jesus college, Oxford, and chaplain to the Earl of Mansfield, instituted to the vicarage of Martlewy, co. Pembroke.

REV. W. EDWARDS, presented to the rectory of Letterston co. Pembroke.

REV. CHARLES PHILIPPS, M.A. vicar of Kidwelly, co. Carmarthen, elected fellow of Jesus college, Oxford.

September 25. Ordination held by the Bishop.

PRIESTS,

George Griffiths, clerk, curate of Llanspytheil, co. Brecon. Morgan Hughes, clerk, curate of Lledrod, co. Cardigan.

DEACONS.

Thomas Morris, A. M. licensed to the curacy of Cheriton, co. Glamorgan.

D. Williams. A. B. licensed to the curacy of Sputhy Ystradmeyrick, co. Cardigan.

Thomas Jones, licensed to the curacy of Llanvihangel Nantmelan, co. Radnor.

John Pugh, licensed to the curacy of Newport, co. Pembroke.

October 3. Rev. David Williams elected bailiff of Brecon.

Oct. 14. The Bishop of St. David's, attended by a numerous assemblage of clergy and laity, consecrated the chapel of St. Catherine, at Milford, co. Pembroke.

The junior clergy of this diocess had been long exposed to many professional difficulties:-Amongst the most prominent of these were the discontinuance of those donations which were formerly granted by the chapter; the great distance from the universities; the total want of all appropriated fellowships, scholarships, and exhibitions; the expences necessarily incurred at the university, and the inadequateness of the return from the small compensation generally allowed to curates.

In consequence of these difficulties, the bishops had for some time dispensed with the usual academical education of candidates for orders, and were content to require only a preparatory residence of four years, at one of the licensed grammar schools, in their own immediate jurisdiction. It must be evident, than an

education of this limited nature could not justly be considered sufficient to qualify a candidate for the higher offices of the ministry; it cannot therefore be a subject of surprise, that Methodism and Anabaptism should have increased in a very extraordinary and rapid manner.

A society was therefore instituted in the year 1804, the objects of which were to promote christian knowledge, and church union, and to facilitate the means of education to young men intended for the ministry, in this diocess: the members of this society apportioned a certain part of their funds to the purpose of clerical education; from which they offered small honorary prizes to such boys as should acquit themselyes best; granted an exhibition of 107. per annum, for the maintenance of a scholar for four years, after the age of nineteen, at Yshadmeiric, a school long established, and ably conducted the funds of this society increasing, the managers were enabled to grant three more such exibitions,and a design was laid to erect lodging rooms for the exhibitioners. This design was however for local reasons abandoned, and another upon a larger plan adopted in its room.

It was resolved to establish what may be very appropriately called a Provincial College, at Llanddewi Brefi, in the county of Cardigan. The selection of Llanddewi Brefi for this college, arose from the consideration of its central position; the healthiness of its situation, the largeness of its church, and the seclusion from general society, and above all for the circumstance of its being the scite of an ancient cathedral, and seat of learning, the disolution of which, and of St. Mary's college at St. David's, and of a similar foundation at Abergwili, at the Reformation, rendered an establishment of this nature the more necessary, and of greater importance to the diocess.

To this establishment are appendaged a master and three regular assistants, who are directed to deliver four distinct courses of lectures, viz.

I. On theory, on christian morals, and on the duties of the clerical profession.

II. On languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

III. On elocution and the study of the English and Welch languages.

IV. On church history, on church establishments, with especial reference to our own church, and on the existing laws relative to the church.

The following is the plan. Subscriptions and benefactions to the society are distributed into the four following funds, viz: I. For Clerical purposes. II. For Clerical Education and Exhibitions. III. For the Building and Establishing of a Clerical Seminary. IV. For the relief of Superannuated Curates.

I. The general purposes comprehend. 1. The purchasing, printing, and distributing of moral and religious tracts. 2. Two premiums of ten pounds each, for dissertations on subjects relative to the several objects of the society. 3. A premium of ten pounds for eight sermons, to be preached on the eight Sundays subsequent to Easter-day, on the principles and duties of church union-on errors arising from unsettled notions in religion-and on the excellence of the liturgy of the church of England. 4. A premium of twenty shillings worth of books, for the best proficients at the Easter examination of scholars, at the licensed grammar schools in the diocess;~~ for the recitation of sermons by the divinity scholars at the said schools;-and for the best abridgement of sermons by the said scholars. 5. For sixteen curates' lectures, to be preached on week days, in two principal places in each of the four archdeaconries, and intended, principally, for the benefit of the poor who cannot read. 6. The establishment of deanery libraries.

II. The interest of monies in the fund for clerical education and exhibitions is allotted, at present, to the payment of exhibitions to divinity scholars at Ystradmeirig school, elected annually on the Tuesday preceding the first Thursday in July, to continue four years from the day of their admission into Ystradmeirig school.-The fund arises from contributions by the clergy, of one-tenth of the annual income of their benefices, for one year during their incumbency, and from the contributions of other benefactors, expressly limited to this purpose. This fund, when the intended building is ready for. their reception, will be transferred to the maintenance of scholars at the clerical seminary.