From Stockbroker to Field Preacher
The Story of William Seward 1702-1740
In the mid 18th Century Britain experienced a powerful religious awakening. The Evangelical Revival was led by great names such as John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield. However a number of lay men also led this Revival. It was an outrage to many people, clergy and magistrates especially, that such “field preachers” should disturb the peace, but particularly shocking to them that unordained men should do so. Early in the Revival, Howell Harris, a layman of Trefeca did just that and was often bitterly opposed as he did so. But the most unusual of the early Revival’s preachers was William Seward, a very wealthy London stockbroker, who became a travelling companion of both George Whitfield and Howell Harris.
He was injured while preaching with Harris on 9th September 1740 in Newport, undeterred they continued to Monmouth where again they received abuse. Seward then continued on his own meeting up again with Harris in Trefeca on 11th October. On Wednesday 15th October he came to Hay and preached on Black Lion Green where the Reverend Henry Gwylym, vicar of Hay and Rector of Cusop, with several Justices of the Peace and many other Clergymen demanded Seward’s silence, and by so doing stirred up the crowd. Stones were thrown and Seward was injured and taken to Upper Broadmeadow Farm where he died on 22nd October 1740. William Seward was buried in Cusop churchyard, where his grave can still be found beneath a large yew tree which stands in front of the church porch. The inscription reads:
"Here lyeth the body of William Seward of Badsey in the county of Worcester, gentleman, who departed ys life Oct. ye 22nd 1742 Aged 38. "To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phillipians chap. ye 1st verse ye 21st."
The year of his death is curious, which may be because the tombstone showing 1742 was not put in place until two years after the burial.
In 1797 a later inscription, now very faded, was added, which reads:
"If earth be all,
Why oe'r and oe'r a beaten path
You walk and draw up nothing new;
Not so our martyred Seraph did
When from the verge of Wales he fled."
By this time, less than fifty years after his death, the story of the martyrdom of William Seward was already entering Christian mythology.
A booklet by John Isherwood describing the life of William Seward is available in the church.
