September 19th 1900
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Master Vincent Shepherd, who "laid a stone for the children of the Roath Road Circuit", grew up to become a Wesleyan minister. During a long period of missionary work in Burma he was Principal of the High School at Mandalay for 6 years and served as Chairman of the Burma District. He contracted Leprosy during 2 years he was Superintendent of the Mandalay Leprosy Home. His last appointment was as a Circuit minister in Bridgend.
HISTORICAL SUMMARY
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The Methodists in Llanishen trace their
history back to a Religious Society meeting in the village prior to visits by
John and Charles Wesley between 1740 and 1742. Initially meeting in members'
houses they later took to holding worship in local barns. At the time of the
Religious Census in 1851 there was an evening congregation of 21. The first
purpose built Llanishen Chapel opened in 1856 at the junction of Beulah Road and
Caerphilly Road. In the late 1890's it was recognized that new housing was being
built in the village close to Llanishen railway station [opened by the Rhymney
Railway in 1871 after the construction of the Caerphilly tunnel] and at the
south end of Whitchurch at Birchgrove (2 miles away from Llanishen village). Two new chapels were built by the Roath Road
Wesleyan Methodist Circuit in Melbourne Road (1901) and at Birchgrove (1903) and
the 1856 chapel was closed. Just 4 members transfered to Melbourne Road to form
the nucleus of the new work here.space