Brecon Congregational Memorial College

In its early years, the Congregational Academy was based in several towns in Wales: in Abergavenny, Oswestry, Wrexham, Llanfyllin and Newtown, before finally settling in Brecon.

The building belonged to the Independents, and its construction was designed to perpetuate the memory of the 2,000 clergy ejected from the Church of England in 1662.

Its historical source is twofold: the first and earliest, the Academy at Brynllywarch, near Bridgend, Glamorganshire, founded by Samuel Jones, A.M. (once a tutor at Jesus College, Oxford), soon after his ejection from the National Church in 1662, the immortal era which the new edifice commemorates; the next and latest source, Tewkesbury Academy, in Gloucestershire, taught by another Samuel Jones, who could, according to William Fitzgerald, the editor of Butler's Analogy, number among his scholars many names that might confer honour on any University in Christendom.

Since then it has undergone several local changes, having been removed successively from Abergavenny to Oswestry, Wrexham, Llanfyllin, Newtown, and Brecknock.

[3] During its location in Brecknock and up to the year 1869, the college was situate in St. Mary street, in the large building known as the Oddfellows' Hall.

On Wednesday, 12 June 1867, the foundation stone of the new building was laid by Samuel Morley, M.P., in the presence of the Mayor and Corporation of Brecknock, and of a large gathering from England and Wales.

Towards this amount there was then in hand a sum of about £2,000, the result of the effort made in connection with the Bicentenary movement, after expenditure for various objects.

The college altogether cost, inclusive of 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) of freehold land, about £11,000, all of which, with the exception of £900, was raised by the opening days, and the remaining debt was wiped off by the end of the same year.