David Charles (minister)

David Charles (23 July 1812 – 13 December 1878) was a Welsh Calvinistic Methodist cleric and educator, who was one of the men behind the foundation of the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Charles remained uninfluenced by the Tractarians, and instead rediscovered his family Methodist affiliations in preference to the Anglicanism he had acquired from Lloyd.

In 1842, he became principal of Trevecca College, Brecknock and remained in position for 20 years, encouraging his students to obtain degrees from the University of London before returning to Wales to preach.

[1] Hugh Owen appointed Charles as secretary of the University for Wales movement in 1868, in succession to Thomas Nicholas.

He attracted support and donations from lower-class subscribers, in comparison to the approach taken by Nicholas, but this raised little and the efforts of others were needed to keep the scheme going.