David Rees (Y Cynhyrfwr)

Rees married Sarah Roberts, the daughter of a successful shop owner who was a deacon with the Baptists, in 1832 and they had five children: Bernard, Elizabeth, John Calvin, Luther and Frederick.

[citation needed] After spending four years at the academy in Newtown, Rees accepted a call to be the minister of Capel Als in 1829 and remained there until his death in 1869.

Shortly before he began his ministry, Rees purchased the freehold of the Capel Als site, together with the adjoining cemetery, from local industrialist Richard Pemberton.

Through his editorials in Y Diwygiwr, Rees lucidly disseminated the principles of Nonconformity and his pseudonym was developed from a quote in which he paraphrased Daniel O'Connell's famous "Agitate!

In addition to promulgating Nonconformist principles, the Diwygiwr also voiced its support for various political and social movements such as the Rebecca Riots, the Chartists, the Liberation Society and the Anti Corn Law League, but did not always advocate the methods they used, especially the most violent.

Rees' rise to prominence was also due to the long-standing feud between him and David Owen ("Brutus") who edited the Anglican publication Yr Haul ("The Sun").