James Rhys Jones (1813–1889), usually known as Kilsby Jones, was a Welsh nonconformist minister, writer and lecturer. Life Born on 4 February 1813 at Penylan, near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, he was the son of Rhys Jones, a small farmer and local preacher, and later independent minister at Ffald-y-brenin in the same county. He received his early education at Neuaddlwyd grammar school, at Rhydybont, Blackburn Academy, and at the Presbyterian College, Carmarthen. Jones commenced his first pastorate at Leominster in 1834, during which time he met his future wife. Jones settled as minister of the independent church at Kilsby in Northamptonshire in January 1840, and was fully ordained there on 18 June of the same year. At this period he assumed the additional name "Kilsby". About 1850 he moved to Birmingham, and subsequently to Bolton. During his time in Bolton, he bought Gellifelen farm, near Llanwrtyd, Brecknockshire, his mother's birthplace, where he built a house called Glenview. initially, Glenview became a school for girls, run by a governess. In 1857, he received a call to Rhayader, some fifteen miles from Llanwrtyd, where he came to live at Glenview. The railway did not reach Llanwrtyd until 1868 so Kilsby was obliged to walk back and forth in all weathers. After three years at Rhayader, he received a call to be pastor of the Tonbridge congregational chapel in London. However, his pastorate there was not a success, due to Kilsby's often unconventional behaviour and also some theological differences. He returned to Llanwrtyd, and passed the rest of his life at Glenview. Jones resumed his pastorate at Rhayader but in 1868 he resigned to take up the pastorate of Caebach Chapel at Llandrindod Wells. (1868–1889). Almost immediately after commencing his pastorate, he instigated the building of Christ Church Chapel, at a cost of £1700. He remained at Llandrindod for the rest of his life but did no ordinary pastoral work. In addition the church was unconventional in that there were no deacons, no church meeting and no Sunday School. Llandrindod was a popular spa town in the late Victorian era and Kilsby's chapel was a popular destination among nonconformist visitors. Public lecturer Kilsby established himself as one of the most popular exponents of the public lecture in the Welsh language. He usually lectured on religious figures such as Rhys Pritchard, Vicar of Llandovery and Daniel Rowland, the Methodist pioneer. These lectures were often associated with