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Welsh nonconformist minister

Abraham Rees (1743 – 9 June 1825) was a Welsh nonconformist minister, and compiler of Rees's Cyclopædia (in 45 volumes).

Rees's work as a cyclopædist began as an improver of the Cyclopædia of Ephraim Chambers, originally published in 1728, in 2 volumes. This was re edited by Rees in 1778; and, with the incorporation of a supplement and much new matter, was issued by him in 1781–6, in 4 volumes; reprinted 1788–91. In recognition of his labour he was elected in 1786 a Fellow of the Royal Society, and subsequently of the Linnean Society and the American Philosophical Society. He then projected a more comprehensive publication. The first part of The Cyclopædia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature was issued on 2 January 1802, and the work was completed in forty five volumes, including six volumes of plates, in August 1820. The parts were issued at irregular intervals, two parts constituting a volume. Great attention is paid to English biography; the botanical articles were generally contributed by Sir James Edward Smith and the music articles by Charles Burney. Congratulated, on the completion of his task, by his friend, John Evans (1767–1827), Rees wrote in reply: 'I thank you, but I feel more grateful that I have been spared to publish my four volumes of sermons.' The Cyclopædia; is commonly known as Rees's Cyclopædia. Besides single sermons (1770–1813), Rees published 'Practical Sermons,' 1809, 2 vols. ; 2nd ed. 1812, with two additional volumes, 1821. In conjunction with Kippis, Thomas Jervis, and Thomas Morgan, LLD, he brought out 'A Collection of Hymns and Psalms,' &c., 1795, (the ninth edition, 1823, is revised by Rees and Jervis). This collection, generally known as Kippis's, was the first attempt to supply, for general use among liberal dissenters, a hymnal to take the place of Isaac Watts's. It was supplemented in 1807, and again in 1852.