A TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARYOF WALES.
Abbey Cwm Hîr
ABBEY CWM HÎR, a parish, in the union of
Rhaiadr, comprising the hamlet of Cevnpawl in
the hundred of Kevenlleece, and the hamlet of
Gollon in the hundred of Knighton, county of
Radnor, South Wales, 5 miles (N. E.) from
Rhaiadr; containing 589 inhabitants. It derives
its name, which signifies "the abbey in the long
dingle," from the erection of a Cistercian monastery in this sequestered narrow vale. The abbey,
which was dedicated to St. Mary, was founded in
1148, by Cadwallon ab Madoc, and was originally
designed for sixty brethren of the Cistercian order,
but never completed upon so extensive a scale. It
occupied a secluded situation in a romantic valley,
deeply embosomed among lofty hills and abrupt precipices, once covered with forests of oak, but now
almost denuded, affording only pasturage for mountain sheep, and exhibiting some stunted trees, the
roots of which have penetrated between the interstices of the slate rock which composes the substratum of these hills. In the year 1231, a friar of this
house having occasioned the defeat of the garrison of
Montgomery by Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of
North Wales, by conveying to it false intelligence of
the position of the latter, King Henry III., on approaching with the English army, set fire to the
grange of the monastery, in revenge for the friar's
treachery, and was proceeding to burn the abbey
itself, when it was saved from destruction by the
payment of three hundred marks by the abbot. It
suffered considerable injury, in 1401, from the furious resentment of Owain Glyndwr; and the society,
at the Dissolution, consisted only of three monks, the
revenue being estimated at £28. 17. 4. In the 37th
of Hen. VIII., the site was granted to Walter Henley
and John Williams; it afterwards passed into the
family of Fowler, and subsequently became the property of Thomas Wilson, Esq., who, with materials
from the abbey ruins, built a small but elegant house
in the Elizabethan style of architecture: the estate
has been since purchased by Francis Philips, Esq.,
the present proprietor, who has much improved the
neighbourhood.
The venerable ruins, which some years ago were
rendered more conspicuous by clearing the ground,
consist principally of portions of the four walls of
the unfinished abbey church, inclosing a space two
hundred and thirty-eight feet in length, and sixtyfour in breadth, and varying in height from four to
twelve feet above the ground. The pedestals, with
part of the shafts, of a range of twelve clustered
pillars, of peculiar elegance, still decorate the walls;
and within the area was a range of massive pillars on
each side, separating the nave from the aisles: the
bases of three of these are yet remaining, from
which it appears that they were nearly square, with
flutings for a cluster of three shafts at each angle
of the pillar, with a single lateral shaft between the
angles. At the east end are the remains of two doorways, which appear to have been deeply recessed, and
of great beauty, with clustered shafts; and on the
north-east side of this extensive building are vestiges
of a similar arrangement. The ground about the
ruin contains fragments of richly carved freestone,
of which the ornamental parts of the building were
constructed, and in many of these the details are as
perfect as when first sculptured: a gravestone was
lately found among the ruins, bearing an ancient
inscription in rude characters, recording that a person
of the name of Mabli was there buried.
The parish is bounded on the south and southwest by the parish of Nantmel, on the east and northeast by that of Llanbister, on the south-east by Llandewy, on the north-east by Llanano, and on the west
by St. Harmon's. It is intersected by the road from
Kington to Aberystwith. The area is 7000 acres, of
which part is common or waste: the land is chiefly
in pasture, and the scenery, which is diversified
with portions of oak timber and plantations of fir,
is picturesque and beautiful. The two hamlets of
which the parish consists, and which unitedly maintain their poor, constituted, till within a recent
period, the upper division of the parish of Llanbister, to which the church of Cwm Hîr was a
chapel of ease; they were disunited by agreement,
the inhabitants giving up their claim to occupy certain pews in the church of Llanbister, on being
exonerated from contributing to its repairs. The
living is a perpetual curacy, endowed with £800
royal bounty; net income, £61; patron, Mr. Philips. The tithes have been commuted for a rentcharge of £235. The church, dedicated to St. Mary,
is a plain edifice of moderate dimensions, containing
120 sittings: it has a small belfry at the west end,
under which a gallery was erected in 1830, at the
expense of Mr. Wilson, who also presented an organ;
in the chancel are two mural tablets, to the memory
of Sir Hans Fowler and another member of the
same family. There is a place of worship for Baptists at Bwlch-y-Sarnay, in which a Sunday school is
also held; and a day and Sunday school in connexion
with the Church, established in 1842, is chiefly supported by Francis Aspinall Philips, Esq., son and
heir of the proprietor of Abbey Hall. A tenement
called the Vron, in the parish of Llanbister, is
charged with the annual payment of ten shillings to
the poor of this parish.
Abenbury-Vawr
ABENBURY-VAWR, a township, in the parish and union of Wrexham, hundred of Bromfield, county of Denbigh, North Wales, 3 miles
(N. N. W.) from Wrexham; containing 181 inhabitants.
This township supports its own poor, according to an
arrangement made in March, 1830.
Abenbury-Vechan
ABENBURY-VECHAN, a township, in the
parish and union of Wrexham, hundred of Maelor,
county of Flint, North Wales, 3½ miles (n. n. w.)
from Wrexham; containing 124 inhabitants. On
the river Clywedog, which is here crossed by a
bridge, are some iron foundries. This township is
assessed separately for the support of its poor, and is
the only one of the parish in the county of Flint,
all the others being in that of Denbigh. The impropriate tithes of Abenbury-Vawr and AbenburyVechan have been commuted for a rent-charge of
£200. 13. 9.: the vicar of Wrexham receives a rentcharge of 14s.
Aber, or Aber-Gwyngregyn
ABER, or ABER-GWYNGREGYN, a parish,
in the union of Bangor and Beaumaris, hundred
of Llêchwedd Uchâv, county of Carnarvon,
North Wales, 6 miles (e. n. e.) from Bangor;
containing 556 inhabitants. This was anciently a
residence of the native princes of North Wales.
Llewelyn the Great erected a strong castle here, and
when King John, with a numerous army, attempted
the subjugation of North Wales, the prince ordered all
his men of Denbigh to retire within the fastnesses
among the mountains of Snowdon, and from this
place despatched his princess, who was the daughter
of that monarch, to Conway, the head-quarters of the
English forces, to intercede with her father, from
whom she obtained for Llewelyn a treaty of peace,
but upon very unfavourable terms. In this castle
Llewelyn, in the reign of Henry III., entertained
William de Breos, son of Reginald, a potent baron
of the same period, whom he had inveigled into his
power under pretence of celebrating the festival of
Easter, and whom, after a sumptuous banquet, he
hanged upon one of the adjacent hills, called from
that circumstance Wern Grogedig, for the supposed
corruption of his wife's fidelity, during William's
previous confinement in the castle as a prisoner of
war. Davydd ab Llewelyn died at Aber, about 1246,
and was buried in the abbey of Conway.
In the reign of Edward I., Llewelyn ab Grufydd, the last of the British princes, made this his
principal residence, while struggling against the
power of that monarch for the independence of his
country. The situation of Aber was highly favourable
to the prosecution of his desultory mode of warfare,
as, in case of emergency, he could either retire into
his strongholds in the mountains, or take shipping
in the fine bay which is at no great distance from the
village. It was at this place he received the summons of Edward I. to surrender his principality to
the English crown, and entered into a treaty with
the king to hold this mountainous district, together with Mona, or the Isle of Anglesey, in vassalage; and hence, after having broken that treaty,
he led his forces, in a final effort for the recovery of
his dominions, in which he was slain near Builth.
His brother Davydd, together with his wife, two sons,
and seven daughters, are said to have been taken in a
morass near the mountain of Bere, in this parish, and
delivered captives to the English monarch, then at
Rhuddlan.
The village is small, but is very pleasantly situated near the Lavan sands, at the extremity of a
fine vale or glen, watered by the river Gwyngregyn,
which here falls into Beaumaris bay; and on the
road from London to Holyhead, through Chester. It
overlooks the beautiful and extensive bay of Beaumaris, and commands a view of the elevated portions
of Anglesey, covered with well-grown oaks, and of
the wide expanse of waters between that bay and
Great Orme's Head, comprehending in the distance
the island of Priestholme. This island is called in
Welsh "Ynys Seiriol," from its having been the residence of St. Seiriol, who in the sixth century erected
his cell upon it, a part of which is still remaining.
The glen extends for a mile and a half between its environing mountains, and on one side is bounded by a
majestic rock, called Maes-y-Gaer, thinly overspread
in one part, and richly covered in the other, with trees
of stately growth. At its extremity is a mountain of
concave form in front, from the centre of which a
magnificent cataract descends, forming two successive
falls; the upper is broken into several torrents by projecting masses of rock, and the lower precipitates
itself in one broad sheet from an elevation of more
than sixty feet. The Lavan sands, above referred to,
formed, it is said, a habitable hundred until the sixth
century, when the sea suddenly overspread them:
tradition reports that one Helig Voel ab Glanog, a
chieftain of that period, had great possessions extending far into the bay; and that the sands were
formerly called Traeth Wylofain, or "place of
weeping," from the shrieking and lamentation consequent upon so calamitous an occurrence. Situated
near the termination of the Menai straits, and having
a station on the Holyhead railway, Aber possesses
every facility of commercial intercourse; but no trade
or manufacture is carried on in the parish. The
ferry to Beaumaris is four miles and a half across,
of which four miles are fine sands, that may be
walked over at low water; passengers cross this ferry
to Beaumaris, but, since the construction of the suspension bridge at Bangor, which was opened to the
public in 1826, few carriages have been conveyed
over it.
The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books
at £14. 7. 3½.; net income, £382, with a glebe-house;
patron, Sir R. Bulkeley Williams Bulkeley, Bart.
The church, dedicated to St. Bodvan, is a spacious
structure with a good square tower, having been
greatly improved by the late Viscount Warren Bulkeley in 1811: the interior, which is neatly fitted
up, consists of a nave and chancel of equal length,
the latter lighted with a series of low windows,
differing in their style, and probably inserted at
various times. There are places of worship for
dissenters. The Very Rev. John Jones, Dean of
Bangor, in 1719 gave £100, by deed, to the rector
and churchwardens, to be laid out in the purchase of
land, and the produce to be appropriated to teaching
ten poor children of this parish to read Welsh. A
building has been erected for a national school,
which is partly supported by the above benefaction;
and there are two Sunday schools, one of them belonging to the Calvinistic Methodists, and the other
to the Wesleyans. The parish has also several small
donations and bequests, chiefly vested in the 3½ per
cents., and amounting to £6. 2. per annum, which
are periodically distributed among the poor in money
and bread: these were principally the gifts of Sergeant Owen of Twickenham, and Robert and Catherine George. There are some curious British antiquities in the vicinity of Aber; the Roman road from
Segontium to Conovium passed here, and it has even
been conjectured that a Roman station was fixed at
this place.
Aberaeron, or Aberayron (Aberaeron)
ABERAERON, or ABERAYRON (ABERAERON), a sea-port, and rising watering-place,
partly in the parish of Hênvynyw, but principally
in that of Llandewy-Aberarth, lower division of
the hundred of Ilar, county of Cardigan, South
Wales, 16 miles (S. W. by S.) from Aberystwith,
and 23 (E. N. E.) from Cardigan; containing 534
inhabitants. The village is agreeably situated on
the road from Cardigan to Aberystwith, at the
lower extremity of the Vale of Aëron, the sides of
which are in this part abrupt, and clothed with wood;
and on the shore of Cardigan bay, at the influx of
the river Aëron. This river here separates the
parishes of Hênvynyw and Llandewy-Aberarth,
and, with some springs in the neighbourhood, affords
the inhabitants an ample supply of water; it is
noted for trout and salmon, and there are several
corn-mills on its banks. Aberaëron is indebted for
its origin to the late Rev. Alban Thomas Jones
Gwynne, of Ty-Glyn, who, in 1807, obtained an
act of parliament, under the authority of which he
built two piers at the mouth of the river Aëron,
with convenient wharfs, cranes, and storehouses, at
an expense of about £6000. The pier on the west
was one hundred yards in length, and the other
ninety, and both were built of stone; but, from the
very exposed situation of the place, they were insufficient to afford adequate protection to vessels from
the violence of north-westerly winds. To remove
this inconvenience, it was necessary for the present
proprietor, Colonel Gwynne, to extend the western
pier about one hundred yards, inclining in a northern
direction; which has been effected. The scenery
of the Vale of Aëron is particularly beautiful, and,
together with the marine atmosphere of the village,
its retired situation, and improving condition, may
render this, at no distant period, a place of very considerable resort during summer. Upwards of thirty
new leases were granted some years ago, pursuant
to which a number of houses have been built: a
post-office, and an excellent posting-house and hotel,
have also been established, the latter affording to families an equal degree of comfort and privacy to any
inns in the principality. In 1835 an act was obtained
for making and maintaining a road from New-Quay
to this place.
The port is a member of that of Aberystwith,
and is in a thriving state. There are from thirty
to forty sloops belonging to it, of from seventeen to
one hundred tons' burthen, which are navigated by
about 120 seamen: they are chiefly employed in the
importation of coal and culm, and two of them
trade regularly with Bristol. The principal articles
of importation, in addition, are grocery and timber;
and of exportation, butter and oats: there is also a
lucrative herring fishery, in which about thirty
boats, with seven men to each, are engaged. Near
the entrance into the harbour is a bar, which is
dry at low water. The merchants' stores are open
weekly, on Wednesday, for the reception of corn;
and markets for provisions, &c., are now held every
Wednesday and Saturday, under the auspices of
Colonel Gwynne, proprietor of the manor: a fair for
hiring servants takes place on Nov. 13th. All the
quarter-sessions of the county are held here, and
there are petty-sessions once a month, for the whole
of the Aberaëron poor-law union: one of the county
debt-courts established in 1847 is also fixed here, with
jurisdiction over the union; and courts leet for the
manor are held in May and October. There are
places of worship for dissenters, and several schools.
The poor-law union of which this place is the head,
comprehends the fourteen parishes and townships of
Ciliau-Aëron, Cydplwyv, Dihewyd, Hênvynyw, Kilkennin, Llanarth, Llanbadarn-Trêveglwys, Llandewy-Aberarth, Llandysilio-Gogo, Llanerchaeron,
Llanina, Llanllwchairn, Llansantfraid with Llanon,
and Llanvihangel-Ystrad. It is under the superintendence of sixteen guardians, and contains a population of upwards of 12,874.
Mynach-dy, the property and residence of Col.
Gwynne, situated at a short distance from the village,
is supposed, from its name, which signifies "monastery," to have been anciently a small ecclesiastical
establishment: in the grounds are some tumuli, called
Hên Gastell, of obscure origin. On the sea-shore,
near the village, is a circular encampment, designated Castell Cadwgan, and supposed to have been
constructed by Cadwgan ab Bleddyn, about 1148.
ARMS.
Aberavon (Aber-Avon)
ABERAVON
(ABER-AVON), a
rising port, a borough,
and parish, in the union
and hundred of Neath,
county of Glamorgan,
South Wales, 5½ miles
(S. by E.) from Neath,
and 196 (W.) from London; containing, in 1848,
about 2500 inhabitants.
This place, which derives
its name from its situation at the mouth of the river
Avon, is of considerable antiquity, and was formerly
invested with various privileges. In the division of
the county, on its subjugation by Fitz-Hamon, the
Norman adventurer, Aberavon formed part of the
territories conferred by that chieftain upon Caradoc,
son of Iestyn ab Gwrgan the dethroned prince, who
made it the place of his residence, and is supposed
to have erected the ancient castle, the foundations
of which are still discernible in a field adjoining the
churchyard. This castle, though of no great extent,
was commodiously situated for defending the pass
of the river, and was sufficiently formidable to become an object of importance in the various wars
which at that time disturbed the peace of the principality. Caradoc was succeeded in his lordship
by his son Morgan, who is regarded by some
writers as the founder of the stately abbey of Margam, in the vicinity, of which there are still some
remains. About the year 1150, Madoc ab Meredydd, Prince of Powys, making an irruption into
the county of Glamorgan, at the head of a powerful army, laid waste the territories of Morgan ab
Caradoc ab Iestyn, and took and demolished the
castle of Aberavon. Upon this occasion, Morgan,
unable to resist the force which was opposed to him,
fled with his followers, and, taking sanctuary in the
churches and monasteries, placed himself under the
protection of William, Earl of Gloucester and Lord
of Glamorgan. In 1349, Thomas, son of Sir John
de Avon, Knt., having succeeded to the lordship of
Avon, granted to the abbey of Margam a charter
confirming all former grants, and to the inhabitants
of the borough the free exercise of all the privileges
which they had previously enjoyed. At the commencement of the seventeenth century, the town
suffered severely from an inundation of the sea, which
did great injury to the sea-walls; and in the corporation records of the town of Swansea, is an entry of
twenty shillings, paid by the portreeve, aldermen,
and burgesses of that place to the inhabitants of
Aberavon, in aid of the necessary repairs of the
walls. During the usurpation of Cromwell, the portreeve, being apprised of the approach of the protector's
emissaries, contrived to secure the charter and other
documents relating to the borough, by concealing
them in a rough piece of oak, in which he had formed
a cavity for that purpose, and on which, upon the
arrival of the officers, he was found chopping sticks,
as upon a common block. By this artifice the papers
were secured, and the piece of oak, upon which the
marks of the hatchet are still visible, is now preserved
as the corporation chest. The castle is said to have
been dismantled by Cromwell's orders.
The town is situated on the road from Swansea to
Cardiff, and near the line of the South Wales railway,
at a short distance from the eastern shore of Swansea
bay, under a lofty ridge of hills. It is sheltered
from the north winds; but, from its proximity to
a marsh, it is exposed to damps, and the inhabitants are consequently liable to ague and other
complaints. The land in the vicinity is subject to the
frequent inundations of the river Avon, which flows
on the eastern side of the town. The most alarming
and destructive of these occurred on July 25th, 1768,
when the water flowed into the church and every
house in the town, in most places to the height
of five feet. Entire fields of corn were laid waste
by the flood, which swept away Aberavon bridge
and others, and a great quantity of hay, trees, &c.;
and, on its subsiding, the town was left covered with
mud and slime, which wholly destroyed the provisions
in it, so that the poorer inhabitants were reduced
to great distress, almost perishing from want and
hunger, until seasonably relieved by the bountiful
humanity of Thomas Mansel Talbot, Esq. A handsome and substantial stone bridge of one arch was
afterwards erected over the Avon by the celebrated
self-taught architect, William Edwards.
Aberavon is a creek to the port of Swansea, and
forms the outlet of an important mineral and manufacturing district, in which large iron, tin, and copper
works have been established. Previously to the year
1836, the course of the Avon from the town to the
sea was circuitous and shallow, and the harbour afforded very limited accommodation, but a great improvement was then effected under the superintendence of Mr. H. K. Palmer, C.E., and the trade of
the place has since much increased. The new works
consisted chiefly in the formation of a straight channel
from the town to the sea, cut through marshy land,
and measuring twenty feet wide, by ten feet deep,
into which the mountain torrents were directed.
This trench soon became sufficiently large to admit
the whole body of the river, which is now turned
into the new track, and access thus afforded to a
commodious harbour. The channel is about a mile
long, free from shoal, and now at least 100 feet wide;
the sea-lock of the docks is forty-five feet wide, and
vessels of large burthen are able to come up at spring
tides. The port is often called Port-Talbot, after
the Talbot family, of Margam. In November 1847,
a steam communication was established between
Aberavon and Bristol, on a most efficient scale; and
in the following year, an act was passed for establishing a market and a fair here; so that the town
bids fair to become a place of some importance.
CORPORATION SEAL.
The borough, which
is such by prescription, is
governed by an indefinite
number of burgesses; all
general matters being
transacted at monthly
courts, and extraordinary
business at assemblies,
called Halls, specially
called for the purpose, and
to which the burgesses are
summoned. The style of
the corporation is "The Portreeve, Aldermen, and
Burgesses of the town and borough of Avon." The
immediate direction of affairs is entrusted to a constable of the castle, a portreeve, two aldermen, a
recorder, a common-attorney, two serjeants-at-mace,
four haywards, a pound-keeper, and two ale-tasters;
all of whom are appointed according to custom only,
although the town received a charter from Edward
le Despenser, in the 47th of Edward III., 1372,
which document is yet in the possession of the officers.
The constable of the castle is chosen by the lord of the
borough. The portreeve and aldermen are elected at
a court leet held before the existing portreeve, on the
first Monday after Michaelmas-day, when the burgesses elect three of the resident burgesses to be
returned, as portreeve and aldermen, to the constable of the castle, by whom it is decided which of
the three shall be portreeve. The recorder is appointed annually by the portreeve; and the commonattorney, serjeants-at-mace, haywards, pound-keeper,
and ale-tasters are chosen by the jury at the first
monthly court held after the election of the portreeve.
The portreeve presides at the monthly courts, and,
with the aldermen, grants licenses for public-houses.
The common-attorney collects the rents and superintends the property of the corporation; and of the
haywards, two have the office of distraining all cattle
found trespassing on the common lands, and two
have some duties connected with the pasture lands of
the principal burgesses; but the emoluments of these
and all the other officers are of little consideration.
This was one of the boroughs contributory to
Cardiff in sending a member to parliament; but, by
the Reform Act, the towns of Swansea, Loughor,
Neath, Aberavon, and Kenvig, have been constituted one borough, with the privilege of returning
a representative. The limits of the borough are
minutely described in the Appendix. The right of
election is vested by the Reform Act in the former
resident burgesses, and in every male person of full
age, occupying any house or other premises, either
as owner, or as tenant under the same landlord, of the
clear yearly value of not less than ten pounds, provided he be capable of registering his name as the act
demands. The portreeve of Swansea is the returning
officer.
The freedom is inherited by all the sons of burgesses, on their coming of age, and may be acquired
by purchase, though the burgesses recognise no other
claim than that of birth: on one occasion the sum
of £200 was accepted for it by the burgesses at large.
The burgesses have the privilege of turning their
cattle on the uninclosed lands belonging to the borough, which are of great extent, including several
hundreds of acres. There are also ninety-nine customary acres of inclosed ground, which by an old
ordinance are divided equally among the thirty-three
oldest burgesses, who hold the property for their
lives, and on whose death their widows, if any, continue to receive the benefit. In addition to this property, there is a small quantity of hay land assigned
to the portreeve and other officers; and from other
sources, the corporation, as a body, receive an income
of about £40. A town-hall was begun in the year
1826, and upwards of £300 expended upon its erection, but it is still unfinished, owing to the want of
adequate funds. The parish comprises 1500 acres by
computation; the soil between the town and the sea
is clay and sand, tolerably well adapted for tillage,
and the land in the vicinity of the town is chiefly pasture of good quality.
The living is a discharged vicarage, endowed with
the great tithes, with the living of Baglan annexed,
rated conjointly in the king's books at £9. 4. 9½.;
patron, the Rev. David Rees: the tithes of the two
places have been commuted for a rent-charge of
£190. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, was
rebuilt about eighty years since, and is appropriately
fitted up. There are several places of worship for
dissenters. A school-house has been erected for the
instruction of children in the principles of the Established Church; and there are seven Sunday schools,
one of them connected with the Church, two with the
Calvinistic Methodists, two with the Independents,
one with the Wesleyans, and one with the Particular
Baptists. Previously to 1786, a gift of £10 for the
use of the poor was made by the Rev. Leyson Thomas;
it was lent on the security of a house now in ruins,
and nothing has been received from the charity for
the last twenty or thirty years. Some interesting
relics have been found on the sea-shore, consisting of
stags' antlers, a large brass coin of Commodus, foundations of buildings, an ancient sea-wall, footmarks of
deer and oxen, and old fences in a state of carbonization; all of them below the line of high water. In
December, 1839, an inscribed Roman stone was discovered in one of the high sand-hills on the western
bank of the new cut at Port-Talbot: the inscription
is impcflav (mcl) maximino invicto avgvs. In
March, 1840, a brass spear-head, about nine inches
long, was discovered at the harbour, about twentyfive feet below high-water mark.
Aberbaidon (Aber-Baiden)
ABERBAIDON (ABER-BAIDEN), a hamlet, in the parish of Llanelly, hundred of Crickhowel, county of Brecknock, South Wales, 3½
miles (W. by N.) from Abergavenny; containing 5707
inhabitants. This place derives its name from being
situated at the junction of a small river, called the
Baiden, with the Usk. It is also intersected by the
river Clydach, which passes along a deep valley to its
confluence with the Usk, and in its course forms
several cascades, the most remarkable of which was
called Pwll-y-Cwn, or "The Dog's Pool," now converted to manufacturing purposes. The Brecknock
canal is carried over this river by means of an embanked aqueduct, eighty-four feet above the bed of
the river, and communicates with different tramroads,
formed in connexion with some lime and coal works
in the hamlet. These works, together with the Clydach iron-works, afford employment to a large portion
of the inhabitants, and their produce is distributed,
by means of the canal, throughout the adjacent district.
On the south side of a hill, at the base of which flows
the Clydach, are the remains of an ancient British
fortress, called the Gaer.
Aberconway.
ABERCONWAY.—See Conway.
Aberdare (Aberdâr)
ABERDARE (ABERDÂR), a parish, in the
union of Merthyr-Tydvil, upper division of the
hundred of Miskin, county of Glamorgan, South
Wales, 4 miles (S. W. by W.) from Merthyr-Tydvil,
which is the post-town, and 24 (N. W. by N.) from
Cardiff, on the road to Neath, over Hîrwaun common; containing, in 1841, 6471 inhabitants, of whom
1322 were in the village. This parish is celebrated
as having been the scene of a sanguinary battle in
the reign of William Rufus, which is said to have
taken place on Hîrwaun common, about two miles
north of the village, between the forces of Rhŷs ab
Tewdwr, Prince of South Wales, and those of Iestyn
ab Gwrgan, aided by a body of Norman adventurers
under the command of Robert Fitz-Hamon. The
Norman leader, after having gained a signal victory
over Rhŷs, who was slain in the contest, turned his
arms against Iestyn, and dispossessed him of his
territories, the most valuable of which he reserved to
himself, and partitioned the remainder among the
knights who had attended him in the expedition. A
further notice of this battle is given under the head
of Penderin, which parish includes part of Hîrwaun
common.
The village or town is situated on the banks of
the river Dâr, near its confluence with the Cynon,
in the delightful mountain-vale of Cynon. This vale
is remarkable for its scenery, being equally characterised by features of beauty and of grandeur. Its
majestic groves of oak and fir, alternating with fruitful
corn-fields and luxuriant meadows, are finely contrasted with precipitous and barren rocks, and enlivened by the bold sweep of the river, which in
some of its windings appears to be hemmed in on
every side by lofty and sterile mountains. The
parish is situated near the northern extremity of the
county, in which direction it is bounded by Brecknockshire; it has the parish of Llanwonno on the
south, that of Merthyr-Tydvil on the east, and the
parish of Ystraddyvodog on the west. There are
several beautiful mansions, contributing in no small
degree, together with their respective gardens and
grounds, to the imposing effect produced by the
delightful scenery of the locality. Among these the
principal are, Duffryn, at the distance of four miles
south of the village; Aberamman, at the distance of
two miles from the village in the same direction;
Gadlys; and Abernant. Aberamman, the seat of
the late Anthony Bacon, Esq., of Benham, in the
county of Berks, was for centuries the residence of
the family of Matthews. Duffryn was the birthplace
and the residence of Ieuan ddu ab Davydd ab Owain,
an eminent poet, who flourished about the middle of
the fifteenth century, and was a munificent patron of
the bards: the estate came to his descendants, who,
by the usual transition of names, were called Jones;
it was purchased from them by William Bruce, Esq.,
in the year 1748, and is now the property of his
grandson, J. B. Bruce Pryce, Esq., of St. Nicholas,
near Cardiff.
The parish abounds with coal and iron-ore, the
working of which, though it has materially defaced
the beauty of the neighbourhood, which was previously distinguished as a place of enviable retirement, has added vastly to its wealth and the number
of its inhabitants. About fifteen or twenty years
ago, there appear to have been iron-works at
Llwydcoed, Abernant, and Gadlys, the last not in
operation, but the two others producing some thousands of tons of iron annually. The works at Gadlys
were afterwards recommenced, and early in the year
1847 there were eight blast furnaces in operation in
the parish, six of them belonging to Messrs. Thompson & Co., who have other works at Merthyr-Tydvil.
In the spring of that year, Mr. Crawshay Bailey
commenced some large iron-works at Aberamman;
so that Aberdare now ranks as one of the most important seats of the iron trade, with a prospect of
ultimately becoming a second Merthyr. According
to a statement published in 1847, the parish contains
the following principal hamlets, namely, Cwmbach,
with a population at that time of 2700 persons, employed in collieries; Aberamman, with a population
of 1200, but expected, on the completion of Mr.
Bailey's four furnaces, then in course of erection,
and on the opening of his mines of iron and coal,
and Mr. Powell's large colliery, to contain above
5000; Hoel-y-felin, containing 1200 persons; and
Llwydcoed, containing about 960. These two lastnamed places are situated near each other, and the
inhabitants are of a miscellaneous character, but
principally miners, colliers, firemen, and labourers
attached to the Aberdare works and Gadlys works.
The Aberdare canal, which is seven miles in length,
communicates with the Glamorganshire canal, and,
by means of a tramroad, with the extensive works
at Hîrwaun, in the county of Brecknock, affording
a facility of conveyance by which part of the produce
of this mineral district is sent to the port of Cardiff,
where it is shipped to various parts of the kingdom.
The canal commences within three quarters of a mile
of the village; and a tramroad, two miles in length,
extends from it to the works at Llwydcoed and
Abernant. The Aberdare railway, opened in August, 1846, proceeds nearly parallel with the canal, to
Navigation, where it joins the Tâf-Vale railway from
Merthyr to Cardiff. Immense quantities of mineral
produce are conveyed by it for shipment. It will be
connected with the proposed Vale of Neath railway
by a short branch from that line; and a railway
communication will thus be established with Merthyr,
Hîrwaun, Neath, &c.
Aberdare is included within the borough of MerthyrTydvil, to which, by the act 2nd of William IV., cap.
45, passed for "amending the representation of the
people in England and Wales," the privilege of returning one member to parliament was granted. The
right of election is vested in every male person of
full age occupying, as owner, or as tenant under the
same landlord, a house or other premises of the clear
yearly value of ten pounds, if duly registered as the
act directs. The living is a perpetual curacy, endowed with £600 royal bounty, and £1800 parliamentary grant. The patronage formerly belonged
to the Vicar of Llantrissent, who receives the vicarial
tithes of this parish; but under an agreement made
between the late Marquess of Bute and the Dean
and Chapter of Gloucester, in whose gift the vicarage
of Llantrissent is vested, the patronage of Aberdare
was transferred to his lordship on his further endowing
the incumbency. The net income, previously to the
augmentation, was £108; it is now about £260, with
a glebe-house. The church, dedicated to St. John
the Baptist, is a small ancient building without a
tower or steeple, remarkable only for its rustic simplicity of character, which is in perfect harmony with
the surrounding scenery. Here are places of worship
for Baptists, Independents, Calvinistic Methodists,
English and Welsh Wesleyan Methodists, and Unitarians. A National school, capable of accommodating one hundred boys and fifty girls, was built by
subscription, on ground given for that purpose by the
late Marquess of Bute, and is supported by subscriptions and donations. At Hîrwaun are two schools supported by the workmen employed by Mr. Crawshay
in the adjoining county; and Sunday schools, also,
are gratuitously conducted in different parts. Four
houses in the parish, belonging to the poor, were
built in 1724, by Mrs. Elinor Matthews, and endowed
by her with a rent-charge of £5 on the farm of Pen
Caradoc, in Llanwonno. In the parish are remains of
two ancient blomeries, by some writers attributed to
the Romans, and by others, with greater probability,
to the Britons, before the use of blast furnaces was
known: vestiges, also, of a circular British encampment may be distinctly traced. Edward Evan, for
many years minister of an Independent congregation
in the neighbourhood, an eminent poet and philosopher, to whose efforts for the preservation of the
bardic institutions the principality is greatly indebted,
was a native of the parish; he died in 1798, on the
day appointed for a meeting of the bards of Glamorgan, which he was to have attended. The inhabitants complain, as a singular hardship, that, although
the Hîrwaun furnaces of Mr. Crawshay contribute
largely to the poor's rate of the parish of Penderin,
in the county of Brecknock, in which they are situated, the burthen of the removals and accidents of a
large portion of the workmen falls upon the parish of
Aberdare, just within the limits of which their cottages
are situated.
Aberdaron (Aber-Daron)
ABERDARON (ABER-DARON), a parish,
in the union of Pwllheli, hundred of Commitmaen,
Lleyn division of the county of Carnarvon, North
Wales, 13 miles (W. S. W.) from Pwllheli; containing 1350 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated
on the extreme point of the peninsula of Lleyn, the
Promontorium Langanum of Ptolemy, derives its
name from the small river Daron, which here falls
into the sea, off Bardsey Race. In 1115, Grufydd
ab Rhŷs, Prince of South Wales, took sanctuary in
the church of Aberdaron, from the treachery of Grufydd ab Cynan, sovereign of North Wales, who intended to deliver him into the hands of the English
monarch, Henry I. Grufydd ab Cynan commanded
the fugitive prince to be dragged from his asylum by
force; but his soldiers were unable to execute his
orders, from the strenuous resistance opposed to them
by the clergy of the neighbourhood, who successfully
exerted themselves in defence of the privileges of the
Church. The young prince escaped with his partisans by night, and set forward on his journey to the
deep forest of Strath Towy, in South Wales, where,
having collected the adherents of his family, he commenced hostilities against the Norman and Flemish
settlers. Aberdaron was anciently much resorted to
by devotees, as a place of embarkation for Bardsey
Island, on their pilgrimage to the celebrated monastery established there; and on the summit of the promontory are some slight remains of the ancient Capel
Vair, or Chapel of Our Lady, erected for the use of
the mariners, who, previously to entering upon the
dangerous navigation of the sound, were accustomed
to invoke the protection of its tutelar saint. At a
small distance from it, and near the shore, are the
remains of another chapel, called Capel Anhaelog,
which, like the former, was suffered, after the dissolution of Bardsey monastery, to fall into decay.
The parish, which is intersected by the road
leading from Pwllheli to the extremity of Lleyn, is
bounded on the north by the parish of Llangwnadal,
on the north-east by that of Brncroes, on the east
by the parishes of Llanvaelrhŷs and Rhiw, and on
the south and west by the sea. It comprises by admeasurement 6794 acres, of which about one fourth
is arable, and the remainder pasture; the soil is
generally of good quality, resting upon clay, and the
chief produce is wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes.
The surface is tolerably level, varied by a few hills
and mountains, and enlivened by the windings of
the rivers Daron, Leos, and Afon Saint: the coast
scenery is on the grandest scale. Among the gentlemen's seats are Badwrdda, Carreg, and Methlem.
A stratum of excellent limestone has been discovered,
which, from the scarcity of limestone in this part of
the country, promises to be of great benefit to the
farmers as a valuable source of manure. Lead-ore
has also been found in small quantities, and several
attempts have been made to find copper, but these
have not proved successful: manganese and slates
have been raised, but the works are at present at a
stand. There are three mills, in each of which five
men are employed, and a factory and a fulling-mill,
each giving occupation to three hands. The village
is small, chiefly inhabited by fishermen, and, by its
isolated situation and the want of good roads, precluded from much intercourse. On market days
during the summer, there is facility of communication
with Pwllheli, from which place the inhabitants are
supplied with necessaries; they also trade by sea with
Liverpool, to which port vessels sail regularly every
week with pigs, poultry, and eggs, and from which
they return laden with coal for the supply of the
neighbourhood. A fair is held annually on the 26th
of June.
The living is a discharged vicarage, with the
perpetual curacy of Llanvaelrhŷs annexed, rated in
the king's books at £3. 9. 4½., endowed with £200
private benefaction, and £200 royal bounty; patron,
the Bishop of Bangor. The total net income of the
joint living is £120. There is also a sinecure rectory,
rated at £10. 9. 4½., and in the patronage of the
Master and Fellows of St. John's College, Cambridge, who usually present a fellow of that college.
The lay impropriator's tithes in Aberdaron have been
commuted for a rent-charge of £242, the rectorial
tithes for £194, the vicarial for £73, and the tithes
of the parish-clerk for £10. The old church, dedicated to St. Hyrwyn, a saint of the island of Bardsey,
was formerly collegiate, and had the privilege of
sanctuary. It consists of two aisles of equal dimensions, each being sixty-nine feet long inside; and,
though now disused as a place of worship, appears to
have been an elegant and highly finished building.
The northern aisle is the older portion, though itself
not entirely of the same date; it is entered by a
circular-headed doorway in the western wall, of the
Romanesque style, above which is a bell-turret with
a square head. Probably, this aisle formed part of
the original church, and on an enlargement of the
whole edifice being made, by the addition of a
southern aisle, the altar was transferred to the latter,
which became the more important part of the building. The southern aisle is separated from the
northern one by five arches, on octagonal piers of
good elevation; it has a large and handsome east
window of the later English style, and a screen of
plain work separating the chancel portion from the
nave. In lieu of this edifice, a new church was lately
erected, situated about half a mile in a northern
direction, from the old one. It was consecrated on
the 28th of September, 1841, and is a plain building,
sixty-six feet long, and thirty-four broad, with two
turrets at the western end; the edifice contains 600
sittings, of which 340 are free, and was erected at a
cost of £1300. There are several places of worship
for dissenters.
A day school has been established here, for this
parish and the parish of LlanvaelrhŶs; it is partly
supported by the parents of the children, and partly
by an endowment of £4. 11. a year, being half the
rent of a dwelling, out-buildings, and nearly 7 acres
of land, in the parish of Llaniestyn, purchased with
a bequest of £80 left by Robert Evans in 1784,
together with subscriptions subsequently raised.
Formerly a school was held, agreeably with the endowment, in the four parishes of Aberdaron, Llanvaelrhŷs, Rhiw, and Br&ncroes, for a year in each,
in rotation; but an arrangement has been made by
which one school has become permanent at Aberdaron, and another at Br&;ncroes, the endowment
being shared between the two masters. There are
also five Sunday schools in the parish, one of them
in connexion with the Church, two with the Calvinistic Methodists, one with the Wesleyans, and one
with the Baptists. A poor man of the parish is entitled to support in the almshouse at Bangor, under
the will of the founder, Bishop Rowlands. In 1704
Catherine Bodwarda devised a house, out-buildings,
and about twelve acres of land, now let at £9 per
annum, for apprenticing poor children, and from this
charity one or two are annually so put out, with
premiums varying from £4 to 12. About £3. 6.,
arising from the gifts of unknown donors, are distributed in small sums among the poor at Easter;
and twelve bottles of port wine are received annually
by the churchwardens for the use of the sacrament,
from Mr. Wynne, this also being the gift of an unknown benefactor. Magdalen Parry, in 1781, bequeathed £30 to the poor, but this sum is for the
present unproductive. An inclosure of waste lands
was made in the parish, under an act of parliament,
in 1807.
The courts for the manor of Bardsey were formerly
held at a house in this parish, which still bears the
name of "Court," and on an eminence near it, called
Brynn y Crogbren, or the "Gallows' Hill," criminals
were probably executed; another house in the neighbourhood is styled Secar, signifying the "Exchequer."
On the side of a hill called Mynydd Moelvie, or
Mynydd yr Ystum, are the ruins of an ancient
chapel, named Capel Odo; and in the vicinity is a
tumulus, called Bedd Odo, or "Odo's grave," which,
according to tradition, covers the remains of a giant
of that name. Below the cliff occupied by the ruins
of Capel Vair is the cave of Ogo Vair, in which is a
well, formerly much frequented by devotees, who
superstitiously believed that, by carrying a mouthful
of the water up a circuitous and dangerous path to
the summit of the hill, whatever wish they might
entertain would be accomplished. At Aberdaron
was born, in 1778, Richard Robert Jones, whose
poverty and extraordinary skill in the acquisition of
languages attracted the sympathies of the late Mr.
Roscoe, by whom a subscription was opened for his
benefit. He is said to have learned thirteen different
languages, without the aid of a master. His death
took place at St. Asaph in 1845.
Aberdovey (Aber-Dyvi)
ABERDOVEY (ABER-DYVI), a sea-port
and bathing-place, in the parish of Towyn, union of
Machynlleth, hundred of Estimanor, county of
Merioneth, North Wales, 4 miles (S. S. E.) from
Towyn: the population is returned with the parish.
This place is pleasantly situated on the northern side
of the mouth of the river Dovey, which here empties
itself into Cardigan bay, and from which it derives
its name. It stands on the road from Machynlleth
to Towyn, and is rapidly rising into estimation as a
bathing-place: the beach is highly favourable for
bathing, being composed of hard firm sand; and
several respectable houses, and a commodious hotel,
have been erected of late years, for the accommodation of visiters. In the year 1827, a new line of road
was opened from Pennal, which, proceeding along
the northern bank of the Dovey, among scenery
beautifully picturesque, and embracing a fine view of
the opposite coast of Cardiganshire, and the estuary
of the river, passes through Aberdovey, and is continued along the shore to Towyn. For nearly the
whole of its extent from Pennal to Aberdovey, it is
cut through the solid rock, which, in many places,
exhibits its naked side, of different elevations, forming a pleasing contrast to the wooded declivity of the
hill, which, from the base to the summit, is thickly
clothed with trees and shrubs of various kinds, presenting, in conjunction with the broad estuary of the
river, and the vernal blossoms of the mountain heath,
a scene of picturesque beauty. The ride from Aberdovey to Towyn, along the sands, at low water, is
extremely delightful. The road from Pennal to
Machynlleth has also been much improved, thereby
increasing the facility of access to this rising place,
which, for these and other advantages, is greatly
indebted to the exertions of A. Corbett, Esq., of
Ynysymaengwŷn, in the parish. A chapel has been
erected, which is in the gift of the Vicar of Towyn;
and there are places of worship for Calvinistic and
Wesleyan Methodists, with Sunday schools attached.
Petty-sessions for the hundred are held here, alternately with Pennal, once in two months.
The port, which is a member of that of Aberystwith, possesses a considerable coasting-trade: the
imports are coal, culm, grocery, limestone, bricks,
timber, &c., and the exports, timber poles for the
collieries, bark, lead-ore, and slates. The harbour is
excellent, but there is a bar on the north side of the
entrance to it, which is said to have assumed its present position in consequence of the wind blowing so
frequently from the south: two buoys, the outer
black and the inner red, were fixed upon this bar by
the Corporation of the Trinity House, in March
1831. The river, which is here crossed by a ferry
to the opposite shore of Cardiganshire, is navigable
up to Derwenlâs, within two miles of Machynlleth.
There are extensive slate-quarries in the neighbourhood, and mines of lead and copper, but the latter
are only worked in proportion to the demand. In
making the new road, a considerable number of early
English coins was found; and a vase of the Tuscan
shape, capable of holding about two quarts, was
picked up on the sands opposite to the port, in 1824:
it is composed of burnt clay, and is nearly covered
with an incrustation of oyster and other marine
shells. The district called Cantrev Gwaelod, or the
Lowland Hundred, traditionally reported to have
been inundated by the sea, as commemorated in
some of the Welsh poems, is said to have been situated between this place and Harlech: it was a tract
of great fertility and beauty, containing sixteen fortified towns and cities, subject to a petty prince, called
Gwyddno Goronhîr; and is stated to have been
swallowed up about the year 500. Ieuan Dyvi, a
celebrated bard, who flourished about the close of
the fifteenth century, was a native of Aberdovey.
Aberedw, or Aberedow (Aberedwy)
ABEREDW, or ABEREDOW (ABEREDWY), a parish, in the union of Builth, hundred of Colwyn, county of Radnor, South
Wales, 5 miles (S. E.) from Builth; containing 345
inhabitants. It derives its name from being situated
at the mouth of the river Edwy, which, after flowing
through the parish, empties itself into the Wye, the
latter river here forming the line of boundary between the counties of Radnor and Brecknock: the
Edwy is a small stream, famous for its trout and
eels. Within the short distance of a quarter of a
mile from this place, are various objects of great
interest and attraction. The churchyard is bounded
in one direction by a steep precipice, whose base is
washed by the river Edwy, which from this point
winds along a narrow defile of rocks, on one side
rising to a height of nearly 300 feet, and romantically varied by alternate stratifications of naked rock
and green sward, partially concealed by hanging
woods. On the other side of the defile the rocks,
though their elevation is less, have a still more
striking character. Here a boldly projecting rock
threatens with immediate destruction the traveller
passing beneath it; there a perpendicular wall of
solid rock, extending 100 feet in height, presents its
bold, unbroken front, richly mantled with mosses,
ivy, and other parasitical plants, and in the clefts of
which the larger birds build their nests. Among
these rocks a rude cave, about six feet square, called
Llewelyn's Cave, is said to have been occasionally
used as an asylum by that brave, but unfortunate,
prince, Llewelyn ab Grufydd, the last royal defender
of Welsh liberty and independence, against the overpowering army of Edward I.
A short distance north-westward from the church,
and at the head of this beautiful and romantic dingle,
Llewelyn had a castle, the ruins of which may yet
be seen on the banks of the Wye, consisting of the
fragment of a tower, or bastion, and part of a wall.
During the defensive war which he waged against
the English monarch, the Welsh prince summoned
his adherents to a private conference at this castle;
but of the disastrous result of this movement a variety
of accounts have been given, some of which cannot
be reconciled with the localities of the district. Mr.
Jones, the historian of Brecknockshire, who took
great pains to reconcile the conflicting statements,
says, that having marched to Aberedw, he was there
surprised by a superior force of the enemy from
Herefordshire, under the command of Edmund Mortimer and John Giffard, to whom intelligence of his
arrival had been communicated. Thus unexpectedly
attacked, Llewelyn fled with his men towards Builth,
taking the precaution of ordering the shoes of his
horse to be reversed, there being snow on the ground;
which stratagem, however, was made known to the
enemy by a blacksmith at Aberedw. Having arrived
at the bridge over the Wye, he crossed it, and issued
orders for its immediate demolition, before his pursuers arrived. Thus checked in their progress, the
English returned to a ford, eight miles lower down
on the river, which was known to some of the party;
and there effected a passage. Meanwhile, Llewelyn
had proceeded to Builth, from which, failing in his
attempts to procure aid from the garrison, he advanced westward, up the Vale of Irvon, on the south
side, for about three miles, where he crossed the
river, a little above Llanynis church, by a bridge
called Pont y Coed, or "the bridge of the wood." He
then stationed the few troops who had accompanied
him, in an advantageous position on the north side of
the river, with a view to defend the bridge. The
English, on coming up, made an attempt to obtain
possession of it, but failing, they discovered a ford
at a short distance, which a detachment of their troops
secretly crossed; then coming behind the Welsh unawares, they attacked them in the rear, and routed
them. Llewelyn himself was slain in a small dell,
since called Cwm Llewelyn, or "Llewelyn's dingle,"
about 200 yards from the scene of action, by one
Adam de Francton, or de Frampton, who plunged
his spear into his body without knowing the rank of
his victim, and immediately joined his party in pursuit of the fleeing foe. Returning after the engagement, probably in search of plunder, de Francton
discovered that he had slain the Welsh prince, whose
head he immediately cut off, and sent to the king of
England. The body was dragged a short distance,
to a place at which the road from Builth, two miles
distant, branches off in two directions, one leading
to Llanavan-Vawr, and the other to Llangammarch,
where it was interred, the spot being still called
Cevn y bedd, or Cevn bedd Llewelyn, "the ridge
of Llewelyn's grave." About 300 yards to the east
of the castle of Aberedw, on the summit of an eminence, is a large tumulus, directly above the river
Edwy, on the side of which is the awful precipice
before described, so beautifully mantled, and forming
an object so truly picturesque from every point of
view but this, where it cannot be observed without
indescribable sensations of awe.
The parish is situated on a cross-road leading up
to the Radnor and Builth road, and is bounded on
the east by the parishes of Rulen and Llanbadarn-yGarreg, on the south by Llandilo-Graban, on the
west by the river Wye, and on the north by Llanvaredd. It comprises nearly 1000 acres, a considerable portion of which is arable and pasture land, well
cultivated; other portions are thickly set with oak
timber: the surface in some places is rocky and uneven, but the soil is in general favourable to the production of grain. Good stone is quarried for building. The petty-sessions for the hundred are occasionally held here. The living is a rectory, with
that of Llanvaredd annexed, rated in the king's books
at £12. 13. 4.; net income, £355; patron, the Bishop
of St. David's. The tithes of Aberedw have been
commuted for a rent-charge of £249. 18., and the
glebe comprises one acre. The church, dedicated to
St. Cewydd, is a plain building in the later style of
English architecture, consisting of a nave and chancel
separated by an oak screen, with a square tower at
the west end, which, if not rebuilt, appears to have
undergone thorough repair, in the time of the Tudors.
Lewis Lloyd, in 1633, bequeathed a certain rentcharge, of which £4. 6. 8. per annum are appropriated to this parish, and received by the minister,
who distributes £4 among such of the poor as receive
the smallest parochial aid, and retains 6s. 8d. for
preaching a sermon, according to the will of the
donor. A bequest of £20 by Elizabeth Price, in
1742, for the benefit of the poor, proved unproductive. Thomas Jones, a landscape painter of distinguished repute, best known by his two pieces of the
"Campi Phlegræi," was born at Pen Carreg, in the
vicinity of this place, where, having succeeded to the
family estate, he resided until his death, in 1803.
Abereirch (Aber-Erch)
ABEREIRCH (ABER-ERCH), a parish, in
the union of Pwllheli, partly in the hundred of
Dinllaen, and partly in the hundred of Eivionedd,
county of Carnarvon, North Wales, 1½ mile
(E. N. E.) from Pwllheli; containing 1613 inhabitants. This parish, extending six miles in length,
and about four in breadth, is pleasantly situated on
the sea-shore, near the mouth of the river Eirch,
from which it received its name; and on the road from
Tremadoc to Pwllheli. It is bounded on the north
by the parish of Denio, on the east by Llanarmon,
and on the south and west by the sea; and comprises
by computation about 6000 acres, consisting chiefly
of good arable and pasture land: the soil is light,
and suited to the growth of oats and barley, which
constitute the chief produce. The lands are destitute of wood, with the exception of two or three extensive plantations in the upper part of the parish.
The most considerable mansion is Hendrev. The
village, which is small, is very pleasantly situated in the midst of agreeable and picturesque
scenery, ornamented with several well-built and genteel houses.
The living is a vicarage, with that of Penrhôs
annexed, rated in the king's books at £6, endowed
with £600 royal bounty, and £600 parliamentary
grant; present net income, £96; patron, the Bishop
of Bangor, who is lord of the manor. The tithes of
Abereirch have been commuted for £435 payable to
Lord Newborough, and £76 to the vicar. The
church, dedicated to St. Cawrdav, is an ancient
and spacious building, in the later style of English
architecture, twenty-six yards in length, and thirteen
in breadth, consisting of a nave, north aisle, and
chancel. The two eastern windows, which are enriched with elegant tracery, have been ornamented
with stained glass. A very ancient monument in
the church, consisting of a figure in armour, has not
been much noticed by any writer: it is situated at
the north side of the altar, forming the bottom of a
pew, and without any inscription attached; but there
is an intimation in the MSS. of the celebrated
Robert Vaughan, now in the library of Sir Robert
Vaughan of Nannau, in Merionethshire, that the
tomb of Thomas de Pyveliston or Puleston is at
Abereirch. Here are several places of worship for
dissenters, and seven Sunday schools, one of which is
held in the church. Two tenements, and three acres
of land, were bequeathed for the use of the poor, by
the Rev. Mr. Conway, incumbent in 1724, now producing £3. 10. per annum, which, with £4 arising
from other charitable donations and bequests, are
annually distributed on St. Thomas' day.
Aberfraw (Aber-Fraw)
ABERFRAW (ABER-FRAW), a parish, and
formerly a market-town, in the union of Anglesey,
hundred of Malltraeth, county of Anglesey,
North Wales, 9 miles (S. W.) from Llangevni;
containing 1336 inhabitants. This place, which derives its name from its situation at the mouth of the
small river Fraw, was distinguished at a very early
period as the principal residence of the ancient
princes of North Wales, by one of whom, Caswallon
Law Hîr, a palace was built, about the middle of the
fifth century. Caswallon's successors having removed the seat of government to Caer Seiont, now
Carnarvon, it was re-established at Aberfraw, in the
year 870, by Roderic the Great, after his defeat of
Burrhed, the Mercian prince, who had invaded his
dominions. Roderic fixed his supreme court of
judicature at this place, which, until the death of
Llewelyn, in 1282, continued to be the ordinary
residence of the Welsh sovereigns. During that
period, one of the three copies of the celebrated
code of laws compiled, about the year 940, under the
auspices of Hywel Dda, was deposited here. In
966, the palace was destroyed by the Irish, in one
of their descents upon Anglesey, but it was subsequently rebuilt; and, soon after the commencement
of the twelfth century, during the sovereignty of
Grufydd ab Cynan, afforded an asylum to Grufydd,
son of Rhŷs ab Tewdwr, late prince of South Wales.
The Welsh sovereign, shortly afterwards paying a
visit to Henry I., at London, was prevailed upon to
promise that, on his return, he would deliver up the
fugitive to the English monarch; but the young
prince, fearing this treachery, withdrew from the
palace with his brother Hywel; upon which, Grufydd
ab Cynan, determined to perform his promise to
Henry, having discovered the place of his retreat,
despatched a body of horsemen to arrest him. In this
attempt, however, they did not succeed; for the young
prince, being timely apprised of their design, again
had recourse to flight, and, although closely pursued,
effected his escape.
Aberfraw, which has since that period dwindled
into a mere village, is pleasantly situated on the shore
of Carnarvon bay, about six miles from the great
road to Holyhead. The parish is bounded on the
north by that of Llangwyvan, on the east by that
of Llangadwaladr, and on the south and west by the
sea; comprising between 5000 and 6000 acres, of
which about two-thirds are arable, and the remainder
pasture, with about 300 acres of common and waste.
The river Fraw has its source in a fine lake just
above the village, and, after flowing through the
parish, falls into the sea, forming at its mouth a
small harbour capable of receiving vessels of forty
tons' burthen, which at a very moderate expense
might be rendered highly commodious, having anciently been an excellent haven. Not far from the
village, on the north-east, runs the Chester and
Holyhead railway. The soil of the parish is sandy,
and well adapted to the production of grain, of which
great quantities, especially of oats and barley, raised
here and in the surrounding country, are annually
shipped from this small port, which is considered a
creek to the port of Beaumaris. Many black-cattle,
sheep, and pigs, are also bred in the parish, the population of which is divided between the occupations of
agriculture and fishing. Lord Dinorben is lord of
the manor, and Owen Fuller Meyrick, Esq., the chief
landed proprietor. The market was held on Thursday: fairs for the sale of agricultural produce are appointed to be held on the 7th of March, the Tuesday
after Palm-Sunday, the Wednesday after TrinitySunday, on August 15th, October 23rd, and December 11th.
The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books
at £20. 15. 10.; present net income, £888, with a
glebe-house: it is in the patronage of the Crown.
The church, dedicated to St. Beuno, is an ancient
structure, 20 yards in length and 12 in breadth, containing 800 sittings. It consists of two spacious
parallel aisles, separated by piers and arches, and has
been lately repaired, new-roofed, and in various respects altered; so that some of its original features are
now scarcely to be conjectured. In the western wall
of the south aisle is a richly ornamented circularheaded doorway, forming the earliest portion of the
building, and which must once have been the chief
entrance: this doorway was totally concealed in the
walls of the church, until the rector detected its existenceduring the late repairs, and had it most judiciously
uncovered. In the tything of Tyndryval anciently
stood a chapel designated Capel Mair, or "St. Mary's
chapel." There are places of worship for Calvinistic
and Wesleyan Methodists. A ruined chapel, called
Eglwys y Beili, was rebuilt for a school, in 1729, by
Sir Arthur Owen, Bart., who endowed it with £4
a year for the instruction of six poor children; there
are now thirty boys and fifteen girls in the school,
and the master receives £22 per annum, raised by
subscription, besides the endowment. In the parish
are also three Sunday schools, attended by about 220
persons of both sexes. John Pugh Gwillym, in 1633,
bequeathed an annuity of £2 for the use of the poor,
which being unpaid for some years, accumulated to
£53. 6. 8.; this sum was increased by other charity
money to £73, and then invested in the Shrewsbury and Holyhead turnpike trust. The interest,
£3. 13., together with £13. 6. 8. the rent of a
meadow of above five acres, bequeathed in 1642, by
John Thomas, a former rector of the parish, is regularly distributed among the poor. Some other benefactions, amounting to nearly £60, have been lost,
having been intrusted to parties who subsequently
became insolvent.
At present there are no remains of the ancient
palace, nor of any of the buildings connected with it,
although a faint tradition is preserved by the inhabitants of ancient foundations and walls having been
long ago visible in the field north of the church.
In the parish are frequently found the amulets called
Gleiniau Nadroedd, or "snake gems," supposed to
have been made by the Romans, and bartered with
the ancient Britons for the produce of their country: they are composed of glass, of a rich blue
colour, some streaked, and others plain, and are now
superstitiously used by the vulgar as charms for certain disorders, and in assisting children to cut their
teeth. The Eisteddvodau, or triennial assemblies of
the bards of this district, were held at Aberfraw, so
long as it continued to be a royal residence. According to Mr. Rowlands, the historian of Anglesey, this
is the birthplace of Walter, afterwards named Steward,
or Stuart, who, going into Scotland, there founded
the powerful family of Stuart, which afterwards
enjoyed the sovereignty both of England and Scotland.