Llanrhychwyn (Llan-Rhychwyn)
LLANRHYCHWYN (LLAN-RHYCHWYN), a parish, in the union of Llanrwst, Uchgorvai division of the hundred of Nantconway,
county of Carnarvon, North Wales, 1½ mile
(W. by N.) from Llanrwst; containing 551 inhabitants. This parish, which is exceedingly mountainous, contains an abundance of pyrites, worked by a
company from Liverpool, who ship the produce at
the adjoining quay of Trêvriw, on the Conway,
which river forms the eastern boundary of the parish,
and is navigable from its mouth below the town of
Conway up to Trêvriw. There are also three extensive slate-quarries within its limits, at the distance
of about one mile and a half from the shipping-place,
in which upwards of 100 persons are employed;
lead-ore has been obtained here, and some small
veins of it are now being worked. Numerous
varieties of quartz crystals are found, some of them
of a beautiful amethystine colour, and of considerable
value.
The living is a perpetual curacy annexed to the
rectory of Trêvriw. The church, dedicated to St.
Rhychwyn, is situated among barren mountains, at
a considerable distance from any houses, and, from
the rudeness of its architecture, appears to be of
great antiquity. It is vulgarly observed of this
simple structure, that it was erected prior to the
invention of the saw and plane, since no indication
of the use of these instruments can be discovered in
any part of the edifice. In the east window are the
remains of some handsome stained glass, with a mutilated date, which seems to have been MCCCCXXII.
There are one or two places of worship for dissenters, by whom five Sunday schools are supported;
and two trifling bequests, producing about 13s. per
annum, are distributed among the poor at Christmas.
Taliesin, the celebrated British bard, who flourished
about the middle of the sixth century, is stated to
have resided in the parish, near a small lake or pool
called Geirionydd.
Llanrhyddlad (Llan-Rhûddlad)
LLANRHYDDLAD (LLAN-RHÛDDLAD),
a parish, in the hundred of Tàlybolion, union and
county of Anglesey, North Wales, 8 miles (N.
W. by W.) from Llanerchymedd; containing 725 inhabitants. This parish is of small extent, and situated on the shore of the Irish Sea, which washes the
western side of it. The surface is boldly varied, and
the higher grounds embrace an interesting prospect
over the sea, and of the adjacent country, which
abounds with pleasing, and in some parts picturesque,
scenery. The village, called Rhydwyn, and of small
size, is situated about a mile from the foot of Moel
Rhyddlad, one of the highest mountains in the isle
of Anglesey, and for that reason selected by Colonel
Mudge as one of his principal stations in making the
trigonometrical survey of North Wales. Considerable
quantities of manganese, and some copper-ore, it is
said, have been found upon this mountain; but no
mines have been opened. Sulphur-ore has been
discovered upon a farm called Cevn-dû-bâch, about
a mile east of the Moel: the mine is not however
worked upon an extensive scale, and the quantity of
ore raised has been inconsiderable.
The living is a discharged rectory, with the livings
of Llanvlewin and Llanrhwydrus annexed, rated in
the king's books at £14. 11. 8.; present net income,
£530, with a glebe-house; patron, the Bishop of
Bangor. The tithes of Llanryhyddlad have been
commuted for a rent-charge of £266. 11., and the
glebe comprises fifty acres, valued at £41. 13. 4. per
annum. The tithes of the ancient parish of Llandugwell are received alternately by the rectors of
this place and Llanvechell. The church, dedicated
to St. Rhyddlad, is a small edifice, not distinguished
by any architectural features of importance. There
are places of worship for dissenters; one or two day
schools; and two Sunday schools, one of them belonging to the Calvinistic Methodists, and the other
to the Baptists. Several charitable donations and
bequests are distributed among the poor at Christmas.
The principal of these is a bequest by William Lloyd,
more than a century since, with which a piece of land
near the church of Llanvair-Ynghornwy was purchased, which was exchanged in 1821, under the
provisions of the act of the 55th and 56th of George
III., for other lands with two cottages, containing in
the whole ten acres, and worth £11 per annum.
Another gift is a charge of £4. 4. on property in the
parish of Bôdedern, arising from a bequest of Edmund Griffith; and there are numerous small rentcharges, producing about 13s. 6d. The church lands
consist of several parcels, amounting in the whole to
30¾ acres, and yielding a rent of £17. 16. 6. Sir
William Williams, Speaker of the House of Commons
in the reign of Charles II., was born in this parish,
of which his father, Dr. Hugh Williams, founder of
the families of Wynnstay, Bôdelwyddan, and Penbedwr, was rector from 1633 till 1670.
Llanrhŷstid (Llan-Rhŷstyd)
LLANRHŶSTID (LLAN-RHŶSTYD), a
parish, in the poor-law union of Aberystwith,
Lower division of the hundred of Ilar, county of
Cardigan, South Wales, 9 miles (S. by W.) from
Aberystwith, on the road to Cardigan; comprising
the townships of Llanrhŷstid-Hamminiog and Llanrhŷstid-Mevennydd, and containing 1608 inhabitants.
This place, though at present of little importance,
has been distinguished in history from an early
period. In 987 its church was demolished by the
Danes, in one of their descents upon South Wales.
The castle of Llanrhŷstid, called also Dinerth Castle,
in 1080 belonged to Iestyn ab Gwrgan, Prince of
Glamorgan, and was then sacked by Rhŷs, Prince of
South Wales. It was destroyed in 1135, by Owain
Gwynedd and his brother, aided by Hywel ab
Meredydd and Rhŷs ab Madog ab Ednerth; and,
having been re-erected, was besieged and taken, in the
year 1150, with several other fortresses, by Cadell,
Meredydd, and Rhŷs, the sons of Grufydd ab Rhŷs,
Prince of South Wales, who, enraged at the spirited
resistance of its defenders, whereby they lost some
of their bravest troops, put the garrison to the sword.
It was fortified by Roger, Earl of Clare, in 1158,
and, about the close of the same century, was besieged and taken by Maelgwyn ab Rhŷs, who slew
the garrison left to defend it by his brother Grufydd,
and in 1204 razed it, with several others, to prevent
its falling into the hands of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth.
The parish is situated on the shore of Cardigan
bay, and bounded on the north by the parish of
Llanddeiniol, on the south by that of Llansantfraid,
and on the east by Llangwyryvon. It comprises by
admeasurement 8650 acres, of which 2250 are arable,
600 meadow, 5200 pasture, 400 uninclosed common,
and 200 woodland. The surface is ornamented with
the stream of the Gwyre and several other rivulets, and
interspersed with oak and ash, and some recent plantations of larch; it is marked by moderate elevations
in several parts, and in the vicinity of the sea are
some fine level tracts. The lands are in general well
cultivated, the chief produce being wheat, barley,
and oats. The seat of the ancient family of Lloyd
is situated here, and is now occupied by a family of
the name of Philipps. The village is situated near
the influx of the Gwyre into the bay of Cardigan,
and consists only of a few cottages, indifferently
built. Fairs are held on the Thursday before Easter,
on November 12th (a fair for hiring servants), and
the Thursday before Christmas; and at Lluest
Newydd others take place on Sept. 23rd, on Oct.
8th, and the second Friday after the 10th of the same
month. The living is a discharged vicarage, rated
in the king's books at £6. 13. 4.; patron, the Bishop
of St. David's: the tithes have been commuted for
£620, of which a sum of £450 is payable to the
Dean and Chapter of St. David's, and one of £170
to the vicar. The church, dedicated to St. Rhystyd, occupies an elevated situation above the village,
and is of considerable antiquity. There are places
of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, and Baptists;
a day school; and five Sunday schools, one of which
is in connexion with the Church, and the other four
with the dissenters. Leland mentions the remains
of a large edifice here, which some suppose to
have been a nunnery; but there are now no vestiges of it, nor any authentic account of such an
establishment having existed here.
Llanrian (Llan-Rhian)
LLANRIAN (LLAN-RHIAN), a parish, in the
poor-law union of Haverfordwest, hundred of
Dewisland, county of Pembroke, South Wales,
5 miles (N. E.) from St. David's; containing 912 inhabitants. It is situated near the north-western extremity of the county, and on the coast of St. George's
Channel, by which it is bounded on the west and
north; the scenery is pleasing, and the views over
the Channel and the adjacent country are interesting
and extensive. The living is a discharged vicarage,
rated in the king's books at £6. 11. 3., and endowed
with £200 royal bounty, and £600 parliamentary
grant; present net income, £105; patron, the Bishop
of St. David's. The church, dedicated to St. Rheanus, is not remarkable for any architectural details of
importance. There are places of worship for Baptists and Calvinistic Methodists. A day school is
endowed with £9 a year, the interest of money left
by the late Mr. David Thomas, of Trevyne, towards
the support of a schoolmaster; and with £3 a year
from the executors of the late Mrs. Davies, of Carnachan-wen. Of four Sunday schools, one is in connexion with the Established Church. Near the
church are some Druidical remains, consisting of
many large stones, most of them now broken: they
were formerly erect, and, in their arrangement and
general appearance, formed in miniature, according
to Mr. Fenton, a tolerably correct representation of
Stonehenge.
Llanrûg, or Llanvihangel-Yn-Rûg
LLANRÛG, or LLANVIHANGEL-YN-RÛG, a parish, in the hundred of Isgorvai, union
and county of Carnarvon, North Wales, 3½ miles
(E.) from Carnarvon, on the new line of road to CapelCurig; containing 1760 inhabitants. This parish is
separated from that of Llandeiniolen by the river
Seiont, the northern boundary of Llanrûg; and has
the parish of Llanberis on the east and south, that
of Llanbeblig also on the south, with the town of
Carnarvon (in Llanbeblig) on the west. It comprises
4105 acres, of which 2067 are arable, and 50 wood.
The land is stony and mountainous; and some of the
elevations, especially that on which the church is
built, command wide prospects of the sea and the
country adjacent, embracing the Snowdon range of
mountains on the east, and the bay of Carnarvon on
the west; in certain states of the atmosphere even
the Irish hills being distinctly visible. The soil is
gravelly, and the produce consists chiefly of barley,
oats, and potatoes; the land is for the greater part
inclosed and in a good state of cultivation: the waste
was inclosed by an act of parliament obtained about
the year 1809. The farms are small, seldom comprehending more than one hundred acres, and such
of the inhabitants as are not engaged in agriculture,
are employed in the quarries and the neighbouring
mines. There are several good mansions in detached
situations, inhabited by opulent families, among which
are the beautiful small villa of Glangwnna, deeply
embosomed in woods on the bank of the river Seiont;
Plâs Tirion, Pantavon, Llwynybrain, Havod, Brynbrâs Castle, Tŷ'n-y-Coed, and Tŷ Gwyn.
The parish contains the village of Cwm-y-Glo;
and many of the inhabitants were formerly occupied
in working the quarries, which produce slate of a
reddish hue, or of a brown colour, of a very durable
substance, and not apt to open or crack when exposed to the weather; but the number of persons
thus engaged has latterly been much diminished. Of
the several quarries, the largest, Glyn-Rhonwy, belongs to Lord Newborough; the others are on crown
property: the whole of them do not employ above a
hundred men. The slates used to be brought down
the Llanberis lakes in boats, and thence conveyed by
carts to Carnarvon; but since the new line of road has
been formed, they have been brought by carts the
whole of the way. There are indications of copperore on Caer Cwm-y-Glo, and also on a mountainous
rocky farm termed Llwyncoed: some small veins
have been actually laid open; and in a rock near the
lake, close to the new road, and on the same farm, a
vein of asbestos, or amianthus, has been found. At
a short distance higher up, and near the boundary of
the farms Llwyncoed and Glyn-Rhonwy, is a vein of
white soapy clay, resembling fullers'-earth, which
dips into the lake, and may be taken up from a boat.
Numerous curious specimens of fossils, minerals, and
crystals, are to be obtained in the mountainous district of the parish.
The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books
at £5. 12. 6.; patron, the Bishop of Bangor: the
tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £200.
The church, dedicated to St. Michael, is a small,
venerable, cruciform structure in the later English
style, without tower or steeple, but having at the
west end a pointed arch, rising above the roof, and
surmounted by a cross, under which a bell is suspended. It is sixty-two feet long, and twenty-seven
broad, and nearly all the sittings are free. On account of its elevated situation it is seen from a great
distance in every direction, and it has been rendered
still more conspicuous by being whitewashed all over,
not even excepting the roof. There are places of
worship for Calvinistic Methodists, Wesleyans, and
Independents; a National school, established in 1834,
by subscription aided by a grant of £15 from the
National Society; and six Sunday schools, conducted gratuitously by the dissenters. Mr. John
Morris, in 1710, bequeathed land for apprenticing
poor boys of this parish and the town of Carnarvon,
now containing in the whole about 107 acres, and
producing £58. 9. 10. per annum, including 35 acres
on an inclosure of the common of Llanrûg in the year
1819; two or three boys are annually apprenticed
from each, according to the will of the testator, and
the benefit is enjoyed by both places equally: a premium of £10 is given with each boy, and he also
receives £1 annually for clothing. About £1 is distributed in bread to the poor, arising from the rent
of two cottages erected on the common from two
bequests.
In several parts of the parish are remains of cottages, or huts, probably the abodes of the aboriginal
inhabitants at some period of remote antiquity. They
are generally in clusters of eight or ten each, and
appear to have formed distinct villages: they are
called cuttiau 'r Gwyddelod, or "the Irishmen's huts."
Their shape is usually circular; two stones on one
side of each seem to mark out the entrance, and a
large upright stone probably points out the fire-place:
the walls, which are about two feet high, and three in
thickness, are composed of small stones without mortar. Near the huts are frequently found remains of
the "quern," or stone handmill, consisting of two
stones, one concave and the other convex, with a
place for an iron handle; and stone and brass celts
have also been found in the vicinity of these ancient
habitations, which are generally distributed through
the parish, and of which the number of circular
form exceeds 300. Davydd Thomas, the celebrated
bard, better known as "Davydd Ddû o Eryri," was
interred at this place; and Dr. Edwards, who accompanied Commodore Anson in his voyage round the
world, and held the office of surgeon on board the
Tamer frigate, was a native of the parish, and son
of one of its rectors: he also lies buried in the
churchyard.
Llanrwst (Llan-Rwst)
LLANRWST (LLAN-RWST), a markettown, the head of a union, and a parish, partly in the
hundred of Nantconway, county of Carnarvon,
but chiefly in the Uchdulas division of the hundred
of Isdulas, county of Denbigh, North Wales,
20 miles (W. by S.) from Denbigh, 26 (W. by N.)
from Ruthin, and 217 (N. W. by W.) from London;
containing 3905 inhabitants, of which 3524 are in
Denbighshire, and 381 in the Carnarvonshire portion,
consisting of the township of Gwydir. This town is
of very great antiquity, and in the year 952 was the
scene of an important battle in the contests maintained at that period, for the sovereignty of Wales,
between the sons of Hywel Dda and those of Edwal
Voel. The former, assembling their forces in South
Wales, laid waste the territory of North Wales as far
as the river Conway, but were opposed by the latter
at the town of Llanrwst, where, after an obstinate
conflict, in which many of considerable rank were
slain on both sides, the sons of Edwal Voel were victorious. These, pursuing their enemies into South
Wales, retaliated upon their territories for the ravages
which had been inflicted on their own.
The town is pleasantly situated on the eastern
bank of the river Conway, which here forms the
boundary between the two counties, four miles to the
north of the road to Holyhead, and in the spacious
and beautiful Vale of Llanrwst, environed by majestic and well-wooded hills, the land at the foot of
which is well watered, and exceedingly productive.
It is large, well built, and amply supplied with water,
but consists principally of small houses and shops;
the streets are spacious and well paved. Over the
river is an elegant bridge of three arches, built about
the year 1636, under an order from the privy council
of Charles I., from a plan by Inigo Jones, who is
erroneously stated to have been a native of this place:
the expense of its erection, amounting to about
£1000, was conjointly defrayed by the two counties
which it connects. Two of the arches are strikingly
handsome; the third, having been rebuilt in 1703, is
somewhat inferior: the central arch, which forms a
much larger segment of a circle than the other two,
is nearly sixty feet in span. Excellent roads have
been made, communicating with the London, Liverpool, and Holyhead roads, and also with Denbigh
and St. Asaph; the improved state of which has
caused a considerable increase of visiters, during the
summer months, to the picturesque and much admired scenery of this neighbourhood.
Llanrwst was formerly noted for the making of
harps. At present the spinning of woollen yarn, and
the knitting of stockings, constitute the principal
trade, the town being situated at the north-western
extremity of the hosiery district of North Wales,
and forming, next to Bala, the principal market for
that article; the first of these branches, however, is in
a very low state, there being only one mill, in which
not more than four or five persons are employed.
The river Conway is navigable from its mouth to
Trêvriw, about two miles from this town, for vessels
of sixty tons' burthen, which bring coal, lime, timber,
and grocery for the supply of the inhabitants of
Llanrwst and the neighbourhood, and carry back the
produce of the slate-quarries and mines of the adjoining parishes. The market, held on Saturday, is
well supplied, particularly with corn, which is not
sold by sample, but in small quantities suitable to the
circumstances of the purchaser: it is the general
mart for the inhabitants of the surrounding district,
to a distance of twenty miles in some directions.
Fairs, chiefly for the sale of cattle, corn, and wool,
take place on the first Tuesday in February, on
March 8th, April 25th, June 21st, August 10th,
September 17th, October 25th, on December 11th,
and the second Tuesday after that day. At the June
fair a great quantity of wool is sold to the clothiers of
Yorkshire, and at the September and October fairs
great numbers of cattle are sold to the English
drovers. The market-place is a spacious square area,
in the centre of which stands the town-hall, lately
rebuilt. The old town-hall was a plain substantial
structure, erected at the expense of Maurice Wynne,
Esq., of Caer Melwr, as appeared from a stone over
the principal entrance, bearing the arms of the
Wynnes, and the initials of the founder, with the
date 1661: above this was a clock, with a cupola,
containing the market bell, and surmounted by a
large gilt eagle. This edifice has been rebuilt by
Lord Willoughby D'Eresby, with an additional floor
for a corn-market. The general quarter-sessions for
the county were formerly held here, but the practice
has been discontinued since the removal of the
assizes from Denbigh to Ruthin. The powers of
the county debt-court of Llanrwst, established in
1847, extend over the registration-district of Llanrwst. The petty-sessions for the Uchdulas division
of the hundred of Isdulas are held here; and under
the Boundary Act, Llanrwst is a polling-place in the
election of knights for the shire.
The parish is upwards of forty miles in circumference, and comprises, in the Denbighshire portion,
15,000 acres, of which 8300 are arable, 6000 pasture,
and 700 woodland; and in the Carnarvonshire portion 7694a. 3r. 22p., of which about 293 acres are
arable, 6588 pasture, 693 wood, and the remainder
water, roads, and waste. The soil of the lower
grounds consists principally of a mixture of argillaceous earth and vegetable mould, the latter generally
diminishing in quality as the elevation of the land increases. Some parts of the surface rise into lofty hills
and mountains, including Moel Siabod and Moel
Seiviog, the former reaching an elevation of 2878
feet above the level of the sea; on the summit of the
latter three parishes meet. The chief agricultural
produce is wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, and the
various grasses; and in the spring, summer, and
autumn months, the higher grounds afford abundant
pasturage for horses, cattle, and sheep. Clay-slate
and greywacke are quarried for fences, for building
purposes, and the repair of roads; and there are leadmines in each division of the parish. The forest-trees
consist principally of oak, of larch, spruce, and Scotch
firs, of ash, beech, sycamore, birch, and alder.
Llanrwst being situated in the rich and fertile
Vale of Llanrwst, the environs of the town partake
very largely of the beautifully picturesque scenery
for which the district is celebrated, the most prominent and striking features being the precipitous
woods and lofty cliffs of Gwydir. The surface is
diversified with hill and dale, woods, rocks, and water,
together with moors, pastures, and arable land;
uniting, in their perpetually varying combinations,
to produce pictorial scenes of the highest order. The
Vale of Llanrwst, which is neither so widely extended
as the Vale of Clwyd, nor so contracted as that of
Llangollen, is regarded by the admirers of scenery
as exhibiting the most varied assemblage of beautiful
features which the pencil could delineate. The
prospect of the dense woods and towering hills that
inclose it on each side, is enlivened by the river
Conway, which every where presents an animated
scene, either of small vessels arriving at, and departing from, the village of Trêvriw, or of the diminutive
boats called coracles, used in fishing for salmon and
smelts, both which, together with various kinds of
trout, eels, &c., are supplied to the neighbourhood.
The gentlemen's seats in the vicinity and more remote localities contribute to the powerful effect of
the different views. They comprise Gwydir, the
Abbey, Cyfdŷ, Belmont, Plâs Madoc, Penloyn, the
Cottage, Hêndre House, Oaklands, Beaver Grove,
and Tan-y-Celyn, a neat residence on the banks
of the Conway. The ancient mansion of Gwydir,
finely situated amongst woods of oak, which clothe
the rocks projecting between the rivers Conway and
Llugwy, near the foot of a lofty precipice called
Carreg-y-Gwalch, or "the rock of the falcon," was
erected, according to some initials and a date over
the gateway, by John Wynne ab Meredydd, in 1555,
and comprised an extensive but somewhat irregular
pile of building, ranged in a quadrangular form, and
consisting of an inner and an outer court. This
edifice was taken down in 1816, since which time
the present structure, on a much smaller scale, has
been built: a portion of the former mansion still
remains, and has been fitted up in an antique and
elegant style. Above this stood another edifice,
called the Upper Gwydir, erected in the year 1604,
by Sir John Wynne, which was pulled down a short
time ago.
The living comprises a sinecure rectory and a
discharged vicarage, united by act of parliament
passed in 1678, and in the patronage of the Bishop
of St. Asaph; the former rated in the king's books
at £12, and the latter at £6. 5. 5. The tithes have
been commuted for a rent-charge of £900, and there
is a glebe-house, with appendages, valued at £50
per annum. The church, dedicated to St. Grwst,
Rhystyd, or Restitutus, and situated close to the river,
is said to have been originally erected on ground given
by Rhûn, son of Nevydd Hardd, a chieftain of one
of the fifteen tribes of North Wales, to expiate the
murder of Prince Idwal, a son of Owain Gwynedd,
by order of Nevydd, to whom Owain had entrusted
him to be fostered, according to the custom of the
country. The present structure, supposed, from its
style of architecture, to have been erected early in
the fifteenth century, was thoroughly repaired, and
a tower added to it, at the sole expense of the late
rector, the Rev. H. Holland Edwards, prebendary
of Westminster. It contains 743 sittings, and is
ninety-two feet long, and thirty-three broad.
Adjoining it, on the south side, is the Gwydir
chapel, a handsome square castellated edifice, the interior of which is decorated with a profusion of carved
work. It was built by Sir Richard Wynne, from a
design by Inigo Jones, in the seventeenth century,
as a burial-place for his family, the deceased members
of which had previously been interred in the chancel of
the church, and contains several elegantly engraved
brasses, exhibiting portraits of members of the family.
It has a carved and fretted roof, said to have once
belonged to the conventual church of Maenan Abbey,
situated about three miles distant. On the eastern
wall is a slab of white marble, recording the pedigree
of the founder, and tracing his ancestors to Owain
Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales. On the southern
wall is a monument to the memory of Sir John
Wynne, Bart., a learned antiquary, and an indefatigable gleaner of materials for the illustration of Welsh
history, which were published under the title of the
"History of the Gwydir family;" also to that of his
great-grandfather Meredydd, and his wife Sidney,
daughter of Sir William Gerard, Chancellor of Ireland. In the centre of the chapel, upon the floor,
lies the stone coffin of Llewelyn the Great, who died
in 1240, and was interred in the abbey he had
founded at Conway, whence the monks afterwards
removed to Maenan: at the Dissolution, the coffin
was brought from Maenan to the parish church of
Llanrwst, where it remained obscured by rubbish
until placed in its present more appropriate situation.
The same attention has been paid to another piece
of antiquity, placed near it, viz., a recumbent armed
effigy of Howel Coytmor, grandson of Davydd,
brother to Llewelyn ab Grufydd: he was owner of
the Gwydir estate, which was sold by one of his
descendants to the family of Wynne.
There is a separate incumbency at Garthgarmon,
a parochial chapelry in the parish; and at Gwydir,
half a mile distant from the town, is a private chapel
belonging to Lord Willoughby D'Eresby. An additional church, dedicated to St. Mary, and in the
early English style, capable of seating 350 persons,
was commenced in 1841, by subscription, on a site
given by his lordship, for the accommodation of those
who do not understand Welsh, in which language
the service is exclusively performed in the mother
church. This edifice, which, being situated on an
ascent, forms an interesting object at the entrance to
the town from Pentre-Voelas, was consecrated October 28th, 1842; and the necessary endowments for
the minister, repairs of the church, and general purposes, were provided by the Rev. H. H. Edwards.
There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, and Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists; a
Church school, a British school, and a number of
Sunday schools.
An old foundation in the parish, called Jesus'
Hospital, is supposed to have been originally endowed with the impropriate tithes of Eglwys-Bâch,
a parish of eight townships, of which the rector had
tithe from but one, called Bodnod township, the other
seven paying to an impropriator. It appears that the
hospital was founded by Sir John Wynne, Knt., of
Gwydir, in 1612, for the support of a warden and
twelve poor men; and that a free school within its
walls was established by the same benefactor, the
master of which was to have £20 per annum, and an
usher £10, with a house and garden each. The
allowance to the warden was £20, and the salaries of
the teachers were subsequently augmented to £25
and £15: the remainder of the tithes was to maintain the almsmen, and to provide them every other
year with warm gowns. Another history of the
charity however is, that the true founder was a
gentleman of the name of Williams, and that Sir
John Wynne was merely an instrument for carrying
his benevolent intentions into effect. The endowment of the hospital and its school with the tithes of
Eglwys-Bâch, which were even then of considerable
amount, is believed to have been the intention of
Sir John Wynne; but this, it is said, has always been
denied by his descendants and by the heirs of
Gwydir, who have contended that this disposition of
the tithes is not sustained by deed or other legal
writing. The present Lord Willoughby D'Eresby,
to whom the impropriation of Eglwys-Bâch has devolved as the representative of the family, also resists
the claim of Jesus' Hospital to the endowment; and
the question now at issue is, whether these tithes, of
which the annual amount has exceeded £600, were
settled to maintain the hospital, or are a lay impropriation in the Gwydir family in its own right, out
of which certain payments were charitably, but gratuitously, made for nearly 200 years. The almshouses have ceased to be occupied by the poor, as
rent-free tenements, since 1811; but it should be
mentioned that Lord Willoughby D'Eresby distributes different sums of money annually to a certain
number of needy persons, in the parish, though
these payments are claimed to be voluntary, and
wholly unconnected with the proceeds of the tithes.
The houses are still standing; they are built of
stone, and in tolerable repair, consisting of five tenements on the ground-floor and the same number
above. About the year 1812, one of the ground
tenements was destroyed to make a passage to a
house then sold by Lord Willoughby to Mr. Evan
Pritchard, which house is said to have been the
property of the hospital, and former residence of the
warden: the old house has since been taken down
and rebuilt. On a stone tablet in the wall that
separates the almshouses from the churchyard is this
inscription: "Jo Winn de Gwyder Fil Mauricii
Miles et Baronnetta fundavit A°. 1610." A salary
of £40 per annum is paid out of the endowment to
the master of the hospital school, one of the three day
schools in the parish.
Among the contributors to the other charities of
the parish have been Dame Mary Mostyn, John
Salusbury, Morris Hughes, and Evan Davies, of whom
the last-named, in 1766, left it property amounting to upwards of £600. About £800 have been
invested in the funds and in turnpike-trusts, producing annually £35. 8., and among other charitable
uses, a portion of this income is distributed to the
poor between Michaelmas and Christmas. The
poor-law union of which this town is the head, was
formed April 29th, 1837, and comprises the following
seventeen townships and parishes; namely, GwernHowell, Gwytherin, Llanddoget, Llangerniew, and
Pentre-Voelas, in the county of Denbigh; EglwysBâch and Maenan (in the parish of Eglwys-Bâch),
Tîr-Ivan, Eidda, and Trêbrys (in the parish of
Yspytty-Ivan), and Llanrwst and Gwydir (in the
parish of Llanrwst), in the counties of Denbigh and
Carnarvon; and Bettws-y-Coed, Dôlwyddelan, Llanrhychwyn, Penmachno, and Trêvriw, in the county
of Carnarvon. It is under twenty guardians, and
contains a population of 12,322.
Llansadwrn (Llan-Sadwrn)
LLANSADWRN (LLAN-SADWRN), a parish, in the union of Bangor and Beaumaris, hundred of Tyndaethwy, county of Anglesey, North
Wales, 3 miles (W.) from Beaumaris; containing
455 inhabitants. This parish is situated in the eastern
part of the county, within four miles of the Menai
suspension bridge, and on the road from Llangevni
to Beaumaris. It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Pentraeth and Llanddona, on the south by
the parish of Llandegvan, on the east by Beaumaris,
in Llandegvan, and on the west by the parish of Penmynedd; comprising by computation 2891 acres, of
which 1700 are arable, 1103 pasture, and the remainder woodland and waste. In general the lands
are inclosed and well cultivated; the soil is fertile,
and the chief produce corn, cattle, and a few sheep.
The houses of the inhabitants are scattered over the
parish in detached situations, not forming any village;
and the surrounding scenery, though not characterised
by any peculiarity of feature, is pleasingly rural.
The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's
books at £7. 6. 0½.; patron, the Bishop of Bangor:
the tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of
£400. The church, dedicated to St. Sadwrn, from
which circumstance the parish derives its name, is a
small but neat edifice, consisting of a nave, chancel,
and north transept, and was thoroughly repaired at a
considerable expense in 1829. It contains 140 sittings, of which fifty are free. In the transept, projecting from the wall, is the head of an ecclesiastic,
well executed in stone; and outside the same part of
the edifice is the head of a bear, with a muzzle and
chain, also curiously carved in stone. A fragment of
stone has been found, which is now placed within the
transept under the head above-mentioned, bearing an
inscription in Roman characters, in which the word
"Saturninus" seems to shew that the stone was part
of a monument of St. Sadwrn, by whom the church
is supposed to have been founded about the year 600.
The inscription is the more remarkable as making
mention of the wife of this holy personage. A
Church day school is held; and there is a place of
worship for Calvinistic Methodists, in which a Sunday school is held.
The farms of Bryn Eryr and Rhôs Owen, left by
Dr. Rowlands for the support of his almshouses at
Bangor, are in this parish. Rowland Jones, in the
year 1715, bequeathed a tenement called Gorslâs,
the rent of which he appropriated in equal shares,
amounting to £2. 5. for each, to the poor of this
parish and that of Pentraeth. Mrs. Roberts, in 1756,
left £150, the interest of which she directed to be
given in equal shares to three of the poorest and
most deserving housekeepers of Llansadwrn: this
sum was invested in a mortgage on the tolls of the
Holyhead road, and now produces an income of
£7. 10. annually. The amount of both charities is
distributed at Easter and Christmas among the most
necessitous poor. With numerous other benefactions,
amounting in the whole to £41, the principal contributors to which were Humphrey Williams, in 1741,
and Griffith Rowland, in 1765, of sums of £10 each,
ten small cottages were erected on ground granted by
the late Lord Bulkeley at £1. 1. per annum; they
are now occupied rent-free by ten families put in by
the vestry.
In a field adjoining Trevor, in the parish, are the
remains of two cromlechs; the larger, which was
supported on two upright stones more than ten feet
high, fell down in 1825. Near an old family mansion
called "Castellior," are some vestiges of an ancient
fortress, which, from several relics of antiquity discovered in the immediate vicinity, is supposed to be
of Roman origin. Havodty Rhydderch is the name
of an ancient residence, apparently of some member of
the Bulkeley family, to the representative of which
it still belongs. It is now tenanted by a farmer;
but from its more considerable size not many years
since, and from various architectural features still
remaining, its original importance may be easily
imagined. The chief room now left appears to have
been the hall of the mansion, and its fireplace, presenting an obtusely pointed arch, is a good specimen
of the comfort of former days. The hollowed moulding of the arch bears a motto, with heraldic devices,
belonging to the Bulkeleys; the motto being si
deus nobiscum, quis contra nos? which likewise
occurs, in English, on one of the windows of the
family's old residence in the town of Beaumaris.
The principals of the ancient roof are also yet to be
seen in the apartment. In the marsh near the base
of Llwydiart mountain, fossil oak-trees, acorns, and
nuts are found, several feet below the surface, retaining all their original freshness.
Llansadwrn (Llan-Sadwrn)
LLANSADWRN (LLAN-SADWRN), a parish, in the union of Llandovery, Lower division of
the hundred of Perveth, county of Carmarthen,
South Wales, 3 miles (N. N. W.) from Llangadock;
comprising the Upper and Lower divisions, and containing 1192 inhabitants. This parish, which is situated in the north-eastern part of the county, is intersected by the turnpike-road from Llandilo-Vawr to
Llandovery, and by a small rivulet tributary to the
river Towy. It comprises 7064 acres, consisting of
a mountainous district of considerable extent, and a
large portion of common, which was inclosed by an
act of parliament passed in 1809, and, with the other
lands, is in a good state of cultivation. The scenery
is finely diversified, and the views from the higher
grounds are rich, embracing an extensive tract of
country. Abermarlais, the seat of the late ViceAdmiral Sir Thomas Foley, is a handsome modern
mansion, erected by him, near the site and from the
ruins of an ancient mansion, which originally formed
the baronial residence of Sir Rhŷs ab Thomas, and is
noticed by Leland: the edifice is situated in grounds
comprehending much picturesque scenery.
The living is a discharged vicarage, with the perpetual curacy of Llanwrda annexed, rated in the
king's books at £6. 10., and in the gift of Lady
Foley; present net income, £165, with a glebehouse. The tithes of the parish have been commuted
for £351. 15., of which £263. 14. 9. are payable to
Lady Foley, and £87. 18. 3. to the vicar; the incumbent has also a glebe of three acres, and is
allowed £15 per annum from the impropriator. The
church is dedicated to St. Sadwrn. Lady Letitia
Cornwallis presented to it a silver-gilt chalice, flagon,
and paten, with the inscription; "donum Letitiæ
Cornwallis, 1739." There are several places of worship for dissenters, a day school at Abermarlais, and
some Sunday schools. In the above-mentioned year
Lady Letitia Cornwallis bequeathed £400 for endowing a free school for this parish and that of Llanwrda, the selection of the master or mistress to be by
the vestry of this parish alone; and also gave £1000,
the interest to be divided among four maiden gentlewomen of the county; £800 to purchase a proper
piece of ground, and habitation, for them, and a schoolhouse, and residence for the master or mistress; £200
to provide furniture for the use of the four almswomen; and £200 for new furniture, and for repairing and beautifying the gentlewomen's house and the
school; any residue to be expended in buying shoes
and stockings for the poorest children of the two parishes: she likewise gave £50, the interest to be
distributed on Christmas-eve among the poor of this
place. These sums not having been applied to the
purposes prescribed by the will of the testatrix, a
decree for the payment of them, with the accumulations, was obtained in 1782, and the money vested in
the three per cent. bank annuities; when the original
bequest of £400 for the school was found to have
increased to £1435, the £1000 to £3587, the £200
for buying the first furniture to £717, the second
£200 to a similar sum, the £50 for the poor to £179,
and the £800 building fund to £2504. 11.; and independently of the last sum, the whole amount invested was £6636. In 1794 this sum of £6636
had accumulated to £9228; and the dividends,
amounting to £276. 17., are chiefly disposed of as
follows, namely, £166. 2. among the four gentlewomen, £65 to the school, and £5. 7. 7. to the poor.
The school premises, situated in Llanwrda, consist of
a dwelling-house for the master, with a schoolroom,
a field of two and a half acres, and a garden. The
almshouses comprise four tenements (with a garden
annexed), erected, like the school premises, out of
the building fund; and the inmates, in addition to
the yearly sum above specified, are entitled to receive
a portion of the dividends on £526. 7. 3., accumulated from re-investments of the surplus fund. The
£5. 7. 7. are annually distributed among the poorer
parishioners, who further receive 10s., arising from a
rent-charge granted by William Thomas Howell, out
of the estate of Edwinsford, in the parish of Llansawel; and also have the benefit of £5 per annum for
instructing children, £5. 5. for apprenticing them,
and forty gallons of barley per month; all derived
from the estate of Abermarlais.
Llansadwrnen (Llan-Sadyrnin)
LLANSADWRNEN (LLAN-SADYRNIN),
a parish, in the Higher division of the hundred of
Derllŷs, union and county of Carmarthen, South
Wales, 2 miles (S. W.) from Laugharne; containing
237 inhabitants. This parish, which derives its
name from the dedication of its church, is pleasantly
situated on the bay of Carmarthen, and is but of
small extent; the land is inclosed and in a tolerable
state of cultivation. In the limestone rock near the
coast is a curious and beautiful cavern of large dimensions, formerly a retreat for smugglers. The
scenery is pleasingly varied; and the views, extending over the bay and the adjacent country, are interesting, and combine some features of picturesque
character. The living is a rectory, annexed to the
vicarage of Laugharne, and rated in the king's books
at £6: the tithes have been commuted for £197, and
the glebe comprises twenty-three acres, valued at
£20 per annum. In the parish are the remains of
Broadway House, an ancient mansion, formerly the
residence of John Powel, Esq., Chief Justice of the
Common Pleas, and Keeper of the Great Seal in the
reign of James II. He was one of the judges who
sat on the trial of the seven bishops that were committed to the Tower by order of that monarch, in
1688; and by his inflexible integrity they were absolved of the charge laid against them. He died in
1696, aged sixty-three, and was buried in the church
of Laugharne, where a monument was erected to his
memory, bearing an inscription eulogizing his conduct on the memorable trial.
Llansamlet (Llan-Samled)
LLANSAMLET (LLAN-SAMLED), a parish, in the union of Neath, hundred of Llangyvelach, county of Glamorgan, South Wales, 4
miles (N. E. by N.) from Swansea; comprising the
Higher and Lower divisions, and containing 3375
inhabitants, of whom 1105 are in the Higher, and
2270 in the Lower, division. This parish is separated
from that of Llangyvelach by the river Tawe on the
west, and is intersected in the middle by the turnpike-road from Swansea to Neath. It extends six
or seven miles upward from the sea, to a place called
Glais, which is at the northern extremity of it, nearly
opposite to Clydach in the parish of Llangyvelach.
The village is situated on the river, forming a kind of
suburb to Morriston in Llangyvelach; and between
it and the sea, the country is dreary in the extreme,
from the absence of vegetation, and the accumulation
of vast mounds of slag, the refuse of the great coppersmelting works that are carried on here. In some
parts, however, particularly in the Upper division,
the lands are in a fair state of cultivation. One of
the most picturesque features of the parish is Glànbrane, a good house, situated near the summit of a
lofty eminence, and commanding a fine marine view;
and Gwernllwynwith, formerly the property of the
Morgans of Birch Grove, is also a substantial
mansion.
There are some extensive collieries, the principal
of which afford constant occupation to about 500
men. It is supposed that coal has been worked
here from a very early period, and the opinion receives
some confirmation from an ancient record of the time
of Henry VI., describing the jointure of Elizabeth,
widow of Thomas de Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk,
and referring, among other possessions, to Kilvey, in
this parish: "Kilney vel Kilvey tertia pars terr' et
domin' et minæ carbonum, &c." The manor of Kilvey
was granted by the parliament to Cromwell, a considerable time before the unfortunate King Charles
was beheaded. Besides the collieries, the parish contains the copper-works already alluded to, affording
employment to a great number of persons; a large
rolling-mill; and a spelter-work: the produce is
conveyed to the port of Swansea by the river Tawe,
which runs close to the works, and is navigable for
three miles. The great South Wales railway, and
the Swansea-Valley railway, will both pass by Llansamlet. A large portion of the parish is included
within the limits of the borough of Swansea.
The living is a perpetual curacy, endowed with
£800 royal bounty; net income, £150; patron and
appropriator, the Bishop of St. David's. The church,
dedicated to St. Samled, is a small edifice, consisting
of a nave and chancel, neatly fitted up. The southern part of Llansamlet parish, and one of the hamlets
of St. Mary's, Swansea, built by the sea, on the eastern bank of the Tawe, form an ecclesiastical district
with a church of its own. There are several places
of worship for dissenters, three day schools, and ten
Sunday schools. Mr. Lewis Thomas, in the year
1708, bequeathed a rent-charge of £2 per annum,
which, with another trifling benefaction of a similar
description, of 12s., in the same year, by Mr. John
Jenkin, is annually distributed among the poor on
St. Thomas's day; as is likewise, among poor widows,
on Christmas day, a sum of £3. 18. 6., the interest of
£130. 17. 11. three per cent. consolidated bank annuities, purchased with a gift of £100 by John Harry,
in 1809. A bequest of a rent-charge of £2 by
Thomas Popkins, in 1751, has not been paid for
many years, being void under the statute. About
500 Roman coins were found near the Gwindy, in
Llansamlet, in the year 1835.
Llansannan (Llan-Sannan)
LLANSANNAN (LLAN-SANNAN), a parish, in the union of St. Asaph, Higher division of
the hundred of Isaled, county of Denbigh, North
Wales, 8 miles (W.) from Denbigh, on the road to
Llanrwst; containing 1406 inhabitants. It derives
its name from the dedication of its church to St. Sannan, the intimate friend and companion of the father
of St. Winifred, who lived here in religious seclusion,
and was buried near the remains of the latter at
Gwytherin. The village is situated at the head of
the narrow vale of the river Aled, which rises in
Llyn Aled at no great distance, and in its course
along the vale forms some interesting cascades. The
parish comprises about 13,000 acres, of which 6000
are common or waste; the soil, though various, is
tolerably fertile. The surrounding scenery is almost
totally devoid of beauty, the country presenting little
more than an uninviting prospect of dreary wastes
and mountainous ground. In the small vale near
the village is Dyfryn Aled, a splendid mansion, built
by the late Mrs. Yorke, the heiress of the estate, and
situated on the slope of a hill opposite the old house,
which was for several generations a seat of the Wynne
family. Fairs, chiefly for the sale of cattle, horses,
sheep, and wool, are held annually on May 18th,
August 17th, October 26th, and November 30th.
The living is a vicarage, in the patronage of the
Bishop of St. Asaph, rated in the king's books at
£5. 0. 10.; present net income, £376, with a glebehouse. The church is an ancient edifice, occupying
a somewhat romantic situation, but possessing no
architectural details of importance. There are places
of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, Baptists, and
Independents; a day school, and some Sunday
schools. The benefaction-table in the church records
four charities, amounting to £60, the interest of
which was to be dispensed to the sick and destitute;
but it would appear from Gilbert's returns of 1786,
and other documents, that the principal was borrowed
by the parish to defray certain repairs of the church:
a small sum was paid annually out of the church-rate
until 1835, when the vestry resolved to discontinue
it, and it is therefore lost to the poor.
Llansannor (Llan-Sannwr), otherwise Thaw
LLANSANNOR (LLAN-SANNWR), otherwise THAW, a parish, in the union of Bridgend
and Cowbridge, hundred of Cowbridge, county of
Glamorgan, South Wales, 4 miles (N.) from Cowbridge; containing 204 inhabitants. It is situated
on the river Ddaw or Thaw, which rises in the parish,
and, proceeding by Cowbridge, which it occasionally
separates from this parish in its course, falls into the
Bristol Channel, about six miles distant, where it
forms the little harbour of Aberthaw. Llansannor is
bounded on the north by Llanhary, on the south by
Llanblethian, on the east by Ystrad-Owen, and on
the west by Penllyne; and comprises by computation
about 1100 acres, of which 500 are arable, 40 woodland, and the remainder pasture: the soil is chiefly
of a sandy quality. The surface, for the most part
level, is diversified in some places with hill and dale,
and the scenery is particularly pleasing where interspersed with plantations of various kinds of fir. There
are some quarries of limestone. Llansannor House,
formerly the residence of the lord of the manor, and
Brigam, are both now in a greatly dilapidated condition, and in the occupation of tenants; near the latter
are the remains of an old castle, which was of some
note in this part of the county. The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £7.
15. 7½.; present net income, £120, of which £10 are
paid as a modus for Llansannor House demesne;
patron, J. Bailey, Esq., M.P., who is chief proprietor
in the parish, by purchase from J. F. Gwyn, Esq.
The church, dedicated to St. Senewyr, is a small
ancient edifice; at the south end of the chancel is a
recumbent effigy of a warrior clad in armour, with a
sword and shield, the head resting on a lion, and at
the feet a dog. A Sunday school is held in the
church. Mr. Edward Thomas, of Argoed, in the
parish, in 1778, bequeathed to the poor half the rent
of a house and croft, now producing £4 per annum.
At a farmhouse called Pantlewydd, in the parish, still
owned and occupied by the family, resided Mr.
Thomas Trueman, a great collector of antiquities of
the county, and whose MS. volume of pedigrees is
extant in several copies: his ancestor came from Nottinghamshire, and was an officer on the Cromwellian
side in the civil war.
Llansantfraid (Llan-Sant-Ffread)
LLANSANTFRAID (LLAN-SANT-FFREAD), a parish, in the hundred of Pencelly,
union and county of Brecknock, South Wales,
4 miles (S. E.) from Brecknock; containing 203 inhabitants. It derives its name from the dedication of
its church to St. Bridget, or Bride, otherwise called
St. Fread, an Irish female saint, who appears to have
been so highly venerated in Wales, that no fewer than
nineteen churches in the principality have been consecrated to her memory. The western part of the
parish obtained the appellation of Scethrog, by which
it is at present distinguished, from Brochmail Yscythrog, Prince of Powys, to whom it descended by inheritance from his mother, who was a daughter of Brychan, Prince of Brycheiniog. It does not appear
that Brochmail ever resided upon this lordship,
although some think that he was buried in the neighbouring parish of Llandevailog-Vâch, where a rudely
carved stone of very remote character commemorates
the interment of some British personage. After the
conquest of the ancient Brycheiniog by Bernard
Newmarch, the lordship of Scethrog was conferred
on one of his followers, named Miles Pitcher, or
Pychard, by whom, or by one of his immediate descendants, a castellated mansion was erected on the
bank of the river Usk, subsequently called the Tower,
and of which there are still some remains incorporated with a farmhouse built upon the site.
The parish is pleasantly situated on the river Usk,
and intersected by the turnpike-road from Brecknock
to Crickhowel and Abergavenny. With the exception
of a comparatively small portion, the lands are all
inclosed, and in a good state of cultivation; the
parish comprising by computation about 2000 acres,
of which three-fourths are arable, and the remainder
pasture and meadow, with between fifty and sixty
acres of wood. The soil is a gravelly loam, generally fertile and productive; the surface is undulated,
in some parts hilly, and abounds with richly varied
scenery. The views from the higher grounds, particularly from the Allt Hill, on the north-eastern
side, comprehend many features of interest and
beauty. Among the most prominent of these may
be noticed, in the foreground, the fertile and romantic Vale of Usk, with the river, celebrated for
its trout-fishing, winding, for a distance of four
miles in the parish, through a succession of fine
scenery, having richly wooded eminences on its
banks. In the distance is the majestic range of the
Brecknockshire Beacons, with which the softer aspect
of the vale is well contrasted. Buckland Park, a
spacious mansion, originally erected about a century
ago, by Roger Jones, Esq., member for the county,
is beautifully situated on the bank of the Usk, and
sheltered by a lofty mountain, barren towards the
summit, but having the acclivities near its base richly
clothed with wood. The house was much enlarged
in 1839, and has two fronts, of which that towards
the river commands an extensive view up the Vale
of Usk, and the other a more confined but still romantic view of the mountains that inclose the vale on
the south.
The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books
at £6. 4. 7.; patron, T. Watkins, Esq. Previously
to the Reformation, the advowson was vested in the
owner of the manor of Scethrog; it was subsequently
granted to Roger Vaughan, of Porthaml. Some of
the tithes, anciently appropriated to the free chapel
of Pencelly, are now held by the lord of the manors
of Buckland and Scethrog. The incumbent's tithes
have been commuted for a rent-charge of £262;
there is a glebe-house, and the glebe comprises 26a.
2r. 30p., valued at £33. 7. per annum. The church,
rebuilt in 1690, and affording accommodation for
about 400 persons, consists of two low aisles, with a
cupola at the west end, and is situated close to the
road side. A gravestone to the memory of David
Watkins, of Scethrog, who died on the 2nd of November, 1618, aged eighty-eight, records that he,
his father, and his grandfather, lived in the parish
for 300 years: probably it may signify, only, that
they were severally living in three different centuries.
There is a place of worship for Independents; also
a small day school in connexion with the Church,
and a Sunday school held in the meeting-house.
Some bequests made for the benefit of the poor,
having been neglected, are now nearly lost; but
there are still three separate pieces of poor's land,
containing together about five acres, and let at
rents amounting to £5. 10. per annum, which sum
is generally distributed on New Year's day among
the poor not receiving parochial relief, in sums
varying from five to ten shillings.
The Roman road from Caerleon to the Gaer near
Brecknock, passes through the parish, from Cathedine
on the east to Llanhamllêch on the west; and at
Scethrog is a cylindrical stone, bearing an inscription in Roman characters, of which only the letters
VICTORINI are legible, and supposed to commemorate the interment of a son of Victorinus. This
stone, after being used as a garden roller, now stands
in a hedge by the road side, covered with dirt and
weeds. The walls of the castellated mansion erected
by Miles Pychard, and the small remains of which are
incorporated in the walls of a farmhouse, as above
noticed, appear to have been from two to three yards
in thickness; and a stone near the farmhouse is said
to bear a date, now covered with whitewash, from 700
to 800 years old: traces of a moat are still visible.
The Rev. Thomas Vaughan, a man of eccentric
habits, but of great genius, was a native of this
parish, of which he was rector. He was ejected from
his living during the usurpation of Cromwell, and
subsequently became eminent for his skill in experimental philosophy, chemistry, and oriental literature; he was also a respectable Latin and English
poet. A catalogue of his numerous publications has
been preserved by Wood in his "Athenæ Oxonienses."
His brother, Henry Vaughan, M.D., author of the
"Olor Iscanus," and other fine poetry, resided for
some time in the parish, where he died in 1695, and
was interred in the churchyard.
Llansantfraid (Llan-Sant-Ffraid)
LLANSANTFRAID (LLAN-SANT-FFRAID), a parish, in the union of Aberaëron,
Lower division of the hundred of Ilar, county of
Cardigan, South Wales, 11 miles (S. by W.) from
Aberystwith; containing 1222 inhabitants. The
village, which stands on the road from Cardigan
to Aberystwith, consists only of a few houses of
mean appearance: the parish is noted for its abundant produce of barley. The living is a discharged
vicarage, rated in the king's books at £6. 13. 4., and
endowed with £400 parliamentary grant; present
net income, £91; patron, the Bishop of St. David's:
impropriators, the Vicars Choral of St. David's. The
church, dedicated to St. Bridget, has been rebuilt,
and is a commodious edifice, agreeably situated near
the shore of Cardigan bay. There are places of
worship for Calvinistic Methodists and Independents,
and three Sunday schools, one of which is in connexion with the Established Church. Leland has
recorded the existence here of a large building, but
he was unable to determine whether or not it was the
abbey of Llanfride, of which mention is made in the
book "De Dotatione Ecclesiæ S. Davidis." Giraldus
also speaks of Llansanfride nunnery, but it is equally
uncertain whether this was situated here.
Llansantfraid-Cwm-Toyddwr
LLANSANTFRAID-CWM-TOYDDWR,
in the county of Radnor, South Wales.—See
Cwm-Toyddwr.
Llansantfraid-Glàn-Conway (Llan-Sant-Ffraid), otherwise Diserth
LLANSANTFRAID-GLÀN-CONWAY
(LLAN-SANT-FFRAID), otherwise DISERTH,
a parish, in the union of Conway, hundred of Isdulas, county of Denbigh, North Wales, 3 miles
(S. E. by E.) from Conway; containing 1286 inhabitants. This parish, of which the name Llansantfraid
implies "the church of St. Fread," is situated in
the pleasant Vale of Conway, and bounded on the
west by the river Conway, on the east by Llandrilloyn-Rhôs and Llanelian-yn-Rhôs, on the south by
Bettws-yn-Rhôs, Llangerniew, and Eglwys-Bâch,
and on the north by Eglwys-Rhôs and Llancystenyn. It comprises by measurement 5047a. 2r.
33p., principally arable land; the surface is generally hilly, and the scenery in many places beautiful,
the higher grounds commanding a fine view of St.
George's Channel. The agricultural produce is chiefly
wheat and barley, and the timber for the most part
oak. Hendre-waelod, an ancient family mansion, is
pleasantly situated on the bank of the Conway.
Plâs-ucha, another fine old house, now inhabited by
a farmer, was formerly occupied by a landed proprietor named Holland: and Bryn-'steddvod is the
paternal residence of the Venerable Hugh Chambres
Jones, Archdeacon of Essex. The village stands on
the eastern bank of the river, on the road from
Abergele to Llanrwst, within five miles of the Irish
Sea.
The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the
king's books at £7. 6. 8.; patron, the Bishop of St.
Asaph. The tithes have been commuted for £366.
5.1. payable to the bishop, £273. 12. 7. payable to the
rector, £18. 15. 6. to the parish-clerk, and £75. 18.
to the vicar of Llandrillo-yn-Rhôs: the glebe, belonging to the rector, comprises 17a. 2r. 16p., valued at
£35 per annum; and there is a glebe-house. The
church, dedicated to St. Fread, was rebuilt in 1839,
principally through the munificence of the Ven.
Hugh Chambres Jones, and is a neat plain edifice in
the Norman style: some elegant remains of ancient
stained glass are preserved in the east window. A
coin of Canute was found in the walls of the old building. There are places of worship for Calvinistic and
Wesleyan Methodists, Baptists, and Independents;
two day schools, in connexion with the Church; and
seven Sunday schools, one of which is conducted on
Church principles. In 1773 a schoolroom was built
with the early benefactions of several individuals, on
a piece of waste land called Brynrhŷs; and Mr.
Thomas Roberts subsequently made a small donation
to the parish, the interest of which was appropriated
to the instruction of some poor children until about
1813, when the principal was called in and expended
in building two cottages, which have since been occupied by paupers. In a wood near Bryn-y-Pobtŷ is
an entire cromlech of considerable size; and in the
farmyard at that place is a copious spring of water,
strongly impregnated with saline particles; and,
within a few feet of it, a strong chalybeate spring,
which deposits also a quantity of sulphur on the
sides of the well.
Llansantfraid-Glyn-Ceriog (Llan-Sant-Ffraid-Glyn-Ceiriog,)
LLANSANTFRAID-GLYN-CERIOG
(LLAN-SANT-FFRAID-GLYN-CEIRIOG,) a
parish, in the union of Corwen, hundred of Chirk,
county of Denbigh, North Wales, 2½ miles (S.
S. W.) from Llangollen; containing 572 inhabitants.
This parish is situated, as the name implies, on the
river Ceiriog; and comprises 2274 acres, of which
800 are, or until very lately were, common or waste
land. The village occupies a low and very retired
situation, entirely encompassed by lofty hills. The
parish contains slate of excellent quality, of which
some extensive quarries are worked with profit.
The manufacture of flannel is carried on to a considerable extent; and on the stream of the Ceiriog
are two fulling-mills, with large bleaching-grounds
attached. Fairs are held on February 14th, May 1st,
August 1st, and November 1st.
The living is a perpetual curacy, endowed with
£600 royal bounty; and its annual income now exceeds £200, having been augmented by the combined munificence of the Governors of Queen Anne's
Bounty, and the patron, Viscount Dungannon, the
latter of whom has given a convenient and valuable
glebe, and contributed handsomely to the erection of
a parsonage-house. The tithes have been commuted
for a rent-charge of £150. The church, dedicated
to St. Bridget, has been restored by the Viscount,
in the pointed style, at an expense exceeding £800,
and for beauty of architecture is now second to few
parish churches in the principality. There are two
places of worship for Baptists. A commodious National school has been some time built, with a house
for the master; it is chiefly supported by subscription,
and is also used as a Church Sunday school. Three
small charities, amounting together to £5. 14., are
distributed annually among the poor: the larger part
of this sum is the rent of six acres of inclosed land,
called Tîr-y-Tylodion; but there are no documents
connected with the charities to indicate the benefactors. A chalybeate spring in the parish, formerly
in great repute for its medicinal efficacy, is now
nearly lost by drainage.
Llansantfraid-Glyn-Dyvrdwy (Llan-Sant-Ffraid-Glyn-Dyfrdwy)
LLANSANTFRAID-GLYN-DYVRDWY
(LLAN-SANT-FFRAID-GLYN-DYFRDWY),
a parish, in the union of Corwen, hundred of Edeyrnion, county of Merioneth, North Wales,
3 miles (N.) from Corwen; containing 183 inhabitants. This parish, which was anciently a chapelry
to Corwen, is pleasantly situated in the north-eastern extremity of the county, bordering on Denbighshire, and lies upon the banks of the river Dee.
It comprises four hundred and fifty acres, consisting
of inclosed arable and pasture land, the whole of the
waste within its limits having been inclosed by private agreement among the landholders, in the year
1807. The soil is principally stony and argillaceous;
and the surface for the most part hilly, only a small
tract on the margin of the Dee being subject to inundation: the Dee, which bounds the parish on the
south, is here joined by a little rivulet called the
Morwynion, descending along its eastern border.
The scenery is varied, in many parts beautifully picturesque; and from Tŷ'n-y-Caerau, above Rhagat,
is a fine view extending over the fertile Vale of
Edeyrnion, where the Dee, in its numerous windings,
appears and disappears amidst flourishing woods and
plantations, assuming the appearance of small lakes
scattered through the vale, in which the town of Corwen forms a prominent and interesting feature, and
beyond which the Berwyn range of mountains is
seen with peculiar advantage. The village has been
considerably increased in size of late years, by the
erection of twelve houses, together with a large malthouse; and many improvements have taken place in
the parish.
The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the
king's books at £1. 17. 1., and endowed with £400
royal bounty; present net income, about £100, with
a glebe-house, lately erected; patron, the Bishop of
St. Asaph. The church, dedicated to St. Fread, or
Bride, who flourished about the sixth century, is a
neat and ancient edifice, in the early style of English
architecture, appropriately fitted up: in the churchyard are three old yew-trees of remarkably fine
growth. There are places of worship for Calvinistic
Methodists and Baptists; one or two day schools,
and three Sunday schools. Griffith Roberts, in
1812, bequeathed £20, the interest of which is distributed among the poorest persons, on Christmasmorning, according to the will of the donor. In the
village is a small building, now a dwelling-house,
called Carchardŷ Owain Glyndwr, or "Owain Glyndwr's prison house," in which that renowned chieftain
is said to have confined the captives whom he took
in battle.
Llansantfraid-In-Elvel (Llan-Sant-Ffraid-Yn-Elfael)
LLANSANTFRAID-IN-ELVEL (LLAN-SANT-FFRAID-YN-ELFAEL), a parish, in the
union of Builth, hundred of Colwyn, county of
Radnor, South Wales, 5 miles (N. E. by E.) from
Builth; containing 313 inhabitants. This parish,
which derives its name from the dedication of its
church, is pleasantly situated on the turnpike-road
from Builth, through New Radnor, to Kington in
the county of Hereford; and is bounded on the
north by Bettws, on the south by Aberedw, Llanvareth, and Caregrina, on the south-east by Glâscomb, and on the west by Disserth. It comprises
by computation 4000 acres, of which 500 are arable,
2000 meadow and pasture, with some wood, and 1500
common land; the surface is boldly undulated, and
the hills present a singular, and, in some instances,
a fantastic, variety of form and aspect. The lands,
with the exception of the more hilly parts, are inclosed and in good cultivation; the soil in the lower
grounds is of a clayey nature, but not unproductive,
and the acclivities of the hills afford pasturage for
sheep. The surrounding scenery, though in some
parts pleasingly varied, is distinguished rather by
features of wildness than of beauty; mountains of
various elevation, interspersed with fertile tracts of
land and denuded eminences, meet the eye almost on
every side. In some situations the views are fine,
particularly where enriched by plantations of fir and
oak. The river Edwy, which joins the Wye about
four miles below Builth, separates the parish from
Glâscomb; and within less than a mile westward of
the church is a neat house, pleasantly situated, and
forming a good object in the scenery of the place.
The village stands on an eminence, and commands a
prospect of the Vale of Edwy.
The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the
king's books at £5. 14. 9½.; patron, the Bishop of
St. David's: the vicarial tithes have been commuted
for an annual rent-charge of £198, and the incumbent
has erected a handsome house, almost adjoining the
church, which has much improved the appearance of
the neighbourhood. The church is a small ancient
edifice, consisting of a nave and chancel, with a tower
at the west end, the upper part of which, having
fallen, has been replaced by a slanting roof; it contains about 200 sittings, of which 50 are free. The
churchyard, which contains some fine old yew-trees,
has a very picturesque appearance, and commands a
good view of the surrounding mountains. There is
a Sunday school, in connexion with the Established
Church, commenced in 1838. An estate called Forest Colwyn, partly in this parish, and partly in that
of Caregrina adjoining, forms part of the endowment
of the Boughrood charity for the apprenticing of poor
children and other charitable uses; and this place is
one of the sixteen parishes or places that participate
in the apprenticeships of that munificent charity.
Hugh Evans, in 1720, bequeathed a rent-charge of
£2 to be paid at Midsummer and Christmas, and
distributed among such poor as receive no parochial
relief; and a rent-charge of £1, derived from an unknown donor, for decayed housekeepers, has been
lost.
There are some slight vestiges of Colwyn Castle,
erected here in 1242, by Ralph Mortimer, on the
site of an encampment supposed to have been of
British origin, for the protection of his newly-acquired
lordship of Maelienydd; from which fortress the circumjacent hundred of Colwyn derived its name.
They consist chiefly of the ancient lines of defence,
and of a mound, now covered with underwood and
fir-trees. A barrow near the site of the fortress, on
being opened some time ago, was found to contain a
rude urn with burnt bones, &c. Near a stream in
the parish, called Camnant-Rhôs, a tributary to the
river Edwy, is a mineral spring, the water of which
is strongly impregnated with sulphur.
Llansantfraid-Yn-Mechan (Llan-Sant-Ffraid-Yn-Mechain)
LLANSANTFRAID-YN-MECHAN
(LLAN-SANT-FFRAID-YN-MECHAIN), a
parish, in the union of Llanvyllin, partly in the
Upper division of the hundred of Deythur, and
partly in the Lower division of that of Pool, county
of Montgomery, North Wales, 6 miles (E. by N.)
from Llanvyllin; containing 1399 inhabitants, of
whom 884 are in the main body of the parish, on the
northern side of the river Vyrnwy, and the remainder
in the several hamlets of Collvryn, Llanerchila, Trêdderwen-Vawr, and Trêwylan, on the southern side
of the same stream. The parish is beautifully situated in a very picturesque portion of the Vale of
Vyrnwy, and is divided into two parts by the river
which gives name to that rich and fertile vale. It
comprises a very extensive tract of arable and pasture
land; and in some parts of it is found abundance of
peat, which forms the principal fuel of the inhabitants.
The scenery is varied, and from the higher grounds
the vales of Salop and the Severn, with the lofty hills
by which they are bounded, are pleasingly conspicuous. The turnpike-road from Shrewsbury, by Llanvyllin, to Bala, passes through the village. Fairs
are annually held on the Tuesday before Easter, on
May 22nd, and October 3rd.
The living is a discharged vicarage, in the patronage of the Bishop of St. Asaph, rated in the king's
books at £5. 17. 6.: the tithes have been commuted
for £809. 15., of which a sum of £570 is payable to
the impropriate rector; £215 to the vicar, who has a
glebe of about thirty-five acres, and a house; and
£24. 15. to another impropriator. The church, which
appears to have been built at different periods, is a
neat structure, principally in the early style of English architecture, and contains some good monuments:
in 1830, the old benches were replaced by pews.
There are places of worship for Independents, Wesleyans, and Calvinistic Methodists; a day school, in
connexion with the Church; and four Sunday schools,
belonging to the dissenters. The poor have some
small rent-charges appropriated to them. One of
20s. by John Williams, of the county of Salop, in
1714, on a field termed the Poor's Meadow, situated in the village, is distributed among eight decayed housekeepers on every 1st of March. Another of £1. 6. was created in 1754, by Edward
Whitfield, on a piece of land called Erw Cae Howel,
to provide twelve loaves of bread to be given to
twelve of the poorest parishioners on every "Welsh
Sunday," thereby meaning the Sundays on which
the service is performed in Welsh. A third charge,
of £2 per annum, created by Mrs. Jane Jones,
in 1768, is payable out of a farm called Waen; but
it has been latterly withheld under the plea of the
statute of mortmain. The tablet in the church records a bequest by Mrs. Griffiths of Gravel-Hill,
of £100, the interest of which sum, and of £20 left
by Mrs. Seddon in 1805, is distributed annually on
Trinity Monday among the poor.
There are remains of several British camps in the
parish. In the hamlet of Trêwylan, in a meadow
which has the appearance of having once been a
morass, is a post corresponding exactly with the description given by Cæsar of the ancient British
posts; it is seen very distinctly from the Meivod
road, about a quarter of a mile from Pont-y-Pentre.
On the hill called the Voel, on the Llanvyllin road,
are the remains of an old British camp, the site of
which is in some degree concealed by the partial
plantation of the hill; but the fosse and dyke are
clearly discernible from Pont-y-Pentre and the
Llangedwin road. There was also a post on the
latter road, occupying the summit of Winllan Hill,
and its intrenchments, though not so clearly defined, may still be traced. About two miles distant are vestiges of an ancient encampment, called
Clawdd Côch, which, from its form, is supposed to
have been of Roman construction. The situation of
this post near the confluence of the rivers Tanat
and Vyrnwy, and commanding the entrance into
the vales of the Severn and Tanat, and also into
that of Llansantfraid, was highly advantageous for
the defence of the mines of Llanymynech, which are
considered to have been worked by the Romans.
Being so close to the river Vyrnwy, it has suffered
some demolition, part of the intrenchment on that
side having been washed away by the river. This
post, which is but little known, has been thought by
some antiquaries to be the Mediolanum of Antoninus;
but its relative distance from Heriri Mons, or Tommen-y-Mûr, on one side, and from Rutunium and
Uriconium, on the other, does not agree with that
mentioned in the Itinerary.
Llan-Sant-Sior
LLAN-SANT-SIOR, county of Denbigh,
North Wales.—See Kegidock.
Llansawel (Llan-Sawel)
LLANSAWEL (LLAN-SAWEL), a parish,
in the union of Llandilo-Vawr, Lower division of
the hundred of Cayo, county of Carmarthen,
South Wales, 11 miles (N.) from Llandilo-Vawr,
on the road to Lampeter; comprising the hamlets of
Edwinsford, Genol, Glyn, and Wen; and containing
982 inhabitants. This parish is pleasantly situated
on the small river Cothy, and is also intersected by
a tributary of that stream, which falls into it near the
village: over each is a neat bridge. The lands are
for the greater part inclosed and in a state of good
cultivation; the scenery is diversified with wood and
water, and from some of the higher grounds are fine
prospects embracing a tract of well-cultivated country. Edwinsford, called in Welsh "Rhŷd Odyn,"
the seat of Sir James Hamlyn Williams, Bart., is
beautifully situated on the eastern bank of the river
Cothy, and approached by a stately avenue of trees:
the mansion appears to have been formerly of greater
size; the grounds, which are extensive and judiciously disposed, comprehend much attractive scenery.
A structure on one of the highest hills, erected by
an ancestor of the present proprietor, probably as
a fortress, though subsequently used as a place of
amusement, and which formed a conspicuous object
in the view, has long since been suffered to fall into
decay. A market, formerly held at Llansawel, has
been for many years discontinued; but fairs still
take place annually on the first Friday after the
12th of May, on July 15th, October 23rd, and the
first Friday after the 12th of November. By the
Boundary Act this was made a polling-station in the
election of the knights for the shire.
The living is a vicarage, annexed to that of Cayo.
The tithes have been commuted for £334, of which
£232 are payable to the impropriator, and £102 to
the vicar; the incumbent has also a glebe of four
acres, valued at £4 per annum. The "impropriator's division" of the parish comprises an area of
7167 acres. Besides the church, there is a place of
worship for Calvinistic Methodists, with a Sunday
school held in it. A day school in connexion with
the Established Church is held in a building in the
churchyard. William Jones bequeathed £10, directing the interest to be divided among the poor communicants of the parish, but this money was lost by
being placed in the hands of a person who became
insolvent. The poor of the body of Calvinistic
Methodists here, participate in the benefit of Mrs.
Mary Griffiths' charity at Llangeitho, which amounts,
for distribution among them, to from £15 to £20
annually. John Thomas Philipps, preceptor to
William, Duke of Cumberland, and other members
of the royal family, and author of some well-known
Latin Epistles, was a native of this place, to which
he intended to bequeath £60 per annum for the
support of a school for the children of the poor inhabitants, but dying before his will was duly signed,
no legacy was ever received.