Llowes
LLOWES, a parish, in the union of Hay, hundred of Painscastle, county of Radnor, South
Wales, 3 miles (W.) from Hay; containing 390
inhabitants. This place is situated near the southern
extremity of the county, on the bank of the river
Wye, by which it is separated from the parish of
Llanigon, in Brecknockshire. It is bounded on the
north by the parish of Llanddewi-Vâch, on the
east by that of Clyro, and on the south-west and
west by that of Glâsbury; comprising by computation about 2500 acres, of which 2000 are inclosed, and
consist of pasture and arable land, and the remainder
is wood and mountain, the latter greatly predominating. The scenery is pleasingly diversified, in
some parts very picturesque; and the higher grounds
command interesting views of the adjacent country.
The soil is a reddish earth, producing chiefly grain,
and grass for hay; and large flocks of sheep and
Herefordshire cattle are grazed on the high lands.
Travelley, an ancient mansion, and Brynyrhydd, a
modern residence, are within the parish; which also
contains the village of Llowes and the hamlet of
Moity, the former situated on level ground near the
Wye, surrounded by mountain scenery. The lower
lands are ornamented with trees of oak, elm, &c., and
with the windings of the river. The living is a discharged vicarage, with the perpetual curacy of Llanddewi-Vâch annexed, rated in the king's books at
£8. 10.; present net income, £132 per annum; patron,
the Archdeacon of Brecknock. The church, dedicated
to St. Meilig, is an ancient structure, consisting of a
nave and chancel, and appears to have undergone
extensive alterations and repairs, principally in the
later style of English architecture; it is eighty-one
feet in length and twenty-four in breadth, and contains about 250 sittings, of which sixty or seventy are
free. A day and Sunday National school, established
about 1830, is partly supported by subscriptions, and
partly by payments from the parents. Susannah
Howarth, in 1704, bequeathed a rent-charge of 10s.,
which was annually distributed in bread among the
poor; but no payment has been made on account of
this charity for many years.
Llwydcoed
LLWYDCOED, a hamlet, in the parish of
Aberdare, borough and poor-law union of Merthyr-Tydvil, Upper division of the hundred of
Miskin, county of Glamorgan, South Wales, 3½
miles (S. W.) from Merthyr-Tydvil; containing about
1761 inhabitants. It occupies the upper portion of
the parish, in which are some coal and iron works.
Hîrwaun common adjoins it on the west, and it is
watered both by the Cynon and Dinas streams, the
latter of which has its source within its limits. A
tramroad, from the termination of the Aberdare canal,
proceeds through the hamlet, and communicates with
the Hîrwaun works in Brecknockshire: close to this
line of conveyance are situated the iron-works of
Messrs. Thompson and Co. A large proportion of
the workmen engaged at the Hîrwaun furnaces dwell
in this hamlet.
Llwyn
LLWYN, with Llan and Llêch, a hamlet, in
the parish of Llanrhaiadr-in-Kinmerch, union of
Ruthin, hundred of Isaled, county of Denbigh,
North Wales, 2½ miles (S.) from Denbigh; containing 623 inhabitants. Formerly this hamlet was
separately assessed for the support of the poor, but
now a general assessment is made throughout the
whole parish.
Llwynswch
LLWYNSWCH, in the county of Carmarthen, South Wales.—See Gelludie.
Llys
LLYS, a township, in the parish of Llanvechan,
union of Llanvyllin, hundred of Pool, county of
Montgomery, North Wales; the population is
included in the return for the parish. The township
is situated near the river Cain.
Llŷsdinam (Llŷs-Dinan, or Llŷs-Dinam)
LLŶSDINAM (LLŶS-DINAN, or LLŶSDINAM), a township, in the parish of LlanavanVawr, union and hundred of Builth, county of
Brecknock, South Wales, 5½ miles (N. W.) from
Builth; containing 252 inhabitants. This township,
the name of which signifies "Dinam palace, or
court," was anciently the residence of several of the
reguli, descendants of Brychan, Prince of Brycheiniog, and appears to have been a place of considerable importance also with respect to trade. In several of the old surveys of the manor of Builth, and in
various early presentments, the weavers of "Inam,"
as this place was then designated, are noticed as a
corporate body, and seem to have been assessed, and
to have paid their chief-rents to the lord, separately
from the inhabitants of the other parts of the manor.
A tenement in this part of the parish still retains the
name of Pen-llŷs, or "the palace summit," and gave
to its proprietors the same designation. Llŷsdinam
is said to have once constituted a distinct parish, and
to have become annexed to Llanavan-Vawr only on
the decay of its own church; in civil matters it still
exercises parochial privileges, appointing its own
officers, maintaining its own poor, and repairing its
own highways. Since the dilapidation of its church
it has paid a contribution of one-sixth of the assessments towards the repair of that of Llanavan-Vawr,
and one-third towards the church of LlanvihangelBryn-Pabuan, to which the inhabitants usually resort: the latter payment was probably a voluntary
contribution in its origin, though it has been established by prescription and rendered compulsory.
The township comprises 1366 acres, of which 150 are
common or waste land.
Llysin
LLYSIN, a hamlet, in the parish of Carno,
union of Newtown and Llanidloes, Lower division of the hundred of Llanidloes, county of Montgomery, North Wales, 10 miles (N. W. by W.)
from Newtown; containing 378 inhabitants. The
waste lands of this place, as well as others in the contiguous parishes, were inclosed and allotted under an
act of parliament obtained in the year 1816, commonly called the Arustley inclosure act.
Llŷstynhynedd
LLŶSTYNHYNEDD, a hamlet, in the parish
of Kîlken, union of Holywell, Northop division
of the hundred of Coleshill, county of Flint,
North Wales; containing 110 inhabitants.
Llŷsvaen (Llŷs-Faen)
LLŶSVAEN (LLŶS-FAEN), a parish,
in the union of Conway, forming a detached portion
of the hundred of Creuddyn, county of Carnarvon, and locally within the shire of Denbigh, in
North Wales, 4 miles (W.) from Abergele, on the
road to Conway; containing 679 inhabitants. This
parish, which is extremely mountainous, comprises
1772 acres. It is bounded on the north by the Irish
Sea, and is crossed by the railway and the turnpikeroad from Chester to Holyhead, close to the shore,
which has a fine sandy beach. A considerable quantity of limestone is quarried from the rocks here, and
shipped at Llandulas bay for Liverpool. The village
consists of five houses only. The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £12. 0. 5.;
patron, the Bishop of St. Asaph. The tithes have
been commuted for £41. 14. 9. payable to the bishop,
£231. 16. 2. payable to the rector, £1. 10. to the parish-clerk here, and £14. 10. 1. to the vicar of Llandrillo-yn-Rhôs: the glebe, belonging to the rector,
comprises twenty-one acres, valued at £45 per annum;
and there is a glebe-house. The church, dedicated
to St. Cynvran, is a spacious edifice, consisting of a
nave, chancel, and south aisle. There are one or two
places of worship for dissenters; and a school in connexion with the Established Church, carried on here,
has been endowed by Miss Crossley, of Dyfryn Dulas, to the amount of £24 a year, to be increased to
£30 upon her decease. Of two Sunday schools in
the parish, the larger belongs to the Wesleyans; the
other is conducted on Church principles, and has an
endowment of 5s. annually, arising from a gift of £5
by Sarah Butler, in 1751. Several sums left by different persons, and amounting to £40, were lent to
the trustees of the Conway and St. Asaph turnpikeroad, and pay an interest of five per cent.; and an
annuity of £2 was purchased, with a bequest of £50
by William Butler, Esq.: the produce of both charities, amounting to £4, is distributed among the
poor at Christmas.
Some time ago an elegant gold ring, enamelled,
and of good workmanship, weighing about an ounce,
and bearing the name ALHSTAN, was found upon a
mountain near the church: according to Mr. Pegge,
it belonged to a military commander of that name in
King Egbert's army, which invaded North Wales in
818. Another gold ring, heavier, and of rough workmanship, was picked up near the same place; and in
1826, a great number of silver coins, principally
struck in the reigns of Stephen, Henry I., John,
Edward I., and Edward III., and in an excellent
state of preservation, were discovered. Upon the
apex of the mountain a signal-staff telegraph was
erected in 1827, which communicated with Voel-yNant, near Llanasaph, on the east, and Orme's Head
on the west, forming part of the line of intercourse
between Holyhead and Chester, lately disused.
Llŷswen (Llŷs-Wen)
LLŶSWEN (LLŶS-WEN), a parish, in the
union of Hay, hundred of Tàlgarth, county of
Brecknock, South Wales, 7 miles (W. S. W.)
from Hay, on the road to Builth; containing 172
inhabitants. This parish, the name of which implies
"a fair palace," was anciently one of the residences
of the native princes of South Wales. It comprises
1067 acres, whereof thirty-three are common or waste
land. The village is situated on the river Wye,
which is not navigable here; the neighbourhood is
well wooded, and abounds with rich and beautifully
picturesque scenery. The living is a discharged
rectory, rated in the king's books at £3. 14. 7., and
in the patronage of Joseph Bailey, Esq.: the tithes
have been commuted for a rent-charge of £96. 4.;
and there is a glebe of thirty-seven acres, valued at
£88 per annum. The church is a small edifice, close
to the bank of the Wye. There is a place of worship
for Calvinistic Methodists; and two Sunday schools
are held, one of them in connexion with the Established
Church, and the other with the Calvinistic body.
Llangoed Castle is situated within the parish; the
mansion was erected in 1632, which date, inscribed
on a stone over the ancient doorway, is still remaining. The grounds are extensive, and comprehend
some of the most attractive scenery in South Wales;
and the surrounding eminences, some of which are
very lofty, are clothed with stately and valuable timber to their summit. The river Wye, which here
separates the counties of Brecknock and Radnor,
skirts the demesne for nearly two miles and a half;
it is sometimes hurried with impetuosity over its
rocky channel, and at other times flows smoothly
along its deeper bed, in some places more than forty
feet in depth. The banks are richly planted with
lofty trees, under which is a beautiful walk, extending through the grounds in a direction parallel with
the course of the stream. The view from the church
embraces a variety of scenery: to the east and south
it extends over a fine tract of country towards Hay,
including the village of Glâsbury, and the Black
Mountains; to the north-west are seen the hills of
Llangoed, ornamented with the finest forest-trees;
and on the opposite bank of the Wye are the hills in
the parishes of Boughrood and Llanstephan, Radnorshire. In the garden of an ornamental cottage near
the church, is a tumulus, opposite to a remarkable
horse-shoe bend of the river Wye.
Llŷsworney, or Llŷs-Werni (Lisworney)
LLŶSWORNEY, or LLŶS-WERNI (LISWORNEY), a parish, in the union of Bridgend
and Cowbridge, hundred of Cowbridge, county
of Glamorgan, South Wales, 3 miles (W.) from
Cowbridge; containing 175 inhabitants. It is pleasantly situated in the fertile Vale of Glamorgan,
near the turnpike-road leading from Cowbridge to
Bridgend; the land is all inclosed and in a good state
of cultivation: the surrounding scenery is pleasingly
varied, and in the vicinity are some handsome residences. Little Nash, the seat of Mr. Carne, and
Stenbridge, are both extra-parochial: in the former
was a private chapel for the accommodation of the
family, but divine service has not been performed in
it within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. The
living of Llŷsworney is a discharged vicarage, annexed to that of Lantwit-Major, rated in the king's
books at £4. 7. 3½., and endowed with the great
tithes of the parish. The tithes have been commuted
for a rent-charge of £190, and there is a glebe of
about three-quarters of an acre, valued at £1. 10.
per annum. The church, dedicated to St. Tudvil, is
not remarkable for any architectural details. There
is a place of worship for Calvinistic Methodists. A
small village-school is supported, in connexion with
the Established Church; and two Sunday schools are
held, one of them conducted on Church principles,
and the other belonging to the Calvinistic body.—See
Nash.
LlŶs-Y-Coed
LLŶS-Y-COED, a hamlet, in the parish of
Kîlken, union of Holywell, Northop division of
the hundred of Coleshill, county of Flint, North
Wales; containing 95 inhabitants. Its name implies
"the court, or mansion, in the wood," and is supposed to have described its ancient appearance.
Llys-Y-Vrân
LLYS-Y-VRÂN, a parish, in the poor-law union
of Narberth, hundred of Dungleddy, county of
Pembroke, South Wales, 7 miles (N. E.) from
Haverfordwest; containing 191 inhabitants. This
parish, which is situated nearly in the centre of the
county, comprises a small tract of arable and pasture
land, the whole, with only a very small exception,
inclosed and in a good state of cultivation; the soil is
various, but generally productive. The scenery,
though not distinguished by any striking peculiarity
of feature, is agreeably diversified; and the views
over the adjacent country are interesting and extensive. The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the
king's books at £3. 0. 5., endowed with £400 royal
bounty, and in the patronage of Lord Milford and
Col. Scourfield, the former of whom has two turns
and the latter one: the tithes have been commuted
for a rent-charge of £95; and there is a glebe of one
acre, valued at £3 per annum. The church, dedicated to St. Meilyr, who flourished about the middle
of the fifth century, presents no architectural details
of importance. There is a place of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, in which a Sunday school is also
held. In 1734, James Philipps left £220 for founding and endowing schools here and at East Walton,
but this place has never derived any benefit from the
bequest.
Llywel
LLYWEL, a parish, in the hundred of Devynock, union and county of Brecknock, South
Wales; containing 1684 inhabitants; and comprising the townships of Traian-Glâs, Traian-Mawr, and
Is-Clydach, in one of which is situated the village of
Trêcastle (an ancient ward of the borough of Brecknock), from which the rest of the parishioners obtain
their letters. The name of this parish, originally Lle
Wyllt, or "the place of Wyllt," appears to be derived
from its having been selected as a station for his army
by Idio Wyllt, or the Wild, an Irish nephew of Rhŷs
ab Tewdwr, to whom (in gratitude for his services in
suppressing the rebellion of his turbulent subjects)
that prince had granted the lordship of Llywel, comprising all the lands on the east of the river Towy,
from Llangadock to Abergwessin. Idio, with a view
to strengthen himself against the opposition of the
original inhabitants, who submitted to his authority
with reluctance, married the daughter of Bleddyn ab
Maenarch, Prince of Brycheiniog, and maintained a
powerful force upon the heights of Llywel, which
were well suited to his purpose. From this station,
he could repel any attacks either from Brecknockshire or Carmarthenshire, and he could easily descend
at any time into the vales on both sides, for the suppressions of rebellions, the procuring of supplies, or
the enforcement of the payment of taxes. To the
occupation of these heights by Idio, and the strong
position of his army, may be attributed the preservation of the lordship of Llywel from falling into the
hands of Bernard Newmarch, upon his conquest of
the other parts of the ancient Brycheiniog.
The parish lies in the western part of the county,
on the confines of Carmarthenshire, and is skirted by
the river Usk. The turnpike-road from Brecknock
to Llandovery passes through the village, which is
distant about a mile north-north-westward from Trêcastle, and is also intersected by a small rivulet named
Nant-y-Gwared: this rivulet here divides into two
streams, which run in different directions, one southeastward into the Usk, and the other westward into
the Towy. The surface is hilly, in some parts even
mountainous; and from the highest elevation in the
parish, called Trêcastle Mountain, and situated near
its southern confines, descend numerous rivulets, that
have worn themselves deep furrows, through which
they flow in almost every direction. Of these, such
as issue from the north side of the mountain join the
river Gwydderig, which, flowing along the narrow
vale of Cwm-y-Dwr, circumscribes its base on that
side, and, pursuing a course westward, falls into the
Towy river. The streams that descend on the south
side of the heights are received by the river Usk,
which runs along a broader vale than that of Cwm-yDwr, although the level meadow land on each side of
the stream seldom exceeds a few yards in breadth:
this river continues in an eastern course. The Usk
has its rise in a pool termed Llyn-y-Van, between
the lofty summits of two adjacent mountains, designated respectively Ban Brycheiniog and Ban Sir
Gaer, the Brecknockshire and the Carmarthenshire
Beacon, near the spot where this parish unites with
that of Llanthoysaint in the county of Carmarthen.
A range of hills connected with the Eppynt chain
rises to the north of Trêcastle, and is intersected from
north to south by two valleys, along one of which
flows the river Kilieni, that separates Llywel parish
from Llandeilio'r-Van; and along the other the river
Clydach, that rises in this parish, and falls into the
Usk a little above the bridge on the turnpike-road to
Trêcastle, and gives name to the hamlet of Is-Clydach, situated on its south-eastern banks. The sides
of the deep narrow dells which in several parts furrow
the mountains, meet almost abruptly, and, though
partly arable, are in some places clothed with underwood. The bridges in the parish, being generally
on the turnpike-road, are kept in repair at the expense of the county. The woollen manufacture is
crrried on here upon a limited scale, affording employment to a few of the inhabitants; there are two
small factories, in each of which the wool is carded,
spun, and woven into coarse cloth and blankets.
The living is a vicarage, rated in the king's books
at £9. 10. 5.; present net income, £152; patron, the
Bishop of St. David's; appropriators, the Dean and
Chapter of St. David's. Llywel church, once called
Llantrisant, from its dedication to three saints, viz.,
David, Padarn, and Teilo, is an ancient structure,
consisting of a nave and chancel, with a strong tower
at the west end, and stands on ground of more lofty
elevation than does perhaps any other church in
Brecknockshire, except that of Penderin. The interior displays some vestiges of antiquity in the
original roof, and the old rood-loft is still remaining.
The parish-clerk, or sexton, claims and receives
mortuaries on the interment of every person, except
paupers, and the residents in Trêcastle, who pay
four-pence in lieu of them; which claim was recognised by a terrier signed by the vicar and principal
inhabitants of the parish, in 1800, and confirmed by
the ecclesiastical court. These mortuaries consist of
the best hat, wig, cravat, gloves, girdle, breeches,
shoes, and stockings of the deceased, if a male; and
if a wife or widow, of the best hood, cap, riband,
handkerchief, gloves, and shoes and stockings; for
which a composition may be made at the option of
the surviving relatives of the deceased. In the hamlet of Is-Clydach is the endowed chapel of Rhŷd-yBriw. There are three places of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, and one each for Baptists and Independents. A day school in connexion with the
Established Church is held at Trêcastle; and the
parish contains nine Sunday schools, two of which, at
Llywel and Trêcastle, are conducted on Church
principles. It has frequently enjoyed the benefit of
one of Mrs. Bevan's circulating schools, and on one
occasion, commencing in 1822, for four years successively. John Jeffreys, of London, in 1706, or about
that time, bequeathed £5 per annum to the poor of
the parish, charged upon the impropriate tithes of
Merthyr-Cynog; this has since become a rent-charge
on a tenement called Cwmllwyvog, and a meadow
named Waunddû, in this parish, and is paid by John
Lloyd Vaughan Watkins, Esq., of Pennoyre, near
Brecknock, whose ancestor purchased the at property.
Roger Jeffreys, of Berthddû, in the parish, in 1714,
charged certain lands near Rhŷd-y-Briw, with the
annual payment of 20s., to be distributed among the
poor of the hamlet of Is-Clydach. The Via Julia
Montana, from Caerleon to Carmarthen, passed
through the parish from east to west; some vestiges
of it were to be seen near Rhŷd-y-Briw about half a
century since.
Loughor (Llychwyr)
LOUGHOR (LLYCHWYR), a hamlet, in the
parish of Llanedy, union of Llanelly, hundred of
Carnawllon, county of Carmarthen, South
Wales, 13 miles (N. N. W.) from Swansea: the
population is returned with the parish. The road
from Pont-ar-Ddulas to Llandebie passes through the
hamlet, and is carried for the greater part along the
ridge of a hill, overlooking a valley on each side, the
declivities of which are ornamented with thick plantations and inclosures. The Loughor river bounds
the hamlet on the east, and separates the parish from
Glamorganshire. Anthracite coal of the best quality
is found here, and an extensive colliery has been
opened, called the "Pontyfynnon," within a quarter
of a mile of the Llanelly railway, on which are two
locomotive engines of considerable power, plying
daily between Llanelly and Cwmamman, and which
is joined by a branch from this hamlet across the
river Loughor.
Loughor, or Castell-Llychwr
LOUGHOR, or
CASTELL-LLYCHWR, a borough and parish, in the poor-law union
of Llanelly, hundred of
Swansea, county of Glamorgan, South Wales,
7 miles (W. N. W.) from
Swansea, 50 miles (W. by
N.) from Cardiff, and 211
(w.) from London; containing 854 inhabitants, of
whom 570 reside within the limits of the borough.
This place derives its names from its situation on the
river Llychwr, or Loughor; the latter name of the
town signifying "the fortification on the Llychwr."
It is supposed by many to have been the Leucarum
of Antoninus; and this opinion is corroborated by
the similarity of the names, and the discovery, at
various times, of numerous relics, among which may
be mentioned a coin of the Emperor Trajan, found in
the bed of the river, about 200 yards westward from
the town. The supposition is also confirmed by the
direction of the Roman Julia Strata, which from the
station Nidus, at Neath, passed westward through this
town, and near a place in its vicinity still called Câdle,
or "the field of battle," where, at some remote period,
a conflict is thought to have taken place, of which no
particulars have been related. Loughor was anciently
designated Trêv Avanc, from the great number of
beavers abounding in the neighbouring rivers; Avanc
being the old Welsh, or Celtic, name of the beaver.
Few historical events in connexion with it are recorded; the castle is said to have been erected by
Henry Beaumont, Earl of Warwick, who, in or about
the year 1099, entered Gower, and having made himself master of considerable territories, built this fortress and the castles of Swansea, Penrice, and Llanrhidian. In 1150, Meredydd and Rhŷs, sons of
Grufydd ab Rhŷs, attacked and laid waste the country
of Gower, and made themselves masters of the town
and castle of "Aberllychwr," the former of which,
according to Warrington, they levelled with the
ground, after plundering the inhabitants, and the
latter they completely dismantled. In the reign of
Edward II. the castle was granted by that monarch
to Hugh le Despencer, by whom it is supposed to
have been rebuilt; but it seems never to have regained its original importance, nor the town to have
entirely recovered from the desolation it had previously suffered.
SEAL AND ARMS.
The parish is situated on the western confines of
the county, and is bounded on the west by the river
Loughor, which separates it from the county of Carmarthen, and discharges itself into the Bristol Channel: this river is fordable for two hours before, and
two hours after, low water. Loughor is bounded on
the north by Llandeilo parish, on the south by Llanrhidian, on the east by Llangyvelach, and on the
south-east by Swansea; and comprises by admeasurement 3029 acres, of which 1029, consisting of 283
arable and 746 pasture, are within the limits of the
borough, and of the remaining 2000 acres, 700 are
arable and 1300 meadow. The surface is undulated,
and the chief produce wheat and oats. Though of
very small extent, and mostly of rather mean appearance, the town contains a few genteel residences, one
of which, called the Sanctuary, is supposed to have
been anciently part of the manor of Millwood, or St.
John, near Swansea, and the property of the knights
of St. John of Jerusalem. The river Loughor flows
on the northern side of the town, whilst the Llyw,
which falls into the former a short distance southsouth-westward from the church, runs on the southern; and as the tide regularly flows and ebbs in these
rivers twice in every twenty-four hours, the air is
rendered salubrious, and the situation of the town is
consequently deemed remarkably healthy. An act
of parliament was obtained some fifteen or twenty
years since for erecting a bridge over the Loughor,
and for constructing a turnpike-road from the town
to Carmarthen, which improvements have greatly
contributed to its prosperity. The South Wales
railway, also, now in progress, will pass by the town,
and cross the river by a bridge, just below the present bridge.
The whole parish, which is divided into two parts,
called respectively the Parish and the Borough,
abounds with mineral wealth; and several veins of
excellent coal, of considerable thickness, extend entirely through it, in a direction from east to west, and
have been worked to a depth of from twenty to forty
fathoms. Chemical works were formerly carried on,
and there was a manufactory for zinc: on the western
bank of the river, in Carmarthenshire, immediately
opposite the town, are the Spytty copper-works,
which, after having for some time been wholly discontinued, were lately re-opened, and are now in active
and increasing operation. In the year 1846 an act
was passed authorizing the construction of a railway from the Coalbrook collieries, near Loughor, to
Swansea; the name of the line to be, Cameron's
Coalbrook Steam-coal and Swansea and Loughor
Railway. The river, from the bridge to its mouth, a
distance of twelve miles, is called Burry River. It is
navigable at high tides for vessels of 200 tons' burthen; and during spring tides there are from eleven
to fourteen feet of water in the wharfs here, productive of great advantage to the trade of the place,
which is principally carried on with Ireland, the coasts
of Devon and Cornwall, France, &c. There is no
market; but fairs for the sale of live-stock are annually held on the first Monday in June, and October 10th.
The government of the town, which is a borough
by prescription, under the style or title of "The
Portreeve, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the borough
of Loughor," is vested in a steward, portreeve, recorder, twelve aldermen, and an unlimited number
of burgesses, assisted by two serjeants-at-mace, a
layer-keeper, an ale-taster, and two haywards. The
steward and recorder are appointed by the Duke of
Beaufort, lord of the borough. The portreeve is annually chosen from among the aldermen at Michaelmas, and, having qualified at the quarter-sessions for
the county, may act as a magistrate within the borough; the serjeants-at-mace, layer-keeper, &c., are
elected at a court leet, and sworn in before the recorder, and the portreeve going out of office. Loughor
was one of the contributory boroughs which, with
Cardiff, returned a member to parliament; the right
of voting was in the aldermen and burgesses at large,
in number 212, of whom forty-five were resident in
the borough. By the act of 1832, for "Amending
the Representation of the People," it has been included in the newly-formed district composed of the
boroughs of Swansea, Aberavon, Kenvig, Loughor,
and Neath, to send a representative to parliament.
The elective franchise is now vested in the old resident burgesses, if duly registered according to the
provisions of the act, and in every male person of
full age occupying, either as owner, or as tenant
under the same landlord, a house or other premises in
the borough of the annual value of at least £10, provided he be capable of registering as the act demands. The number of tenements of this value
within the limits of the borough, which were not
altered by the act, is thirty-five.
The freedom is inherited by all the sons of a freeman, and may be acquired by seven years' apprenticeship to a resident freeman, by marriage with a
freeman's daughter, or by gift, in which latter case
it is conferred by a jury of twenty-four burgesses,
chosen indiscriminately from the burgesses at large,
and of whom the portreeve for the preceding year is
always the foreman. The freemen exercised a right
of common on the waste lands of the borough; but
in 1833 an act of parliament was passed for inclosing
those grounds, amounting to about 600 acres; under
the provisions of which, after setting apart a sufficient portion of the property to be sold to defray the
expenses of the act, one-fourteenth part in value of
the waste was to be allotted to the lord of the borough, and the remainder to the portreeve, aldermen,
and burgesses; the right of the lord to the mines,
being reserved to him. The corporation are empowered by prescriptive right, recognised by statutes
of the 34th and 35th of Henry VIII., to hold a court
of record, every third Monday, for the recovery of
debts to any amount; but this privilege does not
appear to have been exercised within the last sixty
years, nor is there evidence of any process to hold to
bail having ever issued from the court. A court
baron was formerly held monthly, before the portreeve, recorder, and a jury of six burgesses, for the
recovery of debts to any amount within the limits of
the borough.
The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books
at £9. 10. 5., and in the patronage of the Lord Chancellor: the tithes have been commuted for a rentcharge of £210; and there is a glebe of eight acres,
with a glebe-house. The church, dedicated to St.
Michael, and situated within the limits of the borough,
occupies the summit of an eminence commanding an
extensive prospect over the surrounding country; it
is a small modern structure, of neat appearance, and
contains about 300 sittings, which, though appropriated to the different estates, are all free, except
those in the chancel. At a place called Groft-yCapel was formerly a chapel of ease, as the name and
ancient maps indicate; but nothing is now visible, beyond an undulated form of the ground, beneath which
probably the foundations are concealed. There is a
small place of worship for Calvinistic Methodists.
A day school is held, in connexion with the Established Church; and the parish has three Sunday
schools, one of them conducted on Church principles,
and the others belonging to the Calvinistic Methodists, and Independents. No charitable trusts have
ever been confided to the corporate body, and the
only one in the out-parish was one of £10, supposed to have been the gift of William John, the
interest of which used to be distributed among the
poor till the sum was expended many years ago on
the repairs of the roads, since which no interest has
been paid.
Of the ancient castle there are yet some remains,
consisting principally of a square tower, thought to
have been the keep, and still in a tolerable state of
preservation; it occupies the summit of an artificial
mount, which is considered to have been originally
thrown up by the Romans, and is surrounded by a
double intrenchment. The remains of an old watercourse, also conjectured to be of Roman construction,
by which water for the supply of the garrison was
conveyed from the small river Llyw, are likewise
plainly discernible. Traces of the Julia Strata may
be seen upon the Carmarthenshire hills on the western side of the river Loughor, pointing directly to
this place; and within the grounds of the rectory is
preserved a large stone rudely wrought, which may
have been a Roman milliary, though by others it is
supposed to have belonged to the sanctuary of the
Knights of St. John before alluded to. In the vicinity of Câdle, and near the boundary of the parish,
are two small square encampments of Roman origin,
on a common designated Mynydd Carn Gôch. The
ancient town, which was destroyed by the sons of
Grufydd ab Rhŷs, is said to have occupied an eminence to the south-east of the castle; and the site
still retains the name of the Borough: at a short
distance to the south, on the marsh, stood the old
church, the site of which is still called Story Mihangel. The strata in the coal districts in the parish
furnish specimens of fossilized vegetable remains, including fern, acorns, leaves of various trees, pine
and oak timber, &c., which substances have been
found in that state at a depth varying from seventy
to eighty feet below the surface. A celebrated performer on the violin, named Hugh, who is reported
to have composed many of the most popular airs in
the "Beggar's Opera," was a native of this place.
Loveston
LOVESTON, a parish, in the union and hundred of Narberth, county of Pembroke, South
Wales, 5 miles (S. S. W.) from Narberth; containing 170 inhabitants. This parish is situated in the
south-eastern part of the county, and intersected by
the turnpike-road leading from Pembroke to Carmarthen. It comprises a moderate extent of arable and
pasture land, the whole inclosed and cultivated; the
soil is fertile and productive. The substratum is
partly stone-coal of good quality, but it is not at
present worked; only a small quantity of culm being
raised, sufficient for the immediate supply of the inhabitants. The living is a discharged rectory, rated
in the king's books at £4. 5. 5., and endowed with
£600 royal bounty; present net income, £109;
patron, Earl Cawdor. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £90; and there is a glebe
of two acres, valued at £5 per annum.
Ludchurch
LUDCHURCH, a parish, in the union and
hundred of Narberth, county of Pembroke, in
South Wales, 4½ miles (S. E.) from Narberth;
containing 220 inhabitants. This parish lies in the
south-eastern part of the county, about two miles
eastward from the road between Narberth and Tenby.
Its surface is uneven, and the soil of various kinds:
the lands are but partially inclosed and cultivated.
The substratum is limestone of very superior quality,
which is worked upon an extensive scale: the stone
is susceptible of a beautiful polish, and many slabs
raised from the quarries have been manufactured
into elegant mantel-pieces, and used for other ornamental purposes; it is also burnt for manure, there
being no fewer than six kilns for this purpose in
constant operation, for the supply of the more northern parts of the county. The living is a discharged
rectory, rated in the king's books at £3. 14. 4½.,
and in the patronage of the Crown: the tithes have
been commuted for a rent-charge of £84; and there
is a glebe of ten acres, valued at £10 per annum.
The church, dedicated to St. Elidyr, is a neat and
well-built edifice, situated in a bleak part of the
parish, on a limestone rock, which has been quarried
all round, leaving the sacred fabric many feet above
the level of the adjacent surface. A meeting-house
was built a few years ago by the Baptists and Independents conjointly.
Lygan-Y-Llan (Helygen-Llan)
LYGAN-Y-LLAN (HELYGEN-LLAN),
a hamlet, in the parish of Halkin, union of Holywell, Northop division of the hundred of Coleshill, county of Flint, North Wales, 3 miles (S. E.
by S.) from Holywell; containing 689 inhabitants.
This hamlet, in which the parochial church is situated, derives its name from a saint called Lugan, of
whom very little is known, but whose name occurs in
the Welsh calendar. Lead-mines abound, in which
many of the inhabitants are employed; and the late
Sir George Wynne is stated to have cleared £300,000
from a single mine, discovered under a tenement in
the hamlet.—See Halkin.
Lygan-Y-Wern (Helygen-Y-Wern)
LYGAN-Y-WERN (HELYGEN-Y-WERN),
a hamlet, in the parish of Halkin, union of Holywell, Northop division of the hundred of Coleshill, county of Flint, North Wales, 2 miles (S. E.
by S.) from Holywell; containing 576 inhabitants.
It is situated on the road between Halkin and Holywell, and includes some lead-mines, in the working
of which the inhabitants of the hamlet are chiefly
employed.
Lythan's St. (St. Lythian)
LYTHAN'S, ST. (ST. LYTHIAN), a parish,
in the union of Cardiff, hundred of Dinas-Powys,
county of Glamorgan, South Wales, 6 miles
(W. S. W.) from Cardiff; containing 110 inhabitants.
It is situated on elevated ground, overlooking both
sides of the Vale of Glamorgan, about a mile south
of the turnpike-road leading from Cardiff to Cowbridge. From the common is obtained one of the
most extensive, luxuriant, and diversified prospects
in South Wales. The living is a discharged vicarage, endowed with the great tithes, rated in the king's
books at £6. 1. 3.; present net income, £199, with
a glebe-house; patron, the Archdeacon of Llandaf.
The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge
of £140, and the glebe contains forty-one acres,
valued at £40 per annum. A day school in the
parish is partly supported by Mr. and Mrs. Bruce
Pryce, of Dyfryn House in the vicinity, who succeeded to the estate on the death of the late Hon.
Mrs. Grey. The sum of £10 was bequeathed by
Mr. Thomas Williams, for the benefit of the poor.
There is a cromlech on a farm belonging to the
Dyfryn estate; it is near the road-side, about half a
mile west of the church, on the approach to Dyfryn
village.—See Nicholas', St.