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Machynlleth (Machynllaeth)
MACHYNLLETH (MACHYNLLAETH),
a market-town and borough; a parish comprising the
three townships of Machynlleth otherwise Y Dre,
Is-y-Garreg, and Uwch-y-Garreg; and the head of
a union; in the Lower division of the hundred of
Machynlleth, county of Montgomery, North
Wales; containing 2482 inhabitants, of whom 1636
are in the township of Machynlleth, 39 miles (W.
by N.) from Montgomery, and 209 (W. N. W.) from
London. This place, which is of considerable antiquity, is supposed to have been the site of the
Maglona of the Itineraries, a Roman station, where,
in the reign of the Emperor Honorius, the captain
of the "Numerus Solensium" was posted, under the
Dux Britanniarum, to keep the mountaineers in subjection. Connected with the principal station, which
occupied the highest part of the hill, was an outwork
called Cevn Caer, or "the ridge of the city," about
four miles from the present town, in the adjoining
parish of Pennal, in the county of Merioneth: there
were formerly some remains of the outwork, and several Roman coins have been at various times discovered
there. Few circumstances of historical importance
connected with Machynlleth are recorded. In 1402,
Owain Glyndwr, flushed with repeated successes,
assembled the estates of the principality in the town,
where he held a parliament, that solemnly acknowledged his title to the sovereignty of Wales, of which
kingdom he caused himself to be formally invested
with the crown. At this parliament Davydd Gam,
who had married the sister of Owain Glyndwr, but
was, notwithstanding, a zealous partisan and adherent of Henry IV., attended, apparently for the
purpose of promoting Owain's pretensions to the
crown, but with the disguised intention of assassinating that chieftain. In this attempt, however, he
was frustrated by a timely discovery of his treachery;
and, being seized and imprisoned, he would have
been instantly executed but for the intercession of
Owain's most zealous friends and partisans. In resentment for his treachery, Owain burnt Davydd's
house and laid waste his lands, and detained him in
confinement at Machynlleth till the year 1412, when
he was finally ransomed by his father and other
vassals of the English crown. Charles I., when on
his route to Chester, had a bed prepared for him in
a house in the town, called "the Garrison;" the bed
and furniture, which have been carefully preserved,
are now deposited at Esgair Llyveren, in the county
of Merioneth.
The town is situated near the western extremity
of the county, about a quarter of a mile from the
southern bank of the river Dovey, and on the turnpike-road leading to Aberystwith from the principal
parts of North Wales, and also from Shrewsbury. It
is romantically embosomed in mountains that encompass it on every side, and from which a beautiful
view is obtained of the Vale of Dovey, abounding in
highly picturesque and richly diversified scenery, with
the winding course of the river, from above the parish of Cemmes to its influx into the bay of Cardigan.
The streets are wide and spacious, the houses in general neat and well built; and the whole town, which
is amply supplied with water, has a regular and prepossessing appearance. A book society has been
some time established, and is much patronized. The
environs are pleasant, comprehending much beautiful
scenery and many interesting objects. At Uwch-yGarreg, a township in the parish, is Pistyll Rhaiadr,
one of the finest waterfalls in the principality: though
inferior to some in the beauty of the scenery immediately adjoining, it is not surpassed in romantic
grandeur by any. The Dovey is celebrated for its
salmon-fishing.
The manufacture of flannels, principally of the
coarser kind, is carried on to a considerable extent,
and some webs are also made. In this manufacture
more than forty carding-engines and seven fullingmills are employed in the town and its vicinity; the
weaving is done by the workmen at their own dwellings, and about 200 pieces, averaging about 150
yards each, are sent to the market held at Newtown,
every alternate Thursday. Lead-ore is found in the
parish, and mines of that metal have been opened in
the township of Is-y-Garreg; but they are not at
present in operation: there are quarries of good slate,
some of which are worked upon a moderate scale.
The river Dovey is navigable to Derwenlâs, within
two miles of the town, and affords a facility of conveying the produce of the quarries and mines to their
destination, and of supplying the neighbourhood with
various commodities. The average annual exports
from this place are, 500 tons of bark, 40,000 feet of
oak timber, 150,000 yards of oak poles for collieries,
100 tons of lead-ore, and 1500 tons of slate. The
average imports are, 5000 quarters of rye and wheat,
1000 tons of coal, 500 tons of culm, 2000 tons of
limestone, 11,000 English and foreign hides, and
groceries and other shop goods to the amount of
£14,000 in value. The market is on Wednesday.
Fairs are held annually on the first Wednesday in
March, on May 16th, June 26th, July 9th, August
7th, September 18th, October 21st, and November
26th, for cattle, horses, and wares: a statute fair, also,
occurs on the Wednesday before Easter.
This place, as a contributory borough, together
with Llanidloes, Welshpool, and Llanvyllin, returned
a member for Montgomery. The elective franchise
was granted in the 27th of Henry VIII., and was
exercised by the boroughs for many years without
interruption. Eventually, however, it underwent
important alteration. On a petition to the House of
Commons, in 1685, complaining of an undue return,
it was resolved that the right of election was vested
in the burgesses not only of Montgomery, but also of
Llanidloes, Welshpool, and Llanvyllin, no mention
being made of Machynlleth; and on a similar petition, presented to the Commons in 1728, it was resolved that the elective franchise was confined solely
to the borough of Montgomery, which then continued
to return the member, to the exclusion of the other
towns. These resolutions being at variance with each
other, the burgesses of Llanidloes, Llanvyllin, and
Welshpool, and also those of Machynlleth, the latter
having neglected to support their claim at the two
former periods, were allowed the privilege, by a statute of the 28th of George III., of asserting their
claim to join in choosing a member for Montgomery
before any future committee of the House, and of
appealing against any subsequent decision within
twelve calendar months. No practical benefit, however, appears to have resulted from this privilege.
By the act of 1832, for "Amending the Representation," the town was again declared one of the contributory boroughs within the county to return one
member to parliament. The right of election is
vested 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; and the number of
tenements of this value within the limits of the
borough, which are minutely detailed in the Appendix, is about a hundred. Since 1832, the contributory boroughs, besides Montgomery, have consisted of Machynlleth, Llanidloes, Welshpool, Llanvyllin, and the newly-created borough of Newtown. The election of the knight of the shire takes
place here or at Montgomery, being the towns at
which the ancient county court is held alternately.
The town is also one of the polling-places in the election for the shire. The town-hall, or market-house,
a plain and commodious building, was erected in
1783, by Sir W. W. Wynn, Bart., grandfather of the
present owner of Wynnstay, who is lord of the manor,
and holds courts leet twice in the year. The powers
of the county debt-court of Machynlleth, established
in 1847, extend over the registration-district of Machynlleth. This court, and the petty-sessions for the
hundred, are held in the town monthly.
The parish comprises an area of 9876 acres, of
which 4799 are common or waste, affording pasturage
to numerous flocks of sheep, that feed on the declivities of the hills; the lower grounds are fertile and
productive, and peat is found in various parts of the
district. The living consists of a rectory and a vicarage, united under the provisions of an act of the 29th
and 30th of Charles II.; the rectory, which was a
sinecure, is rated in the king's books at £11. 10. 7½.,
and the vicarage at £6. 6. 0½.: patron, the Bishop of
St. Asaph. The tithes have been commuted for
£400 payable to the incumbent, and £3. 3. to the
parish-clerk: the glebe comprises 3a. 1r. 20p., valued
at £25 per annum; and there is a glebe-house. The
church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a handsome structure, in a style resembling later English architecture.
It was rebuilt, with the exception of the tower, in
1827, and contains 873 sittings, of which 300 are
free, in consideration of a grant of £300 from the Incorporated Society for the building and enlargement
of churches and chapels: the edifice is well arranged
and neatly fitted up. The ancient tower, in the same
year, was raised a few feet higher, and crowned with
battlements and crocketed pinnacles. There are
places of worship for Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists, Independents, and Baptists. Day and Sunday National schools were established here in 1829,
by John Jones, Esq., of Upper Norton-street, London, but a native of this town, who in that year gave
£1000 three per cent. consols. for their endowment.
This sum is augmented by the use of a prior bequest
of £200 by John Owen, Esq., for teaching children,
and a grant of £40 from Ann Jones for the like purpose: the endowments of the schools altogether
amount to nearly £55 per annum. Commodious
buildings were erected at the same time by subscription, occupying three sides of a quadrangle, with a
projection in the centre; the expense amounting to
£600. In these schools, which are supported partly
by the endowments, and partly by subscription, a
large number of children of both sexes receive gratuitous instruction; the master and mistress have a
joint salary of £60 per annum, with a house and
garden rent-free, and the master is allowed to take a
few pay-scholars. Ten Sunday schools are supported
by the dissenters.
There are seven houses in the town inhabited from
time immemorial by paupers, three of which were
bequeathed by Isaac Pugh, and the others are supposed to have been the gift of Humphrey Morris.
The latter donor also assigned £60, the interest to
be expended partly in keeping the buildings in repair and supplying the inmates with clothing, and
partly in educating and apprenticing poor children;
but the portion for the repair of the houses has been
lost. Several persons have at different periods left
sums for the benefit of the poor, including £60 by
Thomas Pugh, £40 by Rowland Owen, £20 each by
Humphrey Morris, Gwen Owen, and John Davis,
and other smaller benefactions; all of which were
consolidated, and the amount, £190, lent on two
bonds to the Montgomeryshire turnpike trusts, now
yielding an interest of £9. 10. Of this income, £5
are annually distributed among the poor of the town,
£1 each among those of the two townships of Uwchy-Garreg and Is-y-Garreg, and the remaining £2. 10.
in apprenticing poor boys of the town. A few small
charities have been lost. The poor-law union of
which this place is the head, was formed January 16th,
1837, and comprises the following eleven parishes
and townships; namely, Machynlleth, Is-y-Garreg,
Uwch-y-Garreg, Cemmes, Dârowen, Llanbrynmair,
Llanwrin, and Penegoes, in the county of Montgomery; Pennal, and Towyn, in that of Merioneth;
and Scybor-y-Coed, in that of Cardigan. It is under
the superintendence of fifteen guardians, and contains
a population of 12,306. A savings' bank has been
some time established in the town.
On a hill immediately above Penyrallt House
are the remains of an ancient fortification of great
strength, within sight of Cevn Caer, and commanding all the passes in the district around it. Part
of the senate-house in which Owain Glyndwr assembled his parliament, is yet remaining: it was built
with the slate stone of the country, and, from the appearance of the spacious entrance, which is still in
good preservation, seems to have been an edifice of
no mean extent. The old building called "the Garrison" is situated near the Wynnstay Arms, and it is
supposed that there was formerly a subterraneous
passage leading from this place to the fortification of
Cevn Caer, in the adjoining parish of Pennal. Adjacent to the town is a field named the "Garshion,"
at the extremity of which is a copious spring, whence
the inhabitants of Machynlleth are supplied with
water.
Dôl Guog, near the town, was for some time the
retreat of the celebrated Llywarch Hên, an eminent
bard, who flourished towards the close of the sixth
and at the commencement of the seventh century.
He was chieftain of a part of Cumbria, or Cumberland, but having survived twenty-four of his sons,
who fell in fighting the battles of their country against
the Saxons, and falling into poverty in his old age,
he retired, under the protection of Cynddylan, prince
of part of Powys, to this place, where he devoted
himself to the pursuits of poetry. He died at the
advanced age of 105 years, and was buried at Llanvawr, near Bala. Many of his compositions while in
retirement here, have been published in the Welsh
Archæologia, and in a separate volume by Dr. Pughe.
Howel Swrdwal, a Welsh bard, was minister of the
parish in the fifteenth century; as was also, for many
years, Ievan Llawdden, an eminent poet of the Vale
of Loughor, who flourished from 1430 to 1470.
Dr. Davies, head master of the grammar-school at
Macclesfield, was a native of the town.
Maenan
MAENAN, a township, in the parish of Eglwys-Bâch, union of Llanrwst, hundred of Llêchwedd-Isâv, county of Carnarvon, North Wales,
2½ miles (N.) from Llanrwst; containing, exclusively
of Maenan-Abbey, 428 inhabitants. It is situated
on the bank of the river Conway, and forms an ancient lordship, for which courts leet and baron are
still annually held in April, by the steward of Sir
W. W. Wynn, Bart. This lordship claims all the
privileges formerly possessed by the abbots of Maenan, namely, exemptions from tithes, &c.
Maenan-Abbey, or Maenan-Myn-Achdŷ
MAENAN-ABBEY, or MAENAN-MYNACHDŶ, an extra-parochial liberty, locally situated
partly in the township of Arddr, parish of Llanbedr, union of Conway, and partly in that of
Maenan, parish of Eglwys-Bâch, union of Llanrwst, in the hundred of Llêchwedd-Isâv, county
of Carnarvon, North Wales, 3 miles (N.) from
Llanrwst. It is situated on the eastern bank of the
river Conway, and derives its extra-parochial privileges from having been anciently the site of the rich
abbey of Maenan, said to have been founded by
Richard I., but the first authentic notice of which
occurs in 1282, when Edward I., by authority of
Pope Nicholas, removed the Cistercian monks of
Conway to this place, at the same time confirming
to them all the privileges they had enjoyed in their
former habitation, and adding considerably to their
possessions. The cause of the change was, that
Edward had selected the vicinity of their original
house for the erection of the magnificent castle of
Conway; and, probably being jealous of their communication with his new subjects, their countrymen,
he soon after further removed them to the famous
abbey of Vale Royal, in Cheshire. The establishment at Maenan, nevertheless, continued to be occupied by monks, and flourished until the period of
the Dissolution, when its revenue was valued at
£179. 10. 10.; and according to some writers, the king
did not remove the original monks from Maenan
into Cheshire, but allowed them to remain here. In
1563, the site of the abbey, together with the township of Maenan, was granted to Elizeus Wynne,
who took down a great part of the buildings, and
erected a mansion near the spot with the materials.
The original edifice was equally remarkable for the
pleasantness of its situation and the beauty of its
architecture: a small arch is the only portion of it
now standing. The inhabitants attend the parish
church of Llanddoget, in the county of Denbigh, for
the performance of ecclesiastical rites.
Maenclochog
MAENCLOCHOG, in the county of Pembroke, South Wales.—See Mary's (St.).
Maenor-Deilo, Lower
MAENOR-DEILO, LOWER, a hamlet, in
that part of the parish of Llandilo-Vawr which is
in the Lower division of the hundred of Cayo, in
the union of Llandilo-Vawr, county of Carmarthen, South Wales, 3½ miles (N. E.) from the
town of Llandilo-Vawr; containing 364 inhabitants.
This hamlet is situated on the western bank of the
picturesque river Towy. At Capel-Bâch was formerly a chapel of ease, on the site of which is now a
private residence.
Maenor-Deilo, Upper
MAENOR-DEILO, UPPER, a hamlet, in that
part of the parish of Llandilo-Vawr which is in
the Lower division of the hundred of Cayo, in the
union of Llandilo-Vawr, county of Carmarthen,
South Wales, 4½ miles (N. E. by N.) from the town
of Llandilo-Vawr; containing 384 inhabitants. The
rich and beautiful Vale of Towy is seen to much
advantage from many portions of this hamlet, which
is ornamented with various pleasing residences of
families of independent fortune.
Maenor-Deilo-Vabon
MAENOR-DEILO-VABON, a hamlet, in
that part of the parish of Llandilo-Vawr which is
in the Lower division of the hundred of Perveth,
in the union of Llandilo-Vawr, county of Carmarthen, South Wales, 2 miles (E. N. E.) from
the town of Llandilo-Vawr; containing 424 inhabitants. This place lies on the road from Llangadock
to Llandilo-Vawr, which here runs along the eastern
bank of the Towy. Upon the brook called the
Areth, which divides the parishes of Llandilo-Vawr
and Llangadock, is a very fine fall of considerable
height, much resorted to by the lovers of the picturesque. The house contiguous to the bridge is
remarkable for a murder committed there some time
ago, under very memorable circumstances. The seat
Maenor-Vabon is in this hamlet.
Maentwrog (Maen-Twrog)
MAENTWROG (MAEN-TWROG), a parish,
in the union of Festiniog, hundred of Ardudwy,
county of Merioneth, North Wales, ¼ of a mile
from the post-office at Tan-y-Bwlch, and 18 miles
(N. N. W.) from Dôlgelley; containing 883 inhabitants. It derives its name from a large upright stone
still remaining at one angle of the church; this stone
is called "Maen Twrog," and was erected to the
memory of Twrog, an eminent British saint, who
flourished at the close of the fifth and beginning of
the sixth centuries, and to whom the church is dedicated. The parish is surrounded by the parishes of
Festiniog, Llandecwyn, and Trawsvynydd; and contains 5288a. 3r. 17p., of which the arable compared
with the pasture forms about one-third, but a very
considerable portion is under wood, the prevailing
species being oak. The surface is partly rugged
and hilly, embracing one-half of the Vale of Festiniog, but is not so much so as that parish, there
being here more flat and level land, with a soil for
the most part light and gravelly, producing oats and
barley.
The village, in which there is a comfortable inn, is
situated in the north-western part of the parish, and
in the most romantic portion of the fertile and
highly picturesque Vale of Festiniog. It stands on
the southern bank of the river Dwyryd, which falls
into Traeth Bâch in the bay of Cardigan; and on
the turnpike-road leading from Dôlgelley to Carnarvon. Roads also branch off from it north-west
to Trêmadoc, north-east to Festiniog, and south-west
to Harlech. The surrounding scenery is richly
diversified with verdant meadow lands and luxuriant
groves, beautifully contrasting with the barren and
precipitous mountains by which this portion of the
vale is inclosed. About a mile from the village are
two fine waterfalls, one called Rhaiadr Dû, or "the
black fall," and the other Llyn-y-Gwynryn, both
formed by the small river Velinrhyd. The latter,
which consists of six different falls, each about thirty
feet in extent, is a fall of great interest, and, as seen
from the base of the rocks over which the river
descends, has a sublime grandeur of effect. The
river Dwyryd is navigable to the village, and receives the small river Cynval: two other streams,
named Llechrwd and Velinrhyd, form the boundary
between this and the parish of Llandecwyn and part
of Trawsvynydd. The manufacture of flannel and
the knitting of stockings are carried on to a moderate
extent, affording employment to a portion of the
inhabitants. Fairs are held annually on March 3rd,
April 14th, May 15th, August 15th, September 19th,
and November 10th.
The living is a discharged rectory, consolidated
with the rectory of Festiniog: the church, rebuilt
in 1814, is a neat stone edifice, with a square embattled tower, measures about fifty feet long and
thirty-six broad, and contains 232 sittings, of which
sixty are free. There are places of worship for
Independents and Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. A school-house has been built by Mrs. Oakeley, of Tan-y-Bwlch Hall, in which between fifty
and sixty children are instructed at her expense;
there are also five Sunday schools, one of them in
connexion, like the day school, with the Established
Church, and the other four appertaining to the dissenters. Mrs. Jones, in the year 1742, bequeathed
£30; Evan Lloyd, in 1691, £20; and John Roberts
£5: with these sums, and other money, three cottages
and gardens were purchased in a remote part of the
parish many years since, in which three poor families
are permitted to reside rent-free; but the interest of
the above sums is still annually distributed among
the poor.
Several Roman antiquities have been found in or
near the parish, consisting of coins, urns, and inscribed stones, of which last, some are in the possession of Mrs. Oakeley, of Tan-y-Bwlch Hall, and
of John Lloyd, Esq., of Pen-y-Glànau, who has
an extensive collection of antiquities discovered in
different parts of the principality. Among the inscriptions in the possession of Mrs. Oakeley are, a
bordered stone, ornamented at the extremities, and
divided longitudinally into two compartments, in the
upper of which are the characters [capital V rotated left, AND] and, and in the
lower PXXXIX.; another stone, fourteen inches in
length and nine inches broad, with the inscription
[captial V rotated left] IVLIMANS; and a third, fifteen inches long and
seven inches broad, bearing the inscription IMAV.
XXXIX.—See Festiniog.
Edmund Prys, Archdeacon of Merioneth, one of
the most eminent poets of his time, was rector of the
parish for many years. He translated the metrical
version of the Psalms of David used in the Welsh
churches, one of which he is said to have versified
every time he had service in this church, in which
the whole were sung previously to their being published; and he also assisted Bishop Morgan in his
translation of the Bible into Welsh. He was born at
Gerddi Bluog, in the parish of Llanvair, in 1544,
and was interred under the communion table of this
church.
Maescar
MAESCAR, a township, in the parish and hundred of Devynock, union and county of Brecknock, South Wales, 7 miles (W. by S.) from Brecknock; containing 770 inhabitants. The township
comprises 4241a. 2r. 3p., of which 186 acres are waste
land. It forms the north-eastern portion of the
parish, and is bounded on the north by the river
Usk, into which the Camlais brook here flows, and
over which is a bridge. The inhabitants of a portion
of the hamlet resort to the parish church, while those
of the upper part of Cwm Camlais frequent the
chapel of Llan Illtyd, in the hamlet of Glyn. The
tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of
£248, which is equally divided among the Bishop
of Gloucester and Bristol, the vicar of Devynock,
and an impropriator.—See Devynock.
Maesgwartha (Maes-Gwarthaf)
MAESGWARTHA (MAES-GWARTHAF),
a hamlet, in the parish of Llanelly, union and
hundred of Crickhowel, county of Brecknock,
South Wales, 5½ miles (W. by N.) from Abergavenny; containing 1659 inhabitants. This hamlet
comprises the upper portion of the parish, and contains several limestone-quarries and limekilns, the
produce being sent to the neighbouring districts,
by means of the Brecknock canal, which passes
through it.
Maesgwyn (Maes-Gwyn)
MAESGWYN (MAES-GWYN), a hamlet, in
the parish of Nantmel, union and hundred of Rhaiadr, county of Radnor, South Wales, 2 miles (E.)
from Rhaiadr; containing 390 inhabitants. It forms
the south-eastern portion of the parish, and was formerly called Uwch-Coed. At the base of the barren
eminence of Rhiw-Graidd, on the north-western side,
is a fine sheet of water, about a mile in circumference,
named Llyn Gwyn, near which, and close to the
bank of the Dulas river, is Llwynbaried House.
Maesmaencymro (Maes-Maen-Cymro)
MAESMAENCYMRO (MAES-MAENCYMRO), with Bryn-Caredig, a hamlet, in that
part of the parish of Llanynys which is in the hundred of Ruthin, in the union of Ruthin, county of
Denbigh, North Wales, 3 miles (N. W.) from
Ruthin. The population is included in the return
for the parish.
Maesmawr (Maesmor)
MAESMAWR (MAESMOR), with Ceulan, a
township, in the parish of Llanvihangel-Geneu'rGlyn, union of Aberystwith, Upper division of
the hundred of Geneu'r-Glyn, county of Cardigan, South Wales, 8 miles (N. E.) from Aberystwith; containing 597 inhabitants. It consists of
a mountainous district near the head of the river
Maesmor.
Maesmynis (Maes-Mynys)
MAESMYNIS (MAES-MYNYS), a parish,
in the union and hundred of Builth, county of
Brecknock, South Wales, 1½ mile (S. W.) from
Builth; containing 252 inhabitants. This parish is
situated in the northern part of the county, between
the rivers Irvon aud Dihonwy, by the latter of which
it is separated on the south-east from the parish of
Llanddewi'r-Cwm. It is divided on the north-west
from Llanynis by a rivulet called the Cniddon, a tributary of the Irvon; and is bounded on the east by
Builth, on the south by Llangynog and MerthyrCynog, and on the south-west by Llangammarch.
It contains by computation 6294 acres, of which
2509 are arable, 501 meadow and pasture, 400 woodland, &c., 5 garden, and the remainder waste, mountain, common, &c. The soil is generally light and
barren, but produces good wheat, barley, oats, and
peas; and live-stock is also reared by the farmers:
of timber, the prevailing sorts are oak, ash, and
wych, with birch, alder, and thorn; and there are
plantations of fir. The surface is extremely uneven,
rising into hills of considerable elevation forming
part of the Eppynt range, alternated with deep and
narrow valleys. Of the valleys, one termed Cwmbwch, from the river Bwch, by which it is intersected,
and another of greater extent, along which the
Dihonwy takes its course, are finely ornamented with
flourishing plantations, and in other parts almost
covered with underwood. Near the rivulet Cniddon
is an extensive wood, named Gilvâch Ddedwydd, on
the southern side of which the parish church forms
an interesting feature in the highly picturesque
scenery that distinguishes this part of the parish. In
a field adjoining this wood, stood, not many years
since, a large stone, or rather some petrified gravel,
of an oblong shape, about eight feet high, and from
four and a half to five feet long, on each side, called
Maen Dewi, or "St. David's stone;" it was broken
up by the proprietor, but there are fragments still
remaining. On the river Dihonwy, which flows here
for nearly the whole length of the parish, are two
corn grist-mills; and on the Irvon is a flannel manufactory, employing about ten persons, near which is
a small village designated Nant-yr-Arian, or "the
money brook."
The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the
king's books at £7. 1. 3.; patron, the Bishop of
St. David's. The tithes have been commuted for
a rent-charge of £156. 5., and there are five acres of
glebe land, valued at £5 per annum; also a commodious house, about 200 yards from the churchyard,
erected by the late incumbent, the Rev. Thomas
Bowen, on the site of a former rectory-house, built
in 1694. The church, dedicated to St. David, and
situated on an eminence, is an ancient structure, with
the remains of a tower, that appears to have been in
ruins for ages. Within the tower walls, which are
not more than seven or eight feet above the ground,
an old ash-tree had obtained a considerable growth,
from the roots of which three young trees are now
growing. The interior of the church consists of a
nave and chancel, of late years ceiled, and is in
length about seventy-five feet, and in breadth about
twenty: the ancient roof of the chancel was of oak
panelled in compartments, each of which was ornamented with the device of two lions seiant, and beneath them the legend "Nor is this," in old characters. There is a meeting-house for Independents;
and about thirty males and females are gratuitously
taught by that denomination in a Sunday school.
The tenement of Tîr Twppa, in Llanynis, is charged
with the annual payment of 20s. to the poor of this
place; and the rental of a tenement in the same
parish, called Pen-y-Rhiw, and now producing £15
per annum, is divided among the poor of the two
parishes. The shaft of an ancient stone cross, beautifully sculptured, and a great curiosity, has been inserted in the wall of a farmhouse, called Neuadd
Siarmon; it is said to have been removed from Porthy-Crwys, in Llanynis.
Maestregomer (Maes-Tre-Gomer)
MAESTREGOMER (MAES-TRE-GOMER), a hamlet, in the parish of Trêveglwys,
union of Newtown and Llanidloes, Upper division of the hundred of Llanidloes, county of Montgomery, North Wales: the population is included
in the return for the parish. The parochial church
is situated in this hamlet, about four miles and a half
north-by-east from Llanidloes.
Maes-Troyddyn
MAES-TROYDDYN, a hamlet, in the parish
of Cayo, union of Llandovery, Higher division of
the hundred of Cayo, county of Carmarthen,
South Wales, 11 miles (W. N. W.) from the markettown of Llandovery: the population is included in
the return for the parish. It is situated on the right
bank of the river Twrch, near its junction with the
river Cothy. There are some well-wooded eminences in the hamlet.
Maes-Y-Fynnon (Maes-Y-Ffynnon)
MAES-Y-FYNNON (MAES-Y-FFYNNON),
a hamlet, in the parish of Llanthoysaint, union
of Llandovery, Lower division of the hundred of
Perveth, county of Carmarthen, South Wales,
5½ miles (S. E.) from Llangadock; containing, with
Quarter Mawr, 541 inhabitants. It is situated at the
foot of the Black Mountains, and contains some
well-wooded dingles. There are several carneddau
on the eminences in the district, more especially
at Tŷ Uchâv, where are two circular ones, and contiguous is a large upright stone.
Maes-Y-Groes
MAES-Y-GROES, a hamlet, in the parish of
Kîlken, union of Holywell, Northop division of
the hundred of Coleshill, county of Flint, North
Wales; containing 237 inhabitants.
Mallaen
MALLAEN, a hamlet, partly in the parish of
Cayo, and partly in that of Kîlycwm, union of
Llandovery, Higher division of the hundred of
Cayo, county of Carmarthen, in South Wales,
7½ miles (N. W. by N.) from Llandovery: the population is included in the return for the respective parishes. This place is a manor belonging to
the crown, and forms a part of the lofty and barren
mountain called Mallaen, on the border of Cardiganshire. On this mountain the inhabitants of Cayo
and those of the adjoining parish of Llanwrda and
the hamlet of Ystrad have a right of common pasture
and of turbary: upon its southern ridge are two circular carneddau.
Mallwyd (Maen-Llwyd)
MALLWYD (MAEN-LLWYD), a parish, in
the union of Dôlgelley, partly in the hundred of
Machynlleth, county of Montgomery, but principally in that of Tàlybont and Mowddwy, county
of Merioneth, in North Wales, 11½ miles (N. E.)
from Machynlleth; containing 1177 inhabitants, of
whom 1041 are in the Merionethshire, and 136
in the Montgomeryshire, portion: the township of
Mallwyd contains 108 inhabitants. The name, implying "the dark stone," is supposed to have been
derived from an ancient monument formerly existing
within a short distance of the village, but which disappeared about forty years ago. The parish lies on
the river Dovey, and comprises a very considerable
portion of arable and pasture land, inclosed and in a
good state of cultivation, together with a large tract
of uninclosed and uncultivated country, where peat,
which forms the principal fuel of the inhabitants, is
obtained. The total area is 14,560 acres. The village is delightfully situated in a small but fertile
valley, watered by the Dovey, and abounding with
finely diversified scenery, formed by the various indentations of the three lofty mountains of Aran,
Camlan, and Moeldyvi, which surround the vale like
an amphitheatre. The views in every direction are
interesting, and embrace many objects of striking
beauty and features of romantic character, including
some pleasing waterfalls in various parts of the parish,
which, especially after floods, are seen to great advantage.
Of these falls, the principal are at Pennantigi, in
the township of Cerist; at Maes Glasau, in the township of that name; at Pont Vallwyd, in that of Camlan; and another near Dinas-Mowddwy. That at
Pont Vallwyd is close to the village, and is formed by
the river Dovey rushing through a narrow and rocky
channel against a high slate rock in the centre of its
bed, whence its waters are precipitated into a pool
beneath. On one side of it the Camlan mountain
rises in rude majesty, opposite to which issues a
stream that is crossed above by a lofty ivy-mantled
bridge of one arch, the sides of the glen being
covered with underwood, and the waters of the
Dovey at the same time reflecting in a variety of
shades the conical head of the Aran and its dependent elevations to the north. Between the opening
in the mountains a distant view of the Vale of the
Dovey is also obtained, which adds considerably to
the picturesque beauty of the scene by its light and
contrasted hues. The manufacture of flannel is
carried on in the parish upon a moderate scale,
affording employment to a portion of the inhabitants,
of whom also a few are engaged in slate-quarries.
The turnpike-road from Welshpool to Machynlleth
and Dôlgelley passes through the village.
The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books
at £10. 15. 5.; patron, the Bishop of St. Asaph: the
tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £340;
and there is a glebe of about an acre, with a glebehouse. The church is dedicated to St. Tydecho,
who lived at the close of the fifth and beginning of
the sixth centuries, and of whom tradition has recorded many marvellous exploits. It is situated on
a spot where two counties meet, the eastern end
being in the shire of Merioneth, and the western in
that of Montgomery. The edifice is in the early
style of English architecture, and is remarkable for
the situation of the altar in the centre, opposite to
the reading-desk, to which situation it was removed
from the east end by Dr. John Davies, incumbent, in
defiance of the injunction of Laud, Archbishop of
Canterbury. In the churchyard are three remarkably fine yew-trees, one of which measures twentyeight feet three inches in girth, and from one stem
throws out a great number of scions, that spread
around it an extensive shade, and together present
an appearance of sombre magnificence. There are
places of worship for Independents, and Calvinistic
and Wesleyan Methodists; and eleven Sunday
schools, all conducted by the dissenters. Dr. Davies
bequeathed £50, with which a portion of land was
purchased, now yielding £8. 10. per annum; Mrs.
Margaret Vaughan, £50; Edward Wynne and
Griffith Lewis, each £20; Robert Vaughan, Ellis
David, and an unknown benefactor, £10 each; and
William and John Parry, £5 each. The produce of
all these gifts, together with some smaller donations
and bequests, used to be annually distributed among
the poor of the parish; but a great portion of the
charities is lost. The above-mentioned Dr. Davies,
author of a Welsh grammar and dictionary, was for
many years incumbent of the parish, to which he was
a great benefactor, building a rectory-house and three
bridges at his own expense. He devoted much of
his time to literary pursuits; rendered into Welsh
the thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England;
and assisted Bishop Parry in his translation of the
Bible into Welsh, published in one volume folio, in
1620. He died and was interred here in 1644. At
Cae Gwyn is a well, the water of which is in high
estimation for its efficacy in the cure of diseases of
the eye.
Manavon
MANAVON, a parish, in the union of Newtown and Llanidloes, Lower division of the hundred of Newtown, county of Montgomery, North
Wales, 8½ miles (W. S. W.) from Welshpool; containing 795 inhabitants. The parish is situated in
a mountainous district nearly in the centre of the
county, and is intersected by the river Rhiw, and by
the road leading from Llanvair to Newtown and
Montgomery. It comprises a large tract of land, of
which a considerable portion is uncultivated; of the
remainder, one-half consists of old inclosures, and the
other has been brought into a state of cultivation
under the provisions of an act of parliament passed in
1796. The scenery is strikingly diversified, and
from the higher grounds are obtained extensive and
varied prospects. The manufacture of flannel is
carried on to a limited extent. The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books at £8. 18. 4.; present
net income, £227, with a glebe-house; patron, the
Bishop of St. Asaph. The church, dedicated to St.
Michael, is an ancient structure, in the early style of
English architecture, appropriately fitted up: in the
churchyard are two fine yew-trees of luxuriant growth.
In the township of Dôlgynvelyn was formerly a chapel of ease, which has been in ruins for many years.
There are places of worship for Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. A Church school is partly supported by the rent of an acre of land, and a small
allotment since added, to which are also attached a
cottage and garden occupied by a pauper; the whole
purchased with a bequest of £10 left by Judith James
in 1718, and a legacy of £20 by Rowland Evans in
1735. Five Sunday schools are supported by the
dissenters; three of them connected with the Calvinistic Methodists, one with the Wesleyans, and one
with the Independents. George Baxter in 1658,
John Thomas Shone at an unknown period, and Evan
Thomas in 1689, gave each a small rent-charge on
certain portions of land to the poor; and William
Foulkes, in 1781, bequeathed £30 in money, the
interest of which was to be divided among twelve decayed housekeepers. The late Rev. Walter Davies,
distinguished as a philologist and antiquary, was for
many years rector of the parish.
Mancott
MANCOTT, a township, in the parish of Hawarden, union of Great Boughton, hundred of
Mold, county of Flint, North Wales, ¾ of a mile
(N.) from Hawarden; containing 282 inhabitants.
There is a place of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, in which a day school and a Sunday school are
held: the day school is partly supported by schoolpence, but chiefly by subscription, and is open to any
denomination.—See Hawarden.