Llanvaredd - Llanvigan

A Topographical Dictionary of Wales. Originally published by S Lewis, London, 1849.

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Citation:

Samuel Lewis, 'Llanvaredd - Llanvigan', in A Topographical Dictionary of Wales( London, 1849), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/wales/pp124-129 [accessed 5 October 2024].

Samuel Lewis, 'Llanvaredd - Llanvigan', in A Topographical Dictionary of Wales( London, 1849), British History Online, accessed October 5, 2024, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/wales/pp124-129.

Samuel Lewis. "Llanvaredd - Llanvigan". A Topographical Dictionary of Wales. (London, 1849), , British History Online. Web. 5 October 2024. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/wales/pp124-129.

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Llanvaredd, or Llanvareth (Llan-Fareth)

LLANVAREDD, or LLANVARETH (LLAN-FARETH), a parish, in the poor-law union of Builth, hundred of Colwyn, county of Radnor, South Wales, 2 miles (E.) from Builth; containing 163 inhabitants. The name of this parish is derived from the situation of its church near a small rivulet called the Vareth, which flows into the river Wye. It is finely situated on the eastern bank of the Wye, by which it is separated from the county of Brecknock; and is bounded on the north by the parish of Llanelveth and part of Llansantfraid-in-Elvel, on the south by Aberedw, and on the east by the parishes of Caregrina and Llansantfraid-in-Elvel. The surface is hilly; it is intersected with dorsal eminences, and occasionally varied by abrupt conical hills, forming a part of the Carneddau range, affording excellent pasturage for sheep, and upon which numerous flocks are reared. An extensive tract of arable and pasture land, in a moderate state of cultivation, stretches out along the banks of the Wye; the soil is rich, and the chief produce wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes. The turnpike-road from Builth to New Radnor traverses the northern part of the parish, and has been much improved. The living is annexed to the rectory of Aberedw: the tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £145. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is situated in a beautiful and romantic spot near the bank of the river Wye, under the shelter of some lofty hills, and consists of a nave and chancel, with a neatly constructed small pierced turret, under which a single bell is suspended; it is about sixty-five feet in length, and sixteen in breadth, and contains between sixty and eighty sittings. The poor of the parish share equally with those of Aberedw and Llanbadarn-y-Garreg in a rent-charge of £12, payable out of a farm called Vron Oleu, bequeathed by Lewis Lloyd.

Llanvawr (Llan-Fawr)

LLANVAWR (LLAN-FAWR), a parish, in the union of Bala, hundred of Penllyn, county of Merioneth, North Wales, 1 mile (N. E.) from Bala, on the road to Corwen; containing 1836 inhabitants. This parish takes its name from St. Mor, who flourished in the beginning of the fifth century, and was the son of Cenen, who was the son of Coel Godebog, King of Britain. It extends for nearly eight miles in length and about the same in breadth, is situated on the river Dee, and abounds with pleasing and picturesque scenery. From Moel-y-Llan, on the high grounds above the village, a fine view is obtained of the Vale of Penllyn, along which the Dee winds its serpentine course, and of Bala lake, bounded at its western extremity by the lofty Arenig and Aran mountains. On the left is Rhiwaedog, or "the bloody brow," celebrated for a battle that took place there between Llywarch Hên and the Saxons, in which that chieftain lost the last of his sons. Not far from the village is Pabell Llywarch Hên, "the tent of Llywarch the Aged," where he is said to have rested on the night after the battle, and finished the pathetic elegy in which he laments the loss of all his sons: this place is marked out by a circle of large stones, to which tradition has attributed that name; and near the road to Corwen are also the remains of an exploratory station. Rhiwlas, the seat of the family of Price, is a very ancient building, situated on the left bank of the river Treweryn, which falls into the Dee within a short distance: the grounds embrace some varied scenery. Fairs are held on August 14th and September 20th.

The living consists of a rectory and a vicarage, both in the patronage of the Bishop of St. Asaph; the former a sinecure, rated in the king's books at £11. 5., and of the net annual value of £200; the latter, which is discharged, rated at £5. 1. 5½., and of the net value of £160, with a glebe-house. The church, dedicated to St. Mor, is an ancient structure, in the early style of English architecture: the north chancel, by an inscription on the outside wall, was erected in 1599, at the expense of R. Price, Esq., of Rhiwlas, and contains several monuments to that family. Llywarch Hên died in 660, at the age, it is said, of 150 years, and was buried here. In a window under the gallery is a stone on which is inscribed, in old characters, the words "Cavos Eniarcii." There are places of worship for Independents and Calvinistic Methodists. Three schools have been established, namely, Llanvawr Church-school, near the parish church; Trinity Church-school, about three miles distant from the former, in the township of Rhiwaedog; and a British school at GlanyravonLlawr-y-Bettws, seven miles distant from the parish church. The two Church-schools were built at the expense of the Rev. William Cleaver, the sinecure rector, who pays the salaries of the masters in both, and furnishes all the apparatus for instruction; an annual sum of £3 is received from Sir W. W. Wynn, Bart., to supply fuel for Llanvawr school. Of ten Sunday schools in the parish, two are in connexion with the Establishment. William Price, Esq., of Rhiwlas, in 1774, bequeathed £800 for the maintenance of three aged men and three aged women, £200 for clothing the poor, and £100 for purchasing bread; the interest of all which sums is appropriated according to the will of the testator. Mrs. Margaret Price, of the same family, also bequeathed £100 for clothing the poor; among whom is further distributed a sum of £1. 13. 9., under a bequest by Hugh Jones; and there are some smaller bequests in land and money for their benefit, amounting altogether to £3. 17.

Llanvechan

LLANVECHAN, county of Brecknock, South Wales.—See Llanavan-Vechan.

Llanvechan (Llan-Fechan)

LLANVECHAN (LLAN-FECHAN), a township, in the parish of Llanwrin, hundred of Machynlleth, county of Montgomery, North Wales, 2 miles (N. N. E.) from Machynlleth: the population is returned with Llanwrin. This place forms the south-western portion of the parish, and is situated on the right bank of the Dovey, near the confluence of two streams, each called Dulas, which here join that river from opposite directions. A winding and beautifully romantic valley along which one of the streams flows, separating the township from Merionethshire, commences here. The stream has a great variety of character, presenting at intervals foaming cascades and tranquil pools, and being inclosed between lofty and partially wooded precipices, at the foot of which passes the road from Machynlleth to Dôlgelley, along the left bank of the Dulas. The road from the former town to Dinas-Mowddwy proceeds through the Vale of Dovey, which here exhibits some cheerful corn-fields and meadows, and verdant hills.

Llanvechan, or Llan-Yn-Mechain

LLANVECHAN, or LLAN-YN-MECHAIN, a parish, in the union of Llanvyllin, hundred of Pool, county of Montgomery, North Wales, 7 miles (W. by N.) from Oswestry; containing 733 inhabitants. The name of this place is derived from its situation nearly in the centre of a beautiful vale in the north-eastern part of the county, of circular form, and about three miles in diameter, watered by the meandering river Cain, and from that circumstance called Mechain, or Mach Cain, "the tract of the Cain." The parish comprises a considerable portion of fertile arable and pasture land, in a state of excellent cultivation. Its entire surface, consisting of about 5000 acres, is now inclosed; the whole of the common and waste grounds, together with those in the manors of Mechain Iscoed and Plâs Dinas, having been allotted under the provisions of an act of parliament obtained in 1789. The turnpike-road from Shrewsbury and Oswestry to Llanvyllin passes near the village, which has a prepossessing appearance, and derives much interest from the beauty of its site.

The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books at £8. 15. 10.; patron, the Bishop of St. Asaph: the tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £558, and there is a glebe-house, with a glebe of nearly thirty-one acres. The church, dedicated to St. Garmon, is an ancient and venerable structure, near Fynnon Armon, the well of the patron saint, the water of which was formerly held in such veneration that the baptismal font was invariably supplied with it. There are places of worship for Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. A National school, established in 1832, by the Rev. Thomas Griffith, curate of the parish, is partly supported by subscription, and partly by payments from the parents. Here is also a Sunday school, held in the meeting-house of the Wesleyans. Mrs. Anne Vaughan in 1715, and Mr. John Moody in 1718, gave, by deed, rent-charges of £2 and £3 respectively; and Mr. Charles Edwards in 1727, and the Rev. Dr. William Wynne in 1776, each presented £50 in money; to the poor. The third bequest has yielded nothing for the last sixty years; the fourth has been secured on the Mold turnpike-trust, paying an interest of £5 per cent. In addition to the above charities, William Allen, Esq., of Aylesbury, Bucks, in 1831 gave five shares in the Vauxhall-Bridge Company, yielding a dividend of £4. 10. per annum, which is distributed in coal.

At no great distance from the church, and close to the turnpike-road, are the remains of an ancient British encampment; and above Bryngwyn, a residence rebuilt by Martin Williams, Esq., some time ago, are vestiges of another; but of neither of them have any historical particulars been recorded. There are also in the vicinity several other British encampments, including one called "Moel Dinam," which, from the resemblance of the names, Edward Llwyd vaguely conjectures to have been the Mediolanum of the Romans. Within the limits of the parish are the remains of several old mansions, now abandoned by their proprietors, among which the principal are, Bôdynvoel, the residence of the Trevors; and Brongain, the mansion of the family of Griffith, descendants of the Idnerths.

The late Rev. Walter Davies, A.M., rector of Manavon, eminent as a philologist and antiquary, and profoundly skilled in the literature and antiquities of his country, was a native of this parish. He first rose to a very elevated station as a candidate, and subsequently as an arbiter, in the grand Eisteddvodau of the principality; and published some useful and interesting works, among which are, a translation of "Gisborne's Familiar Survey of Christianity;" an Agricultural Survey of North Wales, in one volume, 8vo., undertaken at the request of Sir John Sinclair, and a similar Survey of South Wales, in two volumes, at the request of Lord Sheffield; besides communicating some valuable papers to various Cambrian periodicals, and aiding with his literary and scientific acquirements many works relating to Wales and Welsh literature.

Llanvechell (Llan-Fechell)

LLANVECHELL (LLAN-FECHELL), a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the hundred of Tàlybolion, union and county of Anglesey, North Wales, 5 miles (W.) from Amlwch, on the road to Holyhead; comprising the hamlets of Llandugwell and Bod-daniel; and containing 1062 inhabitants. This place, which derives its name from the dedication of its church, is situated on a small stream that falls into the bay of Cemmes on the north; and the village, which is of considerable size, is finely sheltered by a chain of hills on the south and west. The parish is bounded on the north by Llanbadrig, on the south by Llanvlewin, on the east by Rhôsbeirio, and on the west and north-west by Llanrhwydrus. It extends for three miles in length and two in breadth, and is divided into two unequal parts, called Llanvechell Caerdegog and Llanvechell Llawr-yLlan; comprising 3626 acres, whereof 3000 are arable, and the remainder pasture and waste. The surface is boldly varied, and the surrounding scenery pleasingly diversified. From the higher grounds are extensive views of the adjacent country, the Carnarvon hills, the Holyhead mountain, and the Irish Channel, with other interesting objects, and large tracts that in some parts are characterised by features of much picturesque beauty. The soil in some places is clayey, and in others gravelly; the chief produce is oats and barley.

The hills abound with mineral treasure. The celebrated Mona marble called verd antique is found in the parish, in great abundance and of very superior quality, being equal in the brilliancy and variety of its colours to the finest specimens of Italy, and having been formerly a source of considerable wealth; the best is obtained from the quarries on Maes Mawr farm, and surpasses in beauty all that has hitherto been discovered in the island of Anglesey. On the same estate, and in other districts of the parish, steatite, or French chalk, exists in profusion; a mineral which has become more valuable and important since the discovery that chromate of iron, a pigment of great value, belongs to the same formation. Sulphurore has also been found, upon a small farm called Bachanan, situated about two miles east of Cevn dû Bâch, and about four miles west of the copper-works of Parys mountain; but no attempt has ever been made to raise it. Carding, spinning, and fulling, and the weaving of stuffs and of coarse woollen goods, are carried on to a limited extent; and there are three water corn-mills, giving employment to eight or nine persons. The small creek of Cemmes, in the adjoining parish of Llanbadrig, affords an opportunity for transporting the produce of the quarries, and for landing coal and other necessary commodities for the supply of the inhabitants. The market, which was well supplied and numerously attended, was held on Friday; fairs annually occur on Holy-Thursday, November 25th, and December 26th. The hamlet of Llandugwell was once a parish of itself, and is exempt from the payment of church rates to Llanvechell: the church is now a ruin.

The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £11. 11. 3.; patron, the Bishop of Bangor. The tithes have been commuted for a rentcharge of £404, and the glebe consists of a good house, offices, and nineteen acres of land: there is also a rent-charge of £32, payable in alternate years to the rectors of Llanvechell and Llanrhyddlad. The church, dedicated to St. Mechell, or Macutus, by whom it was originally founded, was rebuilt about the year 1533, and is a spacious and venerable structure, in the later style of English architecture, with a tower surmounted by a low spire. The body consists of a nave, chancel, and south transept; it is ornamented with an east window of elegant design, embellished with ancient stained glass of brilliant colour, and contains several good monuments. There are places of worship for Baptists, Independents, and Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodists. A parochial school was founded here in 1723, by Richard Gwynne, Esq., who endowed it with a farm called Nant Glyn, in the parish of Amlwch, containing twenty-four acres and a half, worth £24 per annum, for the gratuitous instruction of the poor of the adjoining parish of Llanbadrig. The master's salary is £24 per annum, being the amount of the endowment, and he is also allowed to take pay-scholars: the present school-house was built about five years ago, at the cost of William Bulkeley Hughes, Esq., M.P. Of three Sunday schools in the parish, one is in connexion with the Independents, and the others with the Calvinistic body.

Owen Williams, in 1657, bequeathed the sum of £2. 14. per annum payable out of the tithes of Llanbadrig, which parish now receives this benefaction, in commutation of its claim to a moiety of William Davies' charity. The said William Davies in 1752 bequeathed £120, the interest to be divided between the two parishes, and with this sum a rent-charge of £6. 10. was purchased, which is partly distributed in bread on Sundays, and the residue in clothing annually. David Lloyd, in 1689, gave three cottages, with a garden to each, for the support of three aged and indigent men, to be selected respectively from this parish, Llanbadrig, and Llandrygarn. John Bulkeley, in 1754, bequeathed £10 to the poor; and Catherine Bulkeley, in 1764, left £100, also for their relief; but the interest of these last, with a few others, has not been paid for several years. The parish possesses many cottages occupied by the poor rent-free.

To the west of the church, and about a mile distant from it, are three upright stones, ten feet in height, disposed in the form of a triangle, twelve feet distant from each other, and supposed to be the remaining supporters of an ancient cromlech, which, from the elevation of the stones, must have been one of the loftiest monuments of that kind in the island. The table stone, if ever there was one, has disappeared; but the farm on which the upright stones are found, still retains the name of the "Cromlech." There is a mineral spring near the demesne of Cevn-Côch, in the parish.

Llanvedw

LLANVEDW, a township, in the parish of Michaelston-le-Vedw, union of Newport, hundred of Caerphilly, county of Glamorgan, South Wales, 5½ miles (N. N. E.) from Cardiff; containing 337 inhabitants. It is situated on the right bank of the river Romney, over which is a stone bridge, and comprises two ancient family seats, Ruperrah and Cevn-Mably. Ruperrah, a substantial, square, stone mansion, is situated on an eminence, is backed with stately groves, and sheltered by the loftier heights towards the north, which form the southern boundary of the Vale of Caerphilly. It is the property of the Morgans of Trêdegar, and generally the residence of the eldest son, having been in their possession from time immemorial; the house was built, or rebuilt, after a design by Inigo Jones, but the interior having been consumed by fire, the outer walls of the present mansion are the only part of the edifice erected from Inigo's design now remaining. Cevn-Mably is the seat of C. K. Kemeys Tynte, Esq., to whose ancestors it belonged for several generations. Sir Nicholas Kemeys, a member of the family, raised 1000 men in Glamorganshire, and joined the royalists, who were defeated at St. Fagan's in 1648. He then retired to Chepstow Castle, which he gallantly defended for three weeks, until a breach was made in the walls by the heavy artillery under Colonel Pride; the parliamentarians thus obtained possession of that fortress, and Sir Nicholas is said to have been put to death with circumstances of great cruelty. The tithes of the township have been commuted for a rentcharge of £495. 8. 3.

Llanveirian

LLANVEIRIAN, in the county of Anglesey, North Wales.—See Llangadwaladr.

Llanvernach

LLANVERNACH, county of Pembroke, South Wales.—See Llanvyrnach.

Llanverras (Llan-Feras)

LLANVERRAS (LLAN-FERAS), a parish, in the union of Ruthin, hundred of Yale, county of Denbigh, North Wales, 4 miles (S. W.) from Mold; containing 778 inhabitants. This place derives its name from the dedication of its church to St. Berres, an eminent disciple of St. Martin the Hungarian, whom he succeeded in the bishopric of Tours, about the close of the fourth century. It is situated on the north-eastern confines of the county, bordering upon Flintshire, and is watered by the river Alyn, which has its source in the neighbouring parish of Llandegla, and, flowing northward through this parish, adds much interest and beauty to the surrounding scenery. About 1800 acres of waste were inclosed under an act of parliament obtained in 1793. The parish abounds with mineral treasures, and within its limits are some extensive lead-mines, which have been worked from a very early period. These mines, after being for some time entirely discontinued, or in but limited operation, were wrought very extensively in 1762, and so continued to be, with great advantage, till the year 1790, when they were again abandoned. From that period the works were wholly suspended, or conducted only upon a small scale by a few adventurers, till the year 1823, when a new company established themselves in the place, drove fresh levels in the mountain, sank new shafts, and erected new machinery for carrying on the mining process with effect. This machinery was put in motion by a water-wheel, fifty feet in diameter, and of eighty-horse power, driven by the river Alyn: the symmetry of the wheel, and its great power, render it the admiration of visiters; and the beauty of the situation which it occupies, on the stream of the Alyn, derives additional interest from its proximity to Colomendŷ, once the property and residence of Wilson, the celebrated landscape painter. The works do not appear to be now in operation. The turnpike-road from Ruthin to Mold passes through the village.

The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at £14. 8. 1½.; patron, the Bishop of St. Asaph: the tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £305. 19. 3., and there is a glebe of nearly fifteen acres and a half, with a glebe-house. The present church is a neat edifice, built in 1772, chiefly at the expense of the Jones family, of Colomendŷ. There is a place of worship for Calvinistic Methodists. A school for children of parishioners was founded, prior to 1764, by Catherine Jones, spinster, who in that year created a rent-charge for its endowment on her estate of Brynford Hall, in the parish of Holywell, Flintshire; and in order to keep the building in repair, she directed the expenses for that purpose to be paid out of her property of Colomendŷ, which she also charged with £4 a year as an additional salary to the master. The school is held in a new building, raised within the last few years, and is attended by both boys and girls: the master is partly supported by endowment, amounting to £10. 10. per annum, and partly by school-pence and subscription; the mistress is supported by subscription only. There is also a Sunday school in the parish, held in the meeting-house of the Calvinistic body.

John Robinson, in 1703, left £30, the interest of which he directed to be distributed in bread. Catherine Jones likewise bequeathed £2 a year, chargeable on the Colomendŷ estate, to be given to the poor on every Good Friday and Christmas-day; and £2 are also annually paid from the same property, being the interest of £48 which remained, in 1791, in the hands of Mrs. Catherine Jones's executor. The benefaction table in the church records a few other charities, among them one of £18 from Mrs. Edwards; and about 1815, the trustees of the turnpikeroad from Ruthin to Mold having diverted the line, and cut through various fields in this parish belonging to Mr. Potts, that gentleman gave the compensation money, amounting to £87. 8., to the overseers of the poor, and the interest, with the preceding donations, is regularly dispensed to the most necessitous parishioners. John Wilson, in 1772, gave by deed a portion of land, the produce of which he directed to be divided in bread and money. The Rev. John Davies, D.D., a learned divine, and author of a curious grammar of the Welsh language, and also of a Welsh and Latin Dictionary, published in 1632, was a native of this parish; he died in 1644, and was buried here.

Llanvigael (Llan-Figel)

LLANVIGAEL (LLAN-FIGEL), a parish, in the hundred of Tàlybolion, union and county of Anglesey, North Wales, 2½ miles (N. N. W.) from Bôdedern; containing 154 inhabitants. This small parish is watered by one of the finest rivulets in the isle, called Avon Alaw, which adds greatly to its fertility; the lands are inclosed, and in a good state of cultivation. The scenery is varied; the views from the higher grounds are interesting and extensive, and in some directions highly picturesque. The living is a perpetual curacy, annexed to the rectory of Llanvachreth: the church, situated on the margin of the rivulet that flows through the parish, after being in ruins for about forty years, was rebuilt in 1841 at the expense of Owen Owens, Esq. There is a place of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, in which a Sunday school is also held. A trifling rent-charge is received for the poor, and another benefaction of a somewhat larger amount has been lost.

Llanvigan, or Llanveugan (Llan-Feigan)

LLANVIGAN, or LLANVEUGAN (LLAN-FEIGAN), a parish, comprising the Upper and Lower divisions, in the hundred of Pencelly, union and county of Brecknock, South Wales, 4 miles (S. E. by S.) from Brecknock; containing 662 inhabitants, of which number 287 are in the Upper, and 375 in the Lower, division. This place derives its name from the dedication of its church to St. Veugan, or Meugan, who, according to the late Iolo Morganwg, was preceptor to the renowned Merlyn Emrys, and also distinguished himself as a poet. It lies nearly in the central part of the county, and once formed the head of the extensive lordship of Pencelly, which was afterwards divided into five minor lordships, and gave name to the present hundred. Of the ancient castle of Pencelly, situated in the village, about a quarter of a mile east of the church, there are at present scarcely any vestiges. By whom, or at what time, it was originally built is not known; but in the 28th of Edward I. it belonged to Roger Mortimer, who was in that year summoned to parliament by the title of Baron Mortimer of Pencelly Castle. It is also noticed by Leland, who describes it as existing in his time, in the possession of the Herberts, between whom and the Duke of Buckingham the lordship of Pencelly was then divided. The family mansion of the Herberts, erected on the site of the castle, and of which some portions are remaining, has undergone so many alterations as hardly to retain any of its original character, and is now in the occupation of a farmer. The manor, and site of the ancient castle, passed, by marriage with the heiress of Thynne Howe Gwynne, of Buckland, Esq., to James Gwynne Holford, Esq., of Kîlgwyn, in the county of Carmarthen.

The parish comprises 11,723 acres, of which 6000 are common or waste; the lands in some places are wet and marshy. The village is pleasantly situated at a short distance from the river Usk, which forms the principal boundary of the parish on the north and east; and the surrounding scenery is pleasing and well-wooded, and in some parts picturesque. Blaennant is a handsome modern mansion, surrounded with fine plantations; the grounds are tastefully laid out, and command a fine view of the Brecknockshire Beacons, which form a striking feature in the scenery of this part of the principality. The Brecknock and Abergavenny canal passes through the village, where are several wharfs for landing the coal and limestone brought along it for the supply of the neighbourhood.

The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books at £20. 10., and in the gift of the Trustees of the late Rev. C. Clifton. The tithes have been commuted for £560, of which £110 are payable to an impropriator, and £450 to the rector, who has also a glebe of twenty-six acres, valued at £45 per annum, and a glebe-house. Part of the great tithes, once belonging to the chapel of St. Leonard within the castle of Pencelly, has, since the Reformation, been received by the lord of the manor, now amounting to £110, as above stated. The church, an ancient and well-built edifice, with a square tower of good proportions, is beautifully situated on the declivity of a lofty ridge, at some distance from the south bank of the river Usk, and commanding an extensive view down the Vale of Usk, and of the Black Mountains. The churchyard contains some of the finest yew-trees in South Wales: one of them is nine and a half yards, and another seven and a half, in girth; and though the trees are generally of a very great age, their trunks are mostly perfectly sound. In the Upper division of the parish is the chapel of Glyn Collwyn, to which the rector presents. There are two places of worship in the parish for Independents, and one for Calvinistic Methodists; in each of which a Sunday school is also held.

The Rev. Richard Turberville, incumbent of Llanvigan in 1635, bequeathed to his servant, William David, two closes of land, called Crovtau and Tîr-y-Gengin, in the parish, charged with the payment of £5 per annum to the poor. Both these closes, after the death of the legatee, were resigned to the minister and churchwardens, who receive the rents and distribute them according to the intention of the testator; they consist of about four acres of arable, and seven of copse wood, and are let at £11 per annum. Captain Thomas Powell, of Pencelly Castle, about the commencement of the seventeenth century, gave to the poor the sum of £100, which was vested in the purchase of lands at Glynderi, now let at £24 a year. Mrs. Lettice Parry, by her will in 1721, charged a tenement called Llwyncelyn, in the parish of Llanthetty, with the payment of £1 per annum; and two other benefactors, Mrs. Walters and Mrs. Bowens, each gave by will £2 a year, supposed to be the same with two charges of £2 each now received, one from the farm of Gethinog, and the other from that of Tŷ Newydd. The produce arising from these benefactions, amounting to £40, is annually distributed among the poor; Parry's charge, on Good Friday; and the £39 generally on St. Thomas's day. Gilston, or Gileston, formerly a manor or lordship in this parish, was conferred by Bernard Newmarch on Sir Giles Pierrepoint, whose posterity and name have been long extinct in the principality.