Leadbrook Major
LEADBROOK MAJOR, a hamlet, situate in
the newly-created ecclesiastical district of St. Mark,
parish of Northop, union of Holywell, Northop
division of the hundred of Coleshill, county of
Flint, North Wales, 3 miles (N.) from Northop;
containing 35 inhabitants. It lies on the estuary
of the Dee, and comprises a considerable portion of
its sands, which are dry at low water, and may therefore be brought into cultivation at a small expense.
The hamlet is supposed to derive its name from the
quantity of lead formerly washed out of the brook
here.
Leadbrook Minor
LEADBROOK MINOR, a hamlet, situate in
the newly-created ecclesiastical district of St. Mark,
parish of Northop, union of Holywell, Northop
division of the hundred of Coleshill, county of
Flint, North Wales, 3½ miles (N. N. W.) from
Northop; containing 63 inhabitants.
Leckwith (Llêchwedd, or Llêchwydd)
LECKWITH (LLÊCHWEDD, or LLÊCHWYDD), a parish, in the union of Cardiff, hundred of Dinas-Powys, county of Glamorgan,
South Wales, 2½ miles (W. S. W.) from Cardiff;
containing 121 inhabitants. This parish, the name
of which signifies "the slope of the cliff," is situated
on the river Ely, over which is a bridge of two
arches. Limestone of good quality is found in
great abundance, and large quantities are quarried
for building purposes, and also burnt as an article
of manure for the supply of the neighbourhood.
The village stands on an eminence overlooking the
marshes that intervene between it and Cardiff, and
from Leckwith Hill are some interesting and extensive views. The inhabitants, from the exhalations
rising from the lower grounds, are subject to ague.
Leckwith, Llandough, and Cogan form a consolidated
discharged rectory, rated in the king's books at
£8. 8. 4.; patrons, the Stuart family: the tithes of
the whole have been commuted for a rent-charge of
£240, and the glebe comprises thirty-three acres.
The church, which is dedicated to St. James, stands
upon a high bank above the marshes, and is remarkable for the simplicity of its style.
Leighton
LEIGHTON, a township, in the parish of Worthen, incorporation of Forden, Lower division of
the hundred of Cawrse, county of Montgomery,
North Wales, 2 miles (S. E. by S.) from Welshpool;
containing 220 inhabitants. The river Severn is
crossed here by a wooden bridge, on the road from
Churchstoke to Welshpool; and Offa's Dyke passes
nearly in a parallel line with that river through the
township. A school for boys and girls, taught together by a mistress, is held in a schoolroom used as
an episcopal chapel.
Letterson, Lettardston, or Letterston
LETTERSON, LETTARDSTON, or LETTERSTON, a parish, in the union of Haverfordwest, hundred of Dewisland, county of Pembroke,
South Wales, 10 miles (N.) from Haverfordwest;
containing 498 inhabitants. This place derived its
name from the family of Lettard, to whom the parish
anciently belonged, and who gave the advowson of
the living to the commandery of the Knights of St.
John of Jerusalem which had been founded at Slebech, in this county. The parish is situated in the
north-western part of the county, and intersected by
the turnpike-road from Haverfordwest to Fishguard.
It comprises 2219 acres, of which 263 are common or
waste land. The surrounding scenery is pleasing,
and in certain places somewhat picturesque; the
distant views embrace an extensive tract of finely
diversified and richly cultivated country. In the
vicinity are some handsome seats and pleasing villas,
and within the parish is Heathfield Lodge. The
living is a discharged rectory, with the perpetual
curacy of Llanvair-Nant-y-Gove annexed, rated in
the king's books at £12. 11. 0½., and in the patronage of the Lord Chancellor; present net income,
£387. The tithes of Letterson have been commuted
for a rent-charge of £150, and there is a glebe of
twenty-seven acres, valued at £27 per annum; also
a glebe-house. The church, dedicated to St. Giles,
is not remarkable for any striking architectural features. The rectory-house was lately rebuilt by the
incumbent, under the provisions of Gilbert's act of
parliament, and is a handsome edifice. There are
places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyans, a day
school, and two Sunday schools. On a common
near the road are several tumuli, supposed to be
sepulchral.
Lisvane (Llŷs-Faen)
LISVANE (LLŶS-FAEN), a parish, in the
union of Cardiff, hundred of Kibbor, county of
Glamorgan, South Wales, 5 miles (N. by E.)
from Cardiff; containing 207 inhabitants. It is situated on the western bank of the Romney, which here
separates the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouth.
The living is a perpetual curacy, endowed with
£1000 royal bounty and £200 parliamentary grant,
and in the alternate patronage of C. K. Kemeys
Tynte, Esq., and the representative of the late Earl
of Plymouth, the impropriators; net income, £60.
The church is dedicated to St. Denis. Mary Lewis,
in 1728, conveyed a moiety of the tithes of the parish,
in order that a salary of £5 should be paid out
of the rents to a schoolmaster, for instructing the
poor children of Lisvane, and a similar sum to a
person for teaching those of the adjoining parish of
Llanishen; the residue of the profits to be expended
in placing them out as apprentices: the tithes, which
produce about £70 per annum, are also charged with
an annual payment of £10 to the perpetual curate.
The same benevolent lady bequeathed two acres of
land in the parish of Romney, Monmouth, for the
benefit of the poor, the rent of which, with a similar
bequest by Moses Thomas, in 1775, of three acres,
the whole producing £8 per annum, is distributed at
Christmas among those not receiving parochial relief.
The children attend a school in the parish of Llanishen. There is a place of worship for Particular
Baptists, with a Sunday school held in it.
Llan
LLAN, with Blaenau, a hamlet, in the parish
of Llangendeirn, hundred of Kidwelly, union
and county of Carmarthen, South Wales, 5½
miles (S. E.) from Carmarthen; containing 634 inhabitants. The hamlet takes its name from the parochial church being situated within its limits, near the
right bank of the Gwendraeth Vâch river, which flows
through the lands.
Llan
LLAN, with Llêch and Llwyn, a hamlet, in
the parish of Llanrhaiadr-in-Kinmerch, union
of Ruthin, hundred of Isaled, county of Denbigh,
North Wales, 5 miles (N. W.) from Ruthin; the
three places containing respectively 159, 343, and
121 inhabitants. Courts leet and baron, with view
of frankpledge, are held at Llanrhaiadr, before the
steward of the Bishop of Bangor, to whom the manors
of Llan and Llêch belong. Each of the three parts
of the hamlet forms a separate highway township.
Llanaber (Llan-Aber)
LLANABER (LLAN-ABER), a parish, in the
union of Dôlgelley, hundred of Ardudwy, county
of Merioneth, North Wales; comprising the
sea-port and market-town of Barmouth, and containing 1709 inhabitants. This parish extends for more
than nine miles in length and four in breadth; the
upper parts are rocky and mountainous. In 1810, an
act of parliament was obtained for inclosing the common and waste land in this and the adjoining parishes,
under the provisions of which 6588 acres were allotted to Llanaber, and are now nearly all inclosed.
From the hills and other elevated grounds fine views
are obtained of Cardigan bay, the river Mawddach,
and the surrounding country, which is characterized
by varied features. The village extends along the
coast; and on the sands may be seen, at low water,
an ancient stone which at one time served as a footbridge, inscribed with the legend "Hic jacet Calixtus
Monedo Regi." Copper and lead ores were formerly
found at Buddugre, in the parish; and on its southern
side flows the river Mawddach, which is navigable
for barges of less than twenty tons' burthen from Barmouth to within two miles of Dôlgelley.
The living is a rectory, rated in the king's books
at £11. 18. 9., and in the patronage of the Crown:
the tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of
£280. The church, dedicated to St. Bôdvan, is a
spacious structure in the early style of English architecture: the south entrance is under an arch richly
ornamented with mouldings. The interior consists of
a nave, with north and south aisles, and a chancel;
the aisles are each separated from the nave by five
finely pointed arches, with massive round piers: there
is an ancient font of elegant design, and among the
monuments is one to the memory of the Rev. Robert
Morgan. A chapel of ease was erected at Barmouth,
in the year 1830; and there are places of worship in
the town and parish for Wesleyans, Independents,
and Calvinistic Methodists. Some schools are supported at Barmouth, and in that town and other parts
of the parish are altogether eight Sunday schools.
Janet Roberts bequeathed £20 to the poor; and the
Rev. Mr. Morgan, in 1739, gave a rent-charge on
land in the parish of Llangelynin, for the payment of
20s. annually to twenty of the poorest inhabitants
who can repeat the Catechism in Welsh, and of 20s.
to such children as can read Welsh and repeat the
Welsh Catechism. There are also some smaller
donations for distribution among the poor.
On the borders of this parish and that of Llanddwywau, near the coast, stands an old family mansion, called Egrin, anciently the residence of a
Cymmro of some rank, and which was occupied by
friars in the fifteenth century, but has been converted into a farmhouse. The interior is divided into
three compartments, formed by pointed arches of
Irish oak, which extend from the basement and support the roof; and the whole is of a curious construction. Hêndrêv-Vechan, in the parish, was the
residence of four celebrated Welsh bards, namely,
William, Richard, John, and Thomas Phillips, who
flourished successively in the reigns of Elizabeth,
James I., and Charles I. There is an ancient encampment.
Llanallgo (Llan-Allgof)
LLANALLGO (LLAN-ALLGOF), a parish,
in the hundred of Twrcelyn, union and county of
Anglesey, North Wales, 7 miles (E. by N.) from
Llanerchymedd; containing 384 inhabitants. This
parish, which is of considerable antiquity, derives its
name from the dedication of its church to St. Alltgo,
son of Caw-o-Vrydain, by whom the building was originally founded, about the commencement of the
seventh century. It is situated on the coast of the
Irish Sea, by which it is bounded on the east; and,
though of small extent, is rich in mineral treasures,
and contains a large proportion of fertile land, which
is for the most part inclosed and in a good state of
cultivation. The great range of limestone strata
which stretches from Flintshire through the county of
Denbigh, by Great Orme's Head, and is continued
under the bay of Beaumaris, and along the northern
shore of Anglesey, terminates at Moelvre, in this
parish, where are extensive quarries of clouded, or
variegated marble, in considerable estimation for the
variety and brilliancy of its colours, and the high
polish of which it is susceptible. Large quantities
of this marble, which is well adapted for mantelpieces and ornamental statuary, are sent off to various
parts of Great Britain. In the parish are also some
quarries of black and grey marble of good quality,
which some time ago afforded materials for the construction of the pier and lighthouse at Holyhead.
The living is a perpetual curacy, annexed to the
rectory of Llaneugrad. The church, dedicated to
St. Gallgov, is a small but handsome cruciform structure, containing in the east window of the chancel,
which is of elegant design, some fragments of ancient
stained glass; it was thoroughly repaired in 1831.
Near it is Fynnon Gallgov, or "St. Gallgov's well,"
the waters of which, strongly impregnated with sulphate of lime, were once held in high veneration for
the miraculous cures ascribed to them, and are still
regarded as highly beneficial in some chronic diseases.
Adjoining the west front of the church is Capel
Fynnon, or "the chapel of the well," a small neat
edifice, anciently appropriated to the use of the
votaries of the saint, to whose influence the miraculous efficacy of the waters was attributed. In the
adjoining parish of Llaneugrad are the ruins of an
old chapel, formerly belonging to the church of this
place, and still called Capel Llugwy, from the name
of the farm on which it is situated. There are places
of worship for Independents and Calvinistic Methodists. A Church school is held; and in the parish of
Llaneugrad is a British school, established in the year
1845, but wholly supported by the children's pence.
Two Sunday schools are kept, one of them in connexion with the Church, and the other belonging to
the Calvinistic body. A benefaction of £3, bequeathed by William Roberts, in 1719, for the benefit
of the poor, was lost in the year 1812, through the
insolvency of a parochial officer, in whose hands it
had been placed.
Llanano (Llan-Anno)
LLANANO (LLAN-ANNO), a parish, partly
in the hundred of Knighton, and partly in that of
Rhaiadr, union of Knighton, county of Radnor,
South Wales, 12½ miles (W.) from Knighton; containing 329 inhabitants. The surface of this parish
is uneven, and in some parts even precipitously
hilly; the lands are partly inclosed and cultivated,
and the soil in the inclosed portions is generally fertile and productive. The total area is 5200 acres, of
which 2000 are common or waste. The scenery is
for the most part of a soft and pleasing character;
and from the higher grounds may be obtained some
extensive views over the adjacent country. The
turnpike-road from Builth, in Brecknockshire, to
Newtown, in the county of Montgomery, passes
through the parish a little to the east of the church.
The living is a perpetual curacy, with that of Llanbadarn-Vynydd annexed, endowed with £600 royal
bounty, and £400 parliamentary grant; net income,
£150; patron, the Chancellor of the Collegiate
Church of Brecknock. The church, dedicated to
St. Wonno or Anno, is a small edifice, undistinguished
by any remarkable architectural features, but beautifully situated on the bank of the river Ithon. There
is a place of worship for Anabaptists. Of the Rev.
Robert Barlow's charity, in the time of Elizabeth, for
the parish of Llanbister, a small portion, amounting
to 6s. 8d. per annum, is received about Christmas,
and distributed among the poor. On the summit of
a rocky eminence rising abruptly from the Ithon,
and commanding the entrance of a narrow defile, are
the remains of an ancient castle, called "Tŷ yn
y Bwlch," probably one of the residences of the
ancient chieftains of Maelienydd. In the parish is
a mineral spring called Fynnon Newydd, or "the
new well," the water of which is sulphureous, and
efficacious in the cure of scorbutic and scrofulous
diseases.
Llanarmon (Llan-Armon)
LLANARMON (LLAN-ARMON), a parish,
in the union of Pwllheli, hundred of Eivionydd,
county of Carnarvon, North Wales, 4 miless
(N. E.) from Pwllheli, on the road to Carnarvon;
containing 589 inhabitants. This parish is bounded
on the north by the parish of Llangybi, on the east
by Llanystyndwy, and on the south and west by
Abereirch. It comprises by computation 3795 acres,
of which 1952 are arable, 1805 meadow and pasture,
and about 38 woodland. The soil is in some places
moist, and the surface generally level, with some
small hills, of which Bryn-y-Gwdyn, Bryn-Rhydd,
and Bryn-Caled are the principal; the streams are
the Rhŷd-y-Gwistil, the Chwilog, and a few others.
There are two corn-mills, each employing a few
hands. The village is agreeably situated in a fertile
plain, and the neighbourhood partakes of the pleasing
scenery which prevails in this part of the county.
The living is a rectory not in charge, annexed to
the rectory of Llangybi; the tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £273. 10. The church,
dedicated to St. Garmon, is an ancient and a spacious
structure in good repair, consisting of a chancel and
two aisles, the latter separated by two arches: some
additional windows have been inserted, previously to
which alteration the church was very dark. There
are places of worship for Independents and Calvinistic
Methodists; a Church school, and three Sunday
schools belonging to the dissenters. The Rev. Evan
Griffith, in 1724, bequeathed £100, to be put out at
interest or expended in the purchase of land; one
moiety of the produce is set apart for the benefit of
the poor. Mrs. Jones left £20, of which the interest
is given to widows.
Dr. John Evans, an eminent prelate, was a native
of this parish. He received his university education
at Jesus College, Oxford, and, having entered into
holy orders, obtained the rectory of Llanelhairn, in
the county of Carnarvon; in 1701 he was consecrated to the bishopric of Bangor, and in 1715 was
translated to the bishopric of Meath, in Ireland. He
there gave proofs of his intention to uphold the discipline of the Church, which exposed him to much
annoyance from Dean Swift, who held preferment in
his diocese, and whose letters addressed to the bishop
are to be seen in his works. Notwithstanding the
severe and caustic reflections of Dean Swift, he is
mentioned by other eminent contemporaries in terms
of esteem. He died in 1724, and devoted his property, as he had done during his life, to the benefit
of the Church. There is a portrait of Bishop Evans
at Lambeth Palace, painted in 1707.
Llanarmon (Llan-Armon)
LLANARMON (LLAN-ARMON), a parish,
in the union of Ruthin, partly in the hundred of
Maelor, county of Flint, but chiefly in that of
Yale, county of Denbigh, North Wales, 5 miles
(E. by S.) from Ruthin; containing 1823 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the roads leading
from Wrexham, Mold, and Llangollen to Ruthin, and
from Corwen to Chester. It comprises about 14,000
acres, of which two-thirds are arable, subject to the
usual rotation of corn, hay, and pasture, and the
remainder pasture, strictly so called, and woodland, of
which last there are about 1000 acres. The soil is
a thin loam, with a substratum of viscous yellow
earth, and the general aspect of the surface is bleak
and wild, though in some spots, such as about the
vicarage and Nant-y-Palme, the scenery is of pleasing
and cheerful character. Ash and sycamore grow
spontaneously, and larch and other firs thrive well
where they have been planted: Wilson Jones, Esq.,
of Harkheath Park, has much improved the appearance of the country by extensive and flourishing
plantations. Bodidris, in the parish, was anciently
the seat of the Lloyd family, the founder of which
was Ynyr, of Yale, who fought under Llewelyn the
Great at the battle of Corwen, and for his deeds of
valour on that occasion was rewarded, among other
gifts, with the township of Bodidris. This seat, now
occupied by a tenant, is inherited by the Hon. Lloyd
Mostyn, of Mostyn, in right of his great-grandmother,
who married into the family of the Vaughans, the
male heirs becoming extinct in her father, Sir Evan
Lloyd. The Crown and the Marquess of Westminster are lords of the manor. The village is pleasantly
situated on the river Alyn. There are lead-mines in
the parish, and some few persons are employed in
working limestone. Fairs are held on July 30th and
October 19th.
The living comprises a sinecure rectory and a
vicarage, both in the patronage of the Bishop of St.
Asaph: the rectory is rated in the king's books at
£31. 15., and the tithes have been commuted for a
rent-charge of £450; the vicarage, which is discharged, is rated at £12. 5. 10., and is of the net
value of £282, with a glebe-house. The church,
dedicated to St. Germanus, or Garmon, is a large
plain edifice, appropriately fitted up; it affords accommodation to about 500 persons, and contains numerous ancient and interesting monuments. Under
an arch in the south wall is the recumbent figure of
a knight, completely armed, bearing in his right hand
a short sword, and on his left arm a shield, with the
inscription "Hic jacet Gryfyd ap Llewelyn ap Ynyr."
There is a legend respecting this knight, that when
he was engaged in sacking a town in the Holy Land,
he was wounded in the abdomen, and his bowels protruding, they were seized by a dog, notwithstanding
which he continued to fight until he fell from exhaustion, and expired; the circumstance is commemorated by the figure of a dog placed at the feet,
with several folds of entrails in his mouth and around
him. Within a niche in the outer wall of the church
is the figure of a bishop, six feet four inches in height,
which is said to represent St. Germanus, Bishop of
Auxerre, who, with St. Lupus, came over to this
country to oppose the Pelagian heresy, and in an
engagement with the Picts and Saxons, at Maes
Garmon, near Mold, in the year 420, gained the
celebrated victory called by historians Victoria Alleluiatica. In the church are also several handsome
monuments to the family of Lloyd, and a fine brazen
chandelier, apparently a work of the fourteenth century, which for a long time was preserved in the
mansion of Bodidris. There are places of worship
for Calvinistic Methodists, Wesleyans, Independents,
and Baptists. In 1746, Mrs. Margaret Vaughan, of
Bodidris, and Mr. Robert Jones, brewer, of Fieldlane, Middlesex, conveyed a small farm called Bodlowydd, in the parish of Llandegla, to the churchwardens of this parish, for the endowment of a school
in which six boys from each of the two parishes were
directed to be educated, on Church principles. The
farm now consists of a house, out-buildings, and about
twenty-nine acres of land, together with an allotment
of eighteen acres gained under the Llanelidan inclosure act, the whole producing £34. 10. per annum.
School-houses have been built both at Llanarmon
and Llandegla, partly at the expense of the charity;
and a sum of £8. 8. per annum is paid from the funds
to the master of each school. There are nine Sunday
schools in the parish, one of them in connexion with
the Established Church.
In 1699, Mrs. Margaret Meredith devised a plot
of land to the poor, consisting of seven acres, and now
producing about £8 per annum. The consolidated
charities amounted, in 1780, to £130, and were
secured on the Denbigh and Wrexham trust, which
investment at present yields £6. 10. a year. A small
estate in the parish supports a charity founded in
1630, by John Matthews, son of Robert Matthews,
late of Llangollen, who then bequeathed the residue
of his property to be expended in the purchase of a
plot of ground near his birthplace, the produce of
which he directed should be appropriated to the education of four of his nearest kindred at school and the
university, such boys to be appointed by the vicars
of Chirk and Llangollen. About £300 were spent
in the purchase of lands in Llanarmon, which are
divided into two unequal parts by the river Alyn;
one consisting of a house, garden, and out-buildings,
and nine parcels of land, containing thirty-three acres
and three-quarters; and the other with similar accommodations, but comprising only sixteen acres and
three-quarters. The estate, which lets at £36 per
annum, was some time ago much improved by the
outlay of about £100 in rebuilding or repairing the
houses, that expense being principally liquidated by
the sale of old materials and some timber.
Throughout the vale in which the village is
situated, and on the neighbouring eminences, are
numerous tumuli, several of which have been opened
at various times, and found to contain sepulchral urns
filled with ashes, and human bones, which had resisted the action of the fire, scattered about them in
profusion. In 1810, one of the largest was opened,
in the township of Gelliguinan, and found to contain
a skeleton of a horse and his rider, in a position in
which they might have fallen; near the ribs of the
horse was found a brass spur, weighing seventeen
ounces. In 1827, another was opened, near the village of Llanarmon, in which was discovered an urn
of baked clay, with three skulls and various other
bones lying within a circular inclosure of stones near
it. Within a short distance of the same spot, another
of these tumuli was opened in 1831, and near its
centre were discovered three urns of coarse clay, the
largest of which, able to contain about three quarts,
was filled with fine grey ashes: near them were several
bones, a copper coin of the Emperor Nero, a fibula
of copper, gilt and enamelled, and a plain ring of the
same metal. About a mile and a half from the village are two artificial mounts of large dimensions, on
the summit of the loftier of which stood the castle of
Iâl, built by Owain Gwynedd in 1148, of which not
a fragment now remains, except some traces of the
rampart and fosse that surrounded it. On the summit of a rocky knoll, near Tommen-y-Rhodwydd, is
a spring dedicated to St. Garmon; the water is said
neither to increase nor diminish at any time, nor has
it any visible inlet or outlet, and superstition attributes to it miraculous properties.
Llanarmon-Dyfryn-Ceriog (Llan-Armon-Dyffryn-Ceiriog)
LLANARMON-DYFRYN-CERIOG
(LLAN-ARMON-DYFFRYN-CEIRIOG),
a parish, in the union of Corwen, Cynlleth and
Môchnant division of the hundred of Chirk, county
of Denbigh, North Wales, 9 miles (W. N. W.)
from Oswestry; containing 354 inhabitants. This
parish is bounded by the parishes of Llansillin, Llanrhaiadr, Llansantfraid-Glynn-Ceriog, and Corwen;
and comprises about 10,000 acres, of which 500 are
arable, 1090 good meadow and pasture, 139 wood,
and 8300 common or inferior land. The upper part
of the parish is very hilly, the soil covered with heath,
and many thousands of sheep are kept there; the
alluvial soil of the lower part is very productive, and
all kinds of grain are freely produced. There is
scarcely any timber, a few plantations only having
been lately made. The river Ceiriog intersects the
parish from east to west, and is supplied by the brooks
Rhŷdwilym, Cwmeger, and Llawenog. The West
family, and Sir W. W. Wynn, Bart., are lords of the
manor; the former have a seat here called the Tower,
and the latter a shooting-lodge on Mynydd Tarw
Berwin. Fairs are held on the first Monday after
April 11th, on August 13th, and October 19th.
The living is a discharged rectory, rated in the
king's books at £8. 11. 10½.; patron, the Bishop of
St. Asaph. The tithes have been commuted for a
rent-charge of £220; there is a glebe-house, and the
glebe consists of twenty-five acres, valued at £30 per
annum. The church, dedicated to St. Germanus, is
an ancient and a spacious building, but destitute of
architectural character, and in a very dilapidated
condition: about forty yards to the west of it, and
within the cemetery, is a large tumulus, said to be
the sepulchre of Germanus, the celebrated Bishop of
Auxerre. The erection of a new church has been in
contemplation. There are places of worship for Calvinistic Methodists and Wesleyans; a Church school;
and four Sunday schools, one of them in connexion
with the Church, and the others belonging to the
dissenters. Mr. Thomas Humphreys, in 1731, bequeathed £48, the interest arising from which was
annually distributed among the poor, according to
the will of the testator, until 1788, when, owing to
the wants of the parish, the principal was applied to
parochial purposes, the parish officers however continuing to pay £2. 2. yearly as interest for it, until
about 1832, when complaints being made that it was
paid from the rates, it was thenceforth discontinued,
and the bequest was lost. On the summit of a hill
within a mile of the village, towards the north-west,
is a very extensive circular encampment, defended
by a double fosse, with an entrance on the west, near
which are some detached masses of stone.
Llanarmon-Mynydd-Mawr (Llan-Armon-Mynydd-Mawr), or Llanarmon-Vâch
LLANARMON-MYNYDD-MAWR
(LLAN-ARMON-MYNYDD-MAWR), or
LLANARMON-VÂCH, a parish, in the union of
Llanvyllin, Cynlleth and Môchnant division of the
hundred of Chirk, county of Denbigh, North
Wales, 10 miles (W.) from Oswestry; containing
182 inhabitants. This parish comprises an uneven
and chiefly elevated tract of 2590 acres, near the
southern extremity of the county; about 600 acres
are, or till lately were, common or waste. The living
is a perpetual curacy, endowed with £600 royal
bounty; net income, £64; patron, the Vicar of
Llanrhaiadr: the tithes have been commuted for
£136, of which a sum of £130 is payable to the vicar
of Llanrhaiadr, who has also a glebe of ten acres, and
£6 to the parish clerk. The church, dedicated to
St. Garmon, was formerly a chapel of ease to Llanrhaiadr church, only a mile and a half distant. There
is a place of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, with
a Sunday school held in it. By parliamentary returns, it appears that Edward ap Rogers, by will, in
1736, bequeathed a sum of £5, vested in the hands
of churchwardens, the interest whereof was to be annually given to the poor; it was formerly paid from
the rates, but it has long since been discontinued,
and there is no record of any other charity.
Llanarth (Llan-Arth)
LLANARTH (LLAN-ARTH), a parish, in
the union of Aberaëron, hundred of Moythen,
county of Cardigan, South Wales, 13 miles
(N. W. by W.) from Lampeter; consisting of two
divisions, North and South, and containing 2421
inhabitants. The Earl of Richmond, afterwards
Henry VII., on the second night after his landing at
Milford Haven, encamped his forces at Wern Newydd,
in this neighbourhood, where he was hospitably entertained by Einon ab Davydd Llwyd, on his route
through the country to Bosworth Field. The parish is
of considerable extent. It is pleasantly situated on
the turnpike-road leading from Cardigan to Aberystwith, and is intersected by the river Llethy, which
falls into Cardigan bay at Llanina. The surface is
boldly undulated, in some parts mountainous; the
lands are partially inclosed and in a good state of
cultivation. The surrounding scenery is strikingly
varied by picturesque dingles and sterile mountains;
and from the higher grounds some pleasing and extensive views are obtained over St. George's Channel. Neuadd Llanarth, anciently the seat of the
family of Griffiths, is now a spacious modern mansion.
Fairs are annually held in the village on January
12th, March 12th, June 17th, September 22nd,
and October 27th, for horses, cattle, and merchandise.
The living is a vicarage, with the perpetual
curacy of Llanina annexed, rated in the king's books
at £4. 18. 1½.; patron, the Bishop of St. David's.
The tithes of the parish have been commuted for
£303. 8. 4. payable to the bishop, £151. 14. 2. to
the vicar, and £4. 17. 6. to an impropriator. The
church, dedicated to St. Vylltyg, is a venerable
structure, consisting of a nave and chancel, with a
lofty and substantial tower, and is situated on the
declivity of a high hill: in the churchyard, a little to
the north of the church, is a stone four feet and a
half in height, and two feet ten inches in breadth,
bearing a rude cross, and having an inscription,
which, however, is so much obliterated as to be
illegible. There are places of worship for Independents, Calvinistic Methodists, and Wesleyans; a
Church day school; and five Sunday schools, one of
them in connexion with the Established Church. In
the parish are the remains of an extensive encampment called Castell Moyddyn, but no account of its
origin has been preserved; and on the farm of Peny-Voel is another, called Pen-y-Gaer. Of Castell
Mabwynion, also in the parish, which was allotted
by Prince Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, in his partition of
the reconquered territories in South Wales, in 1216,
to Rhŷs ab Grufydd, there are not any remains,
neither is the exact site of it known. There is a
tumulus of earth, called Crûg Gôch, on an extensive
common here.