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Llandrillo yn Rhos

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Despite the details given in gazetteers, see below, it has proved difficult to determine exactly where
the detached part of Llandrillo yn Rhos parish lies within Caernarfonshire as opposed to the main part which is in Denbighshire.

See the Genuki Denbighshire page for fuller details of this place

The gazetteer entries below are included here to assist the reader

National Gazetteer (1868)

"LLANDRILLO-YN-RHOS, a parish partly in the hundred of Creuddyn, county Carnarvon, and partly in that of Isdulas, county Denbigh, 3 miles N.E. of Conway, its post town, and 8 W. of Abergele. The Colwyn station on the Chester and Holyhead line of railway is about 2 miles S.E. of the village. It is situated on the northern coast, near Little Orme's Head, and W. of Abergele Bay. The parish includes 7 townships, of which Colwyn and Eirias are the principal. The inhabitants are mostly engaged in the fisheries. During the summer months steamers from Liverpool, and occasionally from Carnarvon and Beaumaris, call at the landing-stage of Llandudno.

The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of St. Asaph, value £343, in the patronage of the bishop. There is also the district church of St. Catherine, Colwyn, a perpetual curacy, value £170, in the gift of the vicar. The church, dedicated to St. Trillo, has a tower, remarkable for having double-stepped battlements. It contains some stained-glass windows, and an ancient Norman font. The Wesleyans have a chapel. The parochial charities produce about £14 per annum. Here are the remains of an ancient seat of the Conways. About half a mile distant from the village is Capel Trillo, a rude little building, asserted by tradition to be earlier than the Norman Conquest, but, according to the Rev. H. L. Jones, not older than the 16th century."

"EIRIAS, a township in the parish of Llandrillo-yn-Rhos, hundred of Crenddyn, county Carnarvon, 4 miles N.E. of Conway. The Fynnon Eilian, or Holy Well, is in this township."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

A Topographical Dictionary of Wales Samuel Lewis, 1833

LLANDRILLO YN RHOS (LLAN-DRILLO-YN-RHOS), a parish, partly in the hundred of CREUDDYN, county of CARNARVON, but chiefly in the hundred of ISDULAS, county of DENBIGH, NORTH WALES, On the shore of the Irish sea, 5 miles (N. E.) from Aberconway, containing 1133 inhabitants. The village of Llandrillo is composed of three houses only : the townships in that part of the parish which is in Denbighshire are united for the maintenance of their poor ; while that of Eirias, which forms the Carnarvonshire portion of it, supports its poor separately. There are four weirs along the shore, where an immense quantity of fish, of various kinds, is taken during the season, particularly mackarel and salmon : one only of these, namely that which formerly belonged to the monks of Aberconway, pays tithe, the capture at every tenth tide being divided between the bishop, as rector, and the vicar, three-fourths to the former, and one-fourth to the latter. A considerable quantity of limestone is shipped hence to Liverpool. The living consists of a sinecure rectory and a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of St. Asaph : the former, rated in the king's books at £ 27. 1. 3., is held in commendam by the Bishop of St. Asaph, who is also patron of the latter, which is rated at £ 8. 15. 10. The church, dedicated to St. Trillo, is a large handsome structure, situated on a high rock of limestone, and consists of a nave, chancel, north aisle, and a lofty square modern tower : the east window is in the later style of English architecture, and contains some elegant specimens of ancient stained glass : in one compartment is a fine head of Marchudd, founder of one of the fifteen noble tribes of North Wales, above which are the arms of Ednyved Vychan, counsellor and leader of the armies of Llewelyn the Great, and a successful warrior against the English : in the others are figures in flowing drapery, representing the tribes of Wales. Ednyved Vychan obtained a license from the pope to build a chapel adjoining this church, the only remains of which are part of two old arches in the north wall. There are places of worship for Wesleyan and Calvinistic Methodists and Presbyterians. A large and handsome building of stone, roofed with slate, was erected in 1819, for a National school, at an expense of nearly £400, which was raised by subscription, aided by a grant of £50 from the National Society : it presents a singular appearance, from its situation in the midst of lofty limestone rocks : the school is supported by Voluntary contributions, and at present affords instruction to about one hundred and forty children of both sexes. The poor derive benefit from several small bequests, amounting in the whole to about £ 17 per annum, which is distributed among them on St. Thomas's day. On the shore, at the distance of a mile to the north-east of the church, stands a very small chapel with a vaulted roof; called St. Trillo's, of singular appearance, being of an oblong form, with a window on each side and at the end, and entered by a small door : it is built over a well. A quarter of a mile southward from the church is a strongly fortified hill, called Bryn Euryn, at the foot of which are the ruins of a large building, called Llys Bryn Euryn, erected by Ednyved Vychan, as a residence for himself and his descendants, who procured a license from the pope to build a chapel near it, with permission to give all his tithes and oblations to the officiating chaplain. It was burned down, in 1409, by Owain Glyndwr ; but the remains were modernized, and occupied by some female members of that family, named Conway, (the descendants of Sir Tudwr ab Ednyved, who was one of the commissioners for negociating terms of peace between Edward I. and Llewelyn, and resided here so late as the reign of Charles II.), who contributed largely towards defraying the expense of erecting the tower of the church. In the township of Eirias is the noted well called Fynnon Eilian, which, even in the present age, is annually visited by some hundreds of people, for the reprehensible purpose of invoking curses upon the heads of those who have grievously offended them. The ceremony is performed by the applicant standing upon a certain spot near the well, whilst the owner of it reads a few passages of the sacred scriptures, and then, taking a small quantity of water, gives it to the former to drink, and throws the residue over his head, which is repeated three times, the party continuing to mutter his imprecations in whatever terms his vengeance may dictate. The average annual expenditure for the support of the poor of the entire parish amounts to £555. 8., of which sum, £441.5. is raised for that portion in the county of Denbigh.

EIREAS

EIREAS (EIRIOES), a township forming that part of the parish of LLANDRILLO YN RHOS which is in the hundred of CREUDDYN, county of CARNARVON, NORTH WALES, 4 1/2 miles (N. E.) from Aberconway, containing 262 inhabitants. A small stream, bounding this town-ship on the east, separates the county from Denbigh-shire. The celebrated well, called Fynnon Eilian, in this township, is still visited by hundreds of people annually, for the purpose of venting maledictions against any person who has unfortunately incurred their displeasure. The usual ceremony attending this unchristian practice is, for the person who owns the well, after having read certain passages from the sacred scriptures, to hand some of the water of the spring to the applicant, who drinks a part and throws the remainder over his head, at the same time cursing his victim in whatever words he pleases, which ceremony is repeated three times. The township is separately assessed for the support of its poor, the average annual expenditure amounting to £114. 3.

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