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Penmachno

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"PENMACHNO, a parish in the hundred of Nant Conway, county Carnarvon, 6 miles S. of Llanrwst, its post town, and 15 from Bala. The village is situated on the river Machno, at the head of the Conway stream, near Llyn Conway. There are some slate quarries, and a portion of the inhabitants are engaged in the flannel trade. The living is a perpetual curacy* in the diocese of Bangor, value £180. The church is dedicated to St. Tyddwd. The parochial charities produce about £120 per annum, of which £70 goes to Lloyd's school and almshouses. Annual fairs are held on 17th April, 18th August, and 20th October." [From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) - Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

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Bibliography

  • Hughes, Harold. Painted panels at Penmachno Church, Carnarvonshire. [London] : Cambrian Archaeological Association, 1906.  Reprinted from Archaeologia Cambrensis, October, 1906. p. 315-320
  • Jones, Owen Gethin (1816-1883). Gweithiau Gethin . Llanrwst 1884; contains an essay on the history of Penmachno
  • Knight, Jeremy K. Penmachno revisited : the consular inscription and its context.  Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies 29 (1995), p. 1-10
  • Oriel Machno : Hen luniau Penmachno. Capel Garmon : Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1988. 48p
  • Roberts, Evan O. A sketch of the old characters of Penmachno, and miscellaneous. Jackson, Ohio : Evan O. Roberts, 1940. 191p
  • Williams, Vivian P. Plwyf Penmachno. Llanrwst : Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1996. 209p
  • Williams, Vivian Parry. Owen Gethin Jones, Ei Fywyd a'i Feiau (Owen Gethin Jones, His Life, his Faults) Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, Llanrwst 2000
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Cemeteries

Transcriptions of memorials from all cemeteries are available from Gwynedd FHS:

  • Eglwys/Church St. Tudclud - Church of Wales
  • Capel/Chapel Tabor - Baptists
  • Capel/Chapel Salem - Calvinistic Methodist/ Methodistiaid Calfinaidd
  • Mynwent/Cemetery Arwelfa - Non Denom.
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Church History

Church and chapel data from The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 11, North Wales. Ed. by Ieuan Gwynedd Jones, UWP, 1981. The names given towards the end of each entry are those of the informants.

Penmachno Parish; Statistics; Area 11208 acres; Population 615 males, 636 females, total 1251

  • Penmachno Parish Church         Attendance - usual - 60/70           No Sunday school is kept at present     Services in Welsh         Informant; David Williams, Registrar
  • Sion, Wesleyan Methodist              Erected 1810            Attendance - morning 145, afternoon 206, evening 229                Robert Jones, Wesleyan Minister, Conway
  • Chapel Lyn y Porth, Calvinistic Methodists       Erected 1806      Used as a Day School            Attendance - morning 165, afternoon 180, evening 255         "This is high country and the sunday a very stormy weather"          David Davies, Minister
  • Capel Rhyd y Meirch, Calvinistic Methodists             Erected 1834      Not used exclusively as a place of worship            Attendance - morning 40 scholars, afternoon 52, evening 40             David Davies, Minister

          Rhyd y Meirch [CM] Chapel Music Festival Tickets and Programmes 1898 - 1912 -  details of extant records on Archives Network Wales

          Various items- on the People's Collection Wales site

          • Bethania chapel (W), Penmachno 
          • Calvinistic Methodist chapel, Penmachno
          • Church, Penmachno
          • Cwm chapel (W) and shop, Cwm Penmachno
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          Church Records

          Joyce Hinde has supplied a list of Parish Registers held at the Caernarfon Area Record Office.

          Bethania Chapel [Wesleyan], Penmachno [Sunday School] Accounts 1900 - 1909 -  details of extant records on Archives Network Wales

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          Description & Travel

          Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site

          • Various landscapes 
          • Mill At Penmachno
          • Penmachno quarry
          • Penmachno Woollen Mill. Opened: 1839. Closed: 1990s
          You can see pictures of Penmachno which are provided by:

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          Gazetteers

          PENMACHNO (PEN-MACHNO), a parish in the hundred of NANTCONWAY, county of CARNARVON, NORTH WALES, 9 miles (S.) from Llanrwst, containing 984 inhabitants. This place derives its name from its situation near the source of the river Machno, which rises to the south-west of it, and, flowing through the parish in a north-easterly direction, falls into the river Conway, which also has its source in a fine lake in this parish, and forms its boundary on the east and north, separating it from the county of Denbigh. The surface is mountainous, and the district abounds with mineral wealth : the soil in the valleys is fertile, and the lands, which are watered by the Machno and other streams descending from the hills, are productive and in a good state of cultivation. The vicinity is distinguished for some fine mountain scenery, and the views from the higher grounds extend over a tract of country abounding with picturesque beauty. Copper, lead, and other minerals are supposed to be contained in the mountainous parts of the parish; and, in 1784, a lease of the minerals within the common called Llechwedd Oernant was granted by the crown to Mrs. Anne Robinson, for thirty-one years, at a rent of £l. 6. 8., and fifteen shillings per ton for lead-ore, eight shillings per ton for calamine, and one-tenth part of the copper and other minerals. Fairs are held annually on April 17th, August 18th, and October 20th. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Bangor, rated in the king's books at £ 9. 10., endowed with £200 private benefaction, £600 royal bounty, and £ 1400 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of Sir R. W. Vaughan, Bart. The church, dedicated to St. Tyddud, is not distinguished by any architectural details of importance. Richard Anwyl, in 1682, bequeathed £200, which has been vested in the purchase of land ; Frederick Lloyd bequeathed £ 100 in money, and a considerable portion of land; Maurice Hughes, in 1723, left £70, and David Price £ 20 in money, to the poor of the parish, the income arising from which benefactions is annually distributed according to the intentions of the testators. The poor are maintained by an average annual expenditure amounting to £378. 9. (A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis, 1833)
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          Genealogy

          Anwyl family papers   1632-[mid 20th century] -  details of extant records on Archives Network Wales
          "Richard Anwyll of Havodwryd, Penmachno ..............."

          Rhiwbach quarrymen, Cwm Penmachno - on the People's Collection Wales site

          People's Collection Wales site - Aerial photograph of Rhiw-Bach Slate Quarry, Penmachno 1993

          Penmachno quarry c 1875 - on the People's Collection Wales site

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          History

          Removal Order of Thomas Roberts, cardmaker and Anne his wife from pa[rish] Penmachno to pa[rish] Llanddoget [Llanddoged], co. Denbigh.dd 8 Nov 1795 - on the People's Collection Wales site

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          Maps

          Gwynedd Family History Society have a diagram of the ecclesiastical parishes of Caernarfonshire (under Parishes)

          Map of Penmachno parish in the County of Carnarvon - on the People's Collection Wales site

          You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SH781494 (Lat/Lon: 53.027642, -3.818565), Penmachno which are provided by:

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          Military History

          Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales site

          • Thomas Williams, born in Penmachno in 1886, was working as a tailor in Colwyn Bay when the First World War broke out. Tom enlisted in the Liverpool Scottish Regiment on 21 November 1915 and is seen here with nine of his comrades, all wearing the regimental uniform, including kilt.
          • Postcard sent by Tom Williams from Bellacourt on the Western Front
          • Postcard showing soldiers of the Liverpool Scottish Regiment in 1916
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          Occupations

          Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales site

          • Rhiwbach quarrymen, Cwm Penmachno
          • A worker at a spinning wheel, Penmachno Woollen Mill, 1952
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          Public Records

          Penmachno Parish Records 1713 - 1911 - details of extant records on Archives Network Wales

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          Schools

          Conwy Schools (Ysgolion Conwy) records -  details of extant records on Archives Network Wales
          "Include; ............. Cwm Penmachno National School, 1870-1964; Penmachno National School, 1884-1921; Penmachno Council School, 1908-1979..................."