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A History of Carmarthenshire

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Lloyd, Sir John E., (Ed.). 2 vols., Cardiff, London Carmarthenshire Society (1935, 1939).

With the kind permission of the publishers sundry snippets from this book have been extracted by Gareth Hicks onto some parish pages, these below are in random order.

Here is a list of the book's contents and contributors.


John Evans

"The vicar of Llanfihangel Abercywyn resided at Meidrym.......his name was Thomas Price...............he was grandfather of John Evans, vicar of Eglwys Cymyn, the author of a bitter attack on Griffith Jones and the Welsh Charity Schools......"

".........John Evans was a native of the parish of  Meidrym, a graduate of Jesus College, Oxford, and the non-resident vicar of Eglwys Cymyn, a parish adjoining Llanddowror. He resided chiefly in London , and was a chaplain to the king."


Nonconformity and Methodism

Early Puritanism 1620-1660

"Nor is there any proof that a single cleric was ejected in Carmarthenshire up to 1649, not even the 'scandalous' fellows who tried to live on the twenty nobles apiece allowed them per annum by Sir Henry Vaughan. When one remembers that almost all the chief men of the county were implicated  in the Poyer-Laugharne commotions of 1648, it is not surprising that committee voices were indistinct and somewhat misleading. That was the reason, presumably, why Nathanial Cradock, vicar of Eglwys Cymyn, the one orthodox Puritan minister recorded at this time in the county, beaten and bruised by Poyer's men, was neither approved by a committee nor received increase of maintenance......"

Calvinistic Methodism

"Rowland , for that matter, never plays a prominent part in Carmarthen town itself. Among Welsh preachers appear.........................Next (1746) came Peter Williams who had been curate to the absentee John Evans at Eglwys Cymyn, but whom that doughty hater of Griffith Jones had dismissed.."

The Older Dissent--Expansion and Organisation

"It may be well to exemplify this proces (of expansion) by giving some detail of the 'life history' of one or two of the 'mother-churches'...............No better example could be chose than the historic Presbyterian-Independent church of Henllan Amgoed. Henllan meeting house itself (1696-7) was but the metropolis of a far flung community which straggled over the whole of Carmarthenshire west of the river Cynin, and even strayed across the eastern Cleddau and the Crunwear brook into Pembrokeshire...................................another meeting assembled at St Clears................a chapel (Bethlehem) was built close to the town (St Clears) in 1764, and was given autonomy in 1803. Bethlehem in its turn set up a cause in...................and at Eglwys Cymyn "


Post Restoration church problems

In 1672, Eglwys Cymyn church is listed in a long list of Carmarthenshire churches  where "everything was out of repair" in the aftermath of the confusion of the previous 20 years.


Economic and Social Life

Highways

"The brunt of the burden of maintaining the roads, however, still fell upon the shoulders of the inhabitants of the parishes............In 1790, the parishioners of Eglwys Cymyn were able to declare in the presentments of their church wardens that the church roads, which would comprise most of the parish roads, were (except one) 'tolerable'............."

Agriculture, the 16th century

"Evictions, extortion of gifts of money, and kind, together with the complete disregard of tradition and custom ....................became the main features of the administration of the new landlords...........At Eglwyscymyn, the rector of the parish and an accomplice entered upon a certain tenement with a view to appropriating it.  On meeting the tenants, an altercation ensued, during which the rector, who was armed with a heavy staff, assaulted the tenants, drove them before him as far as a hedge, and struck one of them such a severe blow on the head that he left him seriously wounded on the ground." (Proceedings of the Star Chamber, Henry VIII, Bundle 26, No 271)


The Age of the Native Princes

The Early Church --- Rise of the Kingdom of Deheubarth

"No vestige remains of any ecclesiastical building erected during this period (400-1282)......the abundance of wood led to the neglect of the use of stone for this purpose............but stone was used.......setting up memorials to the dead...........these are found in association with many sacred sites in Carmarthenshire........indicate places of Christian interment as early as the sixth century............... Ogam inscriptions have come to light at Eglwys Cymyn........etc......"


Prehistoric and Roman Times

List of Carmarthenshire Hill Forts

Hill Forts with Earthen Ramparts, includes;

  • Bignen Earthworks, Eglwys Cymyn

Fortresses utilising promontories etc...includes;

  • Castell Pen-y-coed, Eglwys Cymyn


Gareth Hicks