Hi Vicki,
It seems as if your Mary Anne Roberts, born 1846, was two or three
generations later than my Thomas FRANCIS, born 1769 in Pennant, and his
sister Anne FRANCIS, born 1767, who married David ROBERTS of 'Cadnant',
Pennant, in 1790. Although Thomas Francis was an anglican warden at Pennant
Melangell, I have no idea about his sister's and David Roberts' religious
affiliations. Would there have been independent chapels in Llanrhaeadr ym
Mochnant or Pennant around 1770-90?
It seems to me that your reference to 'Penant Melenylit' is likely a
corruption of 'Pennant Melangell'.
I would also think that your 'Glanhafon Ue(or 's')lia' is most likely
'Glanhafon ucha'. There is an interesting snapshot of its landscape on the
CPAT website accompanied by this description:
x) Glanhafon character area.
Narrow tract of low-lying, valley-bottom meadow and marsh towards the
eastern end of Dyffryn Tanat. Lines of mature trees represent hedges
belonging to the post-medieval enclosure of the low-lying and
poorly-drained meadows alongside the Tanat, to the east of Llangynog. Once
a number of fields have been run into one in this way there is a tendency
for the hedges to eventually disappear, as the older trees die and fail to
be replaced by younger saplings. Photo: CPAT 804.16A
CPAT, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, also give a fascinating description
of Pennant :
The principal historic settlements of the area, Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant
and Pennant Melangell, are both the result of medieval religious
foundations. Pennant Melangell, located in a secluded and tranquil valley,
is associated with the 8th century legend of St Melangell. The existing
church, which in parts can be dated to the 12th century, was supposed to
have replaced a nunnery founded by Melangell, and contains the remains of a
shrine which may once have held the saint's remains. Llanrhaeadr was an
important ecclesiastical site and a clas foundation (a unit of
administration based on monastic settlement) dedicated to St Dogfan. It is
one of the 'Welsh churches, with the villages and churchyards' burned by
the English in 1165, as recorded by Giraldus Cambrensis, and was the
incumbency of William Morgan when he completed his Welsh translation of the
Bible in 1587. Earlier medieval, secular settlement in the valley is
evidence by the mottes at Cefn-côch, Cefn Glaniwrch and Maerdy.
With your family history in quarrying and mining, you might be interested
in reading a bit of the Tanat valley history at
<
http://www.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/histland/tanat/tanat.htm> and about
the mining
<
http://www.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/histland/tanat/tnindust.htm> It's
a wonderful website.
Incidentally, my father was born in Llanberis but his grandfather was the
last of our quarrymen.
Cheers, Tony
---------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 04:01:01 +0100
From: Vicki <vicki(a)vraymond.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [POWYS] birthplace - Pennant
X-Mailing-List: <POWYS-L(a)rootsweb.com> archive/latest/14051
Hi
I have emailed Anthony Francis
off list - I think my Mary
Anne ROBERTS was born 1846
with parents Catherine &
William ROBERTS. Father was an
Independent Minister & I know
the later family were strict
chapel. Is there a website/map
that shows chapels for this
period? The address on the b.
certificate is difficult too
read but this is my stab at
it - Glanhafon Ue(or 's')lia.
Later she gave Penant
Melenylit as birthplace and
certificate gives district:
Llanfyllin sub-district:
Llanrhaiader. Any
thoughts/suggestions v.
welcome.
Vicki