In a message dated 22/04/2003 21:17:27 GMT Daylight Time,
mnjbuckley(a)fonant.co.uk writes:
I have now discovered that my gtgtgt grandfather was probably Richard
Rowlands (56) born in Mallwyd who was a Master Smith in Dinas Mawddwy in
1851.
He employed 2 men (his own two sons, Hugh and William who was a blacksmith
in Mallwyd in 1881) and a boy. Beside his occupation on the Census return
the enumerator has added "Alderman of the City"
Please Alwyn, which city was this likely to have been?
Hello Judy,
The Welsh word Dinas can either be translated as "fortification" or as
"City". So Dinas Mawddwy could be called the City of Mawddwy, despite it not
having a Cathedral or a Royal Charter or any other status that would make it
a city in the normal modern use of the word. So I suspect that the city in
question is Dinas Mawddwy.
I know that I have seen an article somewhere about the City Aldermen of Dinas
Mawddwy many years ago. I think that it was in one of the earlier volumes of
the Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society. Unfortunately I
don't have the complete set of Journals at home, and its not in any of those
that I do have.
Unless any other list member can find it before me, I shall see if I can dig
it out in Bangor University Library after the Easter holidays.
all the best
Alwyn