Brycheiniog Vol 44:44036 Brycheiniog 2005 2/10/13 08:23 Page 1
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77883_Brycheiniog_Vol_44:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 2/10/13 08:23 Page 1 BRYCHEINIOG Cyfnodolyn Cymdeithas Brycheiniog The Journal of the Brecknock Society CYFROL/VOLUME XLIV 2013 Golygydd/Editor BRYNACH PARRI Cyhoeddwyr/Publishers CYMDEITHAS BRYCHEINIOG A CHYFEILLION YR AMGUEDDFA THE BRECKNOCK SOCIETY AND MUSEUM FRIENDS 77883_Brycheiniog_Vol_44:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 2/10/13 08:23 Page 2 CYMDEITHAS BRYCHEINIOG a CHYFEILLION YR AMGUEDDFA THE BRECKNOCK SOCIETY and MUSEUM FRIENDS SWYDDOGION/OFFICERS Llywydd/President Mr Ken Jones Cadeirydd/Chairman Dr John Gibbs Ysgrifenyddion Anrhydeddus/Honorary Secretaries Mrs Gwyneth Evans & Mrs Elaine Starling Aelodaeth/Membership Dr Elizabeth Siberry Trysorydd/Treasurer Mr Peter Jenkins Archwilydd/Auditor Mrs Wendy Camp Golygydd/Editor Mr Brynach Parri Golygydd Cynorthwyol/Assistant Editor Mr P. W. Jenkins Uwch Guradur Amgueddfa Brycheiniog/Senior Curator of the Brecknock Museum Mr Nigel Blackamore Pob Gohebiaeth: All Correspondence: Cymdeithas Brycheiniog, Brecknock Society, Amgueddfa Brycheiniog, Brecknock Museum, Rhodfa’r Capten, Captain’s Walk, Aberhonddu, Brecon, Powys LD3 7DS Powys LD3 7DS Ôl-rifynnau/Back numbers Mr Peter Jenkins Erthyglau a llyfrau am olygiaeth/Articles and books for review Mr Brynach Parri © Oni nodir fel arall, Cymdeithas Brycheiniog a Chyfeillion yr Amgueddfa piau hawlfraint yr erthyglau yn y rhifyn hwn © Except where otherwise noted, copyright of material published in this issue is vested in the Brecknock Society & Museum Friends 77883_Brycheiniog_Vol_44:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 2/10/13 08:23 Page 3 CYNNWYS/CONTENTS Swyddogion/Officers 2 Golygyddol/Editorial 4 Cyfrannwyr/Contributors 8 Adroddiad/Report: Nigel Blackamore Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery 9 Edward Parry Newton and its owners, 1582–1725 13 Professor David Stephenson Conquerors, Courtiers and Careerists: The struggle for supremacy in Brycheiniog 1093–1282 27 R. F. Peter Powell An outline history of the baptist church at Kensington in the town of Brecon (1817–2012) 53 Seamus Hamill-Keays The conquest of the Silures: A Breconshire scenario 63 Elizabeth Siberry From Crickhowell to Teheran: The life and travels of Sir William Ouseley 77 Michael Jones The Llangammarch and Neath & Brecon Junction Railway 91 E. D. Evans A rara avis flies into Brecknockshire 99 Sam Adams Roland Mathias, Writer 103 Glyn Mathias The Roland Mathias Prize 121 Brynach Parri Illtud – A footnote 125 77883_Brycheiniog_Vol_44:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 2/10/13 08:23 Page 4 GOLYGYDDOL Yn gyntaf oll, rhaid imi ymddiheuro i gyfrannwyr a darllenwyr fel y cyfryw am yr oedi mawr cyn i’r gyfrol hon ymddangos. Pan gymerais i drosodd fel Golygydd bum mlynyedd yn ôl, fy mwriad oedd cyhoeddi rhifyn newydd yn gynnar ym mhob blwyddyn, i gyd-ddigwydd â Darlith Goffa Syr John Lloyd. Roedd hanes cyhoeddi’r cylchgrawn yn y blynyddoedd cynnar yn un o fylchau mawr rhwng ymddangosiadau, y mwyaf ohonynt rhwng 1972 a 1976, ond llwyddwyd i gael cyhoeddiadau cyson yn ddiweddar – tan eleni. Fy mai i yn unig yw’r ffaith bod rhifyn eleni yn ymddangos mor hwyr – ymhlith y rhwystrau roedd symud tyˆyn gyfrifol am lawer o anawsterau personol, ac unwaith eto hoffwn ymddiheuro i bawb. Roedd yr ymgais i lawnsio a dosbarthu Brycheiniog adeg y Ddarlith yn aflwyddiannus: gan mai’r Ddarlith yw’r unig achlysur pan fydd nifer fawr o’r aelodau’n bresennol – llawer mwy nag yn y Cyfarfod Cyffredinol – ymddangosodd fel cyfle gwych i gysylltu’n uniongyrchol â’r aelodaeth a thorri lawr ar gostau postio ac yn y blaen, ond roedd stondin ar gyfer Brycheiniog yng nghyntedd Neuadd y Dref neu Theatr Brycheiniog yn anweladwy neu’n anghyraeddadwy i’r nifer fawr o’r gynulleidfa a oedd yn awyddus i frysio i’w seddau, a meddyliwyd y byddai lawnsiad ar wahân o bosib yn well. Bydd Cyngor Gweithredol Cymdeithas Brycheiniog yn ystyried hyn yn y cyfarfod nesaf, a byddwn yn croesawu unrhyw awgrymiadau gan ddarllenwyr a chyfrannwyr parthed hyn. Newyddion mwyaf y flwyddyn i’r Gymdeithas, wrth gwrs, yw’r ffaith bod Cronfa Treftadaeth y Loteri wedi cymeradwyo grant hael iawn am y newidiadau i Amgueddfa Brycheiniog, a chewch ddarllen mwy o fanylion am hynny yn adroddiad Nigel Blackamore, Uwch Guradur yr Amgueddfa. Rydym yn hynod ddiolchgar iddo ef ac i swyddogion yr Amgueddfa a Chyngor Sir Powys am eu gwaith dygn a diflino wrth baratoi’r cais i Gronfa’r Loteri drwy gydol y cyfnod hir y bu hynny dan ystyriaeth. Nid yw holl fanylion cyd-leoliad Llyfrgell Aberhonddu ac Amgueddfa Brycheiniog yn hollol glir hyd yn hyn, ond rhaid cyfaddef y bydd y newidiadau’n gyfle gwych i ehangu a dyfnhau’r perthynas agos rhwng y Gymdeithas a’r Amgueddfa, ac i ennyn diddordeb a chyfraniad y cyhoedd. Bu Tony Bell yn Drysorydd i’r Gymdeithas am ddeng mlynedd tan yn ddiweddar. Mae bellach wedi penderfynu ymddeol o’r swydd mae wedi ei llenw gydag effeithrwydd a brwdfrydedd dros gyfnod hynod o brysur ac yn wir tyngedfennol yn hanes y Gymdeithas. Bu ei gyfraniad i weithgareddau a thrafodaethau eraill Cyngor Cymdeithas Brycheiniog yn werthfawr iawn hefyd. Mae’r Gymdeithas yn ddiolchgar iawn iddo, ac yn dymuno’n dda iddo yn y dyfodol. Buom yn ffodus iawn bod Peter Jenkins wedi neidio i’r adwy, a, chan ystyried ei gyfraniad a chyfranogiad mewn nifer o ffyrdd i’r Gymdeithas, rydym yn sicr y bydd yn llywyddu ar gyfnod ffyniannus dros ben. 77883_Brycheiniog_Vol_44:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 2/10/13 08:23 Page 5 Golygyddol 5 Mae’r Gymdeithas hefyd wedi dechrau ar lunio cofrestr o gymwysterau, galluoedd a diddordebau arbennig yr aelodau, fel y bydd modd inni ddefnyddio talentau pawb wrth ddehongli hanes ein Sir. Yn olaf, rhaid imi ddiolch wrth fy Nirprwy Olygydd, Peter Jenkins, am ei waith hollol ddibynadwy wrth edrych ar ôl ochr fasnachol ac ymarferol Brycheiniog, gan ymddiheuro’n daer iddo ef yn benodol am yr ofid a’r pryder mae’r oedi wrth gyhoeddi wedi achosi iddo. Diolch hefyd i staff Wasg Gomer am eu gwaith trylwyr a’u hamynedd wrth gynhyrchu’r Cylchgrawn. BRYNACH PARRI 77883_Brycheiniog_Vol_44:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 2/10/13 08:23 Page 6 EDITORIAL My first duty must be to apologise to all contributors to this Volume of Brycheiniog, and to its readers, for the long delay in publication this year. Upon taking over as Editor five years ago, I stated my intention of publishing a new volume annually, to coincide with the annual Sir John Lloyd Lecture in the early part of the year. The early history of the Journal had included a number of blank years, when Brycheiniog failed to appear, the longest gap being between 1972 and 1976, but in recent years – with the exception of this – the Journal has appeared regularly. The fault for this delay is entirely mine – a difficult house move being one of the many factors that have made my life complicated this year – but I should like once again to apologise to everyone. Attempts at launching and distributing Brycheiniog at the time of the annual Sir John Lloyd Lecture proved to be unsuccessful: since the Lecture is the only occasion on which a substantial number of members are gathered together – many more than at the AGM – it did appear to offer an excellent opportunity to relate directly to the members and to cut down on postage and other costs, but a Brycheiniog stand in the foyer of Breton Guildhall or Theatr Brycheiniog proved to be invisible or unreachable to many of those present, who were anxious to get to their seats, and it was thought that a separate launch might prove to be much better. The Executive Council of the Brecknock Society will consider this matter at their next meeting, and I would welcome any suggestions from readers and contributors. The most important news of the year for this Society, without a shadow of doubt, was the announcement that the Lottery Heritage Fund had approved an extremely generous grant which will enable the great changes envisaged for the Brecknock Museum to be carried out, and the Report of the Senior Curator of the Museum, Nigel Blackamore, outlines the possibilities in more detail. We are extremely grateful to Nigel and the staff of the Museum and Powys County Council for their tremendous and untiring work in preparing the application to the Lottery Fund throughout the long gestation period. Not all the details of the development and the possible relocation of Brecon Library to an adjacent site are as yet set in stone, but it is obvious that these developments will offer an unique opportunity to extend and deepen the close relationship between this Society and the Museum, and to widen the interest and participation of the general public in both the Museum and the Brecknock Society. Tony Bell has been the Society’s Treasurer for the last ten years. He has recently decided to retire from a post that he has filled most efficiently and enthusiastically during a period which has been extremely busy and indeed important for the Society. His contribution to the activities and proceedings of the Council of the Brecknock Society have also been of great value. The Society 77883_Brycheiniog_Vol_44:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 2/10/13 08:23 Page 7 Editorial 7 is most grateful to him for all his work, and wishes him well for the future. We are most fortunate that Peter Jenkins has agreed to take his place, and, considering his great contribution and participation in various aspects of the work of the Society, we are certain that he will preside over a very successful period. I should like to thank the Members and Officers of the Executive Council of the Brecknock Society for their hard work throughout the year, especially in the preparation an extremely interesting programme of lectures and field trips for Society Members and the public in general. The Society has also initiated the drawing up of a register of the special qualifications and interests of Members, which will enable the Society to make the fullest use of the wealth of talent available to us in the interpretation of the history of our historic County.