Brycheiniog Vol 43:44036 Brycheiniog 2005 27/4/16 12:23 Page 1
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68531_Brycheiniog_Vol_43:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:23 Page 1 BRYCHEINIOG Cyfnodolyn Cymdeithas Brycheiniog The Journal of the Brecknock Society CYFROL/VOLUME XLIII 2012 Golygydd/Editor BRYNACH PARRI Cyhoeddwyr/Publishers CYMDEITHAS BRYCHEINIOG A CHYFEILLION YR AMGUEDDFA THE BRECKNOCK SOCIETY AND MUSEUM FRIENDS 68531_Brycheiniog_Vol_43:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:23 Page 2 CYMDEITHAS BRYCHEINIOG a CHYFEILLION YR AMGUEDDFA THE BRECKNOCK SOCIETY and MUSEUM FRIENDS SWYDDOGION/OFFICERS Llywydd/President Mr Ken Jones Cadeirydd/Chairman Mr John Gibbs Ysgrifenyddion Anrhydeddus/Honorary Secretaries Mrs Gwyneth Evans, Mrs Elaine Starling Aelodaeth/Membership Dr Elizabeth Siberry Trysorydd/Treasurer Mr A. J. Bell Archwilydd/Auditor Mrs W. Camp Golygydd/Editor Mr Brynach Parri Golygydd Cynorthwyol/Assistant Editor Mr P. W. Jenkins Curadur Amgueddfa Brycheiniog/Curator of the Brecknock Museum Mr N. 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 68531_Brycheiniog_Vol_43:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:23 Page 3 CYNNWYS/CONTENTS Swyddogion/Officers 2 Golygyddol/Editorial 4 Cyfranwyr/Contributors 6 Adroddiadau/Reports: Nigel Blackamoor Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery 9 Catherine Richards Archifau Powys Archives 11 Peter Powell A brief history of the former Glamorgan Street English Congregational Church, Brecon, and the subsequent use of its chapel as a museum 15 Pamela Redwood Houses and History in Rural Breconshire 1600–1800 19 Michael Jones Brecon Isolation Hospital 65 Richard Moore Colyer Sir John Pryce and the ‘Cunning Woman’: A strange and cautionary tale 73 Margaret Gill A chapter on the churches and chapels in the parish of Glasbury 81 Abigail Kenwyn Artisan to Artist: Sam Garratt, Brecon Artist, 1864–1946 111 Professor W. Linnard Telling the Time in Breconshire 115 Dafydd ap Gwilym Y Cloc 129 E. D. Evans Cartref y Teulu yn Nhrefeca 131 Brecknock Overseas 137 Adolygiadau/Reviews 139 68531_Brycheiniog_Vol_43:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:23 Page 4 GOLYGYDDOL Cafodd y Gymdeithas unwaith yn rhagor newidiadau sylweddol yn ei Swyddogion. Yn dilyn blynyddoedd lawer fel Ysgrifennydd Anrhydeddus, penderfynodd Miss Helen Gichard ymddeol adeg y Cyfarfod Blynyddol, gan roi gorchwyl bron yn amhosib i’r Gymdeithas, sef dod o hyd i rywun i gymryd ei lle. Mae Helen wedi bod yn addurn yn y swydd, yn aelod brwd ac ymroddedig, gan lunio bob blwyddyn raglen ddiddorol iawn o gyfarfodydd ac ymweliadau, yn ogystal â chadw cofnodion Cyngor y Gymdeithas. Mae hi wedi haeddu gwerthfawrogiad a dyled y Gymdeithas. Mae Mrs Gwyneth Evans a Mrs Elaine Starling wedi cytuno i rannu’r swydd o Ysgrifennydd Anrhydeddus rhyngddynt, a dymuna’r Gymdeithas bob llwyddiant iddynt yn eu hymdrechion. Bu Mrs Susan Fawcett-Gandy yn Ysgrifennydd Aelodaeth ers nifer o flynyddoedd, ond yn teimlo bellach ei bod am ymddeol o’r swydd. Mae’r Gymdeithas yn ffodus iawn bod Dr. Elizabeth Siberry wedi gwirfoddoli i gymryd y swydd bwysig hon drosodd, ac rydym yn ddiolchgar i Mrs Fawcett-Gandy am ei holl waith dros y flynyddoedd, ac am iddi gynnig o’i gwirfodd i helpu’r Ysgrifennydd newydd yn y cyfnod o drosglwyddo’r awennau. Bydd adeilad yr Amgueddfa ar gau erbyn inni fynd i’r wasg a nes y byddwn yn gwybod manylion llawn yr arian a ddisgwylir gan Gronfa Treftadaeth y Loteri, bydd dyddiad yr ail-agor yn anhysbys. Mae’n bwysig i ni fel Cymdeithas gadw ein hamlygedd gyda’r cyhoedd yn ystod y cyfnod, a bod yn barod i ail-gymryd yr awennau pan fydd yr adeilad, ar ba ffurf bynnag, yn ail-agor ei drysau. Bu sefydlu grwpiau diddordebau arbennig yn ddatblygiad gwefreiddiol yn hanes y Gymdeithas, y cyntaf yn symud ymlaen gydag ad-argraffiad yr erthyglau gwreiddiol ar Dai Brycheiniog gan S. R. Jones a J. T. Smith, a ymddangosodd yn wreiddiol yng nghyfrolau Brycheiniog X i XIII rhwng 1963 a 1970. Mae’r rhifynnau hynny allan o brint ers amser maith, ond maent yn dal yn uchel mewn ymgeisiadau am gopïau. Mae’r awduron, bellach yn eu hwyth-degau, wedi mynychu cyfarfod i drafod y posibiliadau, a bydd Cymdeithas Brycheiniog yn cyd-weithio â’r Comisiwn Brenhinol ar Hynafion Cymru i lunio cyfrol anrhydeddus a fydd yn ail-gyhoeddi rhannau o’r gwaith gwreiddiol, gan ychwanegu defnyddiau a lluniau newydd o’r tai a astudiwyd. Sefydlwyd grwˆp arall i astudio enwau lleoedd Brycheiniog, i gyd-weithio â Chymdeithas Enwau Lleoedd Cymru sydd newydd ei ffurfio. Dylai aelodau a darllenwyr sydd â diddordeb yn hyn o beth gysylltu â’r Golygydd neu Swyddogion y Gymdeithas am fwy o wybodaeth. BRYNACH PARRI 68531_Brycheiniog_Vol_43:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:23 Page 5 EDITORIAL Once again the Society has witnessed a change in Officers. After many years as Honorary Secretary, Miss Helen Gichard decided to step down at the last AGM, and the Society was faced with the seemingly impossible task of replacing the irreplaceable. Helen had filled the office with great enthusiasm and dedication, producing a very interesting and varied programme of regular talks and visits each year, as well as acting as minutes secretary, and she has rightly earned the appreciation of the Society. Mrs Gwyneth Evans and Mrs Elaine Starling have agreed to share the post of Honorary Secretary between them, and the Society wishes them every success in their endeavours. Mrs Susan Fawcett-Gandy has been Membership Secretary for many years, but feels she wishes to step down. We are fortunate to have obtained the services of Dr. Elizabeth Siberry to take over this important post, and are grateful to Mrs Fawcett-Gandy for all her work in past years, and for graciously agreeing to fully assist Dr Siberry in the handover. The Museum building will be closed by the time of going to press, and, until we know the full details of the monies from the Lottery Heritage Fund, the exact date of re-opening will remain unknown. It is important to the Society that we remain in the public eye during the period of closure, and are ready to take up the reins again when the building, in whatever final form, re-opens. An exciting development has been the establishment of an interest group to consider the re-publication of the original Smith and Jones articles on the Houses of Brecknockshire that appeared in volumes IX to XIII of Brycheiniog between 1963 and 1970, and which, long out of print, have always been the most sought- after past issues of this journal. The original authors, now both in their eighties, have attended a meeting to discuss the possibilities, and the Brecknock Society will be working in conjunction with the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales to produce a volume of distinction which will re-issue some of the work, and enhance it with new information and images of the houses originally studied. A further interest group has been set up to study the place names of Brecknockshire, to work in collaboration with the newly established Cymdeithas Enwau Lleoedd Cymru/The Welsh Place Names Society. Members and readers interested in this activity should contact the Editor or other Officers of the Society for further information. BRYNACH PARRI 68531_Brycheiniog_Vol_43:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:23 Page 6 CYFRANNWYR/CONTRIBUTORS R. F. Peter Powell is a long-standing member and enthusiastic supporter of the Society and has served as President (1984–1993), Treasurer (1994–2004) and as Assistant Editor of this Journal (1992–2000). He is a mathematician, and a widely recognized toponymist, and has contributed greatly to this, and other historical Journals. Pamela Redwood has, over a period of twenty five years, researched the history of the Crickhowell area and the wider field of Welsh history, and has been a valued contributor to this Journal. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Crickhowell Resources and Information Centre, in which she still plays a prominent rôle. Michael Jones is a History graduate from Cambridge University (1967) but spent his working life as an accountant – the last twenty years being with the NHS in Powys. In retirement, he runs a smallholding with his wife and raises funds for Usk House. His interest in local history lies particularly in those aspects of the past that can too easily be forgotten. Richard Moore-Colyer is Emeritus Professor of Agrarian History in the University of Aberystwyth. He is the author of six books and numerous articles concerned with the social, agricultural and cultural history of England and Wales predominantly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Current interests include the social and economic history of the horse and the early history of the organic movement and its links to ultra-Right political groupings. Margaret A. V. Gill – Dr Gill began her career with a fellowship in Mediterranean Archaeology and ended as Curator of Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery. She has written on a variety of subjects including Newcastle Goldsmiths and Tunbridge Ware. Since retiring to Glasbury, she has been interested in local history and botany, publishing articles on ceramic tiles in Radnorshire churches, the history of the parish churches in the Wye Valley Group, and wildflowers in the churchyards at Glasbury and Hay. Abigail Kenvyn is the Assistant Curator at Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery. She graduated from the University of Liverpool with an Honours Degree in Ancient History and Archaeology. Before working in Brecon, she worked for National Museum of Wales at the National Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon.