ISSUE 55 February 2017 Introducing The Forum BRECKNOCK MUSEUM Contact: Nigel Blackmore, Senior Curator Tel. 01874 624121 BRECKNOCK SOCIETY AND MUSEUM FRIENDS Contact: Elaine Starling Tel. 01874 711484 email: [email protected] BRECON LIBRARY Contact: 01874 62334 Editorial BRECONSHIRE LOCAL & FAMILY I am looking forward to a busy year HISTORY SOCIETY enjoying all the historical delights Mr Robert Eckley, 42, Pendre Close, promoted by our Societies. Many Brecon, LD3 9EW. Email: events are happening at both local and [email protected] national level so have a look and get out to support as many as you can. BUILTH WELLS & DISTRICT HERITAGE Hanes is published every 3 months. The SOCIETY next edition is to be published May 1st Contact: Anna Page 2017. Please email any articles or Tel. 01982 553376 information about events etc. with the heading "HANES" to CHRIST COLLEGE ARCHIVE [email protected] Contact: Felicity Kilpatrick by April 30th. 2017. Tel. 01874 615440 CRAI & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY LLYN SYFADDAN HISTORY GROUP ARCHIVE Contact: Roger Reese Contact: Frances Jenkins email: [email protected] Tel. 01874 636990 PONTNEATHVAUGHAN LOCAL CRICKHOWELL DISTRICT ARCHIVE CENTRE HISTORY SOCIETY Contact: Angela Waring Contact: Stephen Morris Tel. 01873 810922 Tel. 01639 720728 CRICKHOWELL & DISTRICT HISTORY POWYS COUNTY ARCHIVE OFFICE SOCIETY email: [email protected] Contact: Carol Jenkins www.powys.gov.uk/archives Tel. 01873 812184 POWYS FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY HAY HISTORY GROUP Contact: Sheila Leitch Contact: Clare Purcell Tel: 01497 847354 Tel: 07717312286 email: [email protected] REGIMENTAL MUSEUM OF THE ROYAL www.Hayhistorygroup.co.uk WELSH Contact: Richard Davies / Celia Green HAY TOURS Tel. 01874 613310 www.haytours.co.uk TALGARTH AND DISTRICT LLANGAMMARCH WELLS LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY HISTORY SOCIETY Contact: Sheila Lovell Contact: Sue Lilly Tel: 01874 711096 Tel. 01591 610792 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] WELSH HISTORIC GARDENS TRUST LLANGYNIDR LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Contact: Elizabeth Siberry Contact: Ann Jessopp Tel: 01873 812169 Tel. 01874 730431 email: [email protected] YSTRADGYNLAIS FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY Contact: Caryl Jones Tel. 01269 825306 LLANWRTYD & DISTRICT HERITAGE & ARTS CENTRE Contact: Rob Thomas Tel. 01591 610661 email: [email protected] www.llanwrtydhistorygroup.com News AND EVENTS Brecknock Society & Museum Friends Brecon Beacons National Tuesday February 14th 2017 Park Landscape of three Marcher poets: Young Archaeologists’ The border country of George Herbert, Thomas Traherne and Henry Club Vaughan. The Brecon Beacons Young Mervyn Bramley. The Muse, Archaeologists’ Club is part of a Glamorgan Street, 5.00 pm. network of Young Archaeologists’ Clubs across Wales, and the UK, Friday March 24th 2017 administered by the Council for British The Sir John Lloyd Memorial Lecture Archaeology. YAC is the only UK-wide “A poet’s view of Henry Vaughan “ club for young people up to the age of The Revd Dr Rowan Williams 17 interested in archaeology. YAC’s Theatre Brycheiniog 7.00 p.m. vision is for all young people to have opportunities to be inspired and Monday April 3rd 2017 excited by archaeology, and to Annual General Meeting empower them to help shape its The Muse, Glamorgan Street 2.30 pm future. The Brecon Beacons Young Archaeologists’ Club was established 6th May 2017 by a group of local volunteers in order The Brecknock Society is organising a to fill a gap in the provision of YAC conference in conjunction with The branches in the Brecon Beacons and Centre for Advanced Celtic Studies the Usk Valley. Brecon Beacons YAC is (CAWCS). The theme of the supported by the Brecon Beacons conference is “Windows on the world- National Park Authority. travellers to and from Brecknockshire. You can find out more about the The conference will be held at Brecon Beacons Young Archaeologists’ Penpoint. Club by visiting our blog Further details will be available http://bbyac.wordpress.com/ shortly. Events at Llansantffraed Church in 7 Mar 2017 Talyllyn Railway linked to Henry Vaughan VillageRoger Reese will give a talk on this interesting aspect of Breconshire Sunday 5 March, 4.30pm - railway history. He is the Chairman of Celebration service with Unicorn Llyn Syfaddan History Group, Singers Saturday 11 March, 7.00pm - 4 Apr 2017 South Wales Sanitorium, Potpourri of Music and Words concert Bronllys. John Powell has researched the important role this institution Sunday 23 April, 3.00pm - Annual played in the local life of Bronllys and Henry Vaughan Memorial Event the health of the nation. (ticketed) 2 May 2017 Outing: A Walk around For full details, see the new page on Historical Brecon. To be led by one of ‘Llansantffraed’ on our website our members, Margaret Sommers. www.brecknocksociety.co.uk 6 June 2017 AGM followed by “Photographs of Brecon Past and Breconshire Local & Present”. Following the business of the AGM, Rob Eckley will give an Family History Society illustrated talk, using old photographs Our monthly meetings are held of Brecon and his own collection of upstairs in Brecon Library on the first modern photographs. Tuesday in the month. Non-members are welcome to attend, with a £1 New Book on Brecon attendance fee. The Society also Breconshire Local & Family History provides family history research Society Chairman, Rob Eckley, has guidance on the third Saturday of recently published a Book entitled each month (including December) “Historic Houses and other Historic between 11.00am and midday at Buildings in Brecon”. The well- Brecon Library. All are welcome to illustrated book provides a record of attend. Advice can be given on the old buildings and other places that sources of family history research in have Historic Plaques on their walls. England as well as in Wales. There is an accompanying map and Our Calendar of Meetings for the next index at the front of the book. three months is as follows: Readers can take a gentle walk around the town and discover some 7 Feb 2017 1901 À la Carte. Helen of its history along the way. Ball will show us how to view Family Breconshire Local & Family History History and Local History in Wales Society would like to thank Brecon through the magnifying glass of Town Council for their help in Census Year 1901. publishing this book. The book is available for sale in a variety of mistakenly informed was of outlets, or can be bought from the Crickhowell. Author, Robert Eckley, for £9. Contact details for Robert Eckley are: Another American was concerned, as Mr Robert Eckley, 42, Pendre Close, we have been, about the state of Brecon, LD3 9EW. Email: disrepair into which the Gwernvale [email protected] chambered cairn at the foot of the Manor drive had fallen. Crickhowell & District History Society Meetings at Parish Hall Church Lane, Crickhowell. 7.30pm Wednesday 22nd February 2017 AGM - We are delighted that John Webb will regale us with “The History We undertook enquiries in 2013 but of Webbs” which will, we are sure, be renewed our efforts and were a real treat. It will be our 20th informed that the site is owned by the anniversary next year and light Welsh Governments Trunk Road refreshments will be provided by way Agency and that Cadw were working of celebration. with them to “put together a programme of consolidation and re- 22 March 2017 - Will Davies: presentation.” No timetable was Crickhowell Castle, Its History and given, however, so we must hope that Buildings work will commence sooner, rather than later. 19 April 2017 - Brian Davies: South Wales a Millenium Ago Our most recent contact concerned the meeting place of the Salvation 24 May 2017 - Robin Williams: Army that was once active in the Industrial Archaeology in Action on town. If anyone has any information the Glamorganshire Canal about this, please get in touch. We occasionally get requests for Archive Centre News assistance via our website. With the Staff at the Archive centre would like help of Geoff Williams, we were able to thank everyone who helped their to help a professor from America with funds by purchasing one of their pens. a query about a medieval tithe map of They now also have a Facebook page. Tretower, which he had been At the time of writing, the “Young Men To Arms” book is with the included. The census information is publisher so should be out soon priced listed for each property with £10.00 additional research taking the history of many of the properties back several Louis Hurley Memorial Prize centuries. While this project is mainly Next year, Llangattock Church in to research and record the buildings Wales School have agreed to of Hay town and rural parish and their undertake a project for us. Their history, and to be used as a resource chosen topic will be “The Victorians“. for future study, it will also be of We eagerly await their contributions interest to those who know and love but it is always a difficult task to judge the parish of Hay. The paperback A4 as the standard of the entries is book has 200 pages and costs £14.99. consistently high. It is available online at www.Lulu.com or email Alan at: [email protected] Hay History Group Hay Castle Trust receives planning permission for restoration project Llanwrtyd Heritage and Brecon Beacons National Park Arts Centre Authority gave the green light to Hay Our Centre will re-open for the 2017 Castle Trust’s plans to restore Hay season on Thursday 13th April and Castle. The project will ensure that following the same pattern as the building is saved for the nation as established last year will be open on well as for the community, and will Thursday, Friday, Saturday and allow the public to enjoy full access Sunday of each week between 10.00 across the site for the first time in a.m.