The Will of Gwenllian Price Nantygweision

Gwenllian PRICE (nee Davies) (1749-1844) married Morgan PRICE 8 Nov 1777 at Llywel Parish Church. She survived her husband by 39 years living to the age of 95. She made her will in 1834 and died 10 years later on 21 Apr 1844. She is buried at Saron Independent Chapel, Cwmwysg (MI 1)

The Will.

The preamble quotes her late husband Morgan’s will dated 2 Jun 1804 (see previous post)which bequeathed £10 and suitable chambering to their daughter Margaret and £20 to and suitable chambering to their daughter Mary.

Morgan had bequeathed all that was left after funeral expenses and other bequests to Gwenllian and after her to his sons, John, David, Morgan, Joseph and Daniel in the proportions that Gwenllian should will or in default to be divided equally between them. He appointed Gwenllian and David his son joint executors of his will.

She states that Margaret and Mary have already been paid their “pecuniary and specific legacies” and that each of her sons John, David, Morgan and Daniel in “money and goods considerable sums more than their share of the residue of the said personal property of Morgan.” whereas my son Joseph has not received any part of his share of the residue of the said testator’s personal estate.”

The residue of that estate now amounts to £5. “To each of my sons, John Price, David Price, Joseph Price and Daniel Price I bequeath the sum of £1, part of that said sum of £5 and I bequeath to Anne, the widow of my said son Morgan Price the sum of £1.”

“To David, my son and executor £125 on trust so that it would be invested and the interest used to provide for the clothing, maintenance and support of my son Joseph Price in such a manner as David Price shall think suitable and if this interest is insufficient then the principal can be used so long as the interest and the sum from the principal does not exceed £11 in that year.” After Joseph’s decease whatever is left of the £125 to be paid to all and every one of my grandchildren living at the time of Joseph's death"

“To Eleanor, the widow of William Price of Trichwmmwl [sic.], to Margaret, wife of Rees Williams and Mary the wife of Thomas Thomas the sum of £1 each.” 

“All the rest and residue of personal effects and estate to my son David Price.” 

Gwenllian Price

Will dated 23 Aug 1834

Will proved 1 Jun 1844 at Llandovery in the diocese of St. David’s by David Price of Trawsllwynddu.

Gwenllian died 21 Apr 1844 (95) and buried at Saron, Cwmwysg (MI1)

Probate value of estate was under £200.

Notes

1. Anne widow of Morgan. Morgan is a bit of a mystery. He obviously died before 1834 (the date of Gwenllian's will) but no record of his death has been found. However, there is a baptism for Mary 1827 and Elizabeth 1829 at Saron Cwmwysg daughters of Morgan and Anne Price, Pwll Uchaf. There is also a marriage record for Morgan Price = Anne Jones at Llanfairarybryn on 31 Dec 1825 – tentative at best.

2. William Price Trichwmwl died in 1823, his widow Eleanor continued to live at Trichwmwl through 1851 and died in 1860.

3. Joseph Price was obviously physically or impaired in some way and remained with David his brother at Trawsllwynddu until his death on Christmas Day 1861. He was buried with his mother at Saron.

The Will of Morgan Price Nantygweision

Morgan Price Nantygweision died at the comparatively young age of 52 on 1st Mar 1805 just 6 years after his father William. He made his will in June 1804 indicating that he probably died of natural causes. His will can be seen at the NLW and online here.

Morgan Price's Will

(Note that this is part transcript, part précis)

Will probate valuation £145

 "This is the last will and testament of me Morgan Price of the parish of Mothvey in the county of Carmarthen, farmer.

 I give and devise one moiety half part or share (the whole into two equal parts to be divided) of and in all those messuages or dwelling houses, stables, gardens and appurtenances thereunto belonging, situate in Stone Street within the town and borough of Llandovery in the parish of Llandingat in the said county of Carmarthen and now in the several tenures or occupations of John Jones, cobler [sic.], William Jones, blacksmith, John Davies, earthenware man and Joseph Jones, taylor [sic.] unto my brothers Rev. John Price and David Price, their heirs and assigns to such uses upon such trusts and to and for such intents and purposes as are herein after mentioned expressed and declared of and concerning the same (that is to say) to the use of my beloved wife Gwenllian and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life and from and after her decease as to for and concerning one moiety half part or shares, the whole into two equal parts or shares to be divided in the aforesaid moiety of the aforesaid hereditaments and premises with the appurtenances to the use of my son John Price his heirs and assigns forever and as to for and concerning the other moiety half part or share of and in the aforesaid moiety of the aforesaid hereditaments and premises with the appurtenances to the use of my son David Price his heirs and assigns forever."

Précis of the remainder of the will -

The tenement of Nantygweision and Drainllwynddu to his wife Gwenllian for the rest of her life.

After Gwenllian's decease the remainder of the tenement of Drainllwynddu to David his son.

After Gwenllian's decease the remainder of the tenement of Nantygweision to Morgan his son.

To his daughter Margaret ten pounds and suitable chambering after Gwenllian’s decease.

To his daughter Mary twenty pounds and suitable chambering after Gwenllian’s decease.

To Morgan, Joseph and Daniel 2 cows after Gwenllian’s decease.

To Morgan his son his cupboard bedstead and my largest iron pot after Gwenllian’s decease.

To Joseph my son his large brass pan, tribbet belonging to it and my kive or mash tun after Gwenllian’s decease.

To Daniel my son my clock and case and kitchen table after Gwenllian’s decease.

The rest and residue to Gwenllian subject to payment of debts. It is then up to her to decide how the inheritance should be apportioned at her death between his sons.

To my son John £5 being the legacy my late father bequeathed to me to be paid six months after my decease.

Gwenllian and David his son are appointed executors of Morgan’s will.

If Gwenllian marries a second time then the will was to be executed as though she had died.

Morgan Price

Dated 2 Jun 1804

Witnesses, Morgan Davies Llanerchgoch and William Morgan, Bailyglace.

Gwenllian's will states that Morgan's will was proved in the consistory court of Archdeaconry of Carmarthen 16th March 1805 by Gwenllian Price.

Notes:

1. Drainllwynddu is probably the origiinal name of Trawsllwynddu. It is significant that although Trawsllwynlddu and Nantygwesion were distinct properties in 1841 the latter had disappeared from the census in 1851 where Trawsllwynddu is listed as a property of 250 acres.

2. The initial part of the will sounds complex but as far as I can tell it is a device for ensuring that Gwenllian does not dispose of these properties during her life time. Morgan assigns them in trust to his brothers John and David and their heirs during Gwen's lifetime and then to his sons John and David his sons after Gwenllian's death. From the will of Mrgan's son John Price Tircyd we know that John did indeed inherit The Star and The Plough in Stone St. Llandovery in turn leaving them to his sons at his death.

3. It is noticeable that Morgan’s son William is not mentioned in his will but this does not necessarily mean that there was a rift between father and son. It should be remembered that William was married in 1803 and lived at Trawsllwynddu until approx. 1816 when he moved to Trichwmwl. Morgan may well have set up his son with stock etc. before his death and this might well be the reason that William is not mentioned in this will.  Morgan’s son John would have been 22 at this time and so may already have been farming Tircyd.

4 A kive or mash tun is a vessel for brewing. It is interesting that what we would consider basic furniture etc. was valued so highly at this time.

The Family of Morgan Price Nantygweision

Morgan Price was William Price Tynllwyn's second son. He is recorded as a freeholder and gent. in the parish records and he and his wife Gwenllian farmed Nantygweision.

The Usk Reservoir from the South shore

Nantygweision (meaning "servants' brook") was one of the eight or nine small farms to the South East of Myddfai Parish in an area generally known as Dolhowell. DOL HYWEL: an area which corresponds closely to the area of land now covered by the waters of the Usk Reservoir and its immediate environs. This being part of the grange belonging to Talley Abbey. Signifies the riverside meadow of Hywel. (David B. James Myddfai, Its Land and People.)

"During the historic period much of the area was operated as a grange, Dôl Hywel, which had been granted to Talley Abbey by 1324 (Ludlow 1998). The grange chapel, dedicated to St David, was also a chapel-of-ease to Myddfai parish (ibid.), but its site appears to lie beneath the Usk Reservoir. It was an upland grange, probably operated by tenant farmers primarily concerned with the mountain pasturing of animals, and appears to have been largely unenclosed during the historic period, as it still is today. The earliest historic maps depict it as open moorland with few settlements." (Cambrian Archeology)

Usk Reservoir. Trawsllwynddu would have stood on the other shore. Nantygweision would have been under the reservoir.

The farms were separated from the remainder of Myddfai parish by Mynydd Myddfai (Myddfai Mountain) more commonly known as Mynydd Bach (little mountain). Nantygweision was flanked by Tircyd (meaning "adjoining land") to the West and Trawsllwynddu (meaning "across the black grove") close by. All three farms formed part of the Cilgwyn estate at that time. Trawsllwynddu appears to be a later name as it is referred to as Drainllwynddu (possibly meaning "blackthorn grove"?) in Morgan Price's will of 1804.

Looking carefully at a map of the area of 1891, the positions of the farms can be accurately pinpointed. In fact both Tircyd and Trawsllwynddu farmhouses were situated just above the present waterline on the Northern shore of the Usk reservoir. Nantygweision by this time looks comparatively small and its location today seems to be beneath the reservoir not far from the estimated location of Trawsllwynddu. In fact it's significant that after 1841 Nantygweision is not mentioned in the censuses. I would hazard a guess that the land of the two small farms were merged and Nantygweision ceased to be inhabited after Gwenllian's time - she was living there aged 90 in 1841 and died in 1844.

It is also worth noting that Dolhowell forms a rather isolated part of Myddfai parish and is bounded to the East by the area of Traianglas in the parish of Llywel which is in Breconshire. In fact Aberhenwen Fach (Myddfai) which is to the East of Trawsllwynddu is divided from Aberhenwen Fawr (Traianglas) by the Henwen brook which flows down from Mynydd Bach into the Usk river. From a modern geographic viewpoint it is rather surprising that this area did not form part of Trainglas, but then this also forms part of the county boundary. It is not therefore that surprising that in lots of ways the families in this area grew away from the established church at Myddfai and joined the Independent cause at the newly established Saron chapel at Cwmwysg. This is illustrated by the fact that Morgan was buried at Myddfai PC in 1804 and Gwenllian was buried at Saron. These factors also account for the marriage of some of Morgan and Gwen's children with Llywel partners. 

The Family of Morgan Price Nantygweision, Myddfai

Morgan PRICE Nantygweision (1753 - 1805) bp. 29 Apr 1753 MPC bd. 1 Mar 1805 Myddfai PC = Gwenllian Davies (1749 - 1844) Married 8 Nov 1777 at Llywel PC, bd. Saron Independent Chapel, Cwmwysg (MI 1)

Children

(According to Wm. Price Tynllwyn's will, Morgan had 9 children in 1799).

Margaret PRICE (1778 - ) bp. 11 Sep 1778 Myddfai PC = Rees WILLIAMS (1762 - 1846) d. 14 Apr 1846 aged 84 (MI A30 Defynock Parish Church). Rees and Margaret were married 7 Nov 1806 Myddfai PC (Wit: W Price, Rees Davies and Lewis Lewis). 1841 census Cwrtfoesydd, Cray, Rees (Tiler) aged 75, Margaret aged 60

• Children (per census) - Elizabeth (bca 1816), Rees (bca 1821), Lewis (bca 1826)

William PRICE, Trawsllwynddu / Trichwmwl, farmer, (1780 - 1823) bp. 22 Jun 1780 Myddfai PC bd. 3 Mar 1823 (aged 44) Myddfai PC = Elinor JONES Llywel (1780 - 1860) bp. Llywel d/o Morgan John and Gwenllian 30 Apr 1780. Married Llywel PC 8 Jul 1803 bd. 9 Oct 1860 Myddfai PC. It appears that, based on the fact that the baptisms of his children took place while he was at Trawsllwynddu (PR entries) William and Eleanor lived at Trawsllwynddu until approx. 1817 when he moved to Trichwmwl and his brother David took over at Trawsllwynddu.  (Eleanor continued to live at Trichwmwl after William's death (1841 and 1851 census) died at Black Cock Myddfai, home of her daughter Anne). More details of William and Elinor are given in a separate post.

John PRICE, Tircyd (1782 - 1854), farmer, bp. 24 Jun 1782 bd. 18 Oct 1854 (73) Saron Ind. Cwmwysg (MI 2) = Mary PRICE (ca. 1773 - 1808) bd. 23 Mar 1841 (67) Saron Ind. Cwmwysg (MI 2). Married 9 Dec 1808 MPC. This family line will be expanded in a future post.

David PRICE, Trawsllwynddu (1785 - 1861), farmer bp. 18 Nov 1785 MPC bd. 4 Aug 1861 (77) Saron Ind. Cwmwysg (MI 16) = Anne REES (1786 - 1836) bd. 13 Nov 1837 (47) Saron Ind. Cwmwysg. Married 20 Nov 1818 MPC. This family line will be expanded in a future post.

Morgan PRICE* (1788 - before 1834) bp. 12 May 1788 MPC = Anne ? Morgan was living in 1804 at the time of his father's death but had died when his mother Gwenllian made her will on 23 Aug 1834 - the will mentions his widow Anne. There are two children (Mary 1827 and Elizabeth 1829 baptised to Morgan and Anne Price, Pwll Uchaf at Saron, Cwmwysg) but no record of Morgan's death has been found.

Elizabeth (1790 - 1804) bp. 23 Jun 1799 MPC Almost certainly Elizabeth Price Dolhowell bd. 4 Jan 1804 (Myddfai PR). She is not mentioned in Morgan's will dated 2 Jun 1804 but her sisters are.

Mary PRICE (1793 - 1871) bp. 8 Aug 1793 MPC  bd. 29 Apr 1871 (88) Saron Ind. Cwmwysg (MI 44) = Thomas THOMAS (1788 - 1862), Llywel bp. Sep 1788 Llywel s/o John Thomas. Married 15 Nov 1811 MPC. Lived at Gwernwyddog, Llywel (just to the East of Trawsllwynddu in Traianglas). This family line will be expanded in a future post.

Joseph PRICE (1797 - 1861) bp. 26 May 1797 MPC d. 25 Dec 1861 bd. Saron Ind. Cwmwysg (MI 1). Lived at Nantygweision with his mother until her death then with his brother David at Trawsllwynddu. Gwenllian's will makes it clear that he was in some way mentally impaired or backward and special provision was made in it for his maintenance (he having received no share of his father Morgan's estate). It is possible that he married (there is a marriage for Joseph PRICE= Margaret PHILIP17 Feb 1824 MPC and there is no other Joseph Price known in the parish records of the time). Gwenllian his mother entrusted Joseph to David's care after her death and from the census information it appears that he lived there until his death when he was buried with his mother at Saron, Cwmwysg.

Daniel PRICE (1799 - ) bp. 3 Mar 1799 MPC. = Margaret THOMAS (d/o David & Mgt. Thomas bp. 31 Aug 1794 MPC). Married 2 Feb 1821 MPC (witnesses William Price and Wm. Thomas) d. 14 May 1839 aged 45 MI 7 Saron, Cwmwysg.

Children - fom the Saron baptismal Register

• Gwen b. 6 Apr 1822, bp. 20 Apr 1822 Cefnarthen Independent d. 1 Sep 1824 MI 7 Saron 
• Sarah b. 16 Aug 1824 bp. 25 Aug 1824 Bwllfa, Traianglas  
• Gwenllian b. 19 Aug 1826 bp. 26 Aug 1826 Bwllfa, Traianglas 
• Margaret b. 3 Aug 1828 bp. 17 Aug 1828
•            Daniel bp. 23 Nov 1830 Clos Traianglas  
• Shadrach b. 14 Dec bp. 18 Dec 1832 Clos Traianglas d. 5 Dec 1833 MI 7 Saron 
• William b. 30 Oct 1834 bp. 22 Nov 1834 Clos Traianglas

 Census Information

1841 Nantygweision

Gwen Price, 90, farmer, N

Joseph Price, 40, Y

Gwen Price, 20, F.S., Y

General Notes 

Morgan and Gwenllian's son John settled at Tircyd. David eventually settled at Trawsllwynddu taking over from William who, after initially living at there, finally settled at Trichwmwl which is directly on the opposite (north) side of Mynydd Bach. Nantygweision, Trawsllwynddu and Tircyd originally formed part of the Cilgwyn Estate. Trichwmwl was owned by Edward Jones of Velindre, he Llandovery solicitor.

Nantygweision, Tircyd and Trawsllwynddu all disappeared under the water when the Usk Reservoir was completed in 1955. Due to their geographical location it is easy to understand how the families living on these farms would have grown as many ties with Llywel parish to the North East of them as well as with the home parish of Myddfai from which they were separated by the physical barrier of Mynydd Bach.

*Morgan and Gwenllian's son Morgan is something of a mystery. He was alive at the time of his father Morgan's death in 1804 (he would have been 16) but had died before 1844 when Gwenllian's will was written. In that will she bequeathed a sum to his widow Anne which might imply that he had died not long before. No burial or MI has been found for Morgan. However the baptisms recorded at Saron and the nearness of Pwll Uchaf to Nantygweision and Trawsllwynddu seem to be a good indication that he an Anne lived there for a time. (One marriage which might fit would be Morgan Price = Anne Jones at Llanfairarybryn PC 31 Dec 1825 - he would have been 37. However this is highly speculative and the entry seems to indicate that both parties were of Llanfairarybryn parish. The witnesses were David Morgan and Morgan Jones.)

William Price Tynllwyn Summary and Family

The evidence points to the fact that Willam Price Tynllwyn was a man of some substance. How he came by his property is not known but it is likely that he inherited at least some of it. He calls himself a farmer in his will and presumably this was his chosen vocation. He was able to rent the largest farm in the Upper division of Myddfai parish. He was in a position to send his eldest son John to schooling and then to Oxford University. William of Mothvey his son who predeceased him was a farmer and although he died intestate he left a considerable estate which was proved by his widow.

William Price Tynllwyn lent money to his son in law Evan Morgan in the form of a mortgage. His son David Price Glasallt became a well known and respected member of the local community and although his son Morgan farmed in the remotest part of the parish he was a property owner and freeholder and left a will.

It is frustrating that so little can be discovered of William's origins. If, as Arber-Cooke suggests, he was related to Thomas Price, the Llandovery mercer whose children appear in the Myddfai Parish Records as suddenly and around the same period as Willam's children, then there might be some possibility of discovering more at some point - although to date I have drawn a blank. Details of the said Thomas Price will be provided in a later post.

The only other bit of information to add is from oral sources. The late David Rees Powell of Pwllycalch Myddfai wrote in the foreword of a book of poetry the following -

"My mother was one of six children of David and Mary Price Gorllwynfach, they were from the family of Price Tynewydd who were descended before that from Glasallt and Llwynifanfeddyg.' He goes on to say that his mother always told them that her roots lay with the drover's from Shrewsbury who had settled in the area". (Hanner Canrif o'r

Digri a'r Difri o fro Meddygon Myddfai' David Rees Powell 2000)

If this oral tradition is true then it explains why there is so little information about Wiliam Price's origins in the Llandovery / Myddfai area and maybe even why he and Thomas Price 'suddenly appear' in the Myddfai area in the mid 18th century.

So it remains to provide the details that are available for the immediate family each member of which will have a later post devoted to them.

The Family of William Price Tynllwyn Gent.

William PRICE Tynllwyn born ca 1720?. He made his will 1 July 1799, died later that month and was buried at Myddfai Parish Church on 24 July 1799

1. He married his first wife Margaret ? ca 1745. She died 1777 and was buried 17 Apr 1777 at Myddfai PC.
2. He married Magdalen REES (? - 1804) on 25 Nov 1779 at Myddfai PC Magdalen was buried. 16 Jan 1804 Myddfai PC Children by his first marriage -

Rev. John  PRICE B.A. (1749 - 1819) (bp. 12 Nov 1749 Myddfai PC died  24 Nov 1819) married

1. Elizabeth ?? (ca. 1755 - 1795) (bd. 9 Dec 1795 (aged 40) Myddfai PC). Marriage date and place unknown.
2. Frances JOSEPH (m. 25 Sep 1804 at Llanwrtyd)

Jane PRICE (1750 - ?) bp. 24 Nov 1750 Myddfai PC married Rees JOHN of Llanthoysant (Llanddeusant)

Morgan PRICE (1753 - 1805) bp. 29 Apr 1753 Myddfai PC, bd. 1 Mar 1805 Myddfai PC  married Gwenllian DAVIES (ca 1749 - 1844) bd. Saron, Cwmwysg (MI 1). Married at Llywel PC 8 Nov 1777. Morgan farmed Nantygweision and noted as a freeholder and gent. in Myddfai PR

David PRICE (1754 - 1837) bp. 26 Oct 1755 MPC bd. 29 Nov 1837 Myddfai PC married Mary ?? (ca. 1757 - 1833) married ca 1780. Farmed Glasallt Fawr and probably Llwynifanfeddyg and noted as a freeholder in Myddfai PR.

William PRICE (1758 - 1797) bp. 29 Jan 1758 Myddfai PC bd. 27 May 1797 Myddfai PC Noted as a farmer and freeholder in Myddfai PR but not known where he farmed. William predeceased his father, dying intestate in 1797. William married Elizabeth WILLIAM (1758 - ??) (possibly d/o Wm. Richard and Gwenllian bp. 18 Jun 1758 Myddfai PC). Married at Myddfai PC 12 Sep 1783.

Elizabeth PRICE (1761 - 1802) bp. 15 Mar 1761 Myddfai PC bd. 21 May 1802 married Evan MORGAN (? - 1800). Married 10 Jun 1783 at Myddfai PC

And now we must follow the direct line through Morgan Price Nantygweision leaving the other Price lines for a future blog.


Note on MI's (Memorial Inscriptions) - Where numbers are given they reference the inscription in the relevant church or chapel in the excellent series of surveys produced by Mr. Gareth Jones of Brewood, Staffordshire to whom I am indebted for much help in my research. He has produced these detailed surveys for the churches and chapels of Myddfai, Llywel, and Devynock among others.

Note on Parish Records. These exist in two forms, A register of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials for each Parish Church and an annual summary known as the Bishop's Transcripts which were 'returns' from each parish transcribed from the Parsh Register. There are gaps in the records and they are often illegible. Some chapels (Cefnarthen is a good example) also kept records of baptisms etc. although again these can be quite patchy and discontinuous. Copies of parish records on film can be seen at County Record offices and the BT's are available at The National Library of Wales and at various LDS Family History Centres.

Prospect House

Prospect House.

Prospect House Llandovery now a branch of Lloyds Bank.

A-C "The deeds of Prospect House, which recite the history of the property since 1788, describe it as "formerly known as Castell yr Esgob or Bishop's Castle but now known as Prospect House".... " The earliest documents among the existing deeds of the house are two indentures of Lease and Release dated the 22nd and 23rd Nov 1788 made between William Price and John Evans, vendor and purchaser of the house.....[This establishes the fact that a William Price owned Prospect House in 1788.]

An indenture of the 31^st March 1789, between John Evans and Elizabeth his wife of the one part and Morgan Davies, gentleman, of the other part shows the new owner and his wife mortgaging the property, presumably in order to complete the purchase. Other documents refer to this transaction. One is the chirography of a fine levied between Morgan Davies, plaintiff, and John and Elizabeth Evans, deforceants, on 30^th March 1795. [This effectively conveyed the property to Morgan Davies who presumably had provided the mortgage – see footnote regarding this legal device]

Another (document) is an indenture dated the 3^rd October 1795 between John and Elizabeth Evans of the one part and Morgan Davies of the other part.

Finally there are indentures of Lease and Release made 6th and 7th July 1796 between 1) William Price and his wife Maudlin or Maud 2) Morgan Davies 3) John Evans 4) Thomas Bishop and 5) John Rees Bishop. By this transaction all the parties to the earlier documents united to transfer the ownership of the property to Thomas Bishop...On 29th June 1797 there is the chirography of a fine levied at Great Sessions, Carmarthen between Thomas Bishop, plaintiff, and William and Maudlin Price, deforceants."

This appears to be a complex series of events and the following is an attempt at simplifying them.

William Price sold the property in Nov 1788.

March 1789. In order to complete the transaction John and Elizabeth Evans obtain a mortgage from Morgan Davies.

1795. The terms of the chirograph are unknown. It obviously authenticates some agreement between the mortgagee Morgan Davies and borrowers John and Elizabeth Evans. The usual use of this legal device was to authenticate title to the property.

1796 At some point John and Elizabeth Evans are either forced to default on the mortgage or they want to sell the house and repay it. All parties, William and Maudlin Price (William the original owner), Morgan Davies (mortgagee), John and Elizabeth Evans (the occupiers and borrowers) and two Llandovery solicitors, Thomas Bishop (purchaser) and his son John Rees Bishop unite to transfer the title of the property to Thomas Bishop.

By the legal transaction of a levied fine Thomas Bishop establishes his title to the property.

The fact that 1796 and 1797 documents mention Maud / Maudlin as William’s wife makes it highly likely that the original owner was William Price Tynllwyn who would have sold the property prior to his marriage to Magdalen Rees in 1789. It's worth noting that this house was a considerable property with its own grounds in the High St. which were eventually built upon. A-C tells us that "In 1810 he house was rated on survey at £2 a year, more than five times the value placed on Butter Hall and Penygawse. Prospect House must have been a building of considerable size" [Both Butter Hall and Penygawse are considerable properties.]

Some notes for anyone interested in the legalese (!) -

A chirograph was a means of authenticating a legal agreement – having its roots in medieval times. The agreement was written twice (sometimes 3 or 4 times) on a single piece of vellum and between the copies was written the word ‘cirographum’. The vellum was then cut through the centre of the word and each party to the agreement kept a section which could then be produced together with the other part(s) to authenticate the transaction in case of dispute.

The legalese “a fine levied ….etc.” refers to a legal method of conveying a property from one person to another where there may be no direct proof of title. The overall intention is that Thomas Bishop, a Llandovery lawyer ends up with a chirograph which authenticates him as the legal owner. Thomas Bishop as plaintiff brings a fictitious case against William and Maudlin claiming that they (the deforceants) are wrongly in possession of his house. The court find in favour of the plaintiff and his ownership of the property is authenticated in legal terms and Thomas Bishop goes away with the chirograph which authenticates his title to the property. This legal device was also used in the transaction mentioned earlier between Morgan Davies and John and Elizabeth Evans.

The Star (The Old Star) - now No. 20. Star House.

The Star was built on the frontage of the Prospect House garden (see previous paragraph). A-C comments "It was the second in a line of six public houses standing side by side. Unlike the other houses built on the frontage of the Prospect House garden it did not belong to the Lloyd Harries family. Rate books from 1836 to 1866 name the owner as William Price. It is not known whether he was related to the William Price who sold Prospect House in 1788. According to the rating valuation, the owner in 1892 - 1893 was Edward Price. The rate book of 1899 names the owner as Anne Rees."

Was this the Star that is mentioned in the will of John Price Tircyd in 1854?

Stone Street The Plough

No. 32 Stone Street (The Plough Inn)

The Plough and its neighbours, Nos. 34 - 36, formed part of The Half Moon property in 1810 - 1811, but thereafter had a history of separate ownership...In 1810 - 1811, John Jones and John Davies were rated for "a house of Mr Price", which either stood on this site or, possibly, on that of No. 38. The Rate Book of 1836 has two entries of "House, Garden and Building" in respect of this site, by then already separated from the Half Moon and in the ownership of David Price. One house was The Plough, the other stood where Nos. 34 - 36 stand now. The tithe roll of 1841 names Mary Price as the owner of the two houses but the rate book of the same year names another David Price. In 1846, the rate book describes the property as a house and two part houses. By 1866 there were three houses on the site, the present 32 - 36. William Price then owned The Plough while David Price, the same or another owned Nos. 34 and 36. The " (A-C Vol. 2 p 224)

According to A-C there were two taverns at the Old Town Hall between 1810 and 1811, "The Plow" (sic) and "The Greyhound". These had closed before 1826 but the names were later revived for public houses in Stone St. "The Plough came into being in 1835 where Thomas Jones figures as a beer retailer in Pigot's Directory. The house is first mentioned by name in the rate book of 1836. Thomas Jones was still licensee in 1868, according to Slater's Directory. He was apparently the mayor in 1858."

"The house on the site of Nos. 34 - 36 was occupied in 1836 by William Davies, dealer in earthenware."

Now this is where things get complicated. The first thing to say is that William Price Tynllwyn must have either conveyed these properties to his son Morgan Price Nantygweision before his (William's) death in 1799 because in his final will William bequeathed all his Llandovery property to his son Rev. John Price and we know that at least this included The Half Moon (see previous post). The alternative is that Rev. John Price conveyed them to Morgan after his father's death in 1799 and Morgan's death in 1804. This is less likely for Morgan is described earlier in the parish records as a freeholder. At any rate these properties formed part of his estate at the time of his death in 1804.

In Morgan Price Nantygweision's will of 1804 he bequeaths these properties to his brothers David Price Glasallt and Rev. John Price in trust for the benefit of his wife Gwenllian until her death when they are to be shared between two of his sons John and David. Morgan identifies the properties clearly in his will as "situate in Stone Street within the town and borough of Llandovery in the parish of Llandingat in the said county of Carmarthen and now in the several tenures or occupations of John Jones, cobler [sic.], William Jones, blacksmith, John Davies, earthenware man and Joseph Jones, taylor [sic.]"

At the time of Morgan's death his sons John Price (Tircyd) and David Price (Trawsllwynddu) were 22 and 19 years old respectively. Gwenllian died in 1844 at which time the properties passed to her sons John and David as Morgan had willed.

The Plough is identified in the will of his son John Price Tircyd in 1855. "The Plough and The Star in Stone Street Llandovery now in the occupations of Thomas Jones and David Thomas to my sons John, Rees and David."

Rev. John Price died in 1819 so in 1836 David Price Glasallt would have held the properties in trust pending Gwellian Price's death. He died in 1837 and so presumably the property would have passed to one of his children continuing to be held in trust until Gwenllian's death in 1844. The David and Mary Price mentioned in the rate book of 1841are difficult to identify. David Price Glasallt did indeed have a son David Price of Tynewydd Myddfai who could have held the property in trust after his father's death but the Mary must remain a mystery.

By1866 at least part of the properties identified in the will of John Price Tircyd had passed to his sons John (also of Tircyd), Rees Price Cwmnantyboidy and David Price. William of 1866 is difficult to identify unless the property had been sold or conveyed to another branch of the family.

The mention of The Star in John Price Tircyd's will is also problematic. The 1861 census records Thomas Jones as the Innkeeper of the Plough but there is no Star in Stone Street. However there is a public house called The Star or The Old Star which is associated with the Price family and this will be looked at in another post.

No. 38 Stone Street The Drovers Arms

A-C states "The house cannot be identified in the rate books of 1810 - 1811 unless it was "a house of Mr Price" then jointly tenanted by John Jones and John Davies, but the site of this house in uncertain. At that period the land on which No. 38 stands must have formed part of another property, either that of Rev. John Price and William Price to the South (30 - 36) or that of Samuel Price, Postmaster to the North (40 - 52). The Drovers Arms was already in existence and in business as a tavern by 1826."

(Samuel Price was the grandson of Thomas Price, mercer who had inherited a ‘moiety’ (part) of Stone St. properties with William Price Tynllwyn.)

Stone Street The Half Moon

Heol Cerrig (Stone Street).
 

"The Price properties had evidently constituted a single block, the sites of the present Nos. 30 - 52. One moiety [share], now represented by Nos. 30 - 36, descended to William Price of Tynyllwyn........ The other, where Nos. 38 - 52 now stand......" Arber-Cooke


 Stone Street today. No. 30 (green) was the Half Moon
with 32 The Plough next door.

In the last post I noted that A-C does not cite any evidence for the above statement but on the basis of the quality of the rest of his work I find it hard to believe that somewhere such evidence does not exist.  In the following descriptions quoted from A-C it should be remembered that Stone St. has even numbers on one side and odd on the other and that around 1800 many of the properties seen today did not exist.

The Half Moon No.30 Stone Street

The small round window in the gable originally contained a board with a crescent moon when it was a public house.

“The history of The Half Moon is told in the deeds of the house. At the end of the 18th century the owner was William Price of Tynllwyn in the parish of Myddfai, gentleman, who bequeathed the house, with other property, between two of his sons - the eldest, the Rev. John Price of Tynllwyn, and a younger, William Price of Mothvey. The latter died, leaving a son, William Price of Pentreoyn [Pentwyn], Myddfai, gentleman. On the 28th May 1818, the Rev. John Price conveyed the premises to his nephew, William Price of Pentreoyn, by Lease of Possession and, on the following day, by Release and Confirmation,

William Price (Pentreoyn) remained the owner until his death in 1859. By will dated 19 Feb 1859 in which he is described as William Price of Porthyrhyd, Mothvey, farmer, he divided his property between his five sons: Morgan Price of Porthyrhyd, Cilycwm, farmer, his sole executor; John Price, Middlesboro' on Tees, Yorkshire, railman, Daniel Price, 3, King St. Bloomsbury, Middlesex, carpenter; David Price, 21, King St. Bloomsbury, draper; and Rees Price of Myddfai, farmer. By indenture dated 10th August 1860 the four younger brothers released The Half Moon to Morgan Price, then described as of Vanfach, Myddfai, farmer. On the 8th January 1865 Morgan Price sold The Half Moon to Rowland Williams of Cefnllan, Llanfairarybryn for £300., the purchaser to retain £30 to satisfy legacies of the late William Price not discharged.” (A-C Vol.2 p222]

It may well be that A-C had access to an earlier will of William Price Tynllwyn because as can be seen from his final will, his younger son William predeceased him by 2 years. Ultimately William Price left his Llandovery property to his eldest son John. I can only assume that A-C had access to the deeds of the Half Moon when he tells us that John Price conveyed the property to his nephew, William Pentwyn, the son of William of Mothvey, in 1818 just over a year before John died.

The description of William Price of Porthyrhyd could be confusing (since there was a Portyrhyd in Myddfai).  However it is simply the case that William Price Pentwyn ended his days with his son Morgan Price who was indeed living in the village of Porthyrhyd, Cilycwm at the time of his father's death. Pentwyn continued to be farmed by William Price Pentwyn's youngest son Rees Price.