Compiled by Ruth Roberts (nee Phillips) who lived at Gwenlais, Login, from 1963-73 and attended Ffynnonwen from 1963-7. I have therefore not been in the area for many years and do not profess to have expert knowledge. There follows some snippets of information about Ffynnonwen School and the village of Login. Please feel free to correct me or add information (ruthroberts123@aol.co.uk).
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Ffynnonwen Group Photos
Village Trades - Tanning, Smithy
Tanning
There were once two tanneries in the parish, one at Cwmmiles (the property of the Thomas family which remained open until the 1930s) and the other north at Llwynrhiw, midway between Pantycaws and Backsylw, where the Hughes family operated over a few generations.
The writter recalls that there would be stacks of bark at Cwmmiles, and many pits containing chemicals with noxious smells.
Skins would first be cleaned in water to remove any blood and dirt. Then in lime and water until the ipper side of the skin changed.
Normally the hair that was removed would be given to plasterers.
Bark would have been collected in the late spring - the skins were then washed in solutions of bark and water, then moved to another pt with a stronger bark solution. It was a slow process that could take a few years - also the drying was very slow.
The thickest leather would be used for soles, with the thinnest for the boot uppers - with the medium used for harnesses. Horse saddles were normally made oif pig skin.
Blacksmiths
Of the local worthies the name 'Twm Gof o Login' is given a certain priority (Thomas Morris). He probably started to make metal ploughes in the 1830s - being among the first in the county of Carmarthenshire to do so.
He seems to have brought iron from Cwmdwyfa Iron Works near Carmarthen. One of the ploughes he made was used 1937 when it was donated to the Folk Museum at St Fagans.
Before then most of the plough was made of wood - which involved much co-operatiom between the carpenter and smith.
In the 19th century there was a smithy at Penygraig.
Ffynnonwen School & Teachers
Head Teachers
John Llewellyn
1896 - George Rhys Lewis
1905 - James Davies
1917-35 - John Gravelle
1935 - William Griffiths
Rhoswen Llewellyn
Assistants
1908-20 - Elizabeth Davies (sister to headmaster)
1918 - Catherine A John
1920-34 - Mabel Davies
1937-38 - Doren John
Alwenna Smith
Snippets of Login History
The three above pictures were taken from Efailwen to Whitland Vol 1
The Whitland and Cardigan Branch Line came up the valley and there was a station in Login.
For Cilymaenllwyd parish in 1851 the acreage was 3505 and the population 508 (Efailwen to Whitland -Vol 1).
Login P.O.
© Copyright Roger W Haworth and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
The 1871 census shows two wool weavers at Cwrtnewydd - father and daughter.
In 1881 the census states that Ffynnonwen was being built.
The 1891 census took details on language. Almost everyone put their language as 'Welsh' - apart from six who said they spoke Welsh and English and three who spoke only English (the children of the church rector, Benjamin Jones) - they lived at The Hermitage.
A common occupation in Login (for women) was stocking knitter (was this connected with the woolen factory? or just a coincidence). Margaret Harries of Pantycaws Cottage was a widow, stocking knitter, and living in one room.
The 1901 census shows the P.O. at Radical Hill, three rooms, with the postmistress being 69yr old Jane Morris (a very English name for a property in such a welsh area?).
(I have been unable to find 'Gwenlais' on the censuses. Was it built later - or has its name been changed? It seemed as if the main part of the house was older - having had an upstairs added later. The bottom walls were of mud constuction and you could see the divid from lower to upper storey outside. This was oppostie Calfaria - I believe it is now called Taf House?)
The 1891 map shows a woollen mill at Felin Cwrt (just east of Rhydwen) and a woollen factory in the valley north of Coed Lys Isaf near to Login village. There was also a corn mill at Felin Coed Llys.
A P.O. is shown at Radical Hill Farm (towards the bottom of the hill from Ffynnonwen before the 'Login' sign). A 'shop' is shown in the village centre - probably where the post office now is.
Quarries are shown at Fronhaul (past Calfaria Chapel) and at Cwmmiles.
Cwmmiles also shows a tannery and a 'ford' - as does Login which has a 'ford' and 'footbridge'
Possible site of Mill Race at Login
The weir north of Login bridge is mentioned - as is a 'Mill Race' - which cuts away here and went down the valley and probably once fed water to the old woollen factory at Coedlys.
(These are just a few facts I have gleaned so far. Please email me ruthroberts123@aol.com if you have more details - or if errors are found!)
From Efailwen to Whitland Vol 1 contains the following:-
In 1724, Erasmus Philipps, a Gent of Coedllys, leased Plasbach, a parcel of Bronhoyl (could this be Fronhaul?) for 11 years at a rent of £4 per annum to Philip Reynolds, yeoman. His duties, as well as the rent, were expected to be 'one man to scour the mill-leat yearly , to keep a hound and to lend his cart to fetch turves from the Ross (Rhos) to Coedllys'.
Cilymaenllwyd Parish 1851 Census
Coedllys - 105 acres (2 labourers and 3 servants)
Penrallt - 100 acres (2 labourers and 2 servants)
Rhos - 150 acres (2 labourers and 2 servants)
Ceunant - 200 acres (4 labourers)
Rhosfach - 96 acres (1 labourer)
Rhydymerydd - 110 acres (2 labourers)
Maenhir - 120 acres (1 labourer)
Fronhaul - 90 acres (1 labourer)
Lan - 150 acres (1 labourer)
Dyffryn Hilyn - 103 acres (2 labourers)
Brynonnen - 85 acres (3 labourers)
Waunffwrd - 100 acres (1 labourer)
Glantaf Isaf - 70 acres (2 labourers)
Glantaf Uchaf - 207 acres (2 labourers)
Wernddu - 115 acres (2 labourers)
Tanyard, Cwmmiles - 2 sons in the business.
In 1851 Login and Cwmmiles had an equal population of 44 each.
Within Cilymaenllwyd parish in the 18th century lived people such as John Pierce, Absalom Hicks, John Colby, Wm Husband and Thomas Bleddyn. Specifically for the year 1807 appear:- John Bushel, David Shelby, William Roblin and Rev. Tutor Bristog (the author wondered if there was an English invasion?).
In 1883 the number of people receiving relief from the Board of Guardians was 18 (getting over £44 between them) - 9 through old age, 4 through ill health and 4 were widows and children (yes I know tha's only 17!).
In the late 17th century Edward Llwyd mentioned that the old game of CRAPPAN was popular in Cilymaenllwyd - this was played on the Apostles Festival (Cilymaenllwyd Saint's Day was May 1st). For a full description of this old game go to:-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnapan
General Funeral Customs - some common in the Middle Ages still survived. When the coffin was taken from the house, everyone knelt and said the Lord's Prayer. Likewise at every crossroads until the graveyard was reached. The graves were adorned as today - with the flowers varying according to the age of the deceased. Primroses were common for children, roses were more for the middle aged and tansy proved a favourite tribute for the elderly.
Charities and Bequests - regarding Cilymaenllwyd parish, an enquiry was held in 1898 concerning the charity established by Edward Hughes of Carmarthen who died in 1786. He had bequeathed a sum of £200, the interest to be applied to educating the poor children of the parish. This sum was later lost through the insolvency of a trustee.
Diary of James Thomas, Penrallt, a Cilymaenllwyd farmer in 1870.
8 Feb - ploughing match at Plasybeili
16 May - in Ludchurch fetching lime
28 May - moving turfs at Maenhir
8 June - turning marl
6 Sept - fetching clay from Maenhir
9 Sept - in Cattle Show at Llanboidy
24 Sept - in fair at Narberth - sold 4 steers for £11 5s
14 Nov -killed the cow and down with the skin to Cwmmiles (tannery)
(He also mentions cutting furze (gorse) as fodder for the horses, and digging clay which was carted home to dry and mix with culm (coal dust) for the fires.)
Between 1837 and 55, based on the marriage registers - 58% of Cilymaenllwyd parish was illiterate.
It seems that Felin Cwrt was the centre of a corn mill and of a woollen factory.
In the 1890s South Africa was the favoured destination for emigration of those who left the parish.
The 1670 Hearth Tax showed that only one property in Cilymaenllwyd parish had three hearths - that of Elinor Howell.
Five properties had two hearths each, those of:- Morgan Thomas, Ann Philipp, Jenkin Beavan, Evan John and George Howell.
All the rest had only one hearth.
R.Pococke in his 'Travels Through England' during 1730/31 referred to people living in the Laugharne neighbourhood who transported building materials from Pen Arthur near Cilymaenllwyd. According to his description it was a thin stone which served as cover for the cottages (possibly an early use for slate).
Sheriffs - before the county council was formed in 1888 justice was by a County Sheriff, assisted by JPs (who were picked from the landowning class).
In 1726 Erasmus Phlipps of Coedllys was Sheriff
In 1795 JohnRees of Cilymaenllwyd was Sheriff.
Early Education in Cilymaenllwyd Parish
Cilymaenllwyd parish had circulating schools - from 1740-72 they taught from 20-73 pupils and varied from 1-2 schools at a time.
In 1764 Cilymaenllwyd had a library, apparently the first in Carmarthenshire.
A Reuben Davies taught somewhere here in the 1820s.
There was a day-school in a room over the stable in the churchyard in the 1840s - but not successful - although pupils were not forced to attend church as well.
Calfaria Chapel, Login
There was a Sunday School held at Cwmmiles (called Twlc) - it had no fireplace and the benches were rough-hewn planks. It had an earth floor but it accommodated many until 1858 when a larger building was constructed.
In the 1860s two schools were shown for the parish - one in the vestry at Login Chapel (which closed in 1880 when Ffynnonwen opened a mile away) and the other at Nebo Congregational Chapel.