Snippets of Login History

The three above pictures were taken from Efailwen to Whitland Vol 1

The hamlet of Login lies in the valley and sits on both sides of the River Tâf.
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.

The name Login may have come from the old Welsh word ‘halogyn’ meaning a dirty pool or stream. The sign on the corner of the building says ‘Login Post Office’ and it is open three mornings a week.
© Copyright Roger W Haworth and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

(Census information that follows has been taken from the Cilymaenllwyd censuses which covers a large area - not just Login village. I have just taken out a few snippets than vary from the normal 'farm labourer' type entry - this is NOT a full analysis of the records.)

The 1861 census shows a Blacksmith at Radical Hill - Thomas Morris, with his son John also shown as blacksmith.

At Lower Hill Edward James was the 52yr old keeper/forester.

At Pumsantishaf John Morris and his wife (aged 87 and 84) were shown as wool weaver and wife.

Penrallt had a 12yr old nursemaid/servant, Anne Griffith. And at Penrallt Fach David James was a showmaker.

Pantyrodin employed two servant carters aged 18yrs - one from Llanboidy and one from Llanglydwen.

At Closbach John Thomas was a 20yr old cabinet maker.

At 2 Yetfawr Lewis Evans was shown as a highway labourer.

There were two sawyers at Heolddwfr - John Jones and his son Lewis.

At Underhill Thomas James, aged 47yrs, was shown as schoolteacher.

There were three tanners at Cwmmiles.

Lan employed a shepherd boy from Llandissilio, aged just 12yrs.

The 1871 census shows two wool weavers at Cwrtnewydd - father and daughter.

Philip Thomas of Cwmmiles is a 42yr old tanner who employed three boys.

At Radical Hill Thomas Morris is the 67yr old blacksmith who also had 9 acres of land. There was another blacksmith in the village - but location unknown.

David Jones of Login was the 55yr old grocer and draper.

At Tynewyddpant J Griffiths was the 75yr old delivery officer. His son Owen was a tailor and they also had David John as a 14 yr old tailor's apprentice.

In 1881 the census states that Ffynnonwen was being built.

Sarah Adams of Blaennant was a quilt maker.

Thomas Phillips of Closbach was a tailor.

David John of Cwrt Newydd was a flannel weaver.

There was a blacksmith at 'Holybish' - Daniel Rees.

At Wernddu Lewis Phillip Lewis was aged 44yrs and a chief engineer in the Royal Navy and John Morgan,aged 35yrs from Plasybaily was a sailor.

There were 5 female stocking knitters in Login village, with David Evans a wool spinner and John Morris a blacksmith.

At Cwmmiles there was a tanner and a railway platelayer.

Edward James, the whip maker, lived at Penwenallt.

Two colliers were away working - their wives are shown as Catherine John at Lletty and Martha Davies at Gorwel.

The Post Office is at Radical Hill whilst at Lower Hill Richard Evans is a 38yr old woodman.

At Rhyw John Griffiths made clogs, while another whip maker resided at Glanrhyd.

John Williams of Plasgrwn Arms was a shoemaker.

David Lewis was a wool weaver at Sunnybank, as was Joel Mathias at Sychpant.

At Maesyffynnon the son of the family, aged 20yrs, is called Simon AMAZON Lewis - quite an unusual choice.

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.

There was a mole catcher at Brynbank (Dan Williams).
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 village also contained a jockey/groom (Coedllys Upper), three railway workers ( a John Davies was living in one room at No 2 Sychpant) and shoe maker (among others).

The schoolmaster of Ffynnonwen was a Mr Llewellyn, aged 30yrs, who was shown living at Tynewydd Pant.

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?).

One property was called the Plascrwn Arms.

Mary Jones, 59yrs, was shown as the shopkeeper/grocer at Login House.

At Glanrhyd John James lived in 2 rooms and was a whip-maker.

At Lower Hill Richard Evans was a woodman, aged 58yrs.

Close by to Sunnybank was a property called No 1 Parkyruthin, with two rooms, where David Richards the carpenter lived - any ideas where that was?

In the 2 roomed Chapel Cottage was Winifred Jones, schoolmistress, aged 22yrs.

At Fynnonwen the schoolmaster was shown as George A.Lewis, aged 30yrs, with his wifeAnnie (27), and daughters Maggie (6) and Millicent (4).

A coalminer, William Evans, was living at Mountpleasant (in 2 rooms). At Pleasant View was a 'leather tanner' - John Lewis. Five men appeared to be working on the railways.

John Phillips of Llain was a road labourer, while Thomas Edwards of Ty Cannol was a stone breaker.

Regarding language - only one person states that he can only speak English - and he was a labourer from Ireland.

(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'

The 1907 map has a Smithy situated just before you get to the 'Login' sign area - and the bridge across the Taf is now shown.

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.