Blaenporth History
Blaenporth and its archaeology, antiquities and history. Is a village in Ceredigion, formerly Cardiganshire, West Wales. Situated on the Cardigan Bay coastline, between Tan-y-groes and Blaenannerch.
| Blaenporth |
Since 1909 the Ceredigion Historical Society has published articles written about the archaeology, antiquities and history of Ceredigion, many of the articles are about Blaenporth history.
1. History
Extract from ‘A Topographical Dictionary of Wales‘ by Samuel Lewis 1833
“BLAENPORTH (BLAEN-PORTH), a parish in the lower division of the hundred of TROEDYRAUR, county of CARDIGAN, SOUTH WALES, 5 miles (E. by N.) from Cardigan, on the road to Aberystwith, containing 695 inhabitants. The lands in this parish are nearly all enclosed, and in a good state of cultivation. The living, formerly a prebend in the college of St. David’s at Llandewy-Brevi, and rated as such in the king’s books at £6, is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of Cardigan, and diocese of St. David’s, endowed with £800 royal bounty, and £800 parliamentary grant, and in the alternate patronage of the Earl of Lisburne and J. V. Lloyd, Esq., who are impropriators of the tithes of the parish, and pay £8 per annum to the curate. The church, dedicated to St. David, consists only of a nave, chancel, and porch, and has a bell suspended at the west end of the roof. About two hundred yards to the north of it is an ancient fortress, called ” the Gaer,” and in some authorities “Castel Gwythan”, which is said to have been thrown up by Gilbert Earl of Strigyl and the Flemings who settled in this part of the principality, and to have been besieged by Rhys ab Grufydd, Prince of North Wales, in the year 1116, who, after repeated assaults, took it, with the loss of only one of his men, and burnt it to the ground: it was defended by a single ditch and rampart, still plainly distinguishable, and at one extremity is a lofty mound, on which probably was a watch-tower. At a small distance from the site of this post, which occupied the summit of an eminence, is a smaller camp, called “Caer Sonydd” and on the sea-coast is another of small extent, but of great strength, called ” Tudor’s Castle.” At Tyllwyd, in this parish, the property of J. V. Lloyd, Esq., there is a chalybeate spring, the water of which is, however, but seldom used. The average annual expenditure for the support of the poor is £ 167.19.”
- barrow, ix:289
- castle, i:40; iii:55-6,114
- urns, ix:273
2. Index
- Blaen-porth
- anghydffurfiaeth, iv:105,108,110
- barrow, ix:289
- blacksmith, vi:100
- castle, i:40; iii:55-6,114
- Howell Harris a (and), v:2,3,4,5,7,8,11,12
- iforlaid, ili:28
- ivorites
- see Blaen-porth : iforiaid
- nonconformity
- see Blaen-porth : anghydffurfiaeth
- population figures,1801-51, vi:391
- urns,ix:273
- Blaen-porth Hoddnant, iv:374
3. Industry
- blacksmith, vi:100
4. Religion
- nonconformity
- see Blaen-porth : anghydffurfiaeth
5. Map
The aim of the Ceredigion Historical Society is to preserve, record and promote the study of the archaeology, antiquities and history of Ceredigion. That objective has remained the same since the foundation of the Society in 1909, though its name was changed from Ceredigion Antiquarian Society to the Ceredigion Historical Society in 2002.
DEATH PORTENTS.
Among the most important of the superstitions of Wales are the death portents and omens; and this is perhaps more or less true of every country. About a generation or two ago, there were to be found almost in every parish some old people who could tell before hand when a death was going to lake place; and even in the present day we hear of an old man or an old woman, here and there, possessing, or supposed to possess, an insight of this kind into the future.
(p210)
“THE TOLLING OF BLAENPORTH CHURCH BELL BEFORE A DEATH.
Several old persons living in the parish of Blaenporth, South Cardiganshire, informed me that it is a fact that in former times a death in certain families in that parish was always foretold by the church-bell in the steeple tolling three times at the hour of midnight unrung by human hands. One old woman gave me the following tradition concerning the origin of this tolling:—
Once upon a time a spirit came at midnight and knocked at the door of a farmhouse known as Tan-yr-Eglwys, which is close to Blaenporth Church. “Who is there?” enquired the farmer from his bed. “Mair Wen (white Mary) of Blaenporth,” was the reply; “the silver communion cup has been stolen from the church.” Then the spirit begged the farmer to get up from bed and proceed at once on a journey to the town of Cardigan, as the man who had committed such sacrilegious act was resting that night on a sofa in a certain public house in that town with the silver cup under his waistcoat. The farmer went to Cardigan, and when he arrived at the public house named by the spirit, and entered a certain room, a strange man who was lying on the sofa got up, and the stolen cup from under his waistcoat fell to the floor. The farmer took it up in an instant, and returned with all speed to Blaenporth, and placed the sacred vessel in the church once more. For his kindness and trouble in thus restoring the sacred cup, the good spirit or guardian angel of Blaenporth Church told the farmer that the bell would toll three times before his death, and before the death of his descendants till the ninth generation.”
From ‘Folk-Lore of West and Mid-Wales’ by J. Ceredig Davies (1911).