              Copyright
Helen Forder
2004
Updated
March 2009
|
The
Arglwyddes, née Augusta Waddington (1802 -
1896)
|
| Lady Llanofer,
frequently referred to as Gwenynen
Gwent (the Bee of Gwent), was born
at Ty Uchaf, Llanofer, Monmouthshire, on
21st March 1802. Her husband, whom she
married in 1823, was Benjamin Hall III
(of Big Ben fame). He was
created baronet in 1838 and elevated to
the peerage in 1859. |
| Both Lord and Lady Llanofer
worked hard on behalf of Wales and the
Welsh, and their language and culture. After Lord
Llanofer's death in 1867 Lady Llanofer
continued this work, and in her old age
was considered by some to be an
eccentric. She died in 1896 at the age of
nearly 94, having outlived her husband by
almost thirty years.
|
Lady Llanofer
from a sketch made in 1862
|
My aim in publishing this
information is to draw attention to the
endeavours of Lady Llanofer during the
ninteenth century. At a time when many
turned from the old Welsh language and
culture she was steadfast in her
enthusiasm and support for all things
Welsh.
I prefer to use 'Llanofer' rather than
the anglicised 'Llanover' except when
quoting from an original source.
Surprisingly, although Lady Llanofer
persuaded her parents to use the 'll'
instead of the single 'l' in common use
at the time, she did not insist on the
Welsh 'f' rather than the English 'v'. |
In the early
1880s, when he was appointed under-
agent to Lady Llanofer my great
grandfather, David Williams, took his
family from their home in Aberystwyth, to
Ty Eos y Coed, the former Nightingale
Inn, on the Llanofer Estate . Researching
my family history has resulted in my
finding many Llanofer documents which
mention not only my ancestors, but many
of their contemporaries. |
Ty Eos y Coed, Llanofer
|
| By 1891 David
Williams and his
family were living in Cardiff, but it is
their brief time in Llanofer that
intrigues me. |
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