Horemanstone History

Horsemanstone History

History Society Publications

 

Llanteg Booking Back ONLINE TEXT VERSION

 

The Society's fourth book. 
Now sold out for a few years, but a text version has been uploaded.

llanteglookingback.blogspot.com

Llanteg Down the Years ONLINE VERSION

This was the first book published by the History Society back in 2000.
Since then it has sold out and been reprinted twice, but has now been out of print for a good few years.

llantegdowntheyears.blogspot.com

House History booklets now Online

 As both our House History Booklets have long been sold out we have scanned them both and now they are online.

They are uploaded as both a Flip Book and PDF version so hopefully you will find some interesting information there.

househistory1@blogspot.com

househistory2@blogspot.com

Llanteg Turning Back The Clock - Contents

 LLANTEG: TURNING BACK THE CLOCK 

CONTENTS 

Early Bits and Pieces, by Ruth Roberts 

Hearth Tax 1662-89, by Ruth Roberts 

Ben Price Newspaper Articles: 

Wedding Practices 

The Parsonage 

Ponds 

‘Dai Crafty’ 

The Comet 

Asses 

Mollie the Barriets 

The Williams Family, Trenewydd 

The ‘Muntan’ Chapel 

Crunwere Women 

Burnt Wicks and Candlesticks 

Daily Bread 

Place Names in the Locality 

The History of Trenewydd, by Judith Lloyd 

Llanteg Mail Coach, by Ruth Roberts 

Crunwere in 1844, by Ruth Roberts 

The Wooden Horse, by Judith Lloyd 

A Woman’s Lot in 19th Century Crunwere, by Ruth Roberts 

Where Were They in 1881? by Ruth Roberts and Katherine Lloyd 

Alfred James, by Mollie and Hugh James 

The Funeral of Alfred James, Broomylake 

The Captain, by Judith Lloyd 

A Missionary in Darkest Africa, by Judith Lloyd 

The Wealthy Widow of Llanteglos, by Judith Lloyd 

Crunwere Family Surnames, by Judith Lloyd 

Extracts from Crunwere School Log Book, by Ruth Roberts 

Ghosts and Omens, by Judith Lloyd (as recounted by Hugh James) 

John Davies of Greenacre, by Judith Lloyd 

James Merrilees of Stanwell, by Ruth Roberts 

The Glanville Family, by Ruth Roberts 

The Oriels of Llanteg, by John Vaughan 

The Phillips Dynasty of Crafty, by Ruth Roberts 

The Parsells of The Valley Farm, by David and Jean Gardner 

Early 20th Century Llanteg, by Margaret Hooper 

Extracts from the Diary of Gladys Mary Wilkins, 1941, by Ruth Roberts 

Llanteg News 1951, by Ruth Roberts 

The Roman Ruins of Trelissey, by Judith Lloyd 

Crunwere News 1965, by Ruth Roberts 

Llanteg Young Farmers Club, by Ruth Roberts 

Crunwere Church Memorials, by Ruth Roberts 

Llanteg Roads, by Ruth Roberts 

First Cuckoo, by Ruth Roberts 

Superstitions in the Village, by Ruth Roberts 

Deep Roots in Crunwere, by Ruth Roberts 

Lewis - The Lost Family, by John Lewis Tunster 

The 1901 Census, by Ruth Roberts 

Reminiscences 

Lenna Beaven 

Elwyn Callen 

David Callen 

Alun Davies 

Bob Davies 

Noel Davies 

Betty Dyer 

Delme Evans 

Mary Evans 

Ronnie Glanville 

Alwyn James 

Audrey James 

Glyn James 

Mary James 

Nancy John 

Josephine Kirk 

Violet Merriman 

Sylvia Rogers 

Lilian Watts 

Ruth Williams 

Desmond Wolff 

Appendix A - Size of Village Population 

Appendix B - Crunwere Land Tax 1787 

Appendix C - Farm Sizes and Occupations in Crunwere, 1851 

Appendix D - Distribution of Glanvilles on the 1881 Census 

Appendix E - Llanteg Young Farmers Club Members 1950/51

 Llanteg Young Farmers Club Members 1971/72 

Bibliography 

Errata 

Llanteg - The Days Before Yesterday - Contents

 LLANTEG - THE DAYS BEFORE YESTERDAY

CONTENTS 

Part 1: Village History 

1. Origins by Ruth Roberts 

2. Crunwere Church by Ruth Roberts 

3. Zoar Chapel by Ruth Roberts 

4. Ancient Remains in Crunwere (Dyfed Archaeological Trust) by Ruth Roberts 

Part 2: Nineteenth Century 

1. Ben Price’s Recollections:-

Tenby Market by Ruth Roberts 

Robert Bevlin’s Wedding by Ruth Roberts 

Allen Palmer - Butcher (Golden Lion) by Ruth Roberts 

Parson Phillips by Ruth Roberts 

Sheep Minding by Ruth Roberts 

‘Davie the Cabin’ by Ruth Roberts 

‘A Daughter of Trenewydd’ by Judith Lloyd 

Llanteg ‘Bandy’ by Judith Lloyd 

Mr Benjamin Morris of Lanteague Farm by Judith Lloyd 

‘Billy the Gate’ by Judith Lloyd 

Millers and Blacksmiths by Judith Lloyd 

Garness Mill in the 1850s by Judith Lloyd 

A Portrait of Lanteague: Church and Mountain in the 1860s by Judith Lloyd 

2. Favourite Names by Judith Lloyd 

3. The Poor House by Ruth Roberts 

4. 19th Century Industries and Workers by Ruth Roberts 

5. Oaklands by Judith Lloyd 

6. Extracts from the 1897 Parish Magazine by Ruth Roberts 

7. Crunwere Burials 1813-1920 by Ruth Roberts 

8. John and Elizabeth (Betsy) Thomas, Golden Lion, by Katherine Lloyd 

9. The Scourfield Family of Llanteg by Ian Smart 

Part 3: Twentieth Century 

1. Crunwere Church of England School Minute Book Extracts by Ruth Roberts 

2. Memories of my Grandmother, Mrs C. Dunbar, by Josephine Jenkins 

3. Tigers in Llanteg by Judith Lloyd 

4. The James Family of Broomylake by Hugh and Mollie James 

5. The Davies Family of Blackheath by Hugh and Mollie James 

6. Home Remedies Remembered by Ruth Roberts 

7. ‘Miss Georgie’ of Oaklands by Judith Lloyd 

8. The Davies Family of Bevlin and Sparrows Nest by John Davies 

9. Memories of a Great Aunt — Millie Phillips, Middleton, by Ruth Roberts 

10. Llanteg Young Farmers’ Club by Wyn Lawrence 

11. Llanteg Home Guard by Wyn Lawrence 

12. Llanteg Service Men and Women by Ruth Roberts 

13. A War Baby’s Memories of Llanteg in the ‘Forties by Tony Brinsden 

14. Crunwere News 1914-1977 by Ruth Roberts 

15. George Gibbs by Audrey James 

16. The Women’s Institute by Mollie James 

17. The Craft of Grave Lining by Judith Lloyd 

18. ‘Water’ by Muriel Hellings 

Part 4: Reminiscences 

Bibliography 

Appendix 

Llanteg Down The Years - Contents

 LLANTEG DOWN THE YEARS 
SOLD OUT - BUT NOW ONLINE

CONTENTS 

Part 1: Village Background and History 

1. History of Village and House Names by Ruth Roberts and Judith Lloyd 

2. Ancient Houses by Ruth Roberts 

3. Field Names by Ruth Roberts 

4. Named Features by Ruth Roberts 

5. Local Dialect by Ruth Roberts 

6. Size of Village by Ruth Roberts 

7. Vanished and Lost Houses by Ruth Roberts 

8. Old Llanteg Families by Ruth Roberts (Davies family by Tony Brinsden) 

9. St Elidyr’s Church by Judith Lloyd 

Part 2: Nineteenth Century 

1. Zoar Chapel by Ruth Roberts 

2. Ben Price’s Recollections by Ruth Roberts 

3. Nineteenth Century Schools by Ruth Roberts 

4. Mountain Chapel by Ruth Roberts 

5. Roads by Judith Lloyd 

6. Ghost Stories by Ruth Roberts 

7. Farming Methods by Ruth Roberts 

8. Servants and Mobility by Ruth Roberts 

9. Enclosures by Ruth Roberts 

10. A Rural Tragedy by Judith Lloyd 

11. Medical Provision by Ruth Roberts 

12. Parish Relief by Ruth Roberts 

Part 3: Twentieth Century 

1. Poem by Betty James 

2. Diary Extracts of Alfred James by Mollie James 

3. Water and Electricity by Ruth Roberts 

4. Village Activities in the 1920s by Ruth Roberts 

5. School Life up to 1946 by Ruth Roberts 

6. Extracts from Crunwere School Log Book, 1935-1946, by Ruth Roberts 

7. Village Buses in the 1940s by Ruth Roberts and Dora Phillips 

8. Early Shops and Post Offices by Ruth Roberts and Susan James 

9. Village Changes over the Last Century by Tony Brinsden 

Part 4: Reminiscences 

Bibliography 

Llanteg Looking Back - Contents

 

LLANTEG - LOOKING BACK

A fourth memento of the village in words and pictures

SOLD OUT BUT TEXT NOW ONLINE

CONTENTS

Crunwere in the Early Years

Population Figures (1536-1815) by Ruth Roberts

Crunwere Wills proved at the Ecumenical Church Council of St Davids 1600 – 1857 by Owen       

                                                                                                                                      J.Vaughan

Inventory of Reignald Howell Trenewydd – 1686 by Owen J.Vaughan

Amroth Inscriptions by Owen J.Vaughan

Jury Service Availability in Crunwere – 1786-1900 by Owen J.Vaughan

General Elections (1812 and 1831) – but not as we know them! by Owen J.Vaughan

Crunwere Milestones by Ruth Roberts

The Poor of Crunwere Parish by Ruth Roberts

Early Llanteg Inquests by Ruth Roberts

Old Llanteg Families

The Allens of Crunwear by Howard G.Allen

Ancestors of Alfred James (1859-1950) by Ruth Roberts

My Mason/Lewis/James Ancestors by David Mason

The Mathias Family by Ruth Roberts

Some Ancestral Links to Crunwere by David Walling

The Family of John Allan Phelps by Allan Phelps

The Wilkins Family of Amroth and Crunwere by Ruth Roberts

Henry John and his Descendants by Ruth Roberts

The Dalton Family – Royal Connections? by Ruth Roberts

The George Family of The Downs by Ken George

Daniel and Jane/Jennett Griffiths of Crunwear (now known as Llanteg) by Helen Williams

The Jenkins Family of Lanteague by Ruth Roberts and Sue Blake

The Lewis family of Homeleigh and Coombs Farm by Greg Lewis

John Henry Martin - The Trenewydd Connection by Peter Preece

Ancestors of John Mason Ruelwall by Carol and Alan Mason

James Merrilees of Stanwell – 1890s by Darryl Gwynne

Frances Morgan –First Welsh Female Doctor and the Llanteg Connection by Ruth Roberts

Granny Gertrude and the Parsell Family of The Valley by Jean Gardner

The Family of Rev’d William David Phillips of Crunwere by Megan Crofts

The Purser Family – on the Trail of the Lost Hair Bracelet by Ruth Roberts

Follow-up on the Pursers in Pembroke – Chasing the Hair Bracelet by Owen J.Vaughan

The Scourfield Family by George Vincent

The Wilkin Family of Amroth and Crunwere by Owen J.Vaughan

20^th Century Crunwere

Some Notes on Mountain Chapel by Ruth Roberts

Mountain Chapel – Cambria Archaeology Survey – 2002/3 by Ruth Roberts

1904 Sales Notice (Crunwere Farm and Rigmanhill) by Ruth Roberts

Llanteglos House Sale 1903 and 1940 by Ruth Roberts

The South Pembrokeshire Dialect in the Llanteg Locality by Noel H.Davies

Extracts from Crunwere-related Newspaper Articles by Ruth Roberts

Extracts from St Elidyr’s Church Minute Book 1941-80 by Ruth Roberts

Early 20^th Century Obituaries by Ruth Roberts

Charles Allen 1939

Mary Davies 1928

Evelyn Ebsworth 1931

W.J.Ebsworth 1937

James Price John 1937

Elizabeth Raymond 1939

Sarah Reynolds 1933

Mary Jane Willment 1944

Elizabeth Wolff 1937

Reminiscences

Margaret Carter (née Hawes)

Alun Davies – Memories of Milton Farm

Elvie Davies – Memories of Crunwere

Kathleen Davies (née Morse)

Ruth Davies (née Williams)

Maureen Ebsworth (née Ebsworth)

Jean Gardner (née Howells)

Kenneth George

Alwyn James

Audrey James (née Rowlands)

Betty James (née Shepherd)

Hugh James

Ray James (née Davies)

Roy James

Kay Scourfield (née Scourfield)

Avrenah Tremlett (née Jones)

George Vincent

Christmas Customs

Betty Bevan

Margaret Brinsden

Margaret Carter

Noel Davies

Elizabeth Dee

Noel Ebsworth

Delmi Evans

Jean Gardner

Doreen Glanville

Lyn Harcombe

Josephine Jenkins

Nancy John

Violet Merriman

Beryl Payne

Kathleen Phillips

James Smart

Laura Thomas

Peter Thomas

George Vincent

Appendix

Llanteg History Society Members by Ruth Roberts

Bibliography

Rev W.D.Phillips and the Haverfordwest Bank Connection

An interesting article on the Phillips family who founded the Haverfordwest Bank. https://haverfordwest-town-museum.org.uk/147-2/

Why post it here on the Llanteg page? Well, a descendants of the family became the well known vicar of Crunwere, W.D.Phillips (1805-1886 & buried at Crunwere Church), who was instrumental in preventing the death penalty for the young girl Mary Prout.

W.D.Phillips was the grandson of the Samuel Levi Phillips mentioned in the article, who hailed from Germany and who founded the Haverfordwest Bank.

A fuller family history is to be found in our book Llanteg Looking Back.

1978 School Project - Marros

Some notes from Trudy Ebsworth’s Marros School Project 1978
NOT CHECKED OR VERIFIED - HOWEVER THE COUNTY BOUNDARY STREAM IS NOT CALLED CWM WAUNGRON – Ruth Roberts

The name Marros comes from Mawr Rhos – large moor.  A 16c map shows it as MARRAS.

There are many ruined cottages about – at one time there were carpenters, blacksmiths, masons, farmers, hauliers and a herbalist.  Many also worked in the small quarries.  Hetty was also called on to help deliver babies – and was called a ‘witch doctor’.
The herbalist, Hetty Wilkins, lived in the cottage behind the church, there was a grinding stone there till about 20 years ago.

The annual fair was on 10^th August, St Lawrence Day.  The Perseus meteor showers take place from 1-20^th August and were also called St Lawrence Tears.  My grandmother went to live at Marros Farm 53 years ago and there were still old animal tethering posts still in position then.

It was said there had been a toll gate a few hundred yards on the Pendine side of Marros Cross.

The old Roman Road came down via Meidrim to St Clears, Llansadurnan, Castle Lloyd and Marros and then on to the Roman Villa at Trelessy.

In 1868 30 large earthenware vessels full of bones were found by the graveyard walls.  The church was renovated and enlarged in 1884 by Alfred James of Llanteg.  There is a large slate slab in the vestry wall stating 121 additional sittings.  An old oak chest is in the vestry with the following inscription:
DX 1 CW1 8 15
Also a stag’s head brass inkstand in memory of James Thomas, clerk of Marros Church for 40 years, presented by his children.

Originally the church had a lynch gate, but it was removed when the graveyard was extended.
The eastern window shows Jesus and Mary, while the one near the lectern shows St Lawrence.  The stone font has an oak and iron lid and there is a stoup in the porch.
The oldest gravestone is from 1802.  A tall stone fixed into a round millstone was put there by Major Morgan Jones in memory of an unknown sailor who was found on Marros beach by his workmen.

The oldest person buried there was 107 and the youngest 3 days – neither had a stone.

Some of the old gravestones came from Pwll Green.  The stone for the churchyard walls came from the ruined cottages nearly.  Near the steps in the wall are inscriptions from those who helped to build it from 1786-1899.

The War Memorial
The work was carried out by Thomas Harries – Tommy Harrie, a local mason who lived at Pwll Green by the quarry.  He made no charge, all the local men gave their help freely.  Ex-servicemen were not allowed to help.  The stones from Pwll quarry were dragged by my great grandfather and great uncle with teams of horses.  The cross piece looked like a coffin – they were dragged from the megalith at Marros Mountain.

Tommie Harrie was an expert with ovens, and would also build houses and sheds.  Often walking 20 miles for work, he would make use of his time by setting rabbit snares on the way.

There are ruins at Pyett’s Well (another name for magpies).

Marros Mill was in use until 1820, farmers took corn down there with donkeys.

Wrecks

ROVER – wrecked 1870s – visible in the sand at Ragwen Point.  An Irish ship carrying coal.  Mrs Lewis of Underhill Farm apparently walked the beach all night with a lantern to warn and save lives.

TREVIGA – 1923 – a Russian ship from Riga.  Its first trip from Trinidad to Cardiff with pitch and it was trying to shelter out a storm by Caldey.

FRANCES BEDDOE – built in Saundersfoot and launched in 1877. In 1920 it ran aground in fog on Pendine Sands.  The wreck was bought by my great grandfather, William Ebsworth, Marros Farm, and the timber was used to make beams which now support the first floor of Upper Marros Farm.  The ballast of gravel was mixed with cement and used for the kitchen floor.

A cave at Telpyn Point was once used as a church for open-air meetings.  A nearby cave was called Benny’s Kitchen.

In 1576 the last wolf was killed in Telpyn Valley.  The pads were kept for many years by Sir Herbert Eccles of Island House, Laugharne.

Lots of quarries at Dyffryn at the bottom of Telpyn Valley.  The flagstones form there were used in f arm kitchens and also taken to Tenby to make pavements.

Marros School

From 1840 – opposite the church – now a shed. It has a stone plaque in the wall:
MAROS NATIONAL SCHOOL
1940
Supported by Voluntary Contributions

They took board and day pupils.  My great grandfather William Ebsworth and his brother John were day pupils.
One pupil, Harry Evans, was schooled at Marros and later Whitland went on to win a scholarship to Oxford.
The school was there till 1875 when Tremoilet was built.
One original form from that school is in the vestry.

Down at Marros Mill was Lady Well (maybe named after ‘Our Lady’ – and it had a niche for maybe a statue).

About 1630 Lady Crowe from Westmead Mansion would often travel there by donkey cart to bathe in its curative waters.

There were 3 stone circles on Pwll Mountain, and the remains of a cockpit.

Limestone was burnt in lime kilns and used as fertiliser.

A famous sculptor with Marros stone was Tom Morris – b 1804, d 1886.  He lived for 50 years at Morfabychan and is buried at Pendine Church. Tom played the violin viola and also wrote poems and ballards – he became known as the Bard of Morfabuychan.

The stone for the plinth of the Albert Memorial in Tenby came from Pwll Quarry – called ‘snowdrop marble’ because of its white flecks.

On Marros Mountain are farms Pwll Green, Sunnybank, Pwll and formally Honeypot Hill, Mutton Gate and Merriman’s Gate.

At Woodreefe there is an iron age fort, above the stream of Cwm Waungron.

At Telpyn Farm is a field called Parc Yr Eglwys – field of the church – there are two low mounds there called ‘the giant’s graves’.

At Greenbridge (pub built in 1875) my grandfather built a sheep dip in the path of the stream, just off the entrance to the cave, and he used it with my great uncle.  They could not use it after the water board started using the water so then had to go to Common Church with the sheep in a lorry.
In 1821 the Cambrian Tourist Companion stated that the area was infested with bandits.

2^nd World War

There were big guns at Clyngwyn.

Most of the land on my nans and great uncle’s farms was commandeered.  There was radar opposite the Marros farmhouse.

There were Churchill tanks on Garness and Marros Mountains, ploughing through the fields.

A concrete slab was built at Morfabychan for bombing target practice.  Marros beach was heavily mined and my great uncle’s job was to blow up the roadways leading from the beaches if ever we were invaded.

In 1943 Operation Jantzen saw 100,000 troops in the area.  There was a curfew from Monkstone to Marros.  Churchill, Eisenhower and Montgomery watched from the Wiseman’s Bridge area.

In 1942 my great aunt and grandmother entertained Lord Mountbatten and Lord Lovat to tea at Marros Farm.

Llanteg's Connection to the Attenboroughs

 

 

Photo from the late Maureen Ebsworth.
Taken about 1936 in the yard outside New Inn.
Jack James at pony's head, Ann Oriel, Sandy Mackenzie and Jane Oriel in the trap. The pony and trap belonged to Jack.

Ann & Jane were sisters, Sandy was their first cousin, his brother Richard is not in the photo.

Ann became a doctor and married Dr John Batten who became physician to the Queen.
Jane qualified in domestic science and married David Attenborough.
(Both John and David were knighted.)

Alistair Stewart Mackenzie (Sandy) 28/4/1930-31/1/1986 became regional medical officer for North West Thames Regional Health Authority (in the event of war, during the Cold War, Sandy would have become London's Regional Health Director). He is buried at Marros Church.

Oriels were long lived in Crunwere (around Garness especially - that is the one in Crunwere not at Marros) but think they go back to Marros Mill area and Underhill.

From Wiki -
In 1950, David Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel; she died in 1997. The couple had two children, Robert and Susan. Robert is a senior lecturer in bioanthropology for the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra. Susan is a former primary school headmistress.

With Ebsworth and Oriel in the name definite local connections - Jane's father was John Augustus.

John Augustus's father was David Morgan Oriel b Dowlais.

David Morgan Oriel's father was John Edwardes Oriel b Caldey in 1839.

John Edwardes Oriel's father was Benjamin b1814 at Marros.

Benjamin's father was William Oriel b Marros 1793. He married Elizabeth David from Crunwere, at Crunwere.

William's father was Thomas Oriel b1763 Marros, married Elizabeth Hanson 1782 in Crunwere..

Thomas Oriel's father shown as James b 1728 Marros m Mary Howell. Thomas married 5th Oct 1782 Crunwere Church buried 27th Dec 1818 same place.

1937 Movie of Long Lane, Llanteg

 

 

Nat Williams and his wife lived at Long Lane.  The holiday makers were a headmaster and his family from London. Granddaughter Ruth and her mother went to stay with them in London at one time.

The movie is here

Winding Up Meeting 17 Sept 2019

It was with some sadness that members unanimously voted at a recent AGM for our society to be wound up. 

Winding up of Society

On 17th September Llanteg History Society held its final meeting.  The society began with a good core back in 1999, but sadly over the years we have lost several members, and it was difficult to carry on with so few attending meetings.  As per our constitution, our remaining funds and publications are being transferred over to Llanteg Village Hall.

Tony commented that it was sad for the group to be winding up but he was proud to have been associated with the Society from its beginnings.  We had lost so many members over the years, through death, infirmity and some moving away.  Tony also thanked past member Judith Lloyd who was so instrumental with our book compiling and editing and Ruth & Andy Webb who took such an active role in the group and helped with our survey of the gravestones, taking hundreds of photographs as a permanent record of Crunwere burials.  For a small village we are gratified to have been able to collect so much of its history.
FUNDS
We will ask that our two accounts be closed with immediate effect and our funds transferred to the Village Hall Account.
SOCIETY HOLDINGS Paperwork and photographs - Research papers and photographs etc., collected over the past 20 years, will be held in the village and our books will still be available for sale, with any proceeds now going to the Village Hall.

Some other information can slowly be put online for everyone to benefit from – such as the village house histories – we have already uploaded all the gravestone pictures.  Ruth will still keep all the history blogs online so none of the existing information online will be lost.
Books – our books will still be available for sale.  Any profits from the books will now go directly to the Village Hall.
Ruth was presented with a lovely multi photo frame, flowers and a very thoughtful card – all of which were very much appreciated.

We extend much thanks to everyone who has contributed items, photographs, reminiscences or local knowledge over the years - we could not have done so much without your help.  Our six books and five booklets and various exhibitions are testament to the community involvement over the years.

Any enquiries or book orders can still be made via Ruth on 01834 831298 or ruthroberts123@gmail.com

Winding Up Meeting 17 Sept 2019

Winding up meeting of the Llanteg History Society held tonight. As per our constitution, our remaining funds and publications will be transferred over to Llanteg Village Hall. Research papers and photographs etc will still be held in the village and the books will still be available for sale. With any proceeds now going to the Village Hall. Thanks to everyone who has contributed items, photographs or knowledge over the years - we could not have done so much without your help.

The Purser Hair Bracelet/Ring

The Purser/Stokes Mourning Ring – its trail from 1803 to the present

Quote - Burke’s “General Armory” records that another family of Stokes settled in Pembrokeshire in the time of King John (1199-1216).  They also came from Caen and had the same Coat of Arms as the Stokes of Stanshawes.

While researching Llanteg village history we ordered a copy of the Will of Mrs Anne Jane Purser, a widow who lived at Llanteglos, Llanteg, and who had died in 1903.  The Will, worth over £1 million at today’s value, was interesting in regard to its detailed lists of jewellery and other items (given in full in our book Llanteg - Turning Back The Clock).  However one item made us do a ‘double take’ as we read it:

In trust for Winifred Laura Purser – a hair bracelet with fastening containing Charles 1^st’s hair and monogram surmounted by the Royal Crown.

This hair bracelet aroused our curiosity, but as we knew nothing of the Purser ancestors or descendants, our search had begun.

Not being able to trace the bracelet, we did however track down a mourning ring (also mentioned in the Purser 1903 Will) to descendants of the Purser family in Australia, and were both very surprised and delighted in the autumn of 2010 when Mr David Purser in Australia very generously and unannounced gifted the mourning ring to Llanteg Local History Society. 

Two articles relating to our researches into the Purser family ancestors and descendants were published in 2010 in Llanteg – Looking Back, and also one in Pembrokeshire Life magazine in July 2003.

Inscription on reverse of ring

Although in the Purser family the ring has an inscription to Thomas Stokes which reads:

‘Thomas Stokes Esq. died Jan 15^th 1803 aged 70’

The Thomas Stokes mentioned on the ring was traced back to Yate in Gloucestershire and is remembered on a marble memorial in St Mary Church, Yate, and he is shown as a magistrate.  The family seat was at one time Stanshawes Court, at Yate in Gloucestershire.

After Thomas Stokes the ring presumable went to his son Thomas and then to we jump to his grandson Edward Stokes who was a surgeon from Gloucestershire but who had moved to Manorbier and who died in 1828.  Edward Stokes also had a brother, Thomas, who was a surgeon at New Milford (now Milford Haven). 

Edward Stokes had a daughter Sarah Eliza Stokes, who was born around 1818.  Sarah was born in Wickwar, Gloucestershire, and ran a boarding school with her sister before marrying Thomas Purser in 1854.

Thomas Purser had been born at Monkton, Pembrokeshire, in 1815 and we have traced his family line back to the first evidence of Pursers with the Will of Henry Purser of 1663, a Husbandman residing at Bosherton.  His Will made on 6 April 1661 was proven in the E.C.C. of St David’s on 30 April 1663.  Whilst his wife and son, Margarett (sic) and Henry Purser, were executors, Henry also makes reference to his five other children: sons Francis, John, William, and Rice Purser, plus his only apparent daughter Abra.  Reference is also made to unidentified grandchildren who in 1661 were all minors (research by Owen J.Vaughan).  The following Pursers found in the 1670 Hearth Tax returns are possibly the sons of Henry and are recorded as:-
Rice Purser                              of Pwllcrochen Parish            - two hearths
William Burser (sic)                of Stackpool                            - one hearth
Henry Burser (sic)                   of Bosherton                           - two hearths

The ring then passed from Sarah (on her death) to her husband Thomas Purser (b 1815), who in turn passed it on to his second wife Jane Purser, Llanteglos, Llanteg.

Jane Purser died in 1903, and her Will leaves ‘a gold ring set with black diamonds in trust for Thomas Picton Purser (son of William Edward Purser, her stepson [and grandson of Thomas Purser] who had died in 1898) at the age of 21’.

Thomas Picton Purser was born in 1896 and received the ring when he was 21 years old – this was also the time he went to fight in World War 1. 

Thomas was working for the London City and Midland Bank, later the Midland Bank, in Carmarthen when he enlisted and was living at Suffolk House in Narberth. 
Thomas gave the ring to his fiancée.

However when Thomas Picton Purser was killed in action, his fiancée kindly gave the ring back to Thomas’s mother, Mary Anne Purser (remarried name Collins). 

Thomas Picton Purser

It was Mary Anne who removed whatever was in the centre of the ring (probably hair) and inserted a picture of her deceased son Thomas Picton Purser.

Thomas Picton Purser was living at Redstone Cottage on the 1901 census but by 1911 the family had moved to St James Street, Narberth.

Thomas’s Attestation Papers of 1916 show his residence as Suffolk House Narberth (13 Market Street).

War Service

Thomas Picton Purser, Private, 6785, Honourable Artillery Company.

Thomas was the Son of Mrs. M. A. Collins (formerly Purser), of Suffolk House, Narberth, and the late Mr. W. E. Purser.

c. From Steve John's Pembrokeshire War Memorial website

Thomas enlisted at Armoury House, London into the 1st Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company.  In March, 1917 the Division fought in the Arras Offensive, and captured Gavrelle during the Second Battle of the Scarpe, where Thomas was wounded. Thomas Died of Wounds the next day, aged just 20, on the 17^th April, 1917 and was buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension.

 

Mary Anne Purser then passed the ring to her elder son, George Frederick Purser.

After marriage in 1923 George Frederick Purser emigrated to Australia, and it was on his death in 1954 that the ring passed to his son David Picton Purser, who had the ring until 2010 when it was passed to Llanteg History Society.

With the quote at the beginning of this article suggesting a connection between the Gloucestershire Stokes and those of Pembrokeshire, with Edward and Thomas Stokes moving down to Pembrokeshire in the early 19^th century as well as the use of the Christian name Adrian in both the Stanshawe Stokes and those of St Botolphs, Pembrokeshire, we wondered if there was more of a connection to Pembrokeshire.  The ring has gone almost full circle, from Gloucestershire, then in the Purser family and being in Llanteg in 1903, only to go all the way to Australia and then come back again to Llanteg in 2010.

Thanks

With grateful thanks to many who have helped over the years - Mr Robert Stewart of London, who had coincidentally contacted our churchwarden regarding his own research into Pursers and their graves; the King Charles the Martyr Society, who, in the person of Mr Jeffrey Monk, also became interested in our quest; Researcher O.J.Vaughan and also relatives of the Llanteglos Pursers – the late Mrs Hilary Lestner of Lyme Regis and her cousin Mr David Purser in Australia, who have both been very helpful in our researches.

Llanteg History Society Blog – www.llanteghistorysociety.blogspot.com

Llanteg – Looking Back 2010

Llanteg – Turning Back The Clock 2002

Pembrokeshire Life July 2003 – The Lost Bracelet