Llanfihangel Nant Bran, Pugh, Memorial Tablet

[Llanfihangel]

I would like to contact someone who could check the existence of a memorial plaque to "Thomas and Eleanora Pugh" in St Michael's church at Llanfihangel Nant Bran.
Also from anyone who knows more about the Pughs who lived there in the 1600s to 1700s.
I have a Bishop's transcript record of "Thomas, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Pugh" who was baptised there in 1714. And I have good records for Evan Pugh (1743) and his descendants who lived there for the next 100 years


Many thanks!

Llanfi

[Kayzee]

Hi,
   Can you wait for the thaw? I will visit the Church for you when I can get ny car off the yard!

[Llanfihangel]

Of course!
Many thanks for your kindness! And if you don't get there this month, may I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year..
Best Regards.
Llanfi

[Kayzee]

Hi,
   First day that I could get my car off the yard today, but also the day my first grandchild was born - so didn't get to the Church! However, I've spoken to someone on the phone who tells me there is a plaque in the Church for 'Evan Pugh died 1819 late of this village'. She tells me there are a lot of inscriptions in the Church that are high up & difficult to read, but I will certainly go to see a.s.a.p.. Just thought I would let you know about Evan.
    Will be intouch - no need to reply.

[Llanfihangel]

Thank you, Kayzee!

That information fits exactly with my knowledge of Evan Pugh, but this is the first time I've known of  the date of his death (1819).

He married Joan Jones in 1779, and their children were Samuel, Thomas, David, Mary, Catharine, and Anne in Llanfihangel Nant Bran when he died in 1819.

Thomas was a Maltster and Anne ran "The Three Horseshoes" Public House in Llanfihangel Nant Bran.

The "Old Malt House" is still there, and I think "The Three Horseshoes" is probably the nice looking house next door, now called "The Granary".

I have a record of the baptism of Thomas Pugh son of Thomas Pugh and Elizabeth in Llanfihangel Nant Bran Church over a century earlier in 1714.

So the Memorial to Thomas and Eleanora might be covered with a lot of cobwebs by now!

Best regards,

Llanfi  

[Kayzee]

Hi,
   I popped up to the Church yesterday, but it was a little disappointing. There are only 10 tablets altogether, of which only 5 are legible to me. They are very high up & in very poor condition. Even the Evan Pugh one is not recognisable to me. The information I received about his death in 1819 was gained from a pamplet which I can only assume was done some years ago. There were no other Pughs mentioned, so I can only assume if there was another tablet, it was already illegible when the pamplet was written.
    However, I know the people who live in what was the 3 Horseshoes pub, now called The Pentre ( The Granary attached was a granary & coach house), they also own The Malt House (both the Granary & Malt House are holiday lets - so you could stay in them!). I have spoken to the owners & although they didn't seem to have any knowledge of the Pugh's, they were interested, so maybe they will come up with some information in the New Year.
   Also, there is a chap locally who was very keen on the local history & he might have some info, but he was quite frail when I met him 20 years ago, so I will enquire as to how open he might be to some questions as he might have some knowledge.
    You will of course understand that all these people are farmers & it is a very busy time with the snow & Christmas, so although I may not come up with anything immediately, I will try to find out something for you before the lambing season which up here is March. Keep your fingers crossed that this 2nd fall of snow thaws quicker than the last!
    Have you looked in the Churchyard for inscriptions? I assume as you have knowledge of the village that perhaps you have? I don't want to waste my time looking there if you already have.
   Sorry for the lack of info.

[Kayzee]

Forgot to say, the owners of the Granary tell me there is a date stone of 1822 on it.

[Llanfihangel]

To Kayzee,
I am really grateful for your help in this, and I send you my best wishes from Canada. I have become aware of Llanfihangel Nant Bran because of my ancestry search, but I haven't visited the village. Maybe next year. Most of my information regarding the Pughs has been garnered from Census records and Bishop's Transcripts. The Census data is available on the Internet and the Bishop's Transcripts came from the Library of Wales. Perhaps my most important "finds" were a will made by David Pugh in Llanfihangel Nant Bran in 1826, and data from "Garfydd" on RootsChat. Google Street View provides an excellent series of images of the Village. In the early 1800s the Pughs ran a Coopers shop, Pub, Shoemakers, and Malt House there. They seem to have dispersed to other parts of Wales by about 1850, but I expect there are still a number of Pugh's around there!For example, there was a family of Pughs in Llandeilo'r Fan, the parish next door, who might be related somehow. The search has been very interesting for me, and I appreciate all the help I have received from you and others on Rootschat.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family,
Llanfi

[Kayzee]

Hi,
   I'm not sure how much this will help as it is all 'later' information, but I visited the record office in Llandrindod Wells to help out a friend & I thought I would do a quick search for some Pughs. Unfortunately, the records there only go back to 1813 & I only got to look at the burials.
Evan Pugh bd 24 Jly 1819 aged 76 of Llanfihangel Village
David Pugh bd 17 Jan 1826 aged 33 of Village
Thomas Pugh bd 10 Feb 1853 aged 67 of Village
Margaret Pugh bd 25 Dec 1871 aged 80 of Upper Talern? Llanfihangel Nant Bran.
Henry Rees Pugh 10 JLy 1919 Pentwyn Cottage
 
A feeble effort I know, but a start! Let me know if you would like me to check the birth & marriage records next time I go - it might not be in the very near future. If you do come to Wales, the National Library probably has the earlier registers.