Pentrefelin / Defynnog nr Brecon : Local knowledge please

[cockney rebel]

Hi there,

My ancestor David Walter Powell lived in Pentrefelin (Brecon) during the early 1800s at somewhere known as Little Hall.

Also,he was involved ( financially or otherwise) in the building of a local Wesleyan chapel around 1809.
Would this chapel have been in Pentrevelin or in Defynnog?

Does anybody know if these places still exist or where exactly they were ?

Grateful for any help or pointers in the right direction,

Rebel

[Greensleeves]

Hi
I'm not sure I can be of much assistance, but you may be interested to know that Pentrefelin is about 10 miles west of Brecon, slightly to the north (roughly) of Sennybridge.  The name Little Hall  might well appear on maps (either modern or old) in the Welsh version, namely Neuadd Fach (or Neuadd-fach).

Defynnog is slightly to the south of Sennybridge; I know there is at least one chapel there but am afraid I don't know the denomination. If I can find out, I will post again.

If you look on the map you will see that Pentrefelin is more of a hamlet than a village; I can't from a cursory glance find any mention of a chapel on a modern map, but older ones might tell a different story.

I am not sure what the sizes of Pentrefelin and Defynnog were in the early 1800s.  I know that things changed around Sennybridge dramatically with the coming of the railway; and that there was a tramway which ran from Sennybridge, through Defynnog, down to the valleys, but I am not sure of the dates.  Will let you know if I find any more.
Regards
Greensleeves

[Greensleeves]

Have just had a closer look on the maps, and there is a Soar chapel in Pentrefelin, and a larger (un-named) chapel and manse in Defynnog.  Which isn't really much help at all, is it!

[cockney rebel]

Hi Greensleeves!

Thankyou for your replies....I had rather given up hope that anyone would answer at all!

It had never occured to me to think that Little Hall would be called something else in Welsh!
Sadly,I have no access to any old maps of the area. I bought a reprint an old Brecon Beacons map,but the area is just too large and the scale too small.
I entered Neuadd Fach into the NatLib Wales database...one hit for a map which I could order if I believed it was the same place.It says in brackets Tirneuadd.....any idea what this would mean?

Thanks for your help
Rebel

[Greensleeves]

Hi Rebel
Tirneuadd is roughly translated as Hall House (Tir = house, Neuadd is hall as in the squire's house).
I happen to have some old 'County Series' maps at work and when I get a chance I'll have a look to see if I can find anything for you.  I've had a look at the modern digital maps but can't find anything, but there are plenty of other sources I can check.  (I work for a conservation authority in this area so I have access to a wealth of heritage information.)  I'll let you know once I've had a hunt, whether or not I've found anything of interest.  Also, one of my colleagues lives in Defynnog so I'll ask her about the chapel there.

Regards
Greensleeves

[Greensleeves]

Well, apologies for the delay, but I have at last managed to look at some old maps of Pentrefelin and Defynnog.  It looks as though there was a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Defynnog, as well as a Calvanistic Methodist Chapel known as Trinity Chapel.  Defynnog appears to have had a Calvanistic Methodist Chapel.

Regards,
Greensleeves

[Koromo]

Gidday Rebel

I've recently been going back over these Defynnog/Senny POWELLs. Did the father of David Walter Powell (c1775-1834) also use Walter as a middle name, or was he plain David Powell?

By the way, I've found a memorial inscription for Elizabeth POWELL née BASKETT, d. 3 July 1778, aged 25, buried St Cynog, Defynnog.  Did you have that?

I'm chasing a Walter POWELL (1690-1780) of Treweren (about 1 km west of Abersenny on this map) who may be connected somehow with our lot, also buried at St Cynog.  He might be to do with that David WALTER d. 1723 of Maeswalter, Ystradfellte, and could be a forebear of John POWELL, Walter-POWELL-the-attorney's first partner and possible cousin ... I wake up at night on the edge of bad dreams with these names swirling around and around ...

Cheers
Koromo

[cockney rebel]

Hi there,

firstly to Greensleeves :

Thankyou for taking the time to help me on this.
Although I am regularly in and out of Rootschat (but more in winter than in summer)it's the first time Ihave seen that I have a "new message". I thought I always got an email notification,but obviously not....perhaps there was too much time inbetween ?
So,please forgive what you thought were my bad manners!

I've also done a few searches but have not come up with any thing much ,so I've put that aside for the moment until I find out a little more.
Thanks once again
Rebel

and now to Koromo :
Wow! and where have you been ? thought I'd lost you!
Did you ever get to know that my James Noble problem finally got solved ?...but ,shame.not by me.

No,I don't have the MI for eliz Powell/Baskett...would a pretty-please hep?!

David Powell snr seems to be without the Walter.
I have so few references to him that  I don't need to check.
A while back I bought the Cd of the Brecon history book which has the Powell pedigree,he's just plain David Powell in that too. ...if you haven't got it.just let me know...do you still have my email address?

Good to have yer back and I trust all is well,
Power to the Powells!
Rebel

[Koromo]

Wow! and where have you been ? thought I'd lost you!

Awwww!  I've been here ...    and all's well.

I knew you'd established James Noble's death/will, but have you found out more about him?

If your email is the same one you've had for years, yes I do still have it.  Let me gather my thoughts again and dig out various tidbits of info, and I'll get in touch.

Power to the Powells?  Humph!  They continue to have the power to bewilder and confusticate! 


Koromo