Old Llyfnant Valley Farming Families

Old Llyfnant Farming Families
Including the Jones of Glandwr and the Davies of Caeadda

Discover the forgotten heart of the Welsh uplands in this sweeping family and social history by historian Antony David Davies.

Drawing on parish registers, chapel minute books, Victorian newspapers, family wills, and even DNA evidence, Davies traces the intertwined stories of the Jenkins, Jones, Pugh, Owen, and Davies families who once dominated the secluded Llyfnant Valley near Machynlleth. From the great sheep-farming era of the nineteenth century to the agricultural depression and the slow erosion of rural life, he reveals a world of shepherds and chapel deacons, formidable farming women, and ambitious sons who left for Birmingham, London, and beyond.

Inside you'll find:

• Vivid portraits of Victorian shepherding, shearing days, and the dramatic seasonal rhythms of upland farming.

• The social history of Welsh Nonconformist chapels, rural markets, and Eisteddfod culture.

• Detailed family narratives-from prosperous wool merchants to pioneering emigrants and soldiers lost at Passchendaele.

• Rare photographs, local legends, and insights from modern DNA research that illuminate centuries of Welsh life.

Both an intimate genealogy and a richly textured study of a vanished way of life, Old Llyfnant Farming Families is essential reading for anyone interested in Welsh history, rural Britain, or the enduring legacy of family and landscape.

Perfect for readers of local history, genealogy, and the social history of Wales.