Genealogy of The Marches

History of St. Silin Church, Llansilin, Montgomeryshire

By Arthur Baker, Esq., R.C.A., F.R.I.B.A.

Among the missionaries who came over with Cadvan from Armorica into Wales, in the sixth century, was Silin, who, after spending some time at the College at Bardsey, made a missionary tour in Cardiganshire, founding the churches of Eglwys Sulien and Capel St Silin in Llanfihangel Ystrad; and in this district, in addition to this church, the church at Wrexham, afterwards rededicated to St. Giles, and the Capel St. Silin under Wrexham.

For the fabric of his church we look in vain, for it has long since disappeared, and the British cross has been destroyed: but the memory of the founder is still preserved in the Well in a field on the west side of the road. I had the good fortune to be in the company of the Rev. Elias Owen when he discovered the Well, which is under a tree at the upper end of a field on the Tynllan Farm. From the Well is a watercourse leading down to an oblong tank.

Of the period of the existence of St. Silin s Church, or the changes in the fabric, which took place during the following six hundred years, we have no record but the pillars at the east and west ends of the nave arcade tell us that, while Valle Crucis Abbey was in course of erection, the church was being rebuilt, for the carving on the capitals is precisely similar to that of the capitals at Valle Crucis Abbey and this coincidence is very natural, as Einion Efell, lord of Cynllaeth (living at Llwyn y Maen), the ancestor of the families living at Lloran Ucha, Lloran Issa, Bodlith, and Moelwrch, etc., was first cousin to Prince Madoc, who founded Valle Crucis Abbey in 1199. But these capitals are not the only evidence of the work of this period, the small lancet-window in the south wall of the chancel being of the same date, and also the small fragment of stone, which may have belonged either to a door or to the east window.

The plan of the church at this period is a subject of interesting conjecture but I cannot speak positively about it, except that the present south aisle was the original nave and chancel, and that there was an arcade on the north, opening into an aisle but the size of the aisle or the arcade is uncertain. It was entirely altered at a subsequent date, probably late in the fifteenth or early in the sixteenth century, the old pillars and capitals (to which I have already referred) being used up. As three of these pillars are of the later date, the original early arcade was probably small, and did not run the whole length of the church.

There are two straight, vertical joints at the west end of the south wall, which suggests an arcade on that aide of the church.

But let us pass from these conjectures to imagine the beauty of the church in the thirteenth century, which was the heyday of Gothic architecture, when the aristocratic, powerful, and wealthy descendants of Prince Bleddyn ap Cynfyn spent their money freely in the adornment of their church as well as the rebuilding of their own houses.

Although there is nothing remaining in the church to mark this century, it is worthy of note that there lived at Moelfre a David Sant, who, from this title, may possibly have been a benefactor to the church or parish.

Early in the thirteenth century the church was probably collegiate, as in the foundation-charter of St. John's Hospital in Oswestry there is a grant by Bishop Reyner (1210-1215) of an annual grant of thirty shillings upon the clergy of Llansilin. The church was afterwards appropriated by Bishop Anian to the cathedral Chapter but the deed being destroyed in the wars, the appropriation was confirmed by Bishop Llewelyn ap Ynyr on April 13th, 1296.

In 1291 the parish was in the Deanery of Cynllaeth, and the value was, "Rectoria, £15; dec, £1 10s.; porcio Llewelyn, £1:6:8; non dec. Vicaria, £4; non dec."

Of the fourteenth century I have nothing to say until we come to its eventful close, when Owen Glyndowr, lord of Glyndwrda, was in rebellion against the English King, and had his chief fort and residence at Sycharth in this parish, and, doubtless, worshipped in this church.

These must have been busy and stirring times when the great artificial mound (this mound is of Saxon type), with its moat and glacis, was in making, and the fishponds, with their bottoms of clay laid in the bog, were being formed, and the water brought from the hills to fill the ponds and the moat and the circular fort, formed of massive timber (of which one has lately been dug out of the moat), was being reared. But this splendid specimen of construction and engineering skill was to be but short-lived, for in 1402, while Owen Glendowr was away fighting in Glamorganshire, Sycharth was attacked by the English, under Prince Henry, and destroyed.

I expect the church and the houses in the neighbourhood also suffered, and probably the parish did not recover for many years, for it is not until the middle of the fifteenth century that we have any record or evidence of further building operations, when Ieuan Bach, of Henblas, began the great window in the chancel, which was finished by his widow, Gwenhwyfar, daughter of Ieuan Vychan of Moelwrch, who was celebrated for his wealth and hospitality, and whose son Howel (we are told in a poem by his chief bard, Guto y Glyn) rebuilt Moelwrch.

Ieuan Bach and his wife Gwenhwyfar, in putting in the new east window, and filling it with painted glass, with the date and name of the donor inscribed upon it, were following a prevalent fashion of the day, for there are few old churches which have not evidences of east windows dating from 1430-80.

The example set by their generous gift was speedily followed, for we have evidence of reseating in a fragment of a seat-end found in the course of the present restoration, as well as part of the richly carved beam and other parts of the roodleft.

The roofs, so characteristic of the Tudor period, with the magnificent panelled ceilings (which formerly existed in both the north and south chancels), were evidently erected in the sixteenth century. Only two of the purlins remain in the north aisle but in the south aisle the panelled ceiling was found almost complete when the plaster-ceiling was removed.

The next fact of which we have a record is of a suit in the High Commission Court, about 1534, between the sons of Llewelyn ap Ieuan Vychan of Moelwrch as to the succession the one claiming by the new law of primogeniture, passed in the twenty-sixth year of Henry VIII, and the other by the ancient law of gavelkind. The award was "that Morris, the elder, should have a seat in Our Lady Chancel and the younger one, Thomas (ancestor of the house of Cefn of Braich), to have a seat in St. Silin Chancel."

At this time the image of St. Silin was standing in the chancel, opposite the pew of Thomas but it was not long to remain there, for the principles of the Reformation were soon to take root in the Principality; and as I learn from Archdeacon Thomas' History of the Diocese of St, Asaph, the venerated William Salisbury began to work in the new cause, and published "in 1546 the first book ever printed in the Welsh language". This book contained the alphabet, calendar, Creed, Lord's Prayer, Ten Commandments, and other matter and this was followed, in 1551, by his translation of the Epistles and Gospels for the year.

During the reign of Queen Mary he was obliged to hide away for seven years at Caedu, a small farmhouse in the parish of Llansannan, until the accession of Queen Elizabeth in 1558, who endeavoured to improve the state of the Welsh Church, which was then in a deplorable condition, the greater part of the clergy being non-resident.

Under such circumstances as these we cannot expect to find the fabric of the church much cared for during the early years of the Queen's reign, or be surprised that the energies of the parishioners were rather devoted to house-building. There is scarcely an old house in this parish that does not bear evidence of having been altered or beautified in this reign.

But the translation of the New Testament and the Prayer-Book into Welsh by Bishop Davies of St. Asaph (and afterwards of St. David's) and William Salisbury, and afterwards the translation of the whole Bible by Dr. William Morgan, Vicar of Llanrhaiadr in Mochnant, in 1588, as well as the steps taken by Thomas Davies, Bishop of St. Asaph from 1561-73, to carry out the work of reformation, must have had its evidence in the fabric or fittings of the church. Very probably the western gallery was erected at this time the detail of the framing of the floor appears to me to be of this date.

We now come to one of the most interesting periods in the history of the diocese,— the reign of the Stuarts and the times of the civil war. In the early part of the reign of Charles I (1633) we read of a return made by Bishop Owen, in which he states that he was much troubled in some parts of the diocese by the growth of superstition on the one hand, and on the other with the spread of that profaneness and irreverence with which the more violent of the Puritans treated the Word of God, and caricatured religion in the language of their everyday life.

As at this time Archbishop Laud, with somewhat more zeal than judgement, was enforcing discipline, correcting disorder, and promoting the repair of churches, the more regular performance of services, and reverent administration of the Holy Communion and as this district appears also to have been very loyal to King Charles, we may look in the church for some evidence of this period, and I think we shall find it in the richly molded and carved panelling of the seats, which have been used up in forming the new chancel-seats, for in one of the panels may be seen the face of a gentleman and lady of this period.

The Communion-Table I should conjecture to be of this date, both from the character of its designs and ornament, and from the fact that it was evidently made to stand with one end against the east wall, as one end is not carved. A fragment of the ancient stone altar was discovered during the restoration in 1890, and has been placed on the cill of the eastern window, in the south wall of the chancel.

I imagine that at this time the rood-loft and many of the ancient fittings were in their places, and that these new seats were part of some scheme of rearrangement.

Richard Jarvis was now Vicar of Llansilin, and must have had an eventful occupation of the living, for in 1642 the wave of civil war came in his direction, when Colonel Ellis was directed by the King to take Chirk Castle, which he accomplished on Jan. 15th, 1643. On September 5th of the following year, Montgomery Castle was given up to Sir Thomas Middleton, the commander of the Parliamentary force (whose relatives lived at Plas Newydd), who three days after was routed by Colonel Vaughan, and fled to the Castle, where he was besieged till relieved by Sir William Brereton, who had previously defeated Lord Biron on Sept. 18th. Lord Biron had passed with his army through Llansilin, on Sept. 12th, on his way to meet Sir William Brereton.

During the following year (1645) Chirk Castle was held for the King by Sir John Watts, who was a great friend of the Vicar of Llansilin, as we learn from a letter which was found by one of the workmen in a mortice-hole in a beam of the west gallery.

"Sir, — Whereas I desired your and your brother's good companies to dinner on Friday next, I shall desire you will make choice of some other day to come and dine with mee; what day in the beginninge of the next weeke you please; In regard the next Friday is our fast day which I was ignorant of when I envited you, I desire you yee shall be most welcome to mee; at all times.
" I remain e your affectionate friende,

"John Watts.
"August 6th, 1645.

" For my very good friende,

"Mr. Jarvis, minister of Llansilin."

Seven weeks after this, on Sept. 21, the King passed through Montgomeryshire, and lay that night at Llanfyllin. On the following day he marched from Llanfyllin to Brithdiw, where he dined, and then went over the mountains, through Mochnant, to Chirk Cattle. The rest of his army passed through Llansilin. On the following day, the 23rd, he advanced to Chester, and was routed on the next day at Rowton Moor. He then retreated to Denbigh Castle, and from there, after two or three days, to Chirk Castle then on the 29th he passed again through Llansilin, and quartered at Halchdyn.

Early in the following year (1646), on Feb. 23rd, the Parliamentary force from Montgomeryshire got possession of Llansilin Church, and fortified it, to keep in the men of Chirk Castle, where Sir John Watts was Governor. That some skirmishing took place in getting possession of the church, or in defending it, is evident by the bullet-holes in the door. We may imagine the delight of the Parliamentary soldiers in having possession of the church, and being able to carry out, in all its rigour, the order which was given in 1641 to deface, demolish, and quite take away, all images, altars, and tables turned altarwise, crucifixes, superstitious pictures, monuments, and relics of idolatry; and that the church-wardens should forthwith remove the Communion-Table from the east end of the church, and take away the rails, and leave the church as before the late innovation, and also the subsequent order of 1643 for the sale of all vestments.

This appears to have been supplemented by the ruthless destruction of the beautiful east window erected by Ieuan Bach of Henblas, and Gwenhyfen his wife, of Moelwrch, about the middle of the fifteenth century. Very probably the beam of the rood-loft and the seats supplied material for barricading the door and windows.

The Parliamentary forces were, however, less successful in an attack on Tymaw, for, while endeavouring to force the door, the inmates discharged from the upper windows the contents of a hive of bees, and caused them utter discomfiture.

During the reign of Charles I, Glascoed changed hands. Joha Kyffin, the son of Richard Kyffin, sold the property to his nephew, Walter Kyffin, whose heiress, Margaret, married Sir William Williams, Bart., the ancestor of the Wynns of Wynnstay. This eventful marriage, doubtless, benefited the church and to him, or the other wealthy inhabitants of the parish, I think we may attribute the introduction of the square pews. This form of pew continued in fashion until the present century. Of these pews I have kept a specimen against the vestry-screen.

When Sir William Williams died he was buried in a vault in the centre of the chancel, and a beautiful monument erected to his memory against the south wall of the south aisle.

I give an illustration of a tombstone in the churchyard, but I am not sure as to the time when it was erected. It may have been as early as 1550, or as late as 1650.

The almsbox is dated 1664.

In the reign of Queen Anne, the royal arms were placed on the north wall. Heraldic devices were favourite ornaments from the time of Queen Elizabeth to this date, and the study of heraldry and genealogies was very popular, one of the best authorities on the subject being John Davies of Rhiwlas, in the parish, who wrote his “Display of Heraldry” in 1716.

About this time the enlargement of the gallery with the front (which now forms the vestry-screen) was made.

Against the north wall of the north aisle is a very magnificent monument to David Maurice of Pen y bont, who was High Sheriff for the county. He was a junior member of the large and powerful family of the Maurices of Lloran Ucha. The monument is protected by a very beautiful metal screen.

The present east window was the gift of John Morris of South Australia, and his brother, Mr. James Morris of Ruthin, descendants of the Morris of Lloran Ucha. He also put in the window over the south door.

In 1824 the fine chandelier in the chancel was presented by Mr. Richard Roberts of Birmingham, third son of Mr. Roberts of Pen-y-Bryn. This fine specimen of nineteenth century ironwork, I am told, had a companion in the gate of the south porch. The porch has been destroyed, and the gate is now in a garden in the village, opposite the Vicarage. I trust this may some day be restored to the church.

In giving this short historical sketch of the church I have mentioned every feature but two, the old belfry and the porch, of which I can say nothing, as they were destroyed the former in 1832, the latter in 1864.

- From Archaeologia Cambrensis, Vol. XI, Fifth Series, 1894