Welsh Journals

St Mellons is so called from the Saint Melanius bishop of Rouen to whom the Norman church was dedicated. In Welsh the place is called Llaneurwg, or more properly Llanlleurwg, from Lleurwg to whom the ancient british church had been dedicated. The earliest authentic note of Lleurwg is by Bede:' AD180: Lucius Britanniae rex missa ad Eleutherium Romae episcopum epistola. ut Christianus efficiatur impetrat Eleutherius was the fourteenth pope and commenced to reign in A.D. 171 in whose life2 it is said Erant turn in Britannia pontifices quinque et viginti quos flamines vocabant. Inter hos autem tres archiflamines habebantur quorum in loco archiepiscopi tres constituti sunt ut Ptolomaeus ait. In Inquisitions Post Mortem III no. 371 {now NLW MS 7643D}, Gilbert de Clare, d. 1295, St Mellons is held by a quarter of a knight's fee by Hugh de Bereford; in Inquisitions Post Mortem III no. 538 {now NLW MS 7643D}, Gilbert de Clare, 1314, St Mellons is held by Hugh de Bereford by half a knight's fee. The parish contains 2,574 acres and the rateable value in 1815 was £ 3,443 and in 1891 £ 7,336. The population has been as follows: Year No. of inhabitants 1801 451 1811 515 1821 551 1831 564 1881 599 1891 650 The Church The church is said to have been founded as early as the second century by king Lucius, in Welsh Lleurwg, who introduced Christianity into Britain. Lucius or Lleurwg, who also founded the university of Cambridge and the church of Llandaff, was son of Coel son of Cyllin son of Caradawg (Caractacus) who was defeated by the Romans in A.D. 51 and was sent as a prisoner to Rome. The place was consequently known as St Mellons Llanlleurwg, or as it became Llaneurwg, and is still so called by the Welsh. Subsequently a Norman church was erected which was dedicated to Melanius bishop of Rouen and the place was therefore called by the English St Mellons. DATE OF PATRON institution Vicars William Howel, vicar in 1535. the living then worth £ 10 17d. David Lewis in 1560 William Thomas in 1590, to find a carbine3 10 April 1607 Robert Williams 26 Mar. 1611 Andrew Vaen, LL.B. 8 Feb. 1612 Robert Williams The bishop. by lapse 18 Dec. 1665 Henry Williams, B.A., ob. circ. 1669 The bishop 16 June 1669 Griffith Thomas, also called Griffin, also incumbent of Llanedeyrn and prebendary of S.Crucis, ob. 1715 The bishop 16 Apr. 1716 Thomas Lingen, M.A. Pembroke college, Oxford, son of Roger Lingen of Quinton, co. Gloucs., gent.; also held Llanedeym 7 July 1745. William Llewellin licensed to curacies of Llanedeyrn and St Mellons (William Edwards, vicar there) The bishop 12 Dec. 1788 Howel Thomas Archdeacon of Llandaff for this turn 5 Mar. 1798 William Birkin Meackham LL.D., afterwards Lisle The bishop 12 Mar. 1799 John Sunderland M.A., resigned 1807 Archdeacon and chapter 7 Jan. 1807 John Williams M.A., resigned 1808 The bishop for this turn 16 May 1808 Thomas Price William Jones in 1846 Edward Jenkins in 1851 1864 John Williams Evans. M.A. Jesus college Oxford, son of Evan Evans of Eglwysilan. gent.: resigned on appointment to Michaelston 1893 Theophilus Rees. ob. 1908 1908 Stephen Jackson 1927 Connop L. Price