Welsh Journals

PWLLHELI: AN OLD WELSH TOWN AND ITS HISTORY. By D. G. Lloyd Hughes. Gomer Press, Llandysul, 1991. Pp. xx, 369. £ 15.00. This book, which traces aspects of the history of Pwllheli from earliest times to the present day, is a welcome addition to the histories of Welsh towns compiled over the years by dedicated local amateur historians. One cannot but be impressed by the amount of material which the author has so diligently garnered over a period of about thirty years and at considerable personal expense. He has scoured 'libraries galore' and archives not only in Wales but further afield; this, surely, is a labour of love, driven by his pride in his native town. The author states in his Preface that this work is not a mere translation of his earlier book on the history of Pwllheli which he wrote in Welsh and published in 1986. New material has been incorporated and two chapters from the previous book have been deleted together with certain appendices and all references. Fully referenced typescript copies of the work have been deposited in named libraries. In presenting a history covering such a length of time it was necessary to be selective of topics. There is a familiar ring to those the author has chosen: the town's physical development, its governance, public services, transport, trade and industry, education, religion and cultural and recreational activities. One gains the impression, however, that after the formative years of the nineteenth century, the years of the twentieth (at least since 1914) are little more than brief appendages, as it were, to each of the chapters. Indeed, in Appendix B the 'notable years in Pwllheli's history' end in 1916 and 'some important events not mentioned in the narrative' terminate in 1914. Have there been no notable years and interesting events since? However, the treatment of each topic, in his favoured century in particular, is very thorough and well presented. Two major projects designed to advance Pwllheli's status stand out: the development of West End and South Beach on a tract of land adjacent to the coastal dunes, in response to the influx of tourists after the coming of the railway in 1867, and the creation of an extensive harbour. Neither attained its potential before the end of the century; the harbour came into its own only very recently as a result of its development as a marina. At a time when local government is once again subject to criticism and review, the author's record of the activities (or lack of them) of the town council in the early days of its being are of especial interest: the members of the first municipal council in 1835 nominated themselves; no by- elections were held to fill mid-term vacancies; many prescribed meetings were not held and nobody attended to cast a vote in the election of 1847. For nine years thereafter the council was defunct. When it was eventually revived it was, for decades, very short of money and loath to initiate any worthwhile improvements for the benefit of townspeople. Equally absorbing is the author's description of the founding and fortunes of schools, churches and chapels in the town. For readers not familiar with the town a map showing the location of streets, buildings, districts, etc., mentioned in the text would have been helpful. Expressing his contempt for the findings of the commissioners who were responsible for the Education Blue Books of 1847, the author comments that their 'personal