Welsh Journals

South Wales Squires: a Retrospect By HERBERT M.'vAUGHAN IT is just twenty years ago that I started to write about the Squires of South Wales, and I therefore venture to think that some interest may be aroused by the following additional Notes to my book, which was published by Methuen's firm in 1926. In my preface to that volume I observed, truly enough, that the status of the once-powerful squirearchy had sunk to a very low ebb, due, amongst other contributory causes, to diminished incomes, heavy taxation and scarcity of domestic service. Legislation and three wars -the South African war, the first World War, and its present sequel- have hastened the process of collapse. At first it was the smaller landowners who were chiefly affected, but now it seems to be the turn of the leading and more wealthy families. During these past four years and more of universal upheaval it will be noted how many historic and influential places have been deserted, sold and their contents scattered to the four winds. To take a few prominent instances only in Glamorgan we have seen the sale of the estate of Margam Abbey (of late years foolishly renamed Margam Castle), the ancient seat of the eminent Mansel family, represented in recent years by the wealthy Miss Talbot. Hensol Castle, in the same county, and Pantglas in Shir Gar have been turned into mental hospitals. In Monmouthshire the great house of Llanover Park has followed suit. It was originally one of the Crawshay mansions and came into the possession of Sir Benjamin Hall, first and last Lord Llanover. In his day the huge pompous edifice did not bear a high reputation for hospitality, if one can trust the doggerel rhyme Grand house, but small cheer; Large cellar, but no beer; Lord Llanover lives here The original Crawshay seat, Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil, has long been turned into public offices. But it was once reckoned the last word in size and splendour, so that it gave excuse for the local expression for any absurd claim Gwelais un pili-pala Yn codi Plas Cyfarthfa." (I have seen a single butterfly a-building the great palace of Cyfarthfa.) In Cardiganshire the abiding influence and fame of Hafod, that