Hamal, Gustav (d.1914)
Swedish aviator. He undertook flights from a field at Rock House, Ddole, Llandrindod Wells in 1913 and attracted large crowds. That same year he made the first three powered flights ever seen at Newtown at the famous sports, and his aircraft was put on display at a local garage. In 1914 he was lost in a flight over the English Channel.
[CAO R/X/39/1-4]
[CAO R/X/39/1-4]
Hamer, Edward (1830-post 1901)
The son of Meredith Hamer, a fuller of the Close, Llanidloes. He attended Battersea training college and went on to teach at Tal-y-waun and then Abersychan, both in Monmouthshire. In 1878 he returned to Llanidloes and kept books for a relative in the local cabinet making business. He was a keen antiquarian and published The Chartist Outbreak at Llanidloes in 1867 (2nd edition 1939). He made regular contributions to the Montgomeryshire Collections and Archaeologia Cambrensis. He also assisted W.V. Lloyd with his work The Sheriffs of Montgomeryshire and Chevalier Lloyd with A History of Powys Fadog. He moved to Birmingham and is thought to have died there early in the twentieth century.
[DWB]
[DWB]
Hamer, W. Bowen (20th cent.)
Known as an antiquarian and writer; author of Radnorshire in History, Topography and Romance. For over 60 years he worked for Messrs. H. Vaughan Vaughan and Co, solicitors, of Builth Wells, commuting by train from Rhaeadr. His first "season" (ticket?) bore the signature of Frank Grundy, the first general manager of the Mid-Wales Railway. He was a member of many local organizations including the Brecknockshire Society, The Radnorshire Society and the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. He was a contributor to many newspapers and magazines. He could recall the building of the Birmingham Corporation Waterworks in Elan Valley and their opening in 1906 (sic) by King Edward VII to whom he was presented. Lived till 82 years of age.
[Newspaper cutting (un-named and undated)]
[Newspaper cutting (un-named and undated)]
Handley, Tommy (1892-1949)
Actor and entertainer. From his variety roots he went on to be a hugely popular star of radio comedy. Performed at Llandrindod Wells Albert Hall.
[CAO R/X/39/36]
[CAO R/X/39/36]
Hanmer, Randolph (fl.1561)
Second son of Sir Thomas Hanmer of the Hanmer family of Flintshire. He married an heiress of property at Hope in Leighton and this may have begun his connection with Montgomeryshire. After the death of his first wife he remarried, this time to Lucy, daughter of John Wynn of Broughton, near Bishop’s Castle, a marriage which must have further increased his influence along the border. He was a magistrate for the county and High Sheriff in 1561.
[W.V. Lloyd - the Sheriffs of Montgomeryshire]
[W.V. Lloyd - the Sheriffs of Montgomeryshire]
Harley family
Of Brampton Bryan and Wigmore. Thomas Harley (1548?-1631) was a member of the Council of the Marches. He bought Wigmore in 1601, where his son, Sir Robert Harley (1579-1656) was born. He m. (1) Anne, dau. of Charles Barret of Essex (2) Mary, dau. of Sir Francis Newport of Salop and (3) Brilliana (she'd been born at Brill in the Netherlands). He was M.P. for Radnor borough 1604-11; knighted in 1603; served on the Council of the Marches; Master of the Mint 1626-35, 1643-49. He was a noted Puritan zealot and made Brampton Bryan a sanctuary for Puritans like Vavasor Powell. The castle was twice besieged by Royalists during the Civil War: it was defended successfully for six weeks by Lady Brilliana Harley in 1643, but she died in October 1643 and the Royalists returned in 1644 and took it.
His eldest son was Sir Edward Harley (1624-1700), M.P. for Radnor borough 1661-79. A committed Puritan like his father, he fought for Parliament during the Civil War as a colonel under Waller but made his peace with Charles II and was knighted in 1660. He became governor of Dunkirk and died at Brampton Bryan on 8 December 1700.
His eldest son was Sir Robert Harley (1661-1724), M.P. for New Radnor borough 1690-1711 and served as Speaker of the House of Commons, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1710 and Lord High Treasurer in 1711; under Anne he became virtual Prime Minister (although the office did not then exist) during the years 1710-14. He was created earl of Oxford and Mortimer in 1711. He fell from power in 1714 and was imprisoned for a time in the Tower.
His only son was Edward Harley (1689-1741), the second earl and M.P. for Radnor borough 1711-15. He died without male heirs of the body and the earldom passed to Edward Harley, whose third son, Thomas Harley (1730-1804) was based in London.
Thomas Harley was Lord Mayor of London in 1767; he was Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire 1791-1804, but there appears to be no other Welsh connection. [G.R.]
[DWB]
His eldest son was Sir Edward Harley (1624-1700), M.P. for Radnor borough 1661-79. A committed Puritan like his father, he fought for Parliament during the Civil War as a colonel under Waller but made his peace with Charles II and was knighted in 1660. He became governor of Dunkirk and died at Brampton Bryan on 8 December 1700.
His eldest son was Sir Robert Harley (1661-1724), M.P. for New Radnor borough 1690-1711 and served as Speaker of the House of Commons, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1710 and Lord High Treasurer in 1711; under Anne he became virtual Prime Minister (although the office did not then exist) during the years 1710-14. He was created earl of Oxford and Mortimer in 1711. He fell from power in 1714 and was imprisoned for a time in the Tower.
His only son was Edward Harley (1689-1741), the second earl and M.P. for Radnor borough 1711-15. He died without male heirs of the body and the earldom passed to Edward Harley, whose third son, Thomas Harley (1730-1804) was based in London.
Thomas Harley was Lord Mayor of London in 1767; he was Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire 1791-1804, but there appears to be no other Welsh connection. [G.R.]
[DWB]
Harris, Howells (1714-1773)
The youngest of three sons, Howell Harris was born at Trefecca Fawr in Breconshire in 1714. Poole claims that his father was a “respectable farmer” while John Davies (in Brycheiniog IX) asserts that his father was a Carmarthenshire carpenter. Whatever the parent’s origins Harris was clearly intended for the ministry and attended St Mary’s Hall, Oxford for one term but was refused Holy Orders. He opened a school at his home in 1736 which he moved to Talgarth church the following year. He began to tour the neighbourhood both alone and with others preaching and teaching the psalms to children. He became interested in the idea of a religious community which not only worshipped together but worked together, and he read of the work of others like the Moravian communities, who were experimenting with this concept. Large groups gathered wherever he talked and his reputation grew.
In 1737 he was ejected from his post of schoolmaster and accused of irregularities by the local vicar. He came to the attention of George Whitfield and Daniel Rowlands who were engaged on similar popular ministries and Whitfield encouraged him to continue even though he was not ordained and his ministry caused alarm among the religious and secular establishment. He continued his journeys throughout North Wales and into England speaking to large crowds. He was attacked on more than one occasion and brought before the magistrates charged with being in violation of the Conventicle Act. Harris always insisted that he was a Conformist and therefore not subject to the Act. His evangelising around the country led to the formation of local “associations” or “societies” and Daniel Rowlands and he were regarded as leaders of this Connexion.
Harris made many visits to London where he exploited his cultural connections with Welsh exiles and built upon this. He was a skilled organiser and worked hard to create an order into the upsurge in public interest. He travelled around local groups across England and Wales and helped them organise into Quarterly Associations. He corresponded with Wesley and many other figures of the Methodist Revival and unlike many Welsh members of the movement he was committed to union between Wesleyans, Moravians and the different factions, within the Church of England. Differences of emphasis and mode of expression between Rowlands and Harris led to a confrontation at a meeting at Llanidloes in 1751. This led to a split in the Connexion, and Harris, although still attracting a very large personal following, was in ill health and chose to retire from his evangelising.
In 1752, with financial help from Madam Griffith of Cefnamlwch, he laid the foundation for a new industrial community at Trefecca, “without money or friends” as he recorded in his diary. Members came slowly at first but the recruiting travels of Harris’ disciple Evan Moses, an early member of the Settlement himself, began to attract more. Some were people of substance who sold all they had and contributed toward the Settlement’s funds, others were delinquents. (Harris’s diary records “four carnal men of Wrexham”). By the end of 1755 there were a hundred members at Trefecca and a further fifty on other farms, carrying out over sixty trades. Besides the hard manual work members were expected to attend three services per day, arising at 4 a.m. to attend the first. His striving to make his community self-sufficient at the very least led him to experiment with agricultural techniques and he was one of the instigators of the founding of the Brecknockshire Agricultural Society in 1755.
In 1759, with the nation being under the apparent threat of invasion, Harris joined the local Militia rising to the rank of Captain. For his three years in the service of the crown he travelled throughout the area exploiting this opportunity to preach to new congregations. During the last years of his life he was supported by the Countess of Huntingdon who acquired the neighbouring farm of Lower Trefecca and established a college for the training of young men for the ministry.
Harris died in 1773 and his funeral at Talgarth Church was attended by 20,000 people. Despite his massive influence in the development of later nonconformity in Wales he died a communicant of the Anglican Church.
[Poole; Tom Beynon - “Howell Harris’s visits to London”; B 9; Eminent Welshmen]
In 1737 he was ejected from his post of schoolmaster and accused of irregularities by the local vicar. He came to the attention of George Whitfield and Daniel Rowlands who were engaged on similar popular ministries and Whitfield encouraged him to continue even though he was not ordained and his ministry caused alarm among the religious and secular establishment. He continued his journeys throughout North Wales and into England speaking to large crowds. He was attacked on more than one occasion and brought before the magistrates charged with being in violation of the Conventicle Act. Harris always insisted that he was a Conformist and therefore not subject to the Act. His evangelising around the country led to the formation of local “associations” or “societies” and Daniel Rowlands and he were regarded as leaders of this Connexion.
Harris made many visits to London where he exploited his cultural connections with Welsh exiles and built upon this. He was a skilled organiser and worked hard to create an order into the upsurge in public interest. He travelled around local groups across England and Wales and helped them organise into Quarterly Associations. He corresponded with Wesley and many other figures of the Methodist Revival and unlike many Welsh members of the movement he was committed to union between Wesleyans, Moravians and the different factions, within the Church of England. Differences of emphasis and mode of expression between Rowlands and Harris led to a confrontation at a meeting at Llanidloes in 1751. This led to a split in the Connexion, and Harris, although still attracting a very large personal following, was in ill health and chose to retire from his evangelising.
In 1752, with financial help from Madam Griffith of Cefnamlwch, he laid the foundation for a new industrial community at Trefecca, “without money or friends” as he recorded in his diary. Members came slowly at first but the recruiting travels of Harris’ disciple Evan Moses, an early member of the Settlement himself, began to attract more. Some were people of substance who sold all they had and contributed toward the Settlement’s funds, others were delinquents. (Harris’s diary records “four carnal men of Wrexham”). By the end of 1755 there were a hundred members at Trefecca and a further fifty on other farms, carrying out over sixty trades. Besides the hard manual work members were expected to attend three services per day, arising at 4 a.m. to attend the first. His striving to make his community self-sufficient at the very least led him to experiment with agricultural techniques and he was one of the instigators of the founding of the Brecknockshire Agricultural Society in 1755.
In 1759, with the nation being under the apparent threat of invasion, Harris joined the local Militia rising to the rank of Captain. For his three years in the service of the crown he travelled throughout the area exploiting this opportunity to preach to new congregations. During the last years of his life he was supported by the Countess of Huntingdon who acquired the neighbouring farm of Lower Trefecca and established a college for the training of young men for the ministry.
Harris died in 1773 and his funeral at Talgarth Church was attended by 20,000 people. Despite his massive influence in the development of later nonconformity in Wales he died a communicant of the Anglican Church.
[Poole; Tom Beynon - “Howell Harris’s visits to London”; B 9; Eminent Welshmen]