Latham, George (1881 - 1939)
Footballer from Newtown. He played wing half or full back for Newtown, Liverpool, Southport Central, Cardiff City (trainer), and Chester (trainer). He won 10 international caps for Wales 1905-1913. During the First World War Latham served as a captain in the 7th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers on the Turkish Front, winning the Military Cross. He acted as manager to the Great Britain Olympic team of 1924 and played an important part in Cardiff's preparation for the 1927 FA Cup final. He did much charitable work, regularly raising money for the Newtown hospital where his mother was matron. Latham Park, home of Newtown FC is named after him.
[Davies & Garland]
[Davies & Garland]
Leighton: Leighton Hall
This palatial Victorian gothic mansion was built 1851 for John Naylor, who was a very wealthy banker from Liverpool. He hired Liverpool architect W.H. Gee to build both a new hall and parish church at Leighton and the interior was designed by Augustus Pugin, who worked on the houses of Parliament. It is so similar in both scale and detail that it has been used by filmmakers and TV producers as a stand in for the real Palace of Westminster. Like many leading Victorians, John Naylor was greatly interested in using some of his money to encourage new ideas. He was particularly interested in trying out new ways to improve agriculture, for most farming methods had hardly changed for hundreds of years.Other improvements to his estate included a private gasworks to provide lighting for Leighton Hall and a model farm. He had a waterworks built to manage water supply both for sanitary arrangements and to power machinery. The grounds and parkland at the hall were designed by Edward Kemp with much planting of unusual specimens of tree from far and wide.
[Haslam; MC]
[Haslam; MC]
Leighton, Robert (d.1689)
Of Wattlesborough just over the border with Shropshire. He was MP for Shrewsbury 1661-78 and Sheriff of Shropshire in 1688. He was appointed Sheriff of Montgomeryshire on 2nd Jan 1688 but died in 1689 and probably declined the honour due to declining health.
[MC 62]
[MC 62]
Levi, Thomas (1825-1916)
Minister, author and publisher. Born and brought up in poverty in Ystradgynlais, Levi worked in the iron works as a boy and had little eductaion. He was active in chapel though and began preaching at 21. By 1855 he was a minister at Ynys Chapel in Ystradgynlais, later moving to Morriston and then Aberystwyth. he published Welsh language books on theology, history and poetry and translated many more into Welsh from English. He founded the popular children's magazine Trysorfa y Plant in 1862 and edited it until 1911. he played an important role in ensuring that monuments were erected to the great figures of Welsh nonconformist history.
["Awakening the Giants" leaflet; DWB]
["Awakening the Giants" leaflet; DWB]
Lewis, Eiluned (b.1900)
Daughter of Hugh Lewis of Glan Hafren, Newtown. Eiluned Lewis was a journalist and novelist. She worked as a columnist and reviewer for many years on the Daily News and later the Sunday Times, and wrote the Countrywoman’s Notes column in Country Life for many years. She was also the author of the novel Dew on the Grass (1934) and some poetry.
[From the introduction to "A Companionable Talent: stories and recollections" by Eiluned Lewis]
[From the introduction to "A Companionable Talent: stories and recollections" by Eiluned Lewis]
Lewis, Sir George Cornewall (1806-1863)
Son of Sir Thomas Frankland Lewis, MP, of Harpton Court, Radnorshire (see below). Educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. His first public appointment was as assistant commissioner to inquire into the condition of the poorer classes in Ireland in 1833 and he served on many other commissions including the Poor Law Commission. In 1844 he married Maria widow of Thomas Henry Lister, and sister of the Earl of Clarendon. He became Liberal MP for Herefordshire in 1847 and was made secretary to Board of Control the same year, under-secretary for the Home Department in1848, financial secretary to the Treasury from 1850-2 before losing his seat in 1852. He was an important scholar of early history and culture, and as well as having a complete mastery of classical languages he was fluent also in many modern languages, but thought the Welsh language “villainous”.
He was editor of the Edinburgh Review, a Trustee of the British Museum, and along with Gladstone and Carlyle one of the first members of the committee of the London Library. He only ever won a constituency when standing unopposed. He succeeded both to the baronetcy and his father’s seat for the Radnor boroughs on the death of his father in 1855. Although an active and able politician he seems to have had little sense of public accountability, perhaps feeling that his place in public life was due to him by virtue of his status as a member of an ancient landowning family. He succeeded Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1855 despite a reputation as a poor speaker in the house and went on to serve as Home Secretary (1859-61), and Secretary for State for War (1861-3).
His publications included Enquiry into the Credibility of the Early Roman History, An Essay on the Government of Dependencies and A Treatise on the Methods of Observation and Reasoning in Politics.
After his death a 77ft high memorial was erected in his memory at New Radnor. (See left)
[DNB; The Hereford Times of 8 Jul 1911; Dr RWD Fenn – The Life and Times of Sir George Cornewall Lewis, Bart]
His publications included Enquiry into the Credibility of the Early Roman History, An Essay on the Government of Dependencies and A Treatise on the Methods of Observation and Reasoning in Politics.
After his death a 77ft high memorial was erected in his memory at New Radnor. (See left)
[DNB; The Hereford Times of 8 Jul 1911; Dr RWD Fenn – The Life and Times of Sir George Cornewall Lewis, Bart]
Lewis, Lewis junior
Tried at Breconshire Great Sessions 1789 for murder and executed. In the parish of Llanbadarnfawr on 31 October 1784 he assaulted Thomas Price beating him with a stick and strangling him with a rope. The Hereford Journal of 2 September 1789 reports the hanging on 28 August, the first for 32 years at Brecon, attended by the High Sheriff in a mourning coach and his Deputy on horseback. It reports that having murdered Thomas Price his murderers sank the body in a pool in the hills and when they found this would not effectively conceal it they tried unsuccessfully to burn it to ashes and had to resort burying it - part in the garden of one of the culprits and part in another's.
It reports also that the Lewis family had been the terror of the whole county for many years and cites his father as having been reprieved for transportation the previous year; likewise an uncle; a second uncle currently aboard a ship for Botany Bay; this latter uncle's wife as having been tried for murder of her bastard; a brother having been tried for sheep stealing and another brother as turning King's evidence against him.
[Mossop]
It reports also that the Lewis family had been the terror of the whole county for many years and cites his father as having been reprieved for transportation the previous year; likewise an uncle; a second uncle currently aboard a ship for Botany Bay; this latter uncle's wife as having been tried for murder of her bastard; a brother having been tried for sheep stealing and another brother as turning King's evidence against him.
[Mossop]
Lewis, Lewis senior
Tried at Breconshire Great Sessions 1790 for the murder of Thomas Price (see above) and executed. No indictment under 1790. Ordered for execution on Friday 2 September 1791.
[Mossop]
[Mossop]
Lewis, Sir Thomas Frankland (1780-1855)
Father of Sir George Cornewall Lewis (see above), a great parliamentarian. Born in London on 14 May 1780, Sir Thomas was educated at Eton and Christ's College, Oxford. Became High Sheriff for Radnorshire in 1804 and later resigned his parliamentary seat for Beaumaris in order to be elected for Radnorshire, which he represented 1828-34. Held many important Commissioner of Inquiry posts, was created a Baronet on 11 July 1846 and was a member for the Radnor Boroughs from 1847 until his death, which took place at Harpton on 22 Jan 1855.
[Newspaper cutting from The Hereford Times of 8 Jul 1911 - ]
[Newspaper cutting from The Hereford Times of 8 Jul 1911 - ]