Mail coaches
Captain Otway's coach at the Rock Park Hotel, Llandrindod Wells
Trade Directories from the first half of the 19th century reveal a number of coaches running services to communities in the three old counties which make up Powys. These are listed below.
Captain Otway’s coach: A rather late coach service established in 1876 by Captain Otway to connect Presteigne with communities to the west. (Presteigne was connected to England by rail). The coach took 8 hours to travel from Presteigne to Aberystwyth via Llandrindod Wells, using 40 horses overall on the journey, with regular changes. The fare was 30 shillings [£1.50] inside and 25 shillings [£1.25] outside.
Collegian: Summer Brecon to Aberystwyth coach leaving the Castle Hotel at 7 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Dart: Brecon to Llandrindod Wells coach service (before there was a town of Llandrindod Wells!) calling at Bronllys and Builth. The coach left the Castle Hotel at 8 am on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Monday and Friday in summer the coach ran an Aberystwyth to Kidderminster service calling at Llanidloes, Newtown and Montgomery.
Duke of Wellington: On Monday and Friday this coach ran a Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth coach service calling at Llanfair Caereinion, Cann Office, and Mallwyd. The service only ran on Fridays in winter. On Wednesday in summer the service ran from Welshpool to Barmouth via Llanfair Caereinion, Cann Office, and Mallwyd.
Express: A coach service connecting Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury on Wednesday and Friday and calling at Ponterwyd, Llanidloes, Newtown and Welshpool.
Fusileer (sic): Brecon to Bristol service leaving the Bell Inn, Brecon at 7 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and calling at Crickhowell, Abergavenny and Raglan
Greyhound: A trade directory of 1858 records this coach running a daily service between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury stopping at the Royal Oak Hotel, Welshpool
Imperial: Brecon to Swansea coach service leaving the Castle Hotel at 8 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and stopping at Merthyr Tudfil, and Neath.
Nettle: Daily Aberystwyth to Liverpool return service (except Sunday) calling at Ponterwyd, Llanidloes, Newtown and Welshpool. The service ran in summer only.
Nimrod: Daily service to London leaving High St., Brecon at 7 am and calling at Crickhowell, Abergavenny, Monmouth and Bristol.
Paul Pry: Daily London to Carmarthen return service (except Sunday) calling at Monmouth, Abergavenny, Crickhowell, Brecon, Trecastle, Llandovery, and Llandeilo.
Prince Regent: The redoubtable Mrs Mercy Tomlinson advertised a service in 1825 from Chester on every day except Sunday calling at Oswestry, Welshpool and Newtown and "carrying four inside only".
Prince of Wales: Return coach service running between Aberystwyth and Cheltenham in the summer months on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and calling at Llanidloes, Rhayader, Pen-y-bont, New Radnor, Presteigne, Leominster, and Gloucester.
Red Rover: Brecon to Carmarthen service leaving the Bell Inn at 6.30 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and stopping at Trecastle, Llandovery and Llandeilo.
Royal Dart: A light post coach which began a daily service in 1827 between Brecon and Newtown taking around 10 hours and calling at Builth, Llandrindod Wells, Llanddewi, and Llanbadarn Fynydd.
Royal Mail: Daily coaches from the Castle Hotel at Brecon to London, leaving at 8.30 and calling at Crickhowell, Abergavenny, and Monmouth. A Royal mail coach also ran a daily Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth coach through Montgomery, Newtown and Machynlleth.
Sovereign: A summer only coach service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and going through Llanidloes, Newtown and Montgomery. It also ran a Worcester to Aberystwyth service in some years through Presteigne, New Radnor, Kington and Hereford.
Tally-Ho: A Hereford to Aberystwyth coach service on Tuesday and Thursday calling at Kington, New Radnor, Presteigne, Pen-y-bont and Rhayader.
Telegraph: The Telegraph ran a return Brecon to Worcester service leaving the Castle Hotel at Brecon at 5 am on Monday Wednesday and Friday and travelling through Hay, Presteigne, Hereford, Ledbury and Great Malvern.
Union: A year-round coach service between Aberystwyth and London on Tuesday and Saturday calling at Llanidloes, Newtown, Welshpool, Shrewsbury and Birmingham.
Victoria: A coach service through Machynlleth to Aberystwyth on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and doing the return journey on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The coach stopped at the Herbert Arms in Machynlleth.
Accommodation: Swansea to Hereford service running on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday in 1816 and calling at Neath, Merthyr, Brecon and Hay. The service was run by Messrs Bennett, Longfellow and Co. A coach called the Accommodation also ran a Machynlleth-Towyn service around 1840 during the summer months.
Ancient Briton: A Swansea to Hereford service running thrice weekly and calling at Neath, Merthyr and Abergavenny. The journey took around 15 hours.
Cambrian: A return Carmarthen to Worcester coach service running on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and calling at Llandeilo, Llandovery, Trecastle, Brecon, Hay, Hereford, Ledbury and Great Malvern.
Captain Otway’s coach: A rather late coach service established in 1876 by Captain Otway to connect Presteigne with communities to the west. (Presteigne was connected to England by rail). The coach took 8 hours to travel from Presteigne to Aberystwyth via Llandrindod Wells, using 40 horses overall on the journey, with regular changes. The fare was 30 shillings [£1.50] inside and 25 shillings [£1.25] outside.
Collegian: Summer Brecon to Aberystwyth coach leaving the Castle Hotel at 7 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Dart: Brecon to Llandrindod Wells coach service (before there was a town of Llandrindod Wells!) calling at Bronllys and Builth. The coach left the Castle Hotel at 8 am on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Monday and Friday in summer the coach ran an Aberystwyth to Kidderminster service calling at Llanidloes, Newtown and Montgomery.
Duke of Wellington: On Monday and Friday this coach ran a Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth coach service calling at Llanfair Caereinion, Cann Office, and Mallwyd. The service only ran on Fridays in winter. On Wednesday in summer the service ran from Welshpool to Barmouth via Llanfair Caereinion, Cann Office, and Mallwyd.
Express: A coach service connecting Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury on Wednesday and Friday and calling at Ponterwyd, Llanidloes, Newtown and Welshpool.
Fusileer (sic): Brecon to Bristol service leaving the Bell Inn, Brecon at 7 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and calling at Crickhowell, Abergavenny and Raglan
Greyhound: A trade directory of 1858 records this coach running a daily service between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury stopping at the Royal Oak Hotel, Welshpool
Imperial: Brecon to Swansea coach service leaving the Castle Hotel at 8 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and stopping at Merthyr Tudfil, and Neath.
Nettle: Daily Aberystwyth to Liverpool return service (except Sunday) calling at Ponterwyd, Llanidloes, Newtown and Welshpool. The service ran in summer only.
Nimrod: Daily service to London leaving High St., Brecon at 7 am and calling at Crickhowell, Abergavenny, Monmouth and Bristol.
Paul Pry: Daily London to Carmarthen return service (except Sunday) calling at Monmouth, Abergavenny, Crickhowell, Brecon, Trecastle, Llandovery, and Llandeilo.
Prince Regent: The redoubtable Mrs Mercy Tomlinson advertised a service in 1825 from Chester on every day except Sunday calling at Oswestry, Welshpool and Newtown and "carrying four inside only".
Prince of Wales: Return coach service running between Aberystwyth and Cheltenham in the summer months on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and calling at Llanidloes, Rhayader, Pen-y-bont, New Radnor, Presteigne, Leominster, and Gloucester.
Red Rover: Brecon to Carmarthen service leaving the Bell Inn at 6.30 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and stopping at Trecastle, Llandovery and Llandeilo.
Royal Dart: A light post coach which began a daily service in 1827 between Brecon and Newtown taking around 10 hours and calling at Builth, Llandrindod Wells, Llanddewi, and Llanbadarn Fynydd.
Royal Mail: Daily coaches from the Castle Hotel at Brecon to London, leaving at 8.30 and calling at Crickhowell, Abergavenny, and Monmouth. A Royal mail coach also ran a daily Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth coach through Montgomery, Newtown and Machynlleth.
Sovereign: A summer only coach service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and going through Llanidloes, Newtown and Montgomery. It also ran a Worcester to Aberystwyth service in some years through Presteigne, New Radnor, Kington and Hereford.
Tally-Ho: A Hereford to Aberystwyth coach service on Tuesday and Thursday calling at Kington, New Radnor, Presteigne, Pen-y-bont and Rhayader.
Telegraph: The Telegraph ran a return Brecon to Worcester service leaving the Castle Hotel at Brecon at 5 am on Monday Wednesday and Friday and travelling through Hay, Presteigne, Hereford, Ledbury and Great Malvern.
Union: A year-round coach service between Aberystwyth and London on Tuesday and Saturday calling at Llanidloes, Newtown, Welshpool, Shrewsbury and Birmingham.
Victoria: A coach service through Machynlleth to Aberystwyth on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and doing the return journey on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The coach stopped at the Herbert Arms in Machynlleth.
Accommodation: Swansea to Hereford service running on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday in 1816 and calling at Neath, Merthyr, Brecon and Hay. The service was run by Messrs Bennett, Longfellow and Co. A coach called the Accommodation also ran a Machynlleth-Towyn service around 1840 during the summer months.
Ancient Briton: A Swansea to Hereford service running thrice weekly and calling at Neath, Merthyr and Abergavenny. The journey took around 15 hours.
Cambrian: A return Carmarthen to Worcester coach service running on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and calling at Llandeilo, Llandovery, Trecastle, Brecon, Hay, Hereford, Ledbury and Great Malvern.
Manchester & Milford Railway Company
See under: Railways
Mason, Thomas (1620/1 - 1705)
The Mason family originated from Bishop's Castle and held land in Churchstoke parish. Thomas was the younger brother of Sir Richard Mason who was Controller of the Household to Charles II and MP for Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. Thomas became an Attorney of the King's Bench like his brother and was agent to Sir Henry Herbert for a while. He was listed as a magistrate in 1681 and was appointed Sheriff of Montgomeryshire during 1688 when he was said to be "of Rockley" in the parish of Churchstoke. Both Thomas' sons served as MP for Bishop's Castle, the younger Charles serving also as MP for Montgomery Boroughs for a while as well as Controller of the Mint and Paymaster of Transport.
[MC 62]
[MC 62]
Maurice, David (d.1677/8)
The Maurice family came originally from Llansilin in Denbighshire. David (of Pen-y-bont) was the son of Edward (below) who was sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1640. David Maurice himself was appointed Sheriff on 10th November 1676. As a Justice of the Peace he had had a reputation for severity towards Montgomeryshire Quakers. He was said by Richard Davies, a senior Quaker, to have been in a rage when he discovered that he could not act as a justice during his shrievalty. He is also said to have removed (at the request of the vicar), a boundary stone in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant called Carreg-y-big, and deposited it in the river Tanat. Maurice is reported to have drowned in the river near this spot having been thrown from his horse. Many considered this to be retribution.
[MC 61]
[MC 61]
Maurice, Edward (fl. 1640)
Of Pen-y-bont in Denbighshire. His sister Thomasina married Lloyd Piers of Maesmawr in Guilsfield parish, who was Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1636. He was himself appointed Sheriff in 1640.
[MC 27]
[MC 27]
Mawddwy Railway Company
See under: Railways
Mechain
Cantref in the kingdom - later lordship - of Powys, consisting of the two commotes of Mechain Is Coed, and Mechain Uwch Coed.
It includes the parishes of -
Llanfechain [Llanarmon-ym-Mechain], Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa, Llanfyllin, Llansanffraid-ym-Mechain, and Meifod (part)
[Richards]
It includes the parishes of -
Llanfechain [Llanarmon-ym-Mechain], Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa, Llanfyllin, Llansanffraid-ym-Mechain, and Meifod (part)
[Richards]
Melangell, Saint
Little is known of the historical Melangell but hagiographies suggest an Irish ancestry though they differ on her exact parentage. She is thought to have lived in the late 6th and early 7th centuries and to have come to Wales to avoid a marriage arranged for her by her father. She is best known for her encounter with Brochfael Ysgithrog who was hunting in the area. She is said to have hidden a hare under the hem of her robe and so impressed the prince with her sanctity that he granted her the lands around. She set up a community of nuns at Pennant Melangell and in later years the church there held her shrine. She became the patron saint of all small creatures and for centuries after the hare was known in those parts as "oen bach Melangell" (the little lamb of Melangell).
[MC 82; Companion to the Literature of Wales]
[MC 82; Companion to the Literature of Wales]