Nicholls, Rowland (fl.1664)
Son of Thomas Nicholls (below) of Boycott, Pontesbury, Shropshire who was Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1642. He himself was Sheriff of the county in 1664, and Sheriff of Shropshire in 1675.
[MC 27]
[MC 27]
Nicholls, Thomas (b.1596)
Of Boycott, Pontesbury, Shropshire, and Garth in the parish of Guilsfield. He was appointed bailiff of Shrewsbury in 1636 and alderman in 1638. He was Sheriff of Shropshire in 1641 and Montgomeryshire the following year. A proclamation by King Charles I in 1642 however charged him with high treason, and his active opposition to the royalist interest led to his house being attacked and plundered by the King's forces during the Civil war.
[MC 27]
[MC 27]
Nicholson, Thomas (1823-1895)
Holy Trinity Church, Llandrindod
Architect. Came from Portsmouth to Hereford in 1845 and set up practice. From 1871 he was the Hereford Diocesan Architect. Built around fifty churches in the diocese and restored a great many others (including many in Radnorshire). The new church at Llandrindod was his design and he was involved in the development plans for the new spa town. He also designed many of Radnor's schools. W.H. Howse said of church restoration work that he had "left a trail of destruction through the diocese" though later writers (H.J. Powell, R.C.B. Oliver) saw him more in the context of his time.
Churches worked on in Powys:-
St. Mary's, Bronllys; Llanfihangel Nantmelan; Clyro; Kinnerton; Holy Trinity, Llandrindod; St. Andrew's, Presteigne; Michaelchurch-on-Arrow; Llanstephan
Schools built:-
Nantmel, Cascob, Clyro, Knighton, Heyope, Llanbedr Painscastle, Llandeilo Graban, Llandrindod Wells (Trefonnen)
[RT 1976, 1978 etc.]
Churches worked on in Powys:-
St. Mary's, Bronllys; Llanfihangel Nantmelan; Clyro; Kinnerton; Holy Trinity, Llandrindod; St. Andrew's, Presteigne; Michaelchurch-on-Arrow; Llanstephan
Schools built:-
Nantmel, Cascob, Clyro, Knighton, Heyope, Llanbedr Painscastle, Llandeilo Graban, Llandrindod Wells (Trefonnen)
[RT 1976, 1978 etc.]
Norton: Norton Mill
An account of the Keeper of Radnor Castle from 1336/7 records building work being done on a mill on the brook at Norton (roughly a mile and a half to the north and west of Presteigne) though even this may not have been the first mill on the site. A working mill was recorded there on a map of 1835, and the Tithe survey of 1845 lists the owner as Richard Price (of Norton manor) and the miller as George Caldicott. In June 1851 the mill and house (both then thatched) were wrecked by a serious fire despite the desperate efforts of the villagers of Norton and a fire engine from Presteigne.
A local newspaper attested the good character of the miller, Mr Caldicott, and appealed to "the benevolent" to help the family who had lost everything in the fire. The owner, Mr Richard Price, rebuilt the mill and house and the Caldicott family were still in residence in the 1860s.
A local newspaper attested the good character of the miller, Mr Caldicott, and appealed to "the benevolent" to help the family who had lost everything in the fire. The owner, Mr Richard Price, rebuilt the mill and house and the Caldicott family were still in residence in the 1860s.
Norton: Church of St Andrew
The village of Norton grew up around the post-conquest castle and it is likely that the church was established at the same time. Although a church is recorded in records of 1291, little if anything survives of this earlier church, heavy ‘restoration’ of 1868 having left a Victorian gothic edifice. By the 19th century, the church (shown in this pre-restoration photograph) with its medieval screen and later gallery had fallen into disrepair. It was substantially rebuilt in 1868 by Sir George Gilbert Scott.
Until the later 20th century, a mature tree in the churchyard had a bracket for manacles attached to it. Tradition claims this is where local criminals were flogged .
[Haslam: Historic Churches Survey]
Until the later 20th century, a mature tree in the churchyard had a bracket for manacles attached to it. Tradition claims this is where local criminals were flogged .
[Haslam: Historic Churches Survey]
Norton, Tom (1870-1956)
Norton's cycle shop in Llandrindod
Born one of 14 children at Brynhyfryd, Newtown, Montgomeryshire. He was apprenticed to an ironmonger as a boy and was a keen cyclist, winning a gold medal in 1890 for a ride to London and back. He opened a cycle and sports depot in High Street, Llandrindod Wells, 1899 and was one of the first agents for Raleigh bicycles. He soon moved on to cars and motor cycles however buying the site of Automobile Palace in 1906 and forming Tom Norton Ltd. in 1908. The "Palace of Sport", as it was first called, was completed in 1911. He was chairman of the Llandrindod Wells Mineral Waters Co Ltd and Plas Winton Ltd. and started one of the first public bus services in Wales running between Llandrindod and Newtown in 1906. His interest in agricultural machinery, stemming from a farming background, led his appointment as tractor manager for Wales by the Food Production Dept.. In 1912 he went to USA and met Henry Ford, with whom he struck up a correspondence, which lasted virtually to the time of Ford's death. During the First World War he was commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture to supervise ploughing up of land in Wales.
He started his public service in 1910 when he became a member of Llandrindod Wells Urban Council. In 1916 he succeeded to the chair and became a Justice of the Peace for Radnorshire in the same year. This was followed by appointment to chairman of the Llandrindod Wells Military Tribunal and 10 years as chairman to the Development Association. He served as Sheriff of Radnorshire in 1948. As a keen Conservative he served as a member of the Brecon and Radnor Conservative and Unionist Association to which he became chairman and auditor.
In his enthusiasm for sports he became president of Llandrindod Wells Bowling Club in 1912, which he held without interruption to the time of his death, and also president of Llandrindod Wells Golf Club and Angling Association. As a pioneer cyclist and motorist, in 1949 he was elected president of the Fellowship of Old Time Cyclists - a body whose membership is restricted to those born before 1873 and who rode a "penny farthing" before they were 17. He had been a member of the Cyclists' Touring Club since 1891, and also of the Circle of 19th Century Motorists.
He was actively associated with agriculture and promoted events for the Radnorshire Agricultural Society and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, especially when they held their show at Llandrindod Wells in 1932.
His academic pursuits led him to be member of the Cymmrodorion Society and one of the original members of the Radnorshire Society. He was also founder member and past-president of Llandrindod Wells Rotary Club and a loyal churchman, presenting to Holy Trinity Church a peal of bells in memory of his wife, his daughter Marjorie and his son, John Antony who was killed during the war.
[Newspaper cutting, un-named, but dated March 1949; Newspaper cutting from W J & S, 7. 1. 1956; Reprint from MOTOR SPORT, 1963, "A Pioneer Welsh Motor Business"]
He started his public service in 1910 when he became a member of Llandrindod Wells Urban Council. In 1916 he succeeded to the chair and became a Justice of the Peace for Radnorshire in the same year. This was followed by appointment to chairman of the Llandrindod Wells Military Tribunal and 10 years as chairman to the Development Association. He served as Sheriff of Radnorshire in 1948. As a keen Conservative he served as a member of the Brecon and Radnor Conservative and Unionist Association to which he became chairman and auditor.
In his enthusiasm for sports he became president of Llandrindod Wells Bowling Club in 1912, which he held without interruption to the time of his death, and also president of Llandrindod Wells Golf Club and Angling Association. As a pioneer cyclist and motorist, in 1949 he was elected president of the Fellowship of Old Time Cyclists - a body whose membership is restricted to those born before 1873 and who rode a "penny farthing" before they were 17. He had been a member of the Cyclists' Touring Club since 1891, and also of the Circle of 19th Century Motorists.
He was actively associated with agriculture and promoted events for the Radnorshire Agricultural Society and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, especially when they held their show at Llandrindod Wells in 1932.
His academic pursuits led him to be member of the Cymmrodorion Society and one of the original members of the Radnorshire Society. He was also founder member and past-president of Llandrindod Wells Rotary Club and a loyal churchman, presenting to Holy Trinity Church a peal of bells in memory of his wife, his daughter Marjorie and his son, John Antony who was killed during the war.
[Newspaper cutting, un-named, but dated March 1949; Newspaper cutting from W J & S, 7. 1. 1956; Reprint from MOTOR SPORT, 1963, "A Pioneer Welsh Motor Business"]