Patti, Adelina (1843-1919)
Born in Madrid in 1843 of Italian parents who were both opera singers. The family emigrated to the USA when she was only four and settled in New York where both parents were involved in opera. Adelina's own singing talent was evident from an early age and she was put on the stage in 1850 as the family needed the extra income. Her operatic debut came at sixteen when her performance attracted very favourable revues. She toured widely in Europe, started a "Patti craze" in London and sang to Queen Victoria. She took Italy by storm and wherever she went she was showered with gifts. In July 1868 she married Henri, Marquis de Caux and the couple settled in Paris. In 1878 her affair with Ernesto Nicolini, a co-star in many productions, was widely publicised and Patti was ostracised from polite society. She was divorced in 1885, giving her ex-husband 1,500,000 francs in settlement. She then married her lover Nicolini and the two settled at Craig-y-nos. This building was originally built in 1841-3 and designed by the same architect who built Brecon Shire Hall. Patti spend around £100,000 extending the house and landscaping the grounds. A theatre was built in the new wing at the house which was a scaled-down version of the opera house at Bayreuth. She toured all over the world and one year after the death of her second husband died in 1898, she was married for the third time. Her new husband was a Swedish baron Rudolph Cederstrom, some eighteen years her junior. The couple were married in the catholic church in Brecon. After this the lavish entertaining at Craig-y-nos was much diminished. In later years she lived in semi-retirement at the castle and was engaged in many philanthropic works in the locality. She came out of retirement to give a last special performance at the age of seventy-two in October 1914 when she sang before King George V at the Albert Hall in aid of the Red Cross War Fund. She died at Craig-y-nos in September 1919 and was buried in Paris.
[Thomas; Strand Magazine 1891; Haslam]
[Thomas; Strand Magazine 1891; Haslam]
Pauncefort, Emeric (fl.1300)
Rector of Llangattock in 1300. He gave permission to Sibilla Pauncefort to found a church at Crickhowell.
[Crickhowell & District Civic Society]
[Crickhowell & District Civic Society]
Payne, Rev. Henry Thomas (1759-1832)
The son of Thomas Payne, Rector of Llangattock, he was born at the Rectory and educated at Oxford and ordained in Westminster. His first appointment was as curate of the parish of Llanelly next to his father's parish. He then served in Llanbedr and Defynog and as Rural Dean. In his seventieth year he was appointed Archdeacon of Carmarthen. He was a keen antiquarian and did valuable work putting the records of the Chapter into proper order. He pursued his interest in local history throughout the county and started a library at Crickhowell. He did not publish his findings and essays but recorded everything in large manuscript notebooks which he made available to family and friends. Among the latter group was local historian Theophilus Jones who used this material when writing his History of Brecknockshire. As the incumbent of Welsh-speaking parishes Payne must have been fluent in the language himself, and he became very involved in the great eisteddfod revival of the early nineteenth century. He was also a keen supporter of the Brecknockshire Agricultural Society.
[B 5; DWB]
[B 5; DWB]
Pearson, John Loughborough (fl.1847)
Architect, designer of Llangasty Tal-y-llyn church and Treberfydd in the same parish circa 1847, and later Truro Cathedral.
[Leaflet on the history of Llangasty Tal-y-llyn Parish Church; Haslam pp344-345]
[Leaflet on the history of Llangasty Tal-y-llyn Parish Church; Haslam pp344-345]
Pennant
The village of Pennant Melangell, Montgomeryshire, is in the parish of Llangynog. The civil parish of "Pennant" in Montgomeryshire, which presumably takes its name from Pennant Melangell, lies to the east, and forms a salient into the parish of Llanrhaeadr-ym-mochnant. For the purposes of clarity in indexing, therefore, the village has been designated as a "place" within the "area" of Llangynog, and is called by its full name of Pennant Melangell: the parish is designated an "area" and is called simply Pennant to distinguish it from the village.
Pennant Melangell: Church of Saint Melangell
Excavations undertaken during 1989-1994 when the church was extensively restored, revealed that the site was used for cremation in the Bronze Age and the first church may have been built on the site of a barrow of this date. There were probably early Christian graves on the site but excavation uncovered no church earlier than 12th century. This church was built with an unusual apse over a significant grave which may well have been the grave of Melangell herself. She was an early female saint possibly of the 8thC, who reputedly founded a nunnery on the site. Her shrine in the church became the focus of pilgrimage in the medieval period. After the destruction of the shrine during the reformation pieces of it were incorporated into the lych gate and later restorations of the south porch and chancel.
The medieval apse was replaced in 1751 by a Cell-y-bedd. A gallery was added around this time and the church used as a schoolroom. Major restoration was undertaken in 1876-7.
[Haslam; MC 82; Historic churches survey]
The medieval apse was replaced in 1751 by a Cell-y-bedd. A gallery was added around this time and the church used as a schoolroom. Major restoration was undertaken in 1876-7.
[Haslam; MC 82; Historic churches survey]