Siddons, Sarah (1755-1831)
Sarah Siddons, née Kemble was born at the Shoulder of Mutton Inn in Brecon. Her parents Roger and Sarah Kemble were both part of John Ward's touring theatre company which was visiting the town for an eight week season of performances. Her childhood was spent travelling and performing throughout the border counties and the midlands, attending day schools where possible and helping to look after her younger brothers and sisters. Although the company was often well received actors were still looked upon by some as occupying the criminal fringes of society and this attitude caused the young Sarah some difficulties from her peers during her stay at a girls boarding school at Worcester. She took minor roles in performances and helped backstage, first being named on a playbill in 1767. By the time one William Siddons joined the company some time around 1772 Sarah had already attracted admirers. Her parents hoped for a match with a local squire Mr Evans of Pennant who was said to be infatuated with her. The disappointed Siddons who hoped to marry her himself was dismissed the company but not before pleading his case from the stage in a performance of a song of his own called "The discarded Lover". Sarah was packed off to Guy's Cliff, Warwickshire where she served as a lady's maid. In the end the couple's strength of feeling prevailed and they were married and returned to the theatrical life, moving to a Cheltenham based company. Here Mrs Siddons attracted the notice of well connected theatre goers and her growing reputation reached Drury Lane and the attention of Garrick the famous actor/manager. She played a season opposite him in lighter roles to bad reviews and was dropped from the company. She took her young family into the provinces again and the touring life. She played four seasons at Bath where her skills and reputation grew and she attracted the admiration of such influential theatre-goers as the Duchess of Devonshire.
Her return to the London stage was a complete triumph and her rapturous audiences included the rich and fashionable in society. With her brother John Philip Kemble she dominated the English stage for the next thirty years and had her portrait painted by Reynolds and Gainsborough. She reached her peak when she turned to the major roles in Shakespeare's trajedies and her Lady Macbeth was renowned. She suffered the common tragedy of the death of two daughters and had to rebuild her reputation after a scandal following an involvement in her widowhood with a fencing master called Galindo. She gave a powerful farewell benefit performance of Macbeth in 1812 when the audience insisted on the curtain coming down after the sleepwalking scene. After the intensity of such a career on the stage, her retirement was something of a decline though she did entertain at her Baker Street home. She died of erysipelas in 1831.
[DWB;Thomas]
Her return to the London stage was a complete triumph and her rapturous audiences included the rich and fashionable in society. With her brother John Philip Kemble she dominated the English stage for the next thirty years and had her portrait painted by Reynolds and Gainsborough. She reached her peak when she turned to the major roles in Shakespeare's trajedies and her Lady Macbeth was renowned. She suffered the common tragedy of the death of two daughters and had to rebuild her reputation after a scandal following an involvement in her widowhood with a fencing master called Galindo. She gave a powerful farewell benefit performance of Macbeth in 1812 when the audience insisted on the curtain coming down after the sleepwalking scene. After the intensity of such a career on the stage, her retirement was something of a decline though she did entertain at her Baker Street home. She died of erysipelas in 1831.
[DWB;Thomas]
Silyn, Saint
Little is known of this celtic saint but he is said to have been a hermit and healer from rural Carmarthenshire. His hermit's cell was was at the village of Gwernogle. This was later converted to a chapel which in turn was converted into a house in the 18th century. A tree near his cell was said to have been decorated with rags which were votive offerings to the saint by local folk, the tradition continuing for centuries. The church of Llansilin in North Powys (formerly Denbighshire) is dedicated to the saint and it thought the parish church of Wrexham may have originally had a dedication to him.
Silyn - like Melangell - is said to have preserved a wild creature from huntsmen. In his case he gave protection to a hunted stag. The Welsh name for the plant Buck's Horn Plantain is Llysiau Silyn or Silyn's herbs, possibly in commemoration of the saint's protection.
Silyn - like Melangell - is said to have preserved a wild creature from huntsmen. In his case he gave protection to a hunted stag. The Welsh name for the plant Buck's Horn Plantain is Llysiau Silyn or Silyn's herbs, possibly in commemoration of the saint's protection.
Stanage Park, Radnorshire
Stanage is situated on the eastern border where Radnorshire meets Shropshire and Herefordshire to the East of Knighton. The earliest house on the site is not known but the local De Brampton family had a house there at least as far back as 1600. The house was later purchased by the Rogers family (later Coltman-Rogers) who commissioned Humphrey Repton for a complete redesign of house and park between 1903 and 1807. A new house was built in a partly castellated gothic/baronial style and the park was completely landscaped and an enclosed garden created. An arboretum and terraced gardens were created later in the century.
[Haslam; Whittle – Historic gardens of Wales]
[Haslam; Whittle – Historic gardens of Wales]
Stanhope, Lady Hester (1776-1839)
The daughter of the Earl of Stanhope, Lady Hester's mother was a daughter of William Pitt the younger, Earl of Chatham and Prime Minister. Her father was a well known radical and eccentric and for a while insisted on the title Citizen Stanhope. When her uncle was made Prime Minister, it was Lady Hester who acted as hostess at 10 Downing Street. She was awarded a state pension of £1,000 per annum for these services following Pitt's death after less than two years in office. During this period of conflict she suffered the loss of both her brother, and her dear friend Sir John Moore. To get away from the gloom of the capital she took rooms in the Royal Oak (now Lion Hotel) in Builth and toured the area with her entourage. The Rev. Thomas Price "Carnhuanawc" often acted as her guide on these excursions. During a second spell of retreat to the area she leased Glan Irfon near Garth, having it decorated to suite her own taste and receiving local gentry families as her guests.
After her quiet life in Breconshire she began her travels in the Middle East, settling, after shipwreck and a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, on the slopes of Mount Lebanon with her maid Elizabeth Williams and her physician Dr. Meryon. Here she was visited by many of the famous people of her day, becoming involved in local political intrigues, before her death in poverty in 1839 after thirty years in self-imposed exile.
[D. Davies; DNB]
After her quiet life in Breconshire she began her travels in the Middle East, settling, after shipwreck and a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, on the slopes of Mount Lebanon with her maid Elizabeth Williams and her physician Dr. Meryon. Here she was visited by many of the famous people of her day, becoming involved in local political intrigues, before her death in poverty in 1839 after thirty years in self-imposed exile.
[D. Davies; DNB]
Stedman, Richard (fl.1689)
The Stedmans of Strata Florida were a long established Cardiganshire family (claiming descent from Galearbus, Duke of Arabia!). Richard's older brother James was Sheriff of Cardiganshire in 1667. Richard himself married Elizabeth daughter of David Vaughan of Bryndraenog, Beguildy, Radnorshire, and settled at Drevor (or Trevor) in the parish of Kerry. He was bailiff of Montgomery in 1682-3 and Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1689.
[MC 62]
[MC 62]
Stephens, William
Presteigne, Solicitor, Clerk to the Lieutenancy, Coroner, Clerk of the Peace for Radnorshire (c1885-1889), Clerk of the Peace and of the County Council of Radnorshire (1889-1890).
[Stephens]
[Stephens]
Swansea Vale Railway Company
See under Railways