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Notable Houses in and around Llanelli

Cilymaenllwyd, Pwll

Sale of Effects     Notes

The original estate, sometimes referred to in old documentation as Kilymaenllwyd, Killemaenllwyd and Killymaenllwyd, was situated on high ground overlooking the sea, 3 miles east of Pembrey church. According to Burke’s History of the Landed Gentry, published in 1836, Cilymaenllwyd means ‘seat of the grey rock’ and took its name from a ridge on the sands below the house.

There was another property known as Cilymaenllwyd situated on high ground 2½ miles south-east of the town of Llandeilo and ¾ mile north of Carreg Cennen Castle. This Cilymaenllwyd was the home of six generations of the Lloyd family who claimed descent from Urien Rheged, Prince of Rheged and Lord of Gower.

According to tradition, during the Age of Saints, Brychan Brycheiniog’s daughter, Myfanwy, married Cynfarch Oer, and their son was named Urien Rheged. Urien, King of Strathclyde (Cumbria) was sent from the north, to Gŵyr (Gower), where he built a stronghold close to his grandfather’s villa, on rock above the river Cennen.

The legend relates how Urien Rheged known as King of Cumbria and Lord of Gower, ruled the land between the Tawe and the Tywi, which included Gŵyr, Cydweli, Carnwyllion (the Llanelli area), Cantref Bychan and Iscennen. The Welsh Princes harried the Norman invaders from their stronghold at Carreg Cennen and the Lloyd family were said to be in the forefront of the attacks.

Most of the Lloyds of Cilymaenllwyd married into the local gentry but Rowland Lloyd, who was an ardent Roman Catholic emigrated to Brittany in the 17th century. Lloyd was raised to the nobility and from his line the Barons of Kerenflech were descended.

A member of the Lloyd family of Llandeilo acquired the original homestead or small farm of Cilymaenllwyd Pwll, around 1580.

Griffith Vaughan of Trimsaran Plas, Pembrey, who had married Margaret Williams of Ystradffin, died in 1587 whilst serving as High Sheriff. His widow Margaret married another three times the fourth husband being William Powell of Brecon who lived at Trimsaran iure  uxoris [in right of his wife] was High Sheriff in 1610.

In 1609 William Powell of Trimsaran and in 1620, Margaret Williams (widow also known as Margaret Lloyd) both conveyed the property to Francis Mansel of Muddlescwm.

The farmstead changed owners several times, and during 1678 it was owned by James Phillips and in 1695 by Robert Donn (Dwnn) a member of the powerful Dwnn family.

The next owner of Cilymaenllwyd, Pwll, was John Rhys, a successful farmer and land agent, who broke with tradition during the 1700s to become the first of the Rhys family to adopt the new English style of spelling when he changed the family name to ‘Rees’. The Rees family of Cilymaenllwyd, Pwll, were related by marriage to the Lloyd family of Cilymaenllwyd Llandeilo, who also claimed descent from Urien Rheged,

Over the years the Rees family of Kilverry and Kilymaenllwyd amassed a vast estate, improved the estate and enlarged the house.

John Rees was followed by his son Hector Rees (1683-1750) who bequeathed Cilymaenllywd to his eldest son John Rees (1724-60) who lived there with his wife Mary the only child and heiress of Daniel Hughes of Penymaes.

When John Rees died on 15 May 1760, when only 36 years old, Cilymaenllwyd passed to his 11-year-old son, another John Rees (1749-1802) whose estates were managed by his mother until he reached the age of majority. It was during the time of this John Rees that a Clerical and Lending Library was established at Cilymaenllwyd in 1764.

When John Rees died in 1802 Cilymaenllwyd passed to his son, John Rees (1781-1843) and it was this John Rees who married on 19 May 1803, a Dutch lady named Anne Catherine, the third daughter of Elias Van der Horst. John and Anne Rees had three children and their eldest child John Hughes Rees (1806-71) inherited Cilymaenllwyd in 1843 and spent most of his life there.

Soon after coming into his inheritance John Hughes Rees decided that the old farmstead was no longer suitable for his growing family and decided to build a new house on the same site. Sometime before 1853 the original house was pulled down and a new building erected on the same site which is more or less the one that can be seen today [2007].

Rees and his family had their fair share of tragedy when in 1855 his daughters Isabella and Anna, together with a loyal family servant, were drowned whilst bathing on the sands close to the Great Western Railway. Their third daughter Caroline also died in 1855.

In 1869 a fourth daughter, Bertha, died, leaving one surviving daughter, Emily, who had been born in 1844

John Hughes Rees died in October 1871 and an inventory was drawn up of the house and estate. His son John Vanderhorst Rees, aged 37, did not inherit the house and estate but he held the post of ‘Captain of Invalids’ at the Chelsea Royal Hospital where he spent his time looking after the interests of the pensioners.

By 1881 John Hughes Rees's younger brother, Mansel Rees, was living at Cilymaenllwyd with his wife Susan. Mansel and Susan Rees did not have any offspring.

When Mansel Rees died on 13 February 1889, aged 48, an inventory of the household furniture was drawn up but by the time Howell Thomas, an Estate Agent from Carmarthen arrived at Cilymaenllwyd, most of the personal items had been removed from the premises. Cilymaenllwyd passed to Mansel Rees’s younger sister Emily de Ferry who was living at the Mansion house in 1891 and was aged 46. Emily and her husband did not have any children and Cilymaenllwyd was maintained by a live-in staff of three, which included the family’s coachman-groom.

When Emily de Ferry died, Cilymaenllwyd passed to Cyril Edward Arenego Jones, the nephew of Susan Rees, widow of Mansel Rees, in July 1899.

Around 1911 Arenego Jones sold Cilymaenllwyd to Lady Catharine Meriel Stafford Howard.

Cyril Arengo Jones, was an architect, who became known as Squire of Cilymaenllwyd. Both Arengo Jones and his wife took an active part in the social life of Pwll and gave land to enable Holy Trinity, Pwll to be built. He designed the new church which was dedicated on Tuesday 16 November 1904 by the then Lord Bishop of St David’s the Rt Revd John Owen. Cyril Arengo Jones lived at Cilymaenllwyd until he decided to leave the district around 1910.

In 1911 Lady Catharine married Sir Edward Stafford Howard and during 1913 they substantially rebuilt Cilymaenllwyd. Above the door they placed the motto Dyma Ein Corffwysfa Yma Y Trigwn Canys Chwennychwn Hi (Here is our resting place this where we dwell because we desire it). The initials ESH (Edward Stafford Howard) flank the motto on the left and CMH (Catharine Meriel Howard) flank the motto on the right.

Both Sir Edward and Lady Catharine were fond of animals and they founded a dog cemetery in woodland to the east of the house. Sir Edward died in 1916 and Lady Catharine persuaded her mother to move to Cilymaenllwyd from their family home at Woodend, Ascot.

By 1936 Lady Catharine gradually withdrew from public life and her agricultural estates were divided between her two children, Marged and Stafford, with the balance of the estates being transferred to Marged. Marged married twice, firstly to Patrick Wyndham Murray-Threipland and secondly to Alan Frances Welch.

Marged, being interested in farming started a model farm at Cilymaenllwyd, which passed to her son Mark Murray-Threipland in 1953 when she died.

The Borough of Llanelli purchased the estate in 1965 and Cilymaenllwyd became a convalescent home managed by the local authority. Further changes took place and it became a privately owned convalescent and residential home in 1986 when Dyfed Health Authority sold Cilymaenllwyd to a couple named Wood who are thought to have changed the name to Stepney Park. At this time there were about 65 residents and the property changed hands several times before being acquired by Blanchworth Care who invested £400,000 refurbishing the property.

Blanchworth Care, whose Head Office is The Cider Mill, Blanchworth, near Dursley, Gloucestershire, continued to offer a full range of domiciliary, day, residential and nursing care at the time of writing. [April 2002.]

Sale of Effects at Cilymaenllwyd

For a short period after inheriting the property, Lady Catharine Meriel Stepney sub-let Cilymaenllwyd to Cyril Arenego Jones and when he decided to leave the district in 1910 he instructed H Ellis Poole & Company to dispose of his effects.

The text of the advertisement for this sale is reproduced below.

CILYMAENLLWYD

Near Llanelly

September 22nd 1910

Highly important sale of Superior Antique and Modern Household Furniture, Oil and Watercolours, Books etc.

H Ellis Poole has been favoured with instructions from Cyril A Jones, Esq., (who is leaving the district) to

SELL by PUBLIC AUCTION

on TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 4th and 5th 1910

a large quantity of HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE OIL and WATER COLOURS, PRINTS and about 1,000 volumes by various Authors.

Comprising Chesterfield Settee and Four Chairs Upholstered in Morocco Leather very Antique Solid Oak Round Table containing a nest of Drawers. Antique Mahogany Card Table Solid Oak and Mahogany Bureau, Ebonised Cedar Antique Chairs, Antique Mahogany Music Stand, several very Antique Chairs, Antique Mahogany Armchair and Book Stand combined. One pair very Antique Side Tables, One Antique and One Modern Mahogany Sideboards, several Antique Oil Paintings and Water Colours and Prints the entire contents of several Bed and Dressing Rooms containing Bedsteads, Suites Stands and Tables.

Gentlemen’s Wardrobes, Chests of Drawers, Lavatory Basin in Mahogany Case. Chairs Tables, Mattresses and Ware the contents of Kitchens,

Scullery Laundry and Lamp Room including Lamps Oil Drums Mangle Press etc. MARE PONY TRAP and HARNESS Garden Tools, Lawn Mowers, Ladders, Hurdles, Wheel Barrows, Wire Netting, Cow Chains.

Also a quantity of Builders Materials including Axes, Tiles, Cinters, Grindstone, Galvanised Sheets etc.

The Books embrace 70 volumes: Voltaire 1769-1778; Law Books, Commentaries, Biographies, History of England, Bibles, Ancient Welsh Views etc. etc. etc.

Sale to at 11 a.m. each day

Terms Cash No Reserve

On TUESDAY will be sold Contents of Bedrooms, Library and Kitchens

On WEDNESDAY Remainder

Goods on view Monday October 3rd 1910 from 12 to 4pm

Auctioneer Office at Coldstream Villa, Llanelly

Lady Catharine Howard Stepney

This photograph, courtesy of Paul Clement, was taken in the 1930s and has suffered from the ravages of time. It was probably taken at Cilymaenllwyd on some sort of open day or agricultural show. It is thought the little boy may be her grandson, Mark Murray Threipland (last owner of the Stepney estate), but this has not been confirmed (June 2002).

Photographs of Lady Catharine taken in later life were not always flattering and made her look rather dowdy. She probably took after her father and enjoyed country life rather than the bright lights of London. One of her ancestors, Sir John Stepney 6th Baronet (1692-1748), was also said to prefer the quiet of the country rather than the social whirl of London.

Notes

Memorial plaques in Pembrey Church and the Parish Burial Registers record the deaths of John Hughes Rees’s four young daughters:

Caroline died of scarletina on 1 March 1855 aged 7;

Isabella and Anna Sophia drowned on 4 July 1855 with a faithful family servant on Pwll Sands within sight of their home.

Bertha, the youngest, died on 1 July 1869, aged 19, of decline. Decline or consumption were the more common names for Tuberculosis (TB).

John Hughes Rees (3 November 1806 - 11 October 1871)

In his capacity as magistrate he sent a lengthy letter to the Home Office asking for advice on how to deal with the ‘Gwŷr y Bwelli Bach’ (Men of the Little Hatchets) who plundered many of the vessels that had foundered on Cefn Sidan Sands.

Thanks are due to Blanchworth Care and The Cider Mill, Blanchworth, near Dursley, Gloucestershire, for providing information on this house.