(continued)
Several documents received from NLW regarding leases, indemnities and disputes during the period 1657 to 1679 suggest that Evan Price Penyfan's father, John may himself have been the son of an earlier Evan Price. The documents don't directly mention Penyfan, but do refer to a John Price, gentleman of Llanelly who was the son of an Evan Price. Most of the records relate to dealings between these Prices of Llanelly and Thomas Price of Penlle'rgaer and his father, Griffith. They are dated too early to refer to the later Evan Price - whose son, John was born circa 1704. If they do concern the Prices of Penyfan, then Evan's father, John Price was apparently not the son of John ap Rees of Penlle'rgaer as previously deduced. Now awaiting further documents from NLW that may offer some clarification.
A visit to Carmarthen Archive Office this week brought to light some informative records from the Glasbrook collection. These consisted of leases and transfers of title relating to property and lands at Penyfan dating back to 1519. References to the ancestors of the Price family of Penlle'rgaer (with respect to Penyfan) date from 15th June 1597, when John William David Pritchard of Llangyfelach granted to "hys welbeloved Gryffith ap Ievan" of the same parish, lands and property that included "Penvan". Griffith ap Jevan was the father of Rees Griffith of Llangyfelach who was in turn the father of John ap Rees (later Price) of Penlle'rgaer. These documents demonstrate that Penyfan was in the possession of early members of the Price family from the end of the 16th century and were likely to have been later bequested to a descendent who was not the direct heir of the family.
Later documents in this collection, from the period 1745 - 1751, disclose that Evan's eldest son, John Price suffered financial difficulties that caused him to mortgage Penyfan to raise funds. The first such references are dated 9th & 10 September 1745; when his mother, Jane was still alive. Since, by the terms of Evan's will, Penyfan was Jane's property "during her natural life", John must have had her permission to use Penyfan in this way. He apparently continued to borrow against Penyfan, until his debts - underwritten by Thomas Price of Penlle'rgaer - amounted to £560. There are no indications as to where John was himself living at this time, but 2 of the documents in August 1747, disclose that John's wife was called Elizabeth. There doesn't appear to be an obvious marriage record for this couple in Carmarthenshire, but I have found a record of a marriage bond between a John Price and an Elizabeth Bonnell dated 1725. Unfortunately the bond doesn't disclose a home parish for either participant. However, there were Bonnells living in nearby Pembrey - where there is a parish record of the baptism of an appropriately aged, Elizabeth Bonnell, daughter of William, on 5th July 1702. No other appropriate marriage record appears to exist for this Elizabeth in Carmarthenshire and I have also failed to find a burial record for her. Possibly she and John were married out of county - which might explain the absense of their parish details in the bond record.
Confirmation that John eventually sold Penyfan "for ever" to his brother-in-law, Hector Rees comes in a Glasbrook document dated 5th December 1751. This records that Hector agreed to buy Penyfan for a consideration of £1200 - part of which would be used to pay John's debts to Thomas Price of Penlle'rgaer and a George Dawkin of Killegwin, Carmarthenshire. John was to receive any residue, together with a lease of all coals under a landshare called Rhandyr Kilmstwr and the liberty to work, dig or carry away a vein or seam of coal on Penyfan called Buston. Part of the agreement stipulated that he could not sink any new pits without recompense to Hector for a term of 21 years.
I also recently visited Pembrey Church and found the neighbouring graves (and memorials) of Margaret (Bowen) Eaton and her parents, Thomas and Margaret Bowen. Margaret Eaton was buried with her first husband, Evan Griffith and their daughter, Charlotte who died aged 21. Her 2nd husband, Henry Eaton was buried alone at St. Elli in Llanelli. Margaret's own memorial didn't offer any new information, but her parent's memorial gave the previously unknown date of her mother, Margaret (Price) Bowen's death as apparently 6th March 1792, aged 72 years. However, Margaret (Price) Bowen's inscription also described her as:
" .....the wife of Thomas Bowen gentleman of Llanelly and daughter of John Price Esq. of Penyfan......"
This is surely a mistake. The evidence of the memorial, together with her baptism at St. Llanelli show Margaret to have been born circa 1719/20. Her baptism record describes her as the daughter of Evan Price and the only John Price of Penyfan alive at this time was her elder brother, John who would have been about 15 or 16. Although at this age, John could theoretically have been old enough to be Margaret's father, both Evan & Jane Price describe her as their daughter in their wills. Her siblings, Ann and Thomas also describe her as their sister in their respective wills of 1755 and 1791 and Thomas Price also identifies her children as his neices and her husband, Thomas Bowen as his brother-in-law. If so much effort had previously been made to identify Margaret as a legitimate daughter of Evan (as opposed to a possibly illegitimate daughter of John) why would this be deliberately undone in her memorial? It is more likely that a mistake was made by either the stonemason or the person instructing him. The inscription on the memorial appears to date from the time of the death of the last person buried in the grave. This was Thomas and Margaret's elder daughter, Jane, wife of John Griffiths of Llanelly. Although difficult to read, Jane appears to have died on 29th December 1822. Possibly the memorial stone replaced an earlier one which may have been misinterpreted by whoever organised the new stone.
