Welsh Journals

THE HARTSTONGES AND RADNORSHIRE: PART I by R. C. B. Oliver. At no time has the surname Hartstonge been borne by any but a very small number of people in Radnorshire, and yet in the years 1684 to 1724 it was a name much on the lips of all classes in the county between Wye and Severn. To- day, the name Hartstonge will be known, if indeed it is remembered at all, mainly to the older inhabitants of the parishes of Llanelwedd, St. Harmon, Old Radnor, Gladestry and Llanfihangel Nant Melan, and by them perhaps only as the title of a Charity which in some vague way concerns their parish. Even Howse in his comprehensive book on the county mentions the name Hartstonge only once, in the section on education, where he states that, 'Among the earliest endowed schools in the county were the Joanna Hartstongue foundations at Llanelwedd and Old Radnor. These were but village schools, but they had a long and useful existence, extending from at least the early years of the 18th century until 1894, when they were taken over by the County Council'. Writing in the years just before 1820, the Revd. Jonathan Williams, M.A., the county's first historian, had this to say about one of the Charitable dona- tions of the above-mentioned parishes: Llanelwedd In a year not certified Lady Hartstronge, relict of Sir Standish Hartstronge, Bart., the late proprietor of Drewern, devised by will an estate named Penbedw, together with a small messuage adjoining, situated in the parish of St. Harmon in this county, the annual rental of which being about £ 18, for the purpose of establishing and supporting a free school in this parish St. Harmon A small estate in this parish, named Penbedw, was bequeathed by Lady Hartstronge, relict of Sir Standish, Bart. about the year 1702 for the purpose of endowing a free school in the parish of Llanelwedd in this county'. Llanfihangel Nant Melan The children of the lower division of this parish have a right to be educated in a free school, established by a lady of the name and family of Hartstongue and supported by the rent of an estate at Wyddel, in the parish of Old Radnor, and township of Gladestry'. Gladestry A lady of the name and family of Hartstongue left an estate at Weyddel in the parish and township of Gladestry to establish and support a free school for the benefit and education of the children of this township, and also of the lower part of the parish of Llanfihangel-nant-moylyn'. Old Radnor Williams made no reference to any charity under this heading. Apart from his uncertainty about the correct spelling of the charitable Lady's name Williams seems not to be sure whether Gladestry was a parish or a town- ship. Then in one place Williams refers to the Llanelwedd charity as dating to 'a year not certified', while elsewhere he dates it to 'about the year 1702'. Though Williams mentions no charity in Old Radnor parish, Samuel Lewis in his Topographical Dictionary of Wales, published in London in 1833, stated that 'Lady Joan Hartstongue bequeathed a house and 25 acres of land at Weythel in this parish (Old Radnor) for the foundation and endowment of a School for the gratuitous instruction of poor children of the parishes of Old Radnor, Llan- fihangel Nant Melan and Gladestry. The present income arising from the endowment is about £ 30, and is regularly appropriated to the support of the School'. For Llanelwedd, Lewis wrote that 'Lady Hartstrye, Hartstrong or Hartstongue bequeathed a small farm in the parish of St. Harmon in this county, now prod- ucing £ 16. 12s. per annum, for the gratuitous education of the poor children of this parish; from this fund is supported a small charity school which is now held in a room hired for that purpose, but for which it is intended to erect a suitable building by subscription'.