Welsh Journals

FIG. 9-CEFN D'RYSGOED, YSTRADFELLTE Ground floor plan seat for just one generation.52 External examination of the house sug- gested that it was largely rebuilt in the nineteenth century, some years after Jones commented (1805) that 'Bodwigiad has for many years under- gone the fate of almost all our old mansions, and been converted into a farmhouse'. His statement is borne out with unusual precision by the record of a monumental inscription commemorating 'David Powel of Bodwiggied farmer', who died in 1785.53 It is impossible on our present knowledge to say that the plan of Bodwigiad is derived from the long-house, although this could be so, but three other gentry houses certainly fall into that category; Trebanog Fach, Carawen and Hepste Fawr. The little that is known of Trebanog has been set out above (pp. 6-8); Carawen is described as a gentleman's house belonging to the Morgans, 'a family who came from Llanddetty in the beginning of the seventeenth century', and although there seems to be no specific reference to them as gentry they were of sufficient con- sequence to have tombstones erected in the parish churchyard." As for Hepste Fawr, the only relevant reference is to William Jones of Hepste gent, who died in 1691.55 Blaen-nedd has been identified with Blaen Newydd, the birthplace of the highly successful lawyer Sir David Williams who eventually was knighted and purchased the Gwernyfed estate.56 This seems to be the only ground ibid., 6j, 72 II, 177. A John Gwynne owned Bodwigiad in 1615; his grand-daughter brought the house to Richard Games by marriage. ibid., IV, 64-65. The early Victorian front, five windows wide with a central porch, may incorporate a 17th century house in its right-hand half, the limit of the old building being marked, perhaps, by a chimney-stack in the middle of the house. 64 ibid., 54-5. Jones, IV, 78. 68 Diet. Welsh Biog., Jones, IV, 81.