David Richard/Richards of Strygosfawr, Lledrod.

[Viking666]

I spent some time yesterday trawling for items on the Net that touch on the Richards enigma. The first discovery was that the Rev. Morgan Richards was the stipendiary Curate of Ystrad Meurig(1744 Clerical List). In the same list the Rev. Hugh Rice is shown as stipendiary Curate of Lledrod.
 I quote the following from D.G. Osborne's book...

    "It is also related that "merched ffeirad Rice, y Swydd, [i.e. the daughters of minister Rice] were the best dancers in the district. "Ffeirad Rice" was the Rev. Hugh Rice, incumbent of Lledrod, and one of the original trustees for Lledrod School under Dorothy Oliver's deed of settlement.
(Hugh Rice and his family lived at Menachty Hen, Swyddffynnon, a few meters from "Ty Dawns" where the dances were held).
 
 You may remember that Hugh's eldest daughter, Mary. was the executor of his will and that, after those duties had been completed, she signs off as Mary Richards, along with her presumed husband, Thomas Richards.
(The "school at Lledrod" is the one from earlier posts and called, Ynys y Garn".

We may not have the necessary paperwork to prove that Mary, the eldest daughter of Hugh, married Thomas, the son of Morgan but I think that there's enough peripheral information to assume that this was indeed the case. We also know that Thomas moved to Hendre Rees.
[quote author=despair
"Just to add to the mix, I've realized there is possibly another Thomas Richard(s),whose wife is given as Mary, eldest daughter of Hugh Rice, clerk(image 2 of his will of 1767).
There is a degree of consistency here with the indentures of 1722(Hugh Rice/Thomas Richards) and 1738(Hugh Rice/Thomas Richard).Whether this is the same man as the 1757 and 1765 indentures, which lead to William Davies is open to question-and, of course by 1777 we have Thomas Richards and his wife Jane(deceased).[/quote]
 
 I'm now sure that the Thomas of your quote is Thomas the brother of Morgan Richards and that the later one is Thomas, son of Morgan.

Lack of indentures for the transfer of Bryn Issaf may be related to the Land Act of 1820 when the 'willing' of property became a simpler affair. I'll be reading it up later.
                                              Regards, Peter

[despair]

A very interesting and succinct analysis.Ynys Y Garn seems to ring a distant bell as well-I'll investigate further.

Regards
Roger

[Viking666]

I've had a look for changes in the Land Acts without definitive answers. It does state that in Ynys Perfedd there were a number of Freehold properties at around 1800 and some, or most of these, would have been properties that were left to the church in the Edward Richard will.
The Rev. Owen R. Owen that lived at Bryn Issaf from 1778 was the Curate of Llanilar but his will of 1829 shows him living at his farm, Pen y Bank, Llanilar, (with 4 years of a lease remaining). The next known occupant died at Bryn Issaf in 1859 and the last that I have records for was a Daniel Morgans who died there in 1888.
 Either Bryn Issaf was a freehold property, easily bought and sold, or a leasehold property, (The transfer of the lease would generate an Indenture, which we haven't yet found).
Owned by the Church and with so many local Clergy being allied to the Richards family it isn't surprising that it would end up in the hands of the Rev. John Richards at some point because, as far as I know, he was the only Rev. of the Richards' family still alive in the early 1800's).
                             Regards, Peter.

[despair]

I can't quite make out if the indenture of May 29 1777,grants David Williams,curate of Eglwys Newydd,and his successors,rights for 500 years to the land containing Tythyn Bryn Issa or whether it includes the tenements,messuage etc.
This could of course be overtaken by a later indenture.

Regards
Roger

[Viking666]

  I think that it refers to the houses and the land. A clergyman wouldn't know what to do with 450 acres so those acres would be leased out simply to generate cash for the church.
 Owen Owens had a couple of cows and a few tools, (the same for the Rev. John Richards), and I think that it was commonplace for everyone to be self-sufficient in basic foodstuff in those days, including the Clergy.
 Had the Rev. John inherited 450 acres at that time it would have shown up in Robert's will as quite a small fortune. The church would have held on to the land but the small house, probably in need of repair by 1800, would have been a separate issue.
                            Regards, Peter.

[Viking666]

I've been collating all the relevant facts on the first 3 generations of the Richards families of Cardigan, ready to finally write them down in my tree. Re-reading the will for David, the son of David of Ffosybleiddiad has produced a sister, Elinor, (with 3 children) and therefore a second child for David Senior. David Junior's will of 1810 shows that he had no children, but had a step-daughter, Sarah Owens. (His will states that his wife inherits all and after her death, Sarah inherits) He also nominates 2 friends to ensure that his wishes are carried out.
Now comes David's wife, Elizabeth's will of 1830. Sarah inherits the property but Elizabeth has another 5 children! It looks as if she was married at least once before marrying David because 2 of her children are Morgans and the 3 others are Owens. I can't say whether the 3 Owen's are related to Sarah. It just shows that close reads and re-reads of these wills always produces a bit more info that was missed the first, or second time around.
 I'll send you the written tree in parts by PM due to the restricted size, (Over 5,000 characters ... and I think that a space counts as a character too).
                                     Regards. Peter

[despair]

After all this time part of the solution was available(I hope), if only one line of enquiry had been followed through to it's logical conclusion.
I have read the will of (Rev.)Edward Richards of Epsom,referred to in an earlier post.While there may be some discrepancy over his birth date he died in 1833.
In his extensive will amongst the numerous properties he leaves Tyddyn y Garreg in Llandyfrydog
Anglesey, and Ynys y Berfedd,Lledrod(freehold)
He names his wife,5 sons,three daughters,leaves oodles of cash,and makes some provision for(start drum roll now)

"....my brother James and my brother John's widow....."(timing appropriate to John's death)

Edward is the son of David Richards,gent of Lledrod - see the following list

http://www.dyfedfhs.org.uk/res-alumni-mr.php

Looks like you might have another branch to investigate.

Regards
Roger

[Viking666]

 When, "oodles of cash" is mentioned .... I'm onto it!

[Viking666]

No Internet. Damn! I have the Ref. number for the will but can't figure out how to access it. Can you PM me the link please.
 PS James's grave states, "of Llandyfrydog".
                                                                 regards Peter