Augusta Hall, Baroness Llanover
Encyclopedia
Augusta Hall, Baroness Llanover (21 March 1802 – 17 January 1896), born Augusta Waddington, was a Welsh
heiress
, best known as a patron of the Arts in Wales.
, the youngest daughter of Benjamin Waddington of Ty Uchaf, Llanover
and his wife, Georgina Port. She was the heiress to the Llanover
estate in Monmouthshire
.
. Their marriage joined the large South Wales
estates of Llanover
and Abercarn
.
Hall (1802–1867, after whom "Big Ben
" is said to have been named, as he was Commissioner of Works in 1855 when it was built), was for some years Member of Parliament
for Monmouth
, but transferred to a London
seat just prior to the Newport Rising
which brought with it a turbulent time in Monmouthshire. He was created a baronet
in 1838, and entered the House of Lords
in 1859 under Prime Minister
Palmerston as Baron Llanover of Llanover and Abercarn. However, his wife overshadowed him in life and subsequent reputation.
Lady Llanover had always been interested in Celtic Studies and her sister, Frances Bunsen
, had previously married a German Ambassador to Great Britain, a Baron Bunsen (Christian Charles Josias Bunsen
), whose social circle was also interested in Celt
ic subjects and culture.
Lady Llanover was greatly influenced by the local bard
, Thomas Price (Carnhuanawc)
, whom she met at a local Eisteddfod in 1826. Carnhuanawc taught her the Welsh language
; she took the bardic name
"Gwenynen Gwent", ('the bee of Gwent'). She became an early member of Cymreigyddion Y Fenni. Her Welsh was never considered fluent but she was an extremely enthusiastic proponent of all things Welsh
. She structured her household at Llanover Hall on what she considered to be Welsh traditions and gave all her staff Welsh titles and Welsh costume to wear.
Her husband shared her concern for the preservation of the heritage of Wales, and campaigned for the Welsh to be able to hear church services conducted in the Welsh language.
(on which she published a book) and folk music
; she encouraged the production and use of the traditional Welsh triple harp
, employing a resident harpist at Llanover Hall.
She was a patron of the Welsh Manuscripts Society, of the Welsh Collegiate Institution at Llandovery
, funded the compilation of a Welsh dictionary by Daniel Silvan Evans. She bought Welsh manuscripts of Taliesin Williams, Taliesin ab Iolo and the collection of Iolo Morgannwg, Edward Williams (now held in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff
).
She collaborated with Welsh musicians such as Maria Jane Williams
, a noted harpist, vocalist and guitar player and Henry Brinley Richards
, a noted composer best known for writing "God Bless the Prince of Wales
", and herself produced a Collection of Welsh Airs.
to which end she closed all the public house
s on her estate, sometimes opening a modest temperance inn in their place, such as Y Seren Gobaith ('the Star of Hope') temperance inn, which replaced the Red Lion at Llanellen
. She was an outspoken and lifelong critic of the evils of drink
. Closely associated with her temperance work was religion in the form of militant Protestantism
and she endowed two Calvinistic Methodist churches in the Abercarn
area, with services conducted in the Welsh language, but a liturgy based on the Book of Common Prayer
.
She outlived her husband by nearly thirty years, living well into her nineties. Only one of their daughters survived to adulthood: Augusta, who in 1846 married an Arthur Jones of Llanarth
, of an old Roman Catholic family. Their son, Ivor Herbert, 1st Baron Treowen
, became a Major-General during the First World War.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
heiress
Beneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
, best known as a patron of the Arts in Wales.
Early life
She was born near AbergavennyAbergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, the youngest daughter of Benjamin Waddington of Ty Uchaf, Llanover
Llanover
- Location :Llanover is located four miles south of Abergavenny just off the A4042 road to Pontypool.- History & Amenities :Llanover is associated with Lady Llanover who lived locally all her life and certainly left her mark on the village and the surrounding Llanover estate, still privately owned...
and his wife, Georgina Port. She was the heiress to the Llanover
Llanover
- Location :Llanover is located four miles south of Abergavenny just off the A4042 road to Pontypool.- History & Amenities :Llanover is associated with Lady Llanover who lived locally all her life and certainly left her mark on the village and the surrounding Llanover estate, still privately owned...
estate in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
.
Marriage
In 1823, Augusta became the wife of Benjamin HallBenjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover
Benjamin Hall, 1st Baron Llanover PC , known as Sir Benjamin Hall, Bt, between 1838 and 1859, was a British civil engineer and politician.-Political career:...
. Their marriage joined the large South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
estates of Llanover
Llanover
- Location :Llanover is located four miles south of Abergavenny just off the A4042 road to Pontypool.- History & Amenities :Llanover is associated with Lady Llanover who lived locally all her life and certainly left her mark on the village and the surrounding Llanover estate, still privately owned...
and Abercarn
Abercarn
Abercarn is a small town community in Caerphilly county borough, Wales, 10 miles north-west of Newport on the A467 between Cwmcarn and Newbridge, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.-History:...
.
Hall (1802–1867, after whom "Big Ben
Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world...
" is said to have been named, as he was Commissioner of Works in 1855 when it was built), was for some years Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
, but transferred to a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
seat just prior to the Newport Rising
Newport Rising
The Newport Rising was the last large-scale armed rebellion against authority in mainland Britain, when on 4 November 1839, somewhere between 1,000 and 5,000 Chartist sympathisers, including many coal-miners, most with home-made arms, led by John Frost, marched on the town of Newport,...
which brought with it a turbulent time in Monmouthshire. He was created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in 1838, and entered the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
in 1859 under Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Palmerston as Baron Llanover of Llanover and Abercarn. However, his wife overshadowed him in life and subsequent reputation.
Llanover Hall
In 1828, the couple commissioned Thomas Hopper to build Llanover Hall for them. It was designed as a kind of arts centre as well as a family home.Lady Llanover had always been interested in Celtic Studies and her sister, Frances Bunsen
Frances Bunsen
Frances Bunsen , or Baroness Bunsen, was a Welsh painter and author, the wife of Christian Charles Josias Bunsen and the older sister of Lady Llanover....
, had previously married a German Ambassador to Great Britain, a Baron Bunsen (Christian Charles Josias Bunsen
Christian Charles Josias Bunsen
Christian Charles Josias, Baron von Bunsen was a German diplomat and scholar.-Early life and education:Bunsen was born at Korbach, an old town in the little German principality of Waldeck....
), whose social circle was also interested in Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic subjects and culture.
Lady Llanover was greatly influenced by the local bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
, Thomas Price (Carnhuanawc)
Thomas Price (Carnhuanawc)
Reverend Thomas Price was a historian and a major Welsh literary figure of the early 19th century....
, whom she met at a local Eisteddfod in 1826. Carnhuanawc taught her the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
; she took the bardic name
Bardic name
A bardic name is a pseudonym, used in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement....
"Gwenynen Gwent", ('the bee of Gwent'). She became an early member of Cymreigyddion Y Fenni. Her Welsh was never considered fluent but she was an extremely enthusiastic proponent of all things Welsh
Culture of Wales
Wales has a distinctive culture including its own language, customs, holidays and music.Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the leek and daffodil. The Welsh words for leeks and daffodils Wales has a distinctive culture including...
. She structured her household at Llanover Hall on what she considered to be Welsh traditions and gave all her staff Welsh titles and Welsh costume to wear.
Her husband shared her concern for the preservation of the heritage of Wales, and campaigned for the Welsh to be able to hear church services conducted in the Welsh language.
'Welsh Costume'
At the Cardiff Eisteddfod of 1834, she won first prize for her essay on The Advantages resulting from the Preservation of the Welsh language and National Costume of Wales and she probably commissioned a series of watercolours of Welsh costumes, 13 of which were reproduced as hand-coloured prints soon after 1834. These were little more than fashion prints for herself and friends to create dresses for themselves and their servants to be worn on special occasions, especially fancy dress balls. Her attempts to create a traditional Welsh costumes are accepted as important to the adoption of the dress as the national costume of Wales.Other achievements
In 1850, she helped found Y Gymraes ("The Welshwoman"), the first Welsh-language periodical for women. Her other interests included cookeryWelsh cuisine
Welsh cuisine is the cuisine of Wales. It has influenced, and been influenced by, other British cuisine. Beef and dairy cattle are raised widely. Sheep farming is extensive in the country and lamb is the meat traditionally associated with Welsh cooking, particularly in dishes such as roast lamb...
(on which she published a book) and folk music
Music of Wales
Wales has a strong and distinctive link with music. The country is traditionally referred to as "the land of song". This is a modern stereotype based on 19th century conceptions of Nonconformist choral music and 20th century male voice choirs, Eisteddfodau and arena singing, such as sporting...
; she encouraged the production and use of the traditional Welsh triple harp
Triple Harp
The triple harp, often referred to as the Welsh triple harp , is a type of harp employing three rows of strings instead of the more common single row...
, employing a resident harpist at Llanover Hall.
She was a patron of the Welsh Manuscripts Society, of the Welsh Collegiate Institution at Llandovery
Llandovery
Llandovery is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40 road.The town is served by Llandovery railway station, where there is a park and ride to Llanelli and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Line...
, funded the compilation of a Welsh dictionary by Daniel Silvan Evans. She bought Welsh manuscripts of Taliesin Williams, Taliesin ab Iolo and the collection of Iolo Morgannwg, Edward Williams (now held in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
).
She collaborated with Welsh musicians such as Maria Jane Williams
Maria Jane Williams
Maria Jane Williams was an 18th century Welsh musician and folklorist born at Aberpergwm House, Glynneath in Glamorgan, south Wales.-Life:Maria Jane Williams was born in 1794, or 1795, at Aberpergwm House, Glynneath...
, a noted harpist, vocalist and guitar player and Henry Brinley Richards
Henry Brinley Richards
Henry Brinley Richards was a Welsh composer.Richards was born in Hall Street, Carmarthen, his father being organist at St Peter's Church in the town and an organiser of local musical events. Richards won a prize at the Gwent-Morgannwg Eisteddfod of 1834, held at Cardiff, for his arrangement of...
, a noted composer best known for writing "God Bless the Prince of Wales
God Bless the Prince of Wales
"God Bless the Prince of Wales" is a patriotic song written to mark the occasion of the marriage of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom to Alexandra of Denmark.The song was first proposed at the Caernarfon Eisteddfod of 1862...
", and herself produced a Collection of Welsh Airs.
Temperance movement
Another main interest of hers was the Temperance movementTemperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
to which end she closed all the public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s on her estate, sometimes opening a modest temperance inn in their place, such as Y Seren Gobaith ('the Star of Hope') temperance inn, which replaced the Red Lion at Llanellen
Llanellen
Llanellen is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom.- History & Amenities :The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal passes through Llanellen. The Blorenge mountain towers above the village. The River Usk passes close by.-External links:...
. She was an outspoken and lifelong critic of the evils of drink
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
. Closely associated with her temperance work was religion in the form of militant Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and she endowed two Calvinistic Methodist churches in the Abercarn
Abercarn
Abercarn is a small town community in Caerphilly county borough, Wales, 10 miles north-west of Newport on the A467 between Cwmcarn and Newbridge, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.-History:...
area, with services conducted in the Welsh language, but a liturgy based on the Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
.
She outlived her husband by nearly thirty years, living well into her nineties. Only one of their daughters survived to adulthood: Augusta, who in 1846 married an Arthur Jones of Llanarth
Llanarth
Llanarth may refer to:* Llanarth, Ceredigion* Llanarth, Monmouthshire...
, of an old Roman Catholic family. Their son, Ivor Herbert, 1st Baron Treowen
Ivor Herbert, 1st Baron Treowen
Major-General Ivor John Caradoc Herbert, 1st Baron Treowen CB, CMG, KStJ , known as Sir Ivor Herbert, Bt, between 1907 and 1917, was a British Liberal politician and British Army officer in the Grenadier Guards, who served as General Officer Commanding the Militia of Canada from 1890 to 1895...
, became a Major-General during the First World War.
External links
- Lady Llanover Society, formed in 2003
- Lady Llanover memorabilia
- BBC news item on Lady Llanover
- http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://members.shaw.ca/lindajean/Welsh%2520Ladies/Welsh%2520lady%25201905.jpg&imgrefurl=http://members.shaw.ca/lindajean/Welsh%2520Ladies/Welsh%2520Ladies%2520on%2520vintage%2520postcards.htm&usg=__kq3ZNniK0NzLGtE3QrT1O9u85IQ=&h=587&w=383&sz=127&hl=en&start=18&um=1&tbnid=d84QgE_rYjtLnM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=88&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwelsh%2Blady%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26um%3D1Profile of Lady Llanover online and photos of 'Welsh Ladies' from the very late Victorian period.]
