Reverend William Jones Thomas (1811 - 1886) [1] [2] was vicar at the pre-conquest church of St. Eigon, Llanigon. [3] [4] [5] [6] In 1839 William married Anne Elizabeth (nee Jones) Thomas (1812 - 1884).
St. Eigon is in the Greater Brecon Deanery, in the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, in the Church in Wales (an independent member of the Anglican Communion). Before 1923, the diocese was in the Archdeaconry of Brecon within the Diocese of St Davids.
- 1835 BA Peterhouse, Cambridge University.
- 1838 MA Petershouse, Cambridge University.
- 1836 Deacon, ordained in Exeter.
- 1837 Priest, ordained by the Bishop of Exeter.
- 1836-1838 Curate, Kilmington, Devon.
- 1836-1843 Curate, Titley, Herefordshire.
- 1838-1846 Curate, Llanelwedd, Powys.
- 1843-1847 Curate, Kington, Hereforshire.
- 1847-1849 Curate, Presteigne, Radnorshire.
- 1848-1853 Curate, Forden, Powys.
- 1855-1859 Rector, Gladestry, Radnorshire.
- 1859-1886 Vicar at St. Eigon, Llanigon, Powys.
Miscellaneous
edit- JP for Hereford, Brecon and Radnor.
- Chairman of Hay and Clyro Petty Sessional Divisions.
- Vice-chairman of the Hay Board of Guardians.[1]
Personal life
editWilliam and Anne had 5 daughters and 6 sons. None of the daughters married, and lived in Llanthomas until their death.
The parents, the 5 daughters [7],1 son (William) and other family members are buried in the family grave in the St. Eigon, Llanigon graveyard. [8] [9]
- Mary Elizabeth Thomas (1844-86).
- Grace Catherine Anne Thomas (1846-1909). [10]
- Edith Burnam Thomas (1849-1920).
- Frances Eleanor Jane Thomas (1853-1928) aka Daisy. [1]
- Charlotte Alice Thomas (1848-1933). [11]
- William Jones Thomas (1839-1909) JP, Lieutenant Colonel, Third Battalion South Wales Borderers. He never married, and the only son to die in Llanthomas. [12] [13]
The remaining brothers did not die near Llanthomas and are buried in various locations: [14]
- Nicholas Charles Scudamore Thomas (c.1850-1873). Died of typhoid in Rome. He never married.
- Edward Lechmere Thomas (1845-1878). Died of cholera in Ceylon. Married to Nina de Winton, they had 2 children Edward Lechmere Thomas and Walter Frederick Thomas.
- Walter Sandys Thomas (1853-1899). Died of psilosis in Ceylon. Married to Violet, they had 3 children Walter Sandys Thomas, [15] Eileen Sandys (Thomas) Garnons-Williams and Charles Ivor Thomas.[15]
- John David Cove (Thomas) Pateshall (1841-1911). Lieutenant in the Cheshire Regiment. Died in an asylum in Kent with a psychotic condition, possibly schizophrenia. He never married.
- Henry Evan (Thomas) Pateshall (1842-1912), Lieutenant Colonel in the East Yorkshire Regiment. Died of influenza in Allensmore estate which he inherited from his mothers side of the family. Married Alice Mabel Davies, they had 2 children Henry Evan (Thomas) Pateshall and Alice Murial Pateshall.
Llanthomas estate
editIn 1858, William bought Llanthomas estate from Sir William Pilkington for £8000. His annual stipend was about £100 per year, but his wife Anne came from a wealthy family. Their domicile for the estate was originally a Welsh long house but was upgraded to a mansion at great expense. There are multiple mentions to the Thomas family and home in Kilverts diary.
None of the daughters married. William rejected suitors for 3 of his daughters, possibly because the suitors were not wealthy enough to help sustain the Llanthomas estate:
- Reverend Robert Francis Kilvert (1840–1879) who was the curate of Clyro. In 1871, he sought permission to marry Frances Eleanor Jane Thomas. Kilvert nicknamed her Daisy, and her family nicknamed her Fanny.[10][16]
- Reverend William E.T. Morgan (1837–1940) who was the curate of Glasbury, and became the Vicar of St. Eigon (1887 - 1923), the successor to William. He sought permission to marry Charlotte Alice Thomas.[11]
- The suitor for the hand of Grace Catherine Anne Thomas is unknown. The rejection may have led to her mental health issues. She was committed to a private asylum.[10]
Some believe that the dowries of Thomas' daughters were used to pay for substantial additions that William made to Llanthomas, and their lavish lifestyle.[10] [17] Conversely, others believe that William spared his daughters from the dangers of serial pregnancies, [14] and they lived a materially privileged and secure existence. [7]
Following Williams death, the estate was inherited by descendants and wider family members. However, they not could prevent the house from becoming dilapidated following a growing list of urgent repairs e.g. a gas house for acetylene heating and lighting. Parts of the estate were sold to raise income. In 1922 the farm was sold for £3000 to Mr. Thomas Jones Davies. During the Second World War the house was used to house the pupils of a girls’ school. The upkeep of Llanthomas house became too great a burden. The house was demolished in 1954. The contents were sold including tons of roof lead.[14] [7] [18]
References
edit- ^ a b c Williams, Teresa (Aug 1992). "Kilvert Society Newsletter - The Rev. W.Jones Thomas of Llanthomas, Vicar of Llanigon".
- ^ Hereford Times (Aug 1992). "The Kilvert Society Newsletter - Death of the Rev. W. Jones Thomas". www.thekilvertsociety.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "St Eigon's, Llanigon". St. Mary's Church. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ "Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust - Projects - Longer - Historic Churches - Brecknockshire Churches Survey - Llanigon". cpat.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ "Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust - Projects - Historic Landscapes - Middle Wye -". cpat.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ "Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust - Community Heritage c.f. Llanigon". cpat.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ a b c Graves, Rob (Sep 2012). "The Journal of the Kilvert Society No. 35 - The Ladies of Llanthomas".
- ^ "Kilvert Society Newsletter No. 1 - The Thomas graves in Llanigon graveyard". Feb 2000.
- ^ "Gravestones, Tombs and Monuments". St. Mary's Church. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ a b c d "Kilvert and a sad love affair". Hereford Times. 2001-06-06. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ a b Price, John (Mar 2019). "The Kilvert Society Journal No. 48 - W.E.T. Morgan: Vicar and Scholar". www.thekilvertsociety.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Alderman William Jones Thomas".
- ^ "Breconshire County Council in 1891".
- ^ a b c Graves, Rob (Sep 2013). "The Journal of the Kilvert Society No. 37 - The Story of Captain John Thomas".
- ^ a b "Llanigon War Memorial". WW1.Wales. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ Belle, Bovey (2022-04-02). "Codlinsandcream2: Kilvert - a love lost (more from Llanigon church and environs)". Codlinsandcream2. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ Toman, John (2001). Kilvert: The Homeless Heart. Logaston Press. ISBN 978-1-873827-37-6.
- ^ "Kilvert Society Newsletter no. 48 - Clyro and Llanigon: the Kilvert Society Autumn weekend". Mar 2019.