Historical Society

MEMBERS of the society visited Bala recently, guided by Dr Neil Evans.The town originated as a Roman auxiliary fort and occupied from the conquest of the region in the 70s AD, through to the mid second century.Its motte is possibly the biggest in Wales, apart from Cardiff.Bala owed its later importance to its position on the border between two of the major rival, princely houses of Wales.The princess of Gwynedd tried to lead a semi-independent Welsh principality.The princess of Powys resisted this and often fought on the side of its English / Norman opponents. Geographically, Bala is defined by Llyn Tegid, the biggest natural fresh water lake in Wales and the source of the River Dee, whose valley is the main route from the north-east to the coast. The river Treweryn flows into the Dee, north of the lake.The name Bala means an isthmus or route between two lakes or rivers.During the 18th century, as the wool trade prospered, Bala was famous for the stockings knitted by the whole population, including courting couples it was said.A cottage industry with substantial turnover, it supplied stockings to George III to ease his rheumatism and, later, to Prince Albert. By the 1830s, 32,000 dozen pairs of stockings and 5,500 dozen pairs of woollen mittens were sold annually. Dominating the skyline of the town is the Anglican Christ Church with its 80 foot tower. It is early gothic in style, of local stone and slate with oak rafters.However, Bala was known as “the Mecca of Welsh Nonconformity” and this is reflected in its chapels and memorials to famous preach-ers.The most famous of these was Thomas Charles whose statue, in Sicilian marble, stands on the site of Capel Tegid, the chapel he established. An evangelical Church of England curate, Charles joined a Methodist Society in Bala in 1804.He began organising Sunday Schools to supplement the “circulating” schools and founded the British and Foreign Bible Society, inspired by Mari Jones who had walked from Llanfihangel to his house in search of a bible. He ordained the first Methodist ministers in Wales in 1811, which effectively established Methodism as a separate denomination.Two leading lights of the independent denomination also lived in Bala.Michael Jones established a seminary in Bala for training Ministers – later to become an Independent College.His son, Michael D Jones, became cirector of the college and founded the Welsh settlement in Patagonia in 1865. A street in the town is named after him. The High Street contains a number of historical buildings including Tafarn y Hen Ben Tarw, a large 17th century inn. The late 18th century Town Hall housed an open market and also the Court of Great Sessions. Its clock turret dates back to 1868.The shop of Thomas Charles’ wife, Sarah (Sally) Jones is also still extant. Also in the High Street is a statue of the Liberal MP, Tom Ellis (1859-1899) a farmer’s son whose father was threatened with eviction for voting against the instructions of the local Rhiwlas estate.Elected MP for Merioneth in 1886 he held the seat until his death.He wrote many intelligent essays about Welsh life and politics and was called the “Parnell of Wales.”In Egypt in 1890 he contracted an illness which haunted him for the rest of his short life.He married in 1898 but died the following year, leaving a posthumous son. Bala was the birthplace of Betsi Cadwaladr (1789 – 1860).A nurse in Crimean War, she wrote an autobiography critical of Florence Nightingale as bureaucratic and obsessed with rules.They fell out and she went to work nearer the front.

St Tanwg’s Church

THE next concert at St Tanwg’s Church will be on Monday, 29 August at 7.30pm.This will be performed by local popular music group, Elastic Band.Their repertoire stretches over almost a century from the 1920s to the present day.Wine and nibbles will be available.Admission is payable at the door, with con-cessions for families.Croeso i bawb. A warm welcome to all.