National Library of Wales document LL/CC/G/758

From Gelligaer Journal Vol. XVI

A reproduction of a fairly mundane document from the Church Court at Landaff, but it tells us something about Capel y Brithdir the now derelict chapel above Tirphil, about what going to church was like 250 years ago and has an unexpected end

Ecclesiastical Court Landaff,  6^th Feb: 1734-5

Complaint of George William against William Lewis

1  First of all by the laws and constitutions ecclesiastical of this realm no person or persons being in the possession or enjoyment of any seat, bench or sitting place in any church or chapel to sit in to hear divine service and sermon shall be disturbed in the peaceable and quiett possession thereof. 

2. The parish of Kellygare being of a very large extent, there was anciently and long before the memory of man a Chapell called Brithdir chapel built and erected in the Hamlet of Brithdir, for the more ease of the inhabitants of the parish living and resideing near the chapel to meet to worship to hear divine Service & Sermon, by reason of the great distance of the parish church from such inhabitants. Near which Chappel of Brithdir the said George William lives and is in possession of a freehold estate of the yearly value of at least six pounds. 

3  The Chapel of Brithdir being by length of time become so ruinous that the inhabitants of the parish living near thereto could not for many years resort to the Chappel to hear divine Service and Sermon, the inhabitants considering the great inconvenience they lay under by being at so great a distance from their parish church, resolved to repair the chappel and the same was within the compass of these two years last past repaired accordingly, at the joint expence of the inhabitants; and made devout and fitt for the performance of religious worship. 

4  By an ancient custom always observed time out of mind within the parish, the right of settling and appointing places for the inhabitants living near and resorting to the Chappel of Brithdir to hear divine Service & Sermon and contributeing to the repairs thereof, to fix seats or benches therein for them to sit or stand in to hear divine Service & Sermon, is vested in the Churchwardens of the parish for the time being.

5  In pursuance of this custom the churchwardens did soon after the chappel was repaired settle and appoint a place in the chappel for each of the inhabitants living near thereto and contributing towards the repairs thereof, to fix a bench to sit upon. With which settlement and appointment of the churchwardens the inhabitants were well satisfied And William Lewis fixed a bench in the place allotted & appointed for him and sat there for severall Sundays. Also George William, who contributed his proportion towards the repairs of the chappel, fixed his bench in the place allotted & appointed for him by the churchwardens and fastened the same to the ground and sat thereon to hear divine service and sermon and continued in the possession thereof peaceably and quietly for severall Sundays without being interupted by any person whatsoever saving & excepting what is hereafter complained of.

6  Notwithstanding that William Lewis seemed satisfied with the place allotted him by the churchwardens for fixing a bench to sit upon, and that he fixed one there accordingly and sat thereon for several Sundays, yet he, William Lewis did in the months of June, July, August, September, October and November last past or in one of those months of his own accord, and without any authority for so doing, remove or caused to be removed the bench of George William from the place where it was fixed to the farther end of the chappel, and placed his own bench in the room thereof and sat therein several Sundays in the said months and still continues so to do, thereby withholding and subtracting the said George William’s bench or sitting place in the chappel. 

7  The said William Lewis was and is of the parish of Kellygare in the county of Glamorgan and diosess of Landaffe and therefore subject to the jurisdiction of this court. 

Also that all & singular the premises were and are true whereof legal proof being made the said George William prays right and justice may be effectually administered unto him and that the said William Lewis may be compelled by the authority of this court to replace the said George William’s bench from whence he removed the same.

[The above has been slightly abridged]

William Lewis’s response was to claim that as George William was not yet 21 he could not bring a case before the court. Attached to the documents is a small slip of paper

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