Cymreigyddion y Fenni facts for kids
The Abergavenny Welsh Society, known in Welsh as Cymdeithas Cymreigyddion y Fenni, is a group in Abergavenny that celebrates and supports the Welsh language. It's a place where people can come together to speak Welsh and help keep the language alive.
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What is Their Motto?
The society has a special saying, or motto, which is Oes y byd i'r iaith Gymraeg. This means "long live the Welsh language!" It's a way of saying they want the Welsh language to last forever.
How the Society Started
The Abergavenny Welsh Society began a long time ago, on 2 November 1833. It was founded in a place called the Sun Inn in Abergavenny. The main goal was to give people a chance to speak Welsh together. They also wanted to make sure the Welsh language was used more widely in the town.
This society was one of many groups at the time called "Cymreigyddion". They often copied the idea from a similar society in London.
Who Started It?
Some important people helped start the society. They included:
- Rev. John Evans, who was a vicar from Llanover.
- William Price, a lawyer from Abergavenny.
- Thomas Bevan, who was the secretary.
- T. E. Watkins and Eiddil Ifor, who were also key members.
Important Supporters
The society quickly got the attention of important local families. These included people like Charles Morgan and Benjamin Hall with his wife Augusta. Other supporters were Georgina Waddington and Lady Elizabeth Coffin-Greenly.
A famous Welsh poet and scholar, Rev. Thomas Price, also joined early on. He is better known by his special Welsh name, Carnhuanawc.
Helping Welsh Manuscripts
The society played a big part in creating the Welsh Manuscripts Society in 1837. This new group helped to protect and share old Welsh writings.
The Society Today
The Abergavenny Welsh Society is still active! It meets several times a year in Llanfoist. Today, it's one of many groups in the area that support the Welsh language. Other local groups include Cymdeithas Gwenynen Gwent and Merched y Wawr.
