Marged ferch Ifan facts for kids

Marged ferch Ifan (born 1696 – died January 1793) was a famous Welsh woman. People knew her as "Margaret daughter of Ifan" or "Margaret Evans." She was a talented harp player and a strong wrestler. Many songs and stories were made about her amazing skills.

Marged's Life Story

Marged ferch Ifan was baptised and married at St Mary's church in Beddgelert

Marged was born in Beddgelert, a village in the mountains of Snowdonia. She was baptised at St Mary's Church there. Many tales were told about her.

Her Marriage and Strength

Marged married a man named Richard Morris on May 8, 1717, at St Mary's Church. She was known for her very strong personality. People said she was so strong that she was respected and even a little feared. Even when she was in her seventies, she could still wrestle any man!

Queen of the Lakes

Marged and her husband were both harpists. They ran a pub for copper miners in Llandwrog. Marged was incredibly skilled. She could put new shoes on a horse and even build a boat. She also made her own shoes, and could create a harp or a violin. In the evenings, she would play the harp to entertain her customers.

She was also known for rowing heavy loads across the large lakes of Snowdonia, like Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris. Because of this, the writer Thomas Pennant and others called her the "Queen of the Lakes."

Her Later Years

Marged ferch Ifan died in 1793 when she was in her nineties. She was buried in Llanddeiniolen on January 24.

Marged's Lasting Impact

Many stories about Marged ferch Ifan are still told today. There are also several versions of old Welsh songs and tunes about her. These songs are called hen benillion, which means "old stanzas." They often begin with the line Mae gan Marged fwyn ach Ifan, meaning "Fair Margaret daughter of Evan has."

Here is an example of one of these old songs:

Mae gan Marged fwyn ach Ifan
Grafanc fawr a chrafanc fechan,
Un i dynnu'r cŵn o'r gongol,
A'r llall i dorri esgyrn pobol.

(Fair Margaret daughter of Evan has
A large claw and a small claw,
One to drag the dogs from the corner,
And the other to break people's bones.)

William Hutton, an English poet, wrote about Marged in his poem "The Welch Wedding" (1799). He wrote about how strong and tough women in rural Wales were. Marged, along with other women like Jane Lloyd, Catrin of Cwm-glâs, and Grace Parry, were so strong that they became famous in history. They showed how powerful and unique Welsh women could be.