TRAWSVYNYDD (TRAWS-FYNYDD), a parish, in the union of FESTINIOG, hundred of ARDUDWY, county of MERIONETH, NORTH WALES, 12
miles (N. by W.) from DOlgelley; containing 1545 inhabitants. This parish is surrounded by those of Maentwrog,
Llandecwyn, Llanvachreth, and Llanyell, and is of large extent, being estimated to contain 25,000 statute acres, and to
extend 10 miles in length by 8 in breadth. Throughout, it is exceedingly mountainous; and is intersected by the turnpike-
road from DOlgelley to Tan-y-Bwlcb, at which last is the post-office, the road passing through the village, which is
situated on an eminence in an exposed and hilly district. Considerably more than one-half of the parish consists of barren
and uncultivated hills, affording only scanty pasturage for sheep and young cattle. The surrounding country is strikingly
vaned, presenting in some parts the dreary wildness of rugged mountain scenery, in others the softer features of rural
beauty, combined with objects of picturesque and romantic grandeur. The lake called Rathlyn is a fine 'sheet of water,
noted for a peculiar species of perch, having the lower extremity of the back-bone strangely distorted: the interesting
waterfalls of Pistyll Caen and Pistyll Mawddach, in the parish, have been described in the article on Delgelley. Fairs,
which are in general well attended, are held here on April 23rd and September 29th, for horses, cattle, and pedlery; and
at Petlystryd, in the parish, others take place on August 17th and September 21st, The living is a discharged rectory
rated in tit king's books at £8. 12. 1.  patron, Bishop of Bangor: the tithes have been commuted for a re* charge of
£280; and there is a glebe of half an es valued at 10e. per annum; with a glebe-house. lb church, dedicated to St.
Madryn, as an ancient** ture, in the early style of English architecture, i rather a dilapidated state. There  are places
of vs. ship for Independents and Calvinistic and Walleye Methodists. A day school, containing three child's, is endowed
with the interest of .1,40, bequeathed In Richard Edwards, of Moelvryn for the education d the poor children of this and
the adjoining paddle( Llandecwyn; another affords instruction to about twenty children at the expense of their parents;
ale six Sunday schools also are gratuitously conducted by various denominations of dissenters, and coma about five hundred
males and females. David Lloyd, in 1686, bequeathed 1E20 to the poor, the produced which has been in abeyance since 1819;
Robert Roberts, in 1756, gave £12 to be distributed in bread; and Mrs. Jones, near Corwen, and her daughter-in-law,
bequeathed £180, with which a house and field in the village of Trawsvynydd were purchased, now yielding a rent of £8.
10., Which agreeably with the directions of the donors, are awepnated to the annual distribution of £4, in sums of five
shillings each, to sixteen poor women, and the remaining £4. 10. to the apprenticing of a boy once in two years. There are
some remains of an ancient fortress called Castell Prysor, the name of which implies its hasty erection; it is of small
extent, and occupied a dm" ation in a pass between the hills on the left of the road from Trawsvynydd to Baia. The origin
of this fortress, which is built of stone without any cement, is not precisely known; but, from the discovery of several
urns and coins near the site, it is a to have been either built or occupied by the ' imam; and part of a Roman road, now
termed "the Si Helen," which is still visible at no great distance, la some degree corroborates this opinion. On a farm in
the parish, designated LI4ch Idris, is Bedd Forus, or "the grave of Torus," over which is a fiat stone with the
inscription " Perus hie in tumulo jacit, holm Xtianus fiat. 1275." Near this is an upright atone, styled LIAch Idris, from
which the farm takes its name, and concerning which there is a legend stating it to have derived that appellation from
Idris a giant; but it appears to be simply one of those monumental stones so frequently found in this country. Close to
the Sam Helen are several tumuli, in one of which were found five urns, and several fragments of bricks that had been
placed round them to protect them from injury; there is also tt tumulus on a farm denominated GwS,nvynydd. Humphrey
Lloyd, BM!, of Bangor, was born at Bodyvadda, in the Paw, about the year 1600'; and Sion and RhS1 Cain, bcm eminent bards,
were also natives of the parish.