LLANVRYNACH (LLAN-FRYNACH), a parish, in the hundred of PENCELLY, union of BRECKNOCK and county of BRECKNOCK, SOUTH WALES,
8 miles (S. E.) from Brecknock; containing 350 inhabitants. This parish derives its name from the dedication of its church
to Brynach, a celebrated Irish saint, who accompanied Brychan Brycheiniog into Britain, in the fifth century, and presided
over some of the monastic institutions founded by that prince. It is a place of very great antiquity, and appears to have
been occupied at an early period by the Romans, in connexion with their works in the mineral districts of Bryn Oer,
through which the course of a Roman vicinal way from Cardiff, or Caerphilly, has been satisfactorily traced, leading
directly to this place. That this district was worked in some very remote age is evident from the scoria of ancient
smelting-works, especially on a field called " Clos y Geveilon," or the field of the forge; but that these works belonged
to the Romans was not satisfactorily ascertained till 'the year 1775, when the remains of a Roman bath were discovered, in
which was found a piece of malleable iron,lour feet long and six inches wide. The PARISH is bounded on the south-east by
the stream Mehascin, and en the west by the Cynrig; and these rivers, across both of which are bridges kept in repair by
the hundred, fall into the Usk, whereby the parish is skirted for nearly two miles on the north-east, and over which a
good stone bridge was built in 1773, and is kept in repair at the expense of the county. The B, recknock and Abergavenny
canals through the parish, and is carried over the Usr nee ar the bridge, by a handsome stone aqueduct of four arches. Of
the annual value of the rateable property in the parish, the return made amounts to £1899. The village is situated near
the turnpike-road that proceeds along the left bank of the Usk from Brecon to Abergavenny; and the neighbourhood abounds
with finely varied scenery, in which the rivers that flow through the parish, with their bridges, and the distant woods
and plantations, form pleasing and prominent features. The views Prom the higher grounds are interesting and extensive,
embracing the magnificent range of mountains called the Brecknockshire Beacons, the lowest of which borders on the parish,
and the small wood on the estate of Dinas, which has a very beautiful and picturesque appearance. The seat TS, Mawr is
supposed to have been originally built in the reign of Edward II. by Howe Gam, eldest son of Grufydd ab Meredydd, who was
lineally descended from Brychan, Prince of Brycheiniog, now Brecknock: it had fallen into neglect, and was for many years
in the occupation of a farmer, but has been recently restored and embellished, in the later style of English architecture;
the grounds, though flat, are tastefully disposed, and enriched with numerous flourishing plantations. Maes-Derwen is a
neat modern edifice, pleasantly situated on a gentle eminence under the majestic chain of the Brecknockshire mountains; it
forms a pleasing and conspicuous object from several parts of the surrounding country, and commands a fine view of an
interesting and beautiful portion of the Vale of Usk, and of the neighbouring heights by which it is inclosed. Tregaer,
formerly the seat of the family of Vaughan, has been converted into a farm-house. The LIVING is a rectory, rated in the
king's books at £4. 10. 71; the tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £300, subject to rates, averaging £23. 16.
3., and there is a neat glebe-house, with a glebe of three acres, valued at £5 per annum: the advowson anciently belonged
to the lords of Brecknock, and upon the attainder of Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, became vested in the Crown; it was
granted by Queen Elizabeth to Dr. William Aubrey, by whose descendant, Sir William Aubrey, it was sold, and descended from
the purchaser to John Waters, Esq., whose only daughter conveyed it by marriage to the family of Tynte. The church,
dedicated to St. Brynach, and now in a dilapidated condition, is a very ancient structure, with a massive square tower at
the west end, and consists of a nave and chancel, which are separated by a small gallery, probably the remains of the old
rood-loft: the churchyard is one of the largest in the county, but contains only a small number of tombs, of which none
are remarkable. There are two day schools, in which about 30 boys and 20 girls are instructed at their parents' expense;
and a Sunday school appertaining to Baptists, and consisting of 35 males and 25 females, who are taught gratuitously.
Herbert Aubrey, of Clehonger, Esq., by deed, in 1668, gave a rent-charge of £6, on a tenement named Pen-y Vagwyr, in
Peterchurch, county of Hereford, to be annually divided among the poor of the parish at Christmas. The Roman REMAINS
above-mentioned, as having been discovered in 1775, were situated in a field called Cae'r-maen-bilch, near the village,
and were destroyed by the proprietor of the land, in order to avoid the annoyance to which he was subjected by the intense
public interest which they excited, and which could be restrained within no bounds; but, from a drawing made soon after
the discovery, and preserved in Mr. Jones' History of Brecknockshire, it appears that there were one warm and two cold
baths, about seven feet four inches long, five feet one inch in width, and four feet deep. The tessellated pavement was
formed of small blue, white, and red tesserse, varying in size from half an inch to an inch in diameter, and was supported
on dwarf pillars of brick, about three feet and a half high, between which were laid down flues communicating with the
warm bath. Many Roman coins, still preserved, have been found here, among which are several of Constantine, and one of
Valentinian. Two syrnpuria were also discovered, one made of copper, and the other of a mixed metal: these instruments,
which resemble narrow spoons, are supposed by some antiquaries to have been used for pouring oil on the victims in
sacrifices, and by others they are thought to have been used as lachrymatories. No vestiges of military fortification are
now visible; but the names of two tenements, in the parish, called respectively." Tregaer" and " Caerau, ' appear to
indicate the existence of such works at some remote period. In a field designated Cae Gwkii, in the parish, was an immense
heap of loose stones, under which, on their removal in 1808, was found a cistvaen, formed of four stones placed on their
edges, and supporting a fifth in a horizontal position: human bones were discovered both within and on the lid of the
cist-vaen, which is supposed to be coeval with the appearance of the Romans in Britain, if not of an earlier date. Brychan
Brycheiniog, one of the native reguli, who after the departure of the Romans governed this part of the principality, and
gave his name to the county, is supposed to have resided here, and to have founded the church, within the walls of which
he is said to have been interred. The parish has been the birthplace of several individuals highly distinguished for their
literary attainments, or by the offices of importance to which their talents had raised them. Dr. William Aubrey, of All
Souls' College, Oxford, Principal of New Inn Hall, Regius Professor of civil law, advocate in the court of Arches, member
of the Council in the Marches of Wales, Master in Chancery, chancellor to Archbishop Whitgift, and master in ordinary of
the Court of Requests, was a native of the parish; he died in 1595, and was buried on the south side of the choir of the
cathedral church of St. Paul's, London. William Aubrey was chancellor of the diocese of St. David's in 1514; and Thomas of
the same family, and also a native of the parish, subsequently held the same office: John Aubrey of Easton Percy, in the
county of Wilts, also a descendant of the family, assisted Dugdale in his compilation of the Monasticon; he was one of the
earliest members of the Royal Society, and published several works, among which was a natural history of Surrey; he died
in 1700. John Jones, the intimate friend of Archbishop Laud, was born in the parish, in 1575; he received the earlier part
of his education in Merchant Tailors' school, London, whence he proceeded to Merton College, Oxford, of which he became a
fellow; he afterwards embraced the Roman Catholic religion, and went into Spain, where he was chosen a brother of the
Benedictine. monastery of Compostella, upon which occasion he assumed the name of Leander de Sancto Martino. Having taken
his degree of Doctor of Divinity, he removed to Douay, where he was for many years professor of Hebrew in the chapel of
Vedrastus, and was subsequently made prior of the Benedictine college of St. Gregory, in that place; he was also appointed
vicar-general of the English Benedictines living in Spain, twicepresident of the Benedictines in England, and titular
prior of the Catholic church of Canterbury. Upon the invitation of Archbishop Laud he returned to England, where he died
in 1636, and was interred in the chapel of the Capuchins, near Somerset House, in the Strand, London.