Aberffraw is now a small, quiet and somewhat isolated village with a population of about 600. However, it was once one of the most important places in Wales.
Between the 7th and 13th centuries, it was the 'capital' of North Wales, home to the Princes of Gwynedd, including Llewelyn the Great.
The articles below are about the history of Aberffaw through the ages. However, because of Aberffraw's historical significance during the dark and middle ages, the village's history during these periods is closely linked to the history of Gwynedd and beyond and so the articles reflect this. Click on one of the titles shown below in red (or blue/purple) to read the article.
Below are other articles about the history and development of Aberffraw.
References
Books and publications from Llangefni library used in research for the website:
Cymru l896 p263-9 Cymru l896 p325-329 Cymru l895 p58,59-60, Mon Man Cymru p 196-198 Anglesey Antiquarian Transactions 1971-72 p 172-3 Anglesey Antiquarian Transactions 1973-74 p 170-171 Anglesey Antiquarian Transactions 1956-58 p l-7 Ynys Mon Bro'r Eisteddfod 3 - pi 50 Salter, Mike - The Old Parish Churches of North Wales p 12 Hyfiydwch pob rhyw frodir – p 12,13 Porter, F - Postal directory of Anglesey 1886 p543-544 Lynch, Francis - Prehistoric Anglesey p46,47,49,50,51,327-8 Cowell, John - Edwardian Anglesey (Vol 2) p 107 Senior, Michael - Anglesey The Island Story - p34,35,36,37 Nabod Mon - Tomos Roberts - Bodorgan - p38,39 Steele, Philip - Ynys Mon (Archived Photographs) p29, 61, 99 Rodgers, Carl - The Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path - p60,61,62,63,64,65 Ramage, Helen - Portraits of an Island, p 11,134,135 Can-A.D. -Medieval Anglesey p32,33, 122, 123 Lewis - Topographical Dictionary of Wales (Vol 1) p 11, 12 Atlas Mon - p36 Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire Archeologica Cambrensis 1871 -p300-304
Towards the end of the year I submitted to the Council the following report on a row of houses—Nos. 90 to 100 Glanmor, Aberffraw.Nine of the cottages are single room structures measuring about 12 ft. in length, 15 ft. in breadth and 7 ft. in height at the eaves. Behind the terrace is a garden, the surface of which is on a level with the eaves. This accounts for the damp condition of the premises. The doors are in a bad state of repair and not weather proof. The floors consist of bare ground, very uneven and partially boarded over. The roofs are leaky in some of the houses and have no eaves spouting.
There are two privies for the nine families, both being in a very filthy state and situated within a few yards of the doors. In my opinion the houses are unfit for human habitation, and even if repaired, are so small that there would always be a danger of them becoming overcrowded.At present No. 94 is occupied by a husband, wife and three children, all sleeping in the one bed.I find that two of the inmates of these houses died of Tuberculosis disease this year.
Nos. 90 and 91 are semi-detached, much larger houses, and have been recently repaired; still, I found them very damp owing to the absence of eaves spouting and the elevated ground at the back, reaching half way up to the eaves.The gable of 91 is also not weather proof. Otherwise these two houses are much more satisfactory.
I recommend that orders be obtained to close these nine cottages.
It has been said on good authority that in most agricultural districts, under existing conditions, in the labourer’s cottage decency is impossible and morality a miracle.
J. LEWIS OWEN
Clergy Income 1868
In 1868 the Aberffraw parish included 9 tythings, and the living (a rectory in the diocese of Bangor) had a value of £888, in the patronage of the Prince of Wales.
(In terms of value, using the retail price index as the measure, £888 in 1868 was worth over £57,000 in 2007.)
In the same year, Llantrisaint parish, the living (a rectory in the diocese of Bangor) had a value, with the curacies of Ceidio, Gwredog, Llanllibio, and Lllêcheynvarwydd, of £915, in the patronage of the Bishop.
(In terms of value, using the retail price index as the measure, £915 in 1868 was worth almost £59,000 in 2007.)
Remember, a few years earlier the Rev. Hugh Wynne Jones, MA (Rector of Aberffraw 1815-1850) held both livings giving him an income of over £116,000 pa in 2007 equivalent value terms. (This assumes that the livings were worth similar or equivalent amounts 20 years earlier.)
By way of comparison in the same year, Llangadwaladr, 2 miles east of Aberffraw, The living (a rectory in the diocese of Bangor) had a value of £245, in the patronage of the Lord Chancellor.
(In terms of value, using the retail price index as the measure, £245 in 1868 was worth under £15,800 in 2007.)
Meanwhile the average worker's wage in Anglesey in 1860 was 19s 6d (just under £1) per week or about £50 pa.
(In terms of value, using the retail price index as the measure, £50 in 1868 was worth £3,218 in 2007.)
No further comment is really necessary.
The data used above come from the 'The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)' for information about the parish livings and from the 'AHDS History UK Data Archive', University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ for the data concerning average weekly income.
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The Story of Aberffraw 
