See Poor Law Commissioners.

(1617–70) Puritan preacher and writer in mid Wales.

(? – 1649). Parliamentarian mayor of Pembroke who in 1648 led mutiny of his garrison troops, whose disbandment was ordered by Parliament although they were in long arrears of pay. This was the first action of the second civil war, and eventually Cromwell, Oliver successfully retook Pembroke by siege in July 1648.

Dissenting denomination believing in form of church government by presbyters and synods; in Wales almost indistinguishable from the Independents.

In the second half of the eighteenth century most Presbyterians in Wales were moving along the theological spectrum from Arminianism through Arianism to Socinianism and Unitarianism.

(1800–1893). Prominent Chartist and self-styled druid from Rudry, Glamorgan. In 1884 he publicly cremated the body of his 5-month-old son on Llantrisant common, for which he was prosecuted. He successfully defended the case himself, establishing the precedent for the legality of cremation.

(1723–91) Dissenting minister and philosopher who welcomed the American and French revolutions.

(c.1573–c.1644), Anglican minister, writer and poet, from Llandovery, Carmarthenshire. He translated the Church of England catechism into Welsh, and wrote poetry on a wide range of subjects. A collection of his poems was published as Canwyll y Cymry (Candle of the Welsh).

A convoluted way of buying land in spite of the Welsh law’s strictures against permanent alienation of land. The land was placed with the ‘buyer’ as notional security for a sum of money which was given to the ‘vendor’ on the tacit understanding that the money would not be repaid and the land never reclaimed.

(1733–1804) Unitarian minister, scientist and radical (see also Unitarianism).