Former home of Ellen Hughes, Tan y Fynwent, Llanengan
Women’s rights campaigner Ellen Hughes was born in Tan y Fynwent in May 1862, one of the five children of the Reverend William Hughes and his wife Catherine. He was minister of the local Methodist chapel, Capel y Bwlch. You can see his portrait on our page about the chapel.
In the 1930s photo, you can see Tan y Fynwent in the top right quarter, just beyond the churchyard. The property’s name means ‘Below the cemetery’.
Ellen's life was transformed by her contact with Sarah Jane Rees (known by her bardic name Cranogwen), a poet, editor, temperance campaigner and teacher of navigation. You can read more about Sarah on our page about Llangrannog church, where she’s buried.
Ellen’s work was published for over 40 years in a number of periodicals including Y Frythones, a magazine edited by Cranogwen. Two volumes of her work were published: Murmur y Gragen and Sibrwd yr Awel.
She argued enthusiastically for women's rights in her articles and became famous, especially in the valleys of South Wales, through her lectures campaigning for this cause. In 1892, for example, she wrote (in Welsh): "Was it not easy to see ... that a woman was part of the human race, and therefore that all the rights of man belonged to her? How could our ancestors have fallen into such a gross error as to assume that gender is more important than species?"
In 1903 the Rhondda Leader described her as “renowned throughout Wales as a brilliant literateur”.
She was also very active in the temperance movement (promoting moderation or abstinence from alcohol), although she complained that that movement had little success in Llanengan!
Ellen Hughes died in May 1927 and was buried in the cemetery of Capel y Bwlch.
With thanks to the Diogelu Enwau Llanengan group
Postcode: LL53 7LL View Location Map