Local History
The Meirionydd Quakers
In 1657, a quaker named George Fox visited Wales for the first time changing peoples' lives in his wake. The message that this man bore was that people did not require permission to speak directly to God. He also directed people not to deviate from the rules made by Christ.
On his lengthy journey around Wales George Fox was subject to a great amount of disapproval, however, he converted many people including famous names such as Thomas Ellis and Robert Owen.
A large Quaker community lived in the Tabor region of the outskirts of Dolgellau. Fronoleu was one of the farms owned by this community, and its land borders an old Quaker burial ground which can be visited in this website by clicking here.
40,000 acres of land was purchased in America by the Welsh Quakers. Many of the converted quakers decided to move to this land due to the persecution they were subject to in Wales, this 40,000 acres was later named Pennsylvania. The promise for these Welsh Quakers was that they could live free of persecution in this new land, with their own laws. However, the authorities changed the borders and the land was split into two segments.
One of the noteable local quakers, Roland Ellis, from the farm Bryn-Mawr, which still exists on the slopes of Cader Idris, was brought before the courts together with other Quakers for refusing to take the oath of allegiance and supremacy. He was one of the Quakers who left for Pennsylvania and the Bryn-Mawr University in the USA was named after the farm.
Ancient History
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The area surrounding Fronoleu is rich in Ancient Historical artifcats dating from the stone age. Archeological sites can be visited representing almost all the significant periods of history; chambered long cairns, stone circles, round cairns, iron age hill forts, hut circles, enclosed homesteads, concentric circles and circular enclosures, Roman forts and some of the oldest Christian places of worship in the British Isles.
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Gold torque found in Gilfach |
