Compiled by Arfon Gwilym
Nansi Richards was born in 1888. She died, aged 91, in 1979. She is buried in the graveyard at Pennant Melangell.
Her home was Penybont Farm, Penybontfawr, but she also lived in other parts of Wales.
She was famous as a harpist, for her work and especially for promoting the Triple Harp, her instrument. She was also a very popular and kind person. She knew many of the local characters, and was a renowned story teller herself.
Nansi aged 18. This photograph was taken before the Castle Public House in Llangynog in 1906.
Her first harp teacher was Ceiriog the Harpist. He used to give her lessons in the Castle in Llangynog. (The Castle has since closed, although the building still remains)
She was also familiar with many of the old Welsh Gypsy tunes – and the Abram Wood family. The gypsies used to wander the county and would often stay for a week or two at Penybont farm – they would sleep in the barn yard and would hold a noson lawen (evening of entertainment) every night!
Ceiriog would learn by ear, and not from copied music; And of course, the gypsies never used copies. Nansi therefore had committed hundreds of tunes to memory.
CEIRIOG THE HARPIST (on the right) Tom Lloyd, or Ceiriog the Harpist, was famous for winning a competition at the World Fair in Chicago in 1893 – this was a competition to make and play a harp. Which was quite a feat! (This picture was also taken in front of the Castle at Llangynog in 1906)
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF NANSI’S HISTORY
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She won the main prize for playing the harp at the National Eisteddfod for three consecutive years - 1908, 1909 and 1910. When she won for the first time the church bells at Penybontfawr and Llanfyllin were rung in celebration!
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She attended the Guild Hall School of Music, London, and would call at 10 Downing Street to entertain the family of the Prime Minister, Lloyd George. She also performed in English music halls.
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In 1923 she went to America. She received great praise there as a harpist, and became friends with the Kellogg family, who produced Corn Flakes.
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She was a prominent member of the Snowdonia Harp Choir, who used to hold a number of evenings of entertainment across the country.
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During the Second World War she travelled all over Britain entertaining the troops.
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King George V agreed she could use the title ‘Royal Harpist’ – but she never actually used this title.
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In 1976 a large meeting was held in Corwen Pavilion to pay tribute to her. When she got on the stage at the end of the meeting, her words were: “I only have one thing I’d like to say: If I had a tail, I would wag it!”
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In 1977 she was awarded an Honours Degree by the University of Wales.
WHY IS THERE A PICTURE OF A COCKEREL ON CORNFLAKES PACKETS? NANSI CAN TAKE THE CREDIT FOR THIS! When Nansi went to America in 1923, she became very friendly with the Kellogg family. This was the family which produced corn flakes. At the time, corn flakes were sold loose in bags. But the company wanted to sell them in colourful boxes to make them more attractive to their customers. Nansi often used to stay at the Kellogg family home. One morning, when Nansi came down for breakfast, William Kellogg, the owner of the company explained his intention. “Nansi,” he asked. “Have you any suggestions what we could put on the new packaging?” Nansi considered and said ….mmm, the name Kellogg sounds very similar to a Welsh word, ‘ceiliog’ [cockerel]….and of course, the cockerel always crows in the morning, which is breaktast time. That’s the perfect name!
CORWEN EISTEDDFOD 1919 NANSI THE ACCOMPANIST IN HER NIGHT SHIRT! In the National Eisteddfod at Corwen, Nansi was supposed to play the harp in the Gorsedd ceremony at 8.30 in the morning. But she overslept that morning. So she woke and heard the sound of the Gorsedd brass band passing on the street outside. Nansi jumped out of bed. She had no time to dress properly, so she wore her overcoat over her night gown, and ran as fast as she could to the ceremony. She reached, out of breath, as the ceremony was about to start. She had no time to go back to the house to change, as the prelims were starting immediately and straight after the prelims she had to go to the Pavilion stage. And that’s how it happened – she was busy all day, wearing her night gown and coat, and all on a hot summer’s day! “Take your coat off Nansi, ’you’re perspiring heavily,” someone said to her. “No, I like the heat,” was her curt reply.
NANSI’S GRANDFATHER - EDWARD RICHARDS Nansi’s grandfather, Edward Richards, was very fond of singing and dancing, and of the Welsh gypsy families’ company (Abram Wood’s family). A very warm welcome would be given to the gypsies – food and accommodation – at Hafod farm, Cymdu. On one occasion, Edward Richards had gone to a wedding party in Llanyblodwel, with the gyspies. They had a lot of fun, with music from fiddlers and harpists along with the hornpipe, and dancing of course. But Edward Richards drank too much beer, and went to sleep upstairs for a while. But at some point in the early hours, he woke to the sound of dancing and music being played in the kitchen under the bedroom. He got up suddenly, and started dancing. But then disaster struck – he fell down the stairs and died instantly. This was in 1875.
THE QUARTER GOOSE FAIR Edward Richards loved attending a special fair in Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant – The Quarter Goose Fair. “At this fair, you would have a whole quarter goose, with carrots and turnip mash for a shilling,” said Nansi.
NANSI’S FATHER - THOMAS RICHARDS Nansi’s father, Thomas Richards, was quite a character – and a very keen musician. Nansi said about him: “It was he who taught sol fa and staff notation to the whole of the Cymdu area. He had a choir. And he would travel around the area on the back of his pony to carve sol-fa into stable doors and joists to teach people to sing. Singing was everything to him.”
SIÂN THE TAME CROW “My father kept all sorts of animals. Once, he had a tame crow, called Siân. She would eat until she couldn’t close her mouth, and then she would fly to the top of the roof and push the meat out of her mouth under the roof slates. The people in the village would put out a piece of meat or bread for their cats and the crow would come up behind the cat and peck her on the tail, and while the cat was turning round to protect her tail, the crow would have stolen the meat and taken it up to the roof. But she did kill people’s chicks, and eventually she was caught in a trap and broke her leg. But Dr Kenrick Jones, Llan, gave her a wooden leg. A wooden leg for the crow! And she lived for many years with her wooden leg. She couldn’t lie down, and therefore would sleep on the roof top with one leg, the wooden leg, hanging down…She was a very strange crow.”
OLD CHARACERS OF DYFFRYN TANAT
CORNELIUS WOOD One of the (gypsy) family of Abram Wood. “Cornelius was the strangest of the group – a short little man, with a face like a full moon, red cheeks, pitch black curly hair and a squint. He always looked as though he was blowing insects away from his nose, and he always carried his fiddle, which was made from a soap box. Cornelius would always say his prayers – before going to bed at night, and when he got up in the morning – to ask for his fiddle to be blessed before he started out. He would always say his prayer in the Romany language.”
One of Nansi’s stories: THE LITTLE BABY WITHOUT A MOTHER OR FATHER This is a story of a young boy called Ifan, who lived in Cwmnantyffyllon many years ago. One day when Ifan was 18, his father said to him:
“Why have you put this baby on my bed?” Early the next morning, Ifan was awoken by the sound of a baby crying at the foot of his bed. There was no sign of the baby’s mother anywhere. He couldn’t understand at all, and got up and walked downstairs and asked the hotel lady: “Why have you put this baby on my bed?”
“Ifan, it’s time for you to look for a job.”
“Well, where else would you expect me to put him – you are his father aren’t you?”
“But, Father,” said Ifan, “where am I going to look for work?”
“‘He’s not my son,” said Ifan.
“Head to Llangollen – they say there’s plenty of work in that area.”
“Well for heaven’s sake,” she said. “You arrived together with your wife last night. She left early this morning to buy food for you, so she said. That was a while ago, and she hasn’t come back.”
And off he went – he started early in the morning, and walked through Llanrhaeadr in the direction of Glyn Ceiriog. Towards the end of the afternoon, he had reached a place called Allt y Badi, not far from Glyn Ceiriog, and here he came across a young lady carrying a baby on her arm. “Are you going far young man? she asked. “I’m going to Llangollen.” “Well that’s where I’m going too. Can I walk with you? It’s getting towards evening, and I’m scared of the night,” she said. And off they set. “Where are you staying when you get there?” she asked before long. “Oh in the little hotel by the river,” answered Ifan. “Well how strange, that’s where I’m staying too. It’s a nice clean place. Nine pence for a bed and three pence for hot water and food.” At last the two arrive in Llangollen and went into the hotel together. Ifan was tired out after walking all the way from Cwmnantyffyllon. He went to bed early, and slept like a log. Early the next morning, Ifan was awoken by the sound of a baby crying at the foot of his bed. There was no sign of the baby’s mother anywhere. He couldn’t understand at all, and got up and walked downstairs and asked the hotel lady:
Ifan’s heart sank and he realised straight away that the young lady had deceived him. By now the young baby was crying with hunger, and the hotel lady was starting to get cross. “If you don’t take this baby away now, I will go and fetch the policeman,” she said. There was no point in swearing that the baby was nothing to do with him. There was only one thing to do – he would have to go home and take the baby with him. Well what am I going to tell my mother? Going home so soon with a baby in my arms! And so he started on the long journey back home. Not far from the little village of Pandy there is a steep hill, Allt y Pandy. Coming to meet him down the hill was an old lady, obviously in some distress. “Excuse me, young man,” she said, “I wonder if you could help me? I wonder could you go and separate the two rams in the field over there? They’ve been fighting for hours. They’re bound to kill each other.” “Well you hold onto this baby,” said Ifan, and he handed the baby to the old lady, jumped over the hedge and ran towards the two rams. But instead of going straight back after dealing with the rams, he escaped over the field, and left the baby with the old lady. And he never saw the baby again….
THE TRIPLE HARP How is the triple harp different to other types of harps? 1. It has three rows of strings. Other harps only have one row. 2. It has no pedals. Therefore it is lighter. 3. The scroll is on the top of the pillar (the long post). 4. It is often called the “Welsh Harp”
CWM CAM CEILIOG A long time ago, a giant and giantess lived on the Berwyn mountains. When carrying a load of stones over a ravine in the mountain, they heard a cockerel singing nearby. Giants hate the sound of a cock crowing. In their fright, the let go of the stones … and they are still there today. As you come into Llangynog, and stand and look up to the right, you will see this narrow valley: Cwm Cam Ceiliog.
Y GARN “At the crown of the Garn are ‘Creigie Pebyll’. These are deep crevices ….the jaws of which have swallowed many a terrier. “There are also remains of the old Llanhafan Church and two enormous graves. The graves of giants, according to the older generation. At the peak of the Garn is ‘Bwlch Brathiad y Cawr Mawr’ (The Bitemark of the Great Giant).”
This is a picture taken of Nansi Richards at Llanrhaeadr around the early 1950s. There was a large national campaign at the time to secure a Welsh Parliament. Perhaps can you work out where this picture was taken?
PENNANT MELANGELL Ewch â mi’n ôl i dir Maldwyn, (Take me back to Montgomeryshire) Nid ydyw y siwrne yn faith, (It is not a long journey) Mae f’enaid i yno cyn cychwyn (My soul is already there) Yn barod at ddiwedd y daith. (Ready for the journey’s end) Mae anadl ei thir yn fy ffroenau, (Her air is in my nostrils) A’r llwybr yn disgwyl fy nhroed, (And the path awaits my footsteps) Mae f’enw i lawr yn ei llyfrau (My name is recorded in her books) Cyn cerddais i gyntaf erioed. (Before I walked the first time) Mae patrwm fy medd yng Nghwm Pennant (The pattern for my grave is in Cwm Pennant) Bum troedfedd a modfedd o hyd; (Five feet and an inch in length) I’m hymyl daw’r Grugiar a’r Ffesant, (The Grouse and Pheasant will come to my side) Yn swiliach, daw Rhegen yr Yd. (And more shyly, the Corncrake) Rwy’n gwybod yn eithaf bryd hynny (I know that at that time) Na fyddaf yn cysgu’n rhy drwm (I won’t sleep too heavily) I glywed Nant Ewin yn canu (To hear Nant Ewin sing its tune) Ei solo i Bistyll Blaen-cwm. (It’s solo to the Blaen-cwm Waterfall) Mae mynwent Cwm Pennant fel soned, (Cwm Pennant’s graveyard is like a sonnet) (Ni ellir rhoi soned ar fap); (You can’t put a sonnet on a map) Os deui i’w cherdded, fy nghariad, (If you come to walk it my love) Paid dyfod heb dynnu dy gap. (Don’t come without removing your cap)
BUGAIL BACH CWM TYLO (The Little Shepherd of Cwm Tylo) Bugail bach Cwm Tylo (The little shepherd of Cwm Tylo) A throwsus melfared, (Has velvet trousers) Menyg am ei ddwylo, (gloves on his hands) Plu’r Gweunydd yn ei het. (And cotton grass in his hat) Myned mae i ofyn, (He is going to ask) Yn wrol, medde fo, (In manly fashion so he says) I Neli fach Dol-llechwyn (To Neli, of Dolllechwyn) A wnaiff ei briodi o. (If she will marry him) “Wel na wnaf, wir,” medd Neli, (No indeed I won’t, said Neli) “Pe cawn i drigain punt, (If I had sixty pounds) Mae’th ben fel buddai gorddi, (Your head is like butter churn) A’th geg fel ffatri wynt. (And your mouth like a wind factory) “Mwstas fel twmpath eithin, (You have a moustache like gorse) A gwallt fel gwrych o ddrain, (And hair like a thorn hedge) Cyn bod i ti yn perthyn, (Before I married you) Mi briodwn fwgan brain.” (I would sooner marry a scarecrow)