Meline, Pembrokeshire

Meline
Church of St Dogfael
Meline Location within Pembrokeshire
OS grid reference	SN118388
Principal area	Pembrokeshire
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Crymych
Postcode district	SA41
Police	Dyfed-Powys
Fire	Mid and West Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Preseli Pembrokeshire
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Preseli Pembrokeshire

Meline (also recorded as Meliney and Melinau) is a parish in the Diocese of St David's in north Pembrokeshire, Wales. There is no settlement of this name.

History

While there is no settlement called Meline, the name may refer to a mill on one of the rivers that run through the north of the parish, including the Nevern and Brynberian.[1] Meline (as Malenay) appears on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire.[2] The parish was in the ancient Hundred of Cemais and in 1833 was described as including some ancient mansions as well as prehistoric features.[3] In 1835 the parish had a population of 492 of which 30 or 40 attended Sunday School in the summer months.[4] By the 1870s the population had fallen to 414 people, living in 108 houses and fell to below 300 in the mid-20th century.[5] At the turn of the 20th century Meline was sharing a Board School with Whitechurch (Eglwyswen).[6]

Parish

The parish, with an area of 4,523 acres (1,830 ha), includes the hamlet of Crosswell, a number of other minor settlements and farms, and extends southwards into the Preseli Mountains.[1] It is mostly within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.[7]

The former parish church, in the northern tip of the parish,[1] is dedicated to St Dogmael (or Dogfael) and is a Grade-II listed building. It was built in 1865, replacing an earlier structure, possibly 13th century, some of which was incorporated into the present church, including the font.[8][9]

In 2017, the church was vested in the care of Friends of Friendless Churches, a charity that rescues redundant churches across England and Wales.[10]

A carved pew back from the earlier church is preserved at Penbenglog nearby, bearing the inscription (in Latin) "The pew of Matilda, wife of George Perrott, of Penybenglog, gentleman, 1626".[11] Penbenglog is a Grade-II listed house dating from the early 17th century, with earlier origins, and one of the oldest continuously-occupied sites in north Pembrokeshire.[12][13]

Notable people

Benjamin Evans (minister) (1740-1821) was born in the parish.[14]

References

1. "GENUKI: Meline parish map". Retrieved 19 April 2015.
2. "Penbrok comitat". British Library. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
3. "GENUKI: Meline". Retrieved 19 April 2015.
4. Parliamentary Papers, House of Commons and Command. Vol. 43. HMSO. 1835. p. 1314.
5. A Vision of Britain through Time: History of Meline in Pembrokeshire. GB Historical GIS, University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
6. "Meline and Whitechurch School Inspection". The County Echo. 15 September 1904. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
7. "GENUKI: St Dogfael, Meline, Church in Wales". Retrieved 19 April 2015.
8. "British Listed Buildings: Church of St Dogfael". Retrieved 25 January 2018.
9. Cadw. "Church of St Dogfael (Grade II) (19167)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
10. "Friends of Friendless Churches: Meline". Retrieved 21 December 2018.
11. An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Wales and Monmouthshire: VII - County of Pembroke. 1925. p. 226. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
12. "British Listed Buildings: Penbenglog". Retrieved 25 January 2018.
13. Cadw. "Penbenglog (Grade II) (19168)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
14. "Evans, Benjamin". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 10 September 2016.