St Bartholomew's Church - A Journey Through Time Continues to Peruse Thomas Pritchard's Background

Thomas Pritchard's arrival at Jamestown in 1620was a Whig and a Member of Parliament. In 1855,
with the London Company and his subsequenthe became London's first Commissioner for
contributions to the settlement of Virginia'sWorks. The name "Big Ben" given to the bell in
Northern Neck are documented by primary andthe House of Commons clock tower
secondary sources alike on this side of thecommemorates Benjamin Hall's role in the
Atlantic. Still, his origin remains elusive.rebuilding of the House of Commons.
Over the years, researchers have pinpointed lessWhile her husband busied himself in politics, Lady
than a dozen Pri(t)chard families in England andLlanover altered local culture patterns. In addition
Wales whose offspring named Thomas are viableto defying English sentiments by embracing the
candidates for the Virginia immigrant. The twoWelsh language and customs and insisting that her
families who best meet the criteria traced theirstaff and all families on the estate follow suit, she
descent from the Prichards of Penrhos Castle inmade certain that the estate would be passed
Monmouthshire, Wales. Their line originated withdown through the female side. Llanover is owned
Caradoc Vraich-Vras (520-570 A.D.), founder oftoday by her great-great-granddaughter, whose
the dynasty of princes between the Wye andown daughters and granddaughters are destined
Severn rivers.to inherit it for generations to come, by-passing all
When Penrhos Castle was attacked andmales in the line.
destroyed in the Thirteenth Century, the familyDuring the mid-Nineteenth Century, the St.
members spread throughout Monmouthshire andBartholomew Church choir was large and famous
neighboring Glamorganshire. By the time ourfor the magnificent voices of its members. Welsh
Thomas was born (between 1592 and 1596,composer John Orlando Parry, a frequent guest
based on official immigration lists), the two keyof Lady Llanover, wrote many songs for the
family seats were within twenty miles of onechoir, among them a solo harp piece named "Ty
another.Uchaf" in honor of his hostess.
From 1521-1649, Llancaiach Fawr Manor nearSadly, the church does not have sufficient
Caerphilly was home to six Prichard generations.membership today to support a choir, although
David Prichard (d.1630) and his wife, Mary Carne,there are two organs, one a small pump type, the
were the parents of a Thomas Prichard, whoseother a pipe organ members are trying to
documented promotions from rector ofpreserve from the cold. Because the church's
Michaelston in Glamorgan to canon of Hereford instone walls are several feet thick and it lacks a
1636 remove him from consideration.central heating system, the indoor temperature
In Llanover, four miles south of Abergavenny, St.on that damp, raw day in early May felt much
Bartholomew's Church served a parallel Prichardcolder than the outside temperature.
line for many generations. A polished brass plateThe denomination of the church is Anglican
marking their graves beneath the outer wall of(Church of England). Mrs. Jones told us that it is a
the Prichard pew commemorates William Prichardfavorite of Rowan Williams, the current
(ca. 1500-1565) and his son Matthew, High SheriffArchbishop of Canterbury, who visited often while
for Monmouth (ca. 1545-1622).serving the Newport diocese. The Prichard family
David's cousin, Edward Prichard of Cardiff,pew is three-sided, considerably larger than those
Glamorganshire, is identified as a landlord and arepresenting the estate farms. The baptismal font
son of Matthew Prichard. The sources are willsin the center is surrounded by needlepoint kneeling
and land purchases found in the National Library ofpads made by the ladies of the church. Each
Wales in Aberystwyth, Cardigan and in the Publicdesign represents a line from the hymn "All Things
Record Office Archives of the United Kingdom.Bright and Beautiful."
Edward's will of 1612 names his wife Mary, hisThe plaque honoring William and Matthew Prichard
eldest son David, his second son Edward,depicts each standing, dressed in armor, and
daughters Margaret and Mary, and his third andwearing a sword. They have beards, no head
youngest son Thomas. This Thomas Prichardcovering, and hold their hands in prayer. Between
disappears from local records about the time ourthem is the Pritchard coat-of-arms topped by a
Thomas set sail for Virginia.dragon's head holding a hand dripping with blood in
By tradition, the eldest son in many British andits mouth. Other symbols thereon are three
Welsh families inherited the property, the secondtowers, three wolves heads, three lions, and
son entered a profession such as law, and thethree ravens. One cannot help wondering if
third son learned a trade. By helping his fatherMatthew's son Edward and grandson Thomas
build and repair the many houses inhabited by hiswere present at his burial and sat in that very
tenants, this Thomas may well have acquired thepew. Because Virginia records indicate that
carpentry and masonry skills sought by theThomas arrived twice in Jamestown, first in 1620
London Company.and again in 1624, it is possible that his return
Hoping that the journey to our past is betterhome was precipitated by the death of his
illuminated by visiting the unique environment thatgrandfather in 1622. Soon after his return, he
may have firmed an ancestor's personality andbegan buying considerable land in Virginia's
life, my husband and I flew to Wales to visitNorthern Neck, an indication that he could have
Llancaiach Fawr Manor. It was restored during thecome into an inheritance.
1990s and is now a museum, archaeologyAn additional Pritchard family crest painted in
laboratory, and cultural center of Glamorgan.shades of red, green, blue, black, and silver is
We returned in May 2009, this time to Llanover inmounted high on the nave wall next to Lady
Monmouthshire's Usk Valley. One of three WelshLlanover's coat-of-arms. The Welsh inscription on
villages that are also private estates, it was thehers, "Ni ddaw Da o hir arofyn," means "No good
seat of William Pritchard's descendants until thecomes of long intending," or "Actions speak louder
mid-Eighteenth Century. Unlike crumbling Penrhosthan words."
Castle, most of the buildings within Llanover areThe chancel centerpiece is a large painting of the
well preserved.Royal Coat of Arms bearing the motto, "Deo et
The focal point is St. Bartholomew's Church.Mon Droit" (God is on my right). Historians
Situated near the water where druidic worshipersconclude that Lady Llanover had it painted
gathered fourteen centuries ago, its nave datesbetween 1816 and 1837 to honor either King
to about 1150. The tower was added later andGeorge IV or King William IV for bestowing the
the chancel expanded. Two large residences ontitle upon her. The Arms of Hanover on the
the estate are Ty Uchaf (upper house) and Curtescutcheon show the Lion and the Unicorn
y Porthir (the court with the long porch), homesemerging from the Garter Shield. After her death,
of William and Matthew Prichard, respectively. Ait was painted over, but was rediscovered and
church booklet cites a legend that anotherrestored in 1993.
Prichard homestead, Court Farm, had a secretThe church tower contains a safe with the names
passage leading from the house to the church.and dates of parish births, marriages, and deaths
The families residing in Ty Uchaf have alwayscopied from the crumbling originals. It is
been overseers of the estate, which is comprisedunfortunate for Pritchard descendants in America
of many farms operated by tenants. Each farmthat the earliest baptisms and burial records
has been represented for generations in a churchextant go back only to 1661 and the marriages to
pew bearing its name. The farmhouses scattered1754. Outside, dozens of early grave headstones
throughout the district are attractive andhave eroded to such an extent that many have
substantially constructed of whitewashed stone.only a tiny portion of the Prichard surname legible.
All belonging to Llanover are identified by a distinctExcept for the addition of electricity, little has
border of gray paint around the eaves to avoidchanged on the Llanover estate since the Prichard
confusion with houses on adjacent estates.line ceased ownership in the late eighteenth
Ty Uchaf, built in Georgian colonial style, sits farcentury. The bucolic surroundings are exactly as
back from the lane meandering through the villagethey appeared to the early families.
estate. As we drove past, guided by Jilly Jones,Despite our fervent pursuit of Thomas Pritchard's
the Vicar's Warden, a sudden gust of windpast, we have not yet located the essential
disturbed a large drapery hanging across an openprimary source confirming that the young man
second floor window. For a brief moment, itmastering his trade at his father's side in
resembled a ghost signaling from the past.Glamorgan is identical to the middle-aged "Captain"
Jilly explained that Benjamin WaddingtonThomas Pritchard of Nutmeg Quarter, Warwick
purchased Llanover Estate in 1792 from the lastCounty, Virginia who presented a petition to the
of the Prichard line. He left it to his daughterassembly to unite with Denbeigh Parish and was
Augusta, later known as Lady Llanover. She livedelected in 1656 to represent Gloucester County in
until 1896 and was famous throughout Greatthe Virginia House of Burgesses.
Britain for the pedigreed Black Welsh MountainAnd so we are destined to continue wending our
sheep she raised, prompting the nursery rhyme,way through courthouses, cemeteries, libraries,
"Baa, Baa, Black Sheep." The large flock still bredgenealogical publications, and Internet postings for
on the estate is visible from the lane.that elusive fragment from the past confirming
Augusta's husband, Benjamin Hall or Lord Llanover,the irrefutable identity of our immigrant ancestor.