Cefn Mably

Cefn Mably today makes up part of St Mellons, a small suburb on the east side of the capital city of Wales,Cardiff.

History of Cefn Mably's Lords of the manor & house

David, the third son of a John Kemeys, married Cecil, daughter and heir of Llewelyn Evan of Cefn Mably. The Cefn Mably estate remained in the hands of the Kemeys family until the death, unmarried, of Charles Kemeys in 1735. He was succeeded by his sister Jane who married the Rev. John Tynte (d. 1710), 2nd baronet, of Halswell House in Somerset, and rector of Goathurst. They were succeeded in turn by their three sons, Halsewell Tynte (1705-30), 3rd baronet, of Halswell and Cefnmabli, the Rev. John Tynte (1707-1740, d. unm.), 4th baronet and rector of Goathurst, and Charles Kemeys Tynte (1710-1785, dsp.), 5th baronet.

Sir Charles Kemeys Tynte developed Halswell Park and received the Penmark estate from Mary Kemeys (c. 1699-1785) who had married William Kemeys. Charles was succeeded by his niece Jane Hassell (1738-1824), only surviving child of Charles's sister Jane Tynte (1708-41) and her husband (m. 1737) Ruishe Hassell (d. 1749), a Major in the Royal Horse Guards. Jane Hassell married Colonel John Johnson of Glaiston in Rutland and Burhill, near Hersham, Surrey, in 1765. On his wife's succession in 1785 he changed his name to John Johnson Kemeys-Tynte (d. 1795). They were succeeded by their son Colonel Charles Kemeys Kemeys-Tynte (b. 1788) of Halswell and Cefn Mably, who was succeeded by his son Charles John Kemeys-Tynte (b. 1800), lieutenant-colonel of the Glamorgan militia and MP for West Somerset, 1832-1837, and Bridgwater, 1847-1865. He married Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Swinnerton of Butterton Hall, Butterton, Staffordshire, in 1822, and was succeeded by his son Charles Kemeys-Tynte, (b. 1822), colonel of the Somerset militia. Cefn Mably remained in the hands of the Kemeys Tynte family until 1923

Cefn Mably HouseThe lovely house called Cefn Mably has been gutted by a terrible fire and this is an account of what was in the house back in 1951, when distinguished Monmouthshire historian Fred Hando visited it. It is a fairly good description of the interior of the house, which was at that time being used as a hospital This account is in the public domain. Fred died in the 1970’s.

Fred Hando's account (1951)

‘Cefn Mably’ commemorates Mabel, daughter of the 'Norman Conqueror' of Glamorgan, Robert Fitzhamon; she was the first (about 1100 ) to build a house on the ridge. It is, however, with another famous family of Gwent -the Kemeys-that Cafn Mably is usually associated. We do not know how or when this family moved, after the conquest,of Gwent (in which Kemeys played a notable part)via Kemeys Commander and Kemeys Inferior to Began, the Hen Gwrt near the River Rhymney but it seems certain that David ap Jevan Kemeys , of Began , married into the Llewellyn family of Cefn Mably in the mid fifteenth century and from then on Cefn Mably was a Kemeys house. Hence it is that the three barbed arrowheads, which we know on the shield of George Kemeys and the ancient Welsh motto ‘Duw Dy Ras’ (God-thy Grace) which we see on the gable end of a house at Llanvair Discoed are also displayed at Cefn Mably.

We were greeted at the porch by the distinguished and devoted doctor who directs Cefn Mably. From outside, he showed us the Chapel, the King’s Room (for King Charles I reputedly stayed here), the Bishop’s Room, used at the same time by Compton, Bishop of London, the Dancing Gallery, the Tub Room, and the Red Bedroom all on the first floor.

We were conducted then through the ground floor apartments, including the ‘pantry’ which of old contained a dogwheel turnspit (operated by a Turnspit Dog) similar to the wheel at the Hanbury Arms at Caerleon. Next we walked through the Soldiers’ Gallery , once occupied by Cavalier troopers but now filled by women patients, happy in the sunshine, and giving a cheery greeting to their beloved doctor.

In this room, before the conversion (into a hospital) stretched the famous shovelboard an oak table of one plank, over 42 feet long, 2 ft 9 ins wide and six inches thick extended by an additional 9ft plank.

We saw the ‘Falling Gardens’ with their recent notable improvements and tried to picture those strenuous days in the 1640’s when Sir Nicholas Kemeys (later to meet a hero’s death at Chepstow - Striguil) so gallantly defended Cefn Mably against the besieging Ironsides. Cannon balls and a breastplate dug up in 1867 testified to the truth of the old story but as there were legends of secret room and underground passages, I asked the doctor if he knew of any. “I know of nothing to justify the legend of a concealed recess in the Red Bedroom, “he said “But I may have something to show you in the Hall”.

The Hall is a truly noble apartment, T shaped. Originally there was a fireplace in each limb of the T and the cross portion contained the dais, where sat the Knight and his family and distinguished visitors, while the retainers were seated at the long table running down the hall. The household staff , men and women , wore green livery in the time of Queen Anne of Great Britain and King George I of Great Britain. The dais, tables and two of the fireplaces have disappeared. The remaining fireplace contains a fireback inscribed with the Kemeys motto previously mentioned and pheons. Some excellent pictures remain, and behind the modern panelling still survives a little of the original timber, bearing the lettering: HIROENI E.K. wishing long life to Edward Kemeys. A small and ancient oil painting depicts Cefn Mably as it was before it was enlarged and altered.

We examined those relics with care, but felt that our host, with consummate showmanship, was reserving to the last his best feature. Leading us to the eastern end of the T, he halted before a large panel on which hung a painting of the Virgin and Child. After some difficulty, the doctor persuaded the panel to swing open , disclosing a dark room, whose only light came from a small and ancient wondow on the right. Stairs on the left lead down to a vault, from which the underground passage used to lead down towards the Rhymney river. ”There is no doubt about the passage” averred Doctor Ross. “I have myself penetrated some six to eight feet into it. It was brick lined, and well constructed , but as it was the means of ingress to rats, I had it closed.” After this thrill it seemed almost an anti-climax to see a black beam in the ceiling at the top of the main staircase, and to be told that here convicted criminals were hanged after trial at the old house, which is now the Rectory at Michaelstone-y-Fedw. When their bodies were cut down, they passed through a circular hole in the platform beneath to fall crashing towards the ground floor!

ee also

*Cefn Mably Hospital

External links

* [http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/fulldesc_nofr?inst_id=36&coll_id=1179&expand= Archives Wales] information on the Kemeys-Tynte family