CADER IDRIS VOLUNTEERS

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CADER IDRIS VOLUNTEERS.1

This Corps, which took its title from the well-known mountain2 under which nestles the town of Dolgelley3, was raised at the end. of 1803 by Sir R. W. Vaughan, Bart., M.P.,4 who became its first Commandant. It had its headquarters at Dolgelley.

In making the necessary arrangements in connection with the formation of the Corps, Sir R. W. Vaughan had the services of Sergeant-Major James Simpson Kennedy, who became the Adjutant of the Corps when it was duly formed. Fortescue states that good adjutants were not very easy to procure, and that in many parts of Wales they were especially difficult to find as, unless they could speak Welsh, they were useless.

The following is a list of the Officers5

Lieut. Col. Comm.
Sir Robert W. Vaughan, Bt. 3rd Feb. 1804.

Major.
John Edwards 7th Mar. 1804.

Captains.
Edward Owen 7th Mar. 1804
Lewis Pugh
6 7th Mar. 1804
Edward Price Anwyl 7th Mar. 1804
Humphrey Williams 7th Mar. 1804
Thomas Richards 7th Mar. 1804
William Williams 7th Mar. 1804

Lieutenants.
William Lloyd 7th Mar. 1804
Francis Roberts 7th Mar. 1804
Anthony Morgan 7th Mar. 1804
Griffith Jones 7th Mar. 1804
Elias Williams 7th Mar. 1804
Thomas Pugh 7th Mar. 1804

Ensigns.
Ellis Jones 7th Mar. 1804
Thomas Hartley 7th Mar. 1804
John Evans 7th Mar. 1804
Robert Jones 7th Mar. 1804
Henry Oliver 7th Mar. 1804
Edward Wallis 7th Mar. 1804
7th Mar.1804 7th Mar. 1804

Chaplain.
Richard Hughes
7 7th Mar. 1804

Adjutant.
John Simpson Kennedy 3rd Mar. 1804

Quarter Master.
Griffith Griffiths 7th Mar. 1804

Surgeon.
Griffith Roberts 7th Mar. 1804

The War Office List omits the name of the Paymaster. That officer was Griffith Griffiths.

The Corps was divided into six companies. The strength of each company was 71, composed as follows :-

1 Captain, 1 Lieutenant, 1 Ensign Officer

3

Drill Sergeant

1

Sergeants

2

Corporals

3

Drummer

1

Privates.

61

Total

71

No. 1

Coy

was commanded by

Edward Owen

No. 2

do

do

Edward Price Anwyl

No. 3

do

do

Humphrey Williams.

No. 4

do

do

Thomas Richards.

No. 5

do

do

William Williams.

No. 6

do

do

William Lloyd.

The total strength of the Corps was 433.

The Corps assembled at Dolgelley in 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807 and 1808, but there is no record of an assembly in 1809.

During each assembly it was billeted in stationary quarters. The number of days of assembly varied from twelve to twenty-four and the days of exercise from twelve to twenty-six.

The Corps was also inspected from time to time. In 1804 and 1805 there were four and six inspections respectively.

During the days of assembly the Chaplain was paid ten shillings for officiating on Sundays. In one return opposite the names of Privates Numbers 54 to 89 (both inclusive) is the following remark, "Clothes in store and not given out on account of Harvest time."

No doubt these men were engaged in agriculture and were therefore excused attendances at the assembly in order to work in the harvest.

Owing to the large number of agricultural labourers who were serving in the Army and in the Militia, the Government were anxious to release as many of the Volunteers and the-Militia men as was practicable during harvest time for the purpose of assisting the farmers. In several instances the Militia regiments, including the Merioneth Regiment (which at this period was stationed on the coast of Kent), were encouraged to release a proportion of their men for this purpose.

In the account for 1808, Mr. Roberts the Surgeon was allowed £2:8:0 for medicine, in addition to his pay of 9/5 per day.

During the days of assembly the Corps indulged in route marches. It was the same route every year, "from Cader Idris to Dolgelley and return.8" The length of the march is given in the Returns as twelve miles, that is to say six miles each way. It is very improbable that the objective was the summit, the most likely route being to a point situate on the old road to Towyn which is known as Cader Road and also as Ffordd-ddu and which runs at the foot of the mountain. Why was the route march never varied To this it is difficult to find an answer. Whereas all the other Corps in Merionethshire at one time or another made a town in one of the adjoining Counties their objective, the Cader Idris Corps never went beyond the confines of the mountain from which it took its title. The size of the Corps might possibly have made billeting difficult, if the distance had necessitated a night's halt. This might explain why the Corps did not go far afield, but does not solve the problem why the route was never varied within the County.

The Cader Idris Corps was, according to independent accounts, a well behaved and disciplined body.

The following is an extract from a newspaper published on 15th February, 1805.9

"The Cader Idris Volunteers about 400 strong terminated their course of training at Dolgelley under the command of Sir R. W. Vaughan, M.P. for the County. The inhabitants witnessed with regret the departure of these young and well proportioned men, the lusty sons of Cambro British prowess."

The other independent authority is Mrs. Baker,10who wrote as follows:

"The armed defenders of the county, called the Cader Idris Company, commanded by Sir R. Williams Vaughan, and Major Edwards, were drawn out in the Marian 11 and made a respectable appearances and it might easily be perceived that great pains were taking12 to make this corps expert in the use of arms."

In 1804 the total amount of the account presented to and allowed by the Government in respect of the Cader Idris Volunteers was £1,044:0:5.

The Corps was disbanded in 1800.




1 I.D.M. 11.0. 50. 65/1803.
2 Cader Idris, 2,927 feet.
3 Founded 11th or beginning of the 12th Century. Its history is admirably told in "The Story of Two Parishes, Dolgelley and Llanelltyd," by Mr. T. P. Ellis, M.A. It has in recent years been looked upon as the county town. The Assizes are now held here, and also Quarter Sessions-in the latter case alternately with Bala. It was formed into an Urban District in 1894. Population, 2,260. (Census, 1931).
4 See pages 28 and 59.
5 W.O. Militia and Volunteer Lists, 1804.
6 Lewis Pugh, although gazetted a Captain, is not shown in any of the Returns of the Cader Idris Corps as having been in command of a Company.
7 Appointed by the Crown to the benefice of Dolgelley, 1st May, 1794.
8 This is as set out in the Returns. The description should undoubtedly have been "To Cader Idris from Dolgelley and return."
9 The author has seen this quoted in two or three places, but the name of the newspaper is not given.
10 "Diary of Mrs. Baker," National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. P. 206. I am indebted for this extract to Mrs. Wynne Jones, of Penmaenucha, Dolgelley, who proposes to publish this Diary.
11 The name of the public playing field of Dolgelley.
12 This is the actual wording in the Diary.