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In 1198 The Afon Cambwll is shown as the boundary between Llanfairfechan and Aber. The river later had a bridge called Pont Cambwll and the farm close by was called Cambwll Farm, in the 1800 century the Smallwood family were working the farm, it was situated between Madryn farm and the river and the roadway and the shore. It was incorporated into Madryn Farm when the Platts built the Grand lodge of Bryn y Neuadd, all that is now left of it is the bridge that Aber Road runs over close to where the grand lodge’s were. I wonder why the piece of land called Trwyn y Cambwll was called the Nose of Cambwll other than its the welsh for it.
The Smallwoods have appeared a number of times in the annals of history, I have recorded a few, here they were having trouble getting fern ash to Bangor Harbour.
The document transcribed below a Case for counsel's opinion has been extracted from one of the numerous bundles of papers relating to actions in the Caernarvonshire Great Sessions to be found amongst the Porth-yr-Aur MSS. in the Library of the University College of North Wales. It describes in succinct detail one of the hazards none too uncommon, so it would seem of travelling on the Conway Bangor section of the Chester to Holyhead road completed, as readers of Mr. R. T. Pritchard's articles will remember, in 1772. Although damages amounting to £500 were claimed by Robert Smallwood, the injured Wagoner, in the action which he brought against John Carter and John Davies in the first session of the Great Sessions of 1774, it appears from another document in the same bundle that on 29 August of that year Carter entered into an Agreement with Randle Smallwood, Robert's brother, to pay the latter £21 damages and to defray the surgeon's and lawyer's bills. In consequence of this, the court at its second session granted a stay of action, but in September, 1774, Carter, although having paid all but a pound of the agreed damages, was reported as objecting to foot the bills of costs. Unfortunately the papers do not record what the final upshot of the case was.
Thomas J. Owen
CASE
Mr. John Carter, of the Bishops Ferry, near Bangor in the County of Caernarvon keeps several Carriages & saddle Horses for the Accommodation of Persons travelling between Chester & Holyhead & is also one of the Proprietors of the Machine on the same Road.
The Stage which the said John Carter's Carriages are hired for is from the Town of Conway in the said County to the said ferry, being about sixteen Miles in length & the whole of the Road from Conway to the said Ferry (excepting about four Miles near the Town of Bangor) is new and Remarkably fine & open, being eight yards broad from fence to fence.
The Drivers of the said John Carter and particularly one John Davies (who generally drives the Stage Coach with four Horses, without a Postillion) have it their Constant Practice (to the great terror [of] the inhabitants, to drive the Carriages upon the said new Road and also in the Town of Bangor upon an awful Gallop and whenever they meet or overtake any people on horseback or Horses Carrying packs or loads to drive as near them as they can & make a great Noise & Smack their Whips at the same time in order to terrify the Horses and throw off their Riders & there have been frequent Instances of People being thrown off.
About 12 of October 1773 Robert Smallwood of the parish of Aber in the County of Caernarvon yeoman assisted by Mary his wife & William Smallwood & Grace his wife drove 7 Horses Loaded with fern ashes from Gorthinog in the said Parish of Aber to a Vessel that lay at a place called Abercegin in the said Parish of Bangor. The said Robt. Smallwood & Mary his wife took Care of 3 of the horses which went first & the said William Smallwood & Grace his wife took care of the other 4 horses which followed close after about 10 of the Clock in the fore noon of the same day while the said Robt. Smallwood and his assistance [sic] were driving the said 7 Horses upon a certain part of the said new Road that lies between a gate leading to a house in the said Parish of Aber called Weegfawr & the Boundary between the said Parish and the Parish of Llanllechid in the said County where the new Road is 8 yards wide & Remarkably fine & level the said William Smallwood & Grace his wife saw Mr. Carter's post Coach with 6 horses & two postillions vizt. Wm. Zacheus (who drove the 2 fore horses) & the said John Davies (who drove the two wheel horses) Coming after them On a Gentle trot upon which the said Wm. Small-wood & Grace his wife immediately took the said four Horses under their Care out of the Middle of the Road upon which they went before & placed them up to the Hedge's side on the Right hand in a line one behind the Other & the said Robt. Smallwood as soon as he perceived the said Carriage coming (which he did not do as soon as the said Wm. Smallwood & Grace his wife) immediately endeavoured to take his 3 horses to the right Hand side also but the said Wm. Zacheus & John Davies when they came to within about 10 or 12 yards of the said Wm. Smallwood & Grace his wife & their Horses set the Horses under the carriage upon a full Gallop, Smacked their Whips and made such a great Noise & Came so Suddenly upon the said Robt. Smallwood's 3 horses & terrified them in such a manner, that the first of [them] went off with his load upon a full Gallop & continued so for some time & then turned to the left, & the other 2 Horses immediately turned to the Hedge on the right side & there fell. Robert Smallwood when he was endeavouring to keep his horses to Right stood on the Green sod out of the Road where Carriages usually go upon a distance of about a yard & half from the Hedge leaving a space of six yards or thereabouts to the left notwithstanding which the said Wm. Zacheus & John Davies drove Close to him and at such a Rate that the first or 2nd Horse that drew the sd. Carriage threw him down & the 2 & wheel Horse and also both the wheel of the Carriage went over him and broke his right leg and terribly bruised the Other whereby he has been Confined to his bed ever since & it is very doubtful whether he will recover. The said William Zacheus and John Davies drove of a Gallop when they threw down the said Robert Smallwood & Continued at the same Rate for about 8 or 10 Roods laughing and making a Noise at the same time soon after which they stopped & came & assisted the said Wm. Smallwood & Grace his wife in taking up the Horses &c—It is presumed that if the said Wm. Zacheus and John Davies had not drove in that wanton & negligent manner the said Robert Smallwood might have had time enough to take his horses out of the way Or that if they had kept a little to the left (there being Room sufficient for the purpose) they might have drove on at the same rate & not have occasioned any Damage to the said Robt. Smallwood but instead of that they kept Close to the Right on which side the said Wml Smallwood & Grace his wife & their 4 Horses & the said Robt. Smallwood & Mary his wife & 2 of their Horses then were & drove & made a Noise as aforesaid as they did it on purpose to frighten the said 7 Horses loaded with fern ashes—Robt. Smallwood in the presence of the said Grace Smallwood when the said Wm. Zacheus & John Davies came to assist them in taking up their Horses examined the tracks of the Carriage wheels whereby it appeared that the said Wm. Zacheus & John Davies when they came near to the said Robt. Smallwood had turned the Carriage out of the direct line that it was in before to the right & when they had drove over the said Robt. Smallwood they turned to the left again & kept in the middle of the Road all the while till they stopped—the said Robt. Smallwood & Grace Smallwood also observed that there was no Appearance of the tracks of any Carriages having so much to the Right as the said Carriage when it went over the said Robt Smallwood but the said Wm. Smallwood did not take Notice of the Tracks of the Carriage.
In 1777 in March 31 Mr Randle Smallwood was in court for assault on Mr William Prichard, on April 14 Mr Robert Smallwood yeoman was assaulted by a Mr Richard and Evan Roberts and Mr Randle Smallwood was back in court for violently beating Mr William Prichard again, on April 17 Robert Smallwood was back in court having been assaulted by Mr William Prichard Mr Thomas Smallwood
These are the grave stones of the Smalwood family at the Aber Church yard there are proberbly some in the Llanfairfechan church yards
GWEN SMALWOOD / buried Decem ye 8th, 1751,/ aged 45 (Small headstone)
could she be the wife of William or Robert below
Er ep )1 age fo lieth t
SMALLWO parted this li da Febry1812 ed 80
(0?) yrs e lieth th ody of izabeth the wife of
SMALLWOOD he died April 18_3, aged 7 O lieth the body of
OBER SMALLWOOD, who died the day
A_ril33 Ag 78(8?) (Slab)
I would suggest that the above relate to William 80, Randle 7?, wife Elizabeth, and Robert 78, the three brothers from the item above
In memory of WILLIAM, son of WILLIAM SMALLWOOD of Cambwll by MARGARET his wife, who died Feby 24th, 1836, aged 8 years. Also the above named MARGARET SMALLWOOD, who died February 21st, 1850, aged 58 years. Here lieth the body of RANDAL, the son of WM and MARGARET SMALLWOOD, Cambwll, died 29th of Janry, 1867, aged 36. "Minnau fel glaswelltyn yn wywais". Also in affectionate remembrance of the above named WILLIAM SMALLWOOD of Cambwll, Aber, who died the 3rd day of February in the year of our Lord 1876, aged 84 years. He fell asleep in Jesus. (Chest)
In 1817 on 22nd April The minutes of the Vestry were held in the Ty’n Llan Subsequently called “The Bulkeley” and then “The Bull” these minutes are shown on the St Bodfan page of the site. They were signed for by among others Mr Robert Smallwood as tenant of Cambwll for his father
The bridge at Cambwll caused the county some cost as can be seen by these court records
In various Caernarfonshire Quarter Sessions
BRIDGES
6 May 1705 BRIDGE: Pont Ystrad Issa, Pont y Cambwll
27 January 1747/48 BRIDGE: Causeway at Pont y Cambwll
27 January 1747/48 BRIDGE: Causeway at Pont y Cambwll
4 October 1758 BRIDGE: Pont y Cambwll,
23 July 1789 BRIDGE: Pont y Cambwll
26 March 1888 Repair of roads over county bridges: Pont yr Allt Goch, Pont Meirchion, Pont y Trap, Pont Ruffydd, Pont Cambwll, Pont Llanerch, Pont Clogwn Goch.
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