78 REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



considered one of the handsomest in North "Wales, contain- 

 ing free sittings for 600 souls ; also a parsonage house, to 

 which he annexed twelve acres of glebe land, two more 

 being given for a churchyard, and he moreover endowed the 

 incumbent with a comfortable income. A fund is charge- 

 able on the Welsh farms for necessary repairs. The conse- 

 cration of the church took place on the 24th of September, 

 1857, when a collation was given to upwards of five hun- 

 dred people : indeed, the door of hospitality was open to all 

 who chose to enter. The value of these donations amounts 

 at the lowest estimate to £16,000, the church and parsonage 

 alone costing £8,000. 



Mr. Smith was never known to refuse a site for church 

 or chapel on his land, if the request was made in a proper 

 manner. An elder of the CaLvinistic body has related 

 that they never applied to him for a site for chapel or 

 schools but it was at once cheerfully granted. This was the 

 more liberal as he was himself a staunch member of the 

 Church of England. Both he and Mrs. Smith invaria- 

 bly went to church on foot, and made it a rule, except in 

 case of illness, never to have either carriage or horse out on 

 a Sunday. On one occasion, however, the squire was known 

 to refuse a gift of land for church purposes ; but in that case 

 the over-oflScious citizens had plans drawn out, the site deter- 

 mined on, and estimates prepared before the lord of the soil 

 was consulted, so that his refusal under such circumstances 

 cannot be much wondered at. Dr. Cotton, the dean of Ban- 

 gor, who was much beloved and respected by Mr. and Mrs. 

 Smith, seldom resorted to him in vain for aid in works of 

 charity. On one occasion, the dean being fond of a joke, as 

 most Welshmen are, asked him for an old pair of boilers. 

 Mr. Smith told him he had not got such a thing by 

 him ; and so the matter ended for the time. In a few 

 weeks the dean went again to renew his request, saying, 

 " You have so many steamers, you must have an old pair of 

 boilers you can give me ;" whereupon the squire said, 



