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Gan ei dad a glywodd chwedel 1,
A chan ei dad fe glywodd yntau
Ac ar ei ôl mi gofiais innau.
The grey old man in the corner
Of his father heard a story,
Which from his father he had heard,
And after them I have remembered.
As stated in the introduction of the present work [i.e. the Physicians of Myddvai], Rhiwallon and his sons became Physicians to Rhys
Gryg, Lord of Llandovery and Dynefor Castles, "who gave them rank, lands, and privileges at Myddfai for their maintenance in the
practice of their art and science, and the healing and benefit of those who should seek their help," thus affording to those who could not
afford to pay, the best medical advice and treatment gratuitously. Such a truly royal foundation could not fail to produce corresponding
effects. So the fame of the Physicians of Myddfai was soon established over the whole country, and continued for centuries among their
descendants.
'The celebrated Welsh Bard, Dafydd ap Gwilym, who flourished in the following century, and was buried at the Abbey of Tal-y-llychau 2,
in Carmarthenshire,
p. 13
about the year 1368, says in one of his poems, as quoted in Dr. Davies' dictionary--
Meddyg ni wnai modd y gwnaeth
Myddfai, o chai ddyn meddfaeth.
A Physician he would not make
As Myddfai made, if he had a mead fostered man.
Of the above lands bestowed upon the Meddygon, there are two farms in Myddfai parish still called "Llwyn Han Feddyg," the Grove of
Evan the Physician; and "Llwyn Meredydd Feddyg," the Grove of Meredith the Physician. Esgair Llaethdy, mentioned in the foregoing
legend, was formerly in the possession of the above descendants, and so was Ty newydd, near Myddfai, which was purchased by Mr.
Holford, of Cilgwyn, from the Rev. Charles Lloyd, vicar of Llandefalle, Breconshire, who married a daughter of one of the Meddygon,
and had the living of Llandefalle from a Mr. Vaughan, who presented him to the same out of gratitude, because Mr. Lloyd's wife's father
had cured him of a disease in the eye. As Mr. Lloyd succeeded to the above living in 1748, and died in 1800, it is probable that the skilful
oculist was John Jones, who is mentioned in the following inscription on a tombstone at present fixed against the west end of Myddfai
Church:--
HERE
Lieth the body of Mr. DAVID JONES, of Mothvey, Surgeon,
who was an honest, charitable, and skilful man.
He died September 14th, Anno Dom 1719, aged 61.
JOHN JONES, Surgeon,
Eldest son of the said David Jones, departed this life
the 25th of November, 1739, in the 44th year
of his Age, and also lyes interred hereunder.
These appear to have been the last of the Physicians who practised at Myddfai. The above John Jones resided for some time at Llandovery,
and was a very eminent surgeon. One of his descendants, named
p. 14
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John Lewis, lived at Cwmbran, Myddfai, at which place his great-grandson, Mr. John Jones, now resides.
'Dr. Morgan Owen, Bishop of Llandaff, who died at Glasallt, parish of Myddfai, in 1645, was a descendant of the Meddygon, and an
inheritor of much of their landed property in that parish, the bulk of which he bequeathed to his nephew, Morgan Owen, who died in 1667,
and was succeeded by his son Henry Owen; and at the decease of the last of whose descendants, Robert Lewis, Esq., the estates became,
through the will of one of the family, the property of the late D. A. S. Davies, Esq., M.P. for Carmarthenshire.
'Bishop Owen bequeathed to another nephew, Morgan ap Rees, son of Rees ap John, a descendant of the Meddygon, the farm of Rhyblid,
and some other property. Morgan ap Rees' son, Samuel Rice, resided at Loughor, in Gower, Glamorganshire, and had a son, Morgan Rice,
who was a merchant in London, and became Lord of the Manor of Tooting Graveney, and High Sheriff in the year 1772, and Deputy
Lieutenant of the county of Surrey, 1776. He resided at Hill House, which he built. At his death the whole of his property passed to his
only child, John Rice, Esq., whose eldest son, the Rev. John Morgan Rice, inherited the greater portion of his estates. The head of the
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