File NLW ex 2773. - Richard Bennett letters

Richard Bennett (1860-1937), Methodist historian, antiquary and copyist, was born at Hendre, Cwm Pennant, Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire, a farmer's son who received only a basic education. He manifested an early interest in local history, copying out parish registers and researching their information. Later, he would contribute historical articles to periodicals. From 1905 Bennett regularly visited Trefeca College to read and research manuscripts and it was he who copied out the Trefeca letters for publication in the supplements of the C.M. Historical Journal. Bennett also published several of his own works relating to the history of Calvinistic Methodism in Montgomeryshire.
His deafness caused him to retire in 1914, leaving Hendre to live with his sister in Bangor; they later moved to Caersws, where he died on 13 August 1937.

Cecil Edward Vaughan Owen (1901-1981) was a local historian and teacher. He was born on 13 March 1901, the fifth child of Dr John Vaughan Owen of Glascoed, Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire, and the nephew of Nicholas Bennett Owen of Glanyrafon, Trefeglwys, Montgomeryshire. He was educated at Llanidloes County School, Oswestry School, and Edinburgh University, and studied history at Durham University. He spent his working life teaching in England, and then retired to Glascoed to pursue his historical interests. He was an authority on Llanidloes and the Arwystli area of Montgomeryshire, particularly in the field of vernacular architecture, and was in demand as a lecturer. He wrote articles for Montgomeryshire Collections, including his 'Arwystli Notebook', begun in 1953. Some of his lectures to the Arwystli Society were published posthumously as An Arwystli Notebook Part 1 (Llanidloes, [1990]). He was President of the Cambrian Archaeological Association, 1971-1972; vice-president of the Powysland Club, 1979-1981, as well as being chairman of its Council, and in 1957 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He remained a member of St Idloes Church, Llanidloes, throughout his life, becoming a churchwarden. He was unmarried and died on 7 March 1981.