| Lady Llanover
Augusta Hall, Baroness Llanover (21 March 1802 � 17 January 1896), born Augusta Waddington, was a Welsh heiress, best known as a patron of the arts.
The heiress to the Llanover estate in Monmouthshire, she became the wife of Benjamin Hall the younger (who gave his name to "Big Ben"). In 1828, the couple commissioned Thomas Hopper to build Llanover Hall, which was designed as a kind of arts centre as well as a family home. Her husband was created Baron Llanover in 1859.
Lady Llanover was greatly influenced by the local bard, Thomas Price (Carnhuanawc), whom she met at a local eisteddfod in 1826. Carnhuanawc taught her the Welsh language; she took the bardic name "Gwenynen Gwent". At the Cardiff Eisteddfod of 1834, she won first prize for her essay on Advantages resulting from the Preservation of the Welsh language and National Costume of Wales. Her interest in costume led her to standardise the design of the Welsh national costume, an action for which she has subsequently been criticised. In 1850, she helped found Y Gymraes ("The Welshwoman"), the first Welsh-language periodical for women. Her other interests included cookery (on which she published a book) and folk music; she encouraged the production and use of the traditional Welsh triple harp, employing a resident harpist at Llanover Hall.
The Lady Llanover Society was formed in 2003.
Also see http://web.ukonline.co.uk/gwenynen.gwent/Home.htm |
