Meirionnydd is a coastal and mountainous region ofWales. It has been akingdom, acantref, adistrict and, asMerionethshire, acounty. It is currently acommittee area within the countyGwynedd.
Meirionnydd (Meirion, with-ydd as a Welsh suffix of land, literally 'Land adjoined to Meirion') was a sub-kingdom ofGwynedd, founded according to legend byMeirion (derived from the Latin nameMariānus), a grandson ofCunedda,[1] a warrior-prince who brought his family to Wales from theHen Ogledd (the 'Old North', northernEngland and southernScotland today), probably in the early 5th century. His dynasty seems to have ruled there for the next four hundred years. The kingdom lay between theRiver Mawddach and theRiver Dovey, spreading in a north-easterly direction.
The ancient name of thecantref wasCantref Orddwy (or 'thecantref of theOrdovices'). The familiar name coming from Meirion's kingdom.[1]
Thecantref ofMeirionnydd held the presumed boundaries of the previous kingdom but now as afief of theKingdom of Gwynedd where it continued to enjoy long spells of relative independence. It was divided into thecommotes ofYstumanner (administered fromCastell y Bere atLlanfihangel-y-Pennant) andTalybont (possibly centred onLlanegryn where there is a mound).[2] Thecantref was effectively abolished in 1284 following theStatute of Rhuddlan with the area being reorganised with the addition of some neighbouringcantrefi to form the county ofMerionethshire.
The area of Meirionnydd was enlarged under the Statute ofRhuddlan to become acounty, gaining the oldcantrefi ofPenllyn andArdudwy (shown asDunoding in the map of medieval cantrefi). The name for the county wasanglicised to the English phonetic equivalent ofMerioneth, sometimes appearing with the suffix-shire asMerionethshire.[3]
Merioneth became anadministrative county with an elected county council in 1889 under theLocal Government Act 1888. In 1974 the administrative county was abolished with most of the area merging withCaernarfonshire andAnglesey to create a new county ofGwynedd.
| Meirionnydd | |
|---|---|
| District | |
.svg) Meirionnydd shown within Wales | |
| Population | |
| • 1971 | 29,531[citation needed] |
| • 1992 (estimate) | 32,900[citation needed] |
| History | |
| • Created | 1 April 1974 |
| • Abolished | 31 March 1996 |
| • Succeeded by | Gwynedd |
| • HQ | Dolgellau |
The 1974 reforms established a two-tier system, with upper-tier county councils and lower-tier district councils. The county of Gwynedd was divided into fivedistricts, one of which was calledMeirionnydd, reverting to the Welsh spelling of the nameMerioneth.[4] The district ofMeirionnydd covered almost the same area as the pre-1974 county of Merioneth, excluding only theEdeirnion Rural District, which went to theGlyndŵr district ofClwyd. The Meirionnydd district replaced eight former districts:[5]
Under theLocal Government (Wales) Act 1994, the previous two-tier system of counties and districts was replaced with newprincipal areas (each designated either a "county" or a "county borough"), whose councils perform the functions previously divided between the county and district councils. TheMeirionnydd area merged with the neighbouringArfon andDwyfor districts to become a county, which the government originally namedCaernarfonshire and Merionethshire.[6] During the transition to the new system, the shadow authority requested a change of name fromCaernarfonshire and Merionethshire toGwynedd. The government confirmed the change with effect from 2 April 1996, one day after the new council came into being.[7]
Since 1996,Gwynedd Council has used the former Meirionnydd district as a committee area for discussing local matters.[8]
The first election to Meirionnydd District Council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. Throughout the council's existence a majority of the seats on the council were held byindependents:[9]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | 1974–1996 | |
The district council was based atCae Penarlâg inDolgellau, which had been built in 1953 as the headquarters of the old Merioneth County Council. Since 1996 the building has served as an area office of Gwynedd Council.[10]
Local governmentdistricts of Wales 1974–1996 | |
|---|---|
| Clwyd | |
| Dyfed | |
| Gwent | |
| Gwynedd | |
| Mid Glamorgan | |
| Powys | |
| South Glamorgan | |
| West Glamorgan | |
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