User:Sjwright5/Pennsylvania New Wales

New Wales was a area around the Plymouth Meeting House in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The original inhabitants were Welsh Quakers, promised religious freedom and the use of the Welsh language. When 'insufficient' settlers with 'insufficient' money arrived, non-quaker German settlers were given land and the language promise was rescended. This rescention caused long-standing dislike of Wm. Penn and company.

In late 17th century Dolgellau (Gwynedd, North Wales) as well as other parishes, quakers were fined by the Anglican priest and congregation for non-attendance at services. These fines were set to weaken the financial position of Meeting members. After a period of time they were forced to join William Penn's plan for emmigration.

The quaker meeting group from Tyddn y Garrig (Homestead under the Rock) outside Dolgellau, took ship from Aberystwyth in 1695 and met other meetings in Plymouth before sailing to America.

The names of towns and villages of New Wales were often those from old Wales. Radnor, Penlyn, Tredifferin, and other places continue to bear these names. The names of descedants of those settlers also were from old Wales. They followed the patronymic naming method, creating a surname from the father's christian name. Roberts (son of Robert), Lewis (son of Levi), Davis (son of David), Pugh/Hughes (son of Hugh), Jones (son of John), and Ellis (son of Eli) are common names descended from the Dolgellau group.