Meirionnydd

{{lang|cy|Meirionnydd}} (Meirion, with {{lang|cy|-ydd}} as a Welsh suffix of land, literally 'Land adjoined to Meirion') was a sub-kingdom of Gwynedd, founded according to legend by Meirion (derived from the Latin name {{lang|la|Mariānus}}), a grandson of Cunedda,{{cite book |title=A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest|last= Lloyd|first= John Edward|author-link= John Edward Lloyd|year= 1912|publisher= Longmans, Green, and Co.|page=250 |url= https://archive.org/stream/historyofwalesfr01lloyuoft#page/250/mode/2up|access-date=16 April 2015}} a warrior-prince who brought his family to Wales from the {{lang|cy|Hen Ogledd}} (the 'Old North', northern England and southern Scotland today), probably in the early 5th century. His dynasty seems to have ruled there for the next four hundred years. The kingdom lay between the River Mawddach and the River Dovey, spreading in a north-easterly direction.

The ancient name of the {{lang|cy|cantref}} was {{lang|cy|Cantref Orddwy}} (or 'the {{lang|cy|cantref}} of the Ordovices'). The familiar name coming from Meirion's kingdom.

The {{lang|cy|cantref}} of {{lang|cy|Meirionnydd|italic=no}} held the presumed boundaries of the previous kingdom but now as a fief of the Kingdom of Gwynedd where it continued to enjoy long spells of relative independence. It was divided into the commotes of {{lang|cy|Ystumanner|italic=no}} (administered from {{lang|cy|Castell y Bere|italic=no}} at {{lang|cy|Llanfihangel-y-Pennant|italic=np}}) and {{lang|cy|Talybont|italic=no}} (possibly centred on {{lang|cy|Llanegryn|italic=no}} where there is a mound).{{cite book |title=A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest |last=Lloyd |first=John Edward |author-link=John Edward Lloyd |year=1912 |publisher=Longmans, Green, and Co |page=252 |url=https://archive.org/stream/historyofwalesfr01lloyuoft#page/252/mode/2up |access-date=16 April 2015 }} The {{lang|cy|cantref}} was effectively abolished in 1284 following the Statute of Rhuddlan with the area being reorganised with the addition of some neighbouring {{lang|cy|cantrefi}} to form the county of Merionethshire.

{{Main|Merionethshire}}

File:Wales Historic Counties map Merionethshire.svg

The area of Meirionnydd was enlarged under the Statute of {{lang|cy|Rhuddlan|italic=no}} to become a county, gaining the old {{lang|cy|cantrefi}} of {{lang|cy|Penllyn|italic=no}} and {{lang|cy|Ardudwy|italic=no}} (shown as Dunoding in the map of medieval cantrefi). The name for the county was anglicised to the English phonetic equivalent of Merioneth, sometimes appearing with the suffix -shire as Merionethshire.{{cite book |last1=Bowen |first1=Ivor |title=The Statutes of Wales |date=1908 |publisher=T. F. Unwin |location=London |page=3 |url=https://archive.org/details/statuteswales01bowegoog/page/n131/mode/2up |access-date=15 November 2022 }}

Merioneth became an administrative county with an elected county council in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888. In 1974 the administrative county was abolished with most of the area merging with Caernarfonshire and Anglesey to create a new county of Gwynedd.

{{Infobox historic subdivision

|Name = Meirionnydd

|HQ = Dolgellau

|subdivision_type = District

|Start = 1 April 1974

|End = 31 March 1996

|Replace = Gwynedd

|PopulationFirst = 29,531{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}

|PopulationFirstYear = 1971

|PopulationLast = 32,900{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}

|PopulationLastYear = 1992 (estimate)

|image_map = Meirionnydd au pays de Galles (1974-1996).svg

|image_map_caption = Meirionnydd shown within Wales

}}

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 five districts, one of which was called {{lang|cy|Meirionnydd}}, reverting to the Welsh spelling of the name Merioneth.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Districts in Wales (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|number=34|accessdate=30 October 2022}} The district of {{lang|cy|Meirionnydd|italic=no}} covered almost the same area as the pre-1974 county of Merioneth, excluding only the {{lang|cy|Edeirnion|italic=no}} Rural District, which went to the {{lang|cy|Glyndŵr|italic=no}} district of Clwyd. The Meirionnydd district replaced eight former districts:{{cite legislation UK |type=act |act=Local Government Act 1972 |year=1972 |chapter=70 |accessdate=1 November 2022 }}

• Bala Urban District
• Barmouth Urban District
• Deudraeth Rural District
• Dolgellau Rural District
• Dolgellau Urban District
• Ffestiniog Urban District
• Penllyn Rural District
• Tywyn Urban District

Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, the previous two-tier system of counties and districts was replaced with new principal areas (each designated either a "county" or a "county borough"), whose councils perform the functions previously divided between the county and district councils. The {{lang|cy|Meirionnydd|italic=no}} area merged with the neighbouring Arfon and Dwyfor districts to become a county, which the government originally named Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=19|accessdate=8 November 2022}} During the transition to the new system, the shadow authority requested a change of name from Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire to {{lang|cy|Gwynedd}}. The government confirmed the change with effect from 2 April 1996, one day after the new council came into being.{{cite web |title=Hansard: Written Answers |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199596/cmhansrd/vo960402/text/60402w33.htm#60402w33.html_spnew3 |website=UK Parliament |access-date=3 October 2022 |date=2 April 1996}}

Since 1996, Gwynedd Council has used the former Meirionnydd district as a committee area for discussing local matters.{{cite web |title=Committee details - Meirionnydd Area Forum |url=https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=159 |website=Gwynedd Council |access-date=16 November 2022}}

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 by independents:{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre | date=4 March 2016 |access-date=16 November 2022}}

The district council was based at {{lang|cy|Cae Penarlâg|italic=no}} in {{lang|cy|Dolgellau|italic=no}}, 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.{{cite web |title=Contact us: Siopau Gwynedd |url=https://www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Council/Contact-us/Siopau-Gwynedd/Siopau-Gwynedd.aspx |publisher=Gwynedd Council |access-date=14 November 2022}}

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{{Wales Districts}}

{{Gwynedd elections}}

{{Regions of Wales|state=collapsed}}

{{Coord|52.758|-3.835|display=title|region:GB_scale:500000}}

Category:Cantrefs

Category:Districts of Gwynedd

Category:Kingdoms of Wales

Category:History of Gwynedd

Category:Merionethshire

Category:States and territories established in 1974

Category:1974 establishments in Wales