The Loyal Parys Mountain Volunteers
The Volunteers were formed in March 1797 on the orders of His Majesty’s Privy Council at the time of the Napoleonic Wars when there was thought to be the danger of an invasion. There are a number of letters from the War Office included in the Mona Mine manuscripts and others before the arrangements were finalised.
It took some time to enlist the full complement of men and in February 1797 a letter to the Duke of Portland contained a request that although not the usual procedure, the men hoped they might be allowed to reserve to themselves the option of remaining within the County or marching out of it upon any Emergency.
In April 1797 Mr. Price wrote from Mona Lodge, Amlwch, to Mr. Sanderson, that the volunteers met every evening at four-o-clock in a field half way between the town and the mountain and were trained for three hours. Every Thursday in the same field a general meeting was held where they enrolled all who offered. The uniform was blue broadcloth turned up with red, buff coloured waistcoat and pantaloons, likewise turned up with red cord on edging, and plain yellow buttons. In another letter the black hats and feathers were decided on but there seemed to be some trouble getting the right sizes. Mr Price also commented in one letter that “Blue had been decided on because the miners think themselves degraded if they wear a red coat.” In 1798 complaints were made at the lack of efficient instructors and of the quality of arms. Pikes were particularly a grievance to the men of the Parys Mountain Corps, they “think themselves degraded by being obliged to carry them.”
In 1800 there were two Companies and the Yearly Pay List and Return lists them all. Unfortunately, it only gives names and not addresses so that it is impossible to pick out individuals in many cases, as there are a number of men with the same names. On 19 April 1797, 60 men reported to Beaumaris for training and the same number on 15th May and 6 June.
THE LOYAL PARYS MOUNTAIN VOLUNTEERS -1st COMPANY.
| Captain: | John PRICE | ||
| Lieuts: | George PALMER, John PRICE Junior. | ||
| Ensign: | John EVANS. | ||
| Sgt-Major: | John ROBYNS | ||
| Sgts: | Wm. ROBINSON, John GRIFFITH Jun. John OWEN, Griffith GRIFFITH, John GRIFFITH Sen. Francis MADRYN John ANWYL, John MICHAEL, Richard JONES, Thomas EDWARDS | ||
| Corporals: | Thomas EDWARDS, John EVANS, John PRICHARD, John LEE, Griffith EVANS, Hugh ROBERTS, Owen ROWLAND | ||
| Drummers: | Samuel ROBERTS, Thomas ROBERTS. | ||
| Fifers: | Gabriel BYRNE. William FRAZIER | ||
| Privates: | John BRERETON | Robert BROWN | John CURRY |
| David DAVIES | John DAVIES | John DUDDING | |
| William DUDDING | Thomas EDWARDS | John ELLIS | |
| John EVANS | Hugh EVANS | William EVANS | |
| Richard EVANS | John FRAZIER (2) | Robert GRIFFITH | |
| Thomas GRIFFITH | William GRIFFITH | David HUGHES | |
| Hugh HUGHES | John HUGHES | William HUGHES | |
| John JAMES | David JONES | Hugh JONES | |
| John JONES (2) | Jacob JONES | Owen JONES (2) | |
| Peter JONES | Richard JONES | ROWLAND JONES | |
| Thomas JONES | William JONES (5) | Benjamin JUDD | |
| Edward LEWIS | Robert LEWIS | Robert MARSHALL | |
| Samuel MARSHALL | William MORGAN | John MORRIS (3) | |
| Richard MORRIS | Godfrey MORTON | John MOSES | |
| James NICHOLLS | John OWENS | Owen OWENS | |
| Thomas OWENS | William OWENS (2) | John PARRY | |
| John POWELL | Hugh PRICE | Samuel PRICE | |
| William PRICE | John PRICHARD | Morgan RICHARDS | |
| Elias ROBERTS | Griffith ROBERTS | Hugh ROBERTS (2) | |
| John ROBERTS (4) | Owen ROBERTS | Henry ROBYNS | |
| David ROWLANDS | Hugh ROWLANDS (3) | Owen ROWLANDS | |
| David WILLIAMS | Hugh WILLIAMS (2) | John WILLIAMS 2 | |
| Lewis WILLIAMS | Michael WILLIAMS | Morris WILLIAMS | |
| Owen WILLIAMS (2) | Rice WILLIAMS | Richard WILLIAMS (3) | |
| Thomas WILLIAMS | William WILLIAMS | Owen MORRIS | |
| Hugh OWEN | John PARRY | Henry WILLIAMS | |
| Henry ROBINSON |