Gwenllian Llyewelyn was born at Ynyscaedudwg Farm in Cilfynydd on 23 October, 1859, six years after her parents married in Merthyr Tydfil.
Her family were the Llewellyns of Llanwynno, and Ynyscaedudwg was later the site of the Albion Colliery, where the worst mining disaster in Britain before Senghenydd took place.
Her mother, also named Gwenllian, grandmother, again named Gwenllian and their maidservant all died of typhoid fever in the early months of 1872. At this time Gwenllian was only 12 years of age and the remainder of her family moved to farm at Coed y Goran, St Mellons.
Her father, William Llewellyn died three years later when she was 16, and she was sent to her aunt, Ann Davies of Whitehall, Llanharan, when she met Dr. Price who treated her aunt as one of his patients.
She came to Llantrisant as his maidservant in 1881. At their initial meeting Dr Price allegedly clutched his hand to his head and claimed “Isis has come, the Mother of Gods has visited my habitation! Her forehead is high like that of the Goddess Juno, and her brow is like that of the Goddess Minerva!” His devotion to her was endless.
Apparently a form of “Druidic marriage” took place between them at Y Maen Chwyf at Coedpenmaen Common on the doctor’s eighty-first birthday in March 1881. Gwenllian was just twenty-two.
In Gwenllian he saw his ideal partner, someone who understood his Druidic beliefs and was prepared to accept his behaviour. The housekeeper moved to Ty’r Clettwr, and remained in the town for the next 60 years.
His dreams of a god-like son were finally answered on August 8th 1883 when she gave birth to Iesu Grist Price. On his sudden death five months later she brought the body of the child to Dr Price at the Cross Keys and from there he carried it to East Caerlan to perform a cremation ceremony.
Ultimately Gwenllian was made to face the judge and jury at Dr Price’s famous trial in Cardiff before Justice James Fitzjames Stephen. Remaining faithful to Dr Price, she gave him two further children in Iesu Grist II and Penelopen Elizabeth. Gwenllian held Dr Price as he passed away in 1893 and she fought for his wishes to be met with a public cremation in Llantrisant.
Following the death of Dr Price she met John de Winter Parry, a publican and former road inspector, in around 1896. He was a widower came to Llantrisant as landlord of the Butcher’s Arms and on April 20th 1898 he married Gwenllian at the parish church of St Mary in Glyntaff.
Their daughter Gwenllian “Rachel” Janet Parry was born on 8 August 1899. They lived for a period in Aberdare and Newport before building a new family home at East Caerlan and operating a farm.
Gwenllian and John Parry’s marriage failed and she continued to run the business with her son and two daughters up until her death on 21 December 1948.