Gleanings in North Wales, with Historical Sketches

Name of traveller

Mark Luke Louis (1786-18??)

Reason for travel

• immigrant from France after Napoleonic wars

Date of travel

undated, late 1840s to early 1850s

Bethesda is not recorded in history, but the extensive slate quarries have brought it to a great repute, and it is at present a neat little town, inhabited by miners and shopkeepers, and as to hotels and inns there is no scarcity, although we are no advocates for strong drink; yet on this dreary tract of the mountain, a public-house is a very welcome sight for the miner and weary pedestrian. (Louis 86)

Content

• architecture:
  
  • description of various architectural features on historical buildings, especially churches
  • Rhyl train station as one of the main attractions of the town
  • visits a great number of town houses and country estates
• art: contains a number of sketches
• customs:
  • praise of Welsh antiquarian pursuits and Welsh poetry
  • references to French poets and their borrowing from Celtic sources
  • mentions of eisteddfodau and music
  • critical of English condescension towards Wales, but praises English education
  • hospitable nature of Welsh hosts even towards strangers and foreigners
• history:
  • detailed notes on history of visited towns and buildings
  • sees Welsh history as one of colonisation
• industry:
  
  • visits the coal works and lead mines
  • notes on copper mining near Llandudno and on Parys Mountain
• language:
  
  • stresses liveliness and sophisitication of the Welsh language, especially in scholarly pursuits
  • knowledge of Welsh as a great help to the study of ancient and contemporary languages
• literature: frequently quotes from other travel accounts, such as descriptions by Thomas Pennant (1726-1798)
• people:
  • claims friendship with Dic Aberdaron (Richard Robert Jones) (1780-1843)
  • references to Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
  • comparison between Owain Glynd?r (1355-1416) and Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)
  • cites inscription of a curious tombstone inscription that identifies Nicholas Hookes from Conwy as his father's 41st child and having himself fathered 27 offspring
• recreation:
  • contains a number of adverts by local Welsh businesses specifically targetting tourists in north Wales
  • lists various inns and hotels where he stayed over night or took refreshments
• terrain:
  • romanticised landscapes of north Wales
  • landscapes as source of inspiration for artists
  • Wales does not compare with countries he has visited on contintental Europe
  • comparison with the Hebrides
• transport: travels on foot and by stage coach
• compare with account of two earlier tours in 1820s and 1830s
• click here to read the full account

Nationality of traveller

French

Language of publication

English

Gender of traveller

Male

Type of publication

travel guide; travelogue

Citation

Louis, M[ark] L[uke]. Gleanings in North Wales, with Historical Sketches. Liverpool: W. Ellis and Co., 1854. Print.