The Actor and the Angels

So what really is the link between a small country church and a renowned Georgian thespian? Richard Davies investigates.

The parish of Llanglydwen is said to be the westernmost in Carmarthenshire and like many of our parish churches, memorials are found on the walls commemorating the local gentry families, in this case the Protheroes of Dolwilym mansion. But one interesting feature about this memorial is the name Garrick – so is there a connection between the name Garrick and the talented eighteenth-century actor who gave his name to the famous London theatre, and Llanglydwen?

What do the facts say? Well, when Evan Protheroe died in 1795 and his wife Elizabeth in 1813, the estate passed to Elizabeth's brother, Dr. Evan Jones, on condition that the doctor changed his surname to Protheroe. Dr Evan Protheroe (formerly Jones) married Emma Garrick and many people believe that Emma was the widow of David Garrick, the actor. Unfortunately, this is not the case, but there is a connection!

Emma was the daughter of Percival Hart and married her first husband David Garrick, not David Garrick the actor but his nephew of the same name who was a captain in the army. One surviving daughter was born to Evan and Emma Protheroe (nee Hart), namely Emma Hart Protheroe, and she married Captain William Garrick Brydges Schaw – he was forced to change his surname to Protheroe too!

So, who was Captain William Schaw and how was Garrick in his name? Well, his mother was Arabella Garrick, the actor's sister and therefore William was also the actor's nephew. It's interesting to note that when Emma Hart Protheroe married William Garrick Brydges Schaw she was marrying her mother's first cousin!

Thus, although Evan Protheroe (formerly Jones) had not married the famous actor's widow, as some assumed, this beautiful little church, on the slopes of the River Taf, had two close links with one of the greatest actors of the eighteenth century.