MARTHA'R MYNYDD ('Mountain Martha') (fl. c. 1770), an impostor

who lived in a cottage near Llanllyfni, Caernarfonshire and is described as 'a voluble hypocrite.' She succeeded in persuading many people of that neighbourhood that she was familiar with 'a folk called The Invisibles' - a numerous and wealthy clan who frequented fairs and markets but were yet invisible. In particular, a gentleman named ' Mr. Ingram,' of this clan, lived in a magnificent (but invisible) mansion on the mountain, close to her cottage - ' Miss Ingram ' (his daughter) was indeed at times visible to mortal eyes, clad in white from head to foot; and her father preached, at dead of night, to gatherings in the darkness of Martha's cottage. It is probable that Martha's father was ' Mr. Ingram,' and pretty certain that Martha herself was ' Miss Ingram,' for on one occasion, when Martha had scalded her foot, a wily doubter trod on ' Miss Ingram 's' foot in one of these secret gatherings, and recognized Martha's voice in the cry of pain which followed - the sceptic, however, had to flee the countryside from her followers' rage. Still, doubts began to spread, and eventually Martha herself abandoned her frauds - she ended her life as an adherent of the Methodist cause at Llanllyfni.

Author

• Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

• Robert Jones (Rhoslan), Drych yr Amseroedd (Trefriw 1820), 151-2
• W. R. Ambrose, Hynafiaethau, cofiannau, a hanes presennol Nant Nantlle y traethawd buddugol yn Eisteddfod Gadeiriol Pen-y-groes, Llun y Pasg, 1871 (1872), 60

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/