Lord Mostyn's 1877 'coming of age' ceremony remembered

Llewelyn Nevill Vaughan Lloyd-Mostyn, 3rd Baron Mostyn

A plaque has been unveiled to remember a "coming of age" celebration which took place 140 years ago in Flintshire.

About 3,000 people marked the 21st birthday of the 3rd Baron Mostyn with a day's holiday and fair at the family estate at Whitford in 1877.

A horse chestnut tree was planted to mark the event, which was popular among notable families in the 19th Century.

It became a local landmark, called the "tree in the middle of the road", but it had to be replaced after decaying.

A commemorative event took place on Wednesday at the site of a new tree planted when the original was felled in 2015.

In the 19th Century, coming of age ceremonies signalled an important life cycle event as men were legally recognised as adults and permitted to inherit land, according to Dr Shaun Evans, from Bangor University.

Chair of Whitford council, Bob Hughes and Lord Gregory Mostyn at the unveiling ceremony

The commemorative plaque

The 21st birthday of Llewelyn Nevill Vaughan Lloyd-Mostyn, who became 3rd Baron Mostyn on the death of his grandfather in 1884, was significant because his father had died in 1861, leaving him next in line.

The event was held at Mostyn Hall, near Whitford, which is set in 25 acres (10 hectares) of formal gardens. It has been home to the Mostyn family for generations.

Dr Evans, who focussed his PhD on the Mostyn family and estates, said the celebration underlined their place in local life, but it was also used by their tenants to outline their expectations from the new boss.

"For long-established families such as the Mostyns, the celebrations provided an occasion to reflect on their history and ancestry, but also to introduce the surrounding community to the heir of the estates, who would one day become Lord Mostyn and continue the family's ancient lineage and position of prominence in local society," he said.

Mostyn Hall

Mug presented to children in 1877