Beddgelert Temperance Banner

On November 26th, 1836 the Beddgelert’s All-Abstinent Society was established to try to improve society by refusing alcoholic drinks and “sobering the country”. It was declared when establishing the society:

“A new form of merit to resist men’s wickedness is the emblem of this Society.”

And here’s the emblem that we see on this banner. Within weeks of being established, the Beddgelert community had bought the “Faner Fawr” (large banner) to get “out on the roads as a happy and hopeful army and try to influence the most stubborn drunks.”

The picture on the banner interprets ‘a drunk’ and ‘a temperance member‘s’ lives and is described by Carneddog:”Who does not worry about the woman weeping in her rags….She is staring sadly at her husband…a drunk…” Then in contrast, “Who does not feel happy seeing the fruitful family comforts? … Such a scene! The drunk homeless, and the temperance member with all joy around him.

The Flag was used to march throughout the area and a song was created about the Flag for the Beddgelert Temperance Society service on New Years Day 1837 day which reflects the scene on the Flag:

“Feel pity, my friend, for your family- Your darling wife, and your children, They are sad at home, Suffering due to your wants; The book is always open, And the ‘”Fair Fanner Fawr” is waving.” (1 or 23 verses, Gruffydd Prisiart)

Carneddog says: “Certainly it should be kept in some Museum as proof and the main artefact of the most blessed battles ever fought in our country.” The Flag was gifted to the Museum’s collection in 1965.

The above information comes from the Carneddog script “Ymdrech Dirwest” in Cymru (Vol 19, 1900, 173-181).