In the 17th and early 18th Centuries, Trevaccoon was no more than a simple Pembrokeshire farm. During this time the house was occupied by the Perkin, Harding And Probert families, usually as a result of the marriage of an inheriting eldest daughter. In 1756, Elizabeth, the daughter of William and Grace Probert of Trevaccoon, married John Harries of Cryglas. He was already a wealthy landowner, and when Elizabeth inherited Trevaccoon and its farms in 1762 on the death of her brother, the Harries of Trevaccoon dynasty began. It was to last until 1919.
John Harries died in 1797, and was buried in Llanrhian churchyard near his wife Elizabeth. His eldest son, also John, had died of consumption on board a ship returning from Lisbon in 1781. The estate passed to Samuel Harries, the second son (baptised St Davids 17th Aug. 1759).
Samuel Harries matriculated at Jesus College Oxford in 1776 (aged 16), took his BA in 1780, and his MA in 1783. Intending originally to take Holy Orders, he joined the army instead, and was affectionately known ever after as The Major. On the death of his brother, he returned to lead the somewhat eccentric and full blooded life of a country gentleman in his native county of Pembrokeshire.
By the time he inherited Trevaccoon, Samuel Harries was already a landowner of considerable substance, not least through his own marriage to Mary Williams of Popehill, a grand-daughter and co-heiress of the huge estate of William Warren of Trewern, Nevern.
Before moving his family into Trevaccoon, Samuel had the old farmhouse renovated and enlarged, and commissioned the building of the large Georgian Mansion facing St George’s Channel.
There is a strong local legend that Samuel Harries was terrified of snakes, and knowing the story of Saint Patrick, had boatloads of Irish soil shipped over to form the lawns and top soil of the walled garden. I’ve never seen a snake here, and it seems to deter moles as well.
He built the coach house and dairy, and was responsible for the magnificent walled garden which supplied the house with plentiful fresh fruit and vegetables. It is our hope to restore the garden after its unfortunate more recent history. The monogram SH can still be found over various doors and gates on the property.
Samuel Harries seems to have been larger than life, and Trevaccoon as it is today owes much to his expansive character.
He was passionately fond of sport, and built large kennels where he kept greyhounds and a pack of foxhounds. At Trevaccoon, he kept what became known as a liberal establishment, entertaining a broad spectrum of friends and visitors, including Mrs Jordan, a celebrated actress of the day who had relatives near St Davids. Samuel Harries was the first local resident to have horse drawn carriages.
He owned local quarries, and traded in local stone and other materials. At least one of his ships was lost off St David’s Head in a terrible storm. He was made a Freeman of Haverfordwest in 1785, and was a Magistrate for co. Pembroke for over 50 years.
Such a flamboyant character was bound to make political enemies, and The Major was involved in various legal battles. He was however revered locally as a generous and fair man, and at his funeral in February 1839 (he was 80 when he died), the attendance was very large, and the procession extended the whole way from Trevaccoon to Llanrhian church.
After Samuel, successive generations added further land and property to the Trevaccoon Estate. On the death of George Harries (Samuel’s grandson) in 1892, the whole of the estate was put in trust for the benefit of his six sisters, all of whom married away. Eventually the trustees decided to sell the entire estate and distribute the proceeds between the six girls. Auctions were held in St Davids, Haverfordwest and Fishguard over 3 days in June 1919 when the whole estate was sold, much of it to existing tenants at below market price. The total amount realised was over £140,000.
The Mansion of Trevaccoon and its home farm was bought at the 1919 auction by Boss Jenkins, whose brother was a prominent local farmer. Boss Jenkins had no children, and left Trevaccoon to his housekeeper Mrs Rees and her two sons Russell and Stewart. Russell and his son still run the dairy farm next door, and Stewart did some very basic conversion work on the main house before he sold to Viki Norfolk in 1988. Viki and her daughter Heidi ran Trevaccoon as a very happy Farmhouse B&B for 10 years, playing host to (among others) touring football and cricket teams featuring various members of the Flynn family. Upkeep was always a problem, and in April 1998 Trevaccoon was put up for auction again. Having had a presence in Llanrhian for 30 years, and knowing that we always wanted to find a way to live here full time while we could still really enjoy it, the decision was made. The rest is history.