Newcastle Emlyn History Society
Old Library
Market Hall
Market Square
Newcastle Emlyn
SA38 9AQ
Hanes Emlyn
Town Bridge 1790
Market Hall
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Allen Raine
Allen Raine was born Ann Adaliza Evans on October 6th 1836 in Bank House on the corner of Market Square and Bridge Street, Newcastle Emlyn. Allen Raine was known as the “Welsh Catherine Cookson” and her first book was published when she was 60. She died at the age of 71 having written nine novels. Some of these novels were turned into silent films.
Ada’s father, Benjamin Evans was a town solicitor whilst her mother Leticia Grace
was the daughter of Newcastle Emlyn surgeon Thomas Morgan. Mrs Evans was also the
grand-
Adaliza or Ada was the eldest of four children, Tom, John and Lettie.
Ada attended school at Carmarthen and then later with Lettie she attended Cheltenham Girls School. They lodged with the Rev & Mrs Solly and moved with the Sollys to Wandsworth in London.
In 1856 Ada moved back to Newcastle Emlyn and she married Beynon Puddicombe in 1872. The wedding was held at Penbryn Church (Nr Tresaith) and the newlyweds moved to Croydon where Beynon was a foreign correspondent with a private Bank. It was not a happy marriage and Ada was frequently confined to her bed with various illnesses. They then moved to North London and it appears that this is when Ada started to write. She entered the 1894 Eisteddfod – the best serial story in English or Welsh characterising Welsh life – and shared the first prize with “Ynysoer”.
This encouraged Ada to write “Mifanwy” which was completed in 1896. It was rejected by several publishers before Hutchinsons agreed to publish it under the title “The Welsh Singer”. This was published in 1897 and it sold 316,000 copies by 1908 when she died.
Anna Adeliza Puddicombe
“Allen Raine”
Bank House, Newcastle Emlyn. Her father Benjamin Evans stands outside.
“The Welsh Singer” a ticket from the Central Hall Newcastle Emlyn.
