A mile and a half south-west of the village. The site of the original residence is not known, but it was certainly near to the modern house, which may well have been erected on its site. The first family at Pant Glas, that of Jones, had a distinguished ancestor, namely Llewelyn Foethus (descended from Elystan Glodrudd) of Llangathen who lived in the years 1330-50. His son Griffith, was Constable of Manordeilo in 1355-58, and his son Rhys ap Griffith was Constable of Manordeilo and Catheiniog in 1386 and 1411, and Forester of Glyn Cothi and Penant in 1402.

Rhys's great-grandson, Gwilym ap Evan ap Rhydderch, came to live in Llanfynydd, and his successors lived at Pantygoetre, a quarter of a mile west of Pant Glas. Lewis John David was followed by his son John Jones, an attorney at law who practised in the Great Sessions in the period 1683-1736, and married Sarah daughter of George Jones, gent., of Abercothi. He moved to nearby Pant Glas and was the first of his family there. The eldest son, John Jones, J.P., of Pant Glas died without issue in 1715 aged 67 and was buried in the chancel of Llanfynydd church, and was succeeded at Pant Glas by his next brother Thomas Jones J.P., attorney and barrister, who died in 1738 leaving an only son and heir, John Jones.

John Jones was appointed Justice of the Peace and of the Quorum on 20 January 1753; he never married but had a natural son, by Betty Davies of nearby Penylan, known as Richard Jones (bapt. Llanfynydd in 1754). The father was buried at Llanfynydd on 26 December 1761, and by his will appointed young Richard as sole heir to the Pantglas estate. He read for the Bar in Gray's Inn, and afterwards practised in South Wales and in 1792 became Clerk of the Peace of Carmarthenshire. He married Alicia Gratiana Williams, and when she succeeded to the estate of Llwyd of Berllandywyll, Llangathen, in 1788, Richard Jones took the additional surname Llwyd.

When Richard Jones Llwyd died without issue in 1799, he left all the Pantglas estate to his wife absolutely. A lady of delicious eccentricity, Mrs Jones Llwyd, by will in 1806 appointed Nicholas Burnell as heir to Pantglas who was to take the additional name of Jones. He was descendant of that family although the precise connection has not been discovered. Nicholas Burnell Jones succeeded to Pantglas in 1806, then consisting of the capital messuage and mansion, and over 50 other properties in ten Carmarthenshire parishes. He was High Sheriff in 1814. His stay was brief, and on 28 September 1822 he sold Pantglas to David Jones of Blaen-nos, Llandovery, a wealthy banker, no relation to the previous owners.

Some years after its purchase the old mansion was demolished, and a very ornate residence of three storeys with a tall tower, in the Italian style, built on or near the old site, set in some 40 acres of grounds and parkland

.

David Jones of Pantglas, son of the purchaser, was High Sheriff in 1845, and MP for the county from 1851 to 1868. He was followed by his son, F. A. Gerwyn Jones, High Sheriff in 1887, and who died unmarried in 1903 leaving Pantglas to his sister. Sometime after 1920 Pantglas was sold, and later became a hospital under the auspices of the County Council.

In 1972 it was sold to a speculator. Only the tower survives.

Pantglas is now a luxury Holiday Complex with log cabins set amongst the trees, heated swimming pool, conference and other facilities.

References

Carmarthen Record Office, G.G.B. I [Elystan]

John Francis s.c. 1909 and 1920

NLW Glansevin Dds.

NLW Morgan Richardson Deeds.

Pembroke Record Office,  CT/243

Allen, S. Wales and Mon.

Burke, Visitations, illus.

WWHR VI

D. L. Baker-Jones, 'Pantglas and the Jones Farnilies,' Carms. Historian, XII, 1975, 3-21, illus., and Francis Jones, ibid

C.A.S., Index

Western Mail, 28 Oct. 1972, illus.