It was on 17 July in 1684 when the immigrant ship named “Vine”, which carried Welsh Quakers from Merionethshire, arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Welsh American History in Pennsylvania
What many outside of Pennsylvania may not realise is that the State had – and still has – a strong Welsh presence; many Welsh named places and an original name of “New Wales”.
William Penn, an admiral, was owed $80,000 by the then-King Charles II and, to repay the debt, Charles gifted Penn the area of land which would become Pennsylvania.
Penn wished to name the land “New Wales” but this would be objected to by a Welsh member of the Privy Council, so the name would become “Sylvania” and, after an interjection by the King, “Pennsylvania” in honour of Penn.
This is why we have Welsh-named places in Pennsylvania, such as Upper Gwynedd – which was founded by Welsh Quakers as early as 1698.
Upper Gwynedd is a beautiful, less mountainous American township version of Gwynedd which surrounds the borough… of North Wales.
Yes, it is actually called that.
DIGITAL Welsh Histories Magazine – January 2026
Welsh Histories Magazine January 2026 – DIGITAL COPY
The digital edition of Welsh Histories Magazine for January 2026 has finally arrived!
This month’s Welsh Histories Magazine is the first to kick off 2026 and covers the very interesting topic of the history of Christianity in Cymru. Originally, the plan was to create a magazine which covers the history of religion within Cymru but I figured that, given the extensive history of Christianity as the majority religion, it would make more sense to cover this separately. However, the closing article does reference other religions, too. I am a religious education teacher by trade, so this is a personal favourite topic of mine! I hope you enjoy.
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As always, there are some “Did You Know” facts thrown in. I try to make these relevant to the topic and this month’s fun facts also reference the other religions currently present and growing within Cymru.
This year’s magazines have been written, created and designed by Niklas George (Welsh Histories founder and owner). All images used in these issues of Welsh Histories Magazine include the respective owner’s details, where applicable.
Happy reading!
If you have any issues with receiving and downloading your copy, please send all queries to: niklas@welshhistories.co.uk.
More from Welsh Histories
Welsh Histories is a Welsh history celebrating platform which looks to promote all aspects of Welsh history. Though we focus predominantly on native Welsh history, we do also share the non-native aspects from time to time. You can follow us on Facebook; Instagram or Twitter for more. A reader? We also have our very own Welsh Histories Shop where we sell our Welsh Histories Magazine. Diolch yn fawr iawn and keep enjoying Welsh Histories.
More from Welsh Histories
Welsh Histories is a Welsh history celebrating platform which looks to promote all aspects of Welsh history. Though we focus predominantly on native Welsh history, we do also share the non-native aspects from time to time. You can follow us on Facebook; Instagram or Twitter for more. You can also support us as a member of our Patreon community. A reader? We also have our very own Welsh Histories Shop where we sell our Welsh Histories Magazine. Diolch yn fawr iawn and keep enjoying Welsh Histories.
Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.