ying ▁on ▁the ▁western ▁border ▁of ▁the ▁cant ref ▁of ▁Em lyn , ▁it ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁essentially ▁Wel sh - spe aking . ▁Br id ell ▁( as ▁Bry del the ) ▁appears ▁on ▁a ▁ 1 5 8 3 ▁parish ▁map ▁of ▁P embro kes hire . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁church yard ▁of ▁St ▁David ' s ▁is ▁a ▁ ▁high ▁stone ▁cross ▁whose ▁ins cription ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁readable . ▁The ▁parish ▁area ▁was ▁estimated ▁at ▁ ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 4 ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 4 0 4 . ▁Official ▁census ▁figures ▁were : ▁ 2 4 8 ▁( 1 8 0 1 ): ▁ 3 3 5 ▁( 1 8 5 1 ): ▁ 2 3 7 ▁( 1 9 0 1 ): ▁ 2 2 0 ▁( 1 9 5 1 ): ▁ 2 2 1 ▁( 1 9 8 1 ) ▁with ▁the ▁proportion ▁of ▁Wel sh ▁speak ers ▁ 9 4 ▁per ▁cent ▁( 1 8 9 1 ), ▁ 9 0 ▁per ▁cent ▁( 1 9 3 1 ) ▁and ▁ 5 1 ▁per ▁cent ▁( 1 9 7 1 ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁local ▁cler gy ▁were ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁" gre at ▁dist ress " ▁through ▁the ▁failure ▁to ▁collect ▁t ith es ▁amount ing ▁to ▁£ 1 , 7 3 8 ▁over ▁six ▁par ishes , ▁with ▁Br id ell ▁ow ed ▁£ 2 4 9 ; ▁previous ▁attempts ▁at ▁recovery ▁had ▁been