31 December 2015

Childhood in Dolgarrog

MY EARLY DAYS
By JEAN DAVIES (neé ROBERTS)

I was born in Blaenau Ffestiniog, the third daughter of Owen John and Sarah Michell Roberts (neé Jenkins). My father came from Penmon, Anglesey, and mother from Blaena.

I was about 4 years old when we left Blaenau Ffestiniog to live in Dolgarrog around 1932. My father came to work at the Aluminium Works. I remember my first visit to our home, 26 Gwydr Road. It seemed huge and empty. Obviously the furniture van had not arrived, but we children were very thrilled with the house. It had three bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, a kitchen, pantry, spacious hall, living room and parlour. My father turned our back garden into a productive kitchen garden with fruit and vegetables, with a lawn and flower garden at the front.

26 Gwydr Road, Dolgarrog.
The photo shows the house and wooden fence, before the road was altered. It is at the far end of the Gwydr Road colour postcard picture (below, after next story).
I can remember the current road running through Dolgarrog being built, with lorries and steam rollers working hard all day. There existed only a rough track outside our home then, muddy at times with several large stones or boulders visible. The main road was below that, and ran past Tan Y Ffordd farm.
Old postcard from Mrs Davies' collection showing E B Jones shop.

The first infant school I attended was called The Aviary, situated opposite the Royal British Legion Club and up a narrow hill. Turning right, it was on the left. It consisted of only one room. It eventually became our Methodist Sunday School and prayer meeting place. The Band of Hope was also held there.
The older children went to a school called ‘Sillens’, opposite E. B. Jones stores on the main road. I recall using a thin slate to write on with a slate stick when I later attended there. The school property and land no doubt belonged to the Aluminium Corporation Limited, and years later it became a medical clinic for mothers and their babies.

Llanrhochwyn census 1881

BETWEEN BETWS Y COED, LLANRHOCHWYN AND TREFRIW IN 1881: CENSUS DETAILS

From a private search for names in Llanrhochwyn, which is also on the high ground of the mountain range to the west of the Conway Valley, here is a listing from 1881 of many of the names between Trefriw and Betws y Coed. It is not exhaustive.

William Roberts, 59, b. Penmachno, shoemaker, Jane Roberts, Wife, 55, b. Betws Y Coed, son Matthew Roberts, 31, unmarried, born Llanrhychwyn, Butcher, Margaret Roberts, daughter, unmarried, aged 20, born Llanrhychwyn, William Roberts, son, Unmarried, aged 17, born Llanrhychwyn, Slate Quarryman. 1 Llugwy Terrace, Llanrhychwyn.

Next door to Cwm Isaf

Which was next to Rhos Geffylau

.. .. The Vicarage - John Jenkyns, Boarder (Head)Bachelor, 36 born Llanfihangel, Vicar of Capel Curig

Jonathan Price, Married, 33, b. Tal y Bont. Slate Quarryman

Dolgarrog census 1901

1901 DOLGARROGCENSUS DETAILS

Coedsadwrn; Robert Williams 77, farmer born Caerhun, Grace Williams 74, wife, born Caerhun, Robert 30, farmer's son, Richard 27 carter on farm, Griffith 24, shepherd, William Price 18, all born Dolgarrog, grandson, cowhand born Caerhun.

Coeti Bach and Pwll Dy, both uninhabited.

Eilio; Robert Prichard 43, farmer, born Llanbedr, Ellen Pritchard, 23 wife born Caerhun

Hafod y Rhiw; Owen Pritchard 79, farmer born Aber, Jane Pritchard 75, wife born Llanllechid, William Thomas, 16, grandson, farm servant born Dolgarrog.

Cedryn; William Williams 39, farmer, born Llanbedr, Mary Jane Williams 42, wife, born Dolgarrog, children, Evan Thomas 15, born Llanbedr, William 13, John 11, Llewelyn 9, Olwen 7, Blodwen 4, Myfanwy 2 all born Dolgarrog.

Cowlyd; uninhabited.

Green power: Hydroelectric generators

Melin y Coed has a record of using water power to generate electricity. Here are some relics of that stage of its history. A water supply was also piped direct from its mountain source.

The present house called Y Glyn was built around 1938. A previous house, Sychbant, named on old census returns, was further back in the direction of some steps which are also the subject of enquiry at present. If one walks up the hill to the right of the house, with the stream on the right, one comes to a small stone building. This once housed the electrical generator (but no longer).
Power house!

Continuing up the hill with the stream on the right one comes to a dam. From this dam there used to be a pipe, which ran across to the left to give maximum height, thus producing maximum flow rate down to the generator.

The electricity produced was shared between Y Glyn and the Chapel. Many in the chapel complained that they could not see their prayer books, as the power started to fade. This was caused by leaves blocking the pipe. Two men stood ready as volunteers so that when this happened they could rush up the hill to clear the leaves and restore the flow. It is said that there were many volunteers for this task to get out of attending the service.
Part of the Water Pipe involved in the Hydroelectric system.

Water for the hydroelectric scheme.
Where the streams meet - Nant y Goron on the left meets the Cyffdy stream on the right.


A diagram of the streams in relation to the homes nearby.


This shed once housed an electricity generator installed for the use of the Cyffdy household.
The pulley wheel from the old (water powered) electricity generator at Cyffdy.

Green power: Wind turbines


East of Nant y Rhiw on the Gwytherin Road past Bryn Gwynt, twelve wind turbines for electricity generation are now visible.  




On the tops three lone windmills point the way to harnessing the wind for power.

All present and correct.





Read here about hydroelectric power in Melin Y Coed.

Read more about the windmill project and its prizewinning local instigators on www.news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/wales/north_west/3007546.stm

Dolgarrog memories

Jane Owens of Caenant (from www.penmon.org)
Jane lived at Caenant One day, Jane was poorly and having a nap, when her daughter Sally heard an awful rumbling. The Eigiau dam wall had burst, and water was crashing down the valley. Sally ran upstairs to wake her mother and they both went outside.
They ran down the hill to where a woman was shouting out of the window for them to catch her child. They were desperately trying to help her when a boulder threatened to land on them. A man shoved Sally and Jane out of the way and saved them. Some of Sally's extended family were saved only because they had gone to the cinema that evening and their home was empty. Caenant is on the hill very near the path where the water burst through.

Questions: Coety Bach



Here is a request from Lynda, whose ancestors came from that area:

Wedi cael pleser mawr o ddarllen eich gwefan - Diolch.

Rydw i yn perthyn i deulu Coety Bach ac yn gofyn am gymorth i hel mwy o hanes y teulu - fedrith unrhyw un helpu ?

Thank you very much for the most interesting website. I am related to the family who lived at Coety Bach and would very much like to know if anyone has any information about the family history?

My great grandfather was Elias Williams born in 1843 at Coety Bach and I believe he was the youngest son of Henry and Elin[Ellen] Williams he moved to work in the Penrhyn Slate Quarry and died in Llanllechid having fathered 10 children.

Can anyone tell me anything about the rest of the Coety Bach family? He had 2 sisters, Ellen[Elizabeth]b1830, and Jane 1822, as well as 3 brothers Richiard[sic] b 1825, Robert b 1833, and John b 1835.

I would love to hear from anyone with any history about Coety or the family.

My family and I are living in Rachub/Llanllechid - still in the same village [ over the mountain ] that my great grandfather went to when he began working in the Penrhyn slate Quarry. I believe he left Dyffryn Conwy sometime between 1867 and 1869. I know that Coety and Coety bach are now under Llyn Coety.

Elias married a girl from Llanllechid and lived for a while at Tyddyn Robin Isaf [Llanbedr y Cennin]- this was where my grandfather Henry[b 1867 ]and his sister Ellin [b 1865] were born. I have been to see the graveyard at Llanbedr y Cennin Church and my great great grandparents are buried there to the left of the path leading up to the church.

I have also seen where Tyddyn Rhobin is, but there seems to be no record of Tyddyn Robin Isaf on any OS maps that I've seen . Does anyone know where it was? I would really love to find some family still living in the area, or any history about them.

There are family stories that Henry, my grandfather still kept sheep on the mountain here and would take them over the mountain to sell; he knew the mountains between Llanllechid and Llanbedr y Cennin really well and would walk over to see his family and to drink in Y Bedol. He was well known in sheep dog trial circuits of the time and was the Chairman of the sheep dog association here at the time.

With many thanks for your interest - Diolch yn fawr - Lynda

Lynda Pritchard d.pritchard @ btinternet.com
(To contact Lynda by email, close the anti-spam spaces)