Family
history of Rhoslas, Nebo
Recollections of Tom Dulyn Thomas and Harri Wyn Williams
(Harri Wyn Williams’
work is bracketed and in italics.
Key: 1.
Place. 2. Family name. 1928-1938, 3. Work 1928-1938,
4.Condition in 1988)
Let us start at:-
Glanrhyd
In the 1920’s, the Parry family lived there. He was the son of “The Little Sexton”.
The children – Arfon became a vicar. Elisabeth Ann,
Maldwyn and Meirion. Maldwyn Parry won the Blue Ribbon
(as the best vocal soloist at the National Eisteddfod)
twice. Moved to Y Gors between Llanllyfni and Penygroes.
Next came the family of William Jones - Wil Barracks.
J T Jones, Paragon bought the house and renovated it. Later it became the home
of Robert John and Wanda Williams. (1. Glanrhyd, 2.
Wm Jones and family, 3. Quarryman. 4. Occupied)
Rhydlydan
Home of John Ellias Jones, quarryman and deacon in Capel Nebo. Mrs Roberts Cerrig
Stympia was his sister; he also had two brothers.
Robert
Ellis Jones, father of Mary Ellis Holtham and Eurwen
Jones.
Brother became a chemist
in Pwllheli. His grand daughter married Osian Ellis
the harpist * There was a churning
wheel at Rhydlydan and a little bitch on a chain to
turn the wheel.
(1. Rhydlydan 2. John Ellis Jones and family 3. Quarryman 4. Occupied)
Cors y Llyn
On the right, it is known as Y Ffridd. A path goes across the Cors to Pant-y
Gog.
These are the houses and cottages:
- Fron Dulyn (1.
Fron Dulyn 2. Arthur Parry and family 3. Cobbler
4. Ruin)
- Y Foty (1.
Foty Newydd 2. Mrs Hughes and her daughter 4.
Empty)
- Hafod y Llyn (1.
Hafod Llyn, 2. Wm Jones and family 4. Empty)
I remember the Owen family living there and then the family of Arthur Parry the
cobbler. Many will remember Lottie and Nansi Parry.
The
sister of William Jones (who was the husband of Lizzie
Jane (Clochydd), lived in one of the other houses.
Cors
y Llyn is common land and some would graze their
cattle there by day and drive them home to milk in
the evening.
Above Rhydlydan to the
left was:
- Tyddyn Seion (or
Tyddyn Sion !) home of the Price family (quarrymen).
(1. Tyddyn Seion, 2. R Price 3. Quarryman 4.
Occupied)
- Neuadd Ddu. Home of William and Rachel Owen (nee Jones), and her niece Laura
Pritchard. He was a butcher and would go around in
his pony and trap selling meat. Then Morris Williams’
family came. He made a living as a mole catcher.
Mrs Williams was the sister of Bob Owen Croesor.
Two children – Harri Wyn became chemistry master
at Manchester Grammar School for Boys. Then Wanda
Williams’ mother came to live there. Unfortunately,
the electricity went no further than Rhydlydan.
(1. Neuadd Ddu 2. Morris Williams and family 3. Smallholder 4. Empty)
Penffridd
During the thirties, it was the home of a bachelor, related to the family at
Bryniau Cochion.
After a time, David Roberts
a Mrs. Roberts came to live there. He was a milkman;
the father
of Gwawrwen and Dafydd.
(1. Pen y Ffridd, 2. D Roberts and family 3. Milkman 4. occupied)
Cerrig y Drudion
Home of John Enoch Jones and a family of seven or eight children. (1. Cerrig
Drudion 2. Richard Jones and family 3. Quarrymen 4.
Occupied)
Bryn Trallwm
Home of Griffith and Kate Hughes their daughter Elen Ann and son Humphrey. After
they moved to Ty Capel, I do not believe that anyone
lived in the old cottage thereafter. (1. Bryn Trallwng,
2. Griff Hughes and family 3. Quarryman 4. Ruin)
Maes Neuadd
Home of Hugh Enoch Jones, his wife Elin Jones and ten children: five girls and
five boys. I’m not sure where the other cottages are. (1. Maes y Neuadd, 2. Huw Jones and family, 3.Quarrymen
4. Occupied)
Bryn Eithin
Home of another of the sons of Y Clochydd Bach: the father of Lizzie Jane.
There
is a connection to two ministers and Bryn Eithin.
Morgan Griffith, famous minister of Capel Penmount
Pwllheli
and his brother who was a minister in Oswestry. The
mother of the two was a butcher, selling meat in Talysarn.
(1. Bryneithin, 2. John Parry and family 3. Quarryman 4. Ruin)
Pant-y-Fran
A notable family lived in this cottage. Two or three headmasters and Malen who
was well known in the Nantlle Valley as a midwife.
(1. Pant y Fran 2. Richard Owen and his daughter 3.
Retired
quarryman 4. Ruin)
Maen Gaseg
(1. Maengaseg, 2. Wil Williams 4. Empty)
Maen Llwyd
I remember John and Gwen Hughes living there. He was from Anglesey.
They would
go to chapel once a year – on the afternoon of Harvest
Festival and they would contribute generously. The
only family in the area to pay by cheque.
In Maenllwyd
were the roots of the poet Gwilym R. Jones, Dinbych
later.
(1. Maenllwyd, 2. John
and his wife 3.Quarryman 4. Occupied)
Taleithin 1,2,3
The Roberts family in the three houses, and there was a connection with my great
grandmother’s family.
The area is unknown to
me after that, but I know of three households:
Ty’n
Llidiart
Home to the poet Silyn Roberts. He was a pupil in Nebo School before my grandfather
was headmaster there. ( The first headmaster of Nebo
School was Griffith Roberts, Bodychain, who was, according
to Silyn, a better farmer than a teacher.)
Silyn’s
sister was Mathonwy Hughes’ mother. His history in
Nebo School can be seen in the booklet based on his
lecture about the residents of Dyffryn Nantlle. Somewhere
I have some letters from him in which he does not
mince his words!
(1. Bryn Llidiart 2. Family
of Mathonwy Huws, 3. Quarryman 4.Ruin)
Glan Gors Rhoslas
Home of Robert Alun Roberts and his sister Annie. Their father was the brother
of Kate Roberts’ father and of Edwin Roberts Brithdir
Canol. Bob Alun was a professor of Agricultural Botany
in the University.
Family on my mother’s side were in Cae Ffridd, Beudy Mawr, Hafod Esgob, a Phenbryn
Ffactri. He and his cousin, Dic Cae’r Ffridd - Richard
Thomas Bryniau Cochion later, were great friends of
Robert Williams Parry when “The Fox” was seen a “hundred
yards from the top of” Graig Goch. (Immortalised in
his sonnet “Y Llwynog”)
R. Williams Parry’s mother was born in Tu Ucha’r Ffordd.
(1. Glangors, 2. Family of Dr Alun Roberts, 3. Quarryman. 4. Occupied)
Lastly:
Cae Mawr
John Williams, manager of Nant y Fron Quarry. Many children, all of which went
to Nebo School, until my father stood against him in
the Parish Council Election. My father won by ONE vote
and the next Monday, the children were transferred
to Llanllyfni School.
So, there you are.
One other
thing – there was a footpath on Graig Goch which
led from
Rhoslas to Cwm Pennant. The men of Rhoslas would
follow it early on Monday morning to work in a quarry
in Pennant
and return Saturday afternoon. It was a hard life
for the men and their wives scratching a living for
land
reclaimed from the mountain.
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