Roots: Evans

Over the years many families left the rural areas around Melin-y-Coed for lives in other parts of the country or other parts of the world. Some descendants of Hugh Evans of Ty Brith Isaf (1770) went to the USA via Llanaelhaearn.

December 2009 - enquiry from Pat Peedle:

I contacted you asking for information as above about my family. At that time I could not get the connection past my GG Grandfather Elias Evans & GG Grandmother Sarah who were according to the census born in Corwen 1802.

I have now through the Corwen Parish records gained the following information, which may or may not connect with the Evans family from Melin-y-coed.

Roots: Williams (2)

THE WILLIAMS FAMILY OF PENTRE MAWR

 

1901

Robert Williams Head Widower 37 Farmer b. Llanrwst

Alice Williams Daughter, Unmarried, 11, b.Capel Garmon

Margaret E Williams Daughter, Unmarried, 9, b.Capel Garmon

Robert Morris Williams Son aged 6, b. Capel Garmon

Ellen Williams, Mother Widow, 76 b. Capel Garmon

Ann Hughes Servant U 14 F Domestic servant Cerrig y Drudion

Jeremiah Jones Servant U 20 M Agric Servant Cerrig y Drudion

Roots: Williams (1)

Some of the Williams Families of the area. As well as the Williams family of Pentre Mawr, details of Thomas Williams (B. 1843) and his wife Elizabeth (Jones, b. 1841) who worked at Bryn Dyffryn and Cyffdy, lived at Ysgoldy, and whose son Robert moved to Saskatchewan.

Lori Rulison of NY USA will be visiting Melin y Coed again in June of 2008, and hopes to meet up with anyone connected to the family she has been researching below. She writes:

My great great grandfather (Thomas Williams b. 1843) and grandmother (Elizabeth Jones b. 1841) were both born in Llanrwst and are buried in the old St. Marys churchyard. They lived and worked on the Cyffdy estate, my grandfather being listed at an "engine driver". Thomas died October, 1906 and Elizabeth July, 1899. They also lived at some point at Hen Ysgoldy, Melin y Coed.

Roots: Connections in Patagonia

MELIN Y COED - PATAGONIA CONNECTION

Mair Edwards from Bala is the daughter of Walter Gwyn Jones, a miller from Melin y Coed. He left for Patagonia in 1911 at the age of 18 to look for a climate that would suit his chest. He worked as a miller there, and married a woman with family connections to Aberystwyth. Mair owns a "Family Circle" document which was made in Wisconsin and is about the family of Elias Garmon Owen, also known as "Taid Gwyndy", who died in Patagonia about 1955. His nephew, Elias Garmon of Capel Garmon, also moved to Patagonia in 1911, though he returned to Wales before he died.

There is an illustrated article on the connection on the BBC's website - navigate through the BBC site to wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/mairedwards.shtml

Speaking of Patagonia, at one time a Patagonian emigrant, name not known (can you help?) returned to the district and lived at Pennant. Later he fell on hard times and had to leave that house. On one occasion some time later Mr George William Tinsley of Staffordshire, who was now living at Pennant, fell off his horse. The daughter of this Patagonian man came to his assistance. As a reward, Mr Tinsley gave her £1,000, which was a great help to them in their circumstances.

 

Melin Y Coed abroad

On this website you will find photos and stories of people from Melin-y-Coed and their descendants; some have moved to America, Canada, Patagonia, the West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of the world.

We love to hear from them or their descendants and publish their stories and photos.

See our "Roots" pages for these historical stories, as well as updates on "Friends and Neighbours".

Roots: The Sheep Joneses

The Joneses of Rhiw emigrated to Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1911, where they became known as "The Sheep Joneses.

 

Above: Rhiw in 2004

In the early part of the twentieth century a family by the name of Jones lived at Rhiw, namely David Cadwaladr Jones, of Ty Newydd, Capel Garmon, who on 21 May 1904 married Jane Jones of Penrallt, Nant y Rhiw. David Cadwaladr had been born 26 Feb 1874 at Bryn y Cyplau, Nebo, and Jane at 31 May 1886 Bryn Fawnog, Capel Garmon.

They had two sons, William Owen born 29 Jun 1907 at Rhiw and John Cadwaladr 25 Nov 1908, and another two children who died and are buried in Capel Garmon.