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.

 

A mill in the woods

The Mill gave the Village its Name: Melin y Coed - Mill in the Trees, or Mill in the Woods.
 Many people remember eating bread made from its flour.

 The mill dates from the 1700s and was in use until the first half of the twentieth century. It was built on the site of an earlier mill. In the 1700s Melin-y-Coed consisted of the mill, Mill Bank house, the seven cottages, Ty Newydd and the outlying farms, as well as Cyffdy Hall, the oldest building in the village, which dates back to 1596.

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The painting above shows the chapel and mill as they were in the year 1876 or thereabouts.
The mill pond and water wheel are visible on the western side of the mill building. The bridge is just the same.