|
When was the Sunday School started at Hafoty? (William Lewis started the Sunday School at Hafoty in 1787) |
|
FelRh084whenWL SS.doc 21.12.2002 Reading the various reports, (see references below) published over the last 200 years, it may be easier to find out which abode in the parish where the Sunday School had NOT been held in. However, it would appear, with some certain, that it was William Lewis ( 1748 – 1825) who started the Sunday school in the parish, and this he did at Hafoty. We assume that he started it at his home at the time and did not ‘hire’ a room at Hafoty. The “basic authorities” here are his grandsons Richard Owen ( Glaslyn), William Davies ( Brynderwen) & Griffith Davies ( Felen rhyd), (Glaslyn’s older cousins); helped by Elizabeth (W. Lewis’s daughter and Glaslyn’s mother).Between them they spanned the 19th century and 28 years of William Lewis’s life. Normally, when trying to recall the past, it is relatively easy to fix a place- ‘where’- or a person – ‘who’- However relating or timing events relative to others is not an easy task for the mind. This is what we are trying to do when asking the question “ When did William Lewis start the Sunday School at Hafoty”? We need to look at the objective evidence – ‘for’ or ‘against’, - which has survived over 200years, make some inspired assumptions and draw a conclusion. The baptismal records of William Lewis & Margaret Lloyd’s 13 children; tabulated below gives a timescale to the movements of the family. The place and date recorded relate to the family abode at the time of baptism and not necessary the place, nor the date, of birth. Date Baptised Name of child Son/Dau Burial date and numbered Parent’s name Abode Occupation Ages of W.L(M.L.) (born 1748/52 resp) 10.12.1773 Lewis son 1 .30.1.1774 Wm Lewis &Marg. Bwlch Plwm Labourer. 25 (21) 12.11 1775 * Elizabeth dau. 2 28.11.1775 “ Tyddyn Llan - 27 15.03.1777 Margaret dau. 3 “ Bryn Llan “ 29 03.05.1778 * Lowry dau. 4 2.8.1778 “ Bryn Llan “ 30 13.06.1779 * Griffith <4 son 5 “ ? “ 31 15.07 1780 Mary dau. 6 “ Bryn Llan “ 32 10.02.1782 Eleanor dau. 7 “ Bwlch Plwm “ 34 16.09.1783 Griffith son 8 “ Ty Coch “ 35 27.01 1785 Alice dau. 9 “ Ty Coch “ 37 12.02.1786 David son 10 “ Ty Coch “ 38 04.11.1787 Lowry dau 11 “ Vottu “ 39 11.12.1788 (30.11.1788) Jonnet dau 12 “ ? Caernarfon? Carpenter of Llafrothen 40 ? 1798 Elizabeth dau. 13 WL & Margaret See notes ? ? 50 (46) Notes:- • Margaret (born in 1752) was 4 years younger than William Lewis • The above table, copied from the Llanfrothen Parish Church records, shows that from 1783 to 1786 three of the children were born at Ty Coch. As we are dealing with baptismal dates we assume that they were living there and not the address of the midwife! • By the time Lowry was born in 1787 they were living at Vottu • In 1787, the ages of the members of the family at Hafoty was as follows; -WL,39;ML.35; Lewis:14; Margaret,10; Mary,7; Eleanor,5; Griffith,4; Alice,2; David 1 and Lowri 0. We assume that 8 survived, 3 had died and 2 had not yet been born. • Ref.2 states that William Lewis had started a Sunday school two years before J.R.Jones came to the parish – He (JRJ) came to Llanfrothen in 1788/9 • According to ref, 2 W.Lewis had moved from Llanfrothen to near Caernarfon ? where his daughter Jonnet was baptised in 1788 • We have not been able to find the baptismal record of Elizabeth (Glaslyn’s mother) but we can deduce from the 1851 census that she was born in1798; where we do not know .In ref.6 we see that she did a few errands for J.R.Jones and ‘spread his book in the sunlight’ We deduce this would not be before about 1805, when she would be 7years old. Of course, she could have done these tasks when he lived at nearby Garreg Fawr up to his death in 1822 • William Lewis had returned from Caernarfon as he was living next door ( ar pared au gilydd) to J.R.Jones at Hafoty. • J.R.Jones was at Hafotty’r Garreg Fawr in 1803 – ref.5 We do not know when he moved to Garreg Fawr. • The graffiti “ WL 177...”. - on the beam at Hafoty does not help us very much to answer the question . • We could ask “who ran the school during W.L.’ absence?” and where was it held? From the above ‘mist’, I think we can draw the conclusion :- William Lewis started the Sunday School at Hafoty in 1787 References:- 1. Hanes Ysgolion Sabbothol Meirionydd- Hoskins & Jones 2. Manion o’r Mynydd, Bob Owen Croesor - Yr Herald 23.2.1948. Quoting from Llyfr Bedyddiadau Capel Pendre. Caernarfon. “ Jonnet, daughter of William Lewis, carpenter from Llanfrothen, by his wife Margaret, born 30.11.1788 and baptised December 11th ” 3. Gwaith Glaslyn gan Carneddog –p 6&7 4. FelRh021 W Lewis.doc 5. J.R.Jones Ramoth – J.Idwal Jones p39 Letter dated 30.Nov.1803 from Hafoty’r Garreg Fawr 6. J.R.Jones gan D. Davies p 148 We need to be ‘correct’ for the date on the plaque, which is to be erected at Hafoty The design and words to be on the plaque are being progressed by Lwsia,(01766 771661, Edgar 770800; & Wil 830294 The proposal is:- An elliptical plaque ( 24 “x 18”) to be mounted above/side of the door? With the words (need spell check ) HAFOTY Yma cynhaliwyd Ysgol Sul gyntaf y plwyf yn 1787, gan William Lewis (1748– 1825) cofnodwyd gan ei ddisgynyddion, 13ydd Awst 2002 (Trans. – HAFOTY- here, William Lewis started the first SS in the parish, erected by his descendants – these translated words are not on the plaque) Any comments, corrections or additional information? Contact Lwsia, Edgar or Wil by 25.1.2003 please. I have £65 in the bank already and more is promised. If there is a surplus we can send it to Ty Gobaith – children’s charity? Do you think William & Margaret Lewis would approve of this? R.P cc sw,je,epw,ao.nw, l&e, wp. |
|
|