FelRh033BrynGol
20.4.2002
Bryngoleu, Tanygrisiau (see also FelRh024 BrynG)
There have been 2 houses called Bryngoleu and the family moved from one to the other sometime between 1920 and 1940. For many years the ‘old’ house stood as an empty shell virtually next door to the ‘new’ one.
The inhabitants can be traced via the census returns:
1841 - house not found, possibly not yet built
1851 - William Davies, a quarryman born in Llanfrothen with his wife from Penmorfa and 6 children aged 13years to 3months. He was the brother of Griffith Dafydd (I)
1861 - house not found (so far...) William Davies & family are back in Llanfrothen.
1871 - John Ellis Roberts, Margaret (wife), Elizabeth 5m, Laura 10 (Margaret’s sister)
1881 - same couple with 3 children: Elizabeth 9, Morris 7, Mary 4
1891 - same couple now with Mary 14 and Griffith Ellis 7
1901 - JER,widower, Elizabeth 29, Griffith Ellis 17 wheelwright
The head of household was always a quarryman until 1901 when he’s a lamp-lighter.
In 1867 Margaret, daughter of Griffith Dafydd (I) was living in Bryngoleu with her quarryman husband Thomas Rees. Their marriage was of short duration - a few months only - as he died in a quarry accident aged 30 on 8.10.1867. (see account in Y Faner 19.10.1867 – ref. FelRh031)
Margaret Rees then married John Ellis Roberts 15.1.1870. He was the son and grandson of hand-loom weavers from Llanllechid. To them were born Elita (died 29.8.1871 aged 10 m) Elizabeth (born according to the birth cert. on 28.2.1872 but according to family legend on the 29th) Morris, Mary, Ellis (died 27.11.1880 aged 10m) Ellis (still-born 26.10.1881) and Griffith Ellis.
Margaret Roberts died in 1896 and Elizabeth (then aged 24) kept house for her father and Griffith Ellis. John Ellis Roberts died 22.7.1901 at the Marl Pit in Tanygrisiau. Administration of his affairs was granted in London to his son Morris, a salesman who became a carpet-buyer at Harrods. Griffith Ellis also moved to the London area and became an electrician. Mary, a nurse, married and settled in Wrexham.
Elizabeth (Lisa) stayed on in Bryngoleu and presumably would have taken in lodgers. On the 3.11.1904 in Minffordd chapel, Penrhyndeudraeth she married William Peter Evans, 10 years her junior, who had come from Gyrn Goch (Clynnog) to work in the setts quarry in Tanygrisiau. They had 5 children - Glyn, Margaret Blodwen, Emlyn, Jennie and Gwilym Livingstone. Both Glyn and Emlyn died in 1909 and Blodwen survived scarlet fever but was left profoundly deaf.
The loss of the 2 boys took its toll of William Evans and he suffered recurring bouts of religious mania. At times he was not fit for work, so that the family had a hard time managing on the produce they could grow (it was hardly a smallholding - just one field), milk and butter from the one cow and eggs from their few hens. Butter and eggs could also be sold. But when in good health W E was not afraid of hard work and if work was scarce he would go farther a field, going once as far as Ironbridge.
William P Evans died in May 1960 and
Elizabeth Evans in October 1961
Bryngoleu and Felenrhyd
There was always a close connection
between the 2 households..
When Thomas Rees (Margaret’s 1st
husband) died he was buried in Maentwrog churchyard among the family graves
rather than in Llan Ffestiniog.
The 1871 census shows
Laura aged 10 staying with her sister Margaret in Bryngoleu, probably to lend a
hand with the new baby.
When Griffith Dafydd (I) died at Gelli Green in 1891 he provided generously for
his children and grandchildren and left Margaret £100.
Next generation - when a pupil at the
County School in Blaenau, Kate used to lodge with her cousin Elizabeth -
beginning of the 20th century.
At least once, when the Bryngoleu cow stopped producing milk the Felenrhyd
household stepped in to help. Griffith Dafydd (II) lent them a goat so that
there would be milk for the children. Transporting the goat across the
water in a rowing-boat and then walking her to Bryngoleu must have been a
pantomime! (Incident recalled by Blodwen - must have been circa 1918.
Next generation - once, when they
were short of a maid at Felenrhyd, Blodwen was sent there for few months to help
her Auntie Kate in the house and dairy. (One of the regular jobs would be to
hunt out the dog on butter-making days. He knew he would be harnessed on the
treadmill that operated the churn and so always hid away as soon as he heard the
sound of the buckets and pans.) She always said that no-one could
have had a kinder ‘mistress’ -
never raising her voice or giving sharp orders but always encouraging,
suggesting and working with her niece.
And that would explain her lifelong respect and affection for Auntie Kate.