FelRh012GD(1).doc
October 2001
NOTE ON GRUFFYDD DAFYDD(1)(1816 – 1890)
· The battle of Waterloo was fought on the 18.6.1815 and six months latter Gruffydd Dafydd ,GD(1),was born at Ty Newydd Cae Glas (6285 449); near Ffynon Helen, Croesor. (Is it a ruin today?; we need a photograph). He was the fourth (of 5) child of Margaret (nee Pritchard) of Beddgelert and David Williams of Hafoty, Garreg Fawr, Croesor. The family had just moved to Ty Newydd Cae Glas circa 1814/1815. Some 50 years later Humphrey Jones (Bryfdir) was also born here.
· 7.1.1816 he was baptised at Llanfrothen ref. St Brothen’s Parish Records. We do not know where the name Gruffydd came from; possibly from and uncle- i.e. one of his father’s brother. We couldn’t find a ‘Gruffydd’ on Margaret, his mother’s, side
· 11.3.1821/2 His father, David Williams, died, aged 36, when GD(1) was 5 or 6 years old ( see M.I.D026 grave at Llanfrothen Church)
· Circa 1828 he was a young farm hand at Parc, Croesor ( who was the farmer/owner of Parc ?) see ref. Cymru 1903 – Glaslyn.
· 1830’s he moved (possibly with his widowed mother and the rest of the family?- see later) to Tanygrisaiu- Y Ddol?
· 1841 records GD living at No.3 Middle Quarry (Gloddfa Ganol). He was a miner and a lodger with John Jones (saer Coed neu cerrig?). wife, children and other lodgers. (The three cottages at Gloddfa Ganol still stand today 2001! - we need a photogaph). Why was he not staying with his mother, Margaret Pritchard; was she in lodgings at Tanygrisiau or had she not moved from Llanfrothen/Croesor?
· 1841 census shows Sarah Jones, his future wife as a spinster living with her father, Morris Jones, etc. at Bryncyfergid, Cwm Cynfal, Ffestiniog.
· On the 18th of September 1841,aged 24, a bachelor, and a quarryman living at Tanygrisiau, GD(1) marries Sarah Jones of Bryncyfergid, at Llan Ffestiniog Church. (Entry 92 at Ffestiniog R.O.). The photo copy of the marriage certificate reveals, a) the Rector, John Jones, had entered (‘Incorrectly’?; they had followed the modern practice of surnameing) ) Griffith Williams as the groom and Griffith(David)Williams as the groom’s father, and b) it was the best man who wrote Griffith William and GD(1). had put a small cross afterwards. Sarah, the bride appears to have written her own signature. So also, had her sister, Mary, the bridesmaid. Mary signed her maiden name Jones although she had been married to Edward Joseph for a year.
· 1841 Sarah, their first child, was born. She was baptised at Llan Ffestiniog on the 28 11.1841. Parents were John Williams! and Sarah Bryncyfergid !!!
· 1851 GD(1) ,his wife Sarah and children Sarah 9,Margaret7, Morris 5, &Elinor 2 were living at Y Ddol Tanygrisiau
· 1853 the 13th of January, GD(2) was born to Sarah David, formerly Jones and Griffith David ( his Mark x , Quarryman), at Tyn Llwyd, Llanfrothen! ( near Ynysfor).
· No date. “Hanes Methodistiaid Tanygrisiau 1800 to 1900” Ref. 12. Margaret Prichard, the mother of Griffith Dafydd of Cynfal is mentioned, as a member of a Temperance Group at Tanygrisiau. This is the only reference we have of his mother since 1820 !
· 1861 (Need to look at Llanfrothen Census to see if GD(1)’s family is here) ACTION
· 1871 GD(1) was at Cynfal Fawr with Sarah, his wife, Elin,dau, 28,Griffith 17, Mary 14
· 1880 G.J. Williams in his book “Hanes Plwyf Ffestiniog,” acknowledges the help of GD(1) , formerly of Cynfal, in writing the book. It is likely that GD(1) supplemented much of the quarry information, anecdotes and methods related in this book.
· 1881 GD(1) is at Dinas, Bl.Ffestiniog (this abode was presumably owned by the Oakley Quarry). His wife Sarah and the rest of the family is at Felenrhyd.
· 1891 GD(1), age 74, and Sarah is at Gelli Grin, about 500yds from Felen Rhyd. GD(2) is at FelenRhyd fawr with his family.
· 1.11.1891 GD(1) dies and is buried at Maentwrog (M.I.- C 021), about ½mile from FelenRhyd
Er coffadwriaeth am
Griffith Davies
Gelli Green,Llandecwyn gynt(formerly)
o Gynfal a DinasFfestiniog
Bu farw Tachwedd (Nov) 1af 1891 yn 75 mlwydd oed
“Y llygad am gwelodd, ni’m gwel mwyach, dy lygad sydd…(gau?)
Hefyd ei briod (wife) Sarah Davies
Bu farw Tachwedd 30 1899
yn 77 mlwydd oed
A oes neb o’m hen gyfeillion
A ddaw’n ddiddig gyda mi
Ac a orwedd wrth fy ochr
Obry yn y dear ddu,
A yw cyfaill ddim ond hyny
· 1903 An article in Y Cymru (VolXXV 1903 – page 16 ) by Glaslyn mentions that Gruffydd Dafydd, the late manager of Holland’s Quarry, was told by his master, when he was a farm hand there, to collect the ponies from a field otherwise an old lady and the fairies would cast a spell on them.
· GD(1) and Glaslyn (Richard Jones Owen- 1831 to 1909)were first cousins. His father, David, and his mother, Elizabeth Williams, respectively, were siblings. As GD(1) was senior to Glaslyn, by 15 years, he must have learnt a lot from him. Both were deeply involved in the slate industry all their lives and were well respected in the age of Victoria.
· We do not seem to have any photographs or description of GD(1) I wonder if there any early group quarry photos of the period in the Oakley archives which might give us another clue. We now do have photographs of him and his family.
· We are not certain how well he could read and write. His wedding certificate and the birth Certificate of GD(2) are signed with a ‘x’
· Sometime later he became ‘a slate counter’ and a manager at the quarry (Gloddfa Ganol?) which seems to suggest that he improved his 3Rs
· He and his wife had 7 children (5 daughters and 2 sons.). All? of them married.
· They lost a son ,Morris, in a quarry accident. We do not know when and how old he was and if he was married or not. I could not find any details of burials of a Morris Davies at Maentwrog, except Morris Davies Tyn Cefn ( M.I.- 1188 Llan Ffestiniog),22.6.1912 aged 69- ( born 1843- about right date, 1846)- this information not now relevant see below.
· See FelRh026 for more recent and detailed information about his family.
· See FelRh035 about his brother Richard Davies at Holyhead
· See FelRh060 regarding his eldest brother William Davies, Brynderwen Minffordd