Beddgelert, Gwynedd

1901 census

This is actually a memory of my father, who is listed in the census of Wales for 1901 as being a quarryman, lodging at Cidwyn View, Betws Garmon aged 21.

I hope to visit the village (?) this Sept. and also the quarry. I would love to know if this house still stands.

Lon Y Gert

I have a letter dated 1935 signed your brother William Hugh Jones to my grandfather James Oscough Jones who lived in Garn  unable to find my grandfathers birth record not sure if he was adopted still checking he did live at Lon Gert found family possibly his as it states on my grandfathers marriage father as Hugh Jones:-
Hugh b abt 1851-1911 and Anne b 1862-1918. The children were
William Hugh b abt 1884, Maggie Olwen b abt 1888-1918, Alice Mary b abt 1891, Elizabeth Ann b abt 1896, Hugh Thomas b abt 1898,
Annie Elizabeth b abt 1893-1894 and Ann M b abt 1904.

I have a picture of William Hugh Jones aswell.

Borth Y Gest - Simply The Best

I'm privileged to be the first to leave a memory relating to Borth Y Gest. I first had a holiday there in 1964. The owner of the factory where my dad was director owned a lovely holiday home in an elevated position in Mersey Street. The house is called "Mirain" and has unrivalled views across the estuary to Harlech. We had at least one holiday a year there until 1978 when the house was sold. I've continued holidaying in the Portmadoc/Criccieth area every year since and feel like I know it as well as I do my home town. These days when we (my wife, son and I) go to the area we stay in a cottage in Criccieth but we always go to Borth Y Gest a few times each holiday. Mirain is still there and how I envy its owners! Is there a more idyllic place than Borth Y Gest anywhere on the planet? I think not.

Bronddwyryd

Not exactly my memory (only 44yrs old).  But in the research of my family tree, I have been interested in locating old pictures of Bronddwyryd.  The small row of houses were built in 1880, and my great grandfather Richard Evans (1846-1912) was the first to rent the property.  His son, my grandfather Evan Evans (1880-1954) lived there with his wife Annie Mary Evans (nee Hughes) (1884-1946) with his mother Margaret Evans (nee Jones) (1848-1929).  
Evan Evans then bought the property in about 1923 for the grand sum of 900 pounds.  When he died in 1954, he left the house in his will to his eldest daughter, Annie Blodwen Casson (nee Evans) (1920-1996), she died in Canada where she lived.
During the 1950s the house was rented out, and in 1963, when Anne's younger brother left the army, he took residence with his family. On the 28 Sept 1981, Anne bequeathed the property to her brother William Hughes Evans (1927-   ) and his wife Jean Evans (nee Evans) (1938-   ), as a Deed of Gift to mark their 25th Silver Wedding Anniversary.
And on the eve of William Hughes Evans' 81st birthday (24 July 2008), the property is still with the Evans family, and it's where I grew up as a child, along with my siblings. I now live in Australia, and it's great to be able to view this picture of the past, in which many of my decendants before me saw.  Not many in Blaenau can lay claim to a house being in the same family for 128yrs.