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Megan Diamond

Moms family history was harder to track because she never really said much about her childhood.  All I had was her Birth Certificate. A fortunate turn of events occured months later, as I was researching for Moms page. After returning from a trip to the Snowdon area where mom was born without much new information I looked at a website where I found the Death entry for Mom's mother Elizabeth Griffith. It was on a site called YFfor.com . This site has thousands of transcriptions of Births, Deaths and Marriages plus lots more that has been painstakingly compiled by Keith Parry. I contacted him in September 2015 and it resulted in him supplying lots of information that led to finding family relations from the area. So a massive thank you goes out to Keith.

 

 

 

 

 

On the 18th of October 2015, I travelled to North Wales and met with Cousin's EURWEN, IOLA and ANTHONY. It was an amazing meeting that led to a sharing of all sorts of stories and information some of which are included on this page.

Cousins Reunited:

 

 

THE GRANDCHILDREN OF

JOHN WILLIAM

GRIFFITH

from left to right

Eurwen Jones

Anthony Poole

Malcolm Diamond

Iola Humphreys

William and Eurwen
Brian and Iola
Anthony and Eileen

William and Eurwen's Children and Grandchildren

Ffion

Gethin and Rhiannon

with Danial and Saran Ann

Brian and Iola's Children and Grandchildren

Dylan and Nia

Dylan's son Aron Wyn

and their son Ioan William 

Dylan's daughter Sioned

Alwenna's marriage to

Gareth Parry

It was with great sadness that only 8 months after meeting and staying in touch by email, to receive an email from Anthony on the 3rd June 2016, informing me of Iola's passing. I went to her funeral on thursday 9th June. It was a traditional Welsh Funeral. A service at her home, followed by a chapel service at Pengroes and the burial at Cefn Faes Cemetery only 20 yards from where Grandad and Aunt Bessie are buried.
The whole experience was very moving and exceptionally well attended. Each of the services at Iolas house, Penygroes Chapel and Cefn Faes was conducted in Welsh. At the chapel Eurwen gave this touching summation of her sisters life..  (Translated by her from Welsh).
She will be missed..
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Mom was born as Megan Griffith, on the 31st August 1926 at TY CAPEL, Rhosfawr, near Pwllheli, Caernarvonshire.

 

TY CAPEL is welsh for CHAPEL HOUSE.

The house to the left of the chapel is where Mom was born .

On a visit to the house on 8th September 2015. Ty Capel/Gwyddfor was having an extension put on the end. The Chapel also seemed to be having internal work done.

Mom's father was John William Griffith. He was born on 7th November 1893. Eurwen showed me his birth Certificate.

He was born here at the house named AELDREM. It is now called DOLFAIR.

This image is a section of the huge family tree that Eurwen has done showing her Grandmother Jane Hughes and Grandad John William and their parents.

This is the Birth Certificate of Grandad's father also John Griffith. He was born on 27th July 1875 to Griffith and  Jane Griffith. His father was a Farmer.

Great Grandad John Griffith Senior holding Jane Hughes sister Sarah.

 

He is buried at Chwilog Cemetery.

Although it can be confirmed 100% in May 2016 I managed to look into Great Grandads previous Generations dating back to the late 1700s. The next section deals with those Generations.
In 1797, John and Mary Griffith of Coedmawr, Llanberis had their son Morris baptised.

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In 1801 John and Mary had a son and named him John. This record gives Marys maiden name as Mary Thomas. Sadly the same record shows their son passed after 5 months..
By 1820, Morris was married to Jane and living at TYDU(see map). On Aug 13th 1820 they had their son Griffith(Great great Grandad) baptised.
This is the 1841 Census of Morris Griffith. His son Griffith is now 20 and he appears to have his fathers name as his middle name!
There doesnt appear to be an 1851 Census for Morris, so presumably he'd passed away by then. Meanwhile Griffith got married to Jane Owens and the next Census is his of 1861.By then he had moved from Llanberis down to Llangybi where he was a farmer of 150 acres and employed a few people..
10 years later in 1871 Griffith and Janes family had grown. Griffith was now 49 and Jane was 37. This was the last Census she appears on..
By the 1881 Census, Griffith was now 60. Great Grandad John had been born and was now 5 years old. Griffith's eldest daughter Jane had married and were living at the farm. Its interesting that she married a Williams as Great Grandad also married a Williams!..
Its clear that Griffith wanted his children to have an education, hence the last three children on the above Census appear on the Llangybi School register below. Great Grandad John, elder sister Ellen and younger brother Foulk. The date is 1885 - 87. Great Grandad was 10!
This 1891 was to be the last one for Griffith. Great Grandad John was now 15. By the next Census 10 years later, he'd married and moved to Pencaenewydd and had Grandad in 1893!

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1901 Census when Grandad was 7. They were living in a house name GORPHWYSFA, in the village of PENCAENEWYDD

1911 Census when Grandad was 17.

Jane Hughes.
She only had one arm.
The house called BRYN CYFYING 1900
The house called BRYN CYFYING 2010

TY-BONT

The 1891 Census when Jane was 5, at the time the address was TY HYLL, Pen Y Park, Gwydir, Llanwrst.

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The 1901 Census when Jane was 15. By this time the family had moved a mile down the road to BRYN CYFYNG.

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The 1911 Census when Jane was 25. At this time her father wasn't present, so her mother was down as head of the household. Jane is down as 'helping at home'.

Jane Hughes was 32 when she married John William and he was 25.

After they were married they moved in with her family at the house called  BRYN CYFING, CAPEL CURIG.

Grandad's 1st marriage was to Jane Hughes on the 29th June 1918.

The Baptism record of Jane Hughes at Capel Curig in 1886. She was born next door to Bryn Cyfying at TY-BONT. (see map above)

In the 1st quarter of 1919, their 1st child was born Myfanwy at Capel Curig.

A couple of years later (1921) their 2nd child Iola  was born at Pencaenewydd.

A year later in 1922 Richard was born.Jane passed at Bangor Hospital in 1923 when she was pregnant with her 4th child.

 

Iola, Richard and Myfanwy

outside Pencaenewydd chapel

The Birth Certificates of Aunts Myfanwy and Iola

This is the 1921 Census for Jane Griffith. My Grandad John William is not present so presumably working elsewhere. Aunt Myvanwy and Iola are nearly 3 and 2 respectively..they appear to be visiting either family or friends...

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Myfanywy with Richards wife Margorie and Iola

 

Aunt Iola at her 60th Birthday. She married Anthony's dad Daniel Poole at Llanbelic church in Caernarvon.

They lived for a while at Hole in the wall street, Caernarvon before  moving to stoke as Daniel was born there in 1912 and had a house and 3 children ( Evlyn, Dennis and Shiela) from his 1st marriage. His 1st wife had died. Aunt Iola passed away in Stoke in 1997.

Aunt Myfanwy in her latter years. She attended Llangybi Primary and Central school in Pwllheli. She went on to do Dressmaking and Music. She married Idris Hughes on 8th December 1944 at Pencaenewydd chapel. They had 3 children. 1 stillborn boy, then cousin Iola and Eurwen.

 

She passed away at the age of 86 while living at Nefyn, on the 19th June 2005. She is buried at Chwilog Cemetery.

Aunt Myfanwy with Uncle Idris, pet rabbit and a very young Eurwen!

Uncle Richard left Wales when he was about 18 to join the Army.His Grandson relayed to Anthony that Uncle Richard lost his teeth when driving in a convoy when it was bombed. He was also part of the D-Day invasions.  After the war he married Margorie and lived at Coalbrooke. They had two children Barry who lives near Ludlow and Karen who lives in Lilleshall near Newport. At some point Uncle Richard and his family moved to Madley (Telford).When I met up with Eurwen, Iola and Anthony in October 2015, Anthony said Uncle Richard was still living in Telford at the age of 93. I spoke to Barry in December 2015 he said that Uncle Richard had a stroke and was moved to a care home permanently.

This photo of Uncle Richard I found in moms drawer.
He had sent it to mom when he was stationed in Germany in 1946.

On Sunday 24th January 2016, Uncle Richard sadly passed away of Kidney Failure. His funeral took place at Telford Crematorium on Monday 15th February 2016 at 11am.

The Death Certificate Of Jane Griffith. 15th May 1923. She was 37.
She was pregnant and had to have an abortion.
It was complicated by an ovarian cyst.
Jane was buried here at Llanarmon Church.

After Jane passed away, Myfanwy stayed with her Grandad John Griffith at Pencaenewydd and Iola and Richard moved with their dad and his new wife when he re-married the following year.

The address on the marriage certificate  is given as Tai-newyddion. As can be seen by this 1920 Ordnance Map. Tai-newyddion (welsh for New House) is the same address as TY CAPEL on the above map. It appears that it was divided as a small terrace of individual houses.  Possibly TY CAPEL, GWYNFOR and GYDDFOR.

Elizabeth Griffith (moms mom) in 1927 when she was 28. This was a few months before she passed away in childbirth.

The Death Certificate for Elizabeth Griffith 10th December 1927 when she was 28. The cause of death is logged as Toxaemia and Aneamia in child birth.

Mom was a little more than a year old!

Today the condition is called Pre-eclampsia. This is a serious condition, even fatal  if not treated. Back in the 1920s, there was very little or no treatment for the condition.

Supplied by Keith Parry

Elizabeth was buried 3 days after her death on the 13th December 1927 and  just like Jane Hughes it was at Llanarmon Parish Church a few miles down the road from Ty Capel. We searched the graveyard on the 8th September 2015 but did not find a headstone.

The following year Grandad married for the 2nd time to (Moms mother) Elizabeth Evans on 26th May 1924.

supplied by Keith Parry

The Birth  Certificate of Moms brother Ceredig (Ceri).

He was Born a few months after Grandad married Elizabeth Evans on 18th September 1924

Ceredig Griffith at about 20yrs. Uncle Ceri never said much about his early life in North Wales. He did try to enlist in the Navy with 3 friends. But he was refused on medical grounds. His friends all lost their lives after the ship they served on was bombed. He ended up in the equivalent of the Naval 'Home Guard'.

 

After the war he emigrated to Canada for a new life. He resided in Winnipeg in Manitoba for a few years, until a serious farming accident which resulted in his leg being amputated and him coming back to Britain to be reunited with Mom.

Ceri Griffith around 1964 outside our house at Upper Thomas Street, Aston, Birmingham. He was about 40!

Ceri Griffith early 1970s in the back garden of our house at Kitts Green, Birmingham.

After being in East Birmingham Hospital for a period, Unc Sadly passed on Sunday 30th April 1978.

He was buried at Witton Cemetery on Monday 8th May. Grave No 2116. Section 26.

Ceri Griffith around 50.

 

Uncle Ceri had always lived with us from before we were born.

He was a very kind and gentle man. Always had time to  listen and gave excellent advice. He was well read and knowledgeable.

 

He was known to us as "Unc" or Uncle.

 

He was also well known in the road we lived at in Kitts Green, as everyone called him"Unc" or Uncle.

The Electoral register from 1924 to 1929 show John Griffith was residing at Ty Capel or next door at Gwynfor. In fact it appears that there was  another family relation through those years, as an Ellen Griffith is on the Register. 

Bontnewydd and Llanfairfechan near Caernarvon
 
Cartref Orphanage
 
 
Cartref  2015 used by Age Uk

After Elizabeth passed, things must have been difficult for Grandad. In the space of  a few years he lost 2 wives and had 5 children. 4 which still lived with him. Perhaps thats why Ellen came to stay?

Anthony recently went to Caernarvon Records Office and found out the following information.

On the 20th April 1929 Aunt Iola being 8 was put in Cartref Care Home at Bontnewydd, just south of Caernarvon. Uncle Richard, Ceredig and Mom were put into  'Y' Benarth Care home at Llanfairfechan, to the North East of Caernarvon. This home was for younger children. Both homes were run by a charity which had close ties to the Methodist Church. The cost to keep them there was 5 shillings per child per day.

Anthony couldn't determine whether Uncle Richard, Ceri and Mom were moved to Cartref at a later date. But he did say that the charity still exists called 'Y Bont'.

After more enquiries Iola and Anthony received a copy of the records for all 4 children. They all left the homes after a year on Aunt Iola's 9th Birthday ( 29th March 1930).

This was 4 days after Grandads marriage to Aunt Bessie.

'Y' Benarth Care Home
Park Crescent
Llanfairfechan
Opened in 1902
This is a transcription of the actual entry record of all 4 children into the home, after Iola and Anthony made some enquiries. Iola translated and re-wrote it as the original was not very legible. There are some inaccuracies in the record. E.g. Moms, Uncle Ceri's birthdays are written incorrectly along with some other details.
Overall this is a fabulous find. The details also show that Grandad and Jane Hughes after Myfanwy was born at Janes Parents house, Capel Curig, that they moved within around 18 months to Grandads Parents house 'Gorphwysfa', Pencaenewydd,
where Aunt Iola and Uncle Richard were born!

In 1930 Grandad married for the 3rd time to Elizabeth Ore at Caernarvon. She was always known as Aunt Bessie.

 

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The 1911 Census for Aunt Bessie when she was 14.
The Baptism record for Aunt Bessie in 1897.
The 1901 Census for Aunt Bessie when she was 3.

These photos (c1950) were also supplied by Pam Hughes. They are of Elizabeth and Thomas Ore (Bessies Cousins).

 

Bessies father Thomas was brother to Elizabeth's father William!

Another Ancestry site user supplied me with the marriage certificate above her name was Pam Hughes. Her Grandmother was a cousin of Bessie Ore.

Above is the 1901/1911 Census, when Bessie was 3 years old. Her father Thomas was a Platelayer. They lived at a village called Maencoch near Llanwnda.

At the time of his marriage in 1930 John was living about 4miles from Caernarvon at a cottage called Isfryn in the village of Rhostryfan

Isfryn, Rhostryfan

I spoke to the owner a  Mrs Beaumont in mid 2015 who gave me some history of the place. It was built in 1896 on Caers Ciprys farm.In 1929 Robert Roberts sold it for £190 to Margaret Roberts and she had it til her death in 1948. Mrs Beaumont said it was common practice to take in lodgers who worked at nearby quarries. As John William was a Stonemason he would have likely worked at a quarry and found lodgings there.

Bessie lived in the next village along at Tyn llan cottage, Dinas, Llanwnda.

 Mom and the rest of the family were reunited with Grandad and Aunt Bessie, living at Tyn Llan until October 1930. {Mom always referred to her as 'Aunt Bessie'. She said she was strict .}

 

Anthony did more research at Caernarvon Records and founds the dates out. He said in 1931 they had moved to Llwyn Brain, Rhos Isaf, nr Rhostryfan. I sent a request and paid appropriate fees to have Moms 1939 Pre War Record released after sending her Death Certificate and it confirmed that She was at school in 1939 and that she was living at Llwyn Brain. So through out the 1930s the family were living at Rhos Isaf.

 More research showed that planning permission was put in in 2007 to demolish Llwyn Brain and to be rebuilt.

Llwyn Brain
Cefn Faes
Cemetery

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Its interesting to see how close ISFRYN and Llwyn Brain are.

Looking toward the converted Sunday School. Llwyn Brain is derelict and covered with trees on the left.
In April 2016, I sent a letter to the current owner, asking if he had any photos of the original building. In December 2016 he very kindly sent these below.. 

ISFRYN

Llwyn

Brain

 Llwyn Brain demolished 2010
Rebuilding Llwyn Brain 2011
In 1939 at the eve of World War 2, a register was taken for the whole country. Everyone's details were taken, Around 41 million people. This included name, address, date of birth and occupation. In November 2015, these records were released to the general public. Unfortunately because of the 100 yr secrecy law, not all names have been released.
 
When researching to obtain these records, its proved to be very costly in terms of time and funds. And the search found many inaccuracies in them. For example to locate moms record, her name in the files was down as MORGAN not MEGAN. Aunt IOLA was down as IDA! And Griffith was written as GHRIFFITH!
 
The following are the actual Records for Grandads family in 1939. Grandad, Aunt Bessie, Mom, Uncle Richard and Ceredig, were living at Llwyn Brain, Rhos Isaf.
 
Aunt Myfanwy was living with her Grandparents at Aildrem near Pencaenewydd.
 
While Aunt Iola was living at 13 Hole in the Wall street, Caernarvon with her Grand
mothers (Janes Hughes) relations.
TNA_R39_7539_7539I_006_edited.jpg
Uncle Richard under here
Uncle Richards Birthday
can just be seen Aug 1922
MOM

18 Sept 24

Aunt Myfanwy

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Heading 2

This is AELDREM where Aunt Myvanwy was living with her Grandparents John and Jane Griffith in 1939. They actually built the property and took the name from the house they lived in at Pencaenewydd when Grandad was born.
Aunt Iola under here

Aunt Iolas Birthday can just be seen

                                                                      29 March 1921

{

Grandad worked for Caernarvon Council

Although no longer there, Grandad built the water fountain in the square near Caernarvon Castle.

Grandad passed away on 20th January 1964. He had moved from Castle street to flats at Henwalia in Caernarvon. The cause of death was Pneumonia

Grandad and Aunt Bessie are buried at  Cefnfaes cemetery, Rhosisaf, between Llanwnda and Rhostryfan.
Grandads grave is located directly at the end of this path

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Location of Cemetery from Llanwnda

Mom always said she and her family lived at No 8 Castle Street, Caernarvon.(Probably in the 1940s). 

Both Iola and Anthony remember visiting Grandad and Bessie there at the top floor flat. They said the bottom was an insurance company.

Iola said Aunt Bessie always asked for Lurpak Butter when

she went to the shops.  (As I was growing up Uncle Ceri 

always had Lurpak too!!)

Iola had very fond memories of Grandad.

She said he was always kind to her and even

though he was fairly strict, he was also quite shy too!

He was referred to affectionately as

'TAID CAERNARFON'

(Grandad Caernarvon)

Cousins Iola and Anthony

Mom always told the story that Grandad had had a plaque or memorial stone at a chapel somewhere. When I mentioned this to Iola, she did some research and found out that it was at this chapel called Beulah Chapel, Beulah Square, Caernarvon. Apparently there were 4 of them. 2 still survive but 2 are missing including Grandads. This chapel has now been converted to a dwelling.

Swan Ink Co, Toxteth, Liverpool 1937

A few years later Mom moved from Liverpool to Cardiff where she found lodgings and work at Hancocks Brewery, eventually married Dad before moving to Birmingham to be with Uncle Ceri after his accident in Canada.

Mom left North Wales when she was 18 and went to live with an aunt in Liverpool, ( possibly her mother Elizabeth's sister). She found employment at Mabie Todd and Co, at the end of Park Hill Rd/ Mather Street in Toxteth. It was known locally as the Swan Ink Company.

Moms last P60.

The Excelsior Hotel, old Birmingham Airport.

Mom was always an active woman. She was regularly in work during having a family and as we all were growing up. When 1st coming to Brum, she found work at a factory in Digbeth. When we moved into the 1st council house at 139 Upper Thomas Street, Aston she did evening work at Sorento Hospital. In the 70s she did factory work at The Delta. She was a chambermaid at The Excelsior Hotel at Elmdon Airport (old Birmingham Airport). Today(2015) it is a Holiday Inn. She even did office work for British Rail before eventually working many years at Birmingham International Airport for ISS cleaning company, before retiring around 2007 at the age of 81!

On thursday 12th February 2015, mom was admitted to Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham after a fall in her bedroom. Even though all her vitals appeared ok she passed peacefully around 5.45am on friday 13th February. This photo was taken a couple of weeks earlier at her favourite cafe at Morrisons, Five Ways.

A year later, on 29th Feb 2016, the headstone was finally returned to the grave

Music played at Mom's funeral. 1. Tom Jones: Green Green Grass of Home. 2. Slim Whitman: You are my Sunshine. 3. Welsh National Anthem.

WELSH NATIONAL ANTHEM -
00:00

Moms funeral took place on Monday 2nd March 2015. She was buried with her brother Ceri.

 

Finally being reunited after mourning his passing for more than 30 years.

On holiday at Robin hood holiday camp, butlins in 1962. I was about 1 and half. Im inbetween Mom and David, with Beryl behind. Mom was about 36 in this photo.

I won a baby contest here.

Mom and Dad with Grandchildren Kayleigh and Jonathan in about 1996. Mom was about 70.

Mom enjoying the sunshine in the Garden.15th May 2014. She always loved to sit in the garden when it was sunny.

Mom and Dad at Morrisons Cafe, Smallheath, Birmingham 2009.

Moms 80th Birthday 31 August 2006. Here she s with Grandson Jonathan(right). Grandaughter Kayleigh expecting  1st Great Grandaughter Sienna. Dads next to her. with Grandson Jamie  and Beryl.

Moms writing

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