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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Carmarthenshire Lookup Requests => Carmarthenshire => Wales => Carmarthenshire Completed Requests => Topic started by: rhiantalgrwn on Saturday 10 March 07 20:01 GMT (UK)
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Does anyone know what parish or county Bronhelem or Hafdre appears in the census 1841-1901? I know it is up near Abergesyn, but I'm not sure which county it is it.
Thanks
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Hi Rhiantalgrwn
Welcome to Rootschat :)
Did you mean Abergwesyn, near Llanwrtyd Wells?
There are various Hafdres and a few Bronhelems according to Googlemaps, but one is a Cefn Hafdre which is near Llanwrtyd Wells.
Where did the info come from, perhaps we can narrow it down a bit?
(I have removed your duplicate posts as they can confuse matters)
kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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Thank you, but after much more searching we have found it in Caron Uwch Clawdd, although it is at least 10 miles from Tregaron!
Thank you for your help
Rhian
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Bronhelem is a former farmhouse situated on the mountain road 11 miles from Abergwesyn and 11 miles from Tregaron. It is on the side of the Afon Tywi overlooking Llyn Brianne. Hafdre is a winter shelter for sheep about a quarter of a mile away. I believe it was last farmed in the 1950's and the the farmer's name was Davies (but everyone has the same name). The grid reference is 801 533 and the postal address is Bronhelem, Soar-y-Mynydd, Tregaron, Ceredigion SY25 6NP.
Please let me know if this is any help.
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Thank you for your information. Since I posted my question I've found Bronhelem and driven past it! The family were actually called Jones, the family moved from there to Tregaron in the 1950s, and the daughter Gwladys lived to be 100 and pasted away last year.
Rhiantalgrwn
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I owned Bronhelem from 1997 to 2003 and was very sad to sell it.
You are right - it was Jones - I think it was Rhys Jones. I am told he had a bit of a dispute with a neighbour resulting in a fight on the hill behind Bronhelem. I never met Gladys but I believe she lived in the house next to the Talbot Arms in Tregaron. A retired doctor from Shrewsbury who was related to her called in at Bronhelem a couple of times - sorry, I can't recall his name.
Bronhelem was built, possibly in 1762. It was farmed until 1956 and it used to have 2,000 acres of land: it now has about one acre. It would have been a significant farm with a number of other dwellings nearby - you can see the remains of some of them. It would have been a mixed farm - potatoes were grown on the land below the house and peat was dug for fuel. I found the remains of a chain harrow, a small hay wagon burried in the boggy land, feeders for pigs and other assorted artefacts.
There are still some retired shepherds who used to help with the sheep sheering - I met a couple. Apparently up to 50 men would work moving from farm to farm supplied with food and cider by the women
You can see the remains of a second staircase inside Bronhelem which would have been used by the maid and any other staff living there - such was the status of the owners.
There is a reference to Bronhelem at Soar-y-Myndd chapel. The travelling minister stayed at Bronhelem sometimes.
I learnt a lot from John and Dafydd Jones who are elderly brothers living at Nant Llwyd, the farm near to the chapel and also from Will, the tenant farmer whose sheep are kept on the rough pasture around the house. He lived in one of the nearby cottages until it was abandoned in 1948.
Bronhelem is a fabulous place and I was sorry to have to leave it. I now live in another interesting place in North Yorkshire.
I would be interested to know if you have found out any more about your family connections with Bronhelem.
Regards,
Roland
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Wow! What wonderful detail - that has sent shivers down my spine!
Welcome to Rootschat Roland!
I wonder if you still have photos you could copy for Rhian (none of my business, but I just found that so exciting!)
:D
Kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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Rhys Jones' father Thomas Jones, was a brother to Rees Jones who is my great-great-great grandfather! Rhys Jones was one of 19 children, his father married twice. Thomas Jones went to Hafdre when he married lived there at 1871 census with Magdalen. By 1881 he had moved to Bronhelem because Hafdre was falling down, so Hafdre became the cowsheds!
He married twice, 19 children
16 born in Hafdre
3 born in Bronhelem
Was married to Anne 1861, but was married to Magdalen in 1871 (who was their servant in 1861).
There is much written about the family in the book, 'Cymdogaeth Soar-y-Mynydd'. In our book, Gwladys has made many corrections and also given my grand-mother two or three pages of additional information.
You are quite right the Nantllwyd boys are a great source of information, and I also visited them last month.
Rhian
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Rhian
Interesting!
I would love to read this book - unfortunately, I don't speak Welsh.
Please do let me know if you find out any more, particularly relating to Bronhelem, as I have a great affection for the place.
I wonder what the reaction would have been when the master married the servant.
Regards
Roland
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Roland
There isn't much information in the book about Bronhelem, but there is a picture of Rhys Jones, and Gwladys standing outside Bronhelem. I have scanned it onto my computer but I am unable to load it on to this site. I've loaded it Ancestry.co.uk though. You will be able to view it if you give me your e-mail address, then I can invite you to look at it, if you would like.
Rhian
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Rhian
Yes please - my email address is Moderator comment: email removed to prevent spam and other abuses. Please pass info via the personal message system
Thanks
Roland
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Hello Rhian
I recently visited Bronhelem and have more family information that you may find interesting.
Best regards,
Roland