Well, I wasn't sure if you'd reply seeing as it's so long since you last wrote. Wonderful!
George Arthur was the Pennal village bobby, and I'm pretty sure that this is where George Henry Arthur was born. George then married Betty and they moved to Tywyn, where they had three children: George Cledwyn (known as Cledwyn), Hilda and Enid. (all three now sadly deceased.) Betty was from a large family, and this is where my lot come in- she was an aunt of my grandfather's. Sounds a distant relative, I know, but the families were very close.
Enid married and moved to the Bala area.
Hilda had a full and wonderful life- I can remember her as an old lady when I was a child. She was a nurse at Gobowen hospital, and travelled widely in a time when single women didn't travel. She was a socialist and travelled to Russia and China, keeping detailed diaries. (they were left to my grandparents- I have read them.)She was a wonderful woman with a free spirit.
Cledwyn became a policeman and moved to Anglesey. He married Lydia. However, three months later there was a tragic accident and he died on the 28th of August 1941, aged 30. He drowned, along with ten other would-be rescuers, while making several attempts to rescue the three crew of an RAF bomber aircraft, which had crashed during a gale into the sea off Rhosneigr; he was in the second of four boats to put out, all of which capsized in the stormy seas. He was posthumously awarded the King's Commendation for Brave Conduct and the RNLI Bronze Medal
About five years ago, I became aware that Lydia, Cled's widow, was still alive and well and living near me. I popped over to say hello, and since then we've become the best of friends. She chats about Cled and his family no end, and decribes George as a quiet, thoughtful man. He was a great thinker, and it was he who influenced Hilda's politics- He was a communist. As a result of my chats with Lydia, and her memories of Cled as a funny, loving, mischevous character, I wrote a novel for children using him as the principal character. It's written in Welsh and has sold quite well!
I didn't know any of this family history until I moved house eighteen months ago... To Pennal, where it all started.
Well! I hope that's enlightened you! As neither Cled, Hilda or Enid produced any children, I have taken to putting flowers on the graves etc as there is no-one else to do it... I'll try to post some pics when I get a chance.
Manon x
