Rowlands from Llanllechid - anyone know the house?

[Mair]

Seeking any information on Nant (y) Ty/Freithwen, Gerlan, Bethesda. Of Penrhyn Estate as we understand the Penrhyn rentals to show. (Sight seen for later years in C20th, prior to estate sale) NB  In the 1841 census it was listed as Nant Ddu possibly

John Rowlands, (1840 -1908), lived in this dwelling and also at Nant Ty later and it could be that  "Freithwen" or "Fraithwen" used to be "Fraithwen Bach" when "Nant Ty" (on adjoining plot ?) was officially occupied. 

Rental information does not offer much, if any, insight into the history of the site(s) and we are seeking information that anyone may have, especially in the locale, with regard to the current state of the buiildings and any history up to the end of the C19th

We understand one of the buildings may have been in a good enough state to repair.

[RH]

Probably of no help, but if it was a farmhouse outside Llanllechid it's possibly where my grandmother was born (a Rowlands from Llanllechid)...alas there's nothing left now, the last occupant died in about 1970.

[Mair]

Hi RH

Welcome to Rootschat!  Many thanks for your reply.

Yes the farm(s) were outside of Bethesda but inside the parish boundaries of Llanllechid - not the village but the parish, in Gerlan.

Taid used to tell stories, apparently, of walking through both Rachub and Llanllechid hamlets to get to school.  Can you remember the names of anywhere/place mentioned at all - even a "sound a-like" and we may get it!

We last saw the Freithwen farm in the 1970's and I was informed by a local that I met a couple of years ago, that it had been restored - as the small holdings are so numerous it may be duff info - you never know.

[RH]

I'll have to ask my mum when I see her next.  Taid might have been my great-grandfather.  Story was he went MIA in World War 1 at Gallipoli, his wife had the postcard that he was either dead or prisoner, and was astonished to find him in his armchair one night sometime in 1918...he'd let himself in and hadn't bothered to wake her.  She promptly fainted.

Turned out he'd been wounded, wandered off to the medical tent, saw how the wounded were being treated, decided that that was not much help, and wandered off to join another regiment and stayed with them for the remainder of the war.

If the farmhouse has been restored it mght be a rebuilding exercise.  Certainly when I last saw it (1985) it was barely a ruin.  Alas all the furniture was sold off by the family before my grandmother could even get a keepsake (she was living in Chester at the time).

I'm more from the Birmingham side of our family than the Welsh side...

[Mair]

RH

A good family "story" from WWI.  However, it does not really tie in with my knowledge of the WW1 expereince of the Rowlands'; our only Rowlands in WW1 was David or Dafydd as below.  Here is the time line I have:-

1840 - 1908 John T Rowlands, Quarryman
1872 John marries Ann Jones

1873 - John Thomas Rowlands eldest son is born
1888 - Annie Rowlands - Nain - is born
1894 - David  (later Dafydd) Rowlands born - youngest son

Other siblings - Catherine, Robert. Margaret. Edward, John R - all born at Nant ty then at Freithwen, Gerlan.

Freithwen is marked on the early maps of the area.  Now it is just a block mark!

Other farms associated with the family are Nant y Graian, Braich y tu and possibly a holding at Ty'n y Maes

The children all diversified away from the quarry - only Robert and Margaret stayed with Ann after John's death taking up small holdings on the Lleyn.

This branch of the Rowlands family had a tradional link to Capel Jerusalem, Bethesda.

If any of this rings any bells no matter how distant I would be anxious to follow any leads.

J

[RH]

Best I can do at the moment is my nan, Sarah Catherine, who moved to Upton-by-Chester when she married my grandfather (George Harp).

[WelshGen]

If you use the online Ordnance Survey UK map and type in the grid ref. "SH634670" it gives you a place called Nant Ty

[WelshGen]

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/
Put any town ... Bethesda, Caernarvon, Bangor in the search engine and a map will come up. You can then type in the grid reference above.

[ejones4765]

I am researching my mother's side of the family. She was born at Rhyd y Groes, Pentir, Her great grandmother Elizabeth Owens 1838-1924. She married Owen Owens 1784-1848 and lived at Moelyci Farm, Tregarth.

My question is this - Owen Owens had a brother named Howell / Hywel born 177. According to our information he was a Drover. We also have family connections with Bodesi Farm.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1841wales&h=13215892&ti=5538&indiv=try&gss=pt&ssrc=gr_t40919321_p20480813272_ktidz0q3d40919321z0q26pidz0q3d20480813272z0q26hidz0q3d4839006940z0q26dbidz0q3d8979z0q26rpidz0q3d13215892z0q26ssrcz0q3dgrz0q26pgz0q3d32782z0q26pgplz0q3dtidz0q257cpidz0q257chidz0q257cdbidz0q257crpidz0q257cssrcz0q26pgpsz0q3d20480813272_h4839006940