Clocaenog/Melin-y-Wig

[john ashley]

 Has anyone any information about the chapels in these villages about the years 1850/1920 - any pointers would be most appreciated.

[Peterej]

John

It is worth looking at the GENUKI site as below although this does not give many of the answers. Melyn-y-wig is actually in between Derwen, Bettws GG and Gwyddelwern and I cannot recall if there was/is a Chapel.
Denbighshire County Council have produced an excellent brochure titled 'Enjoy Medieval Denbighshire' (it at least used to be free). This makes reference to Churches and Chapels in Denbighshire although the information refers to a large extent to the Medieval period. I cannot see a Church/chapel in Melyn-y-wig but there are references to the other towns and others in the vicinity. I would have though it worth speaking to the Council archivist and then maybe to the respective Chapel organisations. Clwyd family history society may also provide worthwhile information.


http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/DEN/

http://www.clwydfhs.org.uk/index.shtml

http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/ll/LifeLong.nsf/($All)/A3812426165ABD4D80256FB7005391B8?OpenDocument

Please note the correct spelling of Melyn-y-wig and Clocaenog just in case you are surfing the web.

Peterej

[Peterej]

I should also suggested the National Library of Wales

http://www.llgc.org.uk

Peterej

[john ashley]

Many thanks for your two postings of suggestions - i will follow up these ideas - your assistance is appreciated. John.

[Rachel Bowen]

Hello, There is a chapel in Melyn y wig, it is opposite the old school and was still used about 3 years ago. I lived just outside the village for 5 years until 1984.

It is a typical Welsh chapel. simple and plain.
There is also a chapel in Clocaenog.

You can find photographs of both villages on the Frith postcard sites. There is one which shows the chapel in Melin y wig, but it doesn't show the chapel very clearly.

Best of luck, there is also a chapel in the next village towards Cerrig y drudion (Bettws Gwerfyl Goch) Bettws meaning  bead house, so there must have been a church or cell of some description long before the present chapel. The name of Melin y Wig means the mill in the wood.

Sincerely, Rachel Bowen

[john ashley]

Many thanks for your message - my American cousins believe that the family made donations to the family chapel around 1880 - but we have no knowledge apart from this info - your assistance much appreciated - John Ashley in South Wales.

[Rachel Bowen]

Glad the info is of some use. Sorry, I typed 'bead' house instead of 'bede' house. They were small places for prayer in between larger churches and chapels - in case you don't already know.  Possibly named after 'the Venerable Bede' an 8th century monk and historian. I am sure Google will come up with information about him if you want to look.
I'll try to think of the names of someone who could give you more information about the chapel.
Unfortunately many of the people who lived there when I did may well have died.
Sincerely,
Rachel Bowen

[john ashley]

Hello Rachel - many thanks for your latest message - every small piece of information assists - many thanks - John Ashley

[Rachel Bowen]

As far as Clocaenog is concerned, you could contact Michelle Moneypenny - She is French, but speaks excellent English - her husband is a painter and decorator and they live in Clocaenog, in what I think was the old post office.  Moneypenny shouldn't be too difficult a name to find in the on-line telephone directory. Michelle wouldn't know anything about the chapel I don't think, but could put you in touch with someone who could.

It is really difficult to think of the names of people in Melin Y Wig, as I knew them by nick-names - very common in Wales and particularly so in that part of N.Wales. Gwil Tai Teg isn't going to help you. Gwilym lives in a farm called Tai Teg (which means the pretty houses) I never knew what his surname was.  We were known as Pook T'Isa - even the name of our house, which had been there for 400 years had been shortened from Ty Isaf (Lower House)  (Pook is my married name).
Most of the people I knew by those sort of names.
What you could do would be to write to the chapel and hope that someone would open the letter and help you with information. If you could find someone to write in Welsh for you, it would be good, as the area and the chapel are almost completely Welsh-speaking.
If you can't, they can all speak English, if somewhat haltingly at times, but don't let them think that anyone said that, or they would be highly offended.
Chapel is 'Y capel', and the preacher is 'Y parch'. and the correct name of the village is Melin Y Wig. I am not sure which county it is in now, as they change so often - it used to be Merionethshire. Lord Dafydd Elllis Thomas used to be the M.P. He is now something high up in the Welsh Assembly.  I never knew what denomination the chapel was, it wasn't Baptist. I'll have a look on the net and see what I can find out.
Sincerely,
Rachel Bowen