Need help with old Welsh family album - identification and handwriting?

[hettie2000]

Hi,

I've acquired an old family photo album (from a collector's fair) and I'm trying to identify the family so that I can either share the images or reunite it with the family. The dealer I bought it from said he picked it up in North Wales (presumably a house clearance). It has a large number of cabinet cards, cdv's, photos, postcards... and various hand-written annotations next to some of the images. But I'm struggling to read them, partly because the writing itself is difficult, and partly because it's in Welsh!

Please could anyone with better skills than me have a go at reading them?

I'll start with the ones I'm struggling most with. To me it looks like 'Ewyeth Stinisa' and 'B/Drowd Taid'... but all kinds of searches on Ancestry bring up nothing. I'm wondering if one of the words is Brawd, brother in Welsh? Any other ideas? As you can see, the photo was taken in Holyhead. There's another cabinet card of the same gentleman taken in Bl. Festiniog.

[hettie2000]

Here's another... I think the first word is Chwaer (sister), then Anty Betsi Jane, followed by scabor Ddu . The last two words make no sense to me...

[JGDavies]

How about: the Township of Scybor-ddu in Angelsey?
See http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/7c8bb8f1-7283-450e-878d-3fa739801f47
I know of place names elsewhere e.g. scybor-newydd for instance. Not sure if scybor-ddu is Black Barn?
Jon

[Regorian]

I think Ewynith is Gwyneth. A common Welsh christian name for females. Still is, but spellings vary. A rare gem to have obtained. Then, North Wales people were Welsh speaking or as first language, ie David Lloyd George. I can't help further but getting surnames will help in finding the relevant family. Should be relatively easy as these people were of substance despite the boy wearing a dress, which with poor people was often a necessity.   

[hettie2000]

How about: the Township of Scybor-ddu in Angelsey?

Thank you, Jon! That is a very good fit --- there's another photo in the album with Perth written on the back, and I notice there's a place called Perth Y Paen nearby. I suspected it didn't refer to Australia ;-).

Would Black Barn be the larger area? Very little comes up when I google it, and I'd love to pin-point this place on the censuses.

[hettie2000]

I think Ewynith is Gwyneth.

Thank you so much... I think you're right, now that I look again :-). I've spent a lot of time plugging names into Ancestry but haven't tried Gwyneth yet... fingers crossed!

Once you see something in a particular way, it's hard to see it any differently. I'll let you know if I find anything.

[dragonT]

Another possibility? Ewythr is the Welsh for uncle - perhaps Stiniog is a diminutive of Festiniog, as in Blaenau Festiniog, so Ewythr Stiniog Brawd Taid would be Uncle Stiniog, Granddad's Brother.

[JGDavies]

Would Black Barn be the larger area? Very little comes up when I google it, and I'd love to pin-point this place on the censuses

Sorry that was just me thinking aloud as to what Scybor-ddu might mean.

[aghadowey]

Should be relatively easy as these people were of substance despite the boy wearing a dress, which with poor people was often a necessity.   

I think the older child wearing a dress is actually a girl- it was common to cut off the hair of a person ill with fever in those days.