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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Merionethshire => Wales => Merionethshire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: mrs griff on Sunday 08 November 09 20:17 GMT (UK)
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Hello
On my grandfathers birth certificate it says he was born at Closygraig Festiniog in 1884, on the 1881 and 1891 census the family are living at Closygraig Terr , on the 1901 census their address is Tanyfron Terr ; my great grandfather dies at that address in 1900, I cannot find where he is buried having searched all of Blaenau Ffestiniog burial records I have been told Closygraig Terr became Tanyfron Terr at sometime ,
Having found my grandfathers war details he says he was born in LLan Festiniog , so have I been looking in the wrong place for his fathers burial place what are the church or chapels called for LLan , and was the above address in Llan Festiniog not Blaenau Festiniog as I had always thought any help appreciated
Kind Regards Mrs griff
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I can confirm that Closygraig later became Tanyfron. This street stood where ‘Lord street’ stands today in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The church in Llan Ffestiniog is St Michael’s
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Hi
It would help if you gave your grandfather's name.
Emyr
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Thank you both for replying to my post as you can see I posted the message 2009 ! My grandfather's name was William Roberts on his birth certificate it says born 1884 Closygraig Festiniog his father was John Roberts died 2 Tanyfron Terrace December 1900 it was his burial place I was looking for a RC person found it in St Michaels but there was no headstone ... I also could find no more info on his wife Jane Roberts who was living at the same address at his time of his death I have never found a death for her .
Kind Regards
Mrs griff
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Hi
Ffestiniog Church Register records his death as you say. Some records are marked with the word "Cemetery". Is it the case that the Register records the funeral services held at the Church as well as those buried there? Perhaps someone with local knowledge can supply the answer. Can't find an obituary using 'Welsh Newspapers Online'.
Emyr
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Tanyfron terrace is no longer standing today. If you where to google ‘Llanddwyn Flats’ in Blaenau Ffestiniog you would see the very spot where Tanyfron once stood.
Tanyfron terrace consisted of 8 small terrace houses. Running along side Tanyfron was a further row of houses, they named this row ‘New Street (1-10 New street) and this entire row has since been demolished.
Now I’ve been told by people who once lived in both Tanyfron and New street that it was the actual ‘Road’ they remember as ‘Closygraig’.
This whole street/road/8 terrace houses stood behind ‘Lord Street’, Lord Street still stands today
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I have attempted to edit an old map (rather badly) with a bit of colour, so that you have better understand.
Red- Tanyfron Terrace.
Yellow- the chapel that devides both streets (still stood today).
Blue- from 1- ? New Street which run up along Closygraig road.
(Can’t find the option to upload a file, so will send this via PM)
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And finally, having spoken to former residents of both Tanyfron and New Street on Closygraig road, many who have made reference to a family of memorable names living at 2 Tanyfron Terrace on Closygraig road.
Living at number 2 was a local man known by all as ‘Wil Tatws’ (Blaenau Ffestiniog is known for its nicknames).
Apparently Wil Tatws was a jolly guy and was well known within the community. There are story’s of him always driving his truck/wagon around town whilst standing-up. Due to his standing whilst driving, he later became to crash his truck and was injured in the process, this injury left him deaf.
Also at number 2 lived ‘Jini Tatws’, and although I haven’t yet been told of her relationship to Will, I am wandering could she be your Jane?.
Shortly after the death of Wil Tatws, Jini and the rest of the family moved in to the house next door, to number 3 Tanyfron Terrace where they remained until the row was demolished
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Thank you for your effort and info sorry but the file in the PM was not visible but I do have a map which shows Lord st so I have the just of what you were trying to show me . The last info I have on Jane Roberts is the 1901 census still at 2 Tanyfron terr down as a widow with 4 of her children Hugh 26 ,John 20 ,Jane 14 ,and Mary 12 I have made little progress in finding anymore about them the registrar in Marian St Festiniog done a lot of searching for me looking for marriages for them with out success .i do know that John came down to South Wales as did my grandfather William but William died before I was born and I did not start researching till after John had passed away .....so the family info was scarce bits and bobs about maybe the girls had gone to America !! Trawled Ellis island no joy My hope is that maybe they had children and one day they will see my info on Roots .
Thanks again for your interest
Kind Regards Mrs griff
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If you could send the last info you have on the family, I will have a go on this end for you.
I live in Blaenau myself and have done for most of my life. My grandfather lived at number 5 as a young child in the 1930’s. I am in contact with a few people who grew up in this street as far back as 1940, they remember the street & residents well.
Have you tried searching the chapel records of ‘Capel Seion’?
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Thanks mandywills
Will get my files out and see what more I can tell you might take a day before I get back to you
Mrs griff
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Hi mandywills
This the info I have my ggrandfather John Roberts born 1849 Rhwiau Isa llanfairfechen he and his brother Hugh moved to Festiniog 0n the 1871 they are living in Market Place Festiniog Hugh was killed that same year on 11/9/1871 in Cwmorthin Quarry aged 18/19
My ggrandfather John Roberts married Jane Rowlands she was born Holyhead Anglesey in 1875 he was living at Tanymarion Jane was at Diffws Terr when they married they had 6 children the 1st child named Hugh was born 1875 ! at Wesley St Festiniog the following 5 were born at Closygraig
Ellen1879 John 1880 William 1884 "my grandfather " Jane 1887 Mary 1890 think Ellen died about 11 but cant find my notes with the death details !!???
I know William came to South Wales 1901 and John followed 1902
1901 census Hugh, John ,Jane and Mary are still at 2 Tanyfron which we think was Closygraig with their mother Jane my g grandmother who was a widow aged 50 I cant find any of them after the 1901census no trace on the 1911 Jane could have remarried being only 50 so her name might have changed ! hope you can make senses of the info .....
Not sure you will know of anyone living now who might remember the family but it was kind of you ask for details
Kind Regards
mrs griff
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Having looked on the 1939 register on Ancestry, I noticed that 2 Tanyfron Terrace bad the name 2 Bryn Tegai.
Living at 2 Bryn Tegai on the 1939 register is a Hugh Roberts born 17th Dec 1884, Unemployed and Married. Also- Jane M Roberts born 13th Aug 1887, Unpaid domestic, Married. Also- Thomas Roberts born 1st April 1927, at school.
Could this ‘Jane M Roberts’ be the sibling’s of your William Roberts?
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Hi I think this Jane Roberts though there was no M on the census but that was common could well be my grandfathers sibling it's the right birth year and as you say the address is the same as her family home did it say on the 1939 register that Hugh Roberts was her husband ? When I was reseaching for marriages for Jane there were a few and they were married to Hugh Roberts and they had fathers name as John Roberts as is often the case with Welsh family names !!! so I could quite pin them down .
I have found two births for Jane Roberts in the 3rd qtr 1887 in festiniog so I think I will have to send for certs some registrars will check the mother's maiden name to see if it's the right one well they use to when I was buying certs when I was researching awhile ago but my reseach hit a brick wall haven't done so for sometime and my OH passed away suddenly 4 years ago and I lost interest as we travelled often up North to the Caernavon archives and Dollgellau
and I also cancelled our Ancestry membership which made it more difficult .
Well mandywills you have stirred up interest again and any little help you can give is really appreciated .
Kind Regards
Mrs griff
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There's a John Roberts o Clos y Graig mentioned in welshnewspapersonline that may be yours:
13 Nov 1900 Y Genedl Gymreig, p.8, col. 1 https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4446646/4446654/83/john%20roberts%20ffestiniog%20marwolaeth
At the new police court, John Roberts of Clos y Graig accused by Sargeant Owen of stealing cokes from Gas works on Wednesday morning - case was thrown out by the Judges.
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Things can't have been good in the slate quarries, in the early 1900's, with apparently 500 people having moved to South Wales as reported in Y Negesydd 2 Nov 1900, p.3 https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3819989/3819992/31/mynd%20i'r%20de%20ffestiniog
And again in 1903, - see short paragraph describing that a number of people from Ffestiniog had emigrated that week, to America, South Wales and some to the North of England
Y Negesydd 1 Mar 1903, p.3 https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3820859/3820862/26/mynd%20i'r%20de%20ffestiniog
Y Cymro 19 Oct 1905, p.6 describes stoppages in some quarries, reduced wages or 4 day week in others https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3455093/3455099/34/mynd%20i'r%20de%20ffestiniog
The worrying drain continuing in Y Cymro 22 March 1906, p.6 https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3455291/3455297/23/mynd%20i'r%20de%20ffestiniog
There doesn't appear to be anyone fitting Jane Roberts' description living in South Wales in 1911 and she doesn't seem to have been buried in the Church cemetery, so she could well have gone to America with her daughters if they married and emigrated. There is also no one fitting Hugh Robert's age and birth place in 1911 census, but, as you say, there isn't really one that its his description arriving in America either. Some families I am aware of from Tanygrisiau emigrated to Utica or Granville, so it would make sense to emigrate to somewhere where others had already gone. However, there is the possibility that they could have emigrated to another country even.
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Sam Swift thank you so much for your interest in my brick wall ,yes times must have been very hard for them . I do really think the girls could have gone to USA it was mentioned to me by my mother but I only took a passing interest at the time I know John was buried in Ffestiniog no headstone but failed to find a burial for his wife Jane !
I will need a few days to revisit my files so I can tell you some other info I have that might be relevant if you don’t mind sometime a fresh pair of eyes help things ...
Thanks again
Mrs griff