Help me record items from the past, to keep the memories of those who lived in this small, but beautiful corner of Wales, alive.
A LETTER FROM 1890
John Williams of Pembrokeshire writes; I found this transcription among family papers. I cannot be sure who it was addressed to, but I guess it was to a female member of the Tan y Fron family, in Penmon, in response to a letter received by him.
Gorddinog , Cemaes, November 1890
Dear Niece
I received your letter this morning and I will try to answer some of your questions as far as I know about them.
My grandfather’s name was John Williams and my grandmother’s name was Elizabeth Williams and the name of their residence was ‘Caehir’ (long field) which was a small holding added to Tanyfron after the death of my grandmother, and by now part of it belongs to Pwll Crwn owned formerly by Hugh Roberts.
My grandfather and my grandmother had five children namely two daughters and three boys – the name of the eldest was William, and my father the second, was John and the youngest was Rowland.
My grandfather and his two daughters were drowned in the Penmon boat when they were returning from the Bangor fair – June 25 – 1787. My grandmother died in a year’s time after the accident of a broken heart after their loss.
William went to Tycoch, Llanffinan to his aunt and there he died. My father went as an apprentice as a sailor, and Rowland was sent as an apprentice as a tailor to a man who at that time lived at Llain Swllt, Llangoed; and when he had served his time there – he went to America – and the only thing that my father heard of him afterwards – that he was working in a rope factory in New York. This is what I heard about him, that he went to Jamaica. A man named Deiniol Wyn was a missionary of the English Church in Jamaica, and afterwards became a schoolmaster there and when he returned from there to his old home in Caernarfon, he met two men from Cemaes and asked them whether they knew a man named Rowland Williams, Penmon or any of his relations.
The man said that a man of that name had been to Jamaica and lived there and had a sugar plantation and kept two thousand slaves. He had built a church and had given it as a gift to the English church. His name was engraved on the gable end of the church – Rowland Williams, Penmon, Anglesea during the time when England gave the slaves their freedom. He left his estate and went to South America and never returned. One of his workmen told Deiniol Wyn this, and when Deiniol Wyn was in Jamaica, the estate had become wild without an owner. I do not know nor the one in Cemaes, which place in Jamaica he lived, nor where the church was. Very likely he died before this and that in South America he died and was buried there – I do not know.
Deiniol Wyn is dead but his relations are living in Caernarfon. Very likely if you came across them, they could give you all the information.
We are pleased to hear that M A Williams, Tanyfron is getting better.
We are sorry to hear that R Roberts Llangoed is still poorly.
We wish to be remember to you and all the family.
Yours very sincerely
Your uncle – John Williams
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THE VICAR OF PENMON |
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Penmon Priory and Church |
Here we record the old Vicars of Penmon and Llanfaes.
1901. John David Jones 29 of Talley, Carmarthenshire was the Clergy man of the Church of England Church. His wife Maud Lucy , 31 was from Dawlish, Devon and their 10 month old daughter was born in St Asaph. David Herbert 39 of Llanddewi Brefi was the only visitor in the Vicarage apart from his wife Helen 33, of Lincoln. Cooking for the family was Penmon born Jane Jones 23, Mary Catherine Dawson 16 of Llandysilio was their nurse and Edward Bulkeley 16 of Beaumaris, their garden boy.
1891. This census entry simply reads "No one sleeping there on the night of April 5th 1891. Occupier Mr Kyffin as boarder, of Rhos Cottage".
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1881. Living at the Vicarage in the Parish of Llanfaes was Thomas W Trevor 42, Vicar of Penmon and Llanfaes, born in Llanfaelog. He was also vicar here in 1871. His wife Caroline 41 came from Llangristiolus. They had five children living at home with them. Laura 13 was born when the couple lived in Dolgelley, Bronwen 11 and her siblings Thomas W. 5, Edward R.3 and Gwladys E. 2 were born in Penmon.
Boarding with the family was Governess Augusta M. Sessions, 25 of Cornwall. The vicar employed Jane Morris 50 of Bangor, Emma Bellwood 21 of Llanfaes and Emma Hughes 19 of Beaumaris as domestic servants.
1871. Vicar of Penmon and Llanfaes in the Diocese of Bangor, was Thomas W Trevor 32 born in Llanfaelog. His wife Catherine was 31 and came from Trefodraeth (1881 says Llangristiolus). 3 year old Laura was Dolgelley born and Bronwen A. 1 came from Penmon. Ellen Owen 23 of Llangadwaladr cooked for the household, Mary Thomas 23 of Trefdaeth was a housemaid and the nurse Ann Jones 22 came from Dolgelley.
1861. Penmon Parsonage housed Phillip E. Ellis of Pwllheli. His wife Ellen was from Southend, their children Ellen 4, P.C.S 2 and Henry M 1 were born in Beaumaris.
Fanny Thomas 22, the cook was from Bangor, Ann Price 23 the nurse from Eastham and housemaid G.V. Thomas 20 from Llandulais.
My thanks to Rowena Evans for supplying prints of the Penmon Church and Priory.
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Can you help by identifying any of them please? Some clues may appear in the 1891 census details which appear on the PENMON PAST link at the top left of this page.
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YSGOL SUL CAIM 1931 - 32 |
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Charles Goodman Roberts. He was the Sunday School Teacher at Caim.
Adults called him 'Yr Hen Gristion' or 'The Old Christian', the children called him 'Taid'.
Front row, left to right; Eluned Hughes, Olwen Williams, Eileen Owen, Maldwyn Jones, Tudor Evans, Olwen Roper, Mair Owen, Menna Jones, Eluned Roberts, Charles G. Roberts (teacher), Iris Jones, Dilys Owen, Betty Owen, John Jones, Seiriol Thomas, Austin Jones, Thomas Hughes.
Middle Row; Joseph Price, Betty Waters, ===?===, Me.... Owen, Maggie Roberts, Rose Hughes, Mary Williams, Mon Owen, Huw Parry Lewis, Bobbie Jones, Lewis Hughes, William Jones.
Back Row; Emyr Owen, ===?===, Annie Jones, Nancy Price, Bob Evans, Hugh Owen, Molly Parry, Ted Owen (Penfro Bach), Jennie Thomas, Ted Owen (1, Pen Fron)
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A LETTER FROM 1968 |
William Hughes, son of Lizzie who was a daughter of Joseph and Margaret Jones who lived at Cae Merddyn in 1800s, wrote to Audrey Bradbury, his first cousin, once removed. These are extracts from the letter where he recalls his childhood days around the Penmon area.
Reading the names of villages and hamlets which I had almost forgotten, gives me a great deal of pleasure. One I shall always remember is Moelfre.
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A fishmonger with his donkey and cart would come up the road regularly from Beaumaris. We could hear him before we could see him. He would be selling "Moelfre herrings, fresh Meolfre herrings, chwech am chwech!!" |
Mother would never buy on his morning trip. In the afternoon he would be returning, but this time it would be "Moelfre herrings, pymtheg am chwech!" and we would buy a few.
Let me again just 'glance'. Long years ago when we had been in this country (Rome, New York, U.S.A.), I met a native of Anglesey, who was the pastor of our Lee Centre Church. He was a fair kind of poet. When I told him that I was born in Beaumaris, he became very interested and recited me one of his works, which I still remember. I thought you would like it.
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Fe'm ganwyd yng ngolwg Yr Wyddfa |
He tells Audrey that he thinks her father, Joseph Jones is his cousin and your grandfather.
We stopped at Caim and talked with Aunt Mary, your Nain Caim. She was so pleased to see us and to learn that I was "un o hogia Lizzie Cae Merddyn". How old was she when she passed on in about 1955? I recall that there was a young fellow there too, probably about 30. I would very much like to learn more about the Penmon branch of our family.
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My recollections of Beaumaris are as vivid as the happenings of yesterday. 'I fyny'r stryd' meant that section of Wexham Street(right) above where Henllys Lon comes in. |
| The Clio (right) anchored at Borth - none of us were sent there for we were good boys. | ![]() |
Henllys Lon and the large field on the right as you go to Llangoed where the 4th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers bivouacked; and beyond the race track; right where Henllys Lon meets Wexham Street, the shop of John Hughes, hot pies; The Green where we played and celebrated the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandris; the periwinkles we picked as the tide was slowyly ebbing!
How much of the vignette is still extant?
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JOHN JONES, CAIM and THE BATTLE of WATERLOO |
In 1796, give or take a year, a boy was born at Caim whose name was John Jones. When very young, he enlisted in Anglesey's glorious cavalry.
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The Battle of Waterloo, fought on 18 June 1815, was Napoleon Bonaparte's last battle. His defeat put a final end to his rule as Emperor of the French. Waterloo also marked the end of the period known as the Hundred Days, which began in March 1815 after Napoleon's return from Elba, where he had been exiled after his defeats at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 and the campaigns of 1814 in France.
After Napoleon returned to power, many states which had previously resisted his rule formed the Seventh Coalition and began to mobilise armies to oppose him. The first two armies to assemble, close to the French north eastern border, were a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher and an Anglo-allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington. Napoleon chose to attack them in the hope of destroying them before they, with other members of the Seventh Coalition (who were not such an immediate threat), could join in a coordinated invasion of France. The campaign consisted of four major battles - Quatre Bras (16 June), Ligny (16 June), Waterloo (18 June), and Wavre (18 June-19 June) - with Waterloo proving decisive.
The nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life. - The Duke of Wellington

The French army left the battlefield in disorder, and was unable to prevent Coalition forces entering France and restoring King Louis XVIII to the French throne. Napoleon was exiled to St Helena, where he died in 1821.
The battlefield is in present-day Belgium, about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) SSE of Brussels, and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the town of Waterloo.

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A TOUR IN WALES BY THOMAS PENNANT |
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Ynys Seiriol is about a mile long and bounded by precipices except on the side opposite Penmon, and even there the ascent is very steep. The land slopes greatly from the summit to the edge of the precipices. During part of summer, the whole swarms with birds of passage. |
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The young are hatched in the beginning of July. The parents have the strongest affection for them but this affection ceases at the time of re-migration, about the 11th August. They then go off, to a single bird, and leave behind the unfledged young of the later hatches as prey to the peregrin falcon which watched the mouth of the holes for their appearance, compelled as they must soon be by hunger to come out.
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SEA TRIPS FROM LLANDUDNO |
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ROUND THE ISLAND OF ANGLESEY |
This embraces 80 miles of delightful coast scenery. On leaving Llandudno Pier, we pass close to the lofty, wave-worn cliffs of The Great Orme, and may see first the Church of St. Tudno, and shortly afterwards the Lighthouse, 325 feet above sea level.
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At the end of some 7 or 8 miles we arrive off Priestholme or Puffin Island, left, known also by the Welsh as Ynys Seiriol or Puffin Island, because Seiriol, a holy recluse in the sixth century, had a cell upon it. It is called Priestholm because it was occasionally used as a retreat by the inhabitants of the Priory of Penmon, on the neighbouring coast. And lastly it is known as Puffin Island through being the resort of immense numbers of the puffin auk. |
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The first stopping place of the steamer is Beaumaris. From the steamer, we get a view of the Castle and of the mansion known as Baron Hill, a short distance in the rear of the town, while the Bulkeley Memorial Column behind Baron Hill, is a conspicuous object. It stands 100 feet high, is constructed of Penmon marble and bears a brass plate with a suitable inscription.
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We pass many beautiful residences along the shores as we steam down the Menai Strait from Bangor to our next stopping place, the pier at Menai Bridge Town, at the Anglesey end of The Menai Suspension Bridge, which spans the strait at a point one and a half miles from Bangor Station.
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La Marguerite leaves Menai Bridge |
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Exactly a mile from the Suspension Bridge we pass under the Britannia Tubular Bridge, which carries the railway across the Strait through long hollow tubes, of which the floor and roof are formed of cubes firmly connected.
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| The port of Amlwch, once supported by neighbouring copper mines, has a harbour cut out of the solid rock. | ![]() |









