Hi there, I have only just come across this website and am hoping that someone may have some information to help me find out more about my family roots. Unfortunately, my parental family have all passed away and I have no-one left to really talk to but here goes! My late grandfather, Thomas Evan Williams was, I believe, a gardener at Cynghordy Hall and I am estimating that this would have been around the 1950s/60s. My grandmother Margaret (Maggie?), may have had the maiden name of Matthews, and I remember her cleaning the village church when I was a very young child in the late 50s, early 60s.. My dad was their eldest, Thomas Ivor, he had brothers David Nathaniel, William John, Gwyn Harold and Ronald, together with a sister Doreen Margaret. Dad would have been born 20 June 1921, although there was some discrepancy over the exact date by a year or so. Dad was known locally as Tommy Felinwaun and he passed away very suddenly aged 43 in 1964. He is buried in the churchyard at Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn, alongside my grandparents and there are other relatives in the same churchyard. I believe my grandparents came to Cynghordy from Beulah but would love to be able to actually confirm this and trace the family back as far as possible so that my own children will one day know their own histories as they never had the joy of knowing my dad and "the Willams'". I was only 7 when he died. I think my grandfather must have also looked after some sheep as I clearly remember him coming home at night with a black and white collie, but he said the dog was a working sheepdog and not a housedog for playing!! I only ever remember my grandparents living in Bronhaul, one of dad's brothers worked in the brickworks, his sister and another brother lived in Llandovery and I had cousins there. I am sad that after dad died, over the years, contact was lost with many of the family as mum didn't drive and we had no transport other than depending on an occasional trip with an obliging friend or relative taking us to visit. I know that both my grandparents had siblings and I remember some names and random locations but not sure if clearly enough to really pinpoint who might be who and, again, the people I remember would almost surely have passed on themselves and I have no idea of younger generations. For what it's worth I do remember a Mrs Southgate in Cynghordy Post Office, Rev Bassett was the vicar, I believe there was a lady by the name of Eira Taylor in the Glanbran Arms. I think my father was also connected in some way to School House, but I don't know if the family were just living there at some stage. I certainly am not aware of any teachers in the family. If anyone has any kind of information at all, or can point me in the direction of someone who may remember my family and possibly be able to help then I'd be so very very delighted to hear back. I just wish I'd done this years ago...... Hoping so much to hear something at some stage, sorry to go on such a lot but trying to put as much info as I know out there in the hope of jogging someone's memory.
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