Senghenydd

[Dingaling]

 ::)Hi Phybill..I read with interest of your ancestry involving the Senghenydd Mine Disaster.. My husbands grandfather also was killed in the mine disaster. I have just located his (Robert William Evans) burial place ..Penyrheol Cemetery...In 2013 the 100th year anniversary will occur I hope that we can make the trip from Australia to visit Senghenydd and Penyrhoel Cemetery.

[phylbill]

Hello Dingaling
My grandfather is also in the Penyrheol cemetery and one of the things I do have is the bill from Caerphilly Urban District Council. His grave is no H168 it cost 7 shillings and 6 pence 10 shillings to bury him 3 shillings and 6 pence to enter his name on the register, 2 shilling and 6 pence for a certificate and 5 shillings for stamp of grant of right of burial. A grand total of 1 pound 8 shillings and 6 pence. I wonder if anything will be done to mark the centenary, worth a little investigation I think. Shame I know so much about his death but so little about his birth and short life. phylbill

[Dingaling]

Hi Phybill...I only found where my husbands Grandfather Robert William Evans was buried last week after many years of family research. I wonder if there are any headstones but I feel there would not be in our case the families income was very limited...When Robert Evans died he left a family of four children the fourth child  born seven days after his death the child Robert William Evans named after his father was fostered  by a relative and to this day we have no knowledge of his whereabouts.  My mother in law was only two when her father died and seventeen when her mother Emma Evans  past away so family details were limited. I have been able to purchase two books on the Mine Disaster 1..The Valley of the Shadow by John H Brown and 2..Senghenyyd a Brave Communityy by J Basil Phillips.  Have you search the records to see if your family received compensation I believe that the families were awarded so much per child unfortunately there is no record of Emma Evans receiving any compensation. I hope that there will be a rememberance ceremony...

[phylbill]

I also have the Basil Phillips book, I have no idea what compensation was given, my mother was five and another baby was on the way born the following March, my gran remarried and had two further children one is still alive living in a home in Bristol, she has dementia so unable to talk to her about the past, which is very sad really. The saddest thing is not having any photo's from those early days I guess they were too poor to have had photo's taken. The research is very time consuming but I shall keep going. I hope to go to Senghenydd before the year is out and will visit the grave yard it will be interesting to see if there are any gravestones. Phylbill

[Dingaling]

Hi Phybill,  I am trying to locate a map of Penyrhoel Cemetery to show the different sections of the cemetery...may I ask if you do manage to visit the cemetery and have time to spare if you can also take a photo of my Robert William Evans grave...I have been told by the authorities
Robert William Evans is buried in SECTION B PLOT O-454...Kind Regards Dingaling

[phylbill]

It will be a pleasure, I will let you know when I plan to go.

[daicamera]

You can see some recent photos of Senghenydd here. I have put 52 and 51 High street house photos on for you also.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kodak1927/sets/72157622526698631/

[phylbill]

Daicamera, wow what can I say except a very big thank you for the photos. Very soon now I shall see Senghenydd for myself and I was feeling very apprehensive about my visit but those photos have calmed my nerves and I can see that the area is very beautiful. I am sure it will be a visit I shall never forget.

[daicamera]

Your very welcome,I hope you enjoy your visit.