Llan Ffestiniog help with street names please

[mandywills]

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’?

[mrs griff]

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

[mrs griff]

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




 

[mandywills]

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?

[mrs griff]

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

[Sam Swift]

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.

[Sam Swift]

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. 

[mrs griff]

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