OLD DWELLINGS
Competition at Bryntecwyn Chapel Meeting February 5th 1925
Title: Old Llandecwyn Dwellings and the families who last lived in them (by the late Esther Jones, Caerwych)
(photographed during the 2000s)
MAESLLAN: Stood between Llandecwyn Church and Tŷ Newydd. The last resident there was William Owen, grandfather of the Rev Tecwyn Evans. He bred a houseful of children, one was Griffith Owen who became a minister with the Wesleyans in Australia. William Owen dug out graves and buried the deceased at Llandecwyn cemetery. He was a zealous and helpful member in Soar Church. His father was a descendant of Morgan of the Lasynys.
MURIAU ROBIN : Stood between Ty Newydd and Bronygarth. Those who lived there last were Shon and Ann Richards. Shon Richards worked at Ffestiniog. The old lady traded in wool and sold items of shirts, petticoats and so on to the local community. They raised a houseful of children and kept two cows. They moved to the vicinity of Tremadog around 1868.
LLAIN WEN : It stood on the land of Gallt Calch. An old lady lived there who was very fond of collecting loans. She approached Gwen Jones, Gallt Calch in search of borrowing tea quite often. After getting it back, Gwen Jones would never pour it but kept it on the sideboard ready for when the old woman came looking for a loan the next time. She moved from there about 1860.
HENDY : Stood in the field in front of Tynbonc. The last resident was Griffith Pirs and his wife. They had a houseful of children attending Tynllan school. They left for Ffestiniog around 1868. The walls of the house were carried to make a hay barn in Penrbyn Isa.
PENBRYN UCHA : Stood un the same roof as the present Penrbyn Ucha (in 1925) and the other stands empty by now. Ifan and Ann Wmphra, with their houseful of children, were the last to live in the old house. They kept a small shop. Ifan Wmphra was a well-known stonemason and an excellent clock cleaner, and was exceptionally astute regarding weather forecasts.
CAE BRAN : Stood on Tregwylan grounds. Griffith Parry, father of the late Rev Griffith Tecwyn Parry, a well known minister with the Calvinistic Methodists lived there. The house fell empty around 1912.
EFAIL BACH : Stands where Brontecwyn Chapel is now, facing Tynllan. The last ones to live there were Robert and Beti Jones. Robert Jones was a quarryman and a staunch Wesleyan. He was a deacon in Soar chapel. They left for Talsarnau around 1868.
CAPEL BACH : It stands on the grounds of Bwlchfedwen on the side of the road. The last person to live there was Ellen Jones, mother of the late William Jones, Allt Galch.
CAPEL NEWYDD : It stands a few yards further than Capel Bach. It was used as a barn by Bwlchfedwen after that. It was there that the Sunday School was held before Brontecwyn was built. Luc and Sian Robet lived there. After Luc died, Sian Robet kept a small shop. She had a good memory and was very brainy and had doctoring skills that could cure styes. After her, Harri Pritchard and his wife lived in Capel Newydd and the Sunday School was still held there as before.
DOLORGAN FAWR : Stood on Tynybwlch land, on the road between Brontecwyn and Maes y Neuadd. Only its walls remain today. The last ones to live there were Owen and Shan Ellis, he was the brother of Ellis Jones Moel y Glo, grandfather of Ellis Edmunds Plas Ucha. Owen Ellis died there and his body was taken along the path through Coed Mawr to Llanfihangel. The old lady went to live in the vicinity of Caernarfon where she died about 1871.
GWASTAD ANNAS : Stands a little way off the road leading from Coedty Mawr. It was then used as a cowshed by Plas. The last people to live there were Charles and Elen Jones, father and mother of William Jones, Allt Gallch. They were faithful members of Capel Llenyrch. They moved away about 1867.
BLAENDDOL : which is now derelict. It stood on the right side of the road leading to the top of Llandecwyn parish in the grounds of Aberdunant. John Hughes, son of Maes y Caerau came there to live. He had an excellent garden and raised early potatoes before everyone else, and was exceptionally successful with honey. The last person to live there was John Roberts, Canol Cae, Penrhyn, who left around 1889.
GLANOFER: It stood a little higher up than Blaenddol. The last resident was Sian Ifan, about the year 1860. She was related to Latter Day Saints and was very selfish in her approach to religion.
ABERDUNANT : The last persons who lived here were Evan and Catherine Evans and it was here that their son, Dr. Tecwyn Evans, was born. They moved from there in 1879 to Groes Newydd. The house was used as a cowshed after that.
BRACTY : Stood on the way to Caerwych. Sian Gwen lived there for about 50 years. She raised 11 children and was a zealous Wesleyan. After her came Robert and Mary Evans to live, he was the grandson of Sian Robat, Capel Newydd, and they moved to Ffestiniog about 1881.
We now come to PENTRE COEDTY, consisting of the following five houses, namely PARC, COLDY, Y GEGIN, Y GEGIN FACH and COEDTY. They stood quite close to each other not far from where the present Coedty stands. Simon Jones lived in Y Gegin, a useful handyman and a deacon with the Wesleyans. After his death, his wife moved to live with her daughter in Efailnewydd. The last ones who lived there were William and Sydney Jones who lived in Cefn Gwyn, Talsarnau after that. Cegin Bach faced where Margaret Jones lived when she moved from Coedty.
GLANRAFON GAERAU: It stood at the bottom of Maescaerau's grounds. The last person living there was Hugh Hughes who subsequently moved to Maescaerau after his father died.
MAESCAERAU UCHAF : Stood on Maescaerau land closer to the mountain. Thomas Rhys lived there, and was the grandfather of Elisabeth Jones, formerly of Soar. He raised a houseful of children. He was well-known for making cages and also as a gardener. A Cefntrefor Fawr wagon would come to collect a load of potatoes to sell in Talsarnau.
BRYN MELYN : Stood at the top end of Coedty Mawr land. Thomas and Shan Jones lived there and bred a houseful of children. They were faithful members with the Calvinistic Methodists in Talsarnau. The last people to live there were David and Ann Williams, he being the son of Moel Geifr. They left Bryn Melyn around 1890.
Near the mountain wall on Coedty land there are a few signs of TY'N MYNYDD. The last family left there around 1843.
HENDRE CERRIG : Stood on the way from Caerwych to Nantpasgen. Robert Richards lived there and after him William and Mary Jones who moved to Allt Galch. The last people to live there were Harri and Jane Jones and they moved to Hafodwern, Clynnog in 1894.
TALRHOS: It stood a little higher up than Hendre Cerrig on land belonging to the Onnen and the last people who lived there were Griffith and Elin Williams who brought up a houseful of children. They moved away in 1882.
TYNYGROES: It stood in the grounds of Penbryn Pwll Du. Owen and Lisa Davies last lived there. In olden times the boundary of both parishes passed through the middle of the house, that is, the parish of Llandecwyn and the parish of Maentwrog. There would be a discussion between the Registrar of Maentwrog and Harlech as to who would go there to register the birth of a new baby. Owen and Lisa Davies moved to Tŷ Newydd Llenyrch which stood on Llenyrch land. After them came William and Sarah Davies, brother and sister, to live. They were there for about two years and moved in 1883.
MUR MAWR : Stood on LLenyrch land. The last people to live there were William, the cowman, and his wife. Moved from there around 1843.
TYNPANT: Stood in the grounds of Caencoed Uchaf and its remains are seen not far from Llenyrch's boundary wall. The last ones who lived there were William and Marged Williams. They moved from there to Muriau Gwyddel around 1860.
There are also the remains of two houses on the land of Felenrhyd Fawr called BREICHIAU, not far apart. Their remains are seen on the left side of the road leading from Maentwrog to Llyn Tecwyn. The last people who lived there were Sion Llwyd and his wife Catrin Pitar. They moved to Capel Bach about 1866. Two children from the other Breichiau attended Ysgol Llandecwyn about 1867 - Janet and William. Both Breichiau were notable for apples and plums.
TYNCEUNANT : Stood in the woods closer to the Felenrhyd bridge but has been gone for a long time.
TYNYFOEL : Stood in the highest part of Felenrhyd land, next to Foel Tecwyn Plas. The remains are seen there today and the garden nearby.
HENDRE ENGAN : Stood in the direction of Felenrhyd Fawr from Ben y Foel. The last ones who lived there were Griffith Ellis (wild Guy) and his wife. He moved from there to Gelli Grin about 1873.
YSGOL BACH : Stood near Maesyneuadd where William Morris and his wife Catrin lived. There was an old tradition that Lowri Wyn, Maesyneuadd built Ysgol Bach so that the children in the area could have a school to attend through the year 1700.
BEUDY'R BONC: This was an old ruin in the grounds of Penbryn Isa, where the Rev Hugh Hughes, Gellidara and Rev Tudwal Davies, Brynrodyn grew up.