{DOCUMENTING OUR PAST}
Rona Cracknell, Summer 2020 My solitary walks are in the local cemetery. I read as I start walking – there’s a plaque beneath each tree: “Aged 21”, “Killed on the Somme” or he was “Lost at sea” Beyond this avenue of trees commemorating strife Are further texts remembering a loving family life: “Sacred to the memory of a beloved wife” The graveyard’s on a hillside, the…
What we have been doing… Not a lot publicly, obviously, but our website has been busy with visitors via Facebook and Twitter. We have been holding our monthly meetings via the Zoom connection on the internet, so have managed to keep in touch, with our main concerns being to archive and register the large amount…
Near the village of Llangynwyd lies the farm known as Gelli Lenor. This was once owned by Morgan James. One of his daughters Catherine fell in love with a farm labourer, Sion Bivan. This young man was in turn besotted with the fair Catherine. This love was recognised by Catherine’s parents and heartily discouraged. The man that they had chosen for their…
Billy Moore was born in his Grandmother’s sweetshop at Greenmeadow Terrace, Llangeinor on the 17th February 1908. He resided with his parents there, Bertram and Lily Moore. His Grandmother was Fanny Moore, a Widow. Bertram was a Coal Miner, born in Bettws while Mam Lily was a Housewife. The family had previously lived in nearby Tynyrheol. Billy was a…
Just a snippet to add to GVHS archives. Sydney Clyde Smith whose maternal grandfather Thomas Maddock was baptised in Llangeinor 1831 and whose mother Elizabeth nee Thomas was born circa 1809 at Gelliron Farm, Pontycymmer. Sydney was born Perth, Western Australia, 1898; was killed in action on 21/07/1917 at Polygon Wood, which was part of…