‘Lloft Ty Llaeth’ Y Parc, Croesor (birth place of Glaslyn)
26.06.2003
From the book ‘ Gwaith Glaslyn’ by Carneddog (p6) we quote and translate “ In one of the papers of Hendre Gwenllian, Llanfrothen i.e ‘The Birth Register of the Baptist and other places within the county of Merioneth’ is chronicled the following: birth:-
‘‘ Richard Jones, (Glaslyn) son of John Owen ,by Elizabeth his wife, who was the daughter of William Lewis and Margaret his wife was born at Lloft Ty Llaeath, y Parc in the Parish of Llanfrothen in the county of Merioneth, April 13 1831
At whose birth were present, and registered by Robert Jones Roberts
Catherine Roberts ( midwife)
Margaret Jones “ ..... ” end of quote
In this note we examine the evidence available to us today and, hopefully, locate the exact building/room where Glaslyn was born.
1. In 1833,Glaslyn’s grandmother, Margaret (Lloyd) Lewis dies at her daughter’s home, viz. Ty Llaeth.
2. In September 1896, Glaslyn, writing an article in the Cymru (coch)- ‘Ar ben y Moelwyn Mawr’ p213,( of Carneddog’s book) describes the ruins of Parc....... there is only one room standing which has not been destroyed and it was in that room that the writer of this article, weak and pale, opened his eyes for the first time to a troubled and disappointing world.(13.April 1831 was a Wednesday – full of woe!). I remember the old ruin in a much better state than it is now. I am crossed to think that its sleek, solid walls with its round, long and beautiful chimneys have been destroyed and carried to make walls ( Edgar suggests they might have been carted to build the nearby railway inclines in Victorian times)
3. 1906 Hanes Methodisiaid Meironydd (p44) “ There was no Sunday School at Ty Newydd ,Caeglas after David Williams died ( 1821); it was moved to Ty Llaeth – the home of John Rowlands
4. In 1942 Colin Gresham makes a very detailed survey of Parc ( copy enclosed). He numbers the houses 1,2,3,& 4 in the order of erection.( for the purpose of this note we have subdivided house no 2 into 2A & 2B ( see pages 5,6,&7). We see that house numbered 2 is ‘T’ shaped and 2A appears hatched and 2B is black, indicating, presumably that one part is roofed and the other part is not. On page 15 he describes the projecting wing as complete and still roofed. The ‘T’ has been truncated to leave the leg of the ‘T’, which is though to be the room that Glasly n mentions as his place of birth.
5. In August 1978, Glaslyn’s descendants took a photograph. It shows house number 3 on the right and part of house number 2 (i.e.2A) on the left (courtesy of Angela & Arfon Owen)
| Lloft Ty Llaeth | |
|
|
|
|
House 2A....... |
House 3 |
6. In April 2000 ,the Brondanw Estate
commissioned a survey of Parc. ( a copy enclosed) The following are extracts
of that report: page 16:- in 1875 a Pwllheli land surveyor noted; “ Parc
farm is in a very bad sate of cultivation... very heavy repairs required on
the houses and the buildings through also the cottages on the farm.- Page
17, Clough Williams- Ellis “ ...improvements seem to have been concentrated
upon houses 2/3 (Ty Llaeth) which he altered” page 25-:feature F states only
“ House 2/3; on 1832 sale map” also Feature 11 “ open well with part of the
rim underlying the corner of house 3 (Edgar thinks the well was rebuilt-
water for Ty Llaeth, maybe
Whilst the survey gives a good and recent overall summary it does not
directly help us to locate Lloft Ty Llaeth.
Conclusion
From the evidence we have, particularly 2& 4 above, it would appear, with a
certain degree of certainty, that Lloft Ty Llaeth, y Parc, where Glaslyn was
born, is that building designated 2A and it is still standing in 2003. The
writer has still to visit Parc but it maybe planned, with Edgar, in the
future!!
Rp
2 enclosures
Dist:- Angela, Edgar, Giovanna, Janet, Nan, Sheelagh (draft for comments)