This is very interesting, I agree about the book by Tony Hibbert, descendant of Constantine Hibbert the head gardener. My late father Edward Ivor Evans Y Grithig, son of William John Evans and Gwenllian Potter, mentioned him to me briefly. We organized a conference at Craig y Nos in July 2008, many scientists saw the Castle and I was raised to Armiger (Squire) on the same day. Horst Eckardt, Kerry Pendergast and myself visited Y Grithig and Penwyllt. My late uncle Raymond Vivian Evans advised me (in Welsh of course) that his mother Gwenllian was a fluent Welsh speaker and also worked at the Castle. Kerry wrote my biography, ?The Life of Myron Evans?. Morgan Morgan sold Craig y Nos to Patti in 1878 through an interpreter. We made efforts to try to get the Castle back but the owners took it off the market. It is in fair condition, nothing like the condition of Patti?s time. The first volume of my autobiogarphy ?O Hudd ei Ddoe? has just been published with Authors Online, in softback and multiple electronic format. Its preprint is in the blue box on the front page of www.aias.us above my coat of arms, the main element of which, granted to me by the College of Arms, is the golden lion rampant of the Morgan Awbrey ancestral cousin, the great Prince Rhys ap Gruffudd Deheubarth (twelfth century). In the attached second book of poetry there is an englyn to William John and Gwenllian, who lie in an unmarked grave in St John the Baptist Callwen. We should see about a headstone, with this englyn and a suitable biblical text. That assumes that the church will not be sold. It is much better to anticipate this and put it in a Family Trust, it is nearly a Family Church. St. Callwen was our ancestral cousin, daughter of Prince Brychan Brycheiniog (fifth century).
Dan y trum a dan y trwch, ? yng nghwm mwyn,
Yng nghwm mud, gorweddwch,
Clawdd y llan yn claddu llwch,
Yn ei hudd, yn ei heddwch.
As you may know the intricate rules of cynghanedd deny translation. However it scans something as follows:?
Under hillside and earth ? of a gentle valley,
A silent valley, lie there,
Earth of llan buries dust,
In its shadow, in its peace.
Further to my earlier email I have realised that I had not responded to all your points.
You do not mention your father?s Christian name, nor the graveyard where your grandparents are buried. Do you mean the graveyard attached to St David?s Church of Wales, between Abercrave proper and Ynyswen?
I mentioned Melbourne Griffiths because, albeit that he would be a first cousin of your father and is buried in Callwen, he is also the father of Sian James, the MP for Swansea East.
I do not know for certain, but think that, rather than Jennet, it was one of the Potter family who you are referring to as being in the close circle of those who attended Madame Patti. I am not aware of any of the daughters of William Morgan working for Madame Patti. They appeared to be more involved in bringing up their own large families and orphans of subsequent generations. Madame Patti arrived as they were producing their families and it was very much the next generation who found positions with her.
Mary Anne Potter, daughter of Rachel Morgan Potter, was her personal maid for some time around 1890 before marrying one of the many foreign people attached to Madame Patti?s staff. She was not alone in that respect in that one of the Potter girls married Adami, the head chef, and another married Constantine Hibbert, the head gardener. There were several others working there as well. Myron is your best source for all of them or Tony Hibbert. The latter?s book Fresh Flowers For M?Lady is well worth purchasing and is relevant to your own family history. You would find it very informative. It was available from the publisher, with postage thrown in compared with its retail cost. Google for it.
Best wishes
Stuart
From: W Stuart Davies
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 11:54 AM
To: Rhianne Griffiths
Subject: Re: Family History
Many thanks for your reply. I note your problems with obtaining copies of info held by other members of the family. I am afraid that we all have those problems. People in Abercrave have also in many cases placed little value in photos of their deceased relatives. It is rare indeed to find anybody holding a photograph from before 1900. They were certainly taken because the odd ones do turn up, but so many have and are being thrown away. [I was given a photo of a great great grandfather of mine who died in
Ystradgynlais in 1884, aged 83. It came, with others of the 1880s, from an
American cousin, his family having been sent them before 1900, and all were
named. None of these photos still existed in the
UK.]
If I was you I would ask your cousin to send you digital photos of the info that he has. If I go and see people I always take a digital camera with me. I have spent ages taking photos, at people?s homes, of their old photos when in most cases they would not, quite rightly, allow you to take them away to be scanned. I referred before to Doreen Jenkins. She has a lovely set of photos of the Griffiths family and she is well worth a visit. I have a photo of the Griffiths family taken before WW1 which shows the parents and their children, William, Morgan, David, Mary Hannah and her daughter, and Leyshon. When I am back running on full throttle, I can let you have a jpg file of it. Jennet has the rounded face which is characteristic of the Morgan family [her sister Rachel is similar and we only
have as yet photos of those two children of William Morgan]. My great grandmother, Mary Morgan, first cousin to Jennet, had a very round face and even now my two sisters are the same, as was our mother.
I would ask whether you could take digital photos of the old photos held by your father and perhaps let us have jpg files of them. It would be lucky indeed if any named William Morgan, and one is usually involved in detective work with such photos to identify anybody.
Your great uncle William Griffiths who died in 1962 lived at Tawelfryn in Caehopkin, but I do not know that house name. He is also buried in Callwen.
Best wishes
Stuart
From: Rhianne Griffiths
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 8:45 AM
To: W Stuart Davies
Cc: Stella Mathias ; <a title=?mailto:EMyrone
Subject: Family History
Stuart and Myron
Forgive my tardy reply. I am heavily committed to running my business which involves my input above and beyond the 9-5 working day.
I did manage to break away for a quick Joe?s ice-cream at Mumbles on the weekend though: what a rare treat! 
I?m totally fascinated by family history as you?ve probably determined but haven?t had the time to devote to rigorous research, so I have scant detail. I don?t know any of the names you mention.
My cousin Bryan Griffiths (son of the elder brother Victor Griffiths) helped Dad to empty the Griffiths family home at 1 Morgan Street, Caehopkin way back in time, when I was teaching in Essex. Dad?s brother Vince lived in the property all his life. Leyshon another brother, lived in Coelbren with his wife Margaret. The youngest son Harold became a teacher and moved to Exeter for work. (Five sons, no living daughters ? two babies died in infancy and are buried alongside my grandparents in Abercraf, in the graveyard on the main road).
Dad has a few very old photographs tucked away in the attic. I can?t say for certain that there is one of William Morgan amongst them, but I will investigate. Cousin Bryan also has family papers, and photographs in his possession, and I have asked several times if I can borrow them but he hasn?t been very forthcoming ?.!
I plan to pursue him further.
It is wonderful to have been given the opportunity by you both to see the amazing research already executed.
I am sincerely grateful. It has filled my heart with joy.
I don?t know any of the people you included in the email so this is a very enlightening experience and a warming one too. It?s akin to finding ones tribe.
Regards to you
Rhianne
From: W Stuart Davies
Sent: 27 August 2012 16:44
To: Rhianne Griffiths
Cc: Stella Mathias; Myron Evans
Subject: Fw: Y Grithig
Myron copied me in your discussion and I thought that I would send you my comments which may be of interest to you. They are of necessity brief as my main computer is away being repaired and I write solely from memory.
My and your cousin, Stella Mathias, and I researched the Griffiths family about four years ago. We were primarily interested in the family of William Morgan [largely neglected by others], but kept running across the Griffiths family so many times that we had to investigate them as well, particularly with respect to the youngest daughter. William of course died at Rhongur Isaf with his daughter, Elizabeth.
Presumably you are aware that Thomas Griffiths and his father were from Ystalyfera, and that he was brought up at Pentrecribarth farm. He of course married Jennet Morgan [I do not know your spelling of her name] who was the youngest child of William Morgan and Anne Watkins. Jennet was of course the last of the Morgan family to die, there being no direct male heirs, but even she could not match her father in age terms.
We did some work on the children most of whom are buried at Callwen. I was supplied with a fair bit of info by Doreen Jenkins, grand-daughter of Mary Hannah Griffiths. We knew of your grandfather living in Morgan Street, though not of his descendants. I used to have a lot of relatives living in Caehopkin and my grandparents lived at Brynawel on Station Road. Your father would probably have known Dan Davies of Davies Street very well. He was a cousin and I attended the funeral of his daughter, Margaret, in the Mumbles only last year.
Did not your great-uncle, William Griffiths also live in Caehopkin? The afore mentioned, Elizabeth Morgan married into the Watkins family of Glyntawe, but I know little of them now.
Let me know if you have any old photos of circa 1900 as I have been searching without success to find a photo of William Morgan. It is of great interest to both Myron and myself. He lived until 1902 so I cannot believe that he was not photographed. The trouble is that half of Abercrave never valued what they had.
Presumably you knew Melbourne Griffiths. He married a cousin of mine and of yours who was descended from both David Morgan of Maesyfron, son of Morgan Morgan, and his wife, Anne, sister of Jennet. She, like all the children of William Morgan, lies in Callwen. Her father was buried in Tynycoed, with his wife, and her parents and grandparents.
Stuart Davies
Subject: Re: Y Grithig
Cyfarchion Cefneither Rhianne!
Greetings Cousin Rhianne!
?R oedd William Morgan yn hen hen hen ddadcu i mi, a dyma?ch teulu a?ch perthynas. William Morgan was my great great great grandfather and here is your Gruffudd (Griffiths) family. You are also descended from Tewdwr Mawr ap Cadell, Tywysog Deau Cymru, Prince Tudor the Great (born 977) the Queen?s Tudor ancestor. Felly mae?r holl achau fy niweddar tad yn perthyn i chi hefyd. Therefore all the genealogy on my late father?s side is yours also. On my late mother?s side her father?s direct line goes back to Tomos Jones Llanbedr Pont Steffan, Thomas Jones Lampeter, with Hopkin and Havard lines in distaff branches. Mae gennych yr un trwyn a mi. You have the same nose as me.
Myron
In a message dated 26/08/2012 16:38:51 GMT Daylight Time, writes:
Good afternoon Myron
I decided to document the Griffiths family tree with Dad?s help. He is now 86 yrs old and his memories are fading but he has mentioned some salient detail. The information he provided led me to Callwen, Glyntawe where his grandparents Thomas and Jennette Griffiths are buried: he didn?t know where his great, grandparents were laid to rest. His parents Morgan and Edith Griffiths are buried in a cemetery on the main road in Abercraf along with babies Mary Jennetta, and Megan, and 20 yr old William Thomas Griffiths.
Recently Dad mentioned your name in connection with Y Grithig and a Google search yesterday brought me to your website, and the AIAS website. I?ve been studying your fascinating family tree all weekend. Thanks to your family history documents on the AIAS website I have discovered that his great maternal grandfather is William Morgan buried at Tynycoed Cemetery. William Morgan son of Dafydd ap Morgan and Gwenllian Powell.
I grew up with stories of how our ancestors were related to the Morgan brothers who had discovered Dan yr Ogof. There were other stories too about relations who worked for Adelina Patti. (Dad had told me stories about this ancestor being in the close circle of personal staff of the Diva ? I wonder if this lady is Jennette?). I often wondered how it might be that a Diva would choose my ancestor to be one of her closest attendants. It might be that Jennette was able to produce papers that offered up her pedigree, and being the niece of the landed gentry Morgan Morgan, who had sold Patti the castle, would also have carried weight, I imagine.
Dad remembers visiting Y Grithig Farm to see his grandmother Jennette Griffiths (nee Morgan). He also said his grandparents had farmed the land at Nantgwared Farm opposite the Castle. He talked about his grandfather Thomas being Assistant to the Craig y Nos Estate Manager. He also said that his Granddad Thomas was a herbalist, and his father Morgan inherited some of his medicinal recipes. As a child he remembers people knocking at the door to buy some of the potions and medicines produced in their kitchen. And, he remembers walking many miles around Glyntawe, Caehopkin and Abercraf distributing those medicines.
So it seems we have a shared ancestor in William Morgan (buried at Tynycoed). He is my great, great grandfather. His youngest daughter Jennette Morgan married Thomas Griffiths and they lived in #1 Y Grithig for some time. My father remembers visiting Rhongyr Isaf when he was a very, young boy. Dad?s family home was 1 Morgan Street Caehopkin where he lived with parents Morgan and Edith, and his brothers Victor, Leyshon, Vince, and Harold. Morgan Griffiths died in 1955 a year before my birth, and Edith died in 1944. I grew up without grandparents on either side.
Annie Griffiths, Tudor Watkins? mother, is Dad?s auntie on his father?s side. Two of her sons are buried in Callwen: Griffith Leyshon Griffiths and Thomas Alfred Griffiths (of Nantgwared Farm). The three Watkins spinsters are still at Ty Mawr Nursing home. It is believed that Tudor Watkins estate is funding their care.
Lovely to meet you in the ether, as it were. I hope you are well.
I will tell Dad that he has a distant relation he never knew, now revealed thanks to the digital age of internet research.
Regards to you
Rhianne Griffiths
Rhianne Griffiths
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From: EMyrone [mailto:EMyrone
Sent: 26 August 2012 14:01
To: Rhianne Griffiths
Subject: Y GrithigNice to hear from you. I wrote about Grithig in volume one of my autobiography, just published with Authors Online, and the preprint is in the blue box on the home page of www.aias.us. My grandftather William John Evans lived in the end of the house nearest the river Tawe. It is a very nice place to visit, Ogof Fynnon Ddu is only about fifty yards away. William John was a lodger in Penwyllt beore he moved to the Grithig after marrying my grandmother Gwenllian Lodge (nee Potter). He first husband Frederick Lodge died in the 1918 flu pandemic. Gwenllian was the daughter of William John Potter Penwyllt and Hannah Thomas Henryd Isaf Coelbren. Her grandparents were David Potter and Rachel Potter who lived at one time in Pen y Foel near Penwyllt, above Grithig. Rachel was in the Royal Celtic line as attached. All the genealogy is on www.aias.us.
Myron Evans
This entry was posted on August 30, 2012 at 7:11 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Source: http://drmyronevans.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/potter-family-and-adelina-patti/
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