Cymdeithas Hanes Mechell

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Diaries

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Ffair Mechell

Maes Mawr

Coeden

Mills

The Gallery

Sir Owen Thomas

The Meddanen

and Wygyr

William Jones,

Mathematician

Fortunatus Wright,

Privateer

Jones the  Crown

Llanfechell Memorial

Llanfechell Chapels

Crop Marks at Carrog

Place Names

Robert Williams, Deacon

The Post Office

Gweirydd ap Rhys

The Demography of Llanfechell 1851 & 1901

Llanfechell Cemetery

William Bulkeley and the poor of Llanfechell

Maureen’s Family Tree

Llanfechell in the early 19th Century

Project Introduction

back to Place Names

Background:  a ‘Merched y Wawr’ national project

Aim: to collect place names in the area - Llanfechell and Mynydd Mechell

Objective:

•  To give a picture of the area in the past and present, to keep for the future
•  To show the importance of contributing to the development and survival of the Welsh language in the twenty first century  

Completing the Project:

• Collecting names of homes and businesses in the area
• Looking at historical and present day maps, including visiting the Archives
• Collecting oral evidence
• Taking and collecting photographs
• Using art as evidence e.g. paintings and craftwork
• Collecting information from Llanfechell History Society’s website
• Gleaning information from books and other publications
• Members working individually and meeting to put the project together
• Sending the work to the main ‘Merched y Wawr’ office at Aberystwyth
• Give a presentation to the Llanfechell History Society, and transferring the material to be recorded on the website
• Making sure that the staff and pupils at Llanfechell Community School have access to the materials when they study the local area.

          Llanfechell and Mynydd Mechell

Map of the village from Lewis Morris’ Sketches, collected by Rev. Dr. D. W. Wiliam

Llanfechell is an ancient Anglesey village, which grew up around a twelfth century church and the ford (now a bridge) across the river Meddanen.  It has a number of standing stones, over 4000 years old.  At one time it was divided into two parts – Llanfechell Caerdegog and Llanfechell Llawr y Llan

Some of the celebrated former residents include William Bulkely of Brynddu, whose extensive diaries recorded rich details of life in the area in the early 18th century; John Elias, the celebrated Methodist preacher of the early 19th century; and General Sir Owen Thomas MP, soldier and agriculturist of the early 20th century. On the wall of the Community School there is commemoration of the world famous mathematician, William Jones, who received part of his education in the area.

Part of Llanfechell Square today

  Map from ‘Walks around Llanfechell’, Menter Mechell 2010

To the West lies Mynydd Mechell, with its small holdings and cottages developed on rocky and exposed terrain.  There is evidence that there was working in a number of quarries to obtain stone for building the homes, walls and lanes. Over the centuries there has been a close knit and hardworking community here at ‘Y Mynydd’ as it is affectionately known as.

Part of Mynydd Mechell on a 1900 map, in the Ynys Môn Archives

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Collection of Names

In this section there are names of farms, small holdings, cottages, houses and other buildings in the area, past and present, distributed geographically.  There are maps and photographs as well as a few explanations  

From Penbodeistedd towards Cae Mawr and the A5025

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From  Delfryn towards Tregele

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From  Penbodeistedd to the Square

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The Square and Brynddu Road

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From Bryn Clyni towards Tai Hen

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From Bryn Clyni towards Carreglefn

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From Carreg Daran towards Penygroes and the A5025

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Mountain Road towards Mynydd Mechell

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Mynydd Mechell

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From Penygroes towards Tregele

Here are place names outside the village that are part of the Mechell Ward. Some of them are empty by now.

 From a Brynddu Estate document, 1875

click on document to see larger version

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Oral  reminisces by older members of the community of businesses in the area  

Post Office

At one time, Mr Davies, a teacher at the primary school ran the Post and the shop..  

Then it was Bob Edwards (a member of the family of Hugh Edwards, Monfa and Owen Edwards, blacksmith) turn to keep the shop.  He used to go round the villages to sell his goods.  His wife was related to the family who lived Tal y Bont.

The next proprietor was Now Evans, and then Mr and Mrs Edwards (parents of Jean Owen, Angorfa) came from the Blaenau Ffestiniog area.  Mrs Grace Griffiths, daughter of Newry, was followed by Mrs Megan Roberts, and by now the shop is run by Mrs Angela Wright.

Cobbler’s Shop

Edwin Jones the cobbler, son of Benja Jones, lived at Penlan (by now 2 houses Penlan and Penygroes).  He kept a shop by where Anwylfa is today. He sold a wide variety of shoes, but he was famous for his ‘Benja Jones shoes’ (nailed working boots)

Mr W. Roberts, Rhosyn Mynydd worked there as a cobbler. After she left school,  Beryl Jones worked there.

Hugh Jones, Sarn’s Workshop (opposite Riverside, where Coedlys is today)

There was a carpenter’s workshop here. Hugh Jones was known for keeping stallions and competing in shows

Riverside

On this site there used to be a brewery. Evidence of this was found when tenants who lived there later on found barley and other related objects there when they were renovating the building.

Public Houses

Where Libanus Schoolroom is today, there used to be an Inn.  Also there was the Crown and a public house at Gwalia.

Cefn Glas Shop

Isaac Jones lived at Cefn Glas, before he moved Glan Dŵr.  He used to go round the area running a scheme for people to save money for when they needed hospital treatment (before the days of the N.H.S.)

Hugh Williams kept the Cefn Glas (family at Penllain)

Cefn Glas was a shop selling a miscellany of things. Owen John Owen (Mrs Maureen Jones’ grandfather) used to teach a Children’s Choir in a room there, and Mrs Gillham played the piano for them. Twice a week, a doctor’s surgery was held there.

Stores Shop (by now Bryn Llwyd)

Captain Evans kept a shop there, in a zinc hut. Then William Jones (the late Mrs Megan Roberts’ father) ran it, before he moved the business to the Crown. He is seen in the photograph with Lady Megan Lloyd George at the time of unveiling the memorial to the servicemen who lost their lives during the Second World War.

Crown Shop (see above)

Following her father, Mrs Megan Roberts was the shopkeeper, before moving to the Post Office.  Annwen Jones, nee Owen ran the shop for a period following that.Siop Blackshaw ( ger gweithdy J. Parry and Hughes)

Byddai Emlyn Blackshaw yn pobi bara yn y siop.  Byddai plant y pentref yn galw yno ar eu ffordd adref o’r ysgol.

Isfryn Shop

This shop has been trading for various periods until recently.

Willie Hugh’s Garage

Where the Glanrafon Estate is now, there were two fields. One was owned by the church and the other belonged to Tal y Bont.  On the field belonging to the church (opposite J. Parry a Hughes) Willie Hugh ran his garage.  He had a bus and a taxi. People from the village travelled on the bus to Bangor to sell their produce (eggs and butter), and others went by taxi to visit patients at the C. & A. Hospital in Bangor. He built a bungalow to live in, next to the garage, named Trigfa (which by now has been pulled down).

J. Parry and Hughes, Builders.

The Yard is situated in the village on Mountain Road, and numerous references are made to the business in other parts of the project

Mynydd Mechell

‘Rogof Shop – Mr and Mrs Hugh Roberts kept a shop here

Shop and Post Office Penllyn  ( Audrey Mechell, widow of the late Mr R. Williams, member of the Penllyn family, now lives in a new house called Glanllyn next to the old shop.

Wern Smithy – Owen and Hugh Edwards

Cobbler’s shop

‘Open All Hours’ at Glasfryn

Glyn Bwch – Mr and Mrs Robert Jones sold bread off a round table in the middle of the room. There was always a Bible on the table.

Glan Gors – Mr Llew Jones had a business selling eggs and rabbits.  He was later a coal merchant.

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‘Y Cwt Du’

The Cwt Du (black hut) was an important meeting place in the village at one time!  It was there that villagers got together to play darts, and a number of young couples went there when courting, so they say.  It was a zinc hut on the way out of the village towards Carreglefn.                          

Mr Hugh Parry cycled to Rhosgoch station to collect the Post that had come from Bangor.  On his return to the hut, he would sort the letters and deliver them around the village. He would go as far as Penygroes, and collect post on his way back.  Then he would journey on back to the station to catch the 5 o’clock train that would take it on to Bangor.

In time, the Red Van came with the letters and parcels to the Post Office from. Miss Mair Williams, Plas then sorted them and walked round the village to deliver them. (If she was lucky, she could borrow a bicycle sometimes!)  

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Lôn Newydd (where Maes y Plas is today)

The children would play on the stile there, opposite the houses on Mountain Road. Margiad Williams (grandmother of Mrs Glenys Humphreys) lived at Ty’n Ffynnon, and the children would ask her ‘Can we see the fox, please?’  She would then show them the stuffed fox she had in the house.

A map of the centre of the village at the beginning of the twentieth century(Anglesey Archives)

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‘Church Rooms’

Dances would be held there at one time, arranged by the church. Mr Jenkins was the rector at the then.  Mr Owen John Owen had got a band together to provide music for the dancing.

In the building there were two snooker tables and one billiard table.

In 1930, the Right Honourable Violet Vivien, Cestyll opened the Bazaar held to raise funds for the church.  Outside the building there was a tub full of sawdust, and the children paid a penny to find a prize amongst the sawdust. The prizes would be My Lady’s Toffees wrapped up in paper, whistle or a handkerchief.

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Business in the area today

In a rural area, agriculture has always been an important industry.

References are made in the diaries of William Bulkeley and in other documents to the many craftsmen that used to work here.  

At present, here are the few businesses left in the village

Cefn Glas Public House

Hairdresser

J. Parry a Hughes, Builders

Riverside Caravan Park

Coed caravan site and holiday cottages

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(click on maps to see larger versions)

The Shop

The Garage

There were two water pumps in the village. One was by Pont y Plas and the other at Talybont.  The one at Talybont was used for drinking water.  Water from the one at Pont y Plas was used for washing and other chores, because it was believed that a vein of water flowed to it from the cemetery.