5 Sep 1891

1891: Landlord Tyranny in Wales

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Sir Edward Watkin, M.P., remarks the London Daily News, as a Welsh landlord, is seeking to undo mischief which his predecessors wrought. Publicity was given a few years ago to a painful case near Beddgelert, where a small company of Welsh Methodists found that the lease on their little chapel and chapel house had expired, and that they could only retain the buildings by surrendering part of the site and paying the sum of £400 sterling. After leaving the chapel for awhile they paid the sum and regained possession. Sir Edward Watkin, who has a chalet near Beddgelert, has now become the landlord, and he has restored the portion of the site that was lost, and given substantial aid. Writing to the Rev. T. Gwynedd Roberts to acknowledge a resolution of thanks, Sir Edward expresses himself in the following emphatic terms:- “My little contributions to the Bethania Chapel, especially the land, were not merely the proper donations of a landlord to good religious work, but were to some extent influenced by my indignation at the harsh and excessive terms inflicted upon the congregation by my predecessor in the possesion of the land. If the Church of England in Wales is to be disestablished, such cases as that of Bethania may well be quoted as showing the tyranny of a dominant sect – landowners all the same.”

Published by Cardiff Times, 5 September 1891

2 May 1890

1890: Rhyd-Ddu – Fatal accident

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On Tuesday last, a sudden fall of rock took place at the Glan’rafon Quarry, the property of Messrs. J. Owen and Son, Carnarvon, in which a workman named Griffith Parry, Rhyd-ddu, was instantaneously killed, being frightfully crushed. Deceased left a widow and three children to mourn their untimely loss. At an inquest held on Wednesday last, before Mr. J. H. Roberts, coroner, the verdict was “Accidental death.”

Published in Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald, 2 May 1890

31 Aug 1888

1888: Suicide of a Nantmor Farmer

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Found Hanging in an Out-house

William Williams, farmer, Hendrefechan, Nantmor, Beddgelert, committed suicide sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning, by hanging himself in one of the out-houses on his farm. He was never known to have any predisposition to destroy himself, and when news of the deed became known, neighbours and others could scarcely believe it. It is generally supposed that a recent domestic affair had preyed very much on his mind.

Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald and North and South Wales Independent, 31 August 1888

8 Apr 1882

1882: An attempt to commit suicide

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Mr John Williams, master of the Nant Gwynant School, Beddgelert, made an attempt to commit suicide on Friday afternoon in last week. He was discovered by a little boy in an out-house with his throat severely cut, and both wrists lacerated. A pocket-knife had been used for the purpose. He was conveyed to Beddgelert, and medical assistance was summoned. It is stated that there are good hopes of his recovery. The motive which prompted the rash attempt is not known.

Source: The North Wales Express, published 8 December 1882

14 May 1880

1880: Beddgelert – Fatal Accident

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An inquest was held on Monday, May 10, at the Schoolroom, Beddgelert, before T. Hunter Hughes, Esq., deputy coroner, on the body of John Jennings, a boy of twelve years old, who was killed by being run over by the waggon attached to a traction engine. It appears that deceased and his mother, who were tramps, walked on Monday from Portmadoc towards Beddgelert, and when by Pant-yr-oer deceased said he was very tired, and at his request she walked on, leaving him to rest. The steam traction engine came past soon afterwards, and deceased was seen by the driver of the engine to get on one of the trucks attached. He was not again noticed by the driver; but a woman, who was in one of the trucks, saw him getting out when near the entrance to the village. He seemed to get out carefully, and she was not aware but that he got out allright. Deceased was, however, found shortly afterwards by Mr. Humphreys of the Goat Hotel lying in a heap on the road, and on going to him it was found that his head had been fearfully crushed by the wheel of the wagon. A verdict in accordance with the facts was returned.

The Cambian News, 14 May 1880

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16 Nov 1877

1877: Found dead in car

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On Sunday, November 11. Robert Evans, driver at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Beddgelert, took a party from that village to Rhyd-ddu. He started at 9.30p.m., the weather being very rough. On Monday morning, as the people were going to work, he was found sitting in the car with the reins and the whip in his hands, but quite dead. The horse, which was still in the car, had gone over the bridge, and sought shelter between the Ginshop Bach Inn and the next house. Deceased was about sixty years of age, and was not known to be an intemperate man.

Source: The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard, published 16 November 1877

10 Jun 1876

1876: Beddgelert Wedding

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Considerable interest was manifested at Beddgelert on Friday, the 2nd inst., on the marriage of Mr Evan Jones, who has for twelve years been master of the national school, to Miss Ellen Griffith, of Gwynant-street, Beddgelert. The service was conducted by the Rev. R. E. Priestley, incumbent of the parish. The bridegroom’s best man was Mr R. E. Williams, Portmadoc; Miss Jane Jones acted as bridesmaid. After the service the company drove to the Snowdon Ranger Hotel, where an excellent luncheon was served. On leaving and returning to the village the party was loudly cheered by the school children, who were allowed a holiday in honour of the event, and in the evening received a liberal supply of nuts and oranges.

Source: North Wales Chronicle, published 10 June 1876

31 Dec 1875

1875: A Welsh Rector charged with drunkenness

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The Bishop of Bangor has directed a commission of inquiry into charges of drunkenness against the Rev. Richard Priestly, rector of Beddgelert, whose conduct has long been the subject of comment.

25 Dec 1874

1874: An Englishman speaks Welsh

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For Welshmen to learn to express their thoughts in English is now so universal throughout the Principality as to be taken as a matter of course, but the converse is just as rare. Last week, however, Captain J. Roberts, of the Symdde Dylluan Mine, delivered a lecture in the Congregational Chapel, Drws-y-coed, on Gas,” in Welsh, though an Englishman. As nothing is so entertaining to a Cymro as to hear an Englishman speak Welsh, there was a full house.

Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard, 25 December 1874

17 Jan 1873

1873: Thunderstorm

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Early on Friday morning, the 3rd inst., the above district was visited by one of the most severe storms experienced for some years, the flashes of lightning being almost incessant. A small chapel in the upper part of Nantmor, belonging to the Calvinistic Methodists, was almost destroyed by the lightning. It seems that the electric fluid first struck the earth about five yards from the end of the chapel, passed under a boundary wall and a small stable without doing any damage, then struck the gable end opposite the fire-grate, which it forced in, breaking every pane of glass in the building, and smashing the pulpit and several seats. It appears then to have travelled up the chimney flue, until it reached within a few feet of the top, where it scattered, blowing off nearly the whole of the roof of the building, and throwing the heavy stones of the chimney stack to a considerable distance. It also killed some sheep which happened to be near at the time.

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With these warnings, it is worth enquiring how many of our chapels, erected at so great a cost, are furnished with lightning conductors?

Source: Llangollen Advertiser, published 17 January 1873