Joseph Hughes originally from Penmachno

[rhuddlan]

Hi Helig and Meleri,

I've just had a phone call from my friend Hugo who has asked me to say that he is having problems with his computer.
He wants you to know that it may be a week or so before he can get it all sorted so he won't be responding
to any postings for a while.
He just wants you to know in case you are anticipating a response from him.

Rhuddlan

[Meleri]

Rhuddlan thanks very much for letting us know 

[Hugo]

I was actually attaching a photo when the computer crashed and I'm in Colwyn Baynlibrary posting this.   The IT guy is away until the 6th May 2019 so I'm unable to post any photos on here
I took a photo of the 1842 and 1847 Baptisms of the Elizabeths but looked carefully at all the Baptism records for Penmachno from 1813 to 1867-and there were no other entries there.

I think Helig posted about the Baptisms of Rees 1838,  Jane  1845, and Gwen 1853 but these entries are not in the Penmachno Church records.   There are a number of Chapels in Penmachno and even one in Cwm Penmachno , perhaps the records Helig has seen show where the children were Baptised?

I was looking through an old address book of mine and it showed that my cousin from Birmingham was living in 12 Machno Terrace  Cwm Penmachno over 30 years ago but now lives in Spain somewhere

Apart from my printer crashing, laptop going kaput,  my back has gone too so no more golf or walking for a while and my going to the Archives might be restricted too

[Helig]

Hello Hugo,

It sounds as though you are well and truly in the wars. I hope things improve soon.

The baptisms I listed were all in St Tydclud, Penmachno. These are shown on Freereg.

I did a general search for Hughes baptised there 1838-1850.

https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_queries/5cc02bac4325a6c069c46a6c?locale=en

Rees Hughes baptised some of his children there but this was in later years.

Helig

[Hugo]

Thanks for posting the link Helig and those entries are in the original Parish Register,  I must have been looking just for the direct line of Joseph and Jane and then Evan and Grace before them.

As soon as I can I'll attach the photo of the two Baptism records for the two Elizabeths and you'll be surprise at how good the condition is but until my own computer is up and running again I won't be able to add anything to this search

[Hugo]

Meleri, you'll have a lot of info to look at when the Conwy Archives moves to Conwy as the Online Catalogue has a bit about Joseph Hughes.    No 45 of the 97 on the list looks promising and I wonder if it was or was near Machno Terrace?



Four new cottages on Conway Town Mountain
Ddisgrifiad / Description   for Joseph Hughes. No. 79.
Dyddiad / Date   [1890s]
Graddau / Extent   1 item

[Hugo]

Meleri,  the weather forecast was good for today so I thought that I'd have a drive down to Penmachno and then on to Cwm Penmachno and have a little look for the things we have been talking about.
I turned at the Conwy Falls Cafe and headed down the Machno Valley and then it started to rain as it does in that area, anyway the first thing I saw was No 3 Llewelyn Terrace where Joseph was living in 1881.    The road then took me a little bit further and at a T junction were St Tudclud's Church and the Eagles Hotel and about 50 yards away was Capel Salem where Joseph and Jane were buried.
I was lucky enough to find the grave very quickly and it looks like a double plot but there was no sign that the grave is attended to.
I thought that my trainers were waterproof but a visit to the Cemetery proved that I was wrong!
Anyway I went on to Cwm Penmachno and took some photos of the various terraced cottages that are spread out in this village.    At one time it must have been a busy and close community when the slate mines were in full flow although the village is quite remote.
On a nice sunny day I could imagine that there are many interesting walks in the area but the hills are quite steep

[Hugo]

Penmachno and Cwm Penmachno

[Meleri]

Wow you have been busy Hugo, thanks very much for posting the interesting photographs, it gives me a better idea what to look for when we finally get around to going up to Penmachno 

As for Machno Terrace on Conway Mountain you mention, I have got a list of items regarding Joseph to look for from the Archive one being Draft Lease dated 17th February 1896 Joseph Hughes of Nant Nr Conway, Stonemason. 2 pieces of ground on road from Waen to the Town Mountain together with 9 dwellings theron for the term of 75 years £810. GB2008 CD4/33/32/4. There are several other Draft Mortgages amongst other things taken out in this area by Joseph, so I'm looking forward to finding out what it's all about.

So pleased to hear you are out & about again, so your back must be a lot better.

[Hugo]

Hi Meleri,  just to clarify something,  Joseph's house is No 3 with the brown UPVC door and is on the left as you approach the village from  the Betws y Coed direction.    What's strange about Llewelyn  Street  is that there are a number of terraced cottages there and each terrace has a different name.   I found out by asking at a house and when I got to Cwm Penmachno I was lucky enough to meet the postman on his round, but even he didn't know one or two places on the list I had
The main street has double yellow lines all along it but I parked my car opposite the Capel Salem.  The family grave is straight ahead but slightly left as you walk through the gate but is quite distinctive by the metal chain that goes around the plot.

Good luck with your research on Joseph, it'll be interesting to hear anything that you find.     My back is a lot better but walking is still limited and I'm certainly not fit enough to tackle those hills behind Cwm Penmachno.  They are steep, very, very steep.

[Hugo]

Meleri,    I've recently had a contact from someone whose ancestor was Ellen Davies.   She has made contact with me as we share 2 pieces of DNA
I have only done a little research on my own family and that is just through the direct line of the Hughes'   and the only Davies I have come across is Grace Davies who you mentioned lived in Penmachno.
Without going to any trouble, do you know offhand about an Ellen Davies?


.

[Meleri]

No Hugo I'm afraid I don't know of an Ellen Davies. Perhaps she was a relative of Grace Davies who was my Great X3 Grandmother. Grace was born 1814 in Penmachno & passed away 1/1/1884. Do you know when this Ellen Davies was born etc? I haven't been able to go back any further to look for Grace's family as she was married when the 1841 Census was taken & living with her husband Evan.

[Hugo]

Thanks very much for that info Meleri,    I haven't got any info at all about Ellen Davies other than that she was the G Grandmother of the person who contacted me and that the G Grandmother came from N Wales.
I have replied saying that I don't have any info about Ellen Davies so unless I hear from her again then there is nothing I can help her with.
After I posted the message to you I remembered that I have relatives called Davies from my mother's side who lived in Llandudno but I know very little about them.    My mother's maiden name was Hughes before she married my father so what little research I have done is only in the direct line of the Hughes family
That DNA that I did with My Heritage has revealed that I have over 12,000 distant relatives on their system and from time to time I get e-mails from people all over the world who share some of my DNA

[Meleri]

That sounds interesting Hugo I have often thought about getting the DNA test. Perhaps I will drop a few hints with the family & someone will buy it me for Christmas.

[Hugo]

I think that it would make an ideal present for Christmas and I'm sure that you'll be pleased with what follows