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Description
DAVIES Family of Cae-Isaf Farm, Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Glamorgan
Photograph and details provided by Caryl Jones of Brynamman, Carmarthenshire
Caryl's great great grandparents were William DAVIES and Hannah HARRIS (both born 1843), who had eleven children, ten of whom survived.
Caryl's photo, taken around 1900, shows William and Hannah with their ten children at Cae-Isaf Farm in Gwaun Cae Gurwen, the DAVIES family home for nearly 100 years, from just after 1841 until 1940.
Image 1:
William and Hannah Davies (seated, centre) and their children at Cae-Isaf Farm circa 1900.
Front row (from left):
Jane (b. 1867 Cae-Isaf); William snr (b. 1843 Llanguicke/Llangiwg); Hannah née HARRIS (b. 1843 Llangyfelach); Morgan (b. 1866 Cae-Isaf).
Back row (from left):
Daniel (b. 1885 Llwyncelyn); Rachel (b. 1876 Cae-Isaf); William "Billy" (b. 1883 Cae-Isaf); Mary (b. 1874 Cae-Isaf); Noah* (b. 1869 Cae-Isaf); Angharad (b. 1870 Cae-Isaf); John (b. 1878 Cae-Isaf); Ann** (b. 21 Aug 1884 Llwyncelyn, Caegurwen).
* Noah Davies was the first man in the Gwaun Cae Gurwen area to own a car.
**Ann Davies, Caryl's great grandmother, married Morgan HARRIES in 1907, and died after her 60th wedding anniversary in 1967.
William Davies was the son of Morgan (Castell) Davies and Angharad. Like his father, William was an engine driver at the local coal works. There is a whole chapter on father and son in the book Cymeriadau Cwmgors as they were important men in the Old Carmel Chapel.
William died 28 June 1902 and he and Hannah are buried in the Old Carmel Cemetery in Gwaun Cae Gurwen along with most of the family.
The family is recorded at Cae-Isaf Farm in the 1851 to 1881 censuses, but by the 1891 census the property was described as "part of Llwyncelyn known as Glanarafon". The property was demolished in the 1970s to make way for construction of a trotting track. The census entry (below) shows the Davies household at Cae-Isaf on the night of April 3rd, 1881.
| NAME and Surname of each Person | RELATION to Head of Family | CON- DITION as to Marriage | AGE last Birthday | Rank, Profession, or OCCUPATION | WHERE BORN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William DAVIES | Head | M | 38 | Engine driver | Llanguick, Glamorgan |
| Hannah DAVIES | Wife | M | 38 | Llangyfelach, Glamorgan | |
| Morgan DAVIES | Son | U | 15 | Coal miner | Llanguick, Glamorgan |
| Noah DAVIES | Son | U | 12 | Scholar | Llanguick, Glamorgan |
| Angharad DAVIES | Daughter | U | 10 | Scholar | Llanguick, Glamorgan |
| Mary DAVIES | Daughter | U | 7 | Scholar | Llanguick, Glamorgan |
| Rachel DAVIES | Daughter | U | 5 | Scholar | Llanguick, Glamorgan |
| John DAVIES | Son | U | 3 | Llanguick, Glamorgan | |
| Ann DAVIES | Daughter | U | 9 m | Llanguick, Glamorgan |
History of the Photograph
The original framed photo was found in an antiques shop in Llandeilo by the daughters of Ann Davies. The seller wouldn't remove the photo from its frame so they had to buy the frame, too. Note the carpet put on the floor!
Acknowledgement
Many thanks to Caryl Jones for allowing me to use her family photograph. Caryl is secretary of the Ystradgynlais (Breconshire) Family History Society. If you want to know more about the DAVIES family of Gwaun Cae Gurwen, or think you may be connected to them in some way, send Caryl an e-mail.
Wales of Old
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