Teulu Glanbargod a’r Lusitania
Hanes trychineb y llong fawr Y Lusitania a suddodd wrth arfordir De Iwerddon yn ystod y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf yn 1915 a’r cysylltiad gyda THEULU GLANBARGOD, Drefach Felindre.
Mwy o wybodaeth gefndirol:
GLANBARGOD yw’r tŷ cyntaf ar y chwith wrth fynd o Sgwâr Pensarn ym mhentref Drefach i gyfeiriad Capel y Bedyddwyr. BARGOED oedd yr enw ar yr afon. Ond, penderfynwyd nad oedd hyn yn gywir nol yn y 1960’au ac mae BARGOD oedd yr enw cywir. Er hynny, sylwer ar garreg fedd John Jones a’i wraig Hannah ym mynwent Penrhiw ac fe welir yr enw GLANBARGOD ac nid GLANBARGOED.
Diwedd y ddeunawfed ganrif roedd John a Hannah Jones yn byw yno gyda 12 o blant – 8 merch a 4 bachgen. Enw un o’r meibion oedd DAVID (Dafi) a rhai o’r merched – MARY HANNAH, GWLADYS, DINAH, LIZZIE JANE a KEIZAH. Gof oedd y tad John Jones ac efail y gof drws nesaf. Fe ddaeth y mab Dafi i gadw’r efail ar ôl ei dad a cofiwn ef fel ‘DAFI GOF’.
Adeiladwyd ANVIL HOUSE wedyn drws nesaf lawr i’r efail ac fe gofiwn yn dda am Dafi yn gweithio yn yr efail. Cafodd Dafi Gof bedwar o fechgyn a fagwyd yn Anvil House sef TREVOR, DAVID JOHN, ERNEST (a enwyd ar ôl Ernest Thomas ei ewythr a gollwyd ar y Lusitania) a ROY. Pan ddaeth dyddiau yr hen efail i ben agorodd Ernest ‘garage’ fechan ar y safle ac adeiladu LLYS AERON drws nesaf i ANVIL HOUSE. Roedd ERNEST yn briod gyda MARI ac fe fagwyd dau o blant yn Llys Aeron sef Raymond ac Elaine. Pan ddaeth Gwynfor a Briallen Jones i fyw i Anvil House yn niwedd y 1960’au fe newidiwyd yr enw i AWELFOR.
Fe sefydlodd y brodyr fodurdy newydd sbon, sef BARGOED GARAGE yn ymyl Groesffordd yn Saron, ac fe ddaeth y lle yn enwog fel modurdy D Lloyd Jones & Son. Roedd Defi John yn byw drws nesaf i Bargod Garage ac mae Brian ei fab yn byw erbyn hyn yn Abertawe ac yn gyn chwaraewr pel droed gyda thîm Bargod Rangers. Roedd ERNEST a MARI yn byw yn Llys Aeron ac mae’r mab Raymond yn byw yn Abertawe ac Elaine y ferch yn Aberteifi.
Adeiladodd TREVOR dŷ a ROY dŷ ar Heol Pencader, Pontweli Llandysul.
Roedd DINAH yn un o’r chwiorydd a aeth allan i Ganada i helpu MARY HANNAH a ERNEST. Bu farw chwaer arall RACHEL yn 1918 ac roedd bachgen bach yno angen gofal gyda’r tad. Roedd hynny yn ardal Maesteg. Daeth DINAH adref i edrych ar ôl John Jones. Yn y diwedd fe briododd y tad, a hi yn lysfam i’r bachgen. Bu farw DINAH yn 1944.
(Ysgrifennwyd y crynodeb hwn gan Peter Hughes Griffiths Haf 2024 o’r wybodaeth a gafodd gan Elaine Davies, Aberteifi - wyres i Dafi Gof.
Diolch i Elaine am luniau o’r teulu hefyd.)
Cliciwch ar y lluniau i'w hehangu.
Dyma sut y cofnododd yr hanesydd lleol TOWY COLE JONES yr hanes am deulu Glanbargoed a’r Lusitania:
Wrth adael tu cefn i Sgwâr Pensarn, Dre-fach Felindre gan ddringo rhiw Pensarn am Saron fe welir wrth fynd heibio dwy gladdfa, un i’r chwith a’r llall i’r dde, sef Claddfa Penrhiw ar safle yr hen Gapel Undodiaid a godwyd yn y flwyddyn 1777 ac y bu yno tan 1953 cyn ei symud i’r Amgueddfa Werin yn Sain Ffagan. Mae’r Capel Bach wedi ymadael ac felly hefyd y goeden ywen las a gysgodai un garreg fedd arbennig a’i hanes trist ac o ddiddordeb hanesyddol. Mae llawer carreg fedd yno sydd a’u dyddiadau yn hyn na hon, ond tynnir sylw ati gan fod y gair Lusitania yn amlwg arni. Hefyd yr enw MARY HANNAH a’i gwr a gollwyd ar y mor pan suddwyd y llong gan U Boat yr Almaenwyr. Mae’r hanes yn dechrau fel hyn:
Ar droad y ganrif yn GLANBARGOED, Drefach trigai saith o deulu, sef pump plentyn a’u rhieni, un mab a phedair merch, a phob un yn fentrus iawn yn enwedig ar yr adeg hynny. Ymfudodd y gyntaf MARY HANNAH a’i gwr ERNEST THOMAS bonheddwr o Whitland i Winnipeg yng Nghanada, ac yn ddiweddarach y ddwy chwaer arall sef LIZZIE JANE a GWLADYS. Priodwyd nhw allan yno ac aethant o Ganada i fyw i’r Amerig. Dau o blant oedd ar ôl adref erbyn hyn sef DAFI a KEZIAH. Gwehydd yn ffatri wlân Cambrian oedd Keziah a’r unig wraig trwy’r ffatri gyfan oedd yn defnyddio pâr o ‘pŵer looms’ wrth wau gwlanen crysau. Dafi ei brawd, un o blant y pentref a adnabyddwyd fel ‘DAFI GOF’ a’i deulu yn byw yn Anvil House drws nesaf i Glanbargoed. Bu Dafi yn ddiacon a thrysorydd Capel Bedyddwyr Drefach am flynyddoedd maith.
Bu’r merched yn dal cysylltiad agos a’u cartref yn barhaus trwy lythyr a cherdyn post o Ganada a hefyd ar ôl iddynt symud i’r Amerig. Ymhen amser hysbyswyd y teulu gartref fod MARY HANNAH a’i gwr ERNEST yn dod nol am dro i’w hen gynefin, adeg y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf yn y flwyddyn 1915. Aeth Dafi ei brawd i Cork yn Iwerddon i gwrdd a’r teithwyr ar y llong Lusitania erbyn iddi ddocio, ond drylliwyd y gobeithion, y brwdfrydedd a’r llawenydd pan ddeallwyd am y trallod erchyll fod y Lusitania wedi ei suddo wrth arfordir Iwerddon a chollwyd 1,195 o fywydau yn y drychineb ac yn anffodus roedd MARY HANNAH a’i gwr ERNEST ymysg y colledion. Cafwyd corff ERNEST ac fe’i claddwyd yng nghladdfa Cork, lle mae cofeb iddo, ond ni chafwyd corff MARY HANNAH.
Ar ôl yr Ail Ryfel Byd 1939-45 wedi iddo gael ei ryddhau o’r fyddin fe wnaeth Ernest (mab Dafi Gof) agor garej yn yr hen efail i drwsio ceir a loriau. Gyda amser penderfynodd Ernest yng nghwmni’r diweddar Einsleigh Evans, Erw Lon Garage, Felindre fynd allan i Cork i dalu parch i ei ewythr, gwr ei fodryb sef Ernest Thomas ac ymweld a’i garreg goffa. Y flwyddyn oedd 1975 a chafwyd llun o’r ddau wrth y garreg. Mae’r hanes erbyn hynny yn chwedeg oed.
Llwyddodd y fusnes yn yr hen efail ac ymhen amser sefydlwyd Bargoed Garage nepell o sgwâr y Groesffordd, Saron, a daeth yn adnabyddus trwy’r wlad fel busnes D Lloyd Jones & Sons. Diolch i bawb am yr help llaw i gasglu’r wybodaeth.
TOWY COLE JONES
Ffeithiau ychwanegol: Suddodd y Lusitania ar 7ed Mai 1915 sef 11 milltir oddi ar arfordir Old Head of Kinsdale, Iwerddon ar ôl gadael Efrog Newydd ar 1af Mai, 1915. Fe suddodd y llong mewn 18 munud ar ôl cael ei tharo gan U Boat Almaenig. Achubwyd 767, Lladdwyd 1,197.
This is a Translation of the Story of the Glanbargod Family Drefach and the Lusitania as written by the local historian TOWY COLE JONES.
When you leave the village of Dre-fach Felindre towards Saron and climb Pensarn Hill you pass two cemetries one each side of the road. On the right hand side is Penrhiw where the old unitarian chapel stood from 1777 until 1953 when it was moved to the Welsh Rural Museum in Saint Ffagan, Cardiff. The chapel is long gone and so is the yew tree which sheltered and cast a shadow over one particular gravestone and of historical and tragic interest. Although there are many older gravestones in the graveyard, this one draws attention because of the word Lusitania carved on the headstone, also the name MARY HANNAH and her husband who were lost at sea during the sinking of the liner by a German U Boat during the First World War.
The information which I have gathered is as follows:
"At the turn of the century there lived at GLANBARGOED, DRE-FACH a family consisting of a mother and father and one son and four daughters, and part of the family later emigrated to Canada.
The first to emigrate were MARY HANNAH and her husband ERNEST THOMAS a native of Whitland. Later on two of the sisters joined them in Winnipeg, Canada – LIZZIE JANE and GWLADYS. They later married and moved to America.
The brother DAFI and sister KEZIAH stayed in Drefach. KEZIAH worked at Cambrian Mills and was the only woman weaver in the whole mill using two small power looms to weave Welsh flannel.
DAFI became the village blacksmith and was known as DAFI GOF, who later moved to the house next door called Anvil House.
Various letters and postcards kept arriving from Canada, one dated 9th May 1907 stating that everyone had settled and everything was fine and that they were thinking of moving to America.
A few years later, after moving to America a letter arrived stating that MARY HANNAH and ERNEST were coming to visit the mother country. The year was 1915 and the country was at war. DAFI journied to meet his sister and brother in law when the Lusitania would be docking in Cork, Ireland. It never arrived. The families joy and happines turned to grief. The Lusitania had sunk off the coast of Ireland with the loss of 1,195 lives with MARY HANNAH and ERNEST amongst the victims.
ERNEST’S body was recovered and buried in Cork Cemetry where thêre is a commemorative stone. MARY HANNAH’S body was never recovered.
After World Ward 2 was over and Ernest (Dafi Gof’s son) came home from the army he opened a car repair garage in the old blacksmith’s shop and later decided to visit the cemetry in Cork along with Einsleigh Evans of Erwlon Garage and pay their respects and see the commemorative stone. They had a photograph taken at the graveside."
TOWY COLE JONES
At the end of this document taken from Towy Cole Jones’ collection it mentions – ‘Thank you Miss Evans for this information.’ (Could it be Miss Gwyneth Evans who lived in Camwy, Felindre?)
"At the end of the century there lived at GLANBARGOD a family of twelve. This article concerns three of the sisters and the mother Mrs Jones.
One sister married and lived at Caerau near Maesteg, another married a Whitland man ERNEST THOMAS. This sister was MARY ANNA (Mary Hannah) The third KEZIAH lived with her brother (DAFI) at Glanbargod.
To MARY ANNA and ERNEST a daughter was born, and to the Evans’ at Maesteg a boy and a girl – Emlyn and KEZIAH.
Unfortunately the little girl, the child of MARY ANNA and ERNEST died and was buried in the cemetry of the old chapel at Penrhiw.
And, after a while, the parents (MARY ANNA and ERNEST) emigrated to Canada. They sent a postcard of their ship to their mother at Glanbargod, which is still in the posession of their niece KEZIAH. KEZIAH FACH they called her to distinguish her from her aunt – KEZIAH FAWR.
The date was 9th May 1907 as shown on the post mark. They had never been far from home, and were rather nervous, but on the ship met a couple from Swansea who were also emigrating.
The Thomas’ (Mary Anna and Ernest) settled in Winnipeg and later the three sisters joined them. In time, more post cards came, Christmas Cards –‘Do not worry about us we are alright’, yet they always remembered Drefach with affection and their home, and the loved ones they had left behind.
One day a letter came to say that they were coming home for a visit, and gave Mary’s mother a date that the ship would dock in England. The year was 1915. The Great War was being fought.
At GLANBARGOED tremendous preperations were made. The House was cleaned from top to bottom, all the bedding was aired, and old Mrs Jones the mother told everyone whom she met that their daughter was coming home from Canada. Her excitement grew as the day of the ship’s berthing drew nearer.
The ship was the LUSITANIA. It was sunk off the coast of Ireland by a German U Boat. MARY ANNA and ERNEST did not survive, and from that day Mrs Jones the mother lost her memory.
Later her daughter at Caerau died and the two children came to live with their aunt KEZIAH at Drefach. There they grew up and Emlyn settled when he was a man in America.
KEZIAH FACH is still there. She never married. A cheerful little lady who always had a smile. She came along to me, showing her postcards and wondering if we would like to hear her story.
The lives of other people, the tragedies, and the spirit that overcomes and settles again to a useful and happy life, makes a man feel humble when he is allowed to hear of them, and grateful for the telling.
Thank you Miss Evans for this information."
Information from the Liverpool Maritime Museum regarding ERNEST THOMAS and his wife MARY HANNAH THOMAS.
ERNEST THOMAS
Ernest Thomas was born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire, Wales in 1879, the son of David and Ann Thomas (nee Llewellyn). The family home was 16, St. John Street, Whitland. His father was a cabinet maker and Ernest was one of 15 children, although by 1911 only Ernest and 8 siblings were still alive. On completing his education he became a bricklayer.
In the summer of 1903, he married MARY HANNAH JONES in Bridgend Glamorganshire, and in the summer of 1904 their only child, a daughter named KAZIAH ANN was born. Unfortunately KAZIAH died in early 1905.
On 10th May 1907 the couple boarded the ‘Victorian’ at Liverpool. Disembarking in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on 17th May. They settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba where siblings of both Ernest and Mary Hanna settled.
As well as working as a bricklayer, Ernest and his wife ran a boarding house, or temperance hotel at 318, Notre Dame Street from 1910 until Augist 1914. They then moved in with a sister of Mary Hannah Thomas at 437, Notre Dame Street.
In the Spring of 1915 they decided to return to Wales for a holiday and consequently booked second cabin passage on the LUSITANIA from New York to Liverpool, joining the liner at Pier 54 in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May 1915 in time for her last ever sailing out of port, just after mid-day.
When the Cunarder was sunk six days later, both of them were killed, but only the body of Ernest Thomas was recovered and identified afterwards. On 23rd May 1915, his body was discovered in the sea by a steam trawler named ‘Shark’, off the southern Irish coast near Ballinskellings, in County Kerry, about 80 miles around the coast where the LUSITANIA had gone down. Discovered with it was the body of a fireman member of the crew whose identity could not be established.
Both bodies were despatched to Queenstown where that of Ernest was given the reference number 235 in one of the temporary mortuaries there. He was then buried in a private grave, Row 15, Grave 5, in the Old Church Cemetry, Queenstown on 24th May 1915. The fact was telegraphed to his family the following day. ERNEST THOMAS was aged 36 years at the time of his death.
His body lies there today, under a white marble headstone. The inscription is picked out in lead letters, most of which have now disappeared.
It states:
IN MEMORY OF ERNEST THOMAS SON OF DAVID AND ANN THOMAS, St. John St., Whitland, S Wales.
ALSO MARY HIS WIFE WHOSE BODY WAS NOT FOUND.
BOTH WERE VICTIMS OF THE ILL-FATED LUSITANIA
MAY 7th 1915
Personal items recovered from the body, were sent to his father in South Wales on 22nd June 1915. Cunard records at the time described them as:
Property. 1 fountain pen, 1 pipe, 1 silver match case engraved ‘Presented to E. Thomas by St. David’s Society Winnipeg, Ap 15th 1915’. 1 pencil case, 1 gold keyless watch, hour and second hand missing (Spring on coils), 1 large silver watch (Waltham), apparently stop watch, seconds hand missing. 1 double Albert chain (heavy and hall marked) with pendant and chain attachment in Centre. 1 solid gold signet ring (hall marked) engraved ‘E.T’ on outside, worn 3rd finger left hand, 1gold ring (hall marked) with one large stone (pink) apparently lady’s presentation ring which was worn on the right hand. 1 pair of gold sleve links, 1 small bag, 1 shirt stud, 1 cigar cutter chain and small trowel, 1 book playing card in Morocco leather, 1 cent Canadian postage stamp, 1 small pocket book, 1 pig skin purse with 2 coins (1 ten cent Canadian piece and 1 quarter dollar USA) 1 eight inch pocket book, ten bank orders and Imperial Bank Canada, each for 100S, one address – Mrs Eleaner Jones, Tronierin, Llanelli RSO, Cardiganshire. On opposite side : Mrs Maria Davies, 90 Southwork Bridge Road, London. 1 address – Joeseph Lewis, 90, Balmoral St. Winnipeg. 1 address book, 2 pocket knives, 1 tobacco pouch, 1 alien restriction landing order, 3 receipts for passenger luggage, 1 brown tweed suit on body, tan boots, Black stockings, fully dressed, no hat. 5S10Bills, 1 S50 Bill, 2 S5, Draft Imperial Bank of Canada for £704.
He is buried next to two other Lusitania victims, ship’s doctor Surgeon James Farrell Mc Dermott, who originally came from Cork City, and second cabin passenger James Anderson Beattie who was also travelling from Canada. The body of the unidentified fireman recovered at the same time as Ernest Thomas’ body was buried on the same day in Mass Grave Fifth Row, Lower Tier, in the same cemetry.
When Ernest Thomas’ will was proven in London on the 22nd July 1915, probate was granted to his father. His effects amounted to £736 – 12s – 5d (£736.63p).
His eldest brother, Christmas Richard Thomas, who was living in Canada, and was the administrator of his brother’s estate in Canada filed a claim with the Canadian Commission seeking S1,846.00 in compensation for the loss of the couples’ personal effects as a result of the sinking. In March 1926, the commission awarded him the full amount of the claim.
MARY HANNAH THOMAS
Mary Hannah Jones was born in Dre-fach Felindre, Carmarthenshire, Wales on 29th December 1874, the daughter of John and Hannah Jones (nee James). She was one of the eldest children in a large family and her father was a blacksmith (Glanbargod).
On finishing her formal schooling, Mary worked as a weaver in a cotton mill.
In the summer of 1903 she married ERNEST THOMAS in Bridgend, Glamorganshire, and in the summer of 1904, their only child a daughter KAZIAH ANN was born. Unfortunately, KAZIAH died in early 1905.
On the 10th May 1907, the couple boarded the ‘Victorian’ at Liverpool. Disembarking in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on the 17th May. They settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba where siblings of both Ernest and Mary Thomas had settled.
Although her husband continued to work as a bricklayer, the couple also ran a boarding house or temperance hotel at 318, Notre Dame Street from 1910 until August 1914. They then moved in with a sister of Mary Thomas at 437, Notre Dame Street.
In the Spring of 1915, they decided to return to Wales for a holiday and consquently booked second class cabin passage on the LUSITANIA, from New York to Liverpool, joining the liner at Pier 54 in New York harbour, on the morning of 1st May, in time for her last ever sailing out of port, just after mid-day.
When the ship was sunk, exactly six days later, both of them were killed. Only Ernest’s body was recovered and identified afterwards, however, hers never was.
He is buried in a private grave in The Old Cemetry, Cobh, County Cork, Ireland, and she is also commemorated there on the white marble headstone.
The inscriptions is the same as under ERNEST THOMAS.
MARY HANNAH THOMAS was aged 40 years at the time she was killed.
