Category: Family & Social History
-
March Headstone - Rev Arthur Griffiths
The story of the Rev. Arthur Griffiths, long-serving Rector of Llanelly, whose fifty-year ministry left a lasting mark on the parish and community. Read more
-
February Headstone - Thomas Jones-Parry
This month we examine the Thomas Jones Parry monument exploring its inscription, design, and historical context. We trace the lives commemorated on the stone and considers what the memorial reveals about public service, faith, and community esteem in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Llanelly Parish. Read more
-
January Headstone - the Andrew Children
This headstone records the children of William and Mary Andrew of Gilwern. Their story provides a poignant insight into family life and child mortality in 19th-century Breconshire. Read more
-
December Headstone - Powell Family
For more than a century and immense social change, the Powell family grocery shops served the people of Clydach. Their story is not merely a family history—it is the story of a community institution woven into village life across generations. This research links with the oral history provided by Jeff Powell and is well worth Read more
-
Celtic Festival 2025
We were delighted to be asked to set up a display of our Living Stones project at St Elli's Church as part of the Celtic Festival. One of our members, John, went to St Elli's on the Wednesday to greet the 'Pilgrims' who were walking from Brynmawr. Together with Stephen and Gill Maxted from the Read more
-
November Headstone - Percy Hilton Barraud
The story of Hilton Percy Barraud spans craftsmanship and change — from his Huguenot ancestors who built London’s famed chronometers to his own life as a Victorian solicitor. His final years in Gilwern, Breconshire, add an enduring mystery to a family history already rich with precision and legacy. Read more
-
Visitors from California
On Thursday 9th October – a group of visitors from California - Corinne Lesley, her husband, her sister and her brother in law visited St Elli to see one of their ancestor’s graves. John Weekes (a member of u3a and a Churchyard Chum) and Richard Purkiss (also a Churchyard Chum) were able to show them Read more
-
October Headstone - The Davies Family
The Davies family lived at Gellyfellen, Llanelly Hill during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, their lives closely tied to the coal industry that shaped much of south-east Wales. Read more
-
September Headstone - William & Phyllis Rees
The Rees family of Llanelly Hill were part of a long tradition of Welsh mining families whose lives were closely tied to the coal industry of the South Wales valleys. This story reflects both the hardships and resilience of a close-knit community and the ever-present dangers of life underground. Read more
-
August Headstone - John & Margaret Michael
The story of a local family whose son Harry served and died fighting in the Spanish-American War. Initially buried there, his body was later reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery in April 1899 — a poignant tribute to a Welshman who served and died far from home. Read more