Llanboidy and Monks Mill (Cwmfelin
Mynach) areas
When I first got close to Llanboidy, I looked over the hedge
and saw
these windmills in the distance.
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This Llanboidy and the Cwmfelin Mynach (Monk Mill) sections
are an to attempt to understand what my Picton ancestors viewed,
felt, and experienced in this area for the time period during the
early 1800's in Carmarthenshire, Wales. One Saturday and Sunday
I drove out to this area and looked for Picton ancestor locations. I
visited St. Brynach Church at Llanboidy, Dyffryn Pedryn Farm and
the town of Cwmfelin Mynach (Monk Mill). Jacob Picton and his
descendants lived here at that time. Jacob Picton was the son of
Thomas Picton of TyrBwlch Farm in Whitechurch parish in
Pembrokeshire. I would estimate that Llanboidy is less than 20
miles from TyrBwlch Farm
Two known sub branches of Pictons came to America from the
Jacob Picton line. Stephen Picton a son of Jacob Picton came to
Hiawatha, Kansas in about 1870. Lewis Picton the son of Owen
Picton and grandson of Jacob Picton went to the state of
Washington during the early 1900's.
Even here a view of the Preseli Hills for the Pictons was not very far
away.
I first located Llanboidy on the map, drove there and asked
directions many times. Everyone was so helpful.
St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy (an Anglican Church)
On Sunday morning, at 9:30 AM I came back and attended the
church service and had Communion. The service was in English and
identical to my Lutheran service at home except some of the phases
were a little bit different. Jacob Picton was married here in 1821.
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St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy
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St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy
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St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy
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St Brynachs Church at Llanboidy
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Dyffryn Pedryn Farm sign near Llanboidy
A mile out out town was the farm named Dyffryn Pedryn where
Jacob Picton family first lived in the 1820s after he moved away
from his parents at TyrBwlch Farm. Then another mile was the
town of Cwmfelin Mynach (Monk Mill) in the area of Llanwinio
parish.
Dyffryn Pedryn Farm sign and lane
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Dyffryn Pedryn Farm place
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Water Man Hole Cover
Water man hole cover in front of the lane leading to the Dyffryn
Pedryn Farm. It appeared to me that all these narrow paved roads
and lanes have the utilities under the road.
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Water Man Hole Cover
Water man hole cover in front of the lane leading to the Dyffryn
Pedryn Farm and with the Dyffryn Pedryn Farm sign in the
background.
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Ramoth Chapel at Cwnfelin Mynach in Llanwinio parish.
Cwmfelin Mynach (Monks Mill) is a mile down the road from the
Dyffryn Pedryn Farm. The Jacob Picton family moved here from
the Dyffryn Pedryn Farm. Jacob Picton and then his son Owen
Picton ran the Monks Mill and attended the Rameth Chapel at
Cwmfelin Mynach. Cwmfelin Mynach is how one says Monks Mill
in Welsh.
Ramoth Chapel at Cwnfelin Mynach
One Sunday morning at 10:30 I attended services at Rameth Chapel
at Cwmfelin Mynach. It is a Baptist church and the service was all
in the Welsh language. I could not understand a word. Then a kind
lady whose husband had an aunt who had been married to one of
my Picton relatives invited me for Sunday dinner.
Ramoth Chapel Baptism stream
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Ramoth Chapel cemetery at Cwnfelin Mynach
Jacob and his wife Mary (Lewis)Picton are buried at Rameth
Chapel Cemetery . The tombstone in the center directly in front of
the picture is the one for Jacob and Mary Picton. The cemetery is
on a steep hill and looking across a creek between the two steep
hills, one can see Ysgarddeugoed Farm where Mary (Lewis) Picton
was said to be born in about 1800. Ysgarddeugoed Farm is maybe
a quarter of a mile away. Right behind the Ysgarddeugoed farm
are all these tall big (maybe a 100 feet tall) windmills generating
electricity. Ysgarddeugoed is now a 200 acre farm named
Esgarddeugoed.
Jacob and Mary Picton tombstone at Ramoth Chapel Cemetery in
Cwnfelin Mynach
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Ysgairddaugoed Farm
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Ysgairddaugoed Farm
See the tall windmills generating electricity on the hill behind
Ysgarddeugoed Farm.
Ysgairddaugoed Farm
Ysgarddeugoed Farm is now named Esgarddeugoed Farm.
Ysgairddaugoed Farm
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Ysgairddaugoed Farm Home
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Mill stream at Monks Mill that was used to power the mill.
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Old mill stone where Monks Mill once stood.
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Thanks to Jeanette Froeschner for the information she provided and for suggesting that
I visit the Cemetery at Rhydyparc, Eglwys Fair a Churig in Carmarthenshire which is just a
few miles away from Cwmfelin Mynach (Monks Mill)and near the previous Chocolate Farm. The Cemetery
at Rhydyparc, Eglwys Fair a Churig is where Elizabeth Rees is buried.
My pictures of Rhydyparc Cemetery and Genealogy Information about Elizabeth (Phillips) Rees (Mother-in-Law of Stephen Picton)
The below website contains another source of information about the Rhydyparc Cemetery including Elizabeth Rees who died Oct 8, 1873. She is my great great grandmother and the mother-in-law of Stephen Picton. They said the cemetery
is on the internet because it is an Arminian cemetery within the Unitarians. The cemetery
is in poor condition and all that remains of the church are the 4 walls. The people who
own this location, have made about 3 or 4 lakes where people pay to fish. They say about 21
springs exist on this property. I think the Email address of the people who own this
property (Gwen and Terry) is:
tg.forbes@virgin.net
For Rhydyparc, Eglwys Fair a Churig in Carmarthenshire just click on the below
website:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CMN/EglwysFairaChurig/Rhydyparc.html#VISIT.html
The Memorial Inscriptions listed appear to be what is inscribed on the tomb stones. They
say a tree had fallen a few years ago and destroyed some of the stones.
Windmills near Cwnfelin Mynach in Llanwinio parish
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Triming Hedge Along a Road
Road worker triming hedge along a road. In the Welsh country
side away from the highways, the roads are all one lane but paved.
On each side of the road there is a wall a foot or two high made of
stones with a living hedge on top and all neatly trimmed. I do not
know what kind of plant is used for the hedge. Fences between
fields are made this way also. The government does all the vertical
trimming on both sides of the road. The land owner does all the
rest. I understand that it is all done by machine. Every hedge row
is neatly trimmed. They do not use house numbers for addresses in
the country side, but have each farm named and these names have
remained almost the same for hundreds of years.
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This site designed and maintained by Owen Picton. |
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