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:

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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Last Modified July 2015

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