This story starts more than 500 million years ago, when the slate deposits of north-west Wales were created by volcanic action and huge geological upheavals.
In Wales that is more than a simple geological statement, because this is a country where geology is a social science; a country whose history is intimately bound up with the shape and the composition of the rocks from which it is formed.
It's partly the contours. The mountainous terrain of Wales proved a barrier to Saxon invaders, then to Normans, and it protected the development of a Celtic society on the fringes of what was the world's most powerful nation-state in its day.
And it's also the content. During the Industrial Revolution, those mountains provided the mineral wealth which built the modern nation of Wales and which heavily influenced the social structure, the population distribution, and the physical appearance that the country has inherited today.
The south Wales valleys are the classic example of this, but it is also true of parts of west Wales, of north east Wales, and particularly of the slate quarrying districts of north west Wales, where the gallery workings of generations of slate workers have transformed the hills into grey stepped ziggurats.
In its day, the Welsh slate industry employed thousands of people, sent its product around the world by rail and sea, made some investors fabulously wealthy and made many others bankrupt. In the late 19th century, the huge profits to be made from slate turned large areas of the North West into a kind of Celtic Klondike, with speculators, companies and small groups of enterprising workers opening up scores of new diggings in the hopes of making their fortune from Gwynedd's grey gold.
Around those workings, grew the communities that provided the workforce - places like Blaenau Ffestiniog, Talysarn, and Bethesda. More...
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Lindsay Roberts, Vale of Glamorgan
John Roberts - I am related (distantly) to Ernest Roberts' wife. Although I don't know anything about Ernest's early life I do know a bit about his wife's family, but I don't know if you would be interested.
Wed Oct 22 09:47:43 2008
Derek Reginald Jones
At the time of the last war, My great uncle Richard was I believe the General Manager of Penryhn Slate Quarry and he lived in a house called Y Plas just outside of Bethesda, unfortunately I cannot find any trace of his surname and I wonder if anyone has any knowledge of him?
Mon Aug 18 10:03:54 2008
Marsha Millwright , Redruth, Cornwall
I'm researching the mining histories of Wales and Cornwall. What did the slate miners of North Wales eat at work? The Cornish had their pasties down the tin mines; what kept the Welsh going deep underground or exposed to all weathers in the quarries of Snowdonia?
Mon Jun 9 10:20:19 2008
Kevin Davies
I have never heard of a Church called Herron I'm afraid. Although a couple of churches have been knocked down, but I've never heard that name.
Tue Apr 22 10:17:38 2008
John Roberts, Glasgow
My grandfather was Ernest Roberts born 1898 in Bethesda. He was a well known local historian and was also secretary of the Welsh National Eisteddfod for a number of years. He died in his 90th year in 1988 and if anyone has any information about his early life and work in Bethesda I would be pleased to see it.
Mon Feb 25 10:23:07 2008
Robert I Parry, Columbus, OH
My grandfather, Robert Parry, was a quarryman who lived in Bethesda and immigrated to the USA in 1905. While serving in the US Army in 1953 I visited Bethesda and found my family homestead. It was located near a Methodist church called "The Church of the Herron." Does the church still exist and does anyone know of any relatives of my grandfather? My grandmother's maiden name was Catherine Williams. Thanks, and God bless.
Fri Sep 21 09:55:38 2007
Paula, Llanllechid
Roger Jones: Having been a proud habitant of "traitor's row/Stryd y bradwyr" for 22 yrs, my understanding is that the first three houses in the street (shop side) were built as show homes using the finest quality stones from the local quarry. All three of these houses are 2 bedrooms. Having finnished the first three show homes they went on to build the lower part of the street (Bangor side) which are all three bedrooms, and also includes the rent master's home which is the end house and is considerably larger that the others. Having finished the street they went on to build more houses, and eventualy ran out of money, therefore having to use more economical materials (brick). The houses which were built last were all two bedroomed. So when you look at the street half of the houses are stone and slate fronted, and the other half are pebbledash and slate.
Wed Aug 8 15:35:30 2007
Roger Jones, Glanadda, Bangor
Does anybody know the history of Tan Rhiw Road in Tregarth? Myself and my late wife lived at No. 27 for about 3 years until 1999, and we understood that, as it was 3 bedroomed, it would have been a foremans home, and that the houses were built during the quarry strike. There were references to it being called "scabs row" and "traitors row" etc at that time.
Tue Nov 29 20:45:21 2005
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Grahame Davies on the story of slate and its huge impact on the communities of North West Wales.
