Hi there, I was interested to read about strike-breaking in Penrhyn. My grandmother used to talk about my gt grandfather going out in Birkenhead in the General Strike of 1926 to work when many others weren't doing with a red armband on. His explanation was that at a time of poor employment, and with 10 children, he couldn't afford to miss one day's work. I know that his decision attracted the opprobrium of neighbours and workmates so it must have been a difficult decision to make. Equally so in Penrhyn, I would have thought? Ian London SW9

I have a cousin, now 62 years old, who is still embarrassed that his grandfather worked the Penrhyn strike. People did what they felt was best to support their large families. Arlene > Hi there, > I was interested to read about strike-breaking in Penrhyn. My grandmother > used to talk about my gt grandfather going out in Birkenhead in the > General > Strike of 1926 to work when many others weren't doing with a red armband > on. > His explanation was that at a time of poor employment, and with 10 > children, > he couldn't afford to miss one day's work. I know that his decision > attracted the opprobrium of neighbours and workmates so it must have been > a > difficult decision to make. Equally so in Penrhyn, I would have thought? > Ian > London SW9 > > > > ==== WLS-CAERNARFONSHIRE Mailing List ==== > Cewch ddanfon negeseuon Cymraeg neu Saesneg i'r rhestr hon > This list covers a bilingual area, in which messages in both Welsh and > English are welcome > > ============================== > You can manage your RootsWeb-Review subscription from > http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ > > >

Ian Thompson's assessment of the Penrhyn Strike situation is to be applauded. What we should remember is that it was not a Black and White issue. There were those who returned to the Quarry for good and bad reasons. Some could not bear to see their half starved families, whilst others accepted the £1 bribe offered by the Squire (Punt y Gynffon) so they could enjoy a few drinks in the Pub. However, at the time both were tarred with the same brush and called BRADWYR. History has not been kind to the former because of the actions of the latter, but what should be stressed in no uncertain terms is that EVERYONE lost out by the Strike, The Squire, the Strikers who refused to return to work on a point of principal and those who swallowed their pride and did for whatever reason. It was a NO WIN Situation and that is the way the Strike should be remembered. Not with malice towards those who broke the strike and towards their children, their grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Why should the innocents of today bear a cross for the actions of their ancestors? It is time that the people of the area forgot about the mistakes of a century ago. Possibly books like Y CHWALFA, T Rowland Hughes, and more recent ones written in English have a lot to answer for. No! Neither I nor my family were interested parties. T. Meirion Huighes. ----- Original Message ----- From: "I Thompson" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, September 06, 2004 12:26 PM Subject: [CAE] bradwyr > Hi there, > I was interested to read about strike-breaking in Penrhyn. My grandmother > used to talk about my gt grandfather going out in Birkenhead in the General > Strike of 1926 to work when many others weren't doing with a red armband on. > His explanation was that at a time of poor employment, and with 10 children, > he couldn't afford to miss one day's work. I know that his decision > attracted the opprobrium of neighbours and workmates so it must have been a > difficult decision to make. Equally so in Penrhyn, I would have thought? > Ian > London SW9 > > > > ==== WLS-CAERNARFONSHIRE Mailing List ==== > Cewch ddanfon negeseuon Cymraeg neu Saesneg i'r rhestr hon > This list covers a bilingual area, in which messages in both Welsh and English are welcome > > ============================== > You can manage your RootsWeb-Review subscription from > http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ >

Hi again Thomas and Ian Thank you so much for your input into this thread I started. It is amazing to think that in the days before social welfare you could be considered a traitor to go to work to put food on the table for your family. I didn't realise that local people still bore such bitterness against the descendants of the "bradwyr's". I have learnt so much just recently, it has been a wonderful lesson in social history. I have been "doing the family tree" on and off now for about 10 years, but really only recently got into my father's side. Because of the name WILLIAMS being so common in Wales I thought I would start with my mother's more unusual name of POVALL when I first began this "hobby" of ours. The other day I found a wonderful site http://www.worldwidewales.tv/index2.php You can sit at your computer and watch narrated films (in English or Welsh) of historic events or tours around places all over Wales as well as biographies of famous Welsh people. If you go to "Historic Events" in Step 1 and then click on Step 2 "Penryhn Quarry & the Great Strike" you will see a film clip of the events we have been talking about and also a view of "one of the largest man made holes on the planet and the largest slate quarry in the world" Penrhyn Quarry. Thanks and Regards Barbara > Ian Thompson's assessment of the Penrhyn Strike situation is to be > applauded. What we should remember is that it was not a Black and White > issue. There were those who returned to the Quarry for good and bad reasons. > Some could not bear to see their half starved families, whilst others > accepted the £1 bribe offered by the Squire (Punt y Gynffon) so they could > enjoy a few drinks in the Pub. However, at the time both were tarred with > the same brush and called BRADWYR. > > History has not been kind to the former because of the actions of the > latter, but what should be stressed in no uncertain terms is that EVERYONE > lost out by the Strike, > The Squire, the Strikers who refused to return to work on a point of > principal and those who swallowed their pride and did for whatever reason. > It was a NO WIN Situation and that is the way the Strike should be > remembered. Not with malice towards those who broke the strike and towards > their children, their grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Why should > the innocents of today bear a cross for the actions of their ancestors? It > is time that the people of the area forgot about the mistakes of a century > ago. Possibly books like Y CHWALFA, T Rowland Hughes, and more recent ones > written in English have a lot to answer for. > > No! Neither I nor my family were interested parties. > > T. Meirion Huighes. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "I Thompson" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, September 06, 2004 12:26 PM > Subject: [CAE] bradwyr > > > > Hi there, > > I was interested to read about strike-breaking in Penrhyn. My grandmother > > used to talk about my gt grandfather going out in Birkenhead in the > General > > Strike of 1926 to work when many others weren't doing with a red armband > on. > > His explanation was that at a time of poor employment, and with 10 > children, > > he couldn't afford to miss one day's work. I know that his decision > > attracted the opprobrium of neighbours and workmates so it must have been > a > > difficult decision to make. Equally so in Penrhyn, I would have thought? > > Ian > > London SW9 > > > > > > > > ==== WLS-CAERNARFONSHIRE Mailing List ==== > > Cewch ddanfon negeseuon Cymraeg neu Saesneg i'r rhestr hon > > This list covers a bilingual area, in which messages in both Welsh and > English are welcome > > > > ============================== > > You can manage your RootsWeb-Review subscription from > > http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ > > > > > ==== WLS-CAERNARFONSHIRE Mailing List ==== > Cewch ddanfon negeseuon Cymraeg neu Saesneg i'r rhestr hon > This list covers a bilingual area, in which messages in both Welsh and English are welcome > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > > >