Plas Coch was treated to some most unexpected visitors. A gentleman, called Gareth Blyth, and his daughter arrived armed with books. It turns out these held gems of their family history…and the best bit…their family used to rent Plas Coch! I thought I’d share some of the information I received from Gareth Blyth which tells part of his family’s story and how they came to be in Plas Coch.
“In 1881, Elizabeth, Elizabeth Mary Owen’s (my Nain) grandmother, lived at 12 Clwyd Street, keeping it as a Temperance Hotel. Her son, John, lived with her, as did her widowed daughter, Elizabeth Owen, and grand-daughter Elizabeth Mary Owen (my Nain). Some time after 1881, Elizabeth gave up the Temperance Hotel, and moved to Plas Coch in Well Street.”
Elizabeth Owen, the grand-daughter mentioned above, was an accomplished pianist according to the local newspapers of the time. In the photo above you can see her name, in her own hand, on a music score.
Gareth’s Nain, Elizabeth Mary Owen, married Charles Lawrence Blyth, on 17 October 1899 in Ruthin, she was still living at Plas Coch. Gareth has provided a beautiful picture of his grandmother Elizabeth.
It is wonderful to be able to put a face to the name and the history.
As a family they seem to have been in the newspapers a lot. Elizabeth had a brother Ieuan, who suffered a long illness while living at Plas Coch. The family history that Gareth shared with us has a lovely anecdote that Ieuan, who was poorly, missed seeing his pony. To cheer him up his cousins would bring the pony to his window. However, even better than that, when their grandmother was out they would bring the pony into his room!
The Denbighshire Free Press on 10th April 1897, that we learn that Ieuan died aged 28 from pulmonary consumption. The newspaper remembered him for his great singing voice and for having won first prize at the Wrexham Eisteddfod. It would seem they were a musical family with Elizabeth playing the organ in church too.
It’s nice to imagine Plas Coch at this time as being full of music and busy with family chatter.
