Dear Mr. Hughes,

These questions may be out of your realm as you're a Caernarfon historian, but am trying to find information on whether there was a medical facility or some sort of sick house at Bontuchaf in Bethesda. I have death records of ancestors listing that address as place of death but know these people did not actually live there. I'm also trying to learn the exact locations of the Persival Arms and the Quarry Hospital, both in Bethesda.

I have tried writing to the Gwynedd Historical Society, but their website is down more than it is up. I thought I'd write to you in the hopes that, if you can't answer my questions, you might know of another historian with knowledge of Bethesda. As I live in the U.S., I can't get to the Archives in Caernarfon and I have exhausted all online resources including old maps and censuses. Any help you can provide would be most appreciated.

Thank you,
Conni Evans

Dear Ms. Evans,

Although I am not very conversant with Bethesda, fortunately a friend of mine Mr. J. Elwyn Hughes is a native of the village and a well known Welsh language author, having written books on Caradoc Pritchard, National Poet, and novelist and the most illustrious son of Bethesda.

1) With regard to Bontuchaf, he tells me that this is an area of Bethesda and consists of 2 streets, but that there was no hospital/Sick house there. He reckoned that the person or persons who died there had a relative living in the street and were nursed there up to the time of death.

2) Percival Arms (sic). Although he was not sure of its location he was of the opinion that it was either in the High Street or very near to it. He gave me these particilars of the licensees from the Street Directories as follows:

1840 J. Jones; 1844 J. Jones; 1850 T. Jones:
1856 Jane Jones; 1868 Richard Horn.

3) The location of the Penrhyn Quarry Hospital is on the right hand side of the road leading up to the Quarry and is now a ruin. (Unlike the Dinorwig Quarry Hospital which is now a Museum on the bank of Llanberis Lake.)

Regards,

T Meirion Hughes

You've been a tremendous help.

Thank you very much,
Conni