More About David Roberts
David Roberts was aged 37 when he died at Garnant Colliery. He was the father of 5 children. David Aubrey Lewis' poem referred to him as Dafydd Enoc and said that he was an excellent worker who was respected by every man.
Newspaper articles stated that Dafydd lived in Brynamman, but the1881 census gives his abode as Clynboidy Cottage in the village of "Caegurwen" (Gwaun Cae Gurwen), which was in the parish of Llanguick, Glamorgan. Here, he was listed as living with his wife Sarah and four children.
I have not been able to find Dafydd on the 1861 or 1871 census, but that does not necessarily mean that he was not listed, only that my search has been unsuccessful!.
By the time he died on that fateful January morning in 1884, the total number of children had become 5. The names and ages of his children at the time of his death were:
|
Name
|
Approximate Age
|
| Elizabeth Roberts |
15
|
| Enoch Roberts |
10
|
| Dinah A. Roberts |
7
|
| Oliver Roberts |
4
|
| Maggie Roberts |
1
|
The inquest into Dafydd's death was opened at the Farmers Arms, Brynamman, on Friday 18th January, 1884. John Isaac Thomas, Dafydd's father in law, gave evidence as to his identity. He knew nothing as to how the accident occurred. The coroner made out the certificate of burial and Dafydd was then interred sometime over that weekend.
The 1891 census information, shows Dafydd's family living at Park St, Caegurwen. This is quite possibly the same house (Clynboidy Cottage), but the house number was now used, instead of the name. Even though the census states "Caegurwen" as the village, Park Street is in fact in Lower Brynamman.
The family had taken in two lodgers, who were coal miners. Both of the lodgers gave their place of birth as Leeds.
Dafydd's eldest son, Enoch, who was now 17, had also become
a collier. Enoch was nearly killed in an underground accident in Ynys colliery,
Brynaman, but recovered sufficiently to practice as a hairdresser in a shed
behind the house at School Road.
The 1901 census, shows Dafydd's widow Sarah and family, were still living at Park Street. Elizabeth, Dafydd's eldest daughter, is no longer listed there. Enoch was now married and had a daughter called Sarah, who was 3 years old and who was born in Pontardulais. There was, however, no mention of Enoch's wife. The family had one boarder living with them, a coal hewer from Durham.
Dafydd's headstone, which is to be found at Gibea chapel in Brynamman, states that he was buried with two of his children who had died before him, one a four year old called Johnny and another who died as a baby.
Also buried with him is his wife, Sarah who died aged 88 on November 22nd 1938. The full inscription on his headstone is as follows:
ER GOF AM
DAVID ROBERTS
BRYNAMMAN
YR HWN OEDD UN OR DEG A CYFARFYDDASANT
A'U DIWEDD TRWY DORIAD RHAFF PWLL Y GARNANT
IONAWR 16 1884 YN 37 MLWYDD OED.
NAC YMFFROSTIA OR DYDD Y FORY CANYS MI WYDDOST
BETH A DDIGWYDD MEWN DIWRNOD
HEFYD AM JOHNNY, MAB YR UCHOD
A FU FARW MAI 10 1875 YN 4 BLWYDD OED.
HEFYD BABAN I'R UCHOD.
HEFYD ER GOF ANWYL AM SARAH ROBERTS
GWRAIG YR UCHOD
YR HON A FU FARW TACHWEDD 22 1938
YN 88 MLWYDD OED
Y LLEWYRCH AETH ON CARTREF CLYD
A MUD YWR LLAIS A CAREM.
Headstone at Gibea, Brynamman
When the headstones at Gibea cemetery were relocated, the company which carried out the work, documented the headstones and inscriptions where it was possible. The entry in this document for David Roberts is shown below:
Entry for David Roberts' Headstone. Displayed with permission of David Tom Davies 31/8/2006.
Gibea Chapel, March 2006
Census Doc Refs: