This is a new and experimental feature of our website. We will be publishing enquiries on a regular basis and hope that readers will be able to assist. We are kicking off with this enquiry from Bob, please use the comments box at the foot of this page if you have information for him.
Hi,
I am quite anxious to find a photo of Bryntirion Farm, I think once occupied by a Roberts Family.
It was also known, later I believe, as Finnegan’s Gardens, between Highfield Park and the Railway.
This was within an area now bounded by Highfield Park, St. Georges Cres (part), and Parc Esmor (Part) also including Clos Gladstone, Cae Uchaf, areas., to the best of my knowledge.
If anyone has, or can guide me to, a photo/drawing of the property and/or any information and knows who actually occupied Bryntirion Farm/Finnegan’s Gardens and roughly when, I would be most appreciative.
Thank you.
Happy New Year to you and All Your Readers.
Bob.
Rhyl History Club 
Would like to find out more information about highfield park in rhyl please as im very interested in historic buildings and thier surroundings. Thank you B&D.
My Grandfather and his first wife, George Henry Homer Marlow & Mary Olive Marlow (nee Tompkin), lived in Rhyl from around 1911, first at 7 Butterton Road, and then 8 South Avenue, with their three daughters Gladys, Hilda and Bessie. Mary Olive died on 3rd January 1919 with the death certificate indicating she died at Voryd Hall. Can anyone tell us anything about Voryd Hall at that time and why she may have died there? All our enquiries to trace where she was buried have drawn a blank so any suggestions on that would also help. Thank you for any help anyone can give. David & Sheila Marlow
I had a great aunt ‘Gladys Myfanwy Iliffe’ who was living in a property ‘FFrithlands’, Marine Drive, Rhyl; she died aged 34 in 1919. I was reading about the Spanish flu sweeping through Wales at the time and wonder whether this link and photos might be associated with the deaths of your Mary Olive and Gladys Myfanwy.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/spanish-flu-pandemic-killed-thousands-18024294
The photograph in this link may be South Wales but I wonder if Voryd Hall (Foryd Hall?) was used for a similar purpose. Perhaps you have your information now.
I am researching a lady named Margaret T Griffith who was also living at ‘Ffrithlands, Marine Drive, Rhyl’ in 1897. She was an artist or designer – amateur or professional, I’m not sure. Does anybody know anything about her please?
Gladys Myfanwy Lliffe died June 1st 1919 left £643 to Laura Marion Lliffe spinster .
Anyone know a Michael Higgins , aged 60 / 70 ( chef / cook by trade ) moved to Rhyl from Bristol 1972 -73 . Would appreciate any help in locating him.
Some information on Bryntirion Farm has come to light.
In 1915 Arthur E. Roberts of Wm.Roberts Ltd. (High Street Garden Shop and Coal Merchants) went to the Farm with his new Bride Gwendolyn Jones, a farmers daughter from Ruabon. 1926 Arthur and Gwen with their 3 daughters, Margaret, Joyce and Dilys moved to Plas Clough on Pendyffryn Road. Bryntirion Farm then became Bryntirion Gardens home to the Finnigan family with sons Chris and Jim.
Does this information ‘jog’ any memories of the single story property on 3 sides around a ‘farm yard’ between Highfield Park and the Railway. The house had a large open garden in front bounded by a stone wall and had open fields to the rear across to Tynewydd Road railway bridge.
If anybody can find a photo of the house or even sketch how it looked, do please reply. Thanks
Glenda Ambrose
Our family lived in Lynton Walk (the far end, near the railway) in the late 1940s/early 50s. The odd-numbered houses, which were on the side of Lynton Walk nearest the town centre, didn’t go up to the end of the road. The last house, across the road from ours, was adjacent to a field, which was bounded by a short stretch of Lynton Walk on one side and the railway line on another (I don’t know about the other boundaries). I was only 3 years old when we left Rhyl, so my memory is hazy, but I’m pretty sure the adults in our family referred to this field as ‘Finnegan’s field’. There was a pony there for at least some of the time. I have an even hazier recollection of walking along the edge of the field as a short-cut to town.
Thank you Glenda for your comment.
Indeed it is ‘Finnegans Field’ area that I am researching.
Prior to the Finnegans it was Arthur Roberts and Family who lived in the cottage on this site and it is the building in particular I am trying to find a photo, drawing or sketch. Should you have any picture, even if the cottage or part of it is in the background, I would be delighted to see oit, please.
Many thanks, Robert.
We are researching the Quellyn Roberts family who are distant relatives. Quellyn Roberts & Co owned seven, possibly eight, hotels in north Wales towards the end of the 19th century / early 20th century, including the Westminster Hotel and Belvoir Hotel in Rhyl. We are interested in gathering any additional information available.
Would any member have a photograph of the smithy known as Berthengron, Towyn, near Rhyl? Edward Roberts
My great great grandfather was Ellis Powell-Jones, a chemist and druggist at 52 High Street, Rhyl in 1851. He was, at one stage, Chairman of the Rhyl improvement Commissioners and after his death on 29 Dec 1880 given a warm tribute by his fellow Improvement Commissioners in the North Wales Chronicle on Saturday 8 January 1881. Any further information or photographs of him, his family or his shop would be much appreciated. Many thanks, Nigel Day
An interesting article in the Bulletin on the history of Rhyl Botanical Gardens.
http://www.whgt.org.uk/documents/bulletin/bulletin52.pdf
John Williams was Head Gardener there until his retirement in 1953.
He can be seen in his trilby hat in the postcard of the rose garden in 1936.
John Williams, of the Williams ‘Hen Shop’ family of Dyserth, began his life long career as a gardener aged 13 at Mia Hall. He returned to Rhyl from Llangollen to be head gardener at the Botanical Gardens in the early 1930s. He cycled to work daily from his house in Clwyd Avenue. In his retirement he tended the gardens at the the adjacent Glyndwr Secondary School, as well as his allotment on the south side of the H-Bridge..
I am trying to find out some information on the Unity Cafe that was located in The Square, Kinmel Bay. My grt grandparents Charlie and Florence Ball ran this place in the late 1940’s/early 1950’s. They relocated there from Wolverhampton sometime after WW2, Any photos or some history and where exactly it was would be great. Thank you.
Hi there. Nick from London here. My grandparents on my fathers side owned and ran the unity cafe mid fifties onwards. Have you got any pictures ? I have not. Anyway how do you do. Best wishes. Nick Batt.
Hi Nick, that is interesting that your grandparents ran the cafe after my grt grandparents had it. Both of them died in the mid 1950’s so that is when it was probably sold…about 1956 as my grt grandmother died that year and address on her death cert is given as Unity Cafe.
My mum might have a pick of the outside of cafe. I will have to look when next home as I live in the US & who knows when I’ll get to England again! Hopefully soon.
Take care,
Liz
Any information on Henry Malings, a reservist in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who served in the Boer War, gratefully received. He was the son of Colour-Sergeant Samuel Frederick Malings, of Rhyl, who died 15th January 1909. Henry’s wife had two children, one of whom, Samuel Redvers Malings, died at Southport in 1904; Mrs. Malings had moved to Southport, from Rhyl, some time between early 1900 and early 1902. Was Henry buried in the Old Cemetery, Rhyl, as his father was?
Additional to the Malings enquiry – The wife of Henry Malings was Mary, daughter of a Mr Abel Davies, Chapel Street, Denbigh.
Hello
I am directly related to Henry. Samuel (his father) was my great grandfather.
Please email suemalings164@msn.com if you need to ask me anything
Thank you. I’ve sent you an email.
Bernice
Did I ever reply to your email? I really cannot remember receiving anything from you.
Sue
Hello Robert,
I have a couple of small photographs of the pony in the Finnegan’s Field but nothing exciting. There are some houses in the distance, which could be the backs of the houses in Elm Grove. There is a part of a large house, as well as the above, in one of the photographs. I’ll happily send you copies if you like but doubt whether they are what you are looking for.
Glenda
Hi Glenda,
Really grateful for taking the trouble to reply.
I note your comments on the Pony photos you have and tend to agree that the buildings, possibly in Elm Grove, would not be what I am searching for.
Similarly, the ‘large house’ you mention is unlikely to be the one as Bryntirion Farmhouse, at Finnegans Nurseries, was a single storey ‘cottage’
Thank you indeed for your post, much appreciated.
Regards,
Robert
Hello to Anyone.
Do you have any movie or still pictures of the Rhyl Pleasure Boats which worked the Rhyl the beach. The last pleasure boat was the May Queen and is now in Falmouth. The Fal River Festival is about to celebrate the May Queen’s eightieth birthday and it would be excellent to display picture of her at home.
Roger Hardwick
This may be of interest Roger
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trip-Round-Bay-Recollections-pleasure/dp/1907163425
Hi Roger,
I indeed remember The May Queen taking passengers from the special wheeled steps on the beach almost opposite the top of Edward Henry Street.
Pat Longfield, the last skipper’s book on the Amazon site, used to live on Pendyffryn Road.
Robert.
My name is Stephen Flinders. I am a local historian living at Sandiacre in Derbyshire. In or around 1930 a young dancer from our area, known as Dot Shirley, moved, along with her mother and father to Rhyl where Dot performed in a number of shows at the Pavillion Theatre. I believe her performances were so popular that postcards featuring Dot Shirley were sold in large numbers around the area. Dot’s real name was Dorothy Frettingham. Her father Clarence Frettingham went into business in Rhyl. An address given in one of our local newspapers refers to 3 Plastirion Terrace, East Parade.
I would therefore be grateful if anyone associated with Rhyl or it’s local history group could assist in obtaining any material i.e. newspaper articles, theatre memorabilia, photographs etc which would help me in my research relating to Miss Dot Shirley.
Yours in anticipation
Stephen Flinders
Hi I am looking for my cousins, my uncle was Peter shepherd he had a garage on Wellington Road and his parents owned Shepherds cafe in town. I am looking for Paul, Ceri and Carolyn who were Peter’s children. Would appreciate any information?
Sue Powell nee Davies
I worked at rhuddlan golf club around 6 years ago, Peter & his wife shelagh was a member there at that time. Try contacting the club.
Hello with regards to the question below, the best place to look is on Face book under Rhyl history. Penny
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
________________________________
Dear Sirs
I read with great interest, your section on E B Jones, grocers and provision merchants. Their former store, on Rhewl Hill, in Rhewl, Mostyn, still stands but is now a private dwelling. I am interested to know where their head office in Water Street was located. Was it the red brick building on the corner with Edward Henry Street, that in more recent tines, was occupied by the Clwyd-Alyn Housing Association?
Many thanks
This is an absolute long shot but in the late 1950s/1960 I stayed at a Summer School in a place called Homelands, Plas Yn Cwm, Tremeirchion, St Asaph which was run by a Miss Livesey and a Miss Royal (Royle?). They were 2 ex-teachers who I believe had previously taught at a Girl’s School in the area. I know they will have passed on by now but, before I “pop my clogs” I would like to visit their final resting places. They rented Homelands (it’s currently on the market for £995K with Jackson Stops) and I am trying to find out anything that will help – Can someone please help?
Hello Rosie
I knew Miss J Livsey and Miss Royale ________________________________
Hello Rosie
Yes I knew Miss Livesey and Miss Royle they were members of the church I attend in Rhyl, English Baptist Church Sussex Street Rhyl Miss Livsey was a Deaconess. They used to invite us younger members to their home for afternoon tea, very nice ladies we enjoyed going.
Regards Penny Livingstone Abergele Conwy North Wales pliv_123@hotmail.com ________________________________
Hello everyone. I have transferring negatives from the 60s and 70s onto computer and came across this which I seem to recall was of Rhyl Pier. Not sure of the date, but perhaps one of your members might be kind enough to confirm or deny this. Also I am curious to identify what looks a steering wheel in the drink!
Many thanks, Ray Pool
Hello, I have 3 Photo postcards which show The Savoy Cafe and Robins Luncheon & Tea Rooms. There appears to be some sort of car rally going on in the street. The cards have been identified as being in Rhyl and I wondered if anyone could confirm this. Any information about the photos would be appreciated. I am happy to provide scans of the cards and happy for them to be used on this site if you provide me with an email address to send them to.. Kind Regards, Dave Pilbrow
Hi which year does it say on the Post card please?
Not sure whether I have asked this of you before but does anyone remember Jane Garland’s fashion shop – I think near where Smith’s used to be. I believe the owner had contacts with London fashion houses and brought a lot of fashionable items to Rhyl. In the 1940s my mother as a young girl would travel from Holywell to buy many of her clothes there and I think actually purchased her wedding dress there too.
If anyone has a picture to show me that would be the icing on the cake as that wedding dress is now in the recently opened Holywell Community Museum where I am a very involved volunteer – many of my family’s items and furiture with which I grew up are now housed there.
Thank you
I’m curious to know if anyone has any information regarding my Great Grandfather Prof. George Norton who tattooed from an address in Rhyl sometime between 1900 and 1920.
Thank you in anticipation.
There was a question as to where the sidings were at Llannerch. My map [from 1949] shows a loop off the single track main line, to the south of Llannerch Park, just before the “C” class road that goes East. Where Llannerch Holiday Park and Edinburgh Woolen Mill now are.
Hi, does anyone know how we could find out about Belgian refugees in rhyl? I,m interested in the old Gresham House on Conwy street no 59 ,can anyone help please ? My grandmother was Jessie’s Harris at this address .i never met her but I,d like to know more thank you .
Hello Jenny,
There is lots of information here:
https://refugeesinrhyl.wordpress.com/
Good luck with your research
Are you still looking for info on Gresham House?
Hi,
I’m wondering if anyone may have any information about the Prince of Wales Hotel Rhyl in 1941 please? Either who owned the hotel or census records of the area? Thanks 8n advance, trying to research family history which has led us to the hotel.
Hello,
I am doing research on people from Dendermonde (i.e. Appels, Baasrode, Dendermonde, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem and Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde) who fled in september-december 1914 to England.
I have almost no names fot the moment?
Can someone please help me?
Thank you,
Jempi
Hello Jempi,
I suggest you contact:
https://refugeesinrhyl.wordpress.com/
good luck with your research,
kind regards from Rhyl History Club
Hello. I’m wondering if anyone has any information regarding a William John Hughes (known as Jack Hughes), a former footballer who later became coxswain with the Rhyl lifeboat station. He is thought to have been born in December 1887, and died in Rhyl in 1955. My email address is johnnymeynell@aol.com. I am the Halifax Town club historian and Jack Hughes played for the club before and after the First World War. Many thanks. Jonathan Meynell.
Hi, I wonder if anyone can remember a cafe called The Lido Cafe? It was in a three storey terraced row of shops in the 1950s but may well have been there longer,
Thanks,
Lindsay Escott
Bryntirion farm was owned by my great grandfather Christopher finnigan and my mother was born on there.The farm was a market garden.
Bryntirion farm was owned by my great grandfather Christopher finnigan and my mother was born on there to my grandparents Peter Finnigan and Pearl finnigan(nee thomas).The farm was a market garden.
Hi Christian,
Thank you for your reply about Bryntirion Farm. Indeed I am aware of your Family and its connection with the Farm as ‘Finnigan’s Nurseries’. I was hoping to glean information prior to your family’s ownership, in particular any relevant dates and especially sight of any photographs of the house.
Hi…. I’m not sure if I’m replying to another comment….I’d really like to leave a new request for information about Rhyl during WWII.
My parents met in Rhyl some time between 1942-1945. My mother, Elizabeth Linn, married name Elizabeth Hayes, was a Physiotherapist, and my father, Harold Ernest Jeremy Ottley, was in the army, training soldiers to drive lorries, perhaps as part of the special unit in Rhyl. My mother’s husband at the time, David Leslie Hayes, was Missing Presumed Dead , after Dunkirk and the enforced March to Poland. Before the war, I believe Harold was a watchmaker in the City of London. At some point, a vehicle he and his men were winching out of a ditch got stuck, and the steel cable snapped, wrapping itself around his hands. This didn’t bode well for his future, as both his occupation as watchmaker, and passion as violin player both came to a sudden end. Yes, it’s a tragic story…..one of millions from that time.
My mother’s first husband, David Leslie Hayes, came home from the war to find my mother with Harold Ernest Ottley. There were no winners in that situation.
I would love to know more about the special science unit in Rghyl, and if Harold Ernest Ottley (known as Jerry) could have been part of it.
Thanks so much
Sally
X
Hi, We have just taken over the old bingo hall above what was B&M at the top of the high street -we are trying to find the history of the building for a display inside the building is this something anyone could help with?
We don’t have any information unfortunately Stephen. I suggest you contact North East Wales Archives who may well be able to help you. Here’s the link:
https://www.newa.wales/
It did of course used to be Woolworths. If you post your query on one of the many “Old Rhyl” sites on Facebook you may get Information from people with personal memories.
Good luck with your research
Hi Stephen,
A little bit of the history of the site, rather than the building here – (your building replaced the one discussed in this link in 1956) https://refugeesinrhyl.wordpress.com/house/
Toni
Hello
Does anyone have information about Parker’s which was a sweetshop at 16 High Street , Rhyl .I believe it belonged to Evelyn & Jack Parker . The Parkers May have resided in Kinmel Bay They may be distant relatives to my maternal Grandfather Horace Bailey from Sileby.
I have a cousin in Vienna who curious . I live in Tenby which is closer than Vienna so I’m hoping someone may know something , have pictures or just memories. Many thanks
Ann
Finnigans gardens was my mother’s family’s bussiness it was a market garden owned by my great grandfather Christopher finnigan and my great grandmother Elizabeth.
Hi,
I was interested to read the article Rhyl Amateur Swimming Club, the beginnings, which mentions a swimming gala in1897 organised by the recently formed Rhyl Swimming Club. At that event a Mr. T. Scalley (One-armed Champion) took part, according to the programme. I believe this gentleman was my great grandfather John Scalley (I wonder if the J was mistaken for a T). I would love to be able to see a copy of the original programme, as would the rest of the family. He also swam from the Little Ome to the Great Orme, but sadly his silver medal and accompanying letter have been lost. If anyone has any information about that, or where to look for information, I would be very grateful.
I have posted a reply under the post “Rhyl Amateur Swimming Club, the beginnings” with links to the article. https://rhylhistoryclub.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/rhyl-amateur-swimming-club-the-beginnings/#comment-5299I also I suggest contacting Conwy Archives to see if they have any details re the Great Orme swim. https://www.familytreeresources.com/conwy-archive-service.html Thanks for your comments – very interesting! Good Luck with your research.
Many thanks and much appreciated.
Good evening.
I’m wondering if anyone here knows roughly when the Men’s Convalescent Home on Bedford Street was taken over by the Red Cross for use as a hospital during the Great War?
Many thanks,
Andi.
Some background information for anyone who’s curious:
I recently discovered a postcard, dated 7th October 1915, sent by my great grandfather to my grandmother (who was 5 years old!) The family lived in Henley in Shropshire at that time, but mysteriously the card has a Rhyl postmark. The image shows a group of formally dressed men, including my great grandfather, gathered in a courtyard.
With no clue to the location (other than the assumption that it was somewhere in Rhyl!) I thought I would struggle to find out much more, but to my surprise I was very quickly able to identify it as the Men’s Convalescent Home. There are numerous similar photos online showing groups of patients gathered in this exact location.
One of the online photographs is dated June 1916 – the patients are in military uniforms and the nurses are wearing prominent Red Cross emblems. However, in my great grandfather’s October 1915 photo the patients appear to be wearing civilian clothes and vary widely in age. So my best guess is that the photo on the postcard pre-dates the Red Cross taking over the Convalescent Home.
Hello Andi, I’m not sure of the exact date the Red Cross took over. If you contact our local archives, they may be able to help: https://www.newa.wales/
It was in use for military casualties by at least January 1916.
“The most serious cases of ‘wounded’ of the Ferryside boys are Lance-corporal Arthur R. Dyke and Private John Evans, both in the 1st Welsh Regiment. The former was badly hit in the legs in April last during the fighting near Hill 60. After lying for months in hospital and having to undergo several operations—he had no less than 16 wounds in one leg— he is now at Rhyl Convalescent Camp.”
[Carmarthen Journal, Saturday 28th January 1916]
do you meet at the firestation or the little theartre as both are mentioned on your web pages?
Diane Jones
Hello Diane, we meet in the rehearsal room at The Little Theatre, Vale Road, Rhyl. (The room at the Fire Station is no longer available, since Covid) Next meeting is next Monday, February 12th, 7.30pm. All welcome.