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Jackie,
Thank you for finding that! :-) Maybe John or Langdon should purchase it
for the Society!
I have looked into my database and did not come up with an Alice E. Clough
who married a Clarence Harris. The only Alice E. Clough I found would have
been too young to have been married in 1889.
I have e-mailed the seller in case they have any additional info on the cert.
Hope it helps someone! If the Society purchased it we could put it in the
bulletin in hopes of finding a descendant who would wish to have it!
Best Wishes,
Sheila
Hi Everyone
I was checking ebay this morning and ran across an item that I thought I
would let everyone know about. These people are not in my direct line so I
am not bidding on it.
It is a marriage certificate for Clarence H Harris and Alice E Clough
11/5/1889 in Peabody MA. Current amount is $6.50 with 3 days left to go.
Item number is 2169982426
jackie
Clough Society Editor
List Admin for: Gauthier mail list.
Researching: Clough, Gilligan, Chamberlain, Buzzell, Hunting, Gauthier, Cram
Remember: You Can Pick Your Friends, But God Gave You Your Relatives For A
Reason!
British Heritage magazine
May 2003
New Life for a Ghostly Old House
By Roger Thomas
Gwydir is a place of ghosts. To be more accurate, the little town of
Llanrwst in the Vale of Conwy resonates with echoes of the past. At its
centre lies Gwydir Castle, a green river meadows on the outskirts of
Llanrwst. Its threads link bloody battles with ghostly spirits, Welsh
nobility with Elizabethan fame and fortune. And it stretches far and wide,
entangling New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and American newspaper
magnate William Randolph Hearst.
The best place to begin the story is at the Church of St. Grwst, hidden down
a narrow passageway behind the shops in the middle of Llanrwst. Attached to
the church is Gwydir Chapel, built by Sir John Wynn of Gwydir Castle in
1633-34. The Wynns were one of the most illustrious families in North Wales
during the 16th and 17th centuries, dominating political life and controlling
large stretches of land. The little chapel houses elaborate monuments to the
family. But the main item of interest is the hefty stone coffin, said to be
the sarcophagus that contained the body of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, Llywelyn the
Great, the forceful and revered native leader in the troubled medieval period
when England was at war with Wales.
There's an old joke in Wales that everyone is somehow related to everyone
else. It's certainly true about Llywelyn and the Wynns. Meredith ap Ieuan
ap Robert, founder of the Gwydir Castle we see before us today, shared common
ancestry with Llywelyn the Great. His son, John Wynn ap Meredith, adopted
the anglicized surname of Wynn after the Act of Union between England and
Wales in the 16th century. The all-powerful Wynn dynasty dominated the
political scene for the next few hundred years with Gwydir Castle at the
centre of a vast and lucrative estate.
Meredith's Gwydir dates from around 1500. He built the manor house on what
was already a historic site. In the Dark Ages, this land in the heart of the
Vale of Conwy was a bloody battlefield. Rival princes fought here, the
earliest recorded battle taking place in 610. By the 14th century, a manor
house stood on the spot, though by the time Meredith came along it probably
had been destroyed.
Gwydir is a castle in name only. Meredith and his successors, living in a
more settled, secure, post-medieval Wales, could afford to indulge in a
little home comfort. The draughty, bare fortresses of the Middle Ages gave
way to grand manor houses like Gwydir, with its decorative woodworking, airy
rooms, large fireplaces, and well-tended gardens.
Over the next few hundred years Gwydir evolved into a solid, substantial
house. At its core is the Solar Tower, a quasi-military structure topped by
tall crenellated chimneys that provide further military allusions. The
tower's large, unbridled space would have served as "the polite entertainment
room," the precursor of the salon. This amenable room best establishes the
tone at this welcoming "castle."
Throughout, Gwydir breathes domesticity and a strong sense of home. As you
wander from room to room, wonky floorboards creak beneath your feet, sunlight
casts a grainy light onto ancient spaces that defy dusting, log fires crackle
in the grates, peacocks roam the grounds. The only chilling note comes in a
dark upstairs passageway. Gwydir has the reputation for being one of the
most haunted houses in Wales. Many ghost stories are the product of the
fertile 19th century imagination. Gwydir stretches back many centuries,
adding authenticity to the claim that a young woman - accompanied by a foul
smell of putrefaction - haunts the paneled corridor.
Apart from the ghost, it's easy to relax here in an atmosphere that is
anything but precious and faux-reverential. Gwydir is no over-restored
museum piece bristling with "look but don't touch" notices. It has the
demeanour of a real home, cobwebs and all, where people once lived and, more
importantly, continue to live - and therein lies another fascinating chapter
in its story.
Gwydir's fortunes mirrored those of the Wynns. In Elizabethan times its star
was in the ascendancy when it was home to the glamorous Katheryn of Berain,
who married Maurice Wynn. Maurice was not her first husband; Katheryn, who
married four times, became known as "Mam Cymru" (Mother of Wales) through her
extended family of children and step-children.
Sir John Wynn, the house's most celebrated and colourful inhabitant,
inherited the estate in 1580. This larger-than-life figure appears to have
been something of a Renaissance man, possessing skills as an entrepreneur and
writer, lawyer and politician, farmer and early industrialist. He greatly
enlarged the house, though much of this work was undone in the early 19th
century when Gwydir Castle was returned to its 1580 size.
As with so many other fine houses in Wales, the last few hundred years have
not been kind to Gwydir. By the 1940's, fire and neglect had left it in a
sorry state. Then a retired bank manager, Arthur Clegg, bought the abandoned
castle and over the next 20 years did all he could to restore it. Hollywood
may have influenced his vision more than the history books, but he did at
least save the house at a time when many like it became lost forever.
But it was not until 1994 that Gwydir's future was secured. Its fortunes had
dipped yet again after Arthur Clegg departed. The house was run down and
semi-derelict when Judith and Peter Welford came on the scene. Still in
their 20s and tired of city life, they looked for a property in Wales to
restore. Although in possession of the right credentials - Peter is an
architectural historian and Judith is a bookbinder who restores antique
volumes - nothing could have fully equipped them for what lay ahead.
"We weren't looking for anything on this scale," admits Judith. "A cottage
would have done. But we fell in love with Gwydir instantly and didn't
hesitate. We didn't consider the work we had ahead of us. It's a good job
really - had we stopped to think we might not have been here now."
The Gwydir they discovered was a daunting place. "Horses, chickens, and
peacocks were living inside, and you could look up and see the sky," recalls
Judith. "We didn't have any money, but we at least thought that Gwydir would
be safe in our hands."
Over the next few years they concentrated on making the Grade I-listed house
waterproof and windproof again. But the way in which they are bringing
Gwydir back to life sets them apart from custodians of other historic houses.
Judith refers to "a light hand" when talking of their approach. In
practice, this means that they have not scrubbed away the patina of age with
fastidious and overly fussy restoration. They prefer a few dusty corners,
ragged edges, and an informal, lived-in atmosphere, all of which have been
ruthlessly removed from many historic buildings, leaving them cold and
somewhat soulless.
Not that this implies the Welfords took any short-cuts. On the contrary,
they are deeply committed to period detail and architectural integrity. They
painstakingly removed the cement pointing in the stonework and replaced it
with the correct lime mortar. They restored the roofs to their original
pitches and replastered the walls with lime plaster. Sir John Wynn would
again feel at home here.
The Welfords' greatest success has been in the dining room, a bare shell when
they arrived. Peter and Judith have returned it to its 17th century glory,
and the original paneling, doorcase, fireplace, and leather frieze once again
adorns its walls. The repatriation of this elaborately carved paneling to
Gwydir represented architectural rescue on an international scale, involving
much detective work and a trip across the Atlantic.
The paneling was sold as Lot 88 in an auction in 1921 to William Randolph
Hearst and packed off to America. Eventually, it fell into the hands of the
New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it lay forgotten, stored in a
warehouse still in its unopened packing cases. After prolonged negotiations
between the Welfords and the Met, the museum agreed to repatriate the
paneling for $25,000 plus shipping costs.
Judith remembers the occasion well. "The Met insisted that we come and have
a look at it. They opened a couple of cases and there it was in front of our
eyes. The leather just glittered, the gold leaf shone, and it still smelt of
Gwydir."
Then came the biggest jigsaw puzzle of their lives - the reassembling of the
contents of the crates - made even more complicated by changes to the room
itself. They finally completed the restoration of the dining room in the
summer of 1998, with the Prince of Wales carrying out the official opening.
As for the remainder of Gwydir, Judith doesn't think it will be complete in
her lifetime. The next big project is the 10-acre garden, another feature of
historic importance. Then she talks enthusiastically about Lot 65. The
acquisitive Hearst also bought a second lot at the 1921 auction - the
panelling from the breakfast parlour, even older than that in the dining
room. It appears to have vanished from the face of the earth, though Judith
is confident she'll track it down.
Lot 65, where are you? Judith and Peter Welford would like to know.
Dear Cousins,
In an e-mail to follow this I will include a recent article on Gwydir Castle
found in the May 2003 issue of British Heritage magazine. I invite all
interested family members to purchase the magazine to enjoy the beautiful
pictures taken on the estate.
Several months ago, while in my initial planning stages of our upcoming trip,
I contacted the owner's of Gwydir asking if my group may visit their home
while we are in Wales in September. They were gracious in getting back to me
then. Now that I am in the finalizing stages of the trip I have once again
contacted them regarding our upcoming visit. For those of you signed onto
the trip, I will send our itinerary to each of you when it is more complete
as I am still in the process of making some wonderful contacts for us in
Northern Wales.
I hope everyone enjoys the article in the following e-mail and remembers that
the spelling in the article is British English.
Best Wishes to All!
Sheila
Jackie,, could you please see if I am listed to get email, I had to
change my address to ( dragonfly(a)atlantic.net ) and I have not
recieved any mail.. thanks .. Judy
please send what you need to re apply to society, I did send the money a
few years ago but never got a membership.. I guess it got lost.I hated
to loose the money so I never re applied.. Judy
JGill29371(a)aol.com wrote:
>
> Hello All
> this email is for all JCGS members. The bulletins have been mailed today.
> Please take note of the numbers that are listed next to your name. This
> represents the year your Society membership is paid to date. If it says '01
> or '02 for example then your are past due on your dues. If this is the case
> then please send your check to John R Clough, Treasurer. His address is
> listed in the bulletin on page 6 under Board Members. All membership dues
> are due to be paid by the end of the year for the coming year. Example: if
> it says '03 then your are paid till the end of this year and need to make a
> payment by 12/31/03 for the year 2004 dues. Membership dues are currently
> $12.00.
> For those of you that do not belong to the society currently and would like
> to become a member, you must be a direct descendant of John clough Of
> Salisbury MA. Please email me or Sheila Andersen for John R Clough's address
> to send your lineage and membership dues. Or go the the Clough website at:
> <A HREF="http://ourworld.cs.com/CloughGenL/">http://ourworld.cs.com/CloughGenL/</A> for more information.
> jackie
>
> Clough Society Editor
> List Admin for: Gauthier mail list.
> Researching: Clough, Gilligan, Chamberlain, Buzzell, Hunting, Gauthier, Cram
> Remember: You Can Pick Your Friends, But God Gave You Your Relatives For A
> Reason!
>
> ==============================
> To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to:
> http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237
Dear Clough Cousins,
Many thanks to Jackie for her dues reminder! In these very busy times we all
need and appreciate reminders. Again, for anyone receiving their bulletin
who has a '02 or '01 on the address label, you are past due and need to
contact our Treasurer, John R. Clough. Please see the inside of the bulletin
for his contact details.
I invite everyone who descends from John Clough of Salisbury, MA, to join the
John Clough Genealogical Society (JCGS). In so doing you help support the
only Society in the world dedicated to the descendants of our John Clough and
now the only Society dedicated to the Clough Surname DNA Study. This DNA
study will benefit EVERYONE involved!
For example, Owen Clough in New Zealand and Martin Clough in England share
the same Y chromosome signature (as can be seen on our JCGS website DNA
chart) and both have Clough ancestors going back to Bradford, Yorkshire,
England. These two families are now able to combine their genealogical
research in hopes of finding their Common Paternal Clough Ancestor! They
made this connection thanks to the Clough Surname DNA Study and the
assistance of Rebecca Harpole.
Here in the US we have successfully used the DNA analyses to find other
descendants of our John who have been unable to show a paper trail that far
back because of hitting the proverbial 'brick wall' in their research.
As mentioned in an article I wrote for the latest JCGS bulletin, the JCGS has
now sanctioned the Clough Surname DNA Study. In so doing they have made some
funds available to further Clough analysis. However, since the funds have
been put forth by the JCGS they are to be used to find others in Great
Britain who may very well share our Y chromosome signature. This may be our
ONLY way of finding the ancestry of our John Clough who appeared on the ship
'Elizabeth' in April 1635 and sailed to New England to start life anew.
The funds that were made available for additional DNA analysis is only enough
to cover 3 analysis and postal expenses. Therefore, we are looking for
donations to further this work and be able to assist more Clough men in
having their DNA analyzed. Should we receive sufficient funds, we may very
well be able to branch out and assist Clough men not of our branch. However,
as long as we have very limited funds, our thrust in using said funds is to
find British Clough men who may share our Y chromosome signature in hopes of
finding the parentage of our John.
For example, when a British Clough man comes to me and says he thinks his
Clough ancestry came from the Yorkshire area, the JCGS is unable to assist
him financially because those with Yorkshire Clough ancestry have shown a
completely different Y chromosome signature. Should we have enough financial
assistance we may very well be able to assist such men financially in the
future. However, in the meantime, EVERY Clough man willing to have his Y
chromosome DNA analyzed (at their own expense) is WELCOME to be a part of our
DNA study! In fact, I invite Clough men all over the world to become
involved in our Clough Surname DNA Study! In so doing, we will continue to
make remarkable connections in the different Clough branches we have
identified.
Our Bulletin Editor, Jackie Gilligan, made a note in our latest bulletin
about said funds. She gave the example that should every member of the JCGS
- all 286 members - donate just $10 each to the DNA fund we would have $2,860
to use. That would allow us 17 analysis at our discounted analyses rate.
I invite any all Clough family members worldwide - regardless of which Clough
branch you are from - to seriously think about donating to our Clough Surname
DNA Study fund so that we may continue to assist Clough men. Should you wish
to contribute to said fund, you may contact the JCGS treasurer, John R.
Clough. You may find his contact details in our bulletins. If you are not a
member of the JCGS and do not receive our bulletins but would like to
contribute to the DNA Study fund, please contact me and I will send you
John's contact details.
Please put word of our fine work out to the worldwide Clough community via
e-mails, your websites, etc. As the Coordinator of this Clough Surname DNA
Study, I look forward to hearing from Clough men around the world who wish to
become involved in our study since ALL Clough men are invited to do so even
if the JCGS is unable to pay for their analysis.
For those who descend from John Clough of Salisbury, MA, and are not yet
members of the John Clough Genealogical Society but would like to become
members, please contact me so we can work out your lineage to John. From
there you may contact our treasurer, John R. Clough, to pay your dues.
Twelve dollars a year is a VERY MINIMAL charge to be a member of such a
genealogical society, especially a genealogical society that is ever
improving and doing such fine work!
I invite everyone who receives our JCGS bulletin to enjoy reading through it
as Jackie has included a wonderful article about Lamar Clough in Georgia,
information about our next JCGS reunion to be held in Haverhill, MA, a copy
of my New England Ancestors magazine article, my extended article concerning
our DNA study and funds, as well some other tidbits. For those who are not
JCGS members and would like a complementary copy of our latest bulletin
please contact Jackie via e-mail (JGill29371(a)aol.com) and send her your US
mail address.
With John Clough descendants becoming and staying members of the JCGS by
paying their dues and donations being made to the Clough Surname DNA Study,
the JCGS will be able to continue to assist Clough's worldwide. What better
work could such a genealogical society be involved in than to assist others
who share the same surname?
With assistance from John Clough descendant family members doing research on
their own ancestral lines - sometimes even additional research - and
submitting their search results to me, the JCGS will be able to produce a
wonderful book on the descendants of our John Clough that will include the
information from the two previous volumes, the women's lines, and up through
the current generations.
As the Genealogist for the John Clough Genealogical Society, it is a
privilege and an honor to be associated with such a fine organization who
sees the benefit of moving into the 21st century and whose members are just
as eager to assist their society in accomplishing very lofty goals. As such,
I look forward to assisting many, many more John Clough descendant's in
finding and researching their Clough ancestry as well as assisting numerous
Clough men from around the world in having their DNA analyzed.
I look forward to hearing back from those with questions or comments on the
above plethora of information.
Best Wishes to All!
Sheila Andersen
Genealogist
John Clough Genealogical Society
CloughGen(a)aol.com
http://ourworld.cs.com/cloughgenl/
List Owner
CLOUGH-GENEALOGY-L
CloughGen(a)aol.com
Coordinator
Clough Surname DNA Study
CloughGen(a)aol.com