I am in total and utter shock. I have been searching for years for any
clues on my great great grandfather Richard "Llew Arfon" Hughes, who was
born somewhere in North Wales in about 1845, lived in Y Felinheli for at
least a brief time, showed up in 1865 in an article in "Y Cerddor
Cymreig", then disappeared until he turned up in 1878 to marry my great
great grandmother Mary Hughes in Ohio, USA. I have consulted with Welsh
music historians, had searches performed in museum holdings, even gone
to the National Library myself and found almost nothing.
I just went to the Castle Garden site with my now customary sense of "I
don't even know why I still try". I searched for Richard Hughes from
1865 to 1878.
At the very top of a list of thirty-three names- Richard Hughes,
immigrated 1872, age 27. Occupation- Singer. My first likely lead from a
completely cold trail.
Here's the strange part. Llew Arfon was once the conductor of the
"Vaenol Glee Society Choir". The National Eisteddfod is going on right
now. I was particularly pained to not be able to get to Wales to attend
this year. Exactly 140 years ago Llew Arfon was the conductor of the
"Vaenol Glee Society Choir", and the Eisteddfodd is being held at the
Faenol Estate in Y Felinheli.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting the Castle Garden Link!
Rachel Hughes Slansky
Oregon, USA