"Jini's Letter"

Mystery death.

At the begining of the twentieth century a young man left Rhiw with his sights set on a new life in Canada, he left his work at Brynodol Farm Tudweiliog where he was a skilled and exceptional horse man, he was David Evans or Dafydd Pisgah as he was known in the area. Having reached Canada he once again took up the reins of his old career and worked with horses. He came back to visit Rhiw and his family in 1931.

Years later in the sixties Mrs Hannah Hughes who lived in Canada but was originally from Tyddyn Meirion Rhiw, read a report in a Canadian newspaper about David Evans who had died after a fatal fire at his home 1349 Haro Street, Vancouver. The report said that David Evans was a sick man and that his landlord Mr Fred Whitton had tried to persuade him to visit the doctor, David Evans refused to go but promised he would go the following day. The following day a fire broke out in his flat which was due to the heater being left on and setting the mattress on fire, as a result of which David Evans died. There was nothing in the newspaper report to suggest who David was and even though Mrs Hannah Hughes wrote to Mr Whitton he could not shed any light as to who David Evans was or where he was from originally. However he sent Mrs Hughes a letter that he came across in the charred remains of the flat, the letter was burnt at the edges but fortunately enough of it remained for Mrs Hughes to know exactly who David was. The letter was written on the 18th of June 1934 by Miss Jane O Jones Pisgah, Rhiw to her Uncle Dafydd, who lived in Winnipeg at the time. Even though it was 34 years since he last visited his native Rhiw, and had not written to his family for many many years it was obvious he treasured his little niece’s letters. The  letter written by the young schoolgirl in the early thirties was to prove to be a means of unraveling the identity of the old man who died alone in his flat in Vancouver, thousands of miles from his homeland and to allow his family to know of his tragic fate at the age of eighty. 

Dafydd Pisgah – Llythyrau o Canada.

"Canadian Newspaper report into the fire"

General Delivery,

General Post Office

Winnipeg,

Manitoba,

Canada.

April 9th.

Dear Jennie and Anne,

                                 Just a few lines to you to let you know I am in best health I hope both of you is same by now, I am glad your mother is get all right by now again. I am sorry I been so long with out write to you but I be very busy this winter working steady all time in sale stables good job, inside and good money in it as well. We had a hard winter this winter snow was very deep here. We getting good weather now snow is melting now. There is lot of men out of work here now I am very lucky here. I might go to British Columbia for a trip this summer on west coast. Well how is Jack Davies this winter and all friends of mine remember me to them all. Well Jennie I hope your mother be all right now. Well Jennie I am going to say goodbye now.

                         Gan gofion attoch

                           Ydwyf Dafydd.

"Jini on the right"

Oct 18th.

Dear Jennie and Anne,

                                  I received your letter safe. Well have got no news to say much. I am back in Winnipeg now I been out in harvest two months. Was a good crop of wheat this year 8 shillings a days wages was the wage, was very hot some days but its getting nice and cold now. I am working in Winnipeg now with horse dealers again in same stables as before. Well that’s all this time remember me to old friends in Rhiw Jennie.

                            Ydwyf Dafydd.

May 12th 1932.

My dear Jennie,

                     I don’t have to tell you how very pleased and glad I was to have your nice letter about three weeks ago. I am very sorry I have not written you before today as I intended to do. Glad to hear you are keeping well also your dear mother. Glad to say I am keeping fine myself. Well dear Jennie I am not going to write you a long letter this time, for the reason that if all goes well I hope to see you all within the next month or so. I have made up my mind by now to take a trip to dear old Wales this summer in fact I have already booked my passage I did so today. I shall be leaving Winnipeg on Wednesday May 25th sailing from Montreal on friday May 27th for Liverpool. I expect the boat will reach Liverpool somewhere around Saturday morning June 4th. I’ll have to make a call at Pwllheli as I sent some money to the Bank there today to make sure it would reach there in good time. I’ll come to Rhiw as soon as I finish in the Bank. Please tell Bob Seaview that I am coming for a trip and when am expected to reach Pwllheli. This will be all for now. Hope to see you all soon, when I’ll be able to give you all the news.

                                          Cofion Cynnes

                                                         Uncle Dafydd.

Monday August 1st 1932.

Dear Jennie,

                  Just a few words today to let you know that I am back at Winnipeg once more. I arrived here last night Sunday. I had a good trip coming over, and lots of company and feel quite alright. Am glad now that I took a trip over to see you all and found you looking so well and happy. I think now of going out to the country to work on the harvest the crops are fairly good this year all over the country. I expect to be out for a month or so then I’ll come back to Winnipeg again to my old home in Canada. I’ll write again when I come back from the harvest. Am enclosing this little handkerchief for you hope you will like it, this is the boat I came back with. Please write soon with all news how you all are. Remember me to old friends in the neighbourhood. This will be all for now. Hope you are well and your dear mother.

                                   Best wishes and love

                                                 Your Uncle Dafydd.

Pisgah House,

Rhiw,

Nr Pwllheli,

June 18th 1934.

Dear Uncle,

                     Just a few lines to let you know that your letter came to hand safe and the postcard. I am very glad to hear that you are in best of health like us at present. Well I haven’t got much to tell you this time. Jack Davies is still living and remembering to you, and all of Rhiw the same. I understand you are still in work. My grandfather has gone back to his wife again to Felin Ucha. Maggie Pwllmelyn is asking for you and she has got a bicycle now, and I am worry my mother for one. I hope I shall get one soon. I am looking forward to see you coming here and hope you will bring your wife this time. My mother was very pleased of the nice card you send. I am still in school again I haven’t got only four month again. I had a chance to go to Aberdaron to work and to a shop in Pwllheli. Well I must enclose this letter now you can have more next time. I hope you will write soon.

                          Yours faithfully

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~

Map or Safle                Website Map