Archifdy Ceredigion Archives
ADX/1022: Michell family photographs

Acc. 2285

Ref: ADX/1022

Reference: [GB 0212] ADX/1022
Date(s): c. 1860s - 2000s
Level: Fonds
Extent: 2 series

Scope and Content: Michell family photographs and other items associated with the family.

The photographs are digital scans of prints in the donor's possession. The donor is a granddaughter of John and Dorothy Michell of Ponterwyd.

The first Michells to arrive in Cardiganshire were William and Rebecca who moved from Tavistock area in Devon around 1845. William Michell was a mine agent; this was the traditional occupation of the Devon/Cornwall Michells and successive generations of William and Rebecca's numerous descendants carried on the family tradition in Wales. They intermarried with other Cornish mining families (e.g. Bands and Barkly) who had relocated to West Wales to take advantage of the lead mining boom of the 19th century.

William and Rebecca Michell had seven sons, among them Sampson and Thomas (photograph 1 below) and William (c. 1826-1893), their eldest, who, like his father, was a miner, then a mine agent. He married Sarah Bands (c. 1829-1895) in Eglwys Newydd church in 1851. They had at least nine children - four daughters and five sons, the third being Sampson, born in 1855.

In 1878 Sampson, by then a mine agent at Cwmystwyth, married Sarah, daughter of William Claridge, another mine agent, at Eglwys Newydd church (photographs 2-3). Their first two children were born in Wales: William Bands (b. 1879) and Beatrice Sarah (b. 1881) (photograph 4). Around 1881 Sampson took his family to America, presumably to work in metal mining there (details are lacking). Two more boys, Thomas Henry and John Trevethan, were born there in 1883 and 1885 respectively. Sampson Michell died in America in 1885 and the widowed Sarah brought the children back to Wales.

John Trevethan Michell married Dorothy Williams of Ponterwyd. They had four children (photographs 5-18)

Thomas Henry Michell went back to America and settled there (photographs 19-22)

Back in Ponterwyd, Sarah Claridge Michell remarried and had four more children with her second husband, Isaac Jenkins (photographs 23-28).

ADX/1022/1 Photographs (captions supplied by the donor)

ADX/1022/1/1. Sampson and Thomas Michell, sons of William and Rebecca Michell. Samson was born in 1831 and Thomas in 1840. Both were born in Mary Tavy, Devon.

ADX/1022/1/1: Sampson and Thomas Michell

ADX/1022/1/2. Sarah Jane Michell (née Claridge, later Jenkins, 1853-1931). Studio photograph by F.R. Gyde of Aberystwyth. No date, c. 1870s

ADX/1022/1/2: Sarah Jane Michell (née Claridge, later Jenkins)

ADX/1022/1/3. Sarah Jane Michell (née Claridge, later Jenkins, 1853-1931). No date; much later than previous.

ADX/1022/1/3: Sarah Jane Michell (née Claridge, later Jenkins)

ADX/1022/1/4. Beatrice Sarah Michell (1881-1941). Only daughter, second child of Sampson and Sarah Michell. She emigrated to Australia and lived in New South Wales. She was married to a Mr Morgan and had one daughter, Margaret (Peggy).

ADX/1022/1/4: Beatrice Sarah Michell

ADX/1022/1/5. Dorothy Michell (née Williams, 1881-1954). After 1909

ADX/1022/1/5: Dorothy Michell (née Williams)

ADX/1022/1/6. John and Dorothy Michell with their first-born, c. 1911

ADX/1022/1/6: John and Dorothy Michell with their first-born

ADX/1022/1/7. Dorothy, Gordon and Beatrice Michell outside Penybont, Ponterwyd. Late 1912/early 1913

ADX/1022/1/7: Dorothy, Gordon and Beatrice Michell

ADX/1022/1/8. Gordon Dennis Michell and Beatrice Helena Michell. c. 1914-1915

ADX/1022/1/8: Gordon Dennis Michell and Beatrice Helena Michell

ADX/1022/1/9. Beatrice Helena Michell with her Aunt Lena (Helena Evans). c 1914

ADX/1022/1/9: Beatrice Helena Michell with her Aunt Lena

ADX/1022/1/10. Gordon, Beatrice, Laura and William Michell. Early 1920s

ADX/1022/1/10: Gordon, Beatrice, Laura and William Michell

ADX/1022/1/11. Ponterwyd School pupils, mid to late 1920s.
Top row, right - Gordon Michell
Second row from top, right - Beatrice Michell
Third row from top, right - Laura Michell
Fourth row from top, right - William Michell

ADX/1022/1/11: Ponterwyd School pupils

ADX/1022/1/12. Beatrice and William Michell dressed for a concert party. c. late 1920s

ADX/1022/1/12: Beatrice and William Michell

ADX/1022/1/13. 'Clearing the road above Gelli Uchaf after the big flood, summer (August) 1922'. This is the A44 between Eisteddfa Gurig and Ponterwyd. John Michell is in the photograph.

ADX/1022/1/13: Clearing the road above Gelli Uchaf

ADX/1022/1/14. Beatrice Helena Michell (1912-2005). Eldest daughter, second child of John and Dorothy Michell. Late 1920s/early 1930s

ADX/1022/1/14: Beatrice Helena Michell

ADX/1022/1/15. Outside Talwrn View, Ponterwyd (known locally as Ty'r Gof). Foreground, right, Beatrice Helena Michell. Rear, left, Alfred Jenkins.

ADX/1022/1/15: Outside Talwrn View, Ponterwyd

ADX/1022/1/16. William Erwyd Michell (1920-2005), youngest child of John and Dorothy Michell. Early 1940s

ADX/1022/1/16: William Erwyd Michell

ADX/1022/1/17. John Trevethan and Dorothy (née Williams) Michell of Brynawel, Ponterwyd. Late 1940s-early 1950s approx.

ADX/1022/1/17: John Trevethan Michell and Dorothy (née Williams) Michell

ADX/1022/1/18. Headstone on the grave of John Trevethan Michell and Dorothy Michell, Ysbyty Cynfyn churchyard, Ponterwyd.

ADX/1022/1/18: Grave of John Trevethan Michell and Dorothy Michell

ADX/1022/1/19. Thomas Henry Michell (1883-1967). Second son and third child of Sampson and Sarah Michell, born in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA.

ADX/1022/1/19: Thomas Henry Michell

ADX/1022/1/20. Thomas and Blodwen Michell. Photograph taken in January 1967 at their home in Lake Worth, Florida.

ADX/1022/1/20: Thomas and Blodwen Michell

ADX/1022/1/21. Children of Thomas and Blodwen Michell: Priscilla Michell Runquist of Minnesota; Sarah Jane (Sally) Michell of California; Thomas Michell Jr of Oregon.

ADX/1022/1/21: Children of Thomas and Blodwen Michell

ADX/1022/1/22. John (Jack) Michell of Florida

ADX/1022/1/22: John (Jack) Michell of Florida

ADX/1022/1/23. Alfred and Sidney Jenkins, sons of Isaac and Sarah (née Claridge, formerly Michell) Jenkins.

ADX/1022/1/23: Alfred and Sidney Jenkins

ADX/1022/1/24. Sidney Jenkins, second son of Isaac and Sarah Jenkins.

ADX/1022/1/24: Sidney Jenkins

ADX/1022/1/25. Frederick Edward Jenkins, third son of Isaac and Sarah Jenkins.

ADX/1022/1/25: Frederick Edward Jenkins

ADX/1022/1/26. 'Operating theatre. Amputation below knee. Staff: 4 Doctors, 2 Sisters and Orderly. Richborough Military Hospital, Kent 1917 (?1919)'. The orderly is Alfred Richard Jenkins of Ponterwyd, eldest son of Isaac and Sarah Jenkins.

ADX/1022/1/26: Military hospital, operating theatre. Orderly: Alfred Michell

ADX/1022/1/27. Alfred Jenkins. Late 1950s/early 1960s

ADX/1022/1/27: Alfred Jenkins

ADX/1022/1/28. Alfred Jenkins. Photograph probably taken in the 1970s or early 1980s.

ADX/1022/1/28: Alfred Jenkins

ADX/1022/1/29. Penrhyncoch School, 1928.
Back row, third from left: John Emlyn Evans (1914-1981)
Middle row, third from right: Gwladys Mary Evans (1916-2003), sister of the above.

ADX/1022/1/29: Penrhyncoch School, 1928

ADX/1022/1/30. Penrhyncoch, probably a school play.
Middle of back row: John Emlyn Evans
Third from left, back row: Gwladys Mary Evans

ADX/1022/1/30: Penrhyncoch, probably a school play

ADX/1022/1/31. Outside Seilo View, Penrhyncoch: J.E. Evans, A.M. Pugh, D.I. Pugh. Probably taken in the 1930s.

ADX/1022/1/31: Outside Seilo View, Penrhyncoch

ADX/1022/1/32. The Vicarage, Penrhyncoch, 1937/38

ADX/1022/1/32: The Vicarage, Penrhyncoch

Garden fete held at Ffosrhydgaled, Chancery, in the mid-1950s in aid of Llanychaearn church.

ADX/1022/1/33. Miss Evelyn Smith, owner of Ffosrhydygaled; Colonel Barge (Miss Smith's cousin); Rev. T.S. Davies, Vicar of Llanychaearn; Miss Gracey.

ADX/1022/1/33: Miss Evelyn Smith; Colonel Barge; Rev. T.S. Davies; Miss Gracey

ADX/1022/1/34-36 Some of the people attending the fete.

ADX/1022/1/34: Garden fete attendees

ADX/1022/1/35: : Garden fete attendees

ADX/1022/1/36: : Garden fete attendees

ADX/1022/2: Other items

ADX/1022/2/1. Newspaper cutting, photograph of 'Ponterwyd schoolchildren, 1908' but there are also many adults in the photograph which may suggest that this is a Sunday school group.

ADX/1022/2/1: Newspaper cutting

ADX/1022/2/2. Autograph book of Dorothy Williams (later Michell).
This item has been digitized. Click here to view

ADX/1022/2/3. Poem (in Welsh) written in memory of Elizabeth Evans (née Jenkins, formerly Williams) of Penybont, Ponterwyd, the mother of Dorothy (née Williams) Michell. Poem was submitted by 'Cyfaill Calon' to the Eisteddfod Gadeiriol, Ponterwyd, 11 August 1926.
This item has been digitized. Coming soon!

ADX/1022/2/4. Article 'Galw Heibio' from a papur bro (?early 2000s).
The photograph is of Mrs Laura Jones (née Michell) of Penybont, Ponterwyd, who caried on the tradition started by her grandmother, Mrs Elizabeth Evans, of allowing a doctor's surgery to be held in the parlour at Penybont. The last surgery to use the premises was the Llanilar practice.
The article goes on to feature the first doctor to use the premises. Before marrying David Evans and moving to Penybont, Mrs Williams - as she was then - lived at Talwrn View, (Ty'r Gof), Ponterwyd, where the doctor's surgery first started.