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Mawrth 2004 March

Old Carrog

Continuing our series taken from a 1950s essay, the subject this month is Local Characters:

The ‘Man of the Moment’ in the early part of the century was Mr. Edward Jones, Park Shop. He worked hard for the betterment of the villagers, encouraging them to save. He encouraged the Quarrymen to keep two pigs - he would provide free flour to fatten the pigs and in the autumn he would buy one pig at six pence a lb. They would keep the other pig for themselves. He also encouraged them to plant potatoes in the local farmer‘s field - at 6 old pence for twenty yards.

Amos Williams was another good character - he kept the pub and sold coal and he was a noted fisherman. He would make his own flies and was in great demand by the visiting fishermen from the Midlands who came to stay with the families in the village.

Amos’ wife, Mary Williams, was also well known for her skill in medicines. She was famous for her plants and herbs. The village lads were also keen on fishing. Amos would sell them three hooks for a penny for eels and one hook a penny for trout. The eels the lads brought back to Mary who would give them a penny or two according to size. Mary then made oil to heal earaches. It is also said that the eels were skinned and split into shoe laces.

The Rhagatt family, the “Lloyds” as they were called, played a prominent part in the life of Carrog in the past. They were specially generous to the people who ‘lived on the parish’. It was said that at one time they had to leave Rhagatt for three years because they had overspent (renting their house out), and congratulations to all those who noticed last month that the author of this essay had omitted the Swan from the list of pubs.

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