Myfanwy

Myfanwy Thomas (1821-1838) First born daughter of Dilwyn Thomas, a tenor of the Dowlais Male Voice Choir and Sian Thomas, a nurse who attended the victims of the dreaded cholera. At the age of 17 Myfanwy went walking along the Taff Trail with her younger brother, Huw. He and Myfanwy had an argument and Huw ran off towards Morlais Heritage Trail. Myfanwy realising that her father, a well-known womaniser and heavy drinker, would beat her if she returned home without him, she decided to go look for him. She climbed the wall that acts as a canal for the Taff to get a better view of the area. She lost her footing and slipped on a wet rock. She plunged into the river and was weighed down by a heavy tree branch that she had hit before going into the river. She drowned at the bottom of the river. At the same time Huw, unaware of his sister's demise, kept on running and assumed that she was still chasing him. After 15 minutes he realised that something was wrong and he was lost. As it was getting cold he decided to take shelter in a hollow tree that was just big enough for him. He stayed in the tree and prayed to God that his sister would find him. He died of hypothermia the next morning. He was laid to rest in Ponsticill Churchyard. Myfanwy's body was strangely never recovered.

John Rees
1907

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