John Wynne's family lived in a mansion which is now Gop farm |
According to Bangor Professor Robert Jenkins the industrial pioneer John Wynne (1650-1714) was instrumental in the development of Newmarket. He had a vision of developing the hamlet into a market town proper. He built houses, established a weekly market and established the Nonconformist chapel in 1701 as well as building a grammar school at "plas yn dre".
His wish to develop Newmarket into a large market town ultimately came to nothing, but Wynne was responsible for the village's growth and its population did top over 600 residents.
John Wynne died n 1714 and his remains was buried against the wall of the Chapel which still exists in Chapel street.
Ty Wynne ( or Wynne House) which adjoins the Chapel wall where John Wynne is supposedly buried |
In the early 1970s Ty Wynne featured in a somewhat creepy tale. Local small older Graham Jones was just leaving the memorial hall one wintry and rainy night.. He had been playing snooker and as he got on his bicycle he saw a figure of a man standing in the gateway of Ty Wynne.
The man was wearing an old fashioned long coat and hat, and seemed to acknowledge Graham before he cycled for home.
Literally a minute later Graham approached his home along London road and was astonished and frightened to see the same man standing alone outside his own home!
Graham wisely stopped and returned for the morale support from his friends back in the hall and by the time he returned mob handed the "man" had vanished
Could the figure be that of Trelawnyd's founder John Wynne?
Who knows?
As a footnote , I have added this faint clipping from the 1908 "Welsh Coast Pioneer"
It shows a very old photograph of the chapel prior to the insertion of the large windows. It looked very much like a large cottage rather than the chapel that we know today
What a great story, John. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tale. Love this stuff, as I am a history buff.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant story :) my ancestors lived there, they were sawyers just doing some research
ReplyDeleteSome things you can't explain. Plenty ghost stories in Wales. I had a couple of strange feelings when I stayed in an old coaching inn in Powys. Someone brushing past me...no one there. I refused the first room I was given. The heating was on but it was really cold in there. so I had the room next door. I heard someone in the room as I was going to bed but was told no one had been in that room. I was told at breakfast I wasn't the only one to have refused the room and people had reported strange feelings.
ReplyDeleteI love a good ghost story!
ReplyDelete