Margaret William's Letters to her son Ben in America

Fron, Llanengan. December 13th 1928

Annwyl blant

Dear Children

Daeth eich llythur ychydig yn ol, da gennym ei gael fel arfer a deall eich bod yn iach fel yr ydym ninnau yma ar hyn o bryd. Mae y tywydd caled yma yn dal dipyn arnaf fi dim yn cael mynd allan fawr ers tro oes yma ddim buwch odro rwan felly caf aros yn fy ngwely faint fynaf.

Your letter arrived recently. As usual I was pleased to receive it and to know you are well, as we are at this time. This hard weather is affecting me somewhat. I haven't been able to get out much for some time. There is no milking cow here now so I can stay in bed as long as I like.

yr ydym yn cael tywydd oer iawn yn gynar eleni disgwyl am well gwanwyn, dim eira eto ond rhyw un gawod yma. Wel y mae y gwyliau bron yn ymyl buasai yn dda genyf gael eich cwmno ind rhaid boddloni i drefn rhagluniaeth fel y gorfydd bod.

We are having very cold weather early this year. Hoping for a better spring. No snow yet except for the odd shower here. Well the festival season is almost here and it would be good to have your company, but we must bow to what has to be.

Mae yma yn Cymru wyf yn feddwl dylodi mawr, maent yn dweud fod yn South Wales 70 thousand o bobl heb ddim gwaith au plant bach heb gael ond un pryd yn y dydd ar siopwyr yn methu cael dim iw werthu, pawb yn dioddef, buasech yn teimlo yn arw pe heb fwyd i Willlie a Maragaret oni fuasech yr ydym yn gwneud casgliad arbenig y Sul nesaf yn yr eglwysi ac yn trefnu i yru dillad yno mae yn rhaid fod rhywbeth o le wrth fod cymmaint dryswch toes fawr o weithio yn chwareli llechi y sir yma chwaith fel y mae yn ein plith ninnau dlodi ond y mae llawer yn cael mwy na digon. Mae hi bur dda on cwmpas ni a chenym ychydig I helpu pobl eraill.

Here in Wales I think there is great poverty. They say that in South Wales there are 70,000 people unemployed and their little children getting only one meal a day and the shops unable to get anything to sell. All are suffering. You would feel the pain if you had no food for Willie and Margaret wouldn't you. We are having a special collection next Sunday in the churches and organising to send clothes there. There much be something wrong for there to be so much disorder. There is not much work going on in the slate quarries in this county either. There is poverty in our midst but many people have more than enough. It is quite good around here and we have some to help other people.

Mae hi yn reit ddifyr arnoch chi yn cael cwmni eich mam am y gaeaf yma buaswn innau yn lecio bod yna ond byddaf yn teimlo yn dawel os byddwch yn iach.

It must be quite nice for you to have your mother with you this winter, I would like to be there aswell, but I am quite content as long as you are well.

Dal yn wael mae y Brenin o hyd, mae y Prince wedi dod adre rwan. Bu yn y wlad yma dipyn o stwr efo cael President pob plaid ddim yn cytuno ynte.

The King is still ill and the Prince has now come home. There was quite a fuss in this country about having a president but the parties couldn't agree could they.

Mae Griff yn Ty Newydd yn helpu dyrnu heddyw. Rhaid I mi dewi gyda dymuno Nadolig lawen I chwi oll a Happy New Year

Griff is in Ty Newydd today helping with the threshing. I must finish now while wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Cofion fil

eich mam

A thousand regards,

Your mother.

Fron, Llanengan. Ionawr 30ain 1929 Jan 30th 1929

(Across top left) Mae Salmon wedi tynu ei ddanedd bob un. Mis Mawrth y caiff o rai. 

Salmon has had his teeth pulled out - every one of them. He'll get some in March.

Annwyl blant

Dear Children,

Daeth eich Cerdyn Nadolig ar llythur mae yn ddrwg genyf fy mod wedi bod mor hir heb atteb. Cefais anwyd trwm tua Calan a Griff hefyd bum i heb godi am wythnos oeddwn i ddim yn sal iawn chwaith ond yn pesychu yn arw iawn chawn i ddim trio codi am ei bod yn oer nid wyf yn cofio tywydd mor oer erioed o November tan ganol y mis yma. Yr wyf yn teimlo yn well y dyddiau yma nag y bum ers misoedd rhaid cymmeryd gofal mae misoedd o dywydd caled yn ein haros etto. Tydi hi ddim mor oer rwan chwaith.

Your Christmas card and letter came. I am sorry I have been so long in replying. I had a heavy cold over the New Year and so did Griff. I was in bed for a week. I wasn't very ill though, just coughing very badly. I couldn't try to get up, as it was cold. I don't ever remember such cold weather, from November to the middle of this month. But I am feeling better these days than I have felt for months. We must take care, there are months of cold weather still ahead on us. It is not as cold now though.

Mi fu yr yellow fever ar Hywel bach. Mi fendiodd yn fuan iawn hefyd mae yn mynd I'r ysgol yr wythnos yma.

Little Hywel had the yellow fever, but he got better quickly though and is going to school this week.

Mae Jane yn gofyn tybed y cafodd y plant rywbeth oedd hi wedi yru iddynt y Nadolig yr oedd Einion wedi ei gael. Ydi Willie wedi mynd yn fawr run fath a hogyn John. Cawsom ei lun mae yn edrych yn llanc. Rhyfedd fel y mae plant yn dod ymlaen a mi yn mynd yn ol ond toes gen innau ddim ond achos diolch mae pob peth yn bur dda. Mae y Flu wedo bod yn bur ddrwg y ffordd yma. Wel hyderaf eich bod yn iach fel yr ydym ninnau yma i gid.

Jane is asking if the children received some things that she sent them for Christmas. Einion had received his. Has Willie grown tall like John's boy? We received his photograph. He looks a bit of a lad. It is funny how the children move on and I am moving backwards but I have nothing but cause for thanks. Everything is pretty good. The flu has been quite bad round here. Well I hope that you are all well as we are all here.

Rhaid tewi y tro yma gyda chofion fil

eich mam

I must finish this time with a thousand regards,

Your mother.

Yr wyf am dreio gwneud tipyn o fara brith a pudding fel arfer a gwnaiff y ddwt ferch fy helpu os bydd eisiau. Buaswm yn gallu ysgrifenu cyfrolau o ran fy meddwl a digon I ddweud ond y mae yn oer I fod wrth y bwrdd, ac I beth ynte.

I am going to try my best to make bara brith and pudding as usual. The two girls will help if needed. I could write volumes as far as my mind goes and plenty to say but it is cold by the table and for what, isn't it.

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