Hugh Pugh born 1822, went to Argentina

From the information that I was given in Argentina on the date of birth of Hugh Pugh and his wife Mary Ann Thomas, I have pieced together the family tree from UK census data, IGI (mormon) data, and the UK Birth, marriage and death records.

However this is not a brother of "our" Evan, as this Hugh would need a father "Richard" rather than "John". There is no record of a John Pugh having children baptised in Llanfachreth Parish Church at this time. And although we know from the Llanfachreth records that a Hugh Pugh was born on 16 May 1822 it was to Richard & Anne, not John. The difficulty is that there is no other Hugh Pugh in 1851 census that could be this man, either he is dead or the reords are confused.

1821 Born Llanfachrech (The son of John Pugh. Father given on marriage cert) I cannot find this birth in the Llanfachrech registers. The only Hugh Pugh given in the period 1820/21/22 in Llanfachrech is to Richard & Anne Pugh on 16 May 1822. There is no record in the transcripts of a John Pugh having children in the parish at that time.

DOLGELLAU, (or Dolgelly) a parish, market town, locally situated in the hundred of Talybout, in the county of Merioneth, North Wales. It is the county town of Merionethshire, in conjunction with Bala. 16½ miles from Machynlleth, the terminus of the Newtown and Machynlleth railway, from whence access is by coach. A railway is now in course of construction. Dolgelly is situated in a beautiful valley, as its name implies, "the Dale of the Hazel Groves," between the rivers Arran and Wnion, under Cader-Idris, the summit of which is about 6 miles distant. The parish contains Brithdir, Isaf and Uwchaf, Cefnyr-Owen, Dolgledr, Dyffrydan, and Garthgynfawr, North and South, in all, eight townships." [From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

1849 Hugh Pugh marries Ellinor Roberts on 4th August 1849 in Trawsfynydd (12 miles north of Dolgellau). I have this certificate now, and its shows Hugh Pugh, age 28, a joiner, son of John Pugh (labourer) living in Parish of Maentwrog (15 miles NW of Dollgellau) marrying Ellen Roberts, age 23, living in Trawsfynydd (12 miles north of Dolgellau). This is certainly the correct marriage, so is not connected to "our" Pughs in the way I thought.

1851 census gives him living at Penlau, Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire

Hugh Pugh age 31. A joiner (carpenter), born in Llanfachreth, Merionethshire
Ellinor Pugh age 27. A dressmaker, born in Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire
With their child
Robert Pugh age 9 months

Note: "LLANFACHRETH, a parish in the hundred of Talybont, county Merioneth, 3 miles N.E. of Dolgelly, its post town. It is situated in a hilly neighbourhood, watered by a tributary of the river Maw, and abounds with good pasturage. The parish includes the townships of Isafon and Uwchafon-Nannaw. Copper is obtained here. The village is situated at the N. foot of Moel Orthrwm, in the valley of the Mawddach. Here is a romantic pathway called the Precipice Walk. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Bangor, value £92. The church is dedicated to St. Mackreth, and was restored partly at the expense of the patron in 1820. The Calvinistic Methodists have two chapels. The parochial charities produce about £9 per annum. This was the birth-place of Rice Jones, the Welsh bard. Fairs are held on the 22nd April, 30th June, 15th August, and 23rd October." [From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

Note : "TRAWSFYNYDD, a parish, with a village, in Festiniog district, Merioneth; 6 miles ESE of Penrhyn-Dendrath r. station, and 12½ N of Dolgelly. It has a post-office under Carnarvon, and three annual fairs. Acres, 21,950. Real property, £5,320. Pop., 1,517. Houses, 327. The property is much subdivided. Much of the land is bleak mountain; but some parts are fertile or highly picturesque. Castell-Prysor was a Roman fort; and there are an ancient camp and some tumuli. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Bangor. Value, £179.* Patron, the Bishop of B. The church was restored in 1855. There are two dissenting chapels." ref 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales

1856 Hugh Samuel Pugh born 7 Sept 1856 at Festiniog, Merioneth, Wales (this is also in IGI, Mormon records) and a UK birth cert can be got from ref 11b 384 Dec quarter for birth cert). Married in 1885 at Rawson, Chubut, Argentina to Mary Ann Coslet Thomas born 24 Apr at 1865 Tredegar, Monmouth, England ( her parents were Father: David Coslet Thomas and Mother: Eleanor Thomas ). Death on 18 July 1932 at Gaiman, Chubut, Argentina

1861 Census gives their household in Peniel, Ffestiniog of

Hugh Pugh age 41 born in Ffestiniog Merionethshire, Wales. A carpenter
Ellen Pugh age 37 his wife
And children all born in Ffestiniog Merionethshire
Robert Pugh age 10
John Pugh age 9
Evan Pugh age 7
Hugh Pugh age 4
Ellenor Pugh age 7 months

1871 census gives a household at Gwynfryn, Ffestiniog

Hugh Pugh age 52 born in Llanfachreth, Merionethshire, Wales. A carpenter
Ellen Pugh, age 48 his wife age 21 born in Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire, Wales. A dressmaker
And their children
Robert Pugh age 21 born in Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire, Wales. A quarryman
Hugh Pugh age 15 age 21 born in Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire, Wales. A quarryman
Ellen Pugh age 12 born in Ffestiniog
Ann Pugh age 10 born in Ffestiniog
William Pugh age 6 born in Ffestiniog
Susannah Pugh age 3 born in Ffestiniog

1874 The probable death of his wife Ellen Pugh is in Deaths (Jun 1874 Festiniog 11b 317) age 52

1881 census shows that the son Hugh had left home, and that his mother had died. The household is now at Church Street, Ffestiniog

Hugh Pugh Age: 59 born in Llanfachreth, Merionethshire. Widow. Carpenter
Children are
Ellen Pugh age 21 A dressmaker
William Pugh age 16. Capenter’s son
Susannah Pugh age 13

1881 His family, 5 surviving children except Ellen then aged 21, left for Patagonia and the Welsh colony in Argentina. The children that came to Argentina with him were Hugh Pugh (b 1856) whom we follow below, Ann Pugh (b 1860) who married Robert Lloyd Kent and they lived with their family in small farm No. 292. Robert Pugh (b1850) lived at Dolavon, which he transformed into a villa with orchards of various fruit trees, alfalfa and cereals, and a precious garden. William Pugh (b 1864) who married Hannah Brazier, lived in Trelew. There he was the first head of the post office. Susannah Pugh (b 1867) died young - of yellow fever - in the city of Buenos Aires. Ref "Reunion de familia en el Sur" by Albina Jones de Zampini, published by Jarme Talleres Graficos, Trelew, Chubut (1995); ISBN 950-43-6070-X.

1885 Hugh Pugh (b1856) married Mary Ann Coslett Thomas at Rawson, Chubut, Argentina. (She was born 24 April 1865 at Tredegar, Monmouth and died 22 Sep 1952 ). Their 11 children included Ellena (b1886, mother of Miguel Calderon), John Pugh (b1888), Susannah Pugh (b1893), Dewi Coslett Pugh (b1897), Mihangel Pugh (b1899), Lemuel Pugh (b1902), Victoria Pugh (b1903), Hugh Pugh (b1905), Osvaldo Roca Pugh (b1908 ). They had the first tea house in Gaiman and the first hotel.

1886 re-married. Hugh Pugh (b1822) and Elizabeth Jones were married on 25 May, 1886, at Frongoch, the home of Mr Davydd Williams, and the ceremony was officiated by the Rev. W. C. Rhys. She was a widow, a native of Rhyl, North Wales, who had arrived at the Chubut in 1881 with two daughters There were no children of this marriage. On the day of the wedding. Huw Pugh was 65 years of age and Elizabeth was 37. The witnesses were Thomas Morgan and Rhys Thomas. Hugh Pugh was a carpenter from Blaenau Ffestiniog, and later the owner of a hotel in Gaiman. His first wife died in Blaenau Ffestiniog and he and his children, with the exception of Ellen, emigrated to Patagonia in 1881.(source ) (marriage certificate)

"Arriving with little ceremony, and walking around the streets of the village like any one of us"- in this way a villager recorded the visit of Argentina's President Roca early in 1899. It was here in Hugh Pugh´s hotel that the local authorities received the president, where today the Gaiman´s School of Music is housed. Part of Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid´s band stayed here as they passed through the colony too.

Photo of Hugh Pugh and family from from :Museum of History of the Welsh Settlement in Gaiman

The photo is asccribed to Hugh Pugh b1822, but I suspect that it is of Hugh b1856. Looking at the age of the man and the children, it does not fit with a 28 year age difference with his wife, nor does the man appear to be over 70. To be Hugh the elder it would have had to have been take in Wales perhaps around 1865. He appears to have been to a funeral from the band on his arm. A more likely man would be Hugh Pugh b1856, and the photo taken around 1895.

The National Library of Wales has letters and postcards from William and Hugh Pugh and their families, Trelew, Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Porth Madryn, &c., 1884-1913, addressed to Richard, Ellin and Elizabeth Roberts, Blaenau Ffestiniog. Griffith John Williams Collection. Welsh & English. Given Hugh Pugh's first wife was a roberts, these could have been lettters to the grandparents by his children.

Richard Pugh b1788