Grave of Thomas Roberts, Conwy

Grave of Thomas RobertsThomas Roberts (d.1856)

The first occupant of this family grave was Charles Roberts, son of Thomas and Silence Roberts. He died aged three in 1827. His grieving father wrote the short Welsh verse which appears on the tombstone, signing it with his bardic name Myrddin. All of the factual information on the tombstone is inscribed in English.

Thomas Roberts was licensee of the Black Horse Inn from 1834 to 1856. The pub was in Castle Street, not far from this grave, and is now home to Conwy Bakery. He was also headmaster of Conwy’s National School (now Conwy Visitor Centre), where children from poor families were educated. His son Thomas Aneurin Roberts was a druggist (pharmacist), and postmaster of Conwy 1842-1882.

It appears that Myrddin was well regarded locally as a poet. Two other tombstones in this churchyard bear verses which are credited to him. One is the grave of Elizabeth Holland (the previous grave in our churchyard tour), the other was initially the grave of his grandson, who died aged four months. Myrddin himself died, aged 70, on 3 December 1856.

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