Delta Welsh Heritage

Below: Tombstone of Henry Willams, Nant y Graean  gynt ger Bangor, Bu Farw trwy ddamwain Ionawr 4, 1868, 51 ml.  (originally from Nant y Graean, Bangor, North Wales, died through an accident January 4, 1868, aged 51 years.)                       

Er cof am - in memory of

Bu farw - died

Priod - spouse (husband or wife)

Plant - children

oed - age(d)

ml. - years, mis. - months 

G.C. - Gogledd Cymru (N. Wales)

gynt o/gynt ger - previously from

trwy ddamwain - through accident

mab mabw ysiedig - adopted son

Slateville Cemetery, like most others, has ongoing maintenance fees.  An endowment fund has been established to help with the perpetual care of this historic cemetery.  If you would like more information, please contact Bob Scarborough at 717-456-5126.  To donate to the fund, please send your contribution to:

Slateville Presbyterian Church

Attn: Patty Fantom

PO Box 637

Delta, PA   17314

For generations, Slateville cemetery, located beside the Slateville Presbyterian Church, has been the final resting place of members of that congregation, as well as Rehoboth Welsh Chapel. Veterans of nearly every American war since the Revolution are buried here.

What sets this cemetery apart from others is the presence of the dark grey tombstones made from local Peach Bottom slate. Beautifully carved with Bibles, flowers, or willow trees, they often mark the graves of immigrants from communities in North Wales. Names such as Williams, Jones, Evans, Roberts, and Griffith dot the cemetery.  Many of the stones are inscribed in Welsh, and bear a uniquely Welsh form of poetry known as englyn. The tombstones tell an important part of the story of life in Delta at the time. The native village inscribed is a reminder of a beloved homeland left behind. Able young men died in quarry accidents, and young mothers in childbirth. Parents lost one or more children to illness, sometimes only months apart, and often before the age of five years.

WELSH PLACE NAMES LISTED

BANGOR, BEDDGELERT, BETHESDA, BLAENAU FFESTINIOG, BRYNCRUG, CAERNARFON, CLWTYBONT, COED MAWR, CORRIS, OGWEN, DINORWIG, EBENEZER, FFESTINIOG, LANLLECHYD, LLANBERIS, LLANDEINIOLEN, LLANRUG, PENNAL, PENRHYNDEUDRAETH, PENTREFOELAS, TYN Y MAES, WAENFAWR, BWLCH UCHAF, NANT U CHAF, NANT Y GRAEAN

SOUTH WALES

SIR GAERFYRDDIN (CARMARTHENSHIRE)

DOWLAIS 

Also of interest:

David E. Williams 1820-1887

gynt ger Penrhyndeudraeth

Elizabeth (wife) 1819-1905

David (son) d. 1875, aged 16

Earliest known residents of one of the still-standing cottages in Coulsontown (see Cottages page)

Coming soon: more on those buried in Slateville Cemetery