The evening started with our AGM when the Chairman, Richard welcomed all present and proceeded with a comprehensive report on the year`s activities. The Society is now starting the new year with 100 members and a healthy financial account.

2 new Members were elected to the Committee and members were given the 2024/25 programme of events.

We then moved on to our Speaker for the evening who was Robert Jones and his film show of the long history of Meliden Churchyard
This was so interesting as the film was accompanied by a running commentary and covered so many centuries.

The graveyard in Meliden is in three sections:

1. An ancient circular graveyard that surrounds the church. This was from the original “hill” built up with graves in the original burial ground.
2. An 1862 extension.
3. A much larger section opened in 1938 and is still used today. There are burial registers from 1602 but there are many gaps.

The location of graves was never systematically recorded until 1996. The Sextons kept a typed record from 1938onwards when the new extension was opened and each grave had a given plot on a map.

From 1943 onwards ashes were interred here, originally placed in existing graves but as the practice became more popular there was a designated area near the Church porch and later in 1984 a rectangular plot near the Dawson tomb.

Since then there have been other areas also. There are family vaults and graves for historical families of the area.

As Talargoch was, from Roman times onwards, a mining area mainly lead and limestone, it was recorded that "Our graveyard is full of Miners, some died of accidents, some lived until the age of 42 very often with lung complaints, and very few lived to old age".

Important families mentioned were The Dawson family who was the first to be buried in Meliden, Thomas Dixon, family vault, and Henry Pochin of Bodnant Gardens fame, a most interesting and informative evening.

Thank you, Robert.

The evening closed with refreshments being served by Josie and Isobel which included Josie`s delicious cakes.  Thank you, Josie and Isobel.

Our next meeting will be on the 7th of June at 7 pm at the Community Centre when the talk will be “Blood Bikers Wales” by Phil Hackney please join us.