Gwefan newydd sydd yn cynnwys podlediadau gan ddisgyblion rai o ysgolion Llanelli yw Hanesion Llanelli

Fe grëwyd y podlediadau fel ran o brosiect Hanesion Llanelli a luniwyd gan John Derek Rees Swyddog Datblygu Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Elli. Fe gafodd pob un eu recordio a’u cynhyrchu gan Steffan Huw Crocker. Cyflwynwyd hanes lleol i’r ysgolion gan gynnwys Ysgol Penrhos, Ysgol Gymraeg Dewi Sant, Ysgol Gymraeg Bryn Sierfel, Ysgol Pwll, Ysgol Maes y Morfa, Ysgol Llannon a Ysgol Stebonheath.

Cyfuniad o ysgolion penodedig Gymraeg a di-Gymraeg. Yn dilyn y cyflwyniad ar hanesion lleol manteisiwyd ar y cyfle i ymchwilio ymhellach ac yna recordio’r hanes er mwyn i eraill glywed y storiau. Nod y prosiect oedd magu ymdeimlad o hunaniaeth ac o berthyn ymhlith plant Llanelli a’r cylch wrth iddynt ddysgu hanes eu hardal. Roedd hi’n braf iawn i weld y disgyblion yn datgan diddordeb ac awydd wrth iddynt glywed yr hanes.

Nhw sydd yn berchen ar yr hanesion yma ac mae’n holl bwysig eu bod nhw’n eu clywed ac yn rhannu’r storiau. Mae yna fanteision academaidd wrth gwrs, ond mae deall eich hunaniaeth ac o le rydych chi’n dod yn llesol i’n iechyd meddwl. Fe noddwyd y prosiect gan Gyngor Tref Llanelli a Phartneriaeth Cymunedol Llanelli a mawr yw ein diolch iddynt. Diolch arbennig i Gymdeithas Treftadaeth Cymunedol Llanelli am eu cymorth a’u cydweithrediad wrth ymgymryd a’r prosiect hwn. Y cymeriadau dan sylw oedd… Tomos y Barbwr – Caethwas a gafodd ei ddwyn o Affrica â symudodd i Lanelli ar ôl cael ei rhyddhau. Roedd ei wraigynperthyniJosephParryycyfansoddwrenwog.

FegafoddeiemyndônAberystwytheiddefnyddiofel rhan o’r gwrthdystio yn erbyn apartheid yn Ne Affrica. Dai’r Cantwr – Arweinydd Merched Beca yn yr ardal oedd Dai Cantwr ynghyd a Sioni Sgubor Fawr. Fe gafodd ei arestio ym Mhum Heol gan Heddlu Llundain ar ôl 11 o ymosodiadau yn yr ardal. Fe’i garcharwyd yn wrcws Llanelli cyn cael ei gludo i Dasmania am weddill ei oes. David Rees y Cynhyrfwr – Gweinidog Capel Als, Llanelli yn y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg oedd David Rees. Roedd yn gyfrifol am achub plant lleol o’r pyllau glo trwy ddarparu ysgolion ac addysg.

Eleanor Daniels – Un o sêr ffilmiau distaw cynnar oedd yn dweud mae yn yr eisteddfodau dysgodd hi ei chrefft. Ei enw fel rhan o’r orsedd oedd Ellyw. Dai Bach y Soldiwr – Un o’r milwyr gafodd eu danfon i Lanelli gan Winston Churchill yn 1911 er mwyn rhoi stop ar Derfysg y Rheilffordd. Roedd protest heddychlon gan weithwyr Llanelli er mwyn hawlio gwell safonau gwaith a thâl. Fe wrthododd saethu ac fe gafodd ei rhoi o flaen y llys. Cafodd ei fabwysiadu gan bobl Llanelli a’i gynnwys yn y gân, Sosban Fach. Hugh Percy Wilkins – Addurnwr a Phaentiwr yn Llanelli a greodd fap o’r lleuad o’i ardd gefn ac wedi cynilo digon o arian i brynu telesgôp.

Fe gafodd ei fap, sydd nawr yn yr archif yn Grenwich, ei ddefnyddio pan glaniodd NASA ar y lleuad. Eileen Beasley – Dewder Eileen Beasley a’u phriod Trefor bu’n gychwyn i frwydr y iaith gan wrthod talu eu treth tan i’r llythyr fod yn y Gymraeg. Bu’n ymgyrchu’n ddyfal am wyth mlynedd gan golli ran helaeth o’u heiddio cyn iddynt dderbyn llythyr dwyieithog gan y Cyngor. Braint Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Elli yw cyflwyno’r prosiect hwn gan mawr hyderu y bydd yn codi ymwybyddiaeth o hanes ardal ol-ddiwydiannol Llanelli gan ddangos dewrder a dyfalbarhad.

A new website consisting of podcasts created by Llanelli school children. The podcasts were created as part of the Llanelli Histories project compiled by John Derek Rees on behalf of Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Elli.

All were recorded and produced by Steffan Huw Crocker. In each session the class had a presentation about a local history, an opportunity to research further and then to record the story so that others can hear. The aim of the project was to foster a sense of identity among the children of Llanelli as they learn the history of their area.

It was excellent to see school children getting excited and sitting up as they heard about their own history. They own these stories and it is very important that they hear and share them. There are academic benefits of course, but understanding your identity and where you come from is also beneficial to our mental health. The project was sponsored by Llanelli Town Council and Llanelli Community Partnership and we must also thank Llanelli Community Heritage Society for their support.

The individuals included were… Tomos the Barber – A slave who was stolen from Africa who then moved to Llanelli after being freed. His wife was related to Joseph Parry the famous composer. His hymn tune Aberystwyth was used as part of the demonstrations against apartheid in South Africa. Dai’r Cantwr – Merched Becca’s leader in the area together with Sioni Sgubor Fawr. He was arrested in Pum Heol by the Metropolitan Police after 11 attacks on tollbooths in the area. He was imprisoned in Llanelli workhouse before being transported to Tasmania for the rest of his life.

David Rees the Agitator – Minister of Capel Als, Llanelli in the nineteenth century. He was responsible for rescuing local children from the coal mines by providing schools and education. Eleanor Daniels – One of the early silent film stars who said she learned her trade at the eisteddfodau. Her bardic name was Ellyw. Dai Bach y Soldiwr – One of the soldiers sent to Llanelli by Winston Churchill in 1911 to put an end to the Railway Riots, a peaceful protest by Llanelli workers demanding better work standards and pay. He refused to shoot and was court marshalled. He was adopted by the people of Llanelli and included in the song, Sosban Fach.

Hugh Percy Wilkins – A decorator and Painter in Llanelli, he created a map of the moon from his back garden having saved enough money to buy a telescope. His map, which is now in the archive at Grenwich, was used when NASA landed on the moon. Eileen Beasley – She and her Trefor, her husband started the battle for official status for the Welsh Language by refusing to pay their tax until the letter came in Welsh. It took 8 years of campaigning before they received a bilingual letter. The schools who took part – Penrhos, Dewi Sant, Bryn Sierfel, Pwll, Maes y Morfa, Llannon a Stebonheath.