Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Sympathy letter sent to Mrs Lyall following the death of her husband Eric at Dinorwig Quarry. Mr Eric Lyall was the last person to be killed as a result of an accident at Dinorwig Quarry (on the 8 September 1966). Mr Lyall fell 120 feet whilst trying to dislodge a large boulder. While trying to dislodge the boulder a large amount of quarry rubble moved, and dragged Mr Lyall down with it (120 feet), and as a result Mr Lyall fractured his skull. At the time of his death Mr Lyall was 45 years old, and was a father to three children (aged 20, 17, and 10 years old). The author of the letter is unknown, but it has been written on behalf of the quarrymen of Marchlyn, Dinorwig Quarry. The letter lists the names of 50 quarrymen who contributed financially to Mrs Lyall and the family following their loss – referred to locally as ‘rhestr offrwm’. The letter notes the name of the village where the quarrymen lived, and also the amount of money they donated. The slate quarrying areas of north west Wales had a tradition of ‘danfon’ and ‘offrymu’. ‘Danfon’ refers to the practice of visiting the briefed family during the three days before the funeral to express their sympathies, and often leaving a gift – most often a sum of money. ‘Offrymu’ or ‘ffrymu’ refers to the tradition of giving the bereaved family a monetary contribution.