Thomas Prichard I
Thomas Prichard (sometimes spelt Pritchard) was born in Aberffraw, Anglesey in 1799 and died between 1865 & 1871. He aided James Spooner in the survey and construction of the railway and had previously been employed by George Stephenson on the building of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It is felt by some that he did more to help James Spooner than "assist" implies.
He was employed directly by the FR Co. from 1834 although maybe not from when the Company took over building the line with direct labour in May 1834 and it is believed he was still working for the Company when he died. At a dinner, in 1865, held to mark the introduction of steam locomotives, Holland noted he was the longest serving employee, at 31 years. In the early days he appears to have kept the accounts although that was probably not his whole job.
He married Eleanor (22 years his junior) from Blaenau Ffestiniog and they had 8 children, Richard b. 1842, Thomas b. 1844, Elizabeth b. 1846, John b. 1849, Ellis b.1851, Margaret b.1854, David b. 1856, Robert b. 1858 & Ellen b.1862. They lived at various addresses in Llanfrothen, Cefn meusydd in 1851 and later Fryddywernydd & Brithwernydd. It's not clear if the last two names are the same house. A search for Cefn meusydd and Brithwernydd shows both places to be in Penrhyndeudraeth today.
In 1911 most of the children were still living at Brithwernydd.
Information from 1851, 61, 71, 81 and 1911 census