| Diwylliant
ac Adloniant
Staff yng Nghraig-y-Nos |
![]() Staff yng Nghraig-y-Nos, tua 1893. Gwelir Adami, y cogydd yn sefyll o fewn ffrâm y drws ar y dde. Mae Patrocini yn eistedd ymhellach ar y dde. Amgueddfa ac Oriel Gelf Brycheiniog |
Yn ystod ei blynyddoedd yn briod ag Ernest Nicholini, cynhaliodd Adelina Patti nifer o bartïon a pherfformiadau yn y Castell ac roedd angen nifer fawr o staff ar gyfer ei ffordd foethus o fyw. Ar un adeg, roedd saith deg aelod o staff, a oedd yn darparu llawer iawn o waith a llewyrch i'r gymuned leol. Roedd hi'n gyflogwraig ffyddlon a hael iawn ac yn ôl pob golwg, roedd y staff yn meddwl y byd ohoni. Bu'n gofalu am ei staff hyd yn oed pan nad oeddynt yn cael eu cyflogi ganddi bellach, gan ganiatáu iddynt fyw yn y castell pan nad oedd ganddynt unrhyw le arall i fynd.
Roedd Ethel Rosate-Lunn, a aeth i weithio i Madam Patti ar ddechrau'r ugeinfed ganrif yn cofio bod y staff ". . . lived together like a happy family." Hefyd, mae'n cofio sut y byddai'r Madam yn:
". . ..often invite the staff to dress in any fancy dress available and assemble after dinner in the billiard room. Madame, too, would often dress in fancy dress; generally it was a dress that she had worn in opera, and for a while she would enjoy herself with us. Then she would turn to Daniel Longo, the butler, and say 'Pop the corks Longo', this being the signal for the drinks, and we would all, Madame included, drink a glass of champagne or port. I well remember a night when she entertained us by dancing and playing the castanets. What a delightful figure she made as she danced and played in Spanish costume."
Roedd y Nadolig hefyd yn amser hapus i'r staff yng Nghraig-y-Nos. Serch hynny, ychydig iawn o loddestau a miri a gafwyd yn ystod priodas olaf y Fadam â'r Baron Cedestrom. Dim ond pan y byddai ef oddi cartref y byddai'r gloddestau hyn yn digwydd. Ymddengys bod y Barwn yn credu bod angen bod yn llawer iawn mwy gofalus gydag arian o fewn y cartref nag yr hyn oedd yn arfer gan y Fadam.was also a happy time for the staff at Craig-y-Nos.
Nid oedd y Madam gartref pan gynhaliwyd cyfrifiad 1891 ond roedd ei chartref yn cynnwys y bobl ganlynol, oedd yn hanu o bell ac agos:
| 1891 Census | ||||||
| Craig-y-Nos Castle, Ystradgynlais Higher | ||||||
| Name | Position
in household |
Marital status |
Age | Occupation | Place of Birth | English/Welsh
speaker |
| Signor Nicolini | Head | M | 66 | Living on his means | Tours France | French, English, Italian, Spanish |
| A Nicholas | Visitor | M | 68 | Living on his means | Tours France | French, English |
| Wilh Heck | Serv | S | 40 | Steward | Malmedy Germany | German, ?, English |
| Nicolas Diels | Serv | S | 30 | Cook | Meune France | French, Spanish |
| N G Norris | Serv | M | 50 | Butler | Hampshire | English |
| Ellen Hartley | Serv | S | 30 | Cook | Lancashire Liverpool | English |
| Mary Griffiths | Serv | S | 32 | Housemaid | Breconshire Ystradgynlais | English |
| Ann Morgan | Serv | S | 27 | Housemaid | Breconshire Ystradgynlais | English |
| Margaret Williams | Serv | S | 22 | Housemaid | Cardiganshire | English |
| Rachel Potter | Serv | S | 21 | Housemaid | Breconshire Ystradgynlais | English |
| Caroline Potter | Serv | S | 16 | Housemaid | Breconshire Ystradgynlais | English |
| Constantine Hibbert | Serv | S | 27 | Head Gardener | Derbyshire Burslow | English |
| William Hinton | Serv | S | 28 | Gardener | Bucks Claydon | English |
| Thomas F Jones | Serv | S | 23 | Gardener | Shropshire | English |
| David Giddings | Serv | S | 21 | Gardener | London Highgate | English |
| David Edwards | Serv | S | 21 | Gardener | Breconshire Devynock | Both |
| William Wright | Serv | S | 21 | Labourer | Gloucestershire | English |
| Harry Bedice | Serv | S | 27 | Gardener | Shropshire Lydbury | English |
| Thomas Bevan | Serv | M | 48 | Coachman | Pembrokeshire | English |
| George Marsh | Serv | S | 20 | Groom | Somerset Church Hill | English |
| Timothy O'Donovan | Serv | M | 50 | Game Keeper | Ireland Cork | Both |
| William May | Serv | M | 55 | Coachman | Glamorganshire Neath | English |
Roedd yna gipar hefyd yn byw yn y Porthdy:
| Keeper's Lodge | ||||||
| Name | Position
in household |
Marital status |
Age | Occupation | Place of Birth | English/Welsh
speaker |
| Francis A White | Head | M | 30 | Gamekeeper | Glamorgan Cowbridge | English |
| Emma White | Wife | M | 25 | Glamorgan | English | |
Cyflogwyd Constantine Hibbert, y Pen Arddwr gan Madam Patti am nifer o flynyddoedd ac roedd dal yno pan bu farw yn 1919. Byddai'n aml yn ymweld â'i fwthyn ar ei theithiau cerdded dyddiol gan ei bod yn meddwl y byd o'i bum plentyn, yn enwedig Hector, ei fab hynaf. Roedd Ethel Rosate-Lunn yn cofio:
". . . Con Hibbert was talking to [Madame] and mentioned that he had rheumatism in his hand. She said to him 'Con, I have seen a ring advertised that is supposed to be good for rheumatism in the hand; I will get you one.' She did so, and she would often ask him if the ring gave him relief and he would say 'Yes Milady.' But as he often said to me there was more diplomacy than truth in what he said."
Roedd dau aelod o staff na chafwyd sôn amdanynt ar y cyfrifiad hwn yn fawr iawn eu parch. Un ohonynt oedd Adamo Adami, oedd yn gogydd a ymunodd â'r staff ychydig yn ddiweddarach a'r llall oedd Lorenza Coureneu de Patrocini.