Abraham Lee

“I say to myself, well, I better get a place of my own and stay there, and learn the way of this country living.”


Abraham Lee was born in Dominica, on September 22nd in 1942. His father arrived in Britain just after the Second World War…


“He was one of the first people who come to England, because after the war… it [Britain] was so badly destroyed, they want people to work for them to rebuild England, that’s why people from the West Indies had to come… he didn’t come here long… I think five or six years and then he left. He come back [to Dominica] and then he bought a ship.”

On arrival to Britain, Abraham worked in England as a baker, and at one point a lift operator in The Cumberland Hotel, before following his children to Bute Street in Cardiff, Wales.


“I say to myself, I don’t ever want to be out of work… I always at work… I see my kids sleeping when I go, when I come back I see them sleeping again… I get one day on Sunday off, when I come here, and that’s where I could see my kids…”


He spent 6–7 years working as a hod carrier in Wales. “That’s why I live in Wales, [very different] that’s why I stay. Well, the people was friendly, you could leave your house open, go to town, go where ever you want, your neighbour will look after your house. Nobody will trouble you at all, see, and I say well that’s better than where I come from, and I stay there and I stayed in Cardiff…”


“Dyma fi’n dweud wrthyf fi fy hun, wel, mae’n well imi gael fy lle fy hun ac aros yno, a dysgu sut mae byw yn y wlad hon.”

Ganed Abraham Lee yn Dominica, ar yr 22ain o Fedi 1942. Cyrhaeddodd ei dad Brydain yn fuan iawn ar ôl yr Ail Ryfel Byd...

“Fe oedd un o’r bobl gyntaf a ddaeth i Loegr, oherwydd ar ôl y rhyfel... roedd [Prydain] wedi’i ddifrodi mor ofnadwy, roedden nhw eisiau pobl i weithio iddyn nhw i ailgodi Lloegr, dyna pam roedd rhaid i bobl o India’r Gorllewin ddod... fuodd o ddim yma’n hir... pum neu chwe blynedd rwy’n credu, ac yna fe adawodd. Daeth yn ôl (i Ddominica) ac yna fe brynodd o long.”

Wedi iddo gyrraedd Prydain, fe weithiodd Abraham yn Lloegr fel pobydd, ac ar un adeg fel gweithredwr lifft yn y Cumberland Hotel, cyn dilyn ei blant i Stryd Bute yng Nghaerdydd, Cymru.

“Rwy’n dweud wrthyf fi fy hun, dydw i byth eisiau bod heb waith... rwyf i yn fy ngwaith o hyd... rwy’n gweld fy mhlant yn cysgu pan rwy’n mynd, a phan rwy’n dod yn ôl fe’u gwelaf yn cysgu eto... roeddwn i’n cael un diwrnod i ffwrdd, dydd Sul, pan ddois i yma, a dyna pan fuaswn i’n cael gweld fy mhlant...”

Fe dreuliodd 6–7 blynedd yn gweithio fel cariwr cesig morter yng Nghymru.

“Dyna pam rwy’n byw yng Nghymru, [mae’n wahanol iawn] dyna pam rwy’n aros. Wel, roedd y bobl yn gyfeillgar, roeddech chi’n gallu gadael eich tŷ heb ei gloi, mynd i’r dref, mynd i ble bynnag a fynnech chi, ac mi fuasai’ch cymydog yn edrych ar ôl eich tŷ. Chi’n gweld, fuasai neb yn creu ffwdan ichi, ac mae hynny’n well na’r lle y dois i ohono, ac rwy’ wedi aros yng Nghaerdydd...”