Henllys Fawr, Aberffraw, was William John Griffith’s father’s family home. W J Griffith was brought up in Llansadwrn and educated at Biwmares and the University at Bangor. He enlisted in the army in 1914 but returned to farm Henllys Fawr after the death of his father in 1916.

W J Griffith won a prize in the newspaper, Y Genedl Gymreig, fro his story Eos y Pentan in 1924, Yr Hen Siandri was published in Y Genedl in 1925 and new stories appeared regularly until Christmas 1930. The stories were collected together by T Rowland Hughes and were published in 1938 under the title Storïau’r Henllys Fawr. W J Griffith died before the book saw the light of day.

Television adaptations by Gareth Miles were broadcast on S4C in the 1980s.