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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Monmouthshire => Topic started by: Pheobe on Wednesday 14 December 05 01:21 GMT (UK)
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Hello
I have traced my GG/Grandfather to Trevethin, Pontypool on the 1871 census Ed Bonehill. Mill Roller born Tipton Staffs.
He is living with other members of his family in Freeholdland Road.
Could anyone please let me know what Rolling Mills were in Trevethin in 1871 or point me in the right direction to find information.
Also, would it be possible for anyone to please take a photo of no 18 Freeholdland Road if it is still standing.
Thank you.
Pheobe :)
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Hi Pheobe
Freeholdland Road is in Pontnewynydd near Pontypool and is still there but I’m not sure about no18. There were lots of forges in the area Pontnewynydd forge, Pontypool Town forge, and many more. My wife’s G G Grandfathers family came from Staffordshire and worked in Pontnewynydd forge. Have a look at the sites below they might be of some help.
Mike
http://www.pontypoolglynpits.co.uk/pontypool's_history.htm
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~familyalbum/kewynydd.htm
http://www.rhwydwaitharchifaucymru.info/cgi-bin/anw/fulldesc_nofr?inst_id=36&coll_id=1186&expand=
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Hello Mike
Thank you for your reply and the links. I will take a look at them. Here is another one which is very useful too.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/
It seems Ed (Edwin) Bonehill moved around quite a bit. in 1861 he was in Doncaster. Then he was in Trevethin for about 4 years. He moved to Staffs for the 1881 census and died in Birmingham, Alabama, Jefferson County USA in 1888. Leaving his family in Grove Lane Harborne.
Once again thank you.
Pheobe :)
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Pheobe
I will take a picture of number 18 freeholdland for you, I will go and see if it is still standing.....
will get back to you ....
Steve
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Pheobe
Its still standing...............start getting excited ;D
Steve
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Pheobe
I have e-mailed you lots and lots.... do let me know if you recived them.
will get back when I find out more on the history of the area
steve ;D
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Hi Phoebe
Very interested to see your post. My gt gt grandfather Edward Gower was on the 1841 census as being a forge man at Pontnewynydd Forge. I assumed that it was a forge as we have now as he gave it as his address for the census and his wife and family appear to have been living there too. However it appears from Mike's reply it was quite a big place so would they have been just living in the area in some kind of shanty town or were there houses? In 1851 he was living somewhere called Nightingales in the same area.
Hope you get to see the photographs
Mary
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Mary
I think Nightingale is the road that goes past St Luke's and leads up to wards Cwm-ffrwd-oer it is a very long road and leads into another road....which I think leads up to the British.
From what I found out today the works was over a large area with large lake areas and the train tracks as well ,built in the valley ,with the houses built further up the hill sides.
Where they were living in 1851 is probably still there but the address for 1841 was probably houses built nearer the works so are most likely gone.
will post again when any old photographs of the area are found.
try goggling Pontnewynydd Abersychan Cwm-ffrwd-oer snatchwood Wainfelin British Hospital Road lower Leigh road
Osborne Road Mill Road all area's and roads around where the works were then.
Steve
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Hi Steve
Thanks very much. Will try what you suggest and let you know how I get on.
Mary
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Hi Mary and Phoebe
Have managed to get some old photographs of the area and a map,
Sad news is that number 18 is not the right house Phoebe.The houses were built after the originals ones were pulled down.It was a poorer area and freehold and each house was numbered as built so number 1 could have been at one end of the road and number 18 next to it .
will keep looking
Steve
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Hi Steve
I looked for Nightingales on an old map on oldmaps.co.uk. It looks as if it was a long rd which appears to skirt around Pontnewynydd Forge. It appeared to be east of Cwm Ffrwdd Oer and north west of Tranch colliery. Ebenezer Chapel was quite near and to the north. There was a rd called Llanover Row and what appeared to be Forge Hammer Row. That was quite fuzzy on the map so I am not sure if that was the name. It occurred to me that could have been where they were living in 1841 and maybe it was just down as Forge. I then compared it with a modern day map and most of the places you had mentioned were on it though there was no very long rd skirting around where I thought the forge had been.
If I ever get a chance to come to Pontnewynydd I will let you know. I would love to see where they lived.
Regards
Mary
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Mary
What a wonderful site for old maps..........Will P.M you
Steve
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Hi
found two books
Tales of the Ironworks at Abersycan,Pentwyn,Golynos and Varteg
Life in the Eastern Valley Iron Towns and Villages
both books by Brain Foster
Both books would be well worth getting and some lovely information and stories
Pontnewynydd Forge and rolling mill was opened on 14th May 1839 part of the Pentwyn and Golynos Iron and Coal Compay.
A slump in the iron trade production ground to a halt in 1852 with thousands out of work......................those poor people how they managed does not bear thinking of...........18 months later it reopened.
One of three old forges the Osborne or little forge was famous for its "Osborne" Iron and was in the 16th century standing near the Afon Llwyd river just below Pontnewynydd bridge.
(this area could be behind the modern Osborne Road)
Hope can help you both
Steve
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hi stevenson
i am writing this reply as my greatgrand father lived in 25 torfean terrace freeholdland & died there but i do know the house is still standing
i know it isnt much help but something lol
diane
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Hi
I found out that my Gt Grandfather died in this house in 1974. he and his family the Prices owned a lot of houses in this road. my parents still live there to this day.
Thanks Darren
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My ancestors were the Forge Agents, or managers of the forge at Pontnewynydd in the 1840/s til 1851. their names were James Aston and Joseph, his son. James started life as a roller in Merthyr Tydfil, following on from his father, Samuel, who came from Broseley Shopshire in the mid 1780s, as skilled labour for the ironworks.
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Hi Doublecourt
I just wondered how you knew about your ancestors being Forge Agents Managers, was it known in the family or did you find out through some sort of an archive? The reason that I am asking is that I think my gt gt grandfather Edward Gower was Forge Agent and or Manager in Pontnewynydd. I must look up some of the records I have got. If I remember correctly around 1854 he became the Forge Manager at Tondu Ironworks in Glamorgan and they moved from Trevethin. So is it possible that he could have been the manager after your James and Joseph?
Mary
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Hello... I found it out from Census Returns and one of them has it on his gravestone I think, plus on conveyancing papers and a Will. James was 'Forge Agent', I think a term for manager and whilst doing that he bought the Railway Inn plus 4 cottages next door to the Inn. He died in 1851. His son Joseph took over and was also an Inn keeper at the Inn with his family. Joseph has also been described as a 'rail inspector' but that appears on his children's marriage details, but he died when they were very young, so unsure if they just made it up. He died in 1864..not sure how long he was at the forge for.
Have you any pictures of the forge? I can't find anything online.
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Welshnewspaers online
Death Notice, Monmouthshire Merlin, 8 june, 1867
https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3402818/3402823/42/
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Hi Doublecourt
Thank you for replying. Have you seen the reply from Hanes Teulu about my gt gt grandfathers death in 1867. I wonder if Pontnewynydd Forge and Pontnewynydd Ironworks are the same place?
It is funny that your family went on to inn keeping as that is what my gt grandfather Thomas did after being employed at Pontnewynydd then he went on to build furnaces at ironworks eventually ending up in Maesteg where he met my gt grandmother. Edward was his father. Then in later years they had several public houses in Maesteg. When Edward Gower died in 1867 he was living at the Royal Dock hotel in Briton Ferry with two of his sons Silas and John who owned it. His oldest son Edward, who is mentioned in the newspaper article, went out to India to work in /build ironworks there as did his brother James.
Edward Senior started working in Trevethin as a labourer so must have worked his way up to Forge manager.
You never know because of the dates that both families were working there they may have known one another.
Mary
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I think they probably are the same ironworks..
They may have known each other I guess...
My maiden name is Hillier by the way.. they are all from Wiltshire.
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Thank you Hanes Teulu for your reply. That certainly confirms what I found on various census regarding Edward being a Forge manager in Pontnewynydd I didn't realise that it was many years and if I remember correctly he became the Forge manager at Tondu in around 1854 but of course I maybe wrong. Also having been in touch with a cousin who lives in America (descended from my gt aunt Kate one of Thomas' daughters) she has sent me a photograph of a painting that is in her family of grandpa Gower. Originally she thought it was Thomas but looking at it looks too old to be Thomas so we now think it is Edward. He is very smartly dressed in a top hat.
Mary
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That is quite a coincidence too Doublecourt because my Hilliers were from Wiltshire too. They were clothiers and dyers.
Mary
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Sorry Doublecourt I didn't answer your question about pictures of Pontnewynydd. No I am sorry I haven't. I will check online and see if I can come up with anything.
Mary
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Don't worry too much.. it was just on the off chance.. thanks Mary.