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