Before the Buses

ALFRED EDGAR ROBERTS (1884–1950)

Alfred Edgar Roberts was born on 25th May 1884 at Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, and was Christened soon after on 18th June at the town’s St. Mary’s church. He was the son of Abel Roberts and Fanny née Dorkins who were married in the summer of 1871 in the Crickhowell Registration District.

Abel Roberts was born at Llanvihangel Crucorney near Abergavenny in 1851, and was Christened there on 29th November the same year. He was the son of Thomas Roberts and Frances née Jenkins who were married on 30th May 1849 at Llantilio Crossenny. In the 1861 Census, the Roberts family are found living at Mawethroy, Llanwenarth Citra, Abergavenny (RG09 Piece 3994 Folio 89 Page 1). Thomas was 46 years-old and recorded as a “Farmer of 52 Acres,” and his wife “Fanny” was 45 years-old and born at Dorton in Herefordshire, . Their children were 11 year-old Elenor, 9 year-old Abel, 5 year-old William, and 4 year-old Mary.

Ten years later when the 1871 Census was taken on 2nd April, 19 year-old Abel Roberts was working as an Indoor Farm Labourer for widowed Mary Ann Price, a Farmer of 34 acres in the Hamlet of Llwyndu in Abergavenny (Ref: RG10 Piece 5309 Folio 15 Page 23 Schedule 116). His now widowed father is found very close by in the Hamlet of Llwyndu where he is recorded as an “Agricultural Labourer” (Ref: RG10 Piece 5309 Folio 15 Page 23 Schedule 118).

When the 1881 Census was taken on 3rd April, Abel Roberts and his family’s address is given as Cottage Near Tyr Ewin, Abergavenny (Ref: RG11 Piece 5235 Folio 86 Page 8). Abel is recorded as a 30 year-old Outdoor Gardener, his wife is 29 years-old, and their children are William (aged 9), Ellen (aged 7), Thomas (aged 5, Mary Ann (aged 3), and Edith (aged 1). Also living with them is Abel’s father Thomas, a 77 year-old Retired Farmer who was said to have been born in Denbighshire.

When the 1891 Census was taken on 5th April, the Roberts family are living at The Chain (Cottage), Chapel Road in Abergavenny (Ref: RG12 Piece 4347 Folio 29 Page 15). This is the last Census Abel Roberts appeared in. He is recorded as a 40 year-old Domestic Gardener, his wife is 39 years-old, and their children are Edith (aged 11), Alfred Edgar (aged 6), Samuel Able (aged 4), and Violet Fanny who was just 2 months-old.

On 27th March 1898, Abel Roberts passed away at the age of 46, and was laid to rest at the St. Peter’s churchyard, Llanwenarth Citra on 30th March.

Three years later when the 1901 Census was taken on the night of 31st March, the now widowed Fanny Roberts is found at 144 St. Helens Road in Abergavenny (Ref: RG13 Piece 4929 Folio 149 Page 22). She is recorded as a 48 year-old Housekeeper, and she has two of her children with her, Alfred Edgar (a 16 year-old Bridge Painter), and Violet Fanny (aged 10).

On 19th September 1904 at the church of St. Michael in Abertillery, Alfred Edgar Roberts, a Mason of 112 Oak Street, Abertillery, and Blanche née Hurley, of 59 Blaenau Gwent, Abertillery, were married in the presence of James David Thomas and Alice Lockett. Their fathers were named as Abel Roberts (a Gardener), and William Hurley (a Collier). Electoral Registers show that they spent the early years of their married life at 107 Oak Street in Abertillery.

Blanche was born on 15th January 1887 at Abertillery, the daughter of William Hurley and Emily née Small, who were both from West Harptree in the Chew Valley of Somerset, and who had been married on 15th March 1882 at Bedminster. The Hurley family were next-door neighbours of my Jones ancestors for around fifty years. My Jones ancestors were living at no. 58 Newtown (also known as Blaenau Gwent Rows), while the Hurleys lived at no. 59.

Prior to the 1911 Census being taken on 2nd April, the Roberts family had moved from Abertillery to 123A High Street in Blackwood (Ref: RG14 Piece 31885 Schedule 79). Alfred is recorded as a 26 year-old “Collier Miner Hewer,” his wife is a 24 year-old “Greengrocer,” and with them are their three children who were all born at Abertillery: Harold (born 4th May 1905), Cyril Alfred (born 18th November 1907), and Doris (born 26th May 1909).

Electoral Registers show that at some point prior to the end of World War II, the Roberts family had returned to Abertillery, more specifically to 94 Tillery Road, Cwmtillery.

From July 1920, the “Tillery Road Garage” began advertising char-a-banc tours in the South Wales Gazette. The earliest I’ve found so far is in the issue dated Friday 30th July:

Their tours also included such places as the Marton Fair at Gloucester, Cardiff Horse Show, Llangorse, Porthcawl, Aberavon, and Barry Island. Tours could later be booked at additional places including E. Phillips at 3, Fair View Terrace, Penybont; William Bedford at 40 Gladstone Street; and Alfred Isaac James (Newsagent) at 25 and 26 Church Street.

The South Wales Gazette of Friday 29th April 1921 reported on an accident involving one of Alfred Roberts’ char-a-bancs:

Richard Tudor lived at 1 Antwerp Place, and was a 57 year-old “Building Contractor” who had workshops located off Alma Street (Ref: RG15 Piece 26100 Schedule 185). He was born at Letterston in Pembrokeshire, and in late 1910 had married Lizzie née Gilligan who was born at Wolverhampton in Staffordshire. Lizzie had been a “School Mistress Assistant” in Abertillery and had lived with her family at 33 Castle Street.

The 1921 Census (which was taken on the night of 19th June) shows the Roberts family living at 94 Tillery Road (Ref: RG15 Piece 26095 Schedule 186). Alfred is 37 years-old, and recorded as an out of work Mason with Lancasters Colliery Company, as is their 16 year-old son Harold. Blanch is now 34 years-old, Cyril Alfred is 13 years-old, Doris is 11 years-old, and another son has joined the family since the previous Census, Harry Claude, who was born on 16th March 1919 at Abertillery, although in the 1921 Census he is indexed as “Leslie.” One more child joined the family almost two and-a-half years after this Census, a daughter named Elaine Marian, who was born on 3rd November 1923 at Abertillery.

Alfred and Blanche Roberts moved from 94 Tillery Road in Cwmtillery to 51 North Road in Newbridge in 1926, and stayed there until about 1938. About a year after moving to Newbridge, Alfred was involved in a motorcycle accident, as briefly reported on in the Western Mail of Monday 1st August 1927:

By the time the 1939 Register was taken on 29th September, Alfred and Blanche had moved from North Road to “Chez Nous,” on Bryngwyn Road in Newbridge (Ref: RG101 Piece 7429C Schedule 153), where Alfred is recorded as a Building & Demolition Contractor. Also with them is their daughter Elaine Marian, who is still at school, and who married Jeffrey E. Wilson in the spring of 1948. This Register also shows their other children living in various places:

Harold is found at 15 Lyndhurst Avenue, in the Blidworth area of Nottinghamshire where he worked as a “Colliery Hewer Below Ground” (Ref: RG101 Piece 6269F Schedule 134). With him is his wife, Ruth Hannah née Herring (born 2nd December 1904 at Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire), who he married in late 1925 in the Basford area of Nottingham. Ruth was the daughter of Samuel Herring (a Coal Miner Hewer) and Ruth née Burrows who were married on 29th March 1902 at Sutton In Ashfield. Following Ruth’s death in 1953, Harold married Gladys Maria Culverwell (born 16th September 1924) on 9th June 1955 at Birmingham. Gladys was the daughter of William George Culverwell and Lettice Alice née Lambert who were married in the Bridgend area of Glamorgan in 1923..

Cyril Alfred is found at 38 Pentwynmawr High Street in Newbridge, where he was working as a Bricklayer (Ref: RG101 Piece 7429C Schedule 285). With him is his wife, Lillian Victoria née Huish (born 25th February 1912 at Newbridge), who he married in early 1929. Lillian was the daughter of George Gilbert Huish (a Stone Dresser) and Annie née Bird.

Doris is with her second husband, Thomas Baden Fox (born 1st July 1900 at Bream, Gloucestershire), who she married in 1931 following the death of her first husband William Percy Vines Morse in 1930. They are living at Woodside in Bream, in the West Dean area of Gloucestershire, where Thomas was working as a “Colliery Hewer” (Ref: RG101 Piece 5134I Schedule 15).

Harry Claude is found living with the Smith family at 15 Broad Street in Barry, Glamorgan, his occupation being recorded as a Bank Clerk (Ref: RG101 Piece 7318B Schedule 429). He married Marguerite Phillpotts (born 26 Jan 1926) in early 1948. Marguerite was the daughter of Ernest Phillpotts (a Garage Proprietor) and Olive née Nicholas who were married in 1919.

Alfred and Blanche Roberts continued living at “Chez Nous” until 1948, when they moved a short distance to “Waynville,” also located on Bryngwyn Road. This is where they were living when Alfred Edgar Roberts passed away at the age of 65 on 11th May 1950. Blanche survived her husband by more than three years until her own death at the age of 66 on 1st October 1953.

Credits

The Roberts family crest is by houseofnames.com