Life in the Valleys

My maternal grandparents, Stanley Jones and Eleanor Mary Thomas, were married on 6th March 1926 at Abertillery, they were 23 and 22 years-old respectively. Their addresses were given as 58 Newtown and 185 Alma Street, my grandfather’s occupation being recorded as an Insurance Agent. Their fathers were named as William Jones, a Colliery Examiner, and William Thomas, a Coal Hewer. They were married in the presence of my grandfather’s cousin, William John Godwin Luton, known as John, and Gladys Maude Osment (who were married five years later in 1931).

Eleanor Mary Thomas was born on 27th January 1904 at 185 Alma Street, Abertillery. She was the first child of William Thomas and Elizabeth née Tiley (also known as Bessie) who had been married at Nantyglo on 26th April 1902. Their wedding took place in the presence of George Thomas, William’s father, and Mary Jones. William was a 20 year-old Coal Miner of 185 Alma Street, Cwmtillery, and Elizabeth was 21 years-old, and her address was given as Blaenau Gwent, Abertillery. Their fathers were named as George Thomas, a Coal Miner, and William Tilley, a Brick Maker.

Elizabeth Tiley was born on 7th March 1881 at Olveston in Gloucestershire, located about 9 miles north of Bristol and 3 miles southeast of the River Severn. She was the daughter of William Tiley and Mary Michael who were married on 15th December 1868 at Northwick in Gloucestershire, between Pilning and Aust, on the shore of the Severn Estuary. Their fathers were named as William Tiley and James Michael. In the 1901 Census, 20 year-old Bessie Tiley is working as a General Servant, and is living with William and Rachel Jones at Victoria Street in Abertillery, Electoral Registers giving their house number as 26 (Ref: RG13 Piece 4395 Folio 85 Page 5 Schedule 21). Her parents and siblings are also living at Victoria Street (Schedule 20), Electoral Registers giving their house number as 25. Her father William is aged 58 and recorded as a Surface Labourer who was born at Almondsbury in Gloucestershire; her mother Mary is aged 53 and was born at Llanvihangel Tor-y-Mynnydd in eastern Monmouthshire; her brother William is a 29 year-old Coal Hewer; her 16 year-old brother Philip is a Brick Layer’s Labourer; her sister Emma is aged 14; her nieces Mary Ann and Ellen are aged 7 and 4); and also with them is 9 year-old William Thomas.

George Thomas and Eleanor née Evans moved their family from Nantyglo to 3 Cwmtylery Road, Abertillery in the late 1880s, a couple of years after the birth of their youngest child George Morgan. This is where they are found at the time of the 1891 Census (Ref: RG12 Piece 4353 Folio 109 Page 2). George is said to be a 41 year-old Coal Miner, his wife is indexed as Ellen and is also said to be 41 years-old, their daughter Ellen is 16 years-old, their 14 year-old son Timothy and Eleanor’s brother Morgan Evans are also Coal Miners, their children Mary Ann (aged 12), my great grandfather William (aged 9), and their daughter Llinos (aged 7) are all Scholars, while their youngest child George Morgan is aged 3. Electoral Registers give their address as Alma Street in 1891, then as Tillery Road West until 1896, and then Alma Street again from 1897. The Gulliford, Cuff and Wright families were their immediate neighbours in 1891 and in 1901, which suggests they were living at the same house, and that their street name hadn’t yet been decided on. It was there at Alma Street, specifically at number 185, that Eleanor Thomas née Evans passed away just a few years later on 5th March 1900. Her age was recorded as 51, but she was in fact 53 years old. The cause of death was recorded as “congestion of the lungs 1 month, exhaustion.” She was laid to rest soon after at the Blaenau Gwent Cemetery, located a very short distance from their home.

A year later when the 1901 Census was taken on the night of 31st March, the Thomas family are found at 185 Alma Street (Ref: RG13 Piece 4935 Folio 170 Page 31). George Thomas is recorded as a 52 year-old widower who is still working as a Coal Miner Hewer, his son Timothy is a 23 year-old Coal Miner Hewer, Mary Ann is 21 years-old, my great grandfather William is a 19 year-old Coal Miner Hewer, Llinos is a 16 year-old Dressmaker, and 14 year-old George Morgan is also a Coal Miner Hewer. Living next door at 183 is George’s 26 year-old married daughter, Eleanor Edwards, with her 27 year-old husband Onesimus, 5 year-old William George, 3 year-old Onesimus, and 1 year-old Eleanor (Ref: RG13 Piece 4935 Folio 170 Page 31). Three year-old Onesimus (born 5th April 1897) is far better known as Ness Edwards, the Trade Unionist, Labour Party politician, and Member of Parliament for Caerphily.

When my grandmother was just 3 years-old, her grandfather, George Thomas, died soon after an accident in the Penybont Colliery, which was located on the opposite side of the valley to where they were living. This is how it was reported on in the South Wales Gazette of Friday 19th July 1907:

ABERTILLERY COLLIER’S DEATH Killed by a Fall of Roof At the Abertillery Police Court on Monday, Mr W. R. Dauncey (deputy coroner) conducted an enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of George Thomas, collier, 185 Alma-street, Abertillery, who was injured at the Penybont Colliery on Wednesday morning by a fall of roof and died the same evening. Mr C. L. Robinson, assistant mines inspector, was present, as were also Messrs Michael Roach, miners’ agent, and W. Johns, manager of the colliery. Richard Winstone, collier, stated that he visited the spot some time prior to the fall and saw nothing the matter with the roof then. He was close at hand when the fall occurred, but he did not see it, and upon going there found the deceased lying on his back on the side of the road, quite clear of the fall. He was unconscious. Deceased was removed to the level heading and witness and his companion examined him. They thought that the deceased’s hip had been put out. One of the stones which fell probably weighed 15 to 20 cwt. About half a dozen timbers were discharged. Witness thought the fall was due to a smooth “slant”. In reply to Mr Robinson witness said that he thought the large stone mentioned fell first. The maximum distance for timbering was ten feet but they rarely went over five feet. Witness did not think the fall would have been prevented by more props because the stone fell suddenly and not gradually. The fireman was at the spot where the fall subsequently occurred at about 11.30 a.m. and the fall occurred at about 4.15 p.m. Witness did not hear the roof “working” before it fell. If it had done so he would have heard it as he was only about six yards away. Witness had never seen a fall like it in the colliery before. Answering Mr Roach, witness said that there was no scarcity of timber in the colliery. The fireman was just about to visit the scene of the fall when it occurred. By Mr Johns: Deceased said nothing that morning about the state of the roof. The slant could not be seen then. Thomas Rogers, fireman, said that he visited the place at about 11.30 a.m. but he did not test the place beyond looking at it. There was no indication then of the fall. Witness thought that the fall was due to a very smooth “slant”. In reply to Mr Robinson, witness said that he did not think additional props would have held such a stone as the one which fell. Questioned by Mr Roach, witness said that if he had had the least idea that the accident was going to happen he would have ordered the stone to be withdrawn. The men had never been restricted to the maximum distance as to timbering. Replying to Mr John, witness said that when he visited the place that morning the deceased did not complain about any scarcity of timber. Witness had had to stop the hauliers from bringing it in as there was no room to store it. Timothy Thomas, son of the deceased, said that his father told him that the fall came down like a thunderbolt. Dr F. J. Brown said that he was called to the deceased at about 5 p.m. Deceased’s right side was injured and he was suffering from shock. Death was due to shock following upon injury. The Coroner having briefly summed up, the jury returned a verdict to that effect.

The same issue of the South Wales Gazette briefly reported on his funeral:

When the 1911 Census was taken on the night of 2nd April, my grandmother’s family are found at 185 Alma Street, Cwmtillery (Ref: RG14 Piece 31838 Schedule 98). Her father William Thomas is a 29 year-old Coal Miner Hewer, her mother Elizabeth née Tiley is aged 30, my grandmother is a 7 year-old Scholar, and, very intriguingly, her 10 day-old brother William George is also included in the household. I eventually discovered that William George, William and Elizabeth’s second child, was actually born on 8th February 1910 at 185 Alma Street, and died when he was just 10 days-old. So, what their reason was for including him in the Census more than a year later, I honestly don’t know!

William and Elizabeth Thomas had two more children, both daughters. The first was Ceridwen, which apparently means “fair, blessed poetry” in Welsh, who was born on 13th April 1915, but very sadly she also died at a very young age. Their final child, Elizabeth Megan, was born on my grandmother’s 14th birthday, 27th January 1918.

Electoral Registers show that at some point during World War I, Joseph and Llinos James (my great grandfather’s brother-in-law and sister) also lived at 185 Alma Street, although their entry was recorded as 185a. They seem to have stayed there until at least the summer of 1918, before moving to 75 Ty Bryn Road (at the back of no. 73) where they are found in the 1921 Census (Ref: RG15 Piece 26096 Schedule 132).

The Thomas family are again found living at 185 Alma Street in the 1921 Census (Ref: RG15 Piece 26097 Schedule 188). William is a 39 year-old Coal Hewer with John Lancaster & Company Ltd’s colliery at Six Bells, Elizabeth is 40 years-old, my grandmother is a 17 year-old helper at home, and my great aunt, Elizabeth Megan, is 3 years-old. Also living at the same address is Rowland Harold Richmond Gilbert, a 25 year-old Miner Underground Timberman; his 24 year-old wife Maud née Cole; and their 2 year-old daughter Dorothy Sylvia Maud (Schedule 189).

According to Electoral Registers, my grandparents spent the first 11 years of their married life with the Thomas family at 185 Alma Street. It was here that their first three children were born, my mother Enid Vera on 13th June 1927, followed by William Brian on 11th January 1930, and five years later, another son David Gwyn.

Electoral Registers also show that by 1938, my grandparents had moved their family directly opposite 185 Alma Street to number 180, where their fourth child was born, a son named Gareth Stanley. Also during 1938, my great aunt, Elizabeth Megan Thomas, married Giraldus Myrddin Cromley Leslie Ulrick Escott, or as he was more affectionately known, “Unc” (short for uncle).

The following year when the 1939 Register was taken on 29th September, my grandparents are found at 180 Alma Street, his occupation being recorded as a “Labourer Repairs Below Coal” (Ref: RG101 Piece 7432B Schedule 275). Meanwhile, at number 185, two households were recorded. Geraldus Escott (born 3rd March 1912), a Seaman (Service No. JX 131303) with the Royal Navy at HMS Osprey, and Elizabeth Megan née Thomas (born 27th January 1918) (Ref: RG101 Piece 7432B Schedule 313). Also found with them is a very young boy, Michael John Escott (born 4th August 1939) with (the additional name “John Mitchel.”) My cousin had told me that her grandparents had fostered a baby and that he had died at a young age, and after much research, I discovered his birth was registered as Cyril John Mitchell. Very sadly, he did indeed die at a young age, he was just 2 years-old. He died of Marasmus on 22nd December 1941 at Ty Bryn in Tredegar, my great aunt being with him at the time of his death.

The second household recorded at 185 Alma Street were my great grandparents, William Thomas (born 4th August 1881, a Colliery Hewer), and Elizabeth née Tiley (born 7th March 1881) (Ref: RG101 Piece 7432B Schedule 314).

“Unc” and “aunt” also had two children of their own, David Myrddyn in 1941, and Jean on 8th January 1946. My grandparents were expecting their fifth child during 1942, but tragically, he was a stillborn baby. There’s a record of the purchase of a grave for him at the Blaenau Gwent Cemetery by my grandfather on 20th July 1942.

Geraldus Escott JX 131303 Royal Navy of 22 Montague Street, Abertillery, was listed among absent voters during 1945. This wasn’t an address I was familiar with, but Electoral Registers showed that his brother and sister-in-law, Bonar Gildys Escott (born 17th December 1906), and Eva Gwendoline née Dean (born 16th May 1911) were living at that address in 1945. More intriguing is the fact that Electoral Registers show that Walter Mitchell and his wife Ivy Minnietta née Haines had lived at 22 Montague Street from 1937 to 1939, but there doesn’t appear to be a connection between them and little Cyril John Mitchell.

My great grandmother, Elizabeth Thomas née Tiley, passed away at her home, 185 Alma Street, on 24th February 1947, she was 65 years-old. This is how her funeral was reported on in the South Wales Gazette of Friday 7th March 1947:

I knew that my parents had been involved in amateur dramatics when they were younger, but you can imagine my excitement when I found the following article printed in the South Wales Gazette dated Friday 16th December 1949:

It’s quite apparent that my parents were getting on rather well (apart from the amateur dramatics society), as can be seen from this announcement that was published in the South Wales Gazette of Friday 2nd June 1950:

My parents, Arthur Ernest Nixey and Enid Vera Jones, were both aged 23 when they were married on 24th March 1951 at Abertillery, in the presence of my father’s brother, Jack Nixey, and Edith Daisy Evans. My parents’ addresses were given as 44 Queen Street and 180 Alma Street, while their occupations were recorded as Laboratory Technologist Coal Board and Domestic House Maid. This is how their wedding was reported on in the South Wales Gazette in its issue dated Friday 6th April 1951:

My father, Arthur Ernest Nixey, was born at 138 Alexandra Road on 16th September 1927. He was the eldest of two children (both boys) of Arthur Albert Ernest Nixey (born 9th August 1898) and Esther Annie Cooksey (born 1st July 1901), who were married on 21st April 1924 at Llanwenarth near Abergavenny.

My mother had inherited the genetic eye condition Retinitis Pigmentosa, which was a complete mystery to the family as she was the only one who had it (as far as they were aware). Having an interest in your family history as I do can actually solve such mysteries! I discovered that one of the primary causes of Retinitis Pigmentosa is where close family members have children together. As previously mentioned, my grandfather’s paternal grandparents were William Godwin and Emily Gray, who were first cousins, William’s mother Mary and Emily’s mother Hannah both being the daughters of John Vawer and Mary née White. As if that wasn’t enough, William Godwin’s paternal grandparents, Benjamin Godwin and Ann Doggett, were also cousins who had been married on 7th February 1794 at Nailsea.

My parents decided that they really didn’t want to pass on the genetic condition, so their plan was not to have any children. The fact that I’m writing this is enough proof that their plan didn’t work out very well. I was actually the second time their plan failed, as almost twelve years before I joined the family, my sister Susan was born. Both my sister and I inherited Retinitis Pigmentosa, but the speed at which my eyesight deteriorated was far quicker than it was for my sister.

When my sister was several months old, our great grandfather, William Thomas, passed away at his home, 185 Alma Street, on 19th February 1954, he was 72 years-old. This is how his funeral was reported on in the South Wales Gazette of Friday 26th February 1954:

In the spring of 1960, my uncle William Brian Jones married Jeannette Marian Stibbs. “Jean” as she was known was the eldest of two daughters of Frederick Arthur Stibbs (born 13th December 1905) and Violet née Adams (born 7th January 1915), who had been married in the summer of 1935. Fred Stibbs was a highly respected radio and television dealer and engineer. In 1926, he opened his “Wireless Shop” which was originally located at 28 King Street in Abertillery. In the early 1930s, he relocated to 49 Somerset Street where he later expanded the business to include other domestic appliances including televisions and vacuum cleaners. He remained at Somerset Street until his retirement in 1965.

Jean was the granddaughter of Frederick Stibbs and Providence Hoare who were married in 1905. Providence’s sister, Christianna, married William John Osment on 25th March 1901 at Abertillery, and it was their daughter, Gladys Maude, who married Eliza Luton née Godwin’s son William Jon in 1931.

The following year, my uncle Gary married Elvira Morgan at Abertillery. This is how their wedding was reported on in the South Wales Gazette in its issue dated Friday 7th April 1961:

Elvira Morgan was born on 3rd August 1938, the daughter of Philip Morgan (born 16th July 1906) and Lizzie née Evans (born 19th February 1913). In the 1939 Register, the Morgan family are found at 85 Oak Street, Abertillery, Philip’s occupation being recorded as a Tin Worker Millman Duties (Ref: RG101 Piece 7431J Schedule 331).

My great uncle, Myrrdin Escott, died at his home, 185 Alma Street on 18th January 1962. The following obituary appeared in the South Wales Gazette of Friday 2nd March 1962, with his address incorrectly given as 180 Alma Street: