Out Of The Blue Artifacts A Library of a lifetime of collecting
Coronation Tavern.
The Coach & Horses Inn, Six Bells was originally called the Coronation Tavern and was established around 1835, maybe earlier and was situated close to the old tram road later railway line (as seen on the land map of 1840 left) close to where the subway is today.
It was called the Coronation Tavern on the 1840 land maps and also known as such on the 1841 census. Sometime between 1841 and 1855 the Coronation Tavern had a change of name to the Coach & Horses Inn. The name of Mr Lewis was connected with the inn during the early 1850’s.
Mr Lewis.
Mr Lewis was an early landlord of the Coach & Horses Inn, Six Bells though sadly there is no information on Mr Lewis or his family at this time.
In 1855 Miss Hannah Lewis, daughter of the landlord of the Coach & Horses, Six Bells married Mr W. Williams, a stone mason. The marriage was reported in the newspapers at the time. A short while later Mr David Esau became the landlord of the Coach and Horses.
Mr David Esau.
Mr David Esau married Miss Cecilia Samuel in 1836, they were mentioned in a few reports as being tenants of houses in the Six Bells area and became landlord and landlady of the Coach & Horses sometime in the 1860’s. Mr and Mrs Esau had a daughter Martha Esau, born in 1840.
The Relocation of the Coach & Horses Inn.
In February 1871, during the widening of the Newport to Nantyglo Railway Line, the Coach & Horses Inn was demolished owing to its close proximity to the railway line (as seen in the report right) from the Monmouthshire Merlin. After its demolition it was planned to have the Coach & Horses rebuilt just a short distance away, adjacent to the River Ebbw. In the meantime, Mr Esau’s wife Cecilia applied for a temporary licence to sell alcohol from another house until the rebuilding was completed.
The Coach & Horses Inn.
In 1874 the Coach & Horses was constructed on its new site (where it is today), issued a new licence and was classed as an on-license beerhouse.
Mr Joseph Price.
In 1860 Miss Martha Esau, the daughter of Mr David and Cecilia Esau of the Coach & Horses, Six Bells, married Mr Joseph Price. Mr Price was a miner from Dudley, Staffordshire. He and his wife Martha later lived at Cwm Street (Somerset Street), Abertillery and the family started buying property in the area.
In October 1866 Mr David Esau went bankrupt. I believe that at this time, Mr Joseph Price purchased the Coach & Horses Inn, Six Bells from his father-in-law’s debtors and became sole proprietor.
In 1874 Mr David Esau was leasing land at Six Bells from the Brynmawr Coal and Iron Company, he had leased 1,200 sq yards, part of the Cwm Estate.
In September 1876 Mr Joseph Price applied for a spirit licence at his house the Coach & Horses at Six Bells.
At some point in the late 1880’s Mr Joseph Price had leased the Coach & Horses Inn to Messrs Phillips & Sons, Brewers of Newport. Mr Price later became landlord of the Railway Inn, Abertillery and it was reported he owned many houses at Six Bells.
During the 1880’s the Coach & Horses was the venue for many miners’ meetings in connection with the Hafod Van Colliery, Six Bells. It was also a local meeting place for the Miners Federation conferences.
On the 1881 census Mr Joseph Price was landlord at the Railway Inn with his wife Martha, living with them was Mr David Esau, Martha’s father, he was registered as living off his own means.
Mr John Esau.
In August 1891 it was reported that Mr John Esau, son of Mr David Esau and brother-in-law to Mr Joseph Price was residing at the Coach & Horses and had applied for a licence to sell alcohol.
On Saturday 8th January 1898 Mr T. Evans of Newbridge, the District Secretary of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Ancient Order of Britons conducted a special service at the Coach & Horses Inn, Six Bells in connection with the transferring of the existing Lodge of the Loyal Pride of the Valley, of the Order of Oddfellows, to the Royal Britannia Lodge of the Ancient Order of Britons. Mr Evans told reporters that in over 40 years’ service to the order he had never carried out such a task before. The lodge at this time consisted of 72 adults and 16 juveniles, the capital of the lodge was £315. 3s. 10d. A public meeting followed and it was announced that Mr J. Price was chairman and Mr J. Jones was secretary of the lodge.
On Thursday 28th April 1898, the Six Bells Cricket team held a meeting at the Coach & Horses Inn, the Cricket Team Committee were as follows – Mr Poore (Captain); Mr William Cosker (Vice Captain); William White (Secretary) and Mr William Redwood of Graig-Row, Six Bells.
In December 1903 Mrs Martha Price, wife of Mr Joseph Price of Clytha Crescent, Abertillery sadly passed away.
In February 1905 Messrs Phillips and Sons were approached with regard to the construction of a urinal at the side of the Coach & Horses, Six Bells. In March 1906 it was reported that Mr Joseph Price was in talks with the council over the siting of the urinal. In April 1907 the clerk of the council wrote to Messrs Phillips and Sons with a request for £40., their contribution towards the urinal. It was later reported that Messrs Phillips & Sons only sent a cheque for £5. to the clerk of the council.
In 1906 during a licensing inspection of all licensed properties in the area, the Coach & Horses came under scrutiny, it was reported that the landlord was Mr John Esau, the owners were Phillips & Sons. It seems as though Mr Joseph Price must have sold the Coach & Horses to the brewery company. The report also mentioned that at the rear of the premises there was a blacksmiths shop sub-let with no boundary wall and that there was no urinal at the premises. There was no other report on the construction although a urinal was later placed by the side of the Coach & Horses.
Mr Joseph Price had retired and lived at Clytha Crescent, Abertillery.
Mr Arthur Edwin Patey.
In 1906 Mr Arthur Edwin Patey became landlord of the Coach & Horses Inn, Six Bells. He had previously been the landlord of the Prince of Wales Hotel, Abertillery. He was brother to Mr Frank Patey of the Mount Pleasant Inn, Blaenau Gwent, Abertillery.
In the early 1920’s Mr Patey moved to the Kings Head Hotel at Pontnewydd and temporarily transferred the licence of the Coach & Horses over to his son Mr Trevor Arthur Patey.
More on the Patey family below.
The Death of Mr Joseph Price.
In August 1910 Mr Joseph Price sadly passed away at 73 years of age. His obituary in the South Wales Gazette stated he had been licensee of the Railway Inn, Abertillery and he had owned the Coach & Horses Inn at Six Bells though had leased it to Messrs Phillips & Sons, Newport. It also mentions that the Railway Inn of which he had been publican was known as the “Old Shop” many years ago with it having a connection with the Abertillery Tin Works.
In October 1910 the will of the late Mr Joseph Price was made public. It stated he had owned property in Somerset Street, Six Bells and James Street with his home Clytha Crescent. He left an estate worth a gross value of £10,189. 0s. 10d. The equivalent to about £1.1 million in today’s money.
In January 1923 Mr Arthur Edwin Patey committed suicide at Pontnewydd and the position of landlord at the Coach & Horses was taken by the partnership of Messrs T. A. & L. C. Patey.
Mr Trevor Arthur and Mrs Laura Constance Patey.
In January 1923 Mr Trevor Arthur Patey and his mother Mrs Laura Constance Patey took over the licence at the Coach and Horse, this partnership only lasted a few years and in June 1926 Mrs Patey called in the receivers. After a lengthy court case, Mr Trevor Arthur Patey dissolved the partnership with his mother and decided to carry on the business in his own name.
In October 1927 the Coach & Horses, Six Bells, featured in the Table Quoits League. The Coach & Horses team were as follows – Mr W. Webb; Mr L. Dobbins; Mr A. Assinder; Mr T. Boston; Mr W. Powell; Mr G. Simmonds; Mr B. Britton and Mr W. Silcox: Other team members were Mr L. Smith; Mr C. Weaver; Mr W. Potter; Mr J. Jones; Mr W. Parnell; Mr J. Morris; Mr J. Pegler and Mr G. Taylor.
Mr George Morgan.
In the early 1930’s Mr George Morgan was the licensee of the Coach & Horses, Six Bells with Miss Alice Grenough as the barmaid.
The Coach & Horses also entered the Dart and Skittles Leagues though I have no players names at the moment.
The Coach & Horses was a Messrs Phillips & Sons, Newport, house, selling their beers, it later became part of the Simmonds and Courage Brewery.
Some of the later landlords and landladies were as follows –
Mr & Mrs Albert Sterry.
Mr & Mrs Sid and Elsie Martin.
Mr & Mrs Ernie and Dorothy Harris.
Mr & Mrs Bert and Peg Trigg.
Mr & Mrs Glan and Morfydd Purbrick.
Mr Jenkins.
Mr & Mrs Ken and Shirley Meek.
Mr & Mrs Gary and Christine Martin.
Mr Steve Martin.
The Coach & Horses Inn closed as a pub in the early 2000’s and was recently converted into the Ty Ebbw Vach Communities First building and Cafe. The cafe business at Ty Ebbw Vach has been run intermittently by various people over the last few years, it is now closed at present.
Points of Interest – The Patey Family. Arthur E. Patey. Mr Arthur Edwin Patey was the son of Mr and Mrs William and Eliza Patey of Somerset. William was a railway inspector. Arthur Edwin Patey was born in Cardiff in 1878. In 1897 he married Miss Laura Constance May Weare of Usk, born 1878. They had a son Trevor Patey born in 1899.
The family moved to Abertillery and Mr Patey, a stone mason by trade became landlord of the Prince of Wales Inn Abertillery and in 1906 became landlord of the Coach & Horses, Six Bells. In the early 1920’s Mr Arthur Edwin Patey, besides being the landlord at Six Bells he also managed the Kings Head Hotel at Pontnewydd, though in 1923 Mr Patey was found dead at the Hotel at Pontnewydd, newspaper reports at the time said he had committed suicide.
After the death of her husband Mr Arthur Patey in 1923, Laura went into a partnership with her son Mr Trevor Arthur Patey at the Coach & Horses, Six Bells, though their partnership was dissolved a few years later.
In September 1927 Mrs Laura Constance May Patey married Mr Tom Daggar of 25 Princess Street, Abertillery. Mr Tom Daggar was the brother of Mr George Daggar the Western Valley’s Miners Agent, an agent for the Ministry of Health for Abertillery and later M.P. for Abertillery. Mr Tom Daggar played Rugby Football for Abertillery, had served in the Great War with the Royal Engineers and the South Wales Borderers in France and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery during fighting in the Cambrai sector.
Mr Frank W. Patey.
Mr Frank Walter Patey was the son of Mr and Mrs William and Eliza Patey of Somerset and elder brother of Mr Arthur Edwin Patey. Mr Frank Walter Patey was born in Bedminster, Somerset in 1871. In 1899 he married Miss Ann Davies, of Hafod Van, Six Bells, born 1875. They had a son David H. Patey born in 1900. Mr Frank Walter Patey became landlord of the Mount Pleasant Inn, Blaenau Gwent. Besides being the landlord of the Mount Pleasant Inn Mr Frank Walter Patey was also the proprietor of the Palace Cinema in 1920. In 1924 the family moved to Newport.