Abertillery History

Mr S. C. Holman, Tobacconist and Newsagent. Mr Samuel Charles Holman was born in 1872 at Crewkerne, Somersetshire, he came to Abertillery in 1893. Miss Harriet Edwards. On Wednesday 30th of October 1895, Mr S. C. Holman married Mrs Harriet Edwards born 1873, also from Crewkerne. The wedding ceremony took place at the English Wesleyan Chapel at Blaina, in what …

Buckley’s Temperance Hotel The Oak Street Temperance Hotel building was originally owned by Mrs Elizabeth Evans of the Royal Oak Public House, Abertillery. Mrs Evans was a very influential woman and also the mother of Mrs Mary Ann Buckley, Mr Thomas John Buckley’s wife. Mrs Elizabeth Evans owned property at Brynteg, Oak Street and at Rhiw Park and had previously …

Abertillery Steam Laundry. The Abertillery and Western Valley’s Steam Laundry Co (as seen in the middle of the featured image above) was situated at New Princess Street, Abertillery, later to become Richmond Road.  The Steam Laundry Proposal. On Tuesday 5th of May 1891, at a monthly meeting of the Chamber of Trade at the National School Rooms, Abertillery the need …

Wilkins Coffee Tavern. Mr William Gale Wilkins and his wife Caroline Wilkins nee Elson married in 1873 and came to Abertillery from the West Country in the mid 1870’s. Mr Wilkins came here to work on the Great Western Railway. A short while later he and his wife Caroline opened a coffee tavern in Somerset Street, called “Wilkins Coffee Tavern” …

Abertillery Tin Works Feeder. During tin plate production at the Abertillery Tin Works and maybe before at the time the Iron Works were established by Mr Richard Walker, the works relied on a steady and forceful flow of water to power the machinery to manufacture such products. The land which the Abertillery Tin Works and earlier Abertillery Iron Works were …

Mr William Barrow Harrison. Mr William Barrow Harrison, was born in 1854 at Slackhead, Beetham in Cumbria. His family was from Beetham Hall at Beetham, Cumbria, England. His parents moved to Monmouth in 1863. Mr Harrison at Abertillery. At the age of 14 he started work and entered the service of Mr W. Hiley who had a business in Abertillery …

The Co-operative Stores Abertillery. The Beginning. The Co-operative Group began in the mid 19th century and had its origins in the co-operative consumer societies started by the Rochdale Pioneers. These pioneers were a group of workers who were losing their jobs as the mechanization of the industry were forcing skilled workers out of their jobs. This bunch of tradesmen banded …

Abertillery Fire Brigade. On Tuesday 1st of July 1890, a meeting of the Abertillery Chamber of Trade held at the National Schoolroom with the following members – Mr L. R. Rogers (Chairman); Mr D. Gulliford; Mr George Gregory; Mr J. Wright; Mr H. Cole; Mr Joseph Price; Mr J. Thomas; Mr D. Harris; Mr Jesse Carter; Mr J. E. Phillips; …

Abertillery Tin Works, Station Road, Abertillery. The Abertillery Tin Works were built in the late 1840’s on the ground that was once occupied by the earlier Iron Works constructed sometime in the 1830’s (where Tesco’s Supermarket is today). The old iron works was on the land registry maps of 1840 (as seen in another image on the site), six years …