Abertillery History

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 employment. 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 …

Abertillery Bowls Club. The Official Opening. On Thursday 8th of June 1911, the Abertillery Bowling Green was officially opened. The size of the bowling green was 40 yards square and situated at the southern end of the football enclosure. Arrangements had been made for a team from Newport to come and open the new green though they cancelled at the …

The Abertillery Rubbish Destructor. In the late 19th century to the early 1900’s during the time when the population of Abertillery was rapidly increasing, the disposal of rubbish was becoming a problem. The established rubbish tips in the valley were overflowing, infested by rats and flies, often catching fire and posing serious health problems. The landowners were reluctant to sell …