The Britannia Inn – The Old Maids

The Britannia Inn.
The Britannia Inn, Penybont, Abertillery was located on Old Penybont Road, (as seen in the center of the featured image above, with the pub sign over the door, just behind the lorry) within in a small row of four cottages which also contained another public house known as the Old Bridgend Inn (the double fronted building, far right of the image). The Britannia Inn, described in the South Wales Gazette as being one of the oldest inns in the area, was owned throughout its history by one family, the Rogers family (farmers at Abertillery) passed down the line to their children and grandchildren, from the 1860’s to the 1960’s. 

Mrs Leah Rogers.
The earliest records shows that the Britannia Inn was trading in the late 1860’s. According to the Bedwellty Publicans Licences Files it was owned by Mrs Leah Rogers. Mrs Rogers was the wife of Mr Daniel Rogers of the Arail or Arael Farm, situated on the southern tip of the Arael Mountain, at Six Bells.

The Rogers family also owned a great deal of land in Cwmtillery and Mr Daniel Rogers, the husband of Leah Rogers along with Mr Daniel Samuel had, years earlier, sold land to Mr Thomas Brown for the sinking of Cwmtillery Colliery to go ahead in 1840.

The First Licensee.
The first licensee at the Britannia Inn, Penybont, was Mr Edward Davies. The inn was listed as an Ale, Beer, Porter and Cider House as an On and Off Premises.

Mr Edward Davies.
On the 1871 census Mr Edward Davies, born in 1837 at Mynyddislwyn, Monmouthshire. His wife Mrs Mary Davies nee Rogers, born in 1833 at Aberystruth, Monmouthshire. The couple married in 1859 and were at the Britannia Inn living with their children Master Edmund Davies, born 1861 at Aberystruth. Miss Dinah Davies, born 1864 and Miss Sarah Davies born in 1870. Mrs Mary Davies nee Rogers was the daughter of Daniel and Leah Rogers, the well known farming family at Abertillery and the owners of the Britannia Inn.

Mrs Ann Wilkins.
On the 1881 census Mrs Ann Wilkins was the registered innkeeper. I believe Mrs Ann Wilkins was the wife of the late Samuel Wilkins of Cwmtillery. On this census Mrs Ann Wilkins nee Thomas? born in 1846 at Aberystruth was at the Britannia Inn with her children – Master Joseph Wilkins, born 1865, listed as a doorboy in the local colliery. Master William Wilkins, born 1869, also listed as a doorboy in the local colliery. Miss Margaret Wilkins, born 1873 and Miss Amelia Wilkins, born in 1877. Also at the inn was Mr John Edwards, a boarder listed as a harpist. At this time it was common for public houses to have harpists as in-house entertainment. It is unclear whether John Edwards was a harpist at the Britannia Inn or just a lodger who played elsewhere?

The 1871 census shows the same Wilkins family as above, living at Ty Neuadd area, Blaenau Gwent, although the writing on the census sheet has been scribbled out making it hard to read. 

The Penybont Cottages and the Britannia Inn.
Incidentally, the 1881 census also shows that Mr John Ashton and his wife Elizabeth Ashton, were living next door to the Britannia Inn, they would later become licensees at the inn. Next door to them was Mrs Leah Rogers, aged 75, owner of the Britannia Inn, living in the third cottage between the Ashtons and the Old Bridgend Inn.

Mr Daniel Williams.
In 1882 Mr Daniel Williams was the landlord at the Britannia Inn. On Saturday 29th of April 1882, the Merthyr Express newspaper printed a report showing the outcome of the Blaina Petty Sessions, held the previous Friday. It stated that Mr Daniel Williams had been charged with permitting drunkenness at his beerhouse the Britannia Inn, Penybont, Abertillery. Not a great deal is known of Mr Williams as by 1886 the licence had been changed and Mr John Richards was the landlord.

Mr John Richards.
In 1886 the Bedwellty Licensing Files shows that Mr John Richards was the licensee. Mrs Leah Rogers was still the owner. Again, not a great deal is known of Mr Richards, other than his wife was Mrs Elizabeth or Eliza Richards and by 1887 the licence had been changed yet again, Mr John Ashton was now the landlord.

Mr John Ashton.
Sometime during the late 1880’s, as mentioned above, Mr John Ashton became the landlord at the Britannia Inn, Penybont. Mr John Ashston was born in 1847 at Blaina, Monmouthshire. His wife was Mrs Elizabeth Ashton nee Rogers, born 1844 at Arail or Arael Farm, the daughter of Daniel and Leah Rogers as seen above. John and Elizabeth married in 1869 and lived at Penybont with their children – Miss Sarah Ashton, born 1870 (died 1871). Miss Mary (Polly) Ashton, born 1875. Miss Hannah Ashton, born 1878. Master John Ashton junior, born 1881 and Miss Dinah Ashton, born in 1884. This family of sisters – Mary, Hannah and Dinah would stay at the inn and become the long term owners and licensees, into the 1960’s.  

Messrs Webb’s Brewers, Aberbeeg.
In 1892 the Bedwellty Licensing Files shows that Messrs Webb’s Brewers of Aberbeeg were now the new owners, or more than likely had a lease on the Britannia Inn, Penybont, Abertillery. This information is unclear and not verified as in 1897 the Bedwellty Licensing Files shows that the inn was self owned and Mrs Elizabeth Ashton was the licensee.

The Death of Mr John Ashton.
In October 1894 Mr John Ashton passed away and was buried at Blaenau Gwent Cemetery.

The Death of Elizabeth Ashton.
In November 1897 Mrs Elizabeth Ashton passed away and was buried at Blaenau Gwent Cemetery. After the death of Mrs Elizabeth Ashton, her eldest daughter, Miss Mary (Polly) Ashton took over at the Britannia Inn, Penybont. Mary was now the owner and licensee.

Mr George Lewis.
In 1901 Mr George Lewis married Mary (Polly) Ashton. Mrs Mary Lewis nee Ashton was the eldest daughter of John and Elizabeth Ashton (as mentioned) and granddaughter of Mrs Leah Rogers.

On the 1901 census, Mr and Mrs George Lewis were at the Britannia Inn, Penybont, Abertillery. Mr George Lewis, born 1876 at Abertillery was registered innkeeper. He was at the inn with his wife Mrs Mary Lewis, born in 1875. Also at the address were Miss Hannah Ashton, born 1878. Miss Dinah Ashton, born 1884 and Mr John Ashton junior, brother-in-law to Mr Lewis.

Mr and Mrs George Lewis.
On the 1911 census Mr and Mrs Lewis, along with Miss Hannah Ashton and Miss Dinah Ashton were still at the Britannia Inn.

The Death of Mr George Lewis.
On Saturday 10th of April 1926, Mr George Lewis, landlord of the Britannia Inn passed away. His obituary printed in the South Wales Gazette on Friday 16th of April 1926 stated that Mr Lewis was the son of Mr and Mrs Tom Lewis of the Kings Head, Oak Street, he had been a former fullback, playing for Abertillery R.F.C. for many years. His wife, Mrs Mary Lewis ran the inn with her sisters, Hannah and Dinah Ashton.

The Old Maids.
The three sisters, Mrs Mary Lewis nee Ashton, Miss Hannah Ashton and Miss Dinah Ashton, daughters of John and Elizabeth Ashton became the long-term landladies at the Britannia Inn and were locally known as the “The Old Maids”, this name stuck and the inn became known as such.

Licence Renewal Refusal.
On Friday 19th of February 1960, the South Wales Gazette reported on the refusal to grant the renewal of the licence at the Britannia Inn, Penybont. It was stated that the premises were not to a suitable standard structurally and there were a total lack of sanitary arrangements.

The Closure of the Britannia Inn, Penybont, Cwmtillery.
The Britannia Inn closed sometime in January or February 1960.

The Death of Miss Dinah Ashton.
On Friday 5th of February 1960, Miss Dinah Ashton, the youngest of the sisters passed away at 76 years of age. Her obituary stated that she had been bed-ridden at the inn for the past eight years and had been looked after by her elder sisters Hannah Ashton and Mary Lewis.

The Robbery and Hoard of Silver.
On Friday 4th of March 1960, the South Wales Gazette reported on the break-in, entry and theft by five men from Newport who stole £200 in silver, a quantity of cigarettes and a gold ring. The thieves repeated the crime on another occasion and took £90. They had planned to come back for a third time on the 18th of February but were caught in the act by the local police. One of the men, who had been a delivery driver for a mineral water company, had observed that the sisters were living on their own and had seized the opportunity to plan the robbery.

The Search of the Britannia Inn for more Silver.
After the robbery, the police headed by Detective Sergeant F. Parry, did a search of the inn looking for money that the sisters admitted to hoarding. They found £3,000 in silver hidden in jam-jars, tins, bags and wooden boxes stashed at the inn. The money was taken to the bank. Detective Sergeant F. Parry stated that there were still a large amount of money strewn around the pub and there might have been a few hundred pounds still there, although he could not say for definite because of the condition of the premises. 

The Death of Mrs Mary Lewis.
On Friday 2nd of February 1962, Mrs Mary (Polly) Lewis passed away at 87 years of age.

The Death of Miss Hannah Ashton.
On Wednesday 9th of May 1962, Miss Hannah Ashton, passed away at 84 years of age.

The Land Reclamation Scheme.
During the late 1960’s the valley at the top end of Cwmtillery from the colliery down through Penybont into Abertillery was earmarked for a major land reclamation scheme, it was seen as one of the largest schemes of its type in South Wales. The valley, through a series of phases was to be filled in, mostly with mining waste from the Tillery Levels and other local collieries waste tips, that once dominated the landscape in that area.

In the first of such phases, the Britannia Inn, Brynmorgan Terrace, Old Penybont Road, Griffiths Street and other dwellings in the area were the first to be vacated and demolished, later, during the early 1970’s, covered over with the waste and the valley being levelled off in stages.

The Britannia Inn, Penybont, is now long gone, buried beneath the newly formed road and playing fields, part of the Abertillery Comprehensive School, just south west of the New Bridgend Hotel.