The Hanbury Hotel – Aberbeeg

The Hanbury Hotel – Aberbeeg.
The Hanbury Hotel was originally known as the Hanbury Arms Inn, built on part of the Hanbury Estate, Aberbeeg, in about 1830.

Mr David Phillips Esq.
On a Land Sales sheet of the 16th of April 1831, the Hanbury Arms Inn was advertised to be sold at auction at the Crown Inn Pontypool, as part of the “Mineral Properties and Farms” sales section, the property of Mr David Phillips Esq. The Hanbury Arms was advertised for sale and that it was newly built with a rent of £30. Mr William Davis was stated as being the tenant, though there was reason to believe that Mr Davis had passed away before this date.

During the Chartist Movement uprising in 1839, some of the group of men who headed down the valley in preparation for their march to Newport stopped off at the Hanbury Arms. A newspaper report from the time stated a few of them were so intoxicated they never got as far as Crumlin on their route down the valley.

Mr Simon Leonard.
On the 1841 census the landlord was Mr Simon Leonard, 25 years of age, with his wife Elizabeth Leonard aged just 20 years old and their two children, Masters James and Joseph Leonard.

Mr William James.
During the latter half of the 1840’s Mr William James was the landlord, on the 1851 census, Mr James was listed as the innkeeper of the Hanbury Arms Inn, Aberbeeg with his wife Mary and son James. Also registered were Miss Cecilia Jones (Servant), Miss Elizabeth Wells (Servant) and James? Williams (Manservant). Mr William James was still listed as the innkeeper through to the mid 1870’s.

Mr Lewis Lewis.
At some point in the 1870’s the landlord was Mr Lewis Lewis of Aberbeeg, Mr and Mrs Lewis were the parents of Mr David Lewis the renowned building contractor of Aberbeeg. (See below for more information on Mr Lewis Lewis).

Mr James Yendoll.
In 1876 the landlord was Mr James Yendoll and his wife Winifred, Mr Yendoll was listed as being a spirit merchant and clerk. Mr Yendoll would also become landlord of a few public houses and inns in the area, I believe his brother Mr John B. Yendoll and his wife Elizabeth were tenants of the Union Foundry Inn and the Llanhilleth Hotel the (Top Hotel) Llanhilleth.

Mrs Elizabeth Crook, Manageress.
In 1880’s and 1890’s the tenancies got a bit complicated, though still under the proprietorship of the Yendoll family the Hanbury Arms was being run by Mrs Elizabeth Crook the innkeeper and Miss Sarah I. Yendoll the housekeeper. Also living in the Hanbury were Miss Mary Parfitt a domestic and Miss Elizabeth Hacklin a cook: Also living adjacent to the Hanbury Arms were Mr and Mrs J. R. & E. J. Webb. Mr Webb was listed as being a spirit merchant employer. A few years later Miss Yendoll was listed as running the Hanbury Arms.

Mrs Evelyn Belcher, Manageress.
In the early 1890’s Mrs Evelyn Belcher was manageress of the Hanbury Arms, Miss Annie Pankhurst was the barmaid, Miss Kate Maynard and Miss Louise Wright were waitresses with Miss Caroline Parsons the cook.

Mr William Evans, Manager.
The following years Mr William Evans was the manager of the Hanbury Arms.

Mr John Wilce.
In 1895 Mr John Wilce was the landlord of the Hanbury Arms though at this time Mr and Mrs Yendoll were still named as the proprietors.

The Re-building of the Hanbury Arms Inn.
In 1898 the Hanbury Arms was rebuilt (as seen to the right in the featured image above) and I believe was thereafter classed as a “Hotel”. The contractor was Mr David Lewis of Aberbeeg. (Information below).

In July 1899 the Hanbury Hotel had been completed and the Aberbeeg Junction Lodge an off shoot of the Oddfellowship Lodge held a meeting in the new Hanbury Hotel and the hosts were Messrs Yendoll.

Mr William E. Jones.
In 1900 the landlord was listed as Mr William E. Jones.

Mr William Samuel Collings.
In 1903 Mr William Samuel Collings and his wife Annie Collings were listed as being the tenants of the Hanbury Hotel. William and Annie Collings had come from Bedwas, William had been a manager at a chemical works and lived at Bristol House, Main Street, Bedwas. Mr William Collings, was born in 1849 his wife Mrs Annie Collings was born in 1851. Their children were as follows – Miss Sarah Collings, born 1874. Miss Alice Collings, born 1875. Miss Maud Collings, born 1875? Mr William Collings, born 1879. Miss Henrietta Collings, born 1880. Miss Florence Collings, born 1881. Mr Sidney Collings, born 1883. Mr Howard Collings, born 1885. Mr Edgar Collings, born 1887. Mr Alfred Collings, born 1889. Miss Catherine Elizabeth “Lily” Collings, born 1891 and Mr Walter Collings born 1893. (Information from various censuses).  

Mr William Samuel Collings sadly passed away on the 26th of June 1904, his family stayed on at the hotel for many years.

Miss Henrietta Collings.
In 1906 Miss Henrietta Collings married Dr John Daniel O’Sullivan, of Ireland, they lived at the Nook, Aberbeeg. 

Miss Catherine Elizabeth Collings.
In 1916 Miss Catherine Elizabeth Collings, also known as “Lily” married Dr Alexander Adam Carruthers, a native of Scotland though practising at Llanhilleth. It was stated that after the wedding they would both reside at Brooklyn House, Llanhilleth. Dr Carruthers was a practice partner of Dr O’Sullivan.

Miss Florence Collings.
In the early 1920’s the Hanbury Hotel was being run by Miss Florence Collings, daughter of William and Annie Collings.

Mr Howard Collings.
In 1926 Mr Howard Collings took over from his sister Florence Collings as licensee at the Hanbury Hotel, Aberbeeg. 

In December 1928 the Table Quoits League, Hanbury Hotel team were as follows – Mr G. Cook; Mr M. Lewis; Mr H. Kibby; Mr W. Pritchard; Mr H. Green; Mr J. Green; Mr E, Thomas; Mr D. Parfitt; Mr R. Giles; Mr J. Lewis and Mr J. Doolan:

In March 1929 three free wireless sets were provided by the council for the broadcast of Adult Education (University of Wales) was installed in public places in the Llanhilleth area. It was announced that one was to be placed in the Llanhilleth Institute, one in the Baptist Mission, Rectory Road and another installed in the Hanbury Hotel.

In August 1929 it was announced that Messrs Webb’s Brewers, Aberbeeg had converted their old Malt House and fitted out two rooms there for the use of the Aberbeeg Rugby Football Team. It was also stated the Hanbury Hotel was the club’s headquarters.

In February 1938 the Hanbury Hotel Dart Team featured in the Crumlin League.

Mr Howard Collings.
In 1967 Mr Howard Collings retired. 

Mr and Mrs Roy Jones.
After the retirement of Mr Howard Collings, Mr and Mrs Roy and June Jones were at the Hanbury Hotel as managers. 

The Howard Collings Lounge at the Hanbury Hotel.
On Friday 17th of May 1968, the South Wales Gazette reported on the naming of the lounge at the Hanbury Hotel, the “Howard Collings Lounge” in honour of Mr Howard Collings, who at the age of 83, had been licensee for 41 years. It was said that he was the oldest landlord in the Abertillery district.

The Later Years.
In the late 1980’s the Welsh Brewers brewery at Aberbeeg relocated to Ebbw Vale, a while later the Hanbury Hotel, Aberbeeg was closed and was demolished in 1990.

(More information to come).

 

Points of interest – Mr David Lewis, Building Contractor.
Mr David Lewis was born 14th May 1871 at Llanhilleth. His father was Mr Lewis Lewis of Rose Cottage, Llanhilleth, one time landlord of the Hanbury Arms, Aberbeeg, Union Inn, Llanhilleth and the Ivorites Arms Aberbeeg, his mother was Mrs Mary Lewis. Mrs Lewis second marriage was to Mr Thomas Phillips of Maescynew Farm, Llanhilleth.

Mr David Phillips was educated at the Aberbeeg Schools and was later apprenticed to the building trade at Newbridge under the supervision of Mr Charles F. Morgan and later at Newport to receive further training in the building trade. He commenced business in his own right in 1891, his first workshop was erected at Hafodarthan Road and as his business expanded he acquired the site of the Old Mill near Glandwr. He was called the “Builder of Llanhilleth and Aberbeeg” as he erected the Llanhilleth Hotel, Llanhilleth Workmen’s Institute, the new Hanbury Hotel, the Glandwr and Commercial Road Baptist Chapels, the Zion Congregational Church, the Wesleyan Chapel, the Lower Council Schools, the Brynhyfryd Schools, Llanhilleth and also the original Intermediate School (the County School) Abertillery.

Mr David Lewis married Miss Lewis, the daughter of John and Margaret Lewis of Gilfach Farm near the Travellers Rest Inn. Aberbeeg. Mr Lewis left a wife and two children Jack and Harry Lewis. They had an elder daughter Ethel sadly deceased.

Update: I have recently been told that Mr Lewis Lewis, landlord of the Hanbury in the 1870’s was a grandson of Roger Lewis, the wealthy Penmaen coal proprietor. Lewis was the eldest son of David Lewis, a farmer and Colliery proprietor (Gwrhay & Gellydwyit collieries).  Thanks to Mr David Watkins for this information.

(Later information to come)