Out Of The Blue Artifacts A Library of a lifetime of collecting
The Oddfellows Arms – Abertillery.
The Oddfellows Arms was one of the earliest inns at Abertillery. It was situated close to where the Abertillery Fire Station is today.
Mr Thomas Cardy.
I am not sure when the Oddfellows Arms was erected or established though it was featured on the 1840 land map of Abertillery (as seen circled in black on the featured image above) and on the 1841 census, Mr Thomas Cardy, his wife Ann and four children – Masters Thomas and Charles Cardy with Misses Elizabeth and Mary Cardy were registered as living in premises behind the Bush Inn, Abertillery.
Magistrates Court.
In the late 1840’s to the early 1850’s it was used as a Magistrates Court, Mr John Conway Esq was the head magistrate who held court there. Mr Conway was the business partner of Mr John Pearce and were joint owners of the Abertillery Tin Works at the time.
Mr Thomas Cardy, Head Haulier.
On the 1851 census Mr Thomas Cardy was listed as the landlord of the Oddfellows Arms and also listed as a haulier. He was living there with his wife Ann and three children – Mr Thomas and Charles and daughter Mary. They had living with them their niece Jane Cardy, a sister-in-law Gwenllian Morgan (Servant) and Mr Henry Cooper and Lodger (Haulier). Also lodging at the house was a Mr Samuel Addison (Policeman).
In 1849 at the White Horse Inn, Cwmtillery, a policeman named Mr Samuel Addison accidentally shot the landlord Mr Daniel Jones with a Six Barrel Pistol, the shot struck his arm and later his arm had to be amputated. Mr Addison must have been the resident policeman and was lodging at the Oddfellows Arms at this time.
Oddfellows Lodge of Prince Howell.
In the mid 1850’s it was used as a meeting place for the Oddfellows Lodge of Prince Howell the Good. In August 1853 there was a meeting of the lodge held at the Oddfellows Arms and the procession marched from the Arms to the Salem Chapel at Blaina. After a service held by the Rev William Roberts the party marched back to Abertillery for a dinner held by the host Mr Cardy. It was reported that not only the residents of Abertillery attended the gathering but also the surrounding districts took interest and joined in the procession.
Messrs T. P. & D. Price.
The Oddfellows Arms was at the Cwmtillery Valley junction on the Newport to Nantyglo tram road. Mr Cardy was the Haulier and Contractor for Messrs T.P. & D. Price the Coal Masters and owners of the Penybont Colliery and the Tillery Levels in that valley. All coal from the collieries and supplies to them were hauled to and from by Mr Thomas Cardy. He had a large stock of work horses in his stables at the Oddfellows Arms.
The Sale of the Hauling Business.
In April 1856 Mr Cardy advertised his whole livestock for sale, they comprised of fourteen horses in total measuring between 15 and 17 hands high (if that was the standard hand measurement of 4″ inches, that meant the horses were between 5′ feet and 5′ feet 8″ inches in height at the shoulder). Mr Cardy stated he was selling his hauling business in consequence of Messrs T.P. & D. Price and Co employing steam locomotive power.
The Death of Mr Cardy.
On Wednesday 21st of January 1857, Mr Thoms Cardy sadly passed away at 57 years of age.
The Sale of the Oddfellows Arms.
In June 1857 the Oddfellows Arms was put up for sale at auction. Also for sale at the same auction was a newly erected dwelling house and premises called the Royal Oak, situated at Abertillery in the occupation of Mr William Mills.
The Royal Oak Inn.
In September 1857 Mrs Cardy of the Oddfellows Arms applied for a licence transfer to the Royal Oak Inn, Abertillery. I don’t know if Mrs Cardy did take over the tenancy of the Royal Oak Inn though in 1861 the landlord was Mr Joseph Winmill.
A while later the Oddfellows Arms was demolished and the site cleared to make way for a much larger junction and sidings to accommodate the many wagons that travelled up and down the Cwmtillery valley in readiness for the start of mechanisation.
The Oddfellows Society.
In the late 1850’s early 1860’s after losing their headquarters the Oddfellows Society planned to have a new hall erected. In March 1862 a new hall had been built somewhere in Abertillery, I don’t know where it was situated though there was a court case involving nonpayment for work done at the hall and money paid for stone taken from a quarry belonging to Mr Hiley of Abertillery. I can’t find any other information on this and later reports stated that the different lodges, i.e., Prince Llewellyn the Good, the Tillery and Loyal Prince Albert to name a few and other Orders of Oddfellows were using Public Houses in the area as their headquarters, The Rolling Mill, The Commercial, The Bridgend Inn and The Royal Exchange, Blaenau Gwent.
The New Oddfellows Hall.
In November 1893 the Orders of the Oddfellows invited tenders from builders to construct a new hall. The tender from Mr William Smith of Abertillery was accepted and the new building went ahead. The new Oddfellows Hall was constructed on ground between Cwm Street and Queen Street. In August 1894 the new Oddfellows Hall was completed. On many reports its address was Queen Street, Abertillery. The new hall was a two-storey building which incorporated a Y.M.C.A. on the ground floor, this section was called Shaftsbury House.