The Rising Sun Inn – Cwmtillery

The Rising Sun Inn, Cwmtillery.
The Rising Sun Inn, Cwmtillery (as seen in the small row of cottages behind the school in the main featured image above) was built on land owned by the Marquis of Abergavenny and has been mentioned in a South Wales Gazette report from October 1913 that it was granted its license in 1869. The inn was the only property built at this time with the adjoining cottages appearing on later censuses.

Mr Charles Reynolds.
Mr Reynolds seemed to have been the first landlord at the Rising Sun Inn and he had brass gaming checks made with his name and the name of the inn embossed into the checks. Mr Charles Reynolds was born in 1830 at Penpont? Somerset. His wife Mrs Anna Reynolds was born in 1840 also at Penpont? Somerset. They lived at the inn with their children – Miss Sarah Ann Reynolds, born in 1863. Miss Jemima Reynolds, born in 1865 and Aberystruth. Miss Sara Reynolds, born in 1867 at Aberystruth and their son Master Charles Henry Reynolds, born in 1870 also at Aberystruth.

Gaming Checks.
I believe that it was illegal to gamble with money in public houses although landlords got around the law by gambling with brass checks (as seen above), these checks were then exchanged for money. 

In September 1870 Mr Charles Reynolds applied for a license to sell liquor at the Rising Sun, Cwmtillery. The bench refused his application.

Mr Isaac Bond.
On the 1871 census Mr Isaac Bond was landlord at the Rising Sun Inn, Cwmtillery. Mr Isaac Bond was born in 1813 at Grant Chaverwell, Wilthshire. His wife Mrs Elizabeth Bond was born in 1814 at Somerset. They lived at the inn with their son James Bond, born in 1852 at Somerset and a servant girl Miss Mary Nane? born in 1855 at Gloucestershire.

Mr William Webb, Brewer of Aberbeeg.
In 1872, the Bedwellty Publicans Licensees papers shows that the inn was listed as being part of the South Wales Works and owned by Mr William Webb, brewer of Aberbeeg. The South Wales Works were more than probably the South Wales Colliery Company who owned Cwmtillery Colliery, then known as the South Wales Colliery, the same company that sold the land for the Cock n Chick School to be built in 1875.

Mr George Boulton.
On the 1881 census Mr George Boulton was licensee at the Rising Sun Inn, Cwmtillery. Mr George Boulton was born in 1829 at Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire. His wife Mrs Maria Boulton was born in 1830 at Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire. Also living at the premises was Mrs Mary A. Boulton, Mr Boulton’s mother born in 1802 also at Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire.

Rising Sun Cottages.
It was on the 1881 census that the Rising Sun Cottages first appeared. The cottages were numbered 1 to 3. Living at No.1 were Miss Catherine Williams and Miss Elizabeth Ann Tucker both school mistresses. At No.2 were Mr and Mrs Edward and Jane Jones, Mr Jones was a schoolmaster and at No.3 were Mr and Mrs William and Sarah Ann Tippins. Mr Tippins was a colliery haulier. The Rising Sun Inn seemed to be number 4 in the row.

Messrs Webb Brothers, Aberbeeg.
In 1887 Messrs Webb Brothers of Aberbeeg were the owners of the Rising Sun Inn, Cwmtillery with Mr George Boulton as holder of the license.

Mr George Boulton.
On the 1891 census Mr and Mrs George and Maria Boulton were still licensees at the inn.

Messrs J. R. & T. A. Webb, Aberbeeg.
From 1896 and 1899 the Rising Sun Inn, Cwmtillery was owned by Messrs J. R. & T. A. Webb, Aberbeeg. Mr George Boulton still held the license.

Mr William Morgan Jones.
In 1899 Mr WIlliam M. Jones took the licence over from Mr George Boulton at the Rising Sun, Cwmtillery. The rent at the inn was £45 per annum, equivalent to £5,580 in today’s money with an average bar takings of £12 per week, equivalent to £1,400 per week in today’s money.

The Alterations.
In the early 1900’s it seems the Rising Sun Inn took one of the cottages No.3 to enlarge the inn as in the 1901 census there were only two cottages numbers 1 and 2 and then the inn itself. Living at No.1 were Mr and Mrs Samuel Murrell and at No.2 were Mr and Mrs George and Maria Boulton, ex-licensees and living at No.3 were Mr William Morgan Jones and his wife Mrs Fanny Jones. It seems No.3 was the Rising Sun Inn.

Messrs J. R. & T. A. Webb, Aberbeeg.
From 1903 to 1905 the Rising Sun Inn was leased by Messrs J. R. & T. A. Webb, Aberbeeg, also on the Ralph Pelham Nevill and Col, Hon Charles Gathorne, Gathorne Harly, Mr W. C. Cripps & Son, Daish Solicitors of Tunbridge Wells the Trustees of the Marquis of Abergavenny.

On the 1911 census the Rising Sun Inn was still in the occupation of Mr William Morgan Jones and his wife. At this time Miss Harriett Bagnall was servant. Living at No.1 Rising Sun Cottages were Mr and Mrs William and Mary Pritchard with Mr and Mrs Davis and Florence Jones at No.2.

In 1912 Mr William Morgan Jones left the Rising Sun Inn and went to become the landlord at the Crown Inn, Blaenau Gwent. At this time the Rising Sun Inn, Cwmtillery was closed under the Compensation Recovery Act though a Provisional Renewal License was granted.

The Thomas Family.
There are no known reports of the Rising Sun Inn, Cwmtillery until the Thomas family buying the property and in September 1936 it was reported that a Mrs Thomas of the Rising Sun Inn, Cwmtillery had donated a sum of money to the Abertillery Jubilee Nursing Association.

The Closure of the Rising Sun Inn.
I am unsure of the date of closure of the Rising Sun Inn.

(More information to come).