The Yew Tree Social Club – Alma Street, Abertillery

The Yew Tree Club – Alma Street, Abertillery.
The Yew Tree Club, Alma Street, Abertillery (as seen center right on the featured map above) was established at Bryncraig House in 1934. The club was later struck off the register, reopened and was closed a few years later, turned into flats and was demolished in the early 1960’s. Its full history can be seen below.

Mr Thomas Robins.
In 1888 Mr Thomas Robins, born in 1837 at Bedminster, Bristol, married the widow Mrs Hannah Michael of Nantyglo, a grocer living and trading from 7-8 Market Street Abertillery. Mr Thomas Robins was a colliery owner, in charge of the Tillery Coal Levels and the head of the Abertillery Collieries Company. The family owned and later lived at Bryncraig House, Alma Street, Abertillery. One of Mrs Hannah Robins’ sons was the surveyor Mr David J. Michael, who was based at York Street, though he later moved and had his offices at Bryncraig House.

The Death of Mr Thomas Robins.
In February 1902 Mr Thomas Robins died, local reports stated that he had left £9,158. 19s. 3d. in his will, equivalent to £1.4 million in todays money. A year later, Bryncraig House was put up for sale at auction.

To Let.
In 1905 Bryncraig House was advertised as to-let.

A Conservative Club Proposal.
On Saturday 11th of March 1905, the South Wales Weekly Argus and Monmouthshire Advertiser printed a report on a meeting of the West Monmouthshire Conservatives at the Station Hotel, Abertillery. The meeting was to consider establishing a Conservative Club in the town. Mr Scudamore (Secretary) of the association told how Mr Astor, the millionaire, had placed £2,000 at the disposal of the association for the establishment of clubs in places where none at present existed. The was a club at Ebbw Vale, one in progress at Blaina and they were now looking at Abertillery.

The Conservative Association were looking at Bryncraig House, the premises of the late Mr Thomas Robins, it stood in its own grounds and had large suitable rooms. Another option was Norman House in town. The owners of Bryncraig House was said to have wanted £75 per annum, this sum was considered too high a rent and the matter was left in the hands of Mr S. Winmill, the association’s local secretary.

The local Conservatives opted to lease another premises and on Saturday 15th of October 1910, the West Monmouthshire Conservative Association opened a Constitutional Club at Oak Street. Mr E. Jones Williams was president and Mr S. Winmill was its secretary. 

The Boarding House.
In the mid 1900’s, Bryncraig House was listed as a boarding house.

Mr Charles Thomas.
Mr Charles Thomas was registered as the Alma Street lodging house proprietor, Mr Thomas was also the keeper of two other such places, a lodging house in Mitre Street and at King Street, Abertillery.

Overcrowding at Lodging Houses.
In October 1910, Mr Thomas was summoned for allowing overcrowding at one of his lodging houses in Aberillery although the case was adjourned until a later date. A similar case of overcrowding was heard at Brynmawr, it was said that 1 room was registered for 9 people. Another room had 11 adults, 5 males and 6 females and 3 children sleeping in 6 beds. Another room was occupied by 3 couples and 1 child sleeping in 3 beds. During the Great War prices were said to have been 3s. 6d. per week, for a bed. One report mentioned a lodging workman was paying for a chair by the fire-side.

Bryncraig Boarding House 1911.
On the 1911 census, sixty-seven people were registered as living at the Alma Street, Boarding House, their occupations ranged from labourers, tailors, masons, shoemakers, ragmen from Yorkshire, Durham and the Isle of Man to a gang of African Algerian hawkers, a traveller from Pretoria and a navvy from Cairo, Egypt. I first had doubts about the number of people staying in the house, although looking at the previous court cases at Brynmawr, it becomes clear and one can only imagine what the smells, sanitation and other conditions were like.

The Yew Tree Social Club and Institute.
On Thursday 11th of October 1934, Bryncraig House, the old boarding house was opened as the Yew Tree Social Club and Institute.

Mrs Annie Lewis.
The first stewardess at the club was Mrs Annie Lewis. The secretary was Mr Thomas Mytton.

The Yew Tree Social Club and Institute Struck off the Register.
On Wednesday 18th of March 1936, the club was struck off the register, it was struck off on the grounds that it had ceased to exist.

The Alma Street Social Club.
A week later, on Wednesday the 25th of March 1936, the club was reopened under the name of The Alma Street Social Club. Mrs Annie Lewis remained as stewardess, Mr H. J. Lewis of Oriel Cottage, Blaina Road was listed as secretary and also named was Mr James Fowler of Roseberry Street, Abertillery.

The Police Raid on the Alma Street Social Club.
On Saturday 12th of August 1939 at 10.25pm, the Alma Street Social Club was raided by the police after many complaints, the police acted and the club was closed down. The authorities stated the following – 1/ that the club was not conducted in good faith as a club. 2/ There was frequent drunkenness on the premises. 3/ There was illegal sales of intoxicating liquor. 4/ People, not members were habitues for the purpose of obtaining liquor. 5/ Persons were admitted as members without having given 48 hours notice. The night of the police raid, 18 of 34 were registered as members, one man was so drunk he could not speak. The members book was examined, there were 308 members, of that number 112 had ceased to be members and a further 58 were not known or could not be traced by the addresses given.

The Closure of the Alma Street Social Club.
On Friday 15th of September 1939, the South Wales Gazette reported the Alma Street Social Club had closed.

Bryncraig Flats.
In 1940 the old club had been converted and was being used as flats, there were about six flats in use.

Residents of the Flats.
During the 1950’s some of the Bryncraig Flats, Alma Street residents included – Clifford and Emily Morris. William and Violet Prosser. James and Gertrude Johnson. Raymond and Olwen Richards. Lewis and Eva James and Celia James.

The Last Residents at the Flats.
The last residents to reside at the Bryncraig Flats, Alma Street before its demolition were Malcolm and Gladys Weaver. 

The Demolition of Bryncraig Flats.
On Friday 19th of January 1962, the South Wales Gazette printed notices from the council that tenders were invited from demolition contractors for the demolition of Bryncraig House, Alma Street, Abertillery. To Mr Reginald H. Eke, Council Offices, Abertillery.

The Area of the Bryncraig House.
The image of “then-and-now” is taken from the National Library of Scotland, Georeferenced Maps website. Bryncraig House, as it was, is in the left image circled in white and the right image shows where it would be today, also showing the surrounding streets as it was and as it is today.

Points of Interest –
Mrs Annie Lewis, the first stewardess of the Yew Tree Social Club and Institute was born in 1889. Her husband was Mr Herbert Llewellyn Lewis, the son of Mr and Mrs S. A. Lewis of Glynmawr Street, Abertillery. Mr Herbert L. Lewis fought in the Great War and also worked at the Gray Colliery, Abertillery. The couple divorced in 1922 and Mr Lewis moved to Camberwell, London.

Bryncraig and Bryn Craig.
Bryncraig House had two different spelling variations, Bryn Craig and Bryncraig, split and joined. There were more reports on the house with the joined variant of the name.