Flag of St David
Aberystruth
including Abertillery, Blaina, Cwm, Cwmtillery, Garnfach and Nantyglo
(A description written in 1891)
A Parish 175 miles from London, 9 west from Abergavenny, 3.1/2 east from Tredegar; in the Western division of the county, Hundred of Abergavenny; Petty Sessional division and Union of Bedwellty, Tredegar County Court district; Blaenau Gwent division of Abergavenny rural deanery, Monmouth archdeaconry and Llandaff diocese.
The Parish of Aberystruth has no village of its own name, but the following are names of the places contained in this extensive parish: Abertillery, Nant-y-Glo, Garnfach, Blaina, Cwm and Cwmtillery: (the first two are now separate ecclesiastical parishes)
The church of St Peter, the parish church of Aberystruth, standing in Blaina, is a cruciform structure of stone, rebuilt in 1857, in the Norman style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, transepts, south porch and eastern tower with spire containing 8 bells, given by Messrs. Lancaster & Co. Limited; there are 600 sittings. The register of Baptisms and Burials dates from the year 1736; Marriages, 1737. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £210, in the gift of the Marquess of Abergavenny, and held since 1873 by the Rev. Howell Howell. Charities, amounting annually to about £2, are given to the poor at Christmas.
The Marquess of Abergavenny is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are Nant-y-Glo & Blaina Iron Works Co. Limited, The Ebbw Vale Co. Limited, and the South Wales Colliery Co. and Alexander James Esq. The soil is all mountain land, scarcely any cultivated; nearly the whole country is taken up by iron works, mines and collieries. There are a few farms amongst the hills. The area is 11,000 acres of land and 103 of water; rateable value, £92,553;
The population in 1861 was 16,055 and in 1881, was 18,668, of which 6,067 are attached to the mother church.
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BLAINA
A Village, in the parish of Aberystruth, with a station on the Monmouthshire section of the Great Western railway, 178 miles north-west from London, 7 east from Tredegar and 4 north from Aberbeeg.
This place is included in the Nant-y-Glo and Blaina Local Board District.
Here are Presbyterian, Baptist and Welsh Baptist, Welsh Calvinistic, English & Welsh Congregational, Primitive Methodist and English & Welsh Wesleyan chapels.
A Cemetery of 5 acres was formed in 1886 and is under the control of Nant-y-Glo & Blaina Local Board.
Here are the Blaina Tinplate Works and furnaces, and in the vicinity are many collieries, giving employment to a great number of hands. There is large hall, which is used for public meetings, and will hold 1,000 persons.
Post, M.O. & T.O., S.B & Annuity & Insurance Office (Railway Sub-Office. Letters should have RSO Mon. added):
Edmund Evans, postmaster
Pillar Box, Railway Terrace, cleared daily, 7 p.m. Sunday, 6 p.m.
Wall Letter Box, Abertillery road, 6.45 p,m, except Sundays
Petty Sessions are held at the Police station, Blaina, once a month, on Friday, at 10 a.m. The following places are included in the Petty Sessional division: - Aberystruth, Bedwas, which included the hamlets of Bedwas (Upper & Lower), Bedwellty, which includes the hamlets of Ishlawrcoed, Manmoel & Uwchlawrcoed, Mynyddislwyn, which includes the hamlets of Clawrplwyf, Mynyddmaen, Penmaen & such parts of the parishes of Llangynider and Llangattock as now form part of the administrative County of Monmouth.
County Police Station:
James Milkins, inspector, a sergeant & 7 men.
Places of Worship:
St Peter's Church: Rev. Howell Howell, rector
Baptist, Garn: Rev. J Glynn Williams, minister
Baptist (English & Welsh): ministers various
Calvinistic (English & Welsh): Rev. Hugh Williams, minister
Congregational (English): Rev. David Williams
Congregation (Welsh): Rev. David Richard Morgans, minister
Presbyterian: Rev. John Lloyd, minister
Primitive Methodist: ministers various
Wesleyan: ministers various
Wesleyan (Welsh): ministers various
Schools:
A School Board of 9 members was formed for the parish (Aberystruth) in 1875;
Board School: built in 1884, for 1,315 children; average attendance, 318 boys, 280 girls and 280 infants; Jos. William Parry, master; Miss Alexa Adams, girls' mistress; Miss Dinah Reed, infants' mistress
Great Western Railway Station:
Chas. Bowen, station master.
(extracts from Kelly's 1891 Directory of Monmouthshire, transcribed by J. Doe)
Aberbargoed • Aberbeeg • Abercarn • Abergavenny • Abersychan • Abertillery (also see Aberystruth) • Aberystruth • Basseleg • Bettws (near Llantillio Pertholey) • Bettws (near Newport) • Bettws Newydd • Bishton • Blackwood • Blaenavon • Blaina • Briery Hill • Bryngwyn • Bwlch • Trewyn • Caerleon or Llangattock-Juxta-Caerleon (see Christchurch for Caerleon Village) • Caerwent • Caldicot • Castleton • Cefnycrib • Chapel Hill • Chepstow • Christchurch (also see Newport) • Clawrplwyf • Coedkernew • Coed y Paen • Crick • Croesyceiliog • Cross Ash • Cross Keys • Crosshands • Crumlin (also see Llanhilleth & Mynyddislwyn) • Cwm (also see Ebbw Vale) • Cwmavon (also see Trevethin) • Cwmbran (also see Llanvihangel Llantarnam & Llanfrechfa) • Cwmcarn • Cwmcarvan • Cwmffrwdoer • Cwmnantddu • Cwmtillery (also see Aberystruth) • Cwmynyscoy • Cwmyoy • Devauden • Dewstow • Dingestow • Dinham • Dixton Newton • Duffryn • Earlswood • Ebbw Vale • Fleur-de-Lys • Freehold • Garndiffaith (also see Trevethin) • Garndyrris • Garnfach • Gellygroes • Glascoed • Goldcliff • Golynos • Govilon • Goytre • Graig • Griffithstown (also see Llanfrechfa & Panteg) • Grosmont • Gwehelog • Gwernesney • Hardwick • Henllys • High Cross • Highmoor Hill • Howick • Ifton • Itton • Kemeys Commander • Kemeys Inferior • Kilgwrrwg • Langstone • Little Mill • Llanarth • Llanbadoc • Llanbedr • Llandavenny • Llandewi Fach • Llanddewi Rhydderch • Llanddewi Skirrid • Llandegveth • Llandenny • Llandevaud • Llandogo • Llanellen • Llanfaeneor • Llanfair Discoed • Llanfair Gilgoed • Llanfair Kilgeddin • Llanfihangel Crucorney • Llanfihangel Gobion • Llanfihangel juxta Roggiett • Llanfihangel Llantarnam • Llanfihangel nigh Usk • Llanfihangel Pont y Moile • Llanfihangel Tafernbach • Llanfihangel Tor y Mynydd • Llanfihangel Ystern Llewern • Llanfihangel y Vedw • Llanfoist • Llanfrechfa • Llangattock • Lingoed • Llangattock nigh Usk • Llangattock Vibon Avel • Llangeview • Llangibby • Llangoven • Llangua • Llangwm Ishaf & Llangwm Uchaf • Llanhennock • Llanhilleth • Llanishen • Llanllowell • Llanmartin • Llanover • Llanrumney • Llansantffraed • Llansoy • Llanthewy Rytherch • Llanthewy Skirrid • Llanthewy Vach • Llanthomas • Llanthony • Llantillio Crossenny • Llantillio Pertholey • Llantrissent • Llanvaches • Llanvair Discoed • Llanvair Kilgeddin • Llanvapley • Llanvetherine • Llanwenarth Citra • Llanwenarth Ultra • Llanwern Lliswerry • Llwyndu • Machen (Upper & Lower) • Maes-y-cwmmer • Magor • Maindee (also see Christchurch & Newport) • Malpas • Mamhilad • Marshfield • Mathern (also see St Pierre) • May Hill • Michaelston y Fedw • Mitchel Troy • Monkswood • Monmouth • Mounton • Mynyddbach • Mynyddislwyn • Mynyddmaen • Nantyderry • Nantyglo • Nash • New Town • New Tredegar • Newbridge • Newcastle • Newchurch East & West • Newport • Nightingale Village • Oldcastle • Overmonnow • Panteg • Par Grace Dieu • Pen y Clawdd • Penalt • Penbiddle • Pengam • Penhow • Penmaen • Penpergwm • Penrhos • Penrose • Penterry • Pentrepeod • Penygarn • Penyrheol • Peterstone Wentloog • Pillgwenlly • Ponthir • Pontllanfraith • Pontnewydd (also see Llanfrechfa) • Pontnewynydd • Pontrhydyryn • Pontygof • Pontymister • Pontymoile • Pontypool • Pontywain • Porthcasseg • Portskewett • Pwll Du • Pwllmeyric • Raglan • Redbrook • Redwick • Rhydgwern • Rhymney • Risca • Rock • Rockfield • Rogerstone • Roggiett • Rumney • Runston (also see Mathern) • St Arvans • St Brides Netherwent • St Brides Wentloog • St Kingsmark • St Lawrence • St Maughans • St Mellons • St Pierre (also see Mathern) • St Woolos • Sebastopol (also see Panteg) • Shirenewton • Sirhowy • Six Bells • Skenfrith • Snatchwood • Somerton Common • Sudbrook • Talywain (also see Trevethin) • The Race and Upper Race • Tintern Abbey • Tintern Parva • Tranch • Tredegar • Tredunnock • Tregare • Trellech • Trellech Grange • Trevethin • Treworgan • Trostrey • Undy • Upper Machen • Usk • Varteg • Victoria • Waunlwyd • Whitebrook • Whitson • Wilcrick • Wolvesnewton • Wonastow • Wyesham • Ynysddu
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