Caerleon or Llangattock-juxta-Caerleon

(A description written in 1891)

The Township of Caerleon, is included in the Parish of Llangattock, and is on the road from Newport to Usk, with a station on the Pontypool, Caerleon & Newport junction branch of the Great Western Railway, is 160 miles from London, a north-east from Newport, and 8 from Usk; it is in the Southern division of the county, lower division of the Hundred of Usk; Petty Sessional division of Caerleon, Union and County Court district of Newport; western division of the rural deanery of Netherwent, archdeaconry of Monmouth and diocese of Llandaff.

It is situated on the banks of the Usk, which is spanned by a substantial stone bridge of 3 arches, erected some years since in a place of an ancient structure of wood, a little higher up, and defended at each end by a round tower, but now in ruins.

The township adopted the "Local Government Act of 1858”, June 7th, 1872, the board consisting of 9 members; it is lighted with gas by a company, formed in 1869 and supplied with water from the Newport Corporation Water Works.

The church of St. Cadoc, Llangattock, is a building in mixed styles, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and a tower containing a clock and 8 bells: a Norman arch of very early date was discovered at the base of the tower during the restoration in 1867; the upper portion of the tower is Early English: the greater part of the windows are Decorated and the eastern portion of the chancel Late Perpendicular: there are six stained windows in the chancel, three of which have recently been placed in the church in memory of Charles Williams Esq, the founder of the Caerleon Charities. The church was restored, and mainly rebuilt in 1867, at an outlay of £3,000 and has 690 sittings, all free. The register of Baptisms and Burials dates from the year 1695; Marriages 1715; the earlier copies were destroyed, it is supposed, during the Rebellion. The living held since 1885 by the Rev, Francis Bedwell B.D. of Corpus Christi college, Oxford, surrogate. Parish Clerk, William Williams.

Here is a Catholic chapel, dedicated to St. Dubritius, also Baptist and Congregational chapels; at Caerleon Village are Primitive Methodist and Wesleyan chapels.

There are three malthouses. A Museum, erected by public subscription in 1851, near the church, contains many local antiquities, chiefly Roman, of which an illustrated catalogue was compiled by J E Lee Esq. of Villa Syracusa, Torquay, and published by Messrs. Longman & Co. 1861 …. A Reading Room and Library, under the control of the Caerleon Local Board, was built (by subscription) in 1875, at a cost of £400: the Library contains about 120 volumes, and there is a regular supply of newspapers and periodicals.

Post:

M.O. & T.O, S B & Annuity & Insurance Office - John Green, postmaster.

Letters through Newport arrive at 7. a.m. (10.10 a.m. to callers) & 2.10 p.m; dispatched at 2, 5.50 & 7.40 p.m. Money order & savings bank business from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Schools:

Caerleon Endowed School (Boys & Girls & Infants), founded and endowed by Charles Williams Esq. 1724 -

Evan Davies, master; Miss M Pritchard, mistress; Mrs James Jarrett, infants mistress; average attendance, 300.

Newport Union Industrial Schools, forming a branch of the Newport Poor Law Union, established in 1859 & enlarged in 1881 at a cost of £6,000; there are about 200 children; with 300 acres of land attached to the School & the boys are taught farming & garden work, tailoring & instrumental music; the girls are instructed in house work, sewing & washing to fit them for domestic service; Gilbert William Harding, superintendent; Charles Wm. de Grunchy L.R.C.P. Lond. medical officer; Rev. Alfred Wilkins, chaplain; Miss Sarah Davies, industrial trainer; Mrs Mary Harding, matron; Charles Axtell, school-master; Walter Davies, bailiff; Miss Jane Wylie, school-mistress; Miss Alice A Jones, infants' mistress.

Railway Station:

Thomas B Clark, station master

The Duke of Beaufort K.G. is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are John Capel Hanbury Esq. J.P. Pontypool Park; and Lieut. Col. Sir Arthur William Mackworth Bart. R.E. The soil is red loam; subsoil, marl. The crops are wheat, oats and barley. The area is 2,937 acres; rateable value, £5,357; rateable value of Llangattock, £4,285.

The population in 1881 was 1,262

 

 

(extracts from Kelly's 1891 Directory of Monmouthshire, transcribed by J. Doe)

 

 

 

 

 

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