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Dear Paul,
I have copied out the census returns for 1841 for Six Bells and nearby places, and I attach it here. I'm sure it will be useful to people researching that far back, as the 1881 and 1891 ones for me.
One intriguing thing is that as far back as that there was an area called "near Six Bells", which suggests a pub of that name. There is only one inn keeper in the whole area, and he happens to be next to Cwmllwydrew, which was the Old Farm, so I guess that was the Six Bells. The only problem is that it seems to be under "Pontaberbeeg", but it may have been regarded as an outlying part of Aberbeeg. I don't know whether there is any chance of going further back and finding out the origin of "Six Bells", but the name is evidently older than most people think.
All good wishes,
Ray
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Thanks for your message. Yes, the Old Farm was as you describe. When I was a child there were four cottages. I have seen references to Cwmllwydrew in older documents, e.g. the Llanhilleth Tithe Map of 1843, and I presume it was the name of the farm, which occupied the mountainside where Graig Road now is. In those days it was owned by a Lewis family, and when I was a boy our landlord was a Mr. Lewis. I intend to do a lot more research into the early history of Six Bells.
Incidentally, you say it was originally called Hafod-fan. I think that is the name of the farm up behind High Street, from which the terrace below got its name. However, even in the census of 1841 there is an area called Six Bells, and among the people living there are some with English names, notably the Tossells, whom I remember as a business family in Six Bells with four shops.
We'll keep in touch,
All good wishes,
Raymond
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Hello Paul,
May I say how much I appreciate the effort you have taken to get the census returns on to the site. Having it all printed out so that it can be searched is certainly better than having to browse through the microfilms and decipher the handwriting. It has actually helped me to find a few things I had overlooked. In particular, it helped me trace my relationship with Edwin Cook, who was head of Six Bells Primary School when I was a boy. He used to say he was a cousin to my great-grandmother, and I had no idea how until recently. It turns out his mother was Sarah Hanmore, daughter of Susanna Harler, who was a sister to my great-great-grandmother.
I have looked at the info from the 1901 census. For your interest (or anyone else's), the Howells family at Cwmllwydrew (note "r" not "n") were my relations. William and mary Ann's sister was Ann Howells, who became Mrs. Gwatkin, and was my great-grandmother. The address is almost certainly what is now known as the Old Farm. It was divided into a few cottages - I think it has since been bought as a whole and made into one house. Mary Ann Howells died in 1937, and my parents moved into the cottage for about two years, when I was a baby. This means that, including their mother who died in 1901, five generations of my family have lived in that house.
I see that someone has inserted a note of Williams Howells' death in 1913. Does this mean someone else is researching the same family? If so, I would be delighted to hear from them.
Thanks again,
Raymond Vincent
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Paul:
You are correct in that Alexandra Terrace was near the Six Bells Halt as the railway station was called. The back of the houses led on to the access lane to the Halt from Alexandra Road. We indeed did overlook the Six Bells Colliery and when we first moved in to the house our first impression of the train coming up the line, was that it was coming through the house. However we soon got used to it.
The Frowen's lived in the first house and the Williams lived in number three. There were seven houses and the other neighbours in order were the Jones in No. 4, Talbot's in No. 5, Mitchell's in No. 6 and Islip's in No. 7.
The only Powell's we knew lived in Jubilee Road, so the event you mention must have been after we left the area in 1958/9 when we moved to Llaneravon in the Cwmbran area. We came to the States in 1961.
Any progress on reactivating your Six Bells site?
Thank you for keeping in touch:
Hilda & Ken.
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Hello Paul,
Charmaine again. I have found your site captivating, can't think why I've not come across it before.
No real finds for me, tho' did see Nanna & Grancha Price, (Adeline and John), plus three of their children on your 1891 census, but no other family names. And as I think I've said, the 1881 doesn't show any John Price of 19ish, nor Adeline Jones of around 14. I think there are a couple of Johns, but at 15, both too young. One resided at Railway Cottage, the other, Commercial Street. Also there's an Adeline, 12, Penybont. Therefore a bit too far out, unless misinterpretations occurred when entering data etc? I've not seen the 1871 returns, so no clues there to them being 9 and 4 respectively. I found the surnames Cecil and Summers okay, (maternal grandparents), online for 1901, but not picking them up via your pages and again, just now have no way of tracking back further. (Health prob's stop the obvious Valleys visits).
I was interested to see that Ray Vincent mentions a Jones and a Giraldus, (maybe the latter's not that unusual in good ol' Wales?). My father's brother was Giraldus, but the 1901 census lists him as being 11yrs of age. Anyway, I again thank you for your time and will appreciate any ideas you may have.
Warmly,
Charmaine.
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