Upper House – Pentre Upper House

No. 131 on the 1841 Tithe Map.

The overseer of the poor in 1798 was David Thomas “for the Upper House”. In 1811 the owner is listed as David Thomas and the occupier is Edward James. Edward James died in 1840 without leaving a will so his wife Rachel, now living in Llanover, testified to ownership to his goods and chattels.

The 1841 tithe states David Thomas has the land “in hand”. On the census of the same year David Thomas is aged 85, Mary his wife is 60 and living with them at Upper House is 25 year old Hannah.

Lewis Edmunds, the local builder wrote in his diary on the 21st January 1842, “at the funeral of David Thomas of Goytree at Hanover aged 90 years.”

Upper house was purchased by Col. Henry Byrd in July 1857 along with Pentre Bach.

Thomas Jenkins and his family are in occupation in 1861, he is aged 50 and a farm labourer, Hannah his wife is also aged 50, they were both born in Goytre, living with them are Thomas’s step-children, Mary Ann 16, Cathrine 9, Elizabeth 8 and David 6, all the children were born in Llanover.

Occupying the house in 1871 was James Rosser and his wife Keturah, James was aged 39 and Keturah 29. Living with them are their children, Ann Elinor and Rachel Martha Rebecka. Their two year old eldest son Richard is with his grandmother at Pantglas. More children were later born at Upper House, Sarah and Ruth Maria. In 1877 James was working as a weaver at Gwenffrwd Factory.

By 1881 James and his family had moved to Oviel Garn, the new occupier of Upper House was Edward Williams who was a 42 year old labourer, his wife Merab was aged 37, their children are John 9, Florence 7, Edward 5 and Rebecca 10 months.

Edward Williams name was on a list of one of the worst offenders for his children not attending school for which he was fined 5s in December 1884.

Edward Williams had died by 1891 but Merab remained at Upper House, by now she was aged 47, John her 19 year old son was an agricultural labourer, 10 year old Rebecca and 7 year old William were scholars.

On the 1911 census Merab is still at Upper House, she is now 67 and living with her is her 25 year old daughter Florence who is a dressmaker, visiting them is one year old Darcey Lee, a neice.

In 1911 Merab says she is a market gardener.

On the electoral register of 1915 Merab has moved to Goytre Wharf.

 

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