No. 718 on the 1841 census – containing 3a 3r 35p small holding.

On the 10th July 1765 David Valentine (the son of William, baptised at St Peter’s in 1710) took the lease of all those two cottages of about 2 acres waste ground in Pellenigg, parish of Goytre, then in possession of Mary Valentine. Lease for lives of the said David Valentine, David his son 20 and Mary his daughter 22.

In 1775 David Valentine (the younger) had a daughter Ann baptised at St Peter’s followed by David in 1777, Thomas in 1785.

Elizabeth, the wife of David Valentine the elder died in 1778, and buried at St Peter;s.

David Valentine the elder died in 1782, he was buried in St Peter’s churchyard, three years later in 1785 David Valent (a variation of Valentine ) the son of David and Ann his wife died, he was also laid to rest at St Peter’s.

I have found the following children of David and Ann baptised at St Peter’s. David in November 1777,Elizabeth in 1780,John in February 1787 and Martha in August 1796.

David Valent’s name is listed as paying land tax for the property in 1798.

Ann, the wife of David Valentine died in 1810, she was buried at St. Peter’s.

The Earl of Abergavenny’s survey of 1821 says David Valentine is still tenant of pasture and arable lands, but he died the following year 1822, from his death age he had been born in 1745.

A Court Leet in 1823 says David Valentine died possessed of leasehold land. The land tax the same year is paid by William Vallent.

Earl of Abergavenny lease no 79 was regranted to William Vallent on the 29th September 1831, William had married Elizabeth Proger but I cannot find the marriage.

On the electoral register of 1840  is William Valentine in this parish, leasehold land for lives near Chapel Ed.

The census of 1841 says William Valentine is 70, Elizabeth is 65, living with them is 11 year old Mary Richards, the tithe if the same year says William Valent is in occupation of little field, cae ffynon, a garden, meadow and little orchard and little field.

William Valentine had died or moved sometime before 1851 as the occupier on the census of 1851 is David Jenkins a 68 year old blacksmith who had previously lived at Phoenix cottage. The following year David Jenkins died, he was buried in St Iltyds churchyard Mamhilad.

The census of 1861 is missing but in 1871 John Williams a 45 year old shoemaker and his wife Elizabeth 40 are in residence, they were both born in Goytre. John had died before the next census of 1881 as his wife Elizabeth is now a widow living at Penwern with her brother James Jenkins.

By 1901 William Lewis and family had moved into Elm Trees, sadly his con called William Isaac died at 8 months on the 2nd of April 1901. The census says William Lewis is a 27 year old butcher, Edith his wife is 28.

No 212 on the map is owned by the Earl of Abergavenny, the gross value is £3, rateable value is £2, the property has 2 acres.

William and his family remain at Elm Trees for quite some time, in 1911 it says the property has 6 rooms, William is a pickler at the steel works, Edith is 39,  they had been married for 17 years, their children are  Clifford 15, Edith 14, Florence 13, Ivor 8, Elizabeth 7, Richard 5 and Philip 4.

In 1920 the Earl of Abergavenny sold many of his properties, lot 23 was Elm Trees, a smallholding of 3a 0r 35p rent of £7 7s p.a., the property was sold to Mrs Gertrude Williams of Nash Road Newport for £305.

William Lewis and his family remained at Elm Trees for some considerable time afterwards.

At Elm Trees on the register of 1939  Ruth Jones born in 1860 is a market gardener, Ernest James Jones born in 1893, John Thomas Jones born in 1881 is incapacitated and Winifred E born in 1896.