No. 223 on the 1841 tithe map, now in the parish of Llanover.
On the 11th May 1768 Joshua Thomas married Rachel Rosser at St Peter’s church Goytre. Rachel was the daughter of John and Ann (nee Phillips) of Pantglas Mill and farm which was a very short distance from Bwrgwm cottage.
Joshua and Rachel had several children baptised, Rachel in June 1769, Mary in June 1772, John and Margaret in 1773, possibly twins.
Joshua Thomas died in 1790, he was buried in Llanellen churchyard, he died without leaving a will, a bond was made leaving all his goods and property to his wife Rachel.
The land tax of 1808 says Rachel Thomas, yet in 1814 the land tax says Rachel Anthony, (her brother John Anthony Thomas, who lived very close to her at Bwrgwm Bach appears to have dropped the surname Thomas, hence the reason why Rachel Thomas is sometimes referred to as Rachel Anthony.) The tithe of 1832 says Rachel Thomas is the owner of a house and garden in hand (in her ownership.)
Rachel Thomas died in January 1839 aged 96, she was also buried at Llanellen church with her husband Joshua.
The census of 1841 for Bwmgwm says Rachel Thomas is 72 (daughter of Rachel and Joshua Thomas) she is of independent means, living with her is her 30 year old niece Rachel Anthony (Thomas) a female servant working for Hanbury Williams Coldbrook Abergavenny as a dairymaid. Rachel Anthony is the daughter of Rachel Thomas’s brother John Anthony Thomas. there are several references when Rachel Anthony is also called Rachel Thomas.
On Saturday 15th May 1841 Lewis Edmund, the local builder wrote in his diary he was at Rachel Thomas’s of Goytree, whitening, and again on May 8th and 9th 1850 he was at Rachel Thomas’s whitening outside.
The census of 1851 says Rachel Thomas is 82, a landed proprietor, Rachel Anthony, her niece is a house servant aged 40, also on the census is Rachel Thomas’s sister Margaret Price aged 78.
Land tax in 1852 says Rachel Thomas has a house and land of 2a 0r 6p in hand.
Several entries appear in Lewis Edmunds diary, saying he was at Rachel Thomas’s Bwrgwm, on the 12 March 1853 he was whitening inside, on the 10 November he wrote, at thanksgiving at Hanover and at Rachel Thomas 3 o’clock.
On the 16th February 1855 Lewis Edmund wrote in his diary Rachel Thomas jnr. died at Bwrgwm aged 85 years, buried at Hanover, left house to Rachel Anthony.
Another entry in Lewis Edmunds diary says he was at Rachel Anthony’s on the 31st May 1856.
On the census of 1861 the entry now says Rachel Thomas is now 49, a dairymaid, she is unmarried and living on her own.
Lewis Edmund was repairing at Rachel Anthony’s on the 9th October 1868.
On the 1871 census Rachel Thomas is 58, a farmer, living with her is 30 year old Emma Tuffley a dressmaker and 70 year old Walter David, a farmer.
The census of 1881 says Rachel Anthony is 68, retired, Living with her is married niece Margaret Gwatkin and Margaret’s daughter Rachel, and Martha Davies.
Rachel Anthony died in in December 1886, she was buried at Ebenezer Baptist Chapel Blaenavon. She left the following legacies in her will.
To Rachel Rosser, the daughter of James Rosser Goytre, her house and garden.
To the five Johnathon children of Pantalar Farm Llanover £100 each.
To Margaret Evans of Abertillery £100
To the five children of Ann Rosser Goytre 3 cottages and premises (shops) in High Street Blaenavon .
To Margaret Ferncombe (now Gwatkin) living with her £100.
To Leah Jenkins Garndiffaith £50.
To the Baptist Missionary Society £200.
To the Bible Translation Society £100.
To the Baptist Colleges in Pontypool, Haverfordwest and Llangollen £100.
To the infirm Baptist Ministers £100.
To Horeb Baptist Church Blaenavon £100.
To Saron Chapel Goytre £100.
To Mr Mullers orphanage Ashley Down £30.
To Mr Spurgeon’s boys orphanage £30.
To the widows fund London 19 guineas.
To the Baptist tract fund 19 guineas.
The value of her will is given as under £1,900.
She also stated that all monies given to females in her will is for their sole use only.
After her death Lewis Edmunds swore a declaration stating that he had know Rachel Anthony and that the property Bwrgwm had been given to her by her aunt Rachel Thomas.
Rachel Jones (nee Rosser) raised an £80 mortgage against the property in 1888 from William Meredith of the High Street Blaenavon, shortly after this she sold Bwrgwm to Lady Llanover on the 8th December 1888 paying £5 2s 8d duty of succession.
By the census of 1891 Charles Morgan, 50, a coal miner born in Llanover and his wife Caroline 51 born in Llanwenarth were in occupation of Bwrgwm Cottage. Ten years later on the census of 1901 Charles had changed his occupation to a roadman, saying he was partly deaf, Caroline says she is a laundress, working from home.
In 1910 the gross rateable value of Bwrgwm cottage was £4 10s, paying £4, the owner was Herbert of Llanover.
By 1911 the occupier had changed to Leonard Rowley who was a 29 year old mason’s labourer, born in Llanover, his wife is Margaret Jane, 29, born in Swansea, their children, Muriel Elise 6 and Evan James 3, were born in Llanover.
Leonard Rowley and his family remained at Bwrgwm, the 1921 census says he is 39, out of work from the “Big Pit” Blaenavon where he is a timber-mans assistant, Margaret is also 39, their three children are Muriel Elise 16, Evan James 13 and Herbert Charles 7. By 1924 Leonard and his family had moved to Bwrgwm Bach according to the electoral register. By 1930 they had moved to Bailey Glas also in Llanover with the electoral register of 1934 saying Leonard Rowley was living in a caravan near the Lodge.