Glanbaiden is a rather imposing house situated in the centre of the village.

It was built by John Burgoyne, a builder from Pontypool for Franklin James Harris. Franklin Harris was born at Gwenffrwd Woolen Mill in 1861, the son of Samuel and his wife Anne nee James.

On November 24th 1893 Franklin Harris married Mary Margaretta Jeremiah the daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth Harris at Llantilio Pertholey church, the census of 1901 says they are living at the Carpenters Arms where Franklin Harris is 40 an innkeeper, Mary Margaretta is 31, their daughter Mary Elizabeth is 6. The Carpenters Arms had previously been kept by Mary’s father Abraham Jeremiah.

In 1894 Mr Webbe of Pontypool made an application on behalf of Franklin Harris for the grant of a full licence for the Carpenters Arms, Goytrey. Mr Lyne of Newport opposed this application on behalf of the police and Lady Llanover, the bench dismissed the objection and the licence was granted.

By the census of 1911 Franklin and his family were in occupation of Glanbaiden, the census says he is 50 years, a retired Victualler, Mary his wife is 41, they have two daughters, Mary Elizabeth 16 and Annie Irene 9, living with them is Mary’s brother Thomas Jeremiah who is 40, a wheelwright.

Franklin Harris and his family were still in residence on the census of 1921, it says he is 60, a retired licenced victualler, Mary his wife is 52, Mary Elizabeth is now 26, an elementary school teacher at Goytre school, as is her sister Annie Irene aged 20. Franklin’s brother-in-law Thomas Jeremiah is still living with them, he is 50 and works for Mrs Wilks, Goytre, as a wheelwright.

Franklin Harris died in early February 1925 aged 64, he was buried in St Peter’s churchyard, he left to his wife Mary £1625. Mary Margaretta died at Maesderwen in November 1939 she was buried with her husband Franklin. In her will she leaves £1081 7s 6d to her eldest daughter Mary Elizabeth Harris.

Mary Margaretta, Mary Elizabeth and Annie Irene Harris remained at Glanbaiden until it was sold in 1933 for the sum of £1000, after which they moved to Maesderwen. Mary Margaretta died in 

The electoral register of 1934 says Catherine Ann Morris and Leah Morris are in residence.

They were still in residence on the register of 1939. Catherine Morris, born in 1889 and Leah, born in 1897 are of private means as was Mona Morris born in 1917, Edward Morris born in 1913 is a handyman. Also at Glanbaiden is Wyndham Williams born in 1899, he is a newsagent and tobacconist.

Glanbaiden was sold to Abraham Jenkins in 1956 for £3500, he died in 1958, and was buried in St Peter’s churchyard.

Glanbaiden was sold in 1963 to Arthur James Eckley for £5,750 then again in 1964 to John Edward Owen for  £4,750, it has remained in the Owen family until recently.

The Rectory was built in 1901 it is now a private home.

The first rector to occupy the property in 1901 was Howell Howell, followed by Joseph Rees Davies in 1903.

On the census of 1911 the Reverend Joseph Davies was 42, he was born in Cardigan and spoke both Welsh and English, his wife Annie Sophia was 45 , they had been married 18 years and had had two children. Living with them is a monthly nurse, Rosehannah Gratton, 51 who was born in Birmingham, and a general servant, 20 year old Lucy Hannah Ross from Tredegar.

In 1920 Henry Belcher became the new rector of the parish, he was 59 on the 1921 census, he was born in Gloucester, his wife Clara was also 59, she was born in Westminster, living with them at the rectory was visitor Ellen Rolls also born in Westminster and a servant Mabel Gertrude Price 40 from Abergavenny.

In 1933 the Reverend Thomas John Richards was the new rector, followed by Sydney George Morgan in 1939.

In 1949 this had changed to the Reverend Charles William Kelly who left and was replaced by the Reverend Algernon Lionel Davies in 1956.

Harold John Thomas Richards was the new rector in 1969, the last rector to live at the Rectory was Clifford Ray Cale who came to the parish in 1982.

No. 718 on the 1840 Tithe Map – 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.

Elizabeth, the wife of David Valentine the elder died in 1778, and was 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 of 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 son 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.