Dear Jon,
When I lived in Dowlais, Glamorganshire, there were a few Cooksey's that
I can recall. One William Cooksey was in my class at Gellifaelog
Secondary Modern from 1959-1960. He went on to become a pub dart player!
Cripps, I know two living ones, each famous in Blaenau Gwent for
different reasons;)
While I was filming the Sirhowy Wesleyan Baptist registers a couple of
weeks ago I came across a good few Tilley families from 1850's onward.
Yours were one 'l' consistently I would suppose?
One of our Ebbw Vale branch of Gwent Family History Society is
researching the Hillier families in Blaina area. There are also Hillier
families mentioned in Ben Fieldhouses book, "People of Old Blaina" from
about 1840. On the page with admissions to the Blaina British school
from 1870 there is , for example, a George Hillier (entry 443) shown,
aged 9 years and 3 months who was admitted to the school 15th September
1873. The address is Inkerman Row (Nantyglo or Blaina perhaps?)
Nice to hear Rob Allen's album is due out soon. That man IS Mr WALES!
He is famous in American, Australian, New Zealand and European Welsh
Societies I am told.
Best regards
Barrie Jones, Gwent
In message J P NIXEY <jpnixey(a)btinternet.com> writes:-
Hi everyone,
I thought I'd post my surname interests in case there's anyone out there
with a connection. I'll give a little potted history on each name.
COOKSEY: Originally from the Frampton Cotterell area of Gloucestershire, my
great great grandfather George moved in to this area in the mid 1860s where
he married Hannah Cox. My
direct family were generally in the Blaenavon area, but Georges brother
William raised his family around Nantyglo. George remarried in 1889 to
Elizabeth CRIPPS at Pontypool. My great grandfather George born 1867 married
Annie Powell who died about 6 months after my grandmother Esther Annie was
born in 1901.
He then remarried to Sarah Hillier, and they emigrated to australia in the
1920s. My grandmother moved to Abertillery from blaenavon to nurse her
grandfather until his death in 1920. she then met my grandfather Ernie Nixey
who had moved here from Twerton, somerset, to work in the coalmines.
JONES: My great great grandfather John was born around Brynmawr about
1846/7, but raised his family in Abertillery. His father was Jonathan
according to John's marriage certificate to Elizah VEALE who had been born
in Stowey, Somerset. No definite early census entries for John and his
family have yet been found. His son William married Elizah GODWIN and they
were my grandfather's parents, my grandfather being Stanley. Out of
interest, my grandfather once played billiards in a tournament against the
great Joe Davies. Needless to say, he lost! My grandfather that is! lol
NIXEY: Originally from the Slough, Buckinghamshire area, my great great
grandfather Joseph was born there in 1814. He married Martha BLINCOE in 1841
in London. Their son Edward James was born in Slough in 1863. The family had
moved to Twerton, Somerset during the late 1860s. Edward married Sarah Jane
NICHOLLS who had been born in Camerton, Somerset. Their son Arthur Albert
Ernest (known generally as Ernie) was born at Twerton in 1898 and he moved
to Abertillery where he met my grandmother Esther Annie COOKSEY.
THOMAS: My great great grandfather George was born locally in Brynmawr, and
married Ellen (?) and began raising a family in Nantyglo. By the late 1880s
they had moved 5 miles south to Abertillery, and by the 1901 census George
had built the house directly opposite me, 185 Alma Street, where my
grandmother and mother were both born. George's son William married
Elizabeth TILEY and they were the parents of my grandmother, Eleanor Mary.
Eleanor Mary married Stanley Jones.
TILEY: Originally from the Stapleton area of Bristol, my great great
grandfather Fred moved to this area during the 1870s. He married Elizabeth
Ann PRICE who was born in Risca, and they raised a family around Abertillery
and Risca. His brother
James was married to Elizabeth's sister Jane. Fred and Elizabeth's daughter
Elizabeth married William Thomas and were the parents of my grandmother,
Eleanor Mary born 1904.
Just before I sign off, I'd like to mention a Welsh themed CD I have had the
pleasure of hearing a preview of. It's by Rob Allen who used to be Max
Boyce's drummer in the 1970s. If anyone would like more info, please contact
me off list at jpnixey(a)btinternet.com
Kindest regards to all,
Jon,
Abertillery
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Barrie Jones