Sharon,
I, too, have an ancestor who died in the workhouse near Pontypool.
Records from the workhouse do exist and I believe they have been
microfilm by LDS; these would be available on loan through any Family
History Center. Records will tell you when an individual entered the
facility, where they had been living, and when they left.
The following comes from a book entitled "Pontypool's Heritage": The
County Hosiptal, Griffithstown, occupies the buildings formerly used by
the Pontypool Union Workhouse, which was founded as a result of the 1834
Poor Law Act which divided England and Wales into 365 Poor Law Unions;
(hence the former name for Coed-y-gric Road as Union Lane). The
original stone workhouse building dates from 1837, on a site donated by
Capel Hanbury Leigh, and was intended to accommodate 100 destitute
people from the Pontypool area. In 1838 a master and a matron were
appointed, at salaries of 25[pounds] and 15 [pounds] per annum
respectively, and the first inmates arrived shortly afterwards.
The workhouse was intended to be an uninviting place, a last resort for
the destitute and homeless. Paupers were vetted before being admitted,
and discouraged from staying by the harsh conditions. The premises were
expanded during the 1890's to provide room for 150 inmates, and in 1900
the first major extension was added. Following the opening of the main
infirmary buildings, in 1914, the workhouse moved closer to becoming a
hospital."
This goes on with another parargraph or two of info about the more
"modern" history of the facility. If you want the remaining material,
let me know and I will transcribe it for you.
As to the 1841 census, this is the information you can expect to find:
names of all those living in a household (usually beginning with the
head, but not so marked)
ages of all individuals listed
occupations
a "yes" or "no" in response to a question asking if the
individual
was born in the county
where the census was being recorded
a check mark or some other notation in a column asking if
individuals not born in the county being recorded were born in
"Scotland, Ireland, or foreign parts"
These records have also been filmed by LDS and are available at Family
History Centers; what you will be looking at on the microfilm are
pictures of the actual census record books, not transcribed data.
Hope this helps!
Judy