My gt grandparents THOMAS FRANCIS DAVIES (an Engineer from Flintshire and
Jane Elizabeth Davies (nee James from Herefordshire) lived in no. 4 The Pit
Houses, Garn yr Erw from abt 1945 to 1880 where they had twelve children
over the years, two of whom emigrated to Australia in 1886. My grandparents
EDWIN JOHN THOMAS (a collier from PwllDdu and Sarah Jane Thomas (nee
Davies) lived in this house from abt 1880 to 1903 where they had only nine
children over the years.
I spent a lot of time as an seven year old in this same house during the
early part of the Second World War and remember it in great detail but I am
at a loss to understand how these large families managed to live in such
extremely small space. There was a living room 60% of which w as occupied
by a table and chairs. My grandmother cooked on the open hearth & oven.
Upstairs was divided by a curtain of sorts to provide two sleeping areas
abt 10ftx10ft. There was a loo - on the other side of the bailey and in my
grandfather's veg patch.
The house was demolished when they created the existing lakes and I have
only my memory of it, unfortunately, and would love to see a photograph of
those four houses or hear from anyone who might remember them.
David Jones