Hello Sally,
My third great grandfather Thomas R. Morgan was the Superintendent of Repellier and Co. in
Schuylkill Co. Pa in the 1860s. He died suddenly in 1868. Thankfully, his tombstone
identifies his birthplace as Monmouthshire. Sure wish we had more. Our family would love
to identify his family in Wales.
Thank you for your insights!
Bev W
-----Original Message-----
From: Sally via <monmouthshire(a)rootsweb.com>
To: monmouthshire <monmouthshire(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Wed, Nov 26, 2014 12:08 pm
Subject: Re: [MON] Pontypool coal
My 2x great-grandfather, John Williams, was a coal miner (collier), born in 1832
in Cwmynyscoy, Monmouthshire, a wee hamlet about two or so miles southwest of
Pontypool town. I have been there.
Locals there told me John and others "went over the hill" to the coal mine(s) to
work. He was married in 1854 in St. Cadoc C of E in Trevethin just north of
Pontypool, where my great-grandmother was born. In 1862, the family left for
the US and its Pennsylvania coal mines, where the coal was used in one case to
make rails for the expanding rail system. After a few years they moved on to the
southwest corner of Wyoming and its adjacent coal mines supplying the steam
engines of the first US transcontinental railroad. He died there in 1884. So,
yes, there were coal mines around Pontypool, not in the immediate town but "over
the hill" to the west and the next valley's mines.
From: "monmouthshire-request(a)rootsweb.com"
<monmouthshire-request(a)rootsweb.com>
To: monmouthshire(a)rootsweb.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 12:00 AM
Subject: MONMOUTHSHIRE Digest, Vol 9, Issue 50
Today's Topics:
1. Pontypool Iron works (user917826(a)aol.com)
2. Re: Pontypool Iron works (Susan Haines)
3. Re: Pontypool Iron works (Jeff Coleman)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 06:10:54 -0500
From: user917826(a)aol.com
Subject: [MON] Pontypool Iron works
To: monmouthshire(a)rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <8D1D6B79D8FC3F2-86C-B276(a)webmail-va019.sysops.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hello,
As I continue to examine Monmouthshire records for my ancestor, I am attempting
to make some assumptions and would appreciate feedback from the list. From all
accounts, our Thomas Morgan was born circa 1821 in Monmouthshire and left for
the US before 1850. Of course, the major issue is that there are many other men
named Thomas Morgan of the same age living in close proximity.
One thing, though, separates some of them. I found that more than one of these
men worked at the Ironworks in Pontypool and Ironworks in surrounding areas.
One is listed as a "collier".
My ancestor came to Pennsylvania to work in the coal mines. He ended up being a
supervisor for one of the largest mines in the area. Would it be reasonable to
suspect that the "collier" in Wales, who was probably working in the mines by
the time he was 6 or 7, is possibly the same man who left Wales and worked in
the same profession in the US?
I guess I am asking if working at the Ironworks would prepare one for working in
the mines? I understand that it is pure conjecture, but we have very little to
go on here in the US so far, and less in Wales.
Thanks,
Bev W
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 07:35:19 -0500
From: Susan Haines <sehaines42(a)gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [MON] Pontypool Iron works
To: user917826 <user917826(a)aol.com>, monmouthshire(a)rootsweb.com
Message-ID: <54747787.5060805(a)gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I don't "know" Thomas Morgan, but I do have miners in my family (who
came to New Haven,CT where there are no mines), but I am happy to know
that others are tempted to make the same sorts of leaps of faith that I
do! Good luck. Sue
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 12:41:26 -0000
From: "Jeff Coleman" <Jeff.Coleman(a)ntlworld.com>
Subject: Re: [MON] Pontypool Iron works
To: "user917826" <user917826(a)aol.com>, <monmouthshire(a)rootsweb.com>
Message-ID: <C104D00EADB04590B2C142BE46B4073B@JeffPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
If he ended up as a supervisor for one of the largest mines in the area it
is likely that he had spent most of his life in coal mining. A collier at
the time would have been paid based on the amount of coal he and his small
team of men and boys dug and raised to the surface. Many ironworks jobs were
skilled and if there were any sort of ironworks jobs around (as there would
have been in a number of locations in Pennsylvania) then it is unlikely that
an iron worker would become a coal miner (though less skilled labourers
might move between occupations in mines and iron works).
Iron works were located near sources of the coal needed for Iron smelting,
and in a number of cases owned local coal mines.
The working conditions in collieries and metal works in South Wales are
described in the 1842 survey by the Children's Employment Commission, 1842 ,
which you can read or download at
http://www.cmhrc.co.uk/cms/document/1842_S_Wales_1.pdf
They do not seem to have visited many collieries or works in the Pontypool
area but references to people born in Pontypool seem to refer to them having
attended school there, so the existence of schooling and the ability to read
and write may have given workers from that area an edge over those from
other areas in progressing to roles as foremen or managers in industry.
Jeff
----- Original Message -----
From: "user917826 via" <monmouthshire(a)rootsweb.com>
To: <monmouthshire(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2014 11:10 AM
Subject: [MON] Pontypool Iron works
Hello,
As I continue to examine Monmouthshire records for my ancestor, I am
attempting to make some assumptions and would appreciate feedback from the
list. From all accounts, our Thomas Morgan was born circa 1821 in
Monmouthshire and left for the US before 1850. Of course, the major issue
is that there are many other men named Thomas Morgan of the same age
living in close proximity.
One thing, though, separates some of them. I found that more than one of
these men worked at the Ironworks in Pontypool and Ironworks in
surrounding areas. One is listed as a "collier".
My ancestor came to Pennsylvania to work in the coal mines. He ended up
being a supervisor for one of the largest mines in the area. Would it be
reasonable to suspect that the "collier" in Wales, who was probably
working in the mines by the time he was 6 or 7, is possibly the same man
who left Wales and worked in the same profession in the US?
I guess I am asking if working at the Ironworks would prepare one for
working in the mines? I understand that it is pure conjecture, but we
have very little to go on here in the US so far, and less in Wales.
Thanks,
Bev W
------------------------------
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