Flag of St David
Abersychan - (see also Trevethin)
including Cwmavon, Garndiffaith & Talywain
(A description written in 1891)
A large Village at the confluence of the Sychan with the Torfaen or Afon Lwyd; it is 168 miles from London, 2 north-west from Pontypool, and has two railway stations, Abersychan on the eastern valleys branch of the Great Western railway and Talywain on the London & North Western branch of their line from Brynmawr to Pontypool.
In 1844 Abersychan was formed into an ecclesiastical parish from the civil parish of Trevethin; it is in the Northern division of the county; Petty Sessional division, Union and County Court district of Pontypool; Blaenau Gwent division of Abergavenny rural deanery, Monmouth arch-deaconry and Llandaff diocese.
The "Local Government Act, 1858," was adopted on June, 1864, the district including the whole of the parish except Pontypool; the board consists of twenty-four members.
The Abersychan Gas Company formed in 1870, supplies Abersychan, Talywain, Garndiffaith, Varteg, Freehold, Pontnewynydd and Cwmffrwdoer; the works are near Abersychan railway station. The village is supplied with water from works at Cwm Avon, the property of the Pontypool Gas and Water Co.
The Church of St Thomas is a building in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles and vestry, west porch and a western belfry containing one bell; the church stands in the Hamlet of Talywain, which joins Abersychan village; there are 700 sittings. The Register dates from the year 1835. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £300, with 1. 1/2 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the vicar of Trevethin, and held since 1877 by the Rev. William Rees Thomas M.A. of Jesus College, Oxon. Parish Clerk, Robert Smith.
There is a Catholic Chapel, dedicated to St Francis of Assisi, two Baptist Chapels, one Welsh and one English, and one English and one Welsh Congregational; there is also a Bible Christian Chapel and Primitive Methodist and Wesleyan Chapels.
Here is a Literary and Scientific Institution, founded in 1864, in connection with the Society of Arts. There is a Police Station here for the county constabulary, erected in 1885.
The population of the local Board District in 1881 was 13,496 and the Ecclesiastical Parish, 7,894.
LOCAL BOARD: Offices, Literary Institution.
Board Day: third Tuesday in each month at 3 p.m
Clerk: James George Hedges, Local Board Offices
Treasurer: William Collins, Bristol & West of England Bank, Pontypool
Medical Officer of Heath: John Watson Mulligan M.D., J.P., The Hawthorns.
Surveyor and Inspector of Nuisances: Enoch Cooke, Brynteg House
Collector: Henry Harold Haden, Club Chambers, George Street, Pontypool
County Police Station:
Sergeant Francis Allen & 7 constables
Schools:
Board School (mixed) (under Trevethin Board), built in 1855, for 800 children; average attendance, 360 boys & girls & 260 infants; David Sadwrn Thomas, master; Mrs Sarah Ann Thomas, infants' mistress
Catholic School (mixed), built in 1860 (as chapel & school), for 100 boys & girls & 60 infants; average attendance, 80 boys & girls & 60 infants; Mrs Bridget Broderick, mistress; Miss Anna Riordan, infants' mistress
Railway Station:
Thomas Heaven, station master
Places of Worship:
St Thomas' Church: Rev. William Rees Thomas M.A. Vicar
St Francis of Assisi Catholic, served from Pontypool
Baptist (English): Rev. John Cole, minister
Baptist (Noddfa): Rev. David Lewis, minister
Bible Christian: Rev. George Holmes, minister
Congregational: Rev. John L. Jones, minister
Congregational (English & Welsh): ministers various
Primitive Methodist: ministers various
Wesleyan: Rev. Robinson Lang, minister
…………
CWMAVON
A Hamlet in the parish of Trevethin, with station on the Great Western railway, 5 miles north from Pontypool and one mile north-east from Blaenavon. The inhabitants are employed in the neighbouring collieries
Railway Station:
James Barry, station master
…………
GARNDIFFAITH
A village, in this parish (Trevethin), half a mile north from Talywain station on the London & North Western railway and 3. 1/2 miles north from Pontypool.
Here are Calvanistic Methodist, Congregational, Primitive Methodist, Wesleyan and Bible Christian Chapels.
The B Company of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers, was formed here in 1859; the strength of the Company consists of 120 rank and file; Capt. David R. Jones is the commandant
Post Office:
Richard Herbert, receiver. Letters through Pontypool arrive at 6.45 a.m; dispatched at 5.30 p.m. The nearest money order and Telegraph Office is at Talywain
County Police Station:
Thomas O'Donnell, constable
Board School:
Mrs Millard, mistress
Places of Worship:
Bible Christians: ministers various
Calvanistic Methodist: Rev. William Jones, minister
Congregational (Sardis): Rev. David Morgan Davies, minister
Primitive Methodist: ministers various
Wesleyan: ministers various.
(extracts from Kelly's 1891 Directory of Monmouthshire, transcribed by J. Doe)
Aberbargoed • Aberbeeg • Abercarn • Abergavenny • Abersychan • Abertillery (also see Aberystruth) • Aberystruth • Basseleg • Bettws (near Llantillio Pertholey) • Bettws (near Newport) • Bettws Newydd • Bishton • Blackwood • Blaenavon • Blaina • Briery Hill • Bryngwyn • Bwlch Trewyn • Caerleon or Llangattock-Juxta-Caerleon (see Christchurch for Caerleon Village) • Caerwent • Caldicot • Castleton • Cefnycrib • Chapel Hill • Chepstow • Christchurch (also see Newport) • Clawrplwyf • Coedkernew • Coed y Paen • Crick • Croesyceiliog • Cross Ash • Cross Keys • Crosshands • Crumlin (also see Llanhilleth & Mynyddislwyn) • Cwm (also see Ebbw Vale) • Cwmavon (also see Trevethin) • Cwmbran (also see Llanvihangel Llantarnam & Llanfrechfa) • Cwmcarn • Cwmcarvan • Cwmffrwdoer • Cwmnantddu • Cwmtillery (also see Aberystruth) • Cwmynyscoy • Cwmyoy • Devauden • Dewstow • Dingestow • Dinham • Dixton Newton • Duffryn • Earlswood • Ebbw Vale • Fleur-de-Lys • Freehold • Garndiffaith (also see Trevethin) • Garndyrris • Garnfach • Gellygroes • Glascoed • Goldcliff • Golynos • Govilon • Goytre • Graig • Griffithstown (also see Llanfrechfa & Panteg) • Grosmont • Gwehelog • Gwernesney • Hardwick • Henllys • High Cross • Highmoor Hill • Howick • Ifton • Itton • Kemeys Commander • Kemeys Inferior • Kilgwrrwg • Langstone • Little Mill • Llanarth • Llanbadoc • Llanbedr • Llandavenny • Llandewi Fach • Llanddewi Rhydderch • Llanddewi Skirrid • Llandegveth • Llandenny • Llandevaud • Llandogo • Llanellen • Llanfaeneor • Llanfair Discoed • Llanfair Gilgoed • Llanfair Kilgeddin • Llanfihangel Crucorney • Llanfihangel Gobion • Llanfihangel juxta Roggiett • Llanfihangel Llantarnam • Llanfihangel nigh Usk • Llanfihangel Pont y Moile • Llanfihangel Tafernbach • Llanfihangel Tor y Mynydd • Llanfihangel Ystern Llewern • Llanfihangel y Vedw • Llanfoist • Llanfrechfa • Llangattock • Lingoed • Llangattock nigh Usk • Llangattock Vibon Avel • Llangeview • Llangibby • Llangoven • Llangua • Llangwm Ishaf & Llangwm Uchaf • Llanhennock • Llanhilleth • Llanishen • Llanllowell • Llanmartin • Llanover • Llanrumney • Llansantffraed • Llansoy • Llanthewy Rytherch • Llanthewy Skirrid • Llanthewy Vach • Llanthomas • Llanthony • Llantillio Crossenny • Llantillio Pertholey • Llantrissent • Llanvaches • Llanvair Discoed • Llanvair Kilgeddin • Llanvapley • Llanvetherine • Llanwenarth Citra • Llanwenarth Ultra • Llanwern • Lliswerry • Llwyndu • Machen (Upper & Lower) • Maes-y-cwmmer • Magor • Maindee (also see Christchurch & Newport) • Malpas • Mamhilad • Marshfield • Mathern (also see St Pierre) • May Hill • Michaelston y Fedw • Mitchel Troy • Monkswood • Monmouth • Mounton • Mynyddbach • Mynyddislwyn • Mynyddmaen • Nantyderry • Nantyglo • Nash • New Town • New Tredegar • Newbridge • Newcastle • Newchurch East & West • Newport • Nightingale Village • Oldcastle • Overmonnow • Panteg • Par Grace Dieu • Pen y Clawdd • Penalt • Penbiddle • Pengam • Penhow • Penmaen • Penpergwm • Penrhos • Penrose • Penterry • Pentrepeod • Penygarn • Penyrheol • Peterstone Wentloog • Pillgwenlly • Ponthir • Pontllanfraith • Pontnewydd (also see Llanfrechfa) • Pontnewynydd • Pontrhydyryn • Pontygof • Pontymister • Pontymoile • Pontypool • Pontywain • Porthcasseg • Portskewett • Pwll Du • Pwllmeyric • Raglan • Redbrook • Redwick • Rhydgwern • Rhymney • Risca • Rock • Rockfield • Rogerstone • Roggiett • Rumney • Runston (also see Mathern) • St Arvans • St Brides Netherwent • St Brides Wentloog • St Kingsmark • St Lawrence • St Maughans • St Mellons • St Pierre (also see Mathern) • St Woolos • Sebastopol (also see Panteg) • Shirenewton • Sirhowy • Six Bells • Skenfrith • Snatchwood • Somerton Common • Sudbrook • Talywain (also see Trevethin) • The Race and Upper Race • Tintern Abbey • Tintern Parva • Tranch • Tredegar • Tredunnock • Tregare • Trellech • Trellech Grange • Trevethin • Treworgan • Trostrey • Undy • Upper Machen • Usk • Varteg • Victoria • Waunlwyd • Whitebrook • Whitson • Wilcrick • Wolvesnewton • Wonastow • Wyesham • Ynysddu
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