Machen Upper & Lower including Rhydgwern
(A description written in 1891)
A Village and Parish, partly in Glamorganshire on the Rumney river, 8 miles west-by-north from Newport and 166.1/4 miles from London; in the Southern division of the county, Hundred of Wentloog, Petty Sessional division, Union and County Court district of Newport; Newport rural deanery, Monmouth archdeaconry and Llandaff diocese.
LOWER MACHEN, UPPER MACHEN and RHYDGWERN are hamlets in the parish of Machen; the latter is in the county of Glamorgan.
The Brecon & Merthyr and the Pontypridd, Caerphilly & Newport railways run through the parish, and there are two railway stations, one at Machen village and the other at Church Road.
The church of St. Michael is an ancient building of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, south porch and an embattled western tower containing 6 bells: there are remains of a cross in the churchyard: there are 250 sittings. The register dates from the year 1670. The living is a rectory, tithe rent-charge £469, gross yearly value £500, with residence and 5 acres of glebe, in the gift of Lord Tredegar, and held since 1873 by the Rev. John Clere Scott Darby M.A. of Christ Church, Oxford. Parish Clerk: Francis Thompson.
St. John's Chapel of Ease, Upper Machen, is a building in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, south porch and a spire containing a clock and one bell, and has 300 sittings, all free.
There are two Baptist, one Congregational, one Calvinistic Methodist, one Primitive Methodist and one English Wesleyan Chapels.
Charities producing £75 are distributed yearly.
Here are railway plant works, lime works, a manufactory for flannel and several collieries in the neighbourhood.
Post, M.O. & T.O., S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office: William Ebrill Edwards, sub-postmaster. Letters from Newport arrive at 8.55 a.m; dispatched at 9.40 a.m. & 4.30 p.m; Sunday, dispatched 10.30 a.m. Wall Letter box, near Church Road station, cleared 4.50 p.m; Sundays, 10.50 a.m. Wall letter box, Chatham, cleared at 9.20 a.m. & 4.35 p.m; Sundays, 10.35 a.m.
Places of Worship:
St Michael's Church: Rev. Scott Clere Darby M.A., rector
St John's Chapel of Ease, Upper Machen
Baptist (Siloam): Rev. David Evans, minister
Calvistic Methodist: ministers various
Congregational (Welsh & English): Rev. David Lloyd Williams, minister
Primitive Methodist: ministers, various
Wesleyan: ministers, various
Schools:
A School Board of 7 members was formed in 1880 for the United District of Machen & Waenfawr:
Clerk to the Board: C. Dauncey, Tredegar, Newport
Attendance Officer: John Potter, Upper Machen
Board School (mixed), erected in 1871, for 200 children, enlarged in 1887 to hold 320; average attendance, 100 boys & 100 girls; Edward Connor, master; Mrs. Margaret Jones, mistress.
Board School (infants), erected in 1851, for 100 children; average attendance, 90; Miss Katherine Carr, mistress.
Machen & Waenfawr are also contributory to Risca school board, sending two members.
County Police Station:
Hiram Jones, constable in charge
Railway Station:
Samuel Morgan Price, station master
Church Road - Thomas Price, station master
Lord Tredegar, who is lord of the manor, and John Arthur Edward Herbert Esq. D.L., J.P. are the principal landowners. The soil is gravel and clay; subsoil, limestone and coal. The chief crops are wheat, oats, barley and some land in pasture. The area is - Lower Machen, 1,975 acres of land and 25 of water; rateable value, £6,411; Upper Machen, 2,466 acres; rateable value, £6,212; Rhydgwern, 714 acres; rateable value, £498.
The population in 1881 was: -
Machen (Upper) of which 92 are included in Risca Local Board district - 1,447.
Machen (Lower) of which 895 are included in Risca Local Board district - 1,036.
(extracts from Kelly's 1891 Directory of Monmouthshire, transcribed by J. Doe)
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