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Houses and Homes in Tredegar during the 19th Century A Key Stage 2 Educational Resource Pack Part 1—Introduction
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Contents Part 1—Introduction What changes took place at Tredegar during the 19th century? What did houses look like in Tredegar during the 19th century? ………...…………… Part 2—Food, Lighting & Sleeping What did people eat in the 19th century? Where and how was food cooked? ………………………………………………………….. Where were meals eaten? How were homes lit during the 19th century? Where did people sleep in the 19th century? …………...………………………………… Part 3—Using the Census What changes in people’s lives took place in the 19th century and how can we find out more about them? ………………………………………………………………………….. 1911 census of Carpenter’s Yard, Tredegar 1881 census of Carpenter’s Yard, Tredegar 1851 census of Carpenter’s Yard, Tredegar ………………………………………………. Did the population of Tredegar change during the 19th century? Part 4—Living Conditions during the 19th Century Why did people move from the countryside to Tredegar during the 19th century?
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Contents (continued) Can we find out more about Tredegar’s housing conditions in the 19th century? Part 5—Clothes and looking after them How did people wash clothes in the 19th century? How were clothes dried in the 19th century? ……………………………………………... How were clothes ironed in the 19th century? What clothes did people wear in the 19th century? Part 6—Keeping yourself clean ………………………..…….………………………………. How did people wash or bathe in the 19th century? How did people go to the toilet in the 19th century? Part 7—Health & Diseases ……………………………………………………………………. What was cholera and how did it spread? Did cholera affect the people of Tredegar? Bedwellty Parish Burials 1821 to 1841 Part 8—A woman’s story & household spending from 1841 …………………………… A day in the life of Aunt Lizzie How were workers’ wages spent in 1841? Part 9—Teachers’ Notes, Further Activities & Sources ………………………………… Part 10—Museum Activity Pack
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Introduction Key question: What changes took place in people’s lives at Tredegar during the 19th century? Write down your ideas. Think about: What was Tredegar like before the start of the 19th century (before the year 1800)? What were houses like in Tredegar before 1800? How did the local environment appear by the end of the 19th century or year 1900? What were people’s homes like by 1900?
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What changes took place at Tredegar during the 19th century? What did Tredegar’s environment look like 200 years ago? In order to see what changes have taken place over the last 200 years, we need to compare maps of the area made at different times. We need to look at a map made before the year 1800 and a map made after 1800. OK, let’s start with an earlier map of Tredegar from the year 1768.
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Here’s a map of Tredegar in 1768. The lines shown on the map could be either hedges or roads or rivers, which may also be named. The black rectangles are buildings. Some of the spellings of names are different to those we use today. Make a list of the names of the buildings on the map. Make a list of the names of the streams and rivers. Make a list of any other names. What might you expect to see on this map but is missing?
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Here’s a map of Tredegar, made 58 years later, in 1826. The longer black rectangles are rows of buildings or streets. Make a list of all the names shown on this 1826 map. Tredegar
Compare this list to the lists of names for the older 1768 map.
town
What is new on the 1826 map? When was Tredegar built? What works and mines are shown on the 1826 map? What jobs might the people living in Tredegar be doing in 1826?
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‘Previous to the present century the district was inhabited by farmers and their shepherds, the hills clothed with trees on each side, ferns and flowers, in rich profusion, were growing everywhere. Farmhouses and pretty little orchards dotted the surface … “Nature, in all her primitive grandeur,” reigned supreme.’ Evan Powell, 1884
Right: The Ebbw Valley at Abercarn in 1815 before the arrival of industry.
‘Mi dreuliais lawer diwrnod Ar lan Sirhowy wiwglod I dynu cnau ar frigau’r fro, A thwyllo y brithyllod’
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‘The present appearance of Tredegar and the locality conveys no idea of its appearance in the past; the beauty, variety, and picturesque sceneries which the district possessed being entirely destroyed by large heaps of mine, coal and iron refuse; the hills on both sides wear a rugged appearance, being “patched,” or excavated, for ironstone and coal; the large heaps, or “tips,” of rubbish from pits and levels covering fields …’ Evan Powell, 1884
Right: 19th century ‘patch’ workings for coal and iron ore near Ebbw Vale.
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‘the beautiful stream called Sirhowy river, leaping and gurgling through the valley, forming in its course miniature cascades, and deep still pools abounding with fish ... has now been enclosed by large heaps of cinder, which give the stream an appearance in many places of running through a deep ravine; these tips having cooled and consolidated, hundreds of dwelling houses have been built on them.’ Evan Powell, 1884
Right: View from Tredegar looking south about 100 years ago.
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Right: Samuel Homfray in 1790—he was one of the ironmasters who began the Tredegar Ironworks in 1800.
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As the ironworks grew larger, more people were needed to run the works. But where would they live? There weren’t enough houses, only scattered cottages and farms like Blaen-y-cwm farm shown above.
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Houses
Houses
A sketch of Tredegar Ironworks made in 1809 by the son of the ironmaster, Richard Fothergill. Look carefully at the short rows of houses.
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The rows or short streets of houses seen in the drawing were built soon after 1800 to provide homes for workers at the Tredegar Ironworks.
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‘with the progress of the works the population increased, and a scarcity of houses was experienced. Houses were built, which gave more work to masons, carpenters and plasterers, the district was full of life and activity, and the town grew like a mushroom.’ Evan Powell, 1884 Between 1810 and 1820, a new town was planned and laid out as shown in the map to the right. It is believed that the ironmaster, Samuel Homfray, was responsible for making this happen.
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The grid pattern of streets set out by Samuel Homfray 200 years ago, is still visible in the layout of Tredegar. Look carefully at the bottom half of this photograph taken from a plane. From the circle where the clock tower now stands, there are 4 streets radiating out, set at 90 degrees apart. There are 2 streets either side and parallel to Morgan Street and Castle Street. Compare this photo with the map on the previous page.
Commercial Street
Castle Street Clock tower Morgan Street
Bedwellty Park
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Right: Samuel Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary of England & Wales, 1831
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What did houses look like during the 19th century in Tredegar?
Right: Inside a cottage at Merthyr Tydfil at the end of the 19th century
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We are going to take a closer look at a street of workers’ houses that were built close to Tredegar ironworks around the year 1807. This street was called Carpenter’s Yard. It was knocked down in 1936 and now there is nothing at all to see. It once stood between St George’s Church and where the Gwent shopping centre is today.
Site of Carpenter’s Yard today
By-pass Road
By-pass Gwent shopping centre
Tesco Store
Road
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Each house number is marked on the photo
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Each house number is marked on the photo
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We don’t know what the houses in Carpenter’s Yard looked like inside because we don’t have any photos. However, we can use evidence from similar houses in Tredegar to imagine how they may have appeared.
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The photos were taken just before these houses were knocked down.
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All of these other houses that once stood in Tredegar were built around the same time as those at Carpenter’s Yard.
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These houses were also built for workers in the ironworks and mines.
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Intercommunicating bedrooms are bedrooms that can only be reached by going though another bedroom instead of stairs or a landing area.
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It is also possible to visit places where workers’ cottages from the 19th century have been recreated—this is at the Blaenafon Ironworks.
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Many workers’ cottages had only one room downstairs. From what you see in the last 2 pictures, what activities were carried out in this room?