Pengroesoped Tavern

The Tavern, built in approximately 1852 by John Rosser of Pantglas farm and mill.  Through my research I have been able to trace the family back to 1625 living at Pantglas where they were farmers and millers.

A £100 loan was taken by John Rosser to finance the building of the Tavern. He built it in a field called Cae Coed on the Mamhilad to Llanover road at Pengroesoped. 

In the parish register dated 1854 John Rosser was mentioned as being a farmer and innkeeper.

By 1859 John Rosser junior had taken occupancy of the tavern and was living there with his wife Amy. The same year a petition was going round the village asking for support against the paying of taxes towards the widening of Newport bridge, John Rosser signed the petition.

The census of 1861 says John Rosser (jnr) is a 35 year old publican, his wife Amy is 34, their children are Ellen 10, Thomas 8, John 6 and three year old Margaret.

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On October 30^th 1861, Lewis Edmund (builder) wrote in his diary, “old John Rosser died suddenly this morning,” he was 76 years old, his funeral was at St Iltyd’s, Mamhilad.

Two years later on the 10^th January 1863 John Rosser, son of John, of the tavern died, he was only 38, he too was buried at St. Iltyd’s, Mamhilad.

On the 26^th May 1863 Ann Rosser, widow of John (snr) took the mortgage in fee for herself and in the names of three of her children, Aaron, James, and William.

Amy Rosser, wife of John jnr had all her children baptised seven months after his death, on the same day, the 9^th July 1863 at St Peter’s.

Amy remained at the Tavern with the children. The following article appeared in the Usk Observer on 16^th January 1864:

Pugilism at Goytrey

Thomas Jenkins, Thomas Griffiths, John Allgood and Henry Painter were charged with committing a breach of the peace by fighting.

William Rosser gave evidence that John Jenkins and Thomas Griffiths began fighting on the night after Christmas day at Mrs Rosser’s house at the Goytrey and the other two acted as their seconds, after which they began a “set to.”

Mr Ralph (of the Bench) said if the occupier would not sell too much drink at once disturbances would be less frequent.

Fined 9s each.

Amy Rosser remained at the Tavern until her early death in January 1867, she was only 40 years of age, the funeral took place at St Iltyd’s, Mamhilad. Lewis Edmunds wrote in his diary on the 17^th January that he was at Amy Rosser’s funeral.

The census of 1871 says William Rosser is a 32 year old unmarried publican, living with him are his nephews John 16 and Charles 11, his 20 year old housekeeper is his niece Ellinor (they are children of his brother John, by Amy Rosser.)

William Rosser is mentioned as being an overseer of the poor for the parish and also for objecting to the quarter sessions of Usk being moved to Newport.

In 1877 the owner of the Tavern was John Phillips, the grandson of Ann and John Rosser, his mother, Ann Rosser married John Phillips of the Lower Hendre, Llanover (late of Mamhilad Villa.)

There is a letter to Lady Llanover from E Francis dated 28^th June 1877 informing her he had seen the three Rosser brothers that morning, “Rosser the publican, Rosser the farmer and Jim or James Rosser,” who had informed him the old public house was for sale but not to put it abroad.

 It wasn’t sold to Lady Llanover, William Rosser  purchased the Tavern from his nephew John Phillips. 

On the census of 1881 William is 41, an innkeeper, Elizabeth his wife is 29 and they have a daughter Alice just one year old.

In 1885 William sold the Tavern to Lady Llanover for £850, he then rented Kiln Farm from her until 1887 when he moved to the Halfway House in Little Mill, where he died in April 1893.

Another newspaper incident is mentioned on the 29^th June 1883 when a James Meredith was drunk at Pengroesoped Inn, he was unconscious for three hours then taken to the railway station. For this misdeameanor he was fined 10s or 7 days.

Robert Bassett took the lease for the Inn from Lady Llanover in 1885 at a quarterly rent of 10s, she turned the Inn into a coffee/temperance house. She sent the following items to the Inn on the 2^nd May 1885:

2 quilts, 3 pairs of blankets, 4 pairs of sheets, 8 pillow cases, 4 bed towels, 4 tea cloths, 6 kitchen dusters, 6 knife cloths, 6 dish cloths, 2 table cloths, 6 housemaids dusters, 2 wool mattresses, 2 straw mattresses, 3 pillows, 2 chambers.

6 cups and saucers, 1 milk jug, 2 basins for use of tea, 3 broth basins, 3 mugs, 1 salt server, 2 pie dishes, 1 meat dish, 6 large plates, 6 small plates, 3 blue and white jugs.

2 small pans for washing hands, 1 small pan for washing dishes, 1 tin tea pot, 1 tin coffee pot, 6 tea spoons, 2 table spoons, 6 knives and forks, 1 tin pepper pot, 1 tin jack, 1 bucket, 1 sweeping brush, 1 hearth brush, 1 black brush, 1 scrubbing brush.

There are several account books for the Inn starting May 1885.

The census of 1891 says John Morgan and his family are in occupation he is 67,  a mason, his wife Ann is 51, they came from Glamorgan. Emma their daughter is 27, living with them is 27 year old William Powell,  a weaver.

John Morgan remained at the Inn through to 1911 when he says he is the manager of the refreshment rooms.

the 1921 census of Pengroesoped Temperance House gives the following information, Emma John a 57 year old single woman born in Cardiff is a boarding house keeper. Boarding with her is John Price 76 from Crickhowell, a wood cutter and Melsom Constance 74 from Gibraltar near Monmouth both are working for Llanover estate trustees.

A separate entry also for the Temperance house is Charlotte Mabel Brace aged 29 she is single and was born in Sirhowy. Charlotte is the district sick nurse.

Old Cider Mill – No. 402 on the 1841 Tithe Map, containing 31 perches.

The owner of the Old Cider Mill was the Earl of Abergavenny.

The lease, in 1757 was held by Thomas Jenkins. Thomas was both a constable and overseer of the poor.

Thomas Jenkins died in 1778 and was buried at St Peter’s.

I cannot find any references mentioning the Cider Mill until the tithe of 1841 when Thomas Jones is paying 1 shilling to the rector.

On the 1841 census Thomas Jones is a 45 year old farmer, Eliza his wife is also 40, their children are, Ann 20, Susanna and Thomas, both 15, Eliza 9, Sarah 6, Caroline 3, and one year old Robert.

Thomas Jones is still living here on the 1851 census, he is now a 60 year old labourer, born in Clytha, Eliza his wife is 53 and came from Bettws Newydd, daughter Sarah is now 15 and son Robert 9, all the other children have left home.

Thomas Jones had died by 1859, (but I cannot find where he was buried) as Mrs Jones, the Old Cider Mill, was allocated charity money from the parish on several occasions in the years 1860 and 61.

Eliza Jones, on the 1861 census was living at Rhydlofan with her married daughter, Eliza.

The new occupiers in1861 were the Coles family, George was a 67 year old labourer from Somerset, Susanna his wife is the daughter of Thomas and Eliza Jones and Cider Mill had been her family home, she is now 42, sons George 8, and Thomas 4 were both born in Trevethin.

By 1871 John Steel, a 58 railway porter from Herefordshire was living at Old Cider Mill along with his wife Hannah, 47, they also had a lodger, 23 year old William Hook from Gloucester.

The tithe update of 1880 says Richard Hewlett now holds the lease, previously held by Thomas Jones.

Although he had the lease he was subletting to John Steel, who is still residing at Old Cider Mill on the 1881 census.

John Steel died in the autumn of 1885 aged 80 leaving Hannah a widow on the census of 1891, she is  67 and was born  in Monkswood, she had a lodger, 44 year old William Lindsay  an agricultural labourer who was born Goytre and later moved to Ton (Chestnut) Cottage.

She is living on her own on the census of 1901, a 77 year old widow. I cannot find any further details about Hannah.

I have not found anything about the property then until the 1911 census when the family living at Old Cider Mill were David Jones, a 48 year old platelayer from Cwmyoy, and 47 year old Clara, his wife, who came from Llantilio Crossenny.

David and Clara Jones.

They had been married for 28 years and had had 14 children, 9 of which had survived, living with them are three of their children, 9 year old Plezza who was born in Llanover, Herbert 5, and Phyllis 3 who were born in Goytrey.

The Earl of Abergavenny sold his estates in 1920, along with this property, the details are that lot 11, The Old Cider Mill has 3 acres 2 rood 29p attached and David Jones, tenant, is paying £14 per annum. The tithe is 6s 11d, the land tax 2s 5d.

The Free Press published the purchasers of the properties; Old Cider Mill was purchased for £330 by John Ball.

The family at Cider Mill on the 1921 census is David Jones 58 from Cwmyoy, he is a plate layer with GWR, his wife Elma is 57 from Llantilio Crossenny, son Charles is 15, a farm labourer at William’s farm, son Ivor David is 24, born in Llanover he is out of work, Phylis 13 and Mary Jane 9 were both born in Goytre, visiting is their 7 year old granddaughter Edith Brown from Cardiff.

During the 1920’s I cannot say for certain who was in occupation but there is an inquest for James Ball in 1927, James was a milk vendor, living at Cider Mill and was found in a field near Goytrey Hall with his horse and cart alongside him, in a painful and distressed condition, apparently suffering from a heart attack from which he died a few days later. (Full story in Inquests.)

On the electoral register of 1930 at Cider Mill is Doris Irene Ball, who, by 1931 had married Raymond David Jones and were residing at Cider Mill where their first child. Doris Irene May was born and baptised on the 25^th February 1931.

There is no one listed on the 1939 register and likewise on the 1945-6 registers but there have been several different families living at “The Mill” but I cannot confirm it means the Cider Mill.