Royal Oak – 977 on the 1841 Tithe Map.

William Watts was the alehouse keeper of the Royal Oak from 1810, the surety of £10 was paid by William Morgan; in 1812 John Llywellen paid the £10;  in 1813 it was paid by William Williams; in 1814 Thomas Jones and Edwin Williams paid the £10 and in 1814 it was paid by Henry Richards and John Court.

In 1834 Margaret Roderick of the Royal Oak was buried at Monkswood Church, she was 46 years old.

The 1841 tithe says John Morgan is the owner of the Royal Oak alehouse and the occupier is Roderick Roderick, the ground is 1 rood and 21 perches, and paying 1s 10d to the rector. On the 1841 census Roderick Roderick is 40, his two sons were William Roderick 20, John 20 and they are all shoemakers, also a daughter Mary who was 8.

In 1845 a fight broke out in the Royal Oak after accusations of cheating, this was between Thomas Morris (one of my ancestors) and Thomas Watts (lots more about him) of Ynyspwcca. Thomas Morris was badly beaten and died a few days later. Thomas Watts was indicted for manslaughter and held at Monmouth but was found not guilty.

A baptism at St Peter’s in February 1845 of John, the son of David Davies and Elizabeth, says he an alehouse keeper at Penpaitheol.

Mary Roderick died aged 14 in April 1847, and Roderick Roderick died in February 1848 they were both buried in Monkswood Churchyard.

In 1847 David Davies was the collector of land tax for the Royal Oak; he was a victualler and timber dealer. In 1853 David and Elizabeth had a son Thomas who was baptised at St Peter’s.

The owner of the Royal Oak in 1853 was John Wood of Newport. In 1859 the rateable value was £2 10s.

In 1860 David Davies voted for Thomas Jenkins to be the new highways surveyor, he won the vote. At this time David Davies left the Royal Oak.

I am unable to say for certain who was at the Royal Oak on the 1861 census but in August 1868 Thomas Price of the Royal Oak was charged with permitting gambling at his house.

An application was made by Thomas Smith in April 1876 to transfer the license for the Royal Oak to Thomas Arthur, this request was refused on the grounds that Thomas Arthur was not a sober man, but the vicar said he had improved. The license was finally transferred to James Howard in February 1878.

The 1881 census says Thomas Jenkins is 65 and a publican and landlord, and his sister Mary Lewis is 68.

In 1891 Mary Lewis is the innkeeper and living with her is her granddaughter Mary Taylor.

An advert in the Free Press in March 1906 offers a reward for the return of their dog Bess – Royal Oak Goytrey.

William Howells 29, a wood turner born in Monmouth, was living at the Royal Oak with Florence his wife in 1911, she was 26 and born in Bristol, they had been married for 6 years and had two children, William Dennis 6, and Phyllis 4.