Tyr Eos y Coed/Nightingale Inn – 231 on the 1841 Tithe Map.
Now in the parish of Llanover.
Tyr Eos y Coed
I’m not one hundred percent certain but I think the Nightingale was often called “The Halfway.”
The first reference I can find is in March 1788 when a feoffment (grant of ownership of a freehold property) is made between E B Davies and Edward Williams and Mary Williams, his wife. Edward Williams died in April 1810, six years later Mary sold the property to William Jenkins.
In 1834 William Jenkins mortgaged the property to Edward James and he then re-mortgaged again in 1840 to John Williams.
In August 1855 Ty Eos y Coed was conveyed to William Harris for the sum of £47 William Harris took his mortgage from Charles Jordan.
Lewis Edmund wrote in his diary that he was slating the new grocers shop for William Harris and building a new house for him.
William Harris was the assessor of the parish in 1859 and in 1860 Thomas James of Ty Ivor voted for William Harris to become the surveyor of the parish, but he lost the vote. William Harris tried again later the same year when he voted for himself against Thomas Jenkins, again he lost the vote, by two.
In 1861 William Harris was the census enumerator for the parish, he said he was 46 years old, a grocer and publican, and was born in Llanhenock. Ann, his wife, is 53, and born in Llanover, their two daughters Martha 17 and Maria 15 are living with them.
Jones the Weaver, Husband of Maria Harris
March 1867 and July 1870 William Harris takes a further charge on his mortgage. He repeats his office as the parish enumerator for the census of 1871 when he says he is aged 60 giving his occupation as a blacksmith, Ann his wife is 61 and daughter Martha is 27.
His daughter Maria had by now married Lewis Jones a woollen weaver (and probably employed at Gwenffrwd woollen mill). They were living in Llanover.
In November 1874 William Harris sold the Nightingale to William Walter for £535, the property containing one acre of woodland and a dwelling house, blacksmiths shop, grocers and carpenters shops, all now converted into a public house, outbuildings, shop, two cottages and land now in the occupation of William Harris his under tenant.
“To be let on the 7th March 1878 – The beer house known as the “Nightingale,” situate in the parish of Goytrey, on the main road from Pontypool to Abergavenny., with grocers, wheelwright, and blacksmith’s shops and two cottages and about an acre of garden ground. There is a good supply of water on the premises.”
On the 1881 census, William Jenkins is residing at The Nightingale Inn, he is unmarried and a labourer, living with him is his 84 year old mother Mary, a widow. (She was the widow of John Jenkins, they had previously lived at Penystair)
The Nightingale was up for sale again in 1882 and was sold to the Rev. Walters, “a freehold public house called The Nightingale Inn.” A garden, paddock, two cottages, blacksmiths shop and premises. The Rev Walters did not keep the premises very long, in December 1882 he sold to Benjamin Jeremiah, who, in 1883 sold to Lady Llanover.
The month following her purchase she gave William Jenkins notice to quit by May, shortly afterwards she installed David Williams from Aberystwyth in the property.
On the 1901 census, Morgan and Catherine Price were the occupants, he was aged 61, a retired station master born in Glamorgan, Catherine was 57 years old.
By 1911 Thomas James, a farmer aged 72 born in Goytre was the occupier with a servant called Gertrude Price aged 21 from Clodock.
Living in cottage no. 1 was John Evans, aged 32 a gardener from Carmarthen with his wife Margaret aged 32 who was born in Llanover along with their five year old son, Basil.
In cottage no.2 were Thomas and Margaret Evans, Thomas was aged 24, a painter, and Margaret was 20.