(John Harrison b. 1875 Pwlldu and Emma Hawkins b. 1877 Varteg)
John Harrison and Emma née Hawkins are my Welsh great grandparents. Johns ancestors were long in the borderlands of the south of Wales, his father William having been an ostler (horse keeper) in the hamlet of Pwlldu and his grandfather George being the miller in the hamlet of Llanthony. Emma's family was from the Forest of Dean just over the border in Gloucestershire, but she herself had been born and raised in Wales. John and Emma are remembered as being lovely people, philanthropic and kind, spiritually principled and politically liberal in their outlook. Emma was an eccentric, who was afflicted with 'nerves' in later life, and John was always there by her side, caring for her and their family, ever being a good example for the children of how to live with fair principals and noble actions throughout ones life.
John was born in Pwlldu, on 12th August 1875, which was a remote hamlet upon the heights of the Blorenge mountain, two miles up above his mother Ann's childhood village of Govilon. Johns mother, Ann Harrison née Thomas, had ancestresses, on her father Morgan Thomas's side, who lived for over 100 years in the village of Wonastow, where her granny Ann Thomas née Morgan lived for 104 years and her great granny Molly Morgan née Elias lived for 103 years. John's father, William Harrison, born in Llanthony, was an ostler in Pwlldu, working with pit ponies along extensive hill tracks and deeply down a one mile long tunnel which led all the way through the mountain from Pwlldu to the town of Blaenavon. Williams ponies would transport pig iron along the tunnel in tram carts. There were already four children in the family, before John came along, Mary Ann and Emily, who were born in Llanvihangel Crucorney, and Eliza and William, who were born in Govilon.
John Harrisons baptism in Pwlldu on Feb 7th 1876
Pwlldu, the mountain side hamlet the Harrisons had made their home in, from where the tram tunnel started, was so small that it had only two terraces, one called Long Row (Long Rank), where the Harrisons lived at number 6, and the other called Short Row (Low Rank) which they later moved to. Low Rank had 14 houses and Long Rank had 28, besides which there was a chapel, a school and two pubs, one of which doubled up as the company shop. Pwlldu was surrounded by charming views of hill scenery which compensated somewhat for its isolation. The inhabitants were all engaged in some way in the limestone works of the Blaenavon Iron Company. In the year of Johns birth a school had opened for the children of the hamlet and John was admitted there at the age of three. I have seen an article about how freely the use of the cane reigned there to keep the children in order. Most of the hamlet was sadly pulled down in 1955, with only one remote pub remaining, and apparently the BBC filmed the hamlet before all was annihilated, which would be interesting to see.
Long Row, Pwlldu, where the Harrison family lived at number 6
Short Row in Pwlldu where the Harrison family after a while moved to
In 1876 when John was one year old his 4 year old sister Emily died from a stomach upset, the local water being at that time considered to be a hazard. In that same year there was a peculiar tragedy in the small hamlet, not involving our family, but which all would have been aware of, which was three members of another Pwlldu family, the Davies, all committing suicide. This strange scenario began with David Davies, who lost his job as a mineral surveyor, which distressed him to the point of going insane. He was taken from Pwlldu into an asylum at Abergavenny and there got hold of a knife and cut his throat. His son David, age 30, who went to Abergavenny to sort out the funeral expenses, but a week later flung himself under a train at the Abergavenny railway station. And still within that some month, David's other son, John Davies, who was aged 24, on a Sunday morning when to a pond close to Pwlldu and there drowned himself. 'The family was all of an exciteable temperament' it was said. Crowds of people went to the pond to see the place where the final suicide had occurred.
When John was still young his family upped and moved to the coal mining village of Varteg, living upon the hill up towards the colliery, at number 18 in a row of 20 houses, from where William was as ever working with the pit ponies. There another son was born, James, in the summer of 1877.
1881 Census showing the Harrison family on the hill of the Varteg colliery at number 18 in a row of 20 houses. Young John was now 7 years old and his father William was working as an ostler
Part of the row of '20 Houses', for long home to the Harrison family
Young workers at the Varteg Hill colliery included John's sister Eliza Harrison, with the cross on her hat. The lad who also has a cross on his hat may even beJohn himself.
Another daughter Alice was born into the Harrison family on the 12th June 1882.
In 1890, when John's sister, Alice, went up from the infants school to the bigger mixed school, the family address was still given as the aforesaid 20 houses, after which their address was given as Summerhill North, which I'd at first thought was a new location, but actually this was just another name for 20 Houses. There was near to there another row of houses, called Summerhill South, which had 10 houses and was beside the Crown Inn. The map below helps to place many of these homes our family lived in, although not the five colliery hill houses which I have on a map further down in this write-up.
Map of Varteg Hill showing the 20 Houses, alternatively known as Summerhill North which the Harrison family lived in. Other family locations on this map were The Square, Post Office Row, and south from their 'Ten Houses' (alternatively known as Chapelfield Terrace), as well as the Crown Inn itself.
In the 1891 Census one can see John Harrison as a 16 year old, living with his family at Summerhill, Varteg, his father still working with the pit ponies.
1891 Census for Summerhill North, Varteg, showing the Harrison family at Sumerhill North, Varteg. John was now aged 16.
In the winter of 1891 John's sister Emily married to her beau William Jones, a Varteg born young coal miner, son also of a William Jones.
In 1896, by the age of 21, John was taking evening classes at the Varteg school, as did many other local men, his address still being Summerhill and his work being that of a collier (coal miner).
John Harrison, registered for evening classes
John came to know well his beautiful red haired beloved Emma when he took up lodgings in her family home at 5, Varteg Hill Colliery, the same way his son George would one day fall in love with his own red haired beauty, Eileen, far away at the English seaside. Although Emma was of a family from the Forest of Dean, she was born and raised in the south of Wales, her family living up above Varteg towards the coal pits, in a spot known by them as Priddles, although this wasn't officially the name of the place, but of a family who'd resided there. Upon that hill Emma's father, John Hawkins, worked as a general coal miner and as a seller of coal roaming about with his donkey here and there. The Hawkins family address on the Varteg Hill was no.5 Varteg Hill Colliery, and they later moved into the Square at no.41. Both Emma's parents, John and Jane, were from the Forest of Dean, just over the border in Gloucestershire, so they were in effect English immigrants, although John did have a Welsh granny from Raglan. Emma was born on October 21st in 1877. She had beautiful red hair (like her father), blue eyes and beautiful soft skin, remembered as being attractive and clean. She also turned out to be rather an eccentric character. She was one of 21 children and the reason hers was an exceptionally large family was due to her father, John Hawkins, having had two and maybe even three wives. Emma was a younger daughter of the last wife, Jane Fox, who was twenty years younger than her husband John.
upper 5 Houses high on the Varteg hill where the Hawkins family lived at number 5 & whereJohn Harrison went to lodge with them
Map showing the Upper 5 Houses
John Hawkins looks to have been in Varteg from as early as 1855, from an article at that time about someone stealing his donkey and he finding and recovering it. He was a man who had donkeys, at least that much I know, from a photo I was once shown of him as an old man with his latest donkey.
In 1866, as one can see in the papers, Emma's mother, Jane, living up on the Varteg Hill, was suffering from a bully neighbour, for which she was said to be in 'bodily fear'. The problem person was a male neighbour, John Jones, who kept picking on her, this being an ongoing matter which reached the point where he was threatening her with violence. In the latest instance the children had been playing with a stick and squabbling over it, for which Jane took it away. John Jones threatened her even for this. The court fined him for harassment. It was not the first time such matters had come before the court. Having awful neighbours that prefer fighting to kindliness is a very stressful situation to find oneself in. I do see that in the census of 1871 there was a John Jones in his 40's living a few doors along who worked as a blacksmith and had a wife Harriet.
In the 1881 census we can see Emma aged 4, with her family, living on the Varteg Hill, their actual address being 5 Varteg Hill Colliery (five houses high on the hill at the colliery)
First page showing the Hawkins family in 1881, own which one can seen John and Jane and one of the children Henry
Second page of the 1881 census showing the other children, including Emma aged 4
In 1883 Emma's father, John, so it was written of in the papers, sent one of his daughters, 12 year old Amelia, out with some money on an errand, only for a local youth to steal this from her. The boy, William Carey, was 15 years old, and rather a bully, squeezing her hand until she dropped the money, which amounted to 2 shillings and 6 pence. He picked up the coins from the ground and ran away. He denied what he had done, then said actually he'd found the coins, after which the money was retrieved from where he'd hidden it in his fathers house.
When Emma was seven years old she tragically lost her mother Jane, who died at only the age of 43. As Emma was such a young girl this was most traumatic for her.
In the 1891 census Emma is seen to be aged 13, at home with her widowed father John at 41 The Square, Varteg. Her older sister, Amelia, was now married to her coalminer husband, John Morgan, who was from the Forest of Dean and who was living in with the family. Emma had left school and along with Amelia, who now played the role of mother to her, was running the household, the while of which their father, brothers Richard and George, and Amelias husband, all worked in the coal mines. As for the younger siblings, John and Sarah, they still attended the local school.
1891 Census showing Emma Hawkins at the age of 13
Emma's father died in 1895, for which at the age of 17 she found herself to be an orphan.
Death of Emma's father, John Hawkins in 1895
Love with John Harrison Emma and John would have already known each other, at least a little, as children, as they both lived on the Varteg Hill. After the death of Emma's parents she and her siblings took John in as a lodger, and in this way Emma and John would fall in love with one another. At this time John was a humble coal miner, although not at all a rough sort. Rather he was intelligent and a well dressed man (when not at work in the pits), looking good with his dark hair and auburn mustache. It is said that he was nothing like the other men, who had the habit to get drunk on too much alcohol; rather he was teetotal, philanthropist, liberal and religious.
Varteg miners, not so clear a picture, but there is John Harrison second on the left
Emma and John got married on June 12th in 1897, in Pontypool, in the English Wesleyan Church on the High Street. Emma would have been about two months pregnant at the time. John, who was at the time staying at the Crown Hotel in Varteg, was aged 22 and Emma, now resided at 20 Office Row, which would have been in full the Post Office Row. The witnesses to the wedding were Emma's brother George Hawkins and her friend Polly Smith.
The Crown Hotel where John Harrison was living during the time he married Emma Hawkins
Post Office Row on the right (opposite Slate Row), with a Methodist chapel beyond - where Emma Hawkins was living at the time of her marriage to John Harrison
On 15th January 1898 there was born John and Emma's first child, a girl Jane Ann. On 1st June 1900 there was born another daughter Amy.
The newly weds left Varteg for a couple of years, moving to the villages of Bargoed and Abergoed, this being the places where their daughters Amy and Emma, began their schooling.
Old postcard of Bargoed from around the time the Harrison's were there
Methodist religious lifestyle Emma and John lived according to Methodist principles. Card playing was not allowed in the family home, and the only music therein was from hymn books, sung to piano accompaniment. Local preachers often came to the house, for the family having a good and welcoming reputation. Emma never allowed the children to have pets because she was so cleanliness conscious. They were Liberal voters, in an environment where everyone else voted Labour. In their holidays Emma and John would go away for a fortnight, visiting her relatives back in the Forest of Dean.
The Wesleyan chapel in Varteg which the Harrison's were much involved with
John and Emma Harrison were Methodists, being very religious, and John was a philanthropist, doing all he could to help the life quality of the miners around him.
Daily life with a big family The family Emma and John created together was so big (mostly of daughters - five girls and three boys), for which they needed ten loaves of bread to be delivered every Saturday, to satisfy the appetites of all those children. This was white bread, each loaf weighing 4lbs (twice the size of a modern loaf). The family often ate kettle broth, which was simply bread that had hot water poured on it, with the addition of salt and pepper. The milkmaid would call round with a yoke and small measures, and when it rained she walked with the top off to make her milk increase. The family was lucky to have a 'modern' house for those times, one with hot water. The fire in the coal range was never allowed to go out, as to do so was considered to be a sin; it had to burn eternally, for which whole bucketfuls of coal would be chucked on it. The family bathed daily in a tin bath in front of the fire, bathing their bodies all over, but not washing their backs, which was due to another traditional belief which was that washing the back would weaken it.
In 1901 it can be seen from the census that the family were living at Chapel Row in Varteg, with Emma's brother George Hawkins staying in their house with them, as well as a coal mining lodger Martin Hurcombe from Gloucestershire.
1901 Census of the Harrison family at Chapel Row in Varteg, Joan being a coal miner, and he and Emma having two young daughters, Jane Ann and Emma
Chapel Row where John and Emma Harrison lived for much of their married life
In the 1901 census it can also be seen that John's sister Eliza is living still at Summerhill North (20 Houses) with her coal mining husband William Jones and their young children John, Emily and Susie (she being named after her granny Susannah Jones). Brother James had married his beloved Naomi Griffin and was living with her parents and his little daughters Gwyneth and Violet at 23 Cross Row.
In 1901 Johns father, William Harrison the ostler, died, at the age of 68, as reported in the Pontypool Free Press. He had still been living at at Summer Hill in Varteg, as always managing the pit ponies.
One of Emma's sisters, Esther, who as a married woman was known as Mrs Vaughan, used to pay money annually to the local coal mine, Vipond & Co, for the right to help herself to coal from their tips, something no one but her was therefore permitted to do. She had taken over this right from their recently deceased father, this being the source from where he'd himself got coal, carrying it around on his donkey to sell to others. Although our family therefore had the rights, others would try at times to sneak away with some, a couple of boys lately (in 1901) having come every day, claiming they had as much right to take the coal from there as Esther did. The boys were from the Morris family, 14 year old John and 16 year old William. In court it was proved that only Esther had this right, her 'coal tip privilege'. One of the colliery officials, Mr Badman, testified to this agreement which existed between the company and Mrs Vaughan, allowing her to pick the coal off the New Slope Tip. The company had notices prohibiting anyone other than her from picking the coal. The following year, in 1902, the same situation arose, this time with an adult man, Thomas Edwards, taking the coal, who got aggressive when told this was not permitted, throwing a stone at Esther and pushing her to the ground. For this he was fined 10 shillings for the theft and another 10 shillings for the assault.
A son William was born to John and Emma on 7th July 1902, named after his recently deceased grandfather. He would usually be referred to as Willie, even officially when registered in the local school.
In 1904 one can see school registrations for daughters Jane Ann and Amy. Jane Ann was moving on up to the mixed school and Amy was starting at the infants school. Their former schools are written as having been at Aberbargoed and Bargoed, two villages running on into the other, where the family had move to for a little while. Jane Ann would leave school at the age of 13 to help around the home.
Daughter Amy's infant school registration detail in 1904, showing that her first school had been in Bargoed and that they lived at 45 The Square, Varteg
It was in 1906 that Willie began school, the family still at that time living at Chapel Row.
John and Emma's son Willie, registered in the local infant school in 1906
1906 was the year that another daughter Alice was born, on June 8th. Great Aunt Alice I would call her and she was a lovely friendly soul.
It was in 1908 that a sudden death happened, that of Emma's young niece, Amelia Self. Amelia was the daughter of another of Emma's sisters, Elizabeth. One of Elizabeths daughters interestingly had the old Welsh name of Blodwyn (I love seeing these rarer names), but this incident was in concern of Amelia. The Self family had left the area for another mining village, Port Talbot, Elizabeths husband being Albert Self, and their address there being at 1, Gwar-y-Caeran. I know these families remained close as Emma and John would in later years attend Elizabeths funeral. So they would have been well aware of this tragic incident, which even anyway was written about in the South Wales Daily Post. Young Amelia, aged 18, had left home to work in service for the affluent Edgar family, at 13 The Promenade, in Swansea, and after only three days there, Amelia collapsed and died. It was Albert Self, Amelia's father, a collier, known to be a respectable man, who had just the week before, on seeing an advert in the papers, made an arrangement with the family for his daughter to work there. Amelia had gone to Swansea on the train, moving in with the family, and as the man of the house, John Edgar, said, they were soon enough pleased with her work, she being a healthy, tall, athletic looking girl. It was while eating a hearty lunch that Amelia began to feel unwell. It was questioned could the food have had something to do with her demise, but this was denied. It was a lunch of steak, potatoes and beans, shared with the mistress of the house and another servant girl, Annie Hill, who was a nurse to the children of the family. Amelia had been looking through the church magazine and making a little conversation. She 'heartily' ate the food, the dessert of which was to be a fruit pie, which Amelia would have brought through, if not for suddenly needing to excuse herself for feeling unwell. She'd not shown signs prior to this of being unwell at all, being clean and active. She had gone to the outside privy, where after a while, on account of her being so long, Annie was sent out to bring her back. Amelia was inside the privy, the door fastened shut, having a fit. Annie and the mistress of the house tried hard to get the toilet door open, but could not succeed, for which the neighbours came to help. One of the neighbours, Mr West, who was a grocer, with great difficulty eventually got the door open, and inside noted that Amelia was having a fit. He and another gentleman had carried her back into the house and laid her down upon the carpet, by which time she was no longer breathing. Mr West tried to revive her with artificial respiration, all to no avail. By the time the police and then a doctor arrived on the scene nothing more could be done. Mr Knight, the doctor, said she looked to have died from asphyxia. He reckoned that while suffering an epileptic fit she had fallen forward and been suffocated. John Edgar, who had been away at the time, on hearing what had happened rushed home. The children were also away, in the Gower, so that only Mrs Edgar had been at home with the servants. Amelia's father came to identify her body and an inquest was held. Amelia's father, Albert, said Amelia had had a fit once before, some years back, although had been fine since then. As he said he'd last seen her on the Friday and she had been in good health and spirits. Sometimes she would get headaches. The fact she'd had a seizure before makes it unlikely to have been a poisoning. Likely the food was too rich for her, and of too much volume, the animal protein in the steak not being a diet Amelia would have been accustomed to.
By the time John and Emma's daughter Amy went up to the bigger mixed school in 1907, and again when their son, Willie Harrison, did likewise in 1909, and yet again in 1910 with daughter Alice's school registration, the family was living at an address simply known as '10 Houses'. This appears to be another name for Chapelfield Terrace.
By 1911 the census shows that Emma and John were in their 30's and living at 7 Chapelfield Terrace, in Varteg, in a house with 4 rooms. They had already been married for 13 years and so far had 5 children Jane, Emma, William, Alice and George (my future grandfather).
Also in the 1911 Census's it can be seen that John's sister Eliza was living at 20 Houses, Varteg, with her husband William Jones, and their children Susan, John, James and Emily. Another two children are mentioned as having died. John's brother James, meanwhile, was living at 69 Incline Row with his wife Naomi and their children Kenneth, Dorcas, Lillian Vida, Angus, Clarence, Gwyneth and Violet. One of their children, it is said, had died.
I have found online a film clip, of how it was for our ancestral miners at the turn of the century, although filmed later as a memory of such times, this particular clip portraying their spirit and joy for singing as they returned from a days labour in the pits. This film 'How Green Was My Valley' was inspired by a book about those very coal mining communities of the south of Wales. Here they are seen singing 'Bread of Heaven'.
In 1920 John and Emma's first born Jane Ann married William Higgs, who by the time of the census of the following year was an out of work coal miner, their home being at number 12, Council Houses, in Garndiffaith, where they lived with their new baby daughter Sylvia and Williams disabled father, Walter Higgs. Back in 1914, Williams seven year old brother, Idris, had died, from having been encouraged by other boys to light some gunpowder in the woods, which horrifically blasted him and set him on fire.
Dangerous Promotion
John decided to study at the nearby Miners College in Crumlin for a while, as family had mentioned to me, he having gone there to 'pass for the Davy Lamp', for which he was promoted to the position of Overman and Pit Examiner at the Varteg colliery. The new skill he there learnt was how to detect whether or not there were dangerous gasses down the mines, a work which was dangerous but better paid. John would have to go alone down the mines to check if they were safe and gas free; then he would give the miners the all clear, or not.
1921 Census showing the family living at 1 The Avenue, in the next village of Garndiffaith, which specifies the colliery John Harrison worked as an examiner for bring John Vipond & Co on the Varteg Hill
John Harrison, age 47 yrs 10 mths, born Pwlldu, Monmouthshire, colliery examiner, working for John Vipond & Co Colliery, Varteg Hill Colliery, English speaking Emma Harrison, wife, age 44 yrs 8 mths, born Varteg, Monmouthshire, home duties, English speaking Children: William J, 18 yrs 11 mths, coal miners helper, at the same colliery as his father, out of work; Alice, 15, private; George Harrison, 12 yrs 6 mths, at school; May, 10 yrs 1 mth, at school (all born Varteg); Maggie, 7 yrs 6 mths, at school; Arthur, 4 yrs 10 mths (both born Garndiffaith)
Varteg Hill Colliery in the snow
Also in 1921, through the census's it can be seen that John's sister Eliza is still, as ever, at 20 Houses (Summerhill North) with her coal miner husband William Henry Jones, who also works at John Viponds, with their children Susan, John and James Ivor, the lads also working at the same pit. Susan's lover Bob, who was a coal miner at the same pit, lived with them too, his full name being Robert Llewellyn Prutton (Preston I had been told was his surname by the family). Bob was a Londoner from Woolwich. Back in 1917 at the Sunday school anniversary of the Varteg Wesleyan chapel all the programmes and music sheets there are recorded as belonging to Sue Jones, Summerhill North, Varteg. Brother James Harrison was now back at 20 Houses, coal mining at John Viponds, and living with his growing family, his wife Naomi, and children Keneth, Dorcas, Lilian Vida, Angus, Clarence, Muriel Eileen, Vernon and Myfanwy. Their other children, Gwyneth and Gethin, were staying with their granny Martha Griffin (Naomi's mother) on Cross Row.
Having a spirit of philanthropy, John would help others in the village. During the strikes he sometimes gave away half his wages. When neighbours had no meat they would call round and ask for an oxo cube. He handed out money to those who asked for it. One time he was about to go out with 6 pennies to treat himself, when a man called begging for money, for which John gave it to him instead. He thought he was helping someone in need, only when he later went for a stroll he spied that same man getting drunk in the pub and realised he had been taken advantage of. John was more or less the boss of the other miners, for now being the overman, for which he earned more than the average man, and whereas the other men never got holidays, he would get a fortnight off, at which he and his family would go to the Forest of Dean to visit Emma's relatives. During the strikes, because John was the examiner, he would carry on working. The men would molest anyone else who tried to work, but they let him walk through unharmed because what he was doing was vital for safety purposes. When the Varteg colliery was shut down only two people were kept on and one was John. During those strikes John would sometimes give half his wages away to help out other families.
John was always well dressed and would spend ages in front of the mirror brushing his hair and smartening himself up. He wore 'Come to Jesus' collars, which were MP collars with hard fronts going down the shirt. He always wore a dark suit and bowler hat. John maintained a good head of hair all his life. He was not an alcohol drinker and was about 40 or 50 before he even tried anything alcoholic. He did though like to chew tobacco and smoke pipes. Emma didn't drink, nor smoke. Although John had a variety of pipes, including his best ones, he loved more his clay pipes in which he smoked strong shag tobacco. He reckoned there was an art to staining his pipes. His children made tapers for him by rolling up paper which they would then put into a special container. John shaved with an old cut throat razor, which was like a knife with a sharp edge. When modern safety razors came along he cut himself more with them than he ever did with the cut throat.
The living standards in those days were poor, but whereas the neighbours lived on corn beef he usually gave the family a joint for their Sunday dinner. The youngsters of the family would do choir singing and on Saturday nights there would sometimes be a six piece band playing at the Varteg band hall, which would cost half a crown to get into (12 and a half pence nowadays). The band would do the round of all the villages. Roy Jenkins the politician, his grandparents lived on the same road as John and Emma. Often the young folk would walk to Pontypool town, although they could get there for three pennies from the nearest train station. They would think nothing thought of walking the three or four miles there and then back.
Emma's breakdown
Emma looked after the linen in the village chapel (while John himself was the chapel superintendent), their works of kindness, but which for Emma unfortunately led to an awkward incident. One day, money was found to have gone missing from the chapel out of a top drawer, and suspicions inevitably fell upon Emma, for her access to the chapel, although she was innocent. The strain of the situation and what people may be thinking was so great upon Emma's mind and emotions that she had a breakdown. The seeds of her breakdown were sown long long before when as a child her mother had died. Emma's condition, in those days, was referred to as 'nerves' , the symptoms of her behaviour seeming mainly phobic. This made great difficulties for all the family. Emma would continually wash her hands and she refused to touch money, as she wanted nothing to do with it. Moving things, like blemishes, dirt marks, or whatever, she would think were moving towards her, and get so unsettled by this that she would attempt to destroy and burn whatever was there. She sometimes had terrible tantrums, mostly directed at her husband, John. The children found their mothers behaviour upsetting and hard to understand, and it frightened them, though she never hit them. Still they overall loved their childhood and have precious memories. John would do everything for Emma, even simple tasks like pouring her tea. He was said to have the 'patience of Job' and to be a placid, lovely man. His family practically worshipped him. He loved his grandchildren and would do anything for them.
When Emma went out she was fine. She walked around the village a lot and was seen as the local character, She would always dress up, with white ermin over her dresses and she had an umbrella with a silver hook on it (which she used only on fine days, never when it rained). Despite her paranoia about the missing money, she was well thought of in the local chapel. Originally the family went to the Wesleyans in Varteg, then the Primitive Methodists in Garndiffaith (now simply called Methodists). These chapels they would go to every Sunday, morning, afternoon and night. John was not dynamically religious, although he was a believer. Emma was more the religious one.
In 1919, when son George was 10, he joined the Invincibles as a rugby player, which as he told me was a team that never lost at home for ten years. Rugby and football were some of the talents of our family. John's younger brother, James, was reputed to be one of the best fullbacks in Monmouthshire rugby and for many years played for Varteg as 'Stonewall Harrison'. Two of James's sons were stalwarts of the Varteg Association football team, Angus the captain and Vernon. One of our relatives, Ken Jones, was even a famous rugby player for the Welsh national team.
Garndiffaith rugby team The Invincibles with young George Harrison sitting on the far right
In around 1922, at the age of 13, George left school. For being my grandfather he told me so much of these days back in Varteg and Garndiffaith. He was one to follow his fathers advice, although not quite in everything. What he did follow was John's recommendation to only smoke pipes and never cigarettes, abiding by this for his whole life. The advice he did not follow though was about not becoming a coal miner. As John said to his son, he could get him a job down there, but please not to do this. George learned the hard way. After two years of mining he at last made his father happier by leaving and becoming a builder instead. The conditions down the mines were so terrible, that as George would say 'Even if I got £100 a week I'd never go back down the mines'.
In 1925 I have seen in the papers, the South Wales Gazette, that John Harrison attended a family funeral in Brynmawr, of Thomas Morgan. Thomas was the husband of John's cousin, Margaret Watkins. Margaret, born and raised in Brynmawr, had died a couple of years previously, and she was a fellow grandchild of George Harrison, the miller of Llanthony. Her mother, Sophia Harrison, was the sister of John's father William Harrison the ostler, she having been born in Llangattock and he in Llanthony. Margaret and Thomas Morgan had been living at 14 Henwain Street in Blaina for the last 22 years, previous to which they had lived at Brynmawr. John often liked to go and see relatives in these villages, keeping close connections with his extended family. As his son George remembers, John would visit family at Brynmawr, from where he would walk to Govilon, where he would call on relatives by the name of White (I haven't worked out the connection here as yet). Old Mr White was always shaking, so recalls George, which seems to be a family tendency. In the newspaper article, it was stated that one of the sons of the Morgan family had moved to America (that would be Lewis Morgan). Also at the funeral were John's cousins Lewis Watkins and William Watkins of Brynmawr (Margaret's brothers). John Harrison was noted on the list of mourners as being from Garndiffaith. There had actually been some scandal with Margaret for her having had an illegitimate son before marriage, her child born out of wedlock being called Thomas, the father of whom was George Holly. This young man George was forced by the courts to give money for support of his son. There are news articles about this, about the maintenance he was called upon to pay and about also about this same man, George Holly, some time after surviving a massacre in the Boer War in South Africa, along with one of Margaret's brothers, whose first name is not given in the article, but who anyway had written a letter home to their father George Watkins of King Street, Brynmawr about the disaster and of his best friend, Walter Pugh, having been one of those murdered. .
The 1876 bastardy order in relation to Margaret Watkins's baby (Margaret being the cousin of John Harrison, they both being the grandchildren of George Harrison, the miller of Llanthony):
George Holly of Nantyglo called upon to support his illegitimate child by Margaret Sophia Watkins
Illegitimacy was not a new thing for our family. William Harrison's sister, Elizabeth (John's aunt), had already had a daughter, also called Elizabeth (therefore John's cousin), out of wedlock, years before in Llanthony, who lived the latter part of her life on the canal bank at Govilon. William's sister, Elizabeth, ultimately married and had sons Johnnie and Roger Powell. Johnny Powell, born in Abergavenny in 1862, is another remembered older relative (of course being a cousin to John) who as an old man was usually found to be sitting in his garden, by then being blind and having to feel relatives when they came to visit him. As for John's aunt Margaret, she had remained in Llanthony in the old Mill Cottage the family had been raised in. While she was there, back in 1880, with her children from two husbands, a remarkable event happened just up the road from there in Capel y Fin, as some boys were playing in the meadow on a summers evening, there having appeared a dazzling light within which was the figure of a woman, her hands held up in blessing. This sacred apparition, which was taken to be the Virgin Mary, was seen a further three times. A white statue of the Virgin Mary commemorates this event and to this day attracts pilgrims.
In 1936, John and Emma's son William (Willie) married his bride Emma Mogford, an event that was announced in the Western MaiL William didn't last so long after marrying Emma, soon enough dying. His widow married three times in all, each husband only living for a short time. As it is written, at the time of the wedding John and Emma were living at The Avenue in Garndiffaith. Williams marriage was at the Baptist chapel in Pontnewynydd and one of the bridesmaids was Lavena Rattle, who was the daughter of his sister Amy.
In the 1930's the Depression set in, when lots of Welsh people walked to London in search of jobs. Son George was one of those in that mass exodus, for a while settling in Croydon in London, where he dated a girl from Brynmawr. Then seeing jobs advertised at the port in Harwich he moved there, marrying a girl ten years younger than him, Eileen Spencer, whose family he lodged with, as his father had done likewise, she like his mother Emma also having red hair. Eileen was 17 when George took her to Wales to meet his family. Although they'd been sometimes visiting pubs back in Dovercourt, Eileen never drinking alcohol though, they couldn't go into a pub together once they were in Wales, as it was considered terrible for a woman to go in the pubs there and the'd be the lowest of the low if she did.
As it can be seen in the 1939 Register, Eileen who was by now married to George, returned yet again to stay with the Welsh side of the family, this time without George, but with their new baby son David Spencer Harrison (my father).
1939 Register Pontypool (Garndiffaith) 1 The Avenue John Harrison, born 12th August 1874, colliery examiner Emma Harrison, wife, born 21st October 1877, unpaid domestic duties Eileen Harrison, daughter in law (wife of George Harrison who is far away in Dovercourt), born 11th May 1918 David S Harrison, grandson (Eileens boy and my dad), born 8th August 1939, under school age Margaret S Knock, married daughter, born 27th December 1913, unpaid domestic duties, and her husband John Knock, born 26th August 1910, general labourer
1939 Register for the Harrison family in Gandiffaith
Also in the 1939 register it can be seen that John's sister Eliza and brother James's family (although he himself was now dead) still lived on Varteg Hill at the original 20 Houses, where they'd all lived as children. Eliza had moved to the bottom house of 20 Houses (Summerhill North). Her husband, William Jones, was now a retired miner, and they had with them still living at home their 45 year old daughter Susan, who never married, but was still with her live in lover, Bob Preston. It was said that they were together for 'donkeys years'. Another of Eliza Jones's daughters, Emily, had moved to Clydach.
John Harrison's sister Eliza Jones and his niece Susan still living at 20 Houses in 1939
James Harrison, John's brother, who was the one nicknamed Stonewall Harrison for his rugby skills, had only recently departed the world, his widow Naomi née Griffin still with many of the children around her, Angus and Clarence who worked in the pits, Vernon who was a railway porter, Myfanwy who at this time was said to be incapacitated, and Rita who was still at school, but as one could see would be marrying during the Second World War to her beau Mervyn Morgan. They move to Griffithstown and Rita eventually died of cancer. Myfanwy herself would marry a coal miner, William Stinchcombe, and move to his home town of Blaenavon. Another daughter, not here shown, Gwyneth, would marry John White and also moved to Blaenavon. Other girls of the family were called Lilian Vida, Muriel Eileen (who lived in Cwmavon), and Violet, and other sons were Dorcus and Kenneth. Vernon, mentioned before as being a local football player, was a 'gentleman' who would move to London. Angus, who was the captain of the Varteg football team, married Amy Cox, and lived in Talywain, Garndiffaith and on the Tw Gwyn road in Varteg. Clarence was a rough 'n' ready bachelor who move to Panteg, adjacent to Griffithstown. Certainly this family had a habit of choosing distinctive colourful names for their children.
Also at 20 Houses there still lived the family of John's brother James Harrison (recently died), there being Naomi his widow, and the children Angus, Clarence, Vernon, Myfanwy and Rita
The new utility bed
At bedtime Emma adopted a strange habit which was to run up the stairs and jump with eyes closed onto her bed. At the beginning of the second world war her husband, John, bought a new utility bed to replace their old one which completley thwarted her little ritual. Running, as usual, up the stairs she jumped as if to the level of her previous lower bed only to end up with two black eyes from the bump she then got.
It was in 1945 that Emma's sister, Elizabeth Self, aged 78, died, she being aforementioned mother of Blodwyn and of Amelia, the girl who had died, aged 18, while working as a servant in Swansea. Emma and John attended the funeral in Port Talbot, as did Emma's brother William Hawkins and his family. The services and remembrances were held at Elizabeths house at 41 Oakwood Street, at the Wesley Hall and at her graveside.
In this photo below there are shown four generations of the Harrison's. Emma and John Harrison are sat on the right of the group with their first born daughter, Jane Ann (born 1898) (nicknamed always Nan), standing between them. The other seated couple are Mr and Mrs Higgs, whose son William, standing between them, was the husband of Jane Ann. The mother and child in the centre are Jane Ann and Williams daughter iris and her own daughter Ann.
Garndiffaith four generations, seated are from left to right Mr and Mrs Higgs, and Emma and John Hawkins; standing from left to right, are William Higgs, Iris and her daughter Ann, and Jane Ann née Harrison
Old age and passing away
Emma outlived her husband by five years, reaching the good old age of 85. Her death certificate reports that she had cancer of the pancreas which was inoperable. John himself had died aged 80 from kidney malfunction, this being associated with a great exposure to coal as is the case for coal miners. Miners have a 70% increased risk of developing kidney disease. As a widow, one of Emma's grandsons, John Harrison (the child of their son Arthur), has said that on occasion she would come to stay with his family in Cardiff. He recalled that she liked to sleep a lot and was very genteel, dressed traditionally in a black dress with white collar. When Emma died there was a report in the local paper about Emma's funeral, stating that it took place at the Varteg cemetery, with services at her house, which was at 1 The Avenue, and in the Varteg Pentecostal Church. 'The esteem in which Mrs Harrison was held was shown by the large cortege. 'These mourners included her sons George and Arthur; sons-in-law W Higgs, T Rattle, S Watkins, and J Knock; and grandsons Keith, Gethin, Will, Len and Ralph. At the house were her daughters Nan, Alice, May and Margaret; daughters-in-law Emma and Iva; as well as Barbara, Coral, Iris, Lavinia and numerous other relatives and friends. In the house there was a big tea urn in the kitchen and the coal range was blazing hot as usual. Both John and Emma were buried in an unmarked grave in the grounds of the Varteg Wesleyan church.
Varteg Wesleyan cemetery right where John and Emma are buried in unmarked graves
Registered burials of the late Mr and Mrs Harrison of 1 The Avenue, Garndiffaith John Harrison, March 3rd 1955 £24 Emma Harrison, February 23rd 1960 £19.50