I am trying to trace any information regarding my Great Grandfather Philip Williams who moved from Kidwelly Wales to work in the Tin Plate Works possibly Cinderford around 1880. Very keen to find out more for his Granddaughter, my Mother, who is now very old and frail in the little time she has left. Philip married Elizabeth Powell in 1899 at Bream, who was also from Wales and lived in the FoD area having 3 sons Philip Williams, Gerald Barrington Williams and Frederick George Williams until they returned to Wales around 1908-10. I do know some sort of friendship was formed with a farming family in St Briavels possibly Musgrove as my Grandfather also Philip Williams would go and stay there on occasions once the family had returned to Wales. Any snippet of information would be much appreciated.

You might find this interesting about Jacob Chivers

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Jacob_Chivers

Apparently he once owned the Kidwelly tin works but later set up the Hawkwell tin works near Cinderford. Would explain the movement of workers from Kidwelly to Cinderford.

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Peter

Thank you for taking the time to try and help here. I am already aware of the information you have kindly put forward and there is an Industrial Museum at an old tin plate works in Kidwelly we visited to try and source some more only to find it was now sadly closed with no plans to reopen. Indeed we have come across a few names on the research who seem to have made the same journey to Cinderford from Kidwelly. Would you know where exactly the works would of stood? Once again thank you for trying to help.

Always helps to give details of what you already know as it saves other people's time duplicating what you have already done.

Old maps are always worth checking if you're looking for the location of something. Try this

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=51.83643&lon=-2.51992&layers=1...

(open in new tab)

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Peter

There is a Public Members Tree on Ancestry for Phillip WILLIAMS baptism 8 October 1875, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales - Father: William WILLIAMS 1843 - and Sarah EVANS - 1843 -1920

1881 Census, Westbury on Severn

WILLIAMS

William - Head - married - 37, Tin Plate Worker, born Monmouthshire
Sarah - wife - 38 - born Kidwelly, Carm
William M - son - 16 - Tin Plate Worker born Kidwelly
Mary - 14 - born Kidwelly
John - son - 11 - Scholar - born Kidwelly
Elizabeth - 8 - born Kidwelly
Phillip - 5 - born Kidwelly
Thgomas - 1 - born Kidwelly
Alfred EVANS - Head - 34 - Tin Plate Worker, born Mon
Mary - wife - 32 - born Kidwelly Cam
Mary A EVANS - dau - 8 - born Kidwelly
William- 6 - born Kidwelly
Frances - 2 - born Kidwelly
Tom - 1 - born Glos. Cinderford
William EVANS - 25 - Boarder, Tin Plate Worker, born, Mon. Redbrook

The tree does go back further ..... here's the 1871 xcensus

Carmarthenshire, Kidwelly, District 10

Perrygare?

William WILLIAMS - 27 - Tinplate Worker, born, Monmouth Llanbach?
Sarah - 28 - born Kidwelly
William - 6
Mary Ann - 4
John - 1

Lots of info on Public Members Tree

Thank you I will have to look into this as I was struggling on this finding who was the father of Philip Williams 1876 born at Kidwelly as there seems to be a few potential William Williams who could of been his father.

Hi

You may be able to find more information on the location and history of the Hawkwell Tin Works from this site.
heritagegateway.org.uk
There is a description and brief history of the colliery and tinplate works. Apparently the colliery was connected to the tinplate works by a tramway. References to locations using OS maps is also provided.
"Know Your Place Gloucestershire" also is a useful site to locate old places and structures and compare the location side by side with modern maps.
There is a disused tip shown near the intersection of the A4151 and A4136. This was the site of the colliery.
At the intersection of Highview Road and A4136 there is a long row of connected terrace houses which were shown on the OS maps as "Hawkwell Cottages" .
Any queries, let me know.
Sid Toomey

Hi

I believe the Hawkwell Tinplate Works would have been just to the West of a fish farm called "Meadowcliffe" which is on the Southern side of the A4136 located in bush around a lake which probably would have been associated with the Tin Plate works.
OS maps show the buildings on the Western side of the lake.
It appears to be all bush on satellite views but there also appear to be cleared areas which might have been the tramways and rail ines from the 19th Century.
Hope this helps.
Sid Toomey

Hi Sid,
The link I posted earlier to the 1892-1914 map identifies the works and also shows the route of the tramway.

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Peter