Foundry House, Milkwall = Foundry Cottages Coalway, probably (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Tuesday, February 02, 2016, 03:40 (3211 days ago) @ Jefff

I've searched this site's PRs for all records containing the word "Foundry" as the "residence", using the Advanced Search facility. It will not search the PR notes as per George's Burial Record, sorry. As you might expect there are hits right across the Forest, especially Cinderford, also Redbrook, Bream, Lydney etc. In total there are 77 PRs quoting this "residence"; 34 Baptisms, 13 Marriages and 30 Burials. The majority are nowhere near Coleford area. NONE are in "Milkwall", but there are a few in Coalway, for completeness they're listed below.

Initial thought was these are most probably the same location the Taxis advertise from.

I then phoned my bro-in-law who's lived that area all his life, the last 35 years in Coalway. He wasn't certain but couldn't think of an obvious "Foundry House" in Milkwall. He does know the Coalway Soveriegn taxi address, and it's owner. He confirmed my guess (from the PR info) that Foundry Houses in Coalway Old Road is a typical FoD terrace of maybe 3 cottages, not an individual house as would perhaps befit a Foundry owner; more likely worker's houses, or maybe when built the only houses near a Foundry, so took the name. Worth looking on Google streetview if you're not in the area.
My brotherinlaw feels that even today's locals wouldn't consider Coalway and Milkwall to be the same locality; near neighbours maybe, but definitely separate villages & addresses clearly separated by a mile or so and a hill?, even more distinct 70 years ago.

It seems more than coincidence to me that most of the PRs for these few houses are all in the 1940s, and "busy" - were they rental lodgings. ?

Eitherway, I'm beginning to think that Coalway Old Road is indeed George Frewen's last home address, and the Vicar was maybe getting confused when writing the PR. Or, maybe, George was normally resident in Milkwall but actually died, perhaps after illness, with family or friend in Coalway => ambiguous PR entry ?. It's frustrating that I cannot find any evidence of a foundry in the Coalway area, but maybe it was there when the houses were built, and the name stuck ?

I have also searched thro some of the old Trade Directories from this list, hoping to find a relevant address entry for Milkwall or Coalway, but nothing found. See Coleford AND West Dean http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cbennett/

Similarly I searched my 1923 Kelly's Directory for Coleford without luck.

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These are ALL the "Foundry" & "Coalway" residence records in this sites PRs;

Record_ID: 178696
Entry_Number: 3926
Year: 1945
Month: Mar
Day: 3
Surname: FROWEN
Forenames: George
Residence: Collier
Age_at_death: 83
Officiating_Minister: Rev[eren]d L V Wraith
Event: Interment
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: (1) Foundry House Milkwall (2) Section A Adult Gr[ave] (3) N 25 (4) Consecrated (5) West Dean
Notes:
Register_Reference: DA25 / 204 / 30
Page_No: 96
Parish_Chapel: Coleford Cemetery
Soundex: F650

Record_ID: 1021518
Entry_Number: 28
Year: 1943
Month: Sep
Day: 14
Grooms_Surname: WEST
Grooms_Forenames: Henry Albert
Grooms_Age: 23
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: HM Forces
Grooms_Residence: Broadwell
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: WEST
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: William Henry
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Electrical Engineer
Brides_Surname: ROOKE
Brides_Forenames: Muriel Bernice
Brides_Age: 19
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation: Clerk
Brides_Residence: Foundry house Coalway
Brides_Fathers_Surname: ROOKE
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Charles
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Coal Hewer
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Cecil Charles Ireland
Witness_2: Eileen Rooke
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Lawrence V.Wraith Vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P93 IN 1/24
Page_Number: 14
Parish_Chapel: Coleford
Soundex_Groom: W230
Soundex_Bride: R200

Record_ID: 1022294
Entry_Number: 69
Year: 1945
Month: Jun
Day: 16
Grooms_Surname: NELSON
Grooms_Forenames: Albert
Grooms_Age: 25
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: H.M.Forces
Grooms_Residence: Silverdale Blugenfield Lane Darlaston
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: [not stated]
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: [not stated]
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: [not stated]
Brides_Surname: WALTHAM
Brides_Forenames: Irene Dorothy
Brides_Age: 20
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation: H.M.Forces
Brides_Residence: Foundry Houses Coalway Coleford
Brides_Fathers_Surname: WALTHAM
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Caleb Charles
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Colliery Surface Worker
Licence_or_Banns: Licence
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Ronald Frank Watkins
Witness_2: Ann Kathleen Waltham
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Ivan E.Holt Curate
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P93 IN 1/24
Page_Number: 35
Parish_Chapel: Coleford
Soundex_Groom: N425
Soundex_Bride: W435

Record_ID: 4351
Entry_Number: 584
Year: 1910
Month: Oct
Day: 13
Surname: ELLEY
Forenames: Richard Edward
Residence: Coalway Foundry House
Age_at_death: 7
Officiating_Minister: G A M Wynne Coleford
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P82 IN 1/15
Page_No: 75
Parish_Chapel: Christchurch
Soundex: E400

Luckily for me this Elley burial turns out to be my Coalway brother-in-law's maternal uncle !. I've only just started plotting that tree so haven't got much evidence as to how long they lived there, or who else was with them, all of which may have helped with George Frowen's story. Richard Elley Senior & sons were well-known Coalway miners over several generations. Many thanks Euansma for leading me onto this interesting PR which I'd not seen before, Richard Edward wasn't even on my tree as his short life "missed" the Censuses, and his siblings' PRs don't specifically mention Foundry House, just "Coalway".
If I do find anything else such as a Will, I'll update this thread.

So, to conclude, I now believe Coalway not Milkwall was probably George's last home. If you're in the area it would be nice to think the owner of the taxi firm might be able to help out too.
It might also be worth searching for George in the 1939 Register ??
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/1939-register/

Good luck !