George GIBBS, living at 1 Old Engine, East Dean (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Tuesday, August 02, 2011, 13:04 (4866 days ago) @ unknown

Hi David,
yes you're right; I was born in 60s overlooking Bilson part of Lower Cinderford, knew of the local iron works, had a grandfather coal-miner in the Lydbrook area, my local pub's a Miners Welfare Club and I knew the area used to have coal mines; yet it was only my recent researches that made me understand just to what a huge extent the FoD grew population-wise as a direct result of the Industrial Revolution c1800ish onwards. Hence my Welsh blood from immigration into Lydbrook, also many neighbours in Cinderford have Cornish ancestors for the same reasons. As no doubt you know, if you study the maps & photos on this site, or lookup "coalmine" say in the thread search, and also see the Sungreen Old Photos site, you do realise just how rich the area is in coal and iron mines and associated people.
As a kid in the 70s/80s my local "pub", the Cinderford Miners Welfare Hall, was a very busy place every evening, presumably with retired miners enjoying their well deserved pensions. When I started actually drinking there myself I realised the negative effects their working lives had had on their health particularly coughs and breathing issues, yet they were a great bunch of blokes with wonderful stories and a deep & proud love of the Forest.

Re William Matthews, again theres an awful lot of them to try to decipher, I just trawled thro several PRs but sadly no clues wrt the Old Engine Pub. However I've just realised the Advanced Search facility can look for "residences" too, so searching for all Baptism PRs quoting "Old Engine" as "Residence" gives the following which may start you off perhaps ?.
Clearly this can be repeated for Marriages and Burials.

YEAR,SURNAME,CHILD, PARENTS F/names,
1863 MORSE, Sarah, John & Mary Ann, Old Engine, Collier, Drybrook
1863 GREENOGH, Arthur, Joseph & Mary, Old Engine, Collier, Drybrook
1863 BRAIN, Rhoda Lucinda, John & Elizabeth, Old Engine, Engineer, Drybrook
1864 GIBBS, John, George & Lydia, Old Engine, Mason, Drybrook
1864 HALE, Elizabeth, Thomas & Susanne, Old Engine, Labourer, Drybrook
1864 THOMAS, James, Alfred & Elizabeth, Old Engine, Hallier, Drybrook
1865 RODWAY, William, William & Ellen, Old Engine, Labourer, Drybrook
1865 HARRIS, Edwin Milson, William & Laura, Old Engine, Engineer, Drybrook
1865 MATTHEWS, Elizabeth, William & Mary Anne, Old Engine, Engineer, Drybrook
1866 BURROWS, William, Richard & Ellen, Old Engine, Engineer Drybrook