Emigration of coal miners - ELLEY - Forest of Dean FHT Forum

My father's family moved to Pontypridd from Newland/Coleford around 1900. There are records of the Elley family in the Forest of Dean from the 16th century and I believe they were laterly free iron ore miners. In all probability they left the Forest area encouraged by the potential for work in the huge mining industry in the South Wales valleys. Practically every town had a pithead and for most of my childhood the collieries were still in action. Now there is only one remaining, in Trehafod, and that is used as a museum/tourist venue.

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'There are records of the Elley family in the Forest of Dean from the 16th century and I believe they were laterly free iron ore miners.'

Name/Forename/Residence/Reg Date/ID
Elley John 29 Berry Hill, nr Coleford Sept 29th 1838 677
Elley Richard 64 Berry Hill, nr Coleford Sept 29th 1838 679
Elley Richard 52 Berry Hill, nr Coleford 28 Nov 1890 2397
Elley Richard 26 Berry Hill, nr Coleford 11 Jan 1897 2618
Elley junr. Richard 26 Berry Hill, nr Coleford Sept 29th 1838 678

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Thank you for your reply. I have done extensive research on the Elley family of the Forest of Dean over the last 20years or so. Before the info. became freely available I had a great deal of help from the archivist at Gloucester County Council, however I am still stuck on the death of my great grandfather Richard Elley. I know the dates of death of his first wife and children and also the whereabouts of my great grandmother Emma (previous married name Worgan, nee Hawkins), his second wife/partner. I have been told that he may have been buried in the path alongside the cemetery in Coleford, which is where people who couldn't afford funerals were taken. I imagine that poverty was a factor resulting in the move of Emma and her children including my grandfather Albert to Pontypridd. I would like to know a little more about the burial path and whether or not any record of such burials exists.
In 1881 Richard was living at 8 Staunton Road with Emma and their family, but by the time of the 1891 census his first wife Elizabeth was listed as a widow so the assumption is that he died within that 10 year period.

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I have a query relating to the death of Benjamin Elley who was born on April 28th 1867. His parents were Richard Elley and Emma Worgan. He was christened on February 4th 1869. They were living at Scowles at the time.
I have been looking for a death date but I am unable to find any other information on him. The info. so far has come from the IGI and the parish records from this site. This appeal is just a shot in the dark as it appears to be one of the unsolvable queries which catches the attention now and then. After this I will forget about it.
Thanks
Brenda Hughes

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Has he died before the 1871 census ?
When (if) did Richard marry Emma - is Benjamin known with another surname - Worgan / Hawkins / etc ?

1841
Richard Ely abt 1816 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest, Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Ely abt 1820 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest, Gloucestershire
Eliza Ely abt 1837 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest, Gloucestershire
Richard Ely abt 1821 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest, Gloucestershire
John Ely abt 1840 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest, Gloucestershire

1851
Richard Elly abt 1814 Bury Hill, Gloucestershire, England Head Newland, Gloucestershire
Richard Ellyabt 1839 Bury Hill, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
John Elly abt 1841 Bury Hill, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
Sarah Mathena abt 1824 Burford, Herefordshire, England Servant Newland, Gloucestershire

1861
Mary Elley abt 1774 Cleeve Hill, Shropshire, England Head Newland, Gloucestershire
Richard Elley abt 1815 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Kilby abt 1826 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Newland, Gloucestershire
Richard Elley abt 1840 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Grandson Newland, Gloucestershire
Jane Kilby abt 1843 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Granddaughter Newland, Gloucestershire
John Kilby abt 1847 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Grandson Newland, Gloucestershire
Thomas Kilby abt 1850 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Grandson Newland, Gloucestershire
William Kilby abt 1852 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Grandson Newland, Gloucestershire
Fanny Kilby abt 1855 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Granddaughter Newland, Gloucestershire
Emma Kilby abt 1858 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Granddaughter Newland, Gloucestershire
James Kilby abt 1860 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Grandson Newland, Glouce

Year: 1869
Month: Feb
Day: 4
Parents_Surname: ELLEY
Child_Forenames: Benjamin
Fathers_Forenames: Richard
Mothers_Forenames: Emma
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Scowles
Occupation: Miner
Officiating_Minister: Herbert Mather
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: a)born 28 April 1867 b) Privately
Notes: a) memo in date column b) memo in name column
Register_Reference: P227 IN 1/6
Page_Number: 250
Parish_Chapel: Newland

1871 Drybrook nr Bream
Richard Elley 52 Newland
Emma Elley 36 Newland
Thos Elley 11 Newland
Ellen Elley 7 Newland
Anne Elley 11 Months Newland

1881 Staunton Rd Coleford
Richard Elley abt 1814 Berryhill, Gloucestershire, England Head Newland, Gloucestershire Iron Miner
Emma Elley abt 1840 Berryhill, Gloucestershire, England Wife Newland, Gloucestershire
Anne Elley abt 1870 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Newland, Gloucestershire
Milson Elley abt 1873 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
Albert Elley abt 1876 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire
George Elley abt 1879 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland, Gloucestershire

1891 5 / 22 Union St
Alfred Marth abt 1851 Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales Head Llantwitfardre, Glamorgan
Emma Marth abt 1845 Ideford,[COLEFORD] Gloucestershire, England Wife Llantwitfardre, Glamorgan
Milson Elley abt 1871 Ideford, Gloucestershire, England Son Llantwitfardre, Glamorgan
Albert Elley abt 1874 Ideford, Gloucestershire, England Son Llantwitfardre, Glamorgan
George Elley abt 1878 Ideford, Gloucestershire, England Son Llantwitfardre, Glamorgan
Thomas Powell abt 1885 Abertillery, Monmouthshire, Wales Grandson Llantwitfardre, Glamorgan
Sarah Harper abt 1850 Coleford, Gloucestershire, England Servant Llantwitfardre, Glamorgan

1901 Lodging House
Emma Marsh abt 1843 Coleford, Gloucestershire, England Head Pontypridd, Glamorgan
Benjamin Powell abt 1886 Abertillery, Monmouthshire, Wales Grandson Pontypridd, Glamorgan

Name: Emma Marsh
Estimated birth year: abt 1845
Year of Registration: 1913
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
Age at Death: 68
District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
Volume: 11a
Page: 575

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

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Thanks Slowhands,

This has bugged me for years, I have kept on going back to it and now can't believe the answer was so simple.

I had assumed that as Benjamins father was known he would have been baptised in the name of Elley and not in his mothers married name of Worgan which was the case.
Emma and Richard never married, they lived in quite close proximity to his first wife Elizabeth and their children Richard, Eliza and Mary until the move to Pontypridd. It seems that only in exceptional circumstances would this be tolerated by the local community. Richard and Elizabeth had another son called John who died at the age of 13 in a fall of iron ore, they were already separated at that time.

Cheers
Brenda

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Forest of Dean FHT Forum

Emigration of coal miners - ELLEY (General)

Freeminers:- Elley

Freeminers:- Elley

Benjamin ELLEY of Scowles born 1867

Benjamin ELLEY of Scowles born 1867

Benjamin ELLEY of Scowles born 1867