Forest of Dean FHT Forum - Norfold House Steam Mills

Norfold House Steam Mills (reply)

Liz3113 — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:08:36 +0000

Hi Jeff,
Yes, I did email Marbry who was kind enough to reply and confirm that it is Danny Reardon in the photograph. He also remembered that Danny's grand-daughter Celia lived with him, which is true - her mother, Danny's daughter Agnes, sadly died young aged just 22 and Celia came to live with my great-grandparents Danny and Jessie.

From family sources I gather that Danny was apparently quite a character - his own grandparents on both sides came to Wales from Cork in the 1840's following the potato famine and he was raised a Catholic. Though he was both intelligent and articulate, he worked as a miner all his life suffering an injury in the mines in Wales as a young man, which scuppered his plans to move to America with his young family. He is remembered as being cantakerous in his old age and refusing to have a radio in the house as he couldn't argue with it!

Norfold House Steam Mills (reply)

Jefff — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:00:23 +0000

Thats great news Liz, thanks so much for posting this, its nice to occasionally hear the followup info. Presumably the circular staircase she recalls was in the "chimney" section of this larger than normal house, surely not a common feature anywhere.
I guess your aunt didnt recognise the faces, although of course the photos not too clear ?
Did you manage to contact Marby ?
Thanks again.

Norfold House Steam Mills (reply)

Liz3113 — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:15:15 +0000

I have today shown a photograph of this house to my aunt who confirms it was indeed the home of her grandfather Daniel Reardon(my great grandfather)and she remembers it very well. It was at Steam Mills but apparently is there no longer. She remembers it as quite a large house with a circular staircase in the upper half. Daniel Reardon was a miner who moved to the Forest with his wife Jessie and family from Wales where he had also worked as a miner (he was born in Trevethin and moved to Abertillery).

Norfold House Steam Mills (reply)

Liz3113 — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:29:59 +0000

Hi Jeff,
Yes, that's my grandparent's marriage you mention and Daniel was Irene's father.
I will contact Marbry direct as you suggest and see if he/she can enlighten me further about the cottage. Thanks for the advice.
Liz

Norfold House Steam Mills (reply)

Jefff — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:12:27 +0000

Hi Liz, welcome to this great site & forum.
I see the photo doesnt mention Daniel, neither can I find him elsewhere in the site/forum (I've searched both). The only mention of him I can find is as the bride's father in this Marriage Record off the PRs. I presume you've seen it, is this one of your relations ?.

Record_ID: 83630
Entry_Number: 159
Year: 1928
Month: Sep
Day: 1
Grooms_Surname: MARGRETT
Grooms_Forenames: Raymond David
Grooms_Age: 29
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Miner
Grooms_Residence: Dancing Green
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: MARGRETT
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: William
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Miner
Brides_Surname: REARDON
Brides_Forenames: Irene May
Brides_Age: 20
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Dancing Green
Brides_Fathers_Surname: REARDON
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Daniel
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Miner
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both Sign
Witness_1: Daniel Reardon
Witness_2: Mary Barnett
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: George R Newman Vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P109 IN 1/21
Page_Number: 80
Parish_Chapel: Drybrook
Soundex_Groom: M626
Soundex_Bride: R635

Its perhaps odd then that the Bride's Residence is Hope Mansell/Lea area so not Steam Mills at all, although maybe that's the groom's home not Irene's ?. That said its Drybrook Chapel suggesting the Reardon home is Drybrook area so perhaps Steam Mills.

Anyhow like you I can only assume that Marbry has some personal knowledge thats not apparent to us, hopefully he'll enlighten you. If you click on any user's blue username on a post, the hyperlink shows you that user's forum history. I see Marbry's only an occasional forum visitor so it might be a while til he/she sees your question. May I suggest you email Marbry direct, by clicking on the envelope icon next to the name. This message will go direct into Marbry's pc email inbox so is far more likely to be seen. Also it's secure if you wish to exchange personal contact details etc in confidence, it's not recommended to post such things on the forum.

Hope this helps, good luck with your query.
Jeff.

Norfold House Steam Mills (reply)

Liz3113 — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:30:44 +0000

I am interested to see that you refer to this cottage as "Danny Reardon's" cottage; my great-grandfather was Daniel Reardon (married to Jessie Griffiths) who moved to the Forest from Wales in the early 1900s and died there in 1958. Is this where he lived (and is that him in the photo??)
Liz Matthews

Norfold House Steam Mills (reply)

unknown — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:14:55 +0000

Sorry - Correction fire grate is on the left

Norfold House Steam Mills (reply)

unknown — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:13:17 +0000

Only a theory butNofold is the name of one of the House coal seams from memory about 1'6" thick - ventilation of these narrow seams were often achieved by using a fire at one opening to draw air through the workings from another; although the extent of the chimney seems a bit elaborate. A good example is at the entrance of Addis Hill level driven through the rock to the Highdelf seam linking up with Heywood Pit - The fire grate is on the right of the level immediately inside the entrance.

Cheers

Vurrister

Norfold House Steam Mills (reply)

Jefff — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 21:08:31 +0000

I would say "no".
You may have seen the very recent thread here re nail working..
As the various sites show nailmaking just requires a basic small forge with a bellows, so no different than a typical blacksmiths shop. You don't need a large oven or furnace, in fact quite the opposite due to the handmade nature of the process.
Two sites with photos are here, they both show and describe small "sheds" with no obvious chimney at all.
http://sedgleymanor.com/trades/nailmakers2.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewfield/548276301/

I'm not an industrial archeologist as such just a metal basher with a perchant for the Industrial Revolution, but to me the size of the base (oven?) area and the general shape is very reminiscent of the "bottle" kilns used in the Black Country for glass making or the Potteries for clayware, photos here
http://www.thepotteries.org/bottle_kiln/index.htm

There is a traditional brickworks still working not far from Steam Mills towards Cinderford, but brick kilns are much wider and lower dome shapes.

I look forward to now being corrected !

Norfold House Steam Mills

unknown — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 13:05:32 +0000

In Old Photos section-Hales-People what was the purpose of the large chimney/kiln
attached to Danny Reardon's cottage Norfold House, Steam Mills? Could it have been
to do with nail making?
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/hale_people/