Excerpt from Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire 1901

LLANHILLETH including ABERBEEG  



High Street, Llanhilleth

LLANHILLETH, or Llanhiddel, is a parish with a station 1 mile south from the church on the Western Valleys section of the Great Western railway, 173 miles from London and 5 miles west from Pontypool, in the Northern division of the county, hundred of Abergavenny, petty sessional division, union and county court district of Pontypool, and in the rural deanery of Blaenau Gwent, archdeaconry of Monmouth and diocese of Llandaff, and is within the area of the Abertillery urban district.



The Monmouthshire canal runs through the parish; the river Ebbw forms the western boundary of the parish. Aberbeeg, Six Bells and Crumlin are villages of Llanhilleth; the latter will be found under a separate head.



The church of St. Illtyd, standing on rising ground, is an ancient building of stone in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, west porch and a tower with spire containing 2 bells: in the church are various monuments, an ancient font and an antique church chest: the church was restored and decorated in 1891, when the old windows were reglazed, at a cost of £600: there are 150 sittings: in the churchyard are several old yew trees. The register dates from the year 1733.



Llanhilleth Institute, build started in 1904

The church of St. Mark, standing in the centre of the village and erected in 1898, is a building of stone in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel and nave and a bell-cote containing 2 bells: there are 400 sittings.

The living is a rectory, net yearly income £160, with residence, in the gift of the Marquess of Abergavenny K.G. and held since 1895 by the Rev. Daniel Felix, of St. Bees. There are Baptist (Welsh and English) and Congregational chapels, two Primitive Methodist chapels, and a Calvinistic chapel of iron at Six Bells.

Near the church is a large barrow, and there are also some remains of a castle.

There is a colliery of some extent.

The lady and lords of the manor are as follows :-

Miss Julia Guise

Sir Nicholas William George Throckmorton bart. of Buckland House, Berks

Philip Witham esq.

Henry White esq.

Rev. Gorges Fettiplace

John Gwynne Evans-Gwynne M.A., vicar of Potton, Bedfordshire

Francis Tothill esq. of Stoke Bishop, Bristol

The principal landowners are:-

Percy Phillips esq.

Mrs. Williams

Mrs. Rosa Nurse

Messrs. Phillips, Maesycnew

Partridge, Jones and Co. Limited

Author's note:  There is conflict about who donated the land for Llanhilleth Miners Institute.  In one speech it was quoted as Henry Percy David Phillips, and in another Messrs Patridge, Jones & Co.

The soil is gravel and clay. The chief crops are wheat, oats and barley. The area is 1,998 acres of land and 11 of water; rateable value, £20,214; the population in 1891 was 1,956.

Parish Clerk, Elias Pritchard.

Post & M.O.O., S. B. & Annuity & Insurance Office, Llanhilleth.- James Mead, sub-postmaster.

Letters arrive from Crumlin R.S.O. at 7.30 a.m. & are dispatched at 10 a.m. & 6.45 p.m. Letters should be addressed "Llanhilleth, Crumlin, R.S.O. Mon.". Crumlin is the nearest telegraph office, 2 miles distant.

Police Station, Wm. C. Blunt, constable in charge & two men

Glandwr Baptist now demolished.  Note builders materials still on ground.

ABERBEEG is a village in the parish of Llanhilleth, with a station at the junction of the Blaina and Ebbw Vale railways with the Western Valleys line belonging to the Great Western Company, 173¾ miles from London, 4½ south from Blaina and 8 south-west from Pontypool.

A Public Hall (which stands in the parish of Mynyddislwyn) was erected in 1891 ; it is also used for divine services. Here is also a reading room. Here are several collieries, a large brewery and a flour mill.

Six Bells is 1 mile north from Aberbeeg railway station.

Six Bells Memorial recently erected

Post M.O. & T.O., T.M.O., Express Delivery, Parcel Post, S B & Annuity & Insurance Office, Aberbeeg (Railway Sub Office. Letters should have "R.S.O. Mon." added)

Thomas Jones, sub-postmaster.

Letters arrive at 6.30 & 9 a.m. & 4 p.m. & depart 7.30 p.m. for all parts. North mail, 11.30 p.m.

Post Office, Six Bells.-Thomas Evans, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive 8.30 a.m. & 6.20 p.m., & are dispatched at 6.30 p.m. Letters should be addressed to "Six Bells, Aberbeeg HSO, Mon."

Postal orders are issued here, but not paid. Aberbeeg is the nearest money order & telegraph office, 1 mile distant.

A School Board of five members was formed 5 April, 1872 Charles William Carpenter, Aberbeeg, clerk to the board, Thomas Harris, attendance officer.

Schools Llanhilleth, erected in 1894, & opened in 1895, for 140 boys and & girls & 80 infants; John Evan Rowland, master Miss Margaret Ann Beddoe, infants' mistress.

Board School (mixed), Aberbeeg, built in 1873, & since enlarged to hold 400 children; average attendance, 240 boys & girls & 100 infants; Theophilus Evans, master; Miss Ruth Emily Evans, infants' mistress

Infants' School, Six Bells; average attendance, 86; Miss Annie Moses, mistress

Railway Station at Aberbeeg, James H. Bond, station master Mentality