The first residents that we can be sure lived at Cross farm were John and Mary Williams. John was the son of Roger and Ann Williams of Beech Farm. Mary was born in Llanbaddock cir. 1827.
They married on September 25th 1859 at Llanbaddock Parish church. Their marriage was reported in the Usk Observer. It was a busy weekend for the family since John’s sister, Mary Ann was married the following day, as you’ll see in the newspaper transcription.
We see the family growing through successive censuses:
1861 census No.47 Cross Road
John Williams 26 agricultural labourer b Glascoed
Mary Williams 34 b Llanbaddock
Ann Williams 1 b Llanbaddoc
1871 census No. 16 no name
Neighbouring houses: No 17 Cross, No 18 Upper House
John Williams 36 farmer b Glascoed
Mary Williams 44 b Llanbattock
Ann Williams 11 b Glascoed
Elizabeth Williams 9 b Glascoed
Mary Williams 7 b Glascoed
Henry Williams 4 b Glascoed
William Williams 2 months b Glascoed
1881 census No 25, no name
John Williams 46 farmer b Glascoed
Mary Williams 54 b Llanbattock
Mary Williams 17 b Glascoed
Henry Williams 14 b Glascoed
William Williams 10 b Glascoed
John Williams 7 b Glascoed
The parents, both died before the next census and were buried at Mount Zion Baptist Church. Mary Williams died on the 18th July 1888, aged 62 and the following year, her husband John Williams died on the 4th November 1889 aged 54. Burial records can be found here.
1891 census Cross Farm
Mary Williams single 27 farmer b Glascoed
William Williams 20 haulier b Glascoed
John Williams 18 haulier b Glascoed
Mary married William Lewis of Upper House in 1892. A family story says that Mary Williams was engaged to marry John Lewis, William’s brother, however this engagement was broken and she married his older brother William. William and Mary had 4 sons and 1 daughter whilst John and Martha settled at Upper House and had 3 daughters. This caused much resentment between the two brothers.
Kelly’s directory 1901
William Lewis, farmer, Cross Farm
1901 census Cross Farm, Glascoed
William Lewis farmer 41
Mary Lewis 37
John Lewis 8
Annie Lewis 5
William Lewis 4
Arthur Lewis 1
1911 census The Cross Farm
Farm House 6 rooms
William Lewis 50 Farmer Grazier
Mary Lewis 47 married for 19 years
John Lewis 18
Annie Lewis 15
William Lewis 14
Arthur Lewis 11
Henry Lewis 7
Joseph Bate servant 44 builders carpenter
1939 Register. Cross Farm.
1~Lewis, John~-~M~ Born 15.1.92~S~Farmer
2~Lewis, Arthur~-~M~Born 24.11.99~S~Haulage Contractor Genl
3~Lewis, Henry~-~M~Born 11.2.04~S~Haulage Contractor Genl
4~Parry, Annie~-~F~Born 9.7.95~W~unpaid Domestic
5~This record is officially closed~-~~~~~
6~Parry, Freda E (WILLIAMS)~-~F~5.7.30~S~School~CR 283 MN WILLIAMS 10.3.66 (actual marriage registered in Jun Quarter 1965).
CROSS FARM
Many thanks to Olwen Hughes, who wrote this page.
Cross Farm is not named in all the census returns between 1841 and 1881, but in 1891 and 1901 it is recorded with its geographical neighbours being (The) Cross and Upper House. I have therefore assumed that the unnamed property, between Cross and Upper House, is Cross Farm. The people living there certainly match the family profile.
I believe that the 1841 census shows Mary Williams, a “50” yr old lady, “Independent” at Cross Farm. I’ve worked this out by the route that the census enumerator was likely to have taken. However, I can’t be 100% sure of this.
