The first family that I am aware of at Hill Farm (although it is an older farm than this!) were the Morgans. They were the proprietors of Hill Farm from around 1831 (possibly earlier) until the early 1870s, initially via Mr John Morgan and later by his son, William Morgan.

For some reason (possibly related to the death of his wife, Emma) William left the farm between 1872 and 1874, although it continued to be part-owned by Arthur Morgan until at least 1879. By 1889, the farm appeared under the sole name of Edward Powell.

The Morgans were a well-respected and apparently relatively prosperous family.

One of the daughters, Anne Elizabeth married a man who went on to become a reasonably well-known figure in the UK, Alexander Wynter Blyth. At the time of the marriage, he was a medical student at King’s College, London, and son of a GP. He went on to become one of the UK’s leading figures in the area of public health, medicine and science.

The next occupant of the farm was Thomas Crump, although he only stayed a few years. He was tenant in 1874 and appeared on the Register of Electors until 1876. There was no tenant listed on the Register in 1878. Edward Jenkins was the tenant briefly. He appeared on the 1879 register of electors, but was replaced before April 1881 by William Charles and family, according to the 1881 census. William, was aged 30 in 1881, and was born in Llanfrechfa Upper. His wife Elizabeth, was 6 years younger, and a native of Trevethin. They had a 3 month old daughter at the time of this census and two servants helping them with the farm and domestic duties.

Edward Powell and his wife Sarah (nee Rees) were farming here by 1887, since their Thomas Charles Powell was born in Glascoed - he was aged 4 at the 1891 census. We also see Edward on the 1889 Register of Electors as the tenant at Hill Farm and we know that he stayed until at least 1909 (when Edward would have been aged 66). They had at least 5 children (Phillip John, Sarah Jane, Edward Rees, Thomas Charles and William James - the last two were both born at Glascoed).

Edward was from Llanthewy; he was born there in approx 1842 and his wife Sarah was from Nantyglo (born approx 1848). They had been living at Llanfrechfa Upper previously - certainly between 1875 and 1881, if the ages and places of birth of their children on the censuses are an indicator.

The next family that I am aware of at the farm is the Simons family, who took over from some point around the 1930s or 40s and continued to farm there for a number of years, initially via Albert J. Simons and latterly through his son Dennis Simons.

Above: Winifred Simons (nee Hill), Florence Ann Simons (their daughter) and Albert J Simons at Hill Farm.

Above we see Albert J Simons with his thrashing machine at Hill Farm.

More detail (including photographs) can be seen in their bio pages.

RECORDS

Census: 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901

Registers of Electors: 1844 to 1909.