Beginnings

Richard was born into a relatively well off farming family in 1830 at Llandenny, Monmouthshire. His mum and dad, Richard Arnold and Maria (nee Jones) had already had four children by the time Richard was born, so he wasn’t the one to inherit the family farm. Also it’s interesting to note that his parents’ first child was born before they got married - a trend that Richard followed in the 1850s, when he married Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of a neighbouring farmer (Roger Williams of Beech Farm) a month after the birth of her first child. Anyway, we are getting ahead of ourselves!

Settling in Glascoed

The Arnolds had moved to Maesmawr farm at Glascoed some time between June 1841 and November 1843 (where we find Richard’s dad on the electoral roll). It was a farm that they had some connections with before the move, since their eldest son, John was already labouring at the farm for the farmer, Edward Lewis at the time of the 1841 census.

Love, Marriage, Opportunity?

We then know that Richard married Elizabeth Williams on the 9th April 1857 at Trevethin Parish Church. For the debate on who the father was see Elizabeth’s page. It must have been designed as a quiet wedding away from the parish - since Elizabeth’s first daughter, Mary Ann had been born 1 month earlier.

They moved away from Glascoed briefly, to the Raglan area in the early 1860s where Maria (1860) and Martha (1861) were born, but came back to Glascoed by the time of the birth of their fourth child, James in 1864.

Their other children were all born at Glascoed: Annie (1865), Sarah (1866), William (1869), Emily (1873), the twins, Elizabeth and Philip (1875), Thomas (1877) and the youngest Ellen (1880).

Elizabeth and Richard lived in several places in Glascoed. The ones I know of are: a house described as “Near Beech Farm” in 1881 and Upper Twyn (1891 and 1901).

The arrival of the Motor Car

Richard’s grandson Ernie Pitt (Mary Ann’s son) told a tale about how he had been travelling on a horse and trap with his grandfather as a very young boy (approx 1900). A new fangled motor car rumbled past causing Richard to blurt out the immortal question - "What was that farting thing??"

Blindness

Richard went blind at the turn of the century (he was probably going blind at the time of the motor car story!) so he must have needed lots of love and care. Their youngest daughter, Nellie stayed at home to look after her parents. She only got married after their deaths (to Reg Perrett).

Records I have of Richard are:

Censuses of 1841 (at Llanishen), 1851, 1861 (at Brynwern near Raglan), 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901.

Marriage certificate to Elizabeth Williams (to be added).

Daughter’s birth certificate (to be added): Mary Ann Williams (always called herself Mary Ann Arnold)

Monumental inscription at Mount Zion Baptist Chapel.