My father’s cousin, Clyde Purnell, told me that when she used to visit her grandparents, Richard and Elizabeth Arnold. at Glascoed, Monmouthshire, in the early 1900s, it always seemed as though everyone in the village was related to each other.

When I went to the graveyard at Mount Zion Baptist Chapel, I started to see what she meant! Several branches of my family intersect at Glascoed in the mid to late 19^th Century. After years of trying to find how far back I could get with my family tree, I became inspired to undertake a different sort of study.

The project I set myself is to gain an understanding of the lives of the people of Glascoed - initially in the 19th Century - and to try to trace how the different families interacted and intermarried. I also love a good story, so with the help of others, hope to discover lots of really interesting stories and anecdotes!

The first stages of my project are now complete. I have transcribed available census records and made this information available to others who are interested. Some other records (such as electoral registers) have also been added with more to come in the future.

I plan to then log the history of each of the houses in the census and trace the changes in residency between 1841 and 1901. I am starting to find links between the families (inter-marriage etc) and will focus on this - to see how far Clyde’s theory is actually based in fact. Early indications show that it is!!!

After this, I would love for the project to grow as information comes in – ideally with lots of stories and pictures – if you can help, please add information to my blog (see links) or email me!

LATEST UPDATES

17 Aug 10 - Making good progress with database of Glascoed people. Not near uploading this yet though it’s a big undertaking. Getting an overview of the records has helped me to spot some minor errors that needed to be corrected. Mainly in the 1911 census strays S-Z, (re the Sainsbury family, the odd relationship clarified, Eli Wms address, Thomas Stephens age and Wm Wms of Plymouth wife is Mary not May I think!). Also in the Mount Zion Minutes (correcting one date in Aug 1892), the 1851 census - House 13, re Wm Garner - not Gardner and the 1911 census - House 27 Pentwyn the couple were married 30 not 36 yrs.

10 Aug 10 - Uploaded the 1832 and 1841 Electoral Registers.

05 Aug 10 - Still bothered by sciatica, but it is starting to improve and I can spend short periods sitting at the computer now and walk a bit! Enough today to update Emma Rachel Price’s page (wife of Wm Morgan of Hill Farm). I now believe that she was probably still alive in 1881 - see her page for details. I have been working on a couple of projects on laptop re Glascoed. One is a database of all Glascoed people I have found (this will take some time to finish) and the others are indexes of Glascoed strays on the 1911 census (added today) and the 1832 and 1841 Electoral registers (to be uploaded at a later date). Olwen Hughes has kindly provided info on Upper House and its residents which is now uploaded.

22nd May 10 - Today I was contacted by Susan Wright, the transcriber of the 2005 Mount Zion Church MIs. I can now credit the transcriber! Thanks very much for getting in touch Susan, and bringing this to my attention.

I’ve been off the site for a while - sciatica has meant sitting transcribing for long periods has not been very appealing! Hopefully it’ll go soon and I can get back to normal!

9th Mar 10 - Latest instalment of Glascoed minute books added today, 1901 onwards.

4th Mar 10 - More entries from the Minute books. Now added up to the end of 1882. (27th Feb 10) Now to end of 1888 (1st Mar 10). Now to 1892

16th Feb 10 - Updated a few more entries from the Mt Zion Minute books for 1876 and 77. Elections of trustee. Includes baptisms and two female church members, Mary Jacob and Sarah Rowlands, being excluded from fellowship for squabbling!

10th Feb 10 - Thanks to Olwen Hughes who wrote up 90% of the information for the new Cross Farm page.

8th Feb 10 - Added the first of the 1911 census Glascoed strays on site. They are Annie Stephens and family (daughter of Henry & Hannah Williams of Bryn Farm, Arthur Williams born c. 1868 and family and also William Willams (b 1871) and his wife Joan Morgan (of Prescoed) with family.

14th Jan 10 - Staying at home due to 8 inches of snow in Bargoed, means that I have been able to spend the day transcribing the 1911 census and it is now up on the site. Much quicker than I thought it would take! Well worth a look.

12th Jan 10 - J and K Robinson kindly sent me a clearer photo of a Mt Zion Sunday School group, which I have placed here. For those interested (my family includes quite a number of Glascoed people) I have updated my personal family tree site today - www.pittfamily.co.uk worth a look to see whether the people you are interested in are also in my tree.

30th Dec 09 - Additions are mainly around Hill Farm, with a summary page of its history and a fair bit of information on the Hill Farm Morgans. I am working through these one by one. Full bios so far for John Morgan snr, Mary Arthur and some of their children: John Arthur, William (and his first wife Emma Price), Anne Elizabeth (and her famous husband!). The other 4 children to follow. Also a couple of new additions to Other parish Burials, Baptisms and Marriages and a new section 1881 census strays.