Rose Cottage is an old cottage, on Pergoed lane; the last dwelling you come across before reaching Pergoed. It has been uninhabited since approximately 1947 and is currently ruined.
Planning permission is currently being pursued to convert the cottage back to a two bedroom cottage. Time will tell whether new life returns to an old family home.
Facts and Figures
Year of Construction
Not known. Presumably 18th or 19th century.
First Recorded Residents and year
John and Sarah Pitt and family. Approximately 1862.
Residents at time of the 1851 census
Not known.
Location
Residents
The Pitt family
We only find Rose Cottage being named as such from 1871 on the censuses, although I believe that the house is significantly older than that. Prior to the 1871 census, I believe that other families lived at Rose Cottage. I’m just not quite sure which they were, since the census entries prior to 1871 have used different or no specific names for the properties in the area. The other possibility is that John Pitt built the house himself, although this appears unlikely, since it is described in a recent report as being “likely to be the oldest surviving cottage in the vicinity”.
James and Sarah Williams were living at Rose Cottage with their family in 1871 although it appears that Sarah had been at the house for about 9 years before that, with her first husband, John Pitt. I believe that the Pitts moved to Rose Cottage, Pergoed Lane before John’s death in 1865. My reasons for believing this were that by 1868 it is pretty clear that his widow Sarah was living at Rose Cottage. It seems that of the times we hear of John between 1861 and his death, it was in conjunction with other residents of Pergoed Lane – his 1862 run in with Martha Meredith (of Sunny Bank Cottage) for trespassing (also reported in the Free Press) was the earliest example. The fact John was enclosing his land indicates that it is quite likely that they had recently moved in and were establishing themselves. The Free Press account on the same date sheds more light on the cause. It appears that Martha (probably on behalf of the Meredith family – see their involvement in the “Glascoed Riots”) took exception to John erecting a hedge around his land. The land (belonging to the Duke of Beaufort) was disputed. Since Panta House was half a mile from the Meredith’s house (“Sunny Bank Cottage”), while Rose Cottage was merely 200 yards from Martha’s home, it seems highly likely that the Pitts had recently moved to Rose Cottage and were enclosing and protecting their newly rented land.
The fact that Philip Lewis (of Bush Cottage) was the informant on the death certificate in 1865 (being present at the death) provides further evidence that the Pitts moved to Rose Cottage prior to John’s 1865 death, since Bush Cottage was “next door” to Rose Cottage.
John and Sarah had 5 children, all born at Glascoed: Sarah Ellen Pitt (born 1st Feb 1854), Henry James Pitt (born 5th September 1856), William John Pitt (born 1859), Alice Ann Pitt (born 1862) and Thomas Jesse Pitt (born Boxing Day 1864).
John Pitt was a stonemason, so it is quite possible that he would have made some improvements to the cottage in his time there, although he was only there from 1861 or 62 until his death on 9th August 1865 from small pox. His widow Sarah took in lodgers after John’s death.
James and Sarah Williams
It is worth reading Sarah’s bio for a number of stories relating to her time at Rose Cottage. The period from 1865 to 1870 was quite an eventful one. Sarah had started to take in lodgers in this period, such as Isaac Lindsay (who failed to keep up with the rent) and James Williams. James actually became more than a lodger, and this caused tongues to wag it seems, with bad blood evident between James and some neighbours in this story – a dispute involving a gun with their neighbours, Philip and Hannah Lewis of Bush Cottage. Hannah Lewis had been involved in constructing an effigy of James Williams – presumably to parade around the village decrying James and Sarah’s pre-marital affair and Sarah’s pregnancy. Sarah sadly lost the baby and the inquest even investigated the possibility of infanticide. Sarah and Hannah had previously crossed swords, since Hannah accused Sarah of carrying on with her husband, Philip. This even carried on after Sarah’s marriage, as noted in the Mount Zion Baptist Chapel minutes. Sarah was baptised at the chapel at this time (26th May 1878) and seemed to disappear from being a local newspaper “celebrity” around this time!
James and Sarah married at Gelligaer in October 1868 (the parish that Sarah’s youngest son, Thomas Jesse Pitt, was living in with her sister Ann Davies). James and Sarah had three children to my knowledge; although their first little boy died on the day he was born on 20th September 1868 at Rose Cottage. Alfred was born on 23rd August 1869 (he was a later owner of Rose Cottage) and his sister Rachel Kate was born on the 1st October 1871 at Rose Cottage.
James Williams was the son of Walter and Rachel Williams, who came to live at Common Cross, Glascoed by 1851. James was born in Llanfihangel Pontymoile circa 1835 and was living at Cwmoody, Pontymoile in 1841, then Mamhilad by 1860. He worked at various points as a Quarryman, and laboured at the Iron Works and in Agriculture. His first wife was Ann Pritchard, born circa 1831. She was living “near the Glascoed boundary” in Llanbaddock parish at the time of the 1841 census and at Mamhilad when they married on 13th August 1860. She must have died by the mid-1860s, since James had married Sarah Pitt in October 1868.
James married for a third time following Sarah’s death at Rose Cottage on 13th January His third wife was a Mary Ann Williams (although this could be a married name). They married in 1902 and were still both living at Rose Cottage in 1911. James died in May 1913.
Alfred Williams took over the house after James’ death, buying the Cottage from John Lewis, Upper House in 1913. At the time of the 1921 census, Alfred was living at Rose Cottage with his wife Elizabeth A. Williams. Elizabeth was born at Skewen, Swansea in the Spring of 1872. Alfred and Elizabeth had lived in Pontypridd, Glamorgan for many years (they were there at the time of the 1901 and 1911 censuses).
Alfred and Elizabeth did not have any children of their own, although had adopted Agnes Maud Williams, the daughter of Alfred’s half brother, William John Pitt and Emily Ada Williams, of. Agnes was one of at least 12 children and had been born at Sebastopol near Pontypool on 16th March 1900. Agnes lived with her natural parents initially, but by 1911 had moved to live with her Uncle Alfred and Aunt Elizabeth. Agnes later taught at Glascoed school for many years and was known as “Miss Pitt-Williams.”
Alfred lived there until 1939 I presume, since this is when he sold the house to the Burge family of the neighbouring house “The Paddocks” (formerly Bush Cottage).
William Pollard, a “Loco shed Labourer” and Ada Pollard “Unpaid domestic duties” were living at Rose Cottage in September 1939, the time of the National Register. William was born on 6th January 1898 and Ada on 24th March 1911.
The house was empty from 1947 and became derelict. Since then at least two attempts have been made to re-build the cottage; in 2008 (a failed planning application) and a more recent application made in 2022 to convert the cottage back to a two bedroom dwelling house.
Alfred and Elizabeth A. Williams
Alfred Williams took over the house after James’ death, buying the Cottage from John Lewis, Upper House in 1913. At the time of the 1921 census, Alfred was living at Rose Cottage with his wife Elizabeth A. Williams. Elizabeth was born at Skewen, Swansea in the Spring of 1872. Alfred and Elizabeth had lived in Pontypridd, Glamorgan for many years (they were there at the time of the 1901 and 1911 censuses).
Alfred and Elizabeth did not have any children of their own, although had adopted Agnes Maud Williams, the daughter of Alfred’s half brother, William John Pitt and Emily Ada Williams, of. Agnes was one of at least 12 children and had been born at Sebastopol near Pontypool on 16th March 1900. Agnes lived with her natural parents initially, but by 1911 had moved to live with her Uncle Alfred and Aunt Elizabeth. Agnes later taught at Glascoed school for many years and was known as “Miss Pitt-Williams.”
Alfred lived there until 1939 I presume, since this is when he sold the house to the Burge family of the neighbouring house “The Paddocks” (formerly Bush Cottage).
William and Ada Pollard
William Pollard, a “Loco shed Labourer” and Ada Pollard “Unpaid domestic duties” were living at Rose Cottage in September 1939, the time of the National Register. William was born on 6th January 1898 and Ada on 24th March 1911. I have not yet found out much about William and Ada.
The house was empty from 1947 and became derelict. Since then at least two attempts have been made to re-build the cottage; in 2008 (a failed planning application) and a more recent application made in 2022 to convert the cottage back to a two bedroom dwelling house.
RECORDS
Registers of Electors
- 1889 – James Williams (“Dwelling house near Purgoed”).
- 1909 – William Pitt. Canal bank, Sebastopol. Freehold house Rose Cottage To poll at Panteg (“Ownership elector”). James Williams was the resident.
- 1922 and 1929 – Alfred and Elizabeth Ann Williams. Also Agnes Maud Williams (1929 only).
Censuses
1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 – James Williams
1921 – Alfred Williams.
1939 National Register – William Pollard.