Overview
Ty Coch is situated on the western side of Glascoed and really is connected better to New Inn than Glascoed these days, with the entrance just off Jerusalem Lane. You pass Three Stiles farm before reaching Ty coch.
The house was called “Ty Coch” in Welsh and “Red House” in English. I haven’t actually seen the house so have no idea whether it is still coloured red! It was one of the more significant Glascoed farms with an annual rent of £13 per annum in the early 1800s.
Facts and Figures
Year of Construction
Prior to 1823.
First Recorded Residents and year
William Jones, 1823 (Land tax assessments).
Residents at time of the 1851 census
John and Mary Jayne and family.
Location
Here you see the present day location of Ty Coch, courtesy of Google maps. You will see that it is boundaried to the Eastern side by Llandegfedd Reservoir. Prior to the Reservoir’s construction in the 1960s, lovely old properties and good farming land was where the water is now. The Reservoir is beautiful, but it is so sad to have lost so many places with a story to tell.
The property is accessed down a lane from Jerusalem Lane. The postal code is NP4 0TP.
Residents
William Jones
The first person that I found named on records in my possession as being at Ty coch was William Jones. He paid an annual rent of £13 per annnum to Capel Hanbury Leigh, in 1823, 1824 and 1829.
Thomas Jacob
By the 1831 land tax returns, a Thomas Jacob had taken over the tenancy. I don’t know anything more about him.
John and Mary Jayne and family
The Jayne family were the tenants at Ty Coch at least from 1841 to 1851 and probably longer. They had moved by census night 1861.
The Hanburys also lived at a house called Red House in the 1841 census – I am not sure whether it is the same residence. My assumption is that they were late additions to the census, having been missed on the initial visit. Census enumerators, especially in the early years did have the habit of naming houses using their own judgement – so if another house in the village was Red, they may well have just written “Red House” just to distinguish it from the neighbouring properties.
John Jayne (1810-1877) was born in Llanfrechfa and was the Head of the Household in 1841 and 1851. He was married to Mary Williams of Trevethin (1815). I’m not sure when Mary died, but it was after they moved on from Ty Coch, between 1861 and 1871. My best guess from burial registers is that she died in the June Quarter of 1868 … the ages seem to tally. This would need to be confirmed by somebody purchasing the birth certificate. The Jayne family were at New House (“Ty Newydd”) by the time of the 1861 census and John was still there in 1871, but by now was a widower.
Joseph and Rachel Goodenough and family
The next residents were the Goodenough family – what a great name! They were in residence at the time of the 1861 census.
Joseph and Rachel Goodenough and their children were the family in question. Joseph, born circa 1816, was from the village of Rode in Somerset. His wife Rachel, born circa 1816, was a Monmouthshire girl, from Llantilio Crosenny. John was a farmer of 50 acres.
The birthplaces of their children indicate that they had moved around a bit before settling in Glascoed around 1853. Emily was born in Cardiff (circa 1842), Frances (“Fanny”) at Pontypool (born Oct-Dec Quarter 1845), Edwin at Llanfrechfa (born Oct–Dec Quarter 1849). The other children were all born at Glascoed: Ellen (born Jan-Mar Quarter 1853), Eliza (Apr-Jun Quarter 1854) and Charles (born Jan-Mar Quarter 1857). They had certainly moved in by the time of the 1861 census and moved on by 1871.
Joseph Goodenough was accused of having an improper relationship with Hannah, the wife of Philip Lewis in 1865, although this was not accepted by the court as far as we can tell. He was appointed as the District Surveyor for Panteg in the mid-1860s, so I assume that he had left Glascoed for Panteg by this point. He was living in Panteg with his family in 1871, according to the census.
John and Emily Jenkins and family.
The next family that I am aware of at Ty Coch is that of John and Emily Jenkins. The Registers of Electors show John as registered to vote at the property from 1868 to 1876. The 1871 census tells us more: John was born in Trevethin around 1829/30. His wife, Emily was 13 years younger and hailed from Cardiff. Interestingly she was not new to the farm … she was actually the daughter of the previous tenants, Joseph and Rachel Goodenough. Their 5 year old son John had been born at Goytre and their daughters Rachel (3 years old) and Elizabeth (10 months old) were both born in Glascoed.
James and Elizabeth Williams and family.
We then see some stability in tenancy, as the Williams family moved in around 1878. James Williams was registered to vote as a tenant at Ty Coch from 1878 to 1929. He was also there for the each of the censuses from 1881 to 1921 along with his family. James was born in 1849 at Llanfrechfa Lower.
Elizabeth, nee Jenkins was born at Llanddewi Fach in 1853. She was christened at that parish church on 30th March 1856. Their first child, Annie, had been born in Llanddewi Fach although some censuses indicated Glascoed. The other children William Henry (circa 1878), Ellen (circa 1881) and Herbert c. (circa 1889) were all born at Glascoed.
James had retired from farming, by the time of the 1921 census. A recently married Herbert Williams had taken over the running of the farm along with his wife Amelia, who I am sure also had her hands full with their 2 year old son Kenneth.
Elizabeth’s nephew, Ronald Jenkins a 23 year old from Llanddewi Fach was also helping on the farm and continued to do so for at least a year.
In 1909, William Henry Williams was listed as a lodger on the electoral roll and was entitled to vote. In 1922, Elizabeth, William Henry and Annie were listed along with another individual – Ronald William Jenkins. Ronald was actually Elizabeth’s nephew.
In 1929, Elizabeth and William Henry were the only other voters in addition to James at Ty Coch.
William and Margaret Price.
The 1939 National Register introduces us to some more tenants. William Price was the farmer and had been born on the 3rd April 1883. I presume that Margaret Price, born 1st April 1882, was his wife. Raymond G. Price, born on 12th July 1919 was the Dairyman and Florence J. Knowles (later to become Mrs Chater) born on 17th July 1913, was an unpaid domestic. One other person (presumably younger) was at the house, although UK data protection laws did not release the name on the version of the records that I viewed.
Records
Land Tax Assessments
- 1823, 1824 and 1829 – William Jones.
- 1831 – Thomas Jacob.
Registers of Electors
- 1868 through to 1876 – John Jenkins
- 1878 through to 1889 – James Williams.
- 1909 – James Williams plus William Henry Williams listed as a lodger.
- 1922 – James, Elizabeth, William Henry and Annie Williams and Ronald William Jenkins.
- 1929 – James, Elizabeth and William Henry Williams.
Censuses
1841 and 1851 – John & Mary Jayne and family.
1861 – Joseph & Rachel Goodenough and family.
1871 – John & Emily Jenkins and family.
1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 and 1921 – James & Elizabeth Williams and family.
1939 – William and Margaret Price with their son Raymond.