Overview
Upper House is situated off Glascoed Lane, near the entrance to Pergoed Lane. At first, I got quite confused, since there is another Upper House just off the centre of the village (off Cwm Road). Since this actually falls within the Parish of Llanbaddock, I was told that the Llanbaddock house is referred to as “Upper House, Llanbaddock”.
Upper House, Glascoed is in a beautiful setting on a rise at the top of an incline from the Crossroads at Glascoed, with stunning views all around. On reflection, there are many stunning views from the hamlet!
Upper House, Glascoed was almost certainly in existence prior to 1869 – in fact I believe that the property referred to as “Twmp” on the 1861 census was probably Upper House, Glascoed. I cannot be sure though.
In 1869, Upper House was in the news for two reasons: The first mention was an advert in the Usk Observer on 6th March 1869.
“ADVERTISEMENTS
Upper House Farm, Glascoed.
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION,
BY MR. JOHN PHILPOT, on THURSDAY, the 11th MARCH, 1869, on the premises, at the Upper House Farm (near the Beach Farm), Glascoed, about midway between Pontypool and Usk, the
FARMING STOCK,
Implements in husbandry, Dairy Utensils, prime Cider, and other Effects.
For further particulars see post bills.
Refreshments will be provided at One, and the sale commence at Two o’clock in the afternoon. Pontypool, February 27, 1869.”
I don’t know the reason for the sale, or who was selling it.
The second, a report in the Pontypool Free Press appeared far more dramatic!
SATURDAY, JUNE 12 1869. Page 1.
LOCAL AND DISTRICT NEWS
FIRE AT GLASCOED. On Wednesday, a fire broke out at the Upper Farm, Glascoed, inhabited by Widow Lewis. It seems to have been occasioned by a child lighting some straw in the fold, and to have caught the roof of a shed. The shed was quickly burned down; an adjacent barn, which was luckily empty, was reduced to four blackened walls; and the pine end of the dwelling house also caught. A number of neighbours arrived and directed their efforts to the preservation of the house. In this they succeeded, after some of the roof had been destroyed.
Webmaster’s NOTE: This was Catherine Lewis (nee Williams), widow of Job Lewis.
Facts and Figures
Year of Construction
Not known.
First Recorded Residents and year
Catherine Lewis and her children, 1869.
Residents at time of the 1851 census
It was not clear which property was Upper House, since property names seemed to be sometimes recorded at the whim of the local enumerator on this census.
Location
Residents
John and Rachel James and family.
As explained above, the first confirmed residents that we see at Upper House, Glascoed were Catherine Lewis (nee Williams) and her children. It appears likely that Upper House, Glascoed had been in existence prior to 1869 though.
On the 1861 census, we find a property in approximately the location that Upper House is situated, assuming that the census enumerator continued to walk a logical route from one house to the next. This property is called “Twmp,” which is the Welsh word for “a mound.” This describes perfectly the setting that Upper House is built upon.
If my assumption is correct, then the 1861 residents of “Twmp” would be the first recorded residents at Upper House, Glascoed. I cannot be 100% sure though.
That family consisted of John James born at Llandenny (aged 29) and his wife Rachel (aged 24), born at Llangwm, Monmouthshire. Their nine month old daughter, Martha was with them. Her birthplace betrays that John and Rachel had only moved to Upper House quite recently, since Martha was born at Panteg.
Catherine Lewis (nee Williams) and family
Catherine and Job were married on February 24th, 1859 at Usk Church by the Rev. Wm. Evans. Notice of the marriage was published in the Usk Observer. Prior to this, in 1851 both Job and Catherine were living at Trostra Lower with John and Elizabeth Lewis. The census shows that Job Lewis was their nephew and Catherine Williams, aged 19, was a servant. In 1861 Job and Catherine were living at Lower Cwm, with Job, an uncle William Lewis and a one year old son, also called William Lewis. Job was a leading figure in the “Glascoed Riots”. Read the stories to get a real flavour of his character. He could be fiery if the stories are to be believed and a bit of a leader in the Riots. Job sadly died when he fell from a haywagon in 1865 and broke his back. He’s one of those characters I’d have loved to have met.
1869 was an interesting year for Catherine. The farm was put up for auction on 11th March 1869. Then in June, there was a significant fire at the property. A child set fire to a shed by accident, it appears. This spread to an empty adjacent barn, which was also burned down and set fire to the pine end of the main house.
Catherine married John Harris (a number of years her senior) on 2nd July 1869 at Goytre.
The 1871 census gives us more detail on John and Catherine. He was a 66 year old Carpenter who had been born at Raglan. Catherine was by now aged 42 and was born in Panteg. Their children were all Catherine and Job’s children and born at Glascoed: William aged 11, Mary Ann aged 8 and John aged 6. Catherine’s mother was also living with them – a 69 year old Annuitant born in Goytre.
The 1881 Census has Catherine as aged 49 (she must have forgotten a few birthdays 😉 ) and while she was listed as married, her husband was not at home. Her two elder children were
- Catharine Harris Wife Married 49 Monmouthshire Panteg
- William Lewis Son Unmarried 21 Labourer Monmouthshire Glascoed
- Maryann Lewis Daughter Unmarried 18 Monmouthshire Glascoed
- Mary Williams Mother Unmarried 78 Monmouthshire Goitrey
John Harris must have died in between these censuses, although since he is not listed as being at home in 1881, there’s a possibility that he had died earlier than this. While Catherine was listed as “Married” in 1881, it’s unusual that John was not home. Catherine’s son John Lewis was also not at home; he was listed at one of the largest farms in the neighbourhood, Trostrey, with the Jenkins family. He was working as an agricultural labourer. Catharine’s mother was still living at Upper House on this census.
The 1891 Census shows Catherine named as “Kitty Lewis” interestingly, rather than Harris. She was a widow being supported by her sons on the farm, William and John. Again, it’s interesting to note that against William’s name, his occupation is down as Farmer (for Squire Leigh) although the reference to Squire Leigh was later deleted. Mary Ann was still there with her brothers, although there is no sign of Kitty’s mother. I assume she must have died in the previous ten years.
In 1892 William Lewis married Mary Williams of Cross Farm. They settled at Cross Farm after marriage and were listed as living there on the 1901 census.
A family story says that Mary Williams was engaged to marry John Lewis, William’s brother, however this engagement was broken and she married his older brother William.
William and Mary had 4 sons and 1 daughter at Cross Farm, whilst his brother John married Martha Arnold on 10th June 1893 at Usk Parish Church. Martha was from Upper Twyn and the daughter of Richard Arnold (of the Maesmawr Arnold family) and Elizabeth (nee Williams originally from Beech Farm). After their marriage John and Martha settled at Upper House and had 3 daughters.
The earlier incident involving Mary Williams reportedly caused much resentment between the two brothers, who were by now next door neighbours.
Catherine (now named Harris) died in May 1896, aged 62. She was buried at either Monkswood or Glascoed churchyard on 31st May 1896. See the Burials records for St. Michael’s Glascoed and Monkswood churchyard to understand the confusion.
John and Martha Lewis and family
The 1901 census tells us that John Lewis, aged 36 and born in Glascoed was at Upper House with Martha (aged 38, born in Clytha Hill – NOTE: although from a Glascoed family). They had three daughters all born at Glascoed: Rachel (aged 6), Kate (aged 2) and Elizabeth (aged 2 months).
The 1911 census shows John and Martha continuing to live at Upper House, although sadly only with Kate and Elizabeth at home since Rachel had died one month prior to the census, aged just sixteen. What tragic news! Daniel Jones a 49-year-old married Waggoner born at Caerphilly, was also on the farm.
In 1921, the same five residents were at the farm. on census night. Kate and Bessie were employed on the farm doing “Dairy work.”
I imagine that Daniel Jones must have separated from his wife, since there is no sign of her on the census. Daniel was still with the Lewises at Upper House on the Electoral Register, 1922, although did not appear in the 1929 register.
My Uncle Arnold Pitt, told me that his father Ernie, Martha’s nephew recalled:
“John Lewis farmed at Upper House and bred pit ponies, which he sold on to local mine owners. There was one particular mine owner who used to buy John’s ponies. The business was apparently very profitable.
Ernie recalled seeing the mine owner in question at Upper House, and described him as having his ‘feet under the table’”.
John sadly died in May 1938, leaving Martha (also known as Pattie) a widow.
The residents at the time of the 1939 National Register were:
- Martha Lewis, born 03/12/1963, occupied with “unpaid domestic duties.”
- Harry Williams, born 27/06/1898, a Farmer.
- Elizabeth Williams, born 09/01/1901, also occupied with “unpaid domestic duties.”
- (A record that was “officially closed” – NOTE: this would have been Harry and Elizabeth’s young son, John Williams, born in the Summer of 1939).
- Bertha Williams, born 08/07/1881, Single and occupied with “unpaid domestic duties.”
Martha died on 10th January 1942 and was buried with her husband John at Mount Zion Baptist Chapel.
What happened next?
The daughters.
- Kate had married Oliver Thomas Lewis in 1924 and they lived at Croesllanfro farm, near Rogerstone until Kate’s death on 9th August 1949.
- Bessie had married Harry Williams. They farmed for a period at Pentwyn, Glascoed and were at Upper House on the night of the National Register (1939). Bessie and Harry decided to return to Harry’s family farm at Glen Isca, Llanfair Kilgeddin, shortly after this, – Harry’s family farm, influenced by Government wartime policy. Sue explained the reason why although the details of it escape me.
Bessie and Harry’s little boy, John Williams was born in the Summer of 1939.
John married Sue in the early 1960s and they farmed together for many years at Glen Isca. When the opportunity arose, they decided to return to farm at Upper House in the 2000s. Sue told me that John was always a Glascoed boy at heart. They undertook a large-scale renovation of Upper House, resulting in the beautifully styled farmhouse that we find at Glascoed today.
Records
Registers of Electors
- 1889 – John Lewis.
- 1909 – John Lewis.
- 1922 – John and Martha Lewis. Daniel Jones.
- 1929 – John, Martha and Bessie Lewis.
Censuses
- 1861 – Possibly John and Rachel James at “The Twmp.”
- 1871 – John and Catherine Harris.
- 1881 – Catharine Harris and family.
- 1891 – Kittie Lewis (“Catherine Harris” using her name from first marriage).
- 1901 – John and Martha Lewis and family.
- 1911 – John and Martha Lewis and family.
- 1921 – John and Martha Lewis and family.
- 1939 National Register – Martha Lewis with Harry and Bessie Williams.
Mount Zion Gravestone transcriptions
“In loving memory of John the beloved husband of Martha Lewis of Upper House Glascoed who died May 10th 1938 aged 72 years.
Also of Martha Lewis wife of the above who died Jan 10th 1942 aged 81. To be with Christ which is far better.
In loving memory of Rachel the beloved daughter of John and Martha Lewis of Upper House, Glascoed, who departed this life March 3rd 1911. Aged 16 yrs.
To be with Christ which is far better.
“In loving memory of Kate beloved wife of Oliver Thomas Harris Croesllanfro, Rogerstone, and dearest daughter of John and Martha Lewis Upper House, Glascoed died 9th August 1949 aged 50 years.
Also the above Oliver Thomas Harris died 25th Jan 1975 aged 79 years.”