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GEORGETOWN, DUKESTOWN and NEW TREDEGAR
Part 1: General Description
TREDEGAR is a town and civil parish formed in 1894 from Bedwellty, with stations at Tredegar and Sirhowy, both close to the town, on the Sirhowy branch of the London and North Western railway, 181 miles from London, 12¼ West from Abergavenny, 7 north-east from from Merthyr Tydfil, 16½ north-west from Pontypool, 22 north-west from Newport and 36 west from Monmouth. It is the head of a county court district, in the Western division of the county, Bedwellty petty sessional division and union, hundred of Wentloog, rural deanery of Bedwellty, archdeaconry of Monmouth, and diocese of Llandaff
That part of the town on the west side of the Sirhowy river is on the property of Lord Tredegar, but George Town is built on land owned by the Tredegar Iron Company.
In 1840 the town was formed into an ecclesiastical parish from the civil parish of Bedwellty. The "Local Government Act, 1858," was adopted by the town on June 19th, 1874, the district comprising Tredegar and Dukestown parishes, and was extended by 41 and 42 Vict.c.CLXIV, and the town was governed by a Local Board until the "Local Government Act, 1894" established the present Urban District Council.
Tredegar is comparatively a modern town and arose entirely through the establishment of large iron works by the Tredegar Company at the commencement of the present century: the works, at which all kinds of iron are made, are on the north-east side of the town and the mines and collieries surround it. The Tredegar Iron and Coal Company Limited are colliery owners, and have a large export trade. The town is lighted with gas and is well supplied with water by gravitation from a large reservoir holding 15,000,000 gallons on the side of the hill above the Union workhouse, and a spring situated above Nant-y-bwch capable of supplying a minimum quantity of 600,000 gallons per day. Both gas and water works are the property of the Urban Council, having since the year 1883 been purchased by the late Local Board at a cost of £53,000, since which another £35,000 has been expended upon them. The principal streets diverge from an open space in the middle of the town, called "The Circle," in the centre of which stands a lofty cast-iron column, supporting an illuminated clock. The best shops and hotels are to be found in Castle street and the Circle: in the other streets the houses are of a smaller description and are mostly occupied by those engaged in the iron works and collieries of the district.
The church of St. George is a rectangular building of stone in the Norman style, and consists of chancel, nave, north porch and a western tower, containing one, bell and clock: there are1,100 sittings, 600 being free. The register dates from about the year 1836. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £311, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Llandaff, and held since 1883 by the Rev. Thomas Theophilus, of St. David's College, Lampeter, rural dean of Bedwellty, and surrogate.
The Town Hall, which stands in The Circle, and was erected in 1893, is a handsome building of stone. It contains the county court and bankruptcy offices, also offices for the officials of the Urban District Council, and a large public room in which the meetings of the Urban District Council are held; it is also suitable, and is let for, entertainments and public meetings. The Temperance Hall stands in Morgan street; it contains several spacious rooms, well adapted for public meetings and entertainments. The market day is Saturday: the market house adjoins The Circle.
The "F" Company of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, South Wales Borderers have head quarters at Victoria Drill hall, Park place.
There are two banks - the London and Provincial Bank Limited and the Metropolitan Bank (of England and Wales) Limited.
There is also a literary institute and library of 2,500 volumes at the Temperance hall, supported by public subscriptions and managed by a committee formed from the members of the Institute.
The area of the Urban District is 7,479 acres; rateable value, £44,205; the population in 1861 was 9,383; 1871, 16,989; in 1881, 18,771; in 1891, 17,341. The population of the ecclesiastical parish in 1891 was 17,436. Sirhowy is to the north.
GEORGE TOWN is a suburb, closely adjoining Tredegar railway station, on the east of the Sirhowy stream. The church of St. James, a chapel of ease for George Town district, erected in 1890, at a cost of £3,000, and consecrated 6th Nov. 1890, is a building of stone in the Early English style, and consists of chancel, nave, aisles, organ chamber, vestry, western porch and turret wtih 2 bells : the site was presented by the Tredegar Iron and Coal Co. Limited: there are 500 sittings. There are several Dissenting chapels. There is a Cemetery at Cefn-Golau Mountain, comprising an area of about 7 acres, with two mortuary chapels ; it is under the control of the Urban Council.
DUKESTOWN, the portion of the urban area in Crickhowell union, has been formed into a civil parish. Acting Parish Clerk, George Jones.
NEW TREDEGAR is an ecclesiastical parish formed in in the civil parish of Tredegar, on the river Rumney and opposite the village of Tir-Phil in the county of Glamorgan, with a station on the Rhymney line of railway, 183 miles from London, 3 south from Rhymney, 4½ south-west from Tredegar. The parish is supplied with gas and water by the New Tredegar Gas and Water Co. Limited, both works being in the opposite village of Tir-Phil, the same company supplying the two places. The church of St. Dingat, New Tredegar, erected in 1894 at a cost of about £3,000, is a building of stone in the Early English style and consists of chancel, nave, aisles, and a turret with one bell: the site was presented by Lord Tredegar: there are 530 sittings. The register dates from the year (not known). The living is a vicarage in the gift of the Bishop of Llandaff and held since 1900 by the Rev. John Evans B.A. of St. David's, Lampeter, but is not yet endowed. Here are several chapels. The Workmen's hall, erected in 1878, at a cost of about £1,500, raised by public subscriptions and supported by the workmen of the place, contains a lecture hall, library and reading room; the hall will seat 700 persons. Here are numerous collieries, which give employment to the inhabitants.
The combined population in 1891 was 64,866, covering a total area of 27,997 acres. Total rateable value in 1900 was £293,475.
