Migration

19th Century
Family Migration to South Wales

The Industrial Revolution was responsible for the migration of many of our ancestors
during the early 19th Century. For countless generations the majority of Horler family groups were to be found in what is a very small region of North East Somerset

Many of them had earlier taken the step to find employment in the cities of Bristol & Bath, several had journeyed to London, but the largest concentration during the period between 1800 -1870 was still to be found in the geographical triangle formed by Radstock-Frome-Shepton Mallet.

The Mining industry had been the mainstay of the family since the 1600's (earliest dates yet found) both coal and lead being extracted from the hills of North Somerset during the last millennium.

Hercules Horler had his legal case with Nicholas verett in 1622 over miner's rights.

He then married Elizabeth Everett to secure those "miner's rights"

John Horler is recorded as a Lead Miner at Priddy in 1628.

The records of this family are peppered with the word "Miner", so it is not surprising that when the Industrial Revolution created a need for more fossil fuels,

Horler men & women went to meet that demand.

Some travelled to the Northumberland & Durham coalfields, others made the coalfields of Monmouthshire their destination.

The marriage of Aaron Horler to Ann Treasure at Mynyddislwyn,Glamorgan,
30th November 1818 is the earliest mention of a Horler in South Wales so far found.

Later in 1827 a Joseph Horler was born in Blaenavon ( Blaenafon), his parents not identified to date.

William & Lydia Horler raised their children in Beaufort (1840's) at the other end of the valley, but the Iron works was their place of employment. Later when their sons
William & Moses moved away, they worked at Swindon in Wiltshire, the home
of railway locomotive production for Great Western Railways.
They had moved from iron making to manufacturing in iron.

William & Hannah nee Riddle had been living in Holcombe until, at some time prior to 1840, they took their children and moved to Trevethin, Pontypool.

John & Elizabeth Horlor were living in Blaenavon when their son Charles was born in 1852.

Emily Jane Horler aged 7 months was buried at St. Peter's, Blaenavon when she died in 1853, also Furnham Horler when he died aged 3 months in the same year.

George & Naamah Sarah Horler nee Hancock who were married in the Pontypool area in 1853, appear to have started their family in the village of Blaenavon in 1854.

These ancestors had a good reason for their departure from Somerset,
Surely, it must have been economical?

The mines in Northern Somerset were beginning to reduce their production, the Monmouthshire coalfields were increasing in size, so skilled workers would have been enticed elsewhere.

Blaenafon today

The natural landscape still shows evidence of extensive coal mining & iron making during the past two hundred years, and was of such importance that a canal was navigated to carry the produce of the area to the docks at Newport on the coast of the Bristol channel, then to the factories of England & the rest of the world.

An every day existence must have very hard to sustain during the the 1850's,

Infant mortality attests to the struggle.

Many members of the family did endure the difficulties & are to be found still living in the region today, a glance at the local telephone book will show entries for the names Horler / Horlor.

Blaenafon today is still a small Welsh town, but since November 2000 it has become unequalled in the United Kingdom being the only site in the UK to have gained world wide recognition. It is now accredited as a World Heritage Site: the Ironworks which played a major role in the development of Steel has been scheduled as an ancient monument.
(The final research into the Bessemer Process for the production of Steel was carried out in Blaenafon)

The Big Pit Mining Museum & part of The Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal are all included in the 48sq kilometre heritage site.

If you able to visit this World Heritage Area, while you are walking around,
please remember that maybe one of your ancestors worked
near the place that you are standing,
their children played where you are walking and, if you can -

Visit St. Peter's Church, where several are now at rest.

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About the Blaenafon Heritage site.

The site stretches from the Usk Valley at Llanfoist to the Afon Lwyd valley at Cwmavon,48sq kms in area. The principal places of interest are; The Blaenafon Ironworks (remains of), The Big Pit Mining Museum, The town of Blaenafon & part of the Abergavenny Canal.

The site was developed from a £5 million award given to the Torfaen Borough Council by the National Lottery.

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I wish to thank Frances & Margaret Hobbs of Cardiff, Wales, for the information about the Bleanafon World Heritage Site.

Updated: June 2002

March 2001