Category: Family & Social History

  • April Headstone - Samuel, Mary & Elizabeth GEORGE

    Grave E92 commemorates the George and Jones families, whose roots lay in Llangeler, Carmarthenshire, before settling in Llanelly. It marks the short life of Samuel George, a parish schoolmaster, his wife Elizabeth (daughter of Thomas Jones, parish clerk of St Elli), and their infant child. The grave reflects a story of strong parish ties, service,… Read more

  • Gilwern Primary School - Heritage Project

    Members of the Family & Social History Group were delighted to be invited to meet with Year 4 pupils from Gilwern primary school who were working on a project exploring how the past shapes our community today. The pupils engaged enthusiastically with Gilwern’s history, and it was a pleasure to share some of our knowledge Read more

  • March Headstone - Rev Arthur Griffiths

    The story of the Rev. Arthur Griffiths, long-serving Rector of Llanelly, whose fifty-year ministry left a lasting mark on the parish and community. Read more

  • February Headstone - Thomas Jones-Parry

    This month we examine the Thomas Jones Parry monument exploring its inscription, design, and historical context. We trace the lives commemorated on the stone and considers what the memorial reveals about public service, faith, and community esteem in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Llanelly Parish. Read more

  • January Headstone - the Andrew Children

    This headstone records the children of William and Mary Andrew of Gilwern. Their story provides a poignant insight into family life and child mortality in 19th-century Breconshire. Read more

  • December Headstone - Powell Family

    For more than a century and immense social change, the Powell family grocery shops served the people of Clydach. Their story is not merely a family history—it is the story of a community institution woven into village life across generations. This research links with the oral history provided by Jeff Powell and is well worth Read more

  • Celtic Festival 2025

    We were delighted to be asked to set up a display of our Living Stones project at St Elli's Church as part of the Celtic Festival. One of our members, John, went to St Elli's on the Wednesday to greet the 'Pilgrims' who were walking from Brynmawr. Together with Stephen and Gill Maxted from the Read more

  • November Headstone - Percy Hilton Barraud

    The story of Hilton Percy Barraud spans craftsmanship and change — from his Huguenot ancestors who built London’s famed chronometers to his own life as a Victorian solicitor. His final years in Gilwern, Breconshire, add an enduring mystery to a family history already rich with precision and legacy. Read more

  • Visitors from California

    On Thursday 9th October – a group of visitors from California - Corinne Lesley, her husband, her sister and her brother in law visited St Elli to see one of their ancestor’s graves. John Weekes (a member of u3a and a Churchyard Chum) and Richard Purkiss (also a Churchyard Chum) were able to show them Read more

  • October Headstone - The Davies Family

    The Davies family lived at Gellyfellen, Llanelly Hill during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, their lives closely tied to the coal industry that shaped much of south-east Wales. Read more

Gilwern, Monmouthshire