England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Trevethin St Cadoc

The Parish

The parish of Trevethin lies in northwestern Monmouthshire separated from Breconshire only by a thin strip of both Aberystruth & Llanwenarth parishes. The village of Trevethin is located roughly 10 miles north of the town & port of Newport, the north of the parish is a further 6 miles to the north, the parish encompassing the valley of Afon Llwyd and the range of hills to its east. Trevethin, which grants its name to the parish is on the lower slopes of the Little Mountain overlooking the town of Pontypool and just over a half mile east of the A4043 road which links Pontypool with Blaenavon. This is a parish which has undergone fundamental change as a consequence of the industrial revolution, prior to the 16th century this was a simple upland farming community typical of many such parishes in Wales, cattle and some subsistence agriculture in the valley bottom whilst the majority of the parish, early gazetteers estimate just over 50%, was rough upland grazing, the haunt of hardy sheep. Alongside the upland farming there was small-scale iron smelting dating back as early as 1425, when local "bloomery" forges began utilising local timber for charcoal, flowing water for power, and easily accessible surface outcroppings of iron ore. Trevethin sits on the eastern edge of the South Wales coalfield, this unique geography where iron ore, coal, and limestone were found in close proximity turned the area into a primary cradle of the Industrial Revolution. By 1720, nearby Pontypool (within the historical parish) became the first town in Britain to successfully produce tinplate on a commercial scale. By the mid-19th century, the local iron-works were producing hundreds of tons of crude iron weekly. One noted local industry that developed was a highly profitable, artistic cottage industry known as Pontypool Japanware. This involved coating rolled iron goods in a heavy black lacquer and hand-painting them, exporting fine luxury items across the country. As demand for steam power rose extensive deep coal mines were cut from 1840 onwards notable among them the Glyn Pits. Modern developments were required to sustain this growth, massive capital was poured into transport networks, including canals and railways, to ship coal and iron down to Newport and Cardiff docks. Secondary industries like steam powered breweries, maltings, and flannel manufacturers also grew  to support the burgeoning workforce. The consequence of all this industrialisation was the creation of modern Pontypool, the expansion of the former village of Trevethin and the wholesale development of housing and industry along the valley of the Afon Llwyd, a situation shown well in the film "How Green was my Valley". Today, Trevethin’s heavy industries have entirely vanished, leaving behind a complex post-industrial socio-economic landscape, the final pits closing through the mid-20th century, a serious consequence is high rates of long-term unemployment and income deprivation, with over half of the households in central Trevethin experiencing poverty. The Afon Llwyd drains the parish southwards passing through Pontypool to meet the Usk at Caerleon and with that river the outer Bristol Channel at Newport. The parish of Trevethin covers a broad range of heights from 130 metres above the sea in the lower reaches of Afon Llwyd to 448 metres on the summit of Mynydd Garnclochdy, the highest local land. Like most upland parishes Trevethin parish was extensive, the parish covered just over 11,300 acres. As one can image the population of the parish exploded following the commencement of significant industrialisation reaching almost 15,000 by the end of the transcript period, the growth is well illustrated by the increase in marriage volume, there are more marriages in the final 12 years of this transcript than in the 72 previous ones combined, an average of just over 5,000 seems reasonable. Like most of Wales Trevethin is not mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Cadoc's church stands at the southeastern corner of Trevethin village at the junction of Penygarn Road with Folly Lane. Sadly there is little left of the medieval church as the main body, a cruciform structure, was rebuilt in 1847. The only remaining element of the medieval church is its western tower, a 3-stage Perpendicular structure with a square northeastern turret. The tower base has a similarly Perpendicular western doorway and its belfry stages carry 2-light windows with straight-heads. The cruciform main body was built between 1846 & 1847 and maintains the Perpendicular styling, an unusual fashion choice at a time when Earl English Gothic was back in vogue. Opposite the churchyard there sits a substantial lay-by allowing a relaxed visit, the churchyard is entered through an arched gateway, 7 steps rising to churchyard level, there are no significant obstacles for the photographer once that is attained.