Location help

[zx123]

Hi,
I wonder if anyone could help me find the answer to a bit of a mystery?

I have been researching the line of my Great Great grandfather William Bevan who was born in 1838. According to the 1901 and 1911 census he was born in the Rassa area close to Beaufort in Ebbw Vale.

Having recently sent away for William Bevans birth certificate I found that on it it says that he was born in an area called Rhace. As I had previously found from reading the censuses that he had been born in an area called Rassa, I assumed that it must have been a mistake made by the registrar trying to translate the word Rassa.

After having recently been able to look at the Parish registers for the Llangynidr Parish Church, I have found many references to many other people who also came from an area called Rhace. On both the birth certificate and in the parish registers it is variously spelled with an accent over the e.

My question is where is this place called Rhace? Was it a different place altogether or was it just alternative way of spelling Rassa.

[genechaser]

Hi

The spelling is Rassau, it is slightly North West of Ebbew Vale.

[zx123]

Thanks for your reply but I already knew about the correct spelling of the word Rassau.
In many 19th century documents Rassau is spelt as Rassa.
I also Know where it is located.
Thanks for your reply anyway.

[Jomot]

This document is heavy reading (start at Pwll Rhaslas about 2/3rds down) but it says that Rasau (sic) is the plural of Rhas, which is an anglicised word meaning race - "that which is run etc as a contest of speed and, as a place-name element, a flow or channel of water". Over the page it mentions "Rhas Fach, which is Rhace vach c.1695". 

http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewpage/llgc-id:1169834/llgc-id:1173878/llgc-id:1173994/getText

The only other reference I can find is in Welsh Newspapers Online where there is a story mentioning "Rhace Lass pit, belonging to the Dowlais Iron Company"  The correct name is "Rhas Las Pit" as below.

http://www.fochriwhistory.co.uk/page77.htms

Others may know better than me I'm sure, but my conclusion would be that Rhace is a version of Rhas (possibly the original Welsh spelling), which is the singular of Rasau / Rassau.   

On that basis Id say they were probably the same place, although there could be a descriptive 'localised' element to it, ie 'Rhace' may have been a part of Rassau possibly near a channel of water.  I've certainly come across old English documents where the place name is one its known by locally rather than an official area.

Hope this helps.  If not - I tried 

[zx123]

Hi, Jomot,
Thank you for your reply, that is very interesting.
I think you are right, I think the answer lies there somewhere,
It gets very complicated what with the Anglicization and the changing of words from English into Welsh.
Thank you also for the links to the articles. The Welsh Journal article makes for very interesting reading.
Thank you for the information,

 

[Sikes]

Could it be this?

"a few small dwellings (once occupied by a community of patch-mine workers), known as Rhas Fach or Little Race"

http://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/8059.asp

[zx123]

Hi,
thanks for the suggestion Sikes,

[iolaus]

There is a village called Upper Race near Pontypool (and one called Lower Race) - whether they used to be spelt Rhace I don't know