Message to Mothball

[humptydumpty]

Re your reply to "Where do I go from here" you say Aberdare was swamped with people from all over. Could you tell me why that was as my Gr.Grandfather and even his mother later on moved to Aberdare from Norfolk and settled there.

[Bethan]

Hi Humpty,  when coal was first discovered in Aberdare and surrounding valleys we had a similar situation here to the American gold rush, people came here from everywhere to work in the coalmines.
So basically they came for work, if you take a look at the 1881 census you will see that people from all over Britain and many parts of the world made up the population of the coalmining valleys.
So next time you here someone fretting about immigration just remember the majority of us are descended from immigrants.

Best Wishes Bethan

[Redroger]

Nice one Bethan!! I would go further and suggest that almost all of us have migrants somewhere in our Ancestry, and if not provable in writing certainly in our DNA.

[mothball]

Hello Humpty

Yes, I can only agree with both previous posters.   Part of my family are from the area and I used to have friends in Aberdare.

When I was doing my family tree I was amazed how many people went to Aberdare for work -- a coal mine.

I used to visit there in the 1970's after the pit had closed and it's a valley that is a dead end.   The streets there are amazing, just so steep.

On the census returns of 1871 and 1881 there are people from all over.

One of my family branch had children born all over South Wales, obviously the father looking for work.    He was from Wiltshire!

The Italians came to South Wales in vast numbers in the 1880's too, as there were work there was money to be made.    That is why there are still large Italian Ice Cream families in South Wales.

Steven

[Redroger]

Some of my relatives moved from Somerset to South Wales in the late 19th century. Reason, Agricultural depression and opening of the coal field.

[humptydumpty]

Thanks for all your replies. My Gr. Grandfather must have heard of the coal mines  in Aberdare but didn,t go down them but ended up selling fish!! This is why I wondered why they chose Aberdare!
My maternal grandfather came to Swansea from Somerset. He was a blacksmith by trade but found work on the docks. So yes, I consider myself a patriotic Welsh girl but my dna would prove otherwise and I probably have a lot of English relatives dotted around!

[Redroger]

Suggest Aberdare chosen because of large labour force, all of whom would require food including fish.

[Bethan]

Hi Steven, lots of my friends are descended from Italian migrants to the valleys, they mostly came from Bardi in Italy, my ancestors were also mostly ag labs from Bedford, Northampton, Carmarthen and Pembroke with a few Huegenot lace makers thrown in for good measure.


Very Best Wishes Bethan

[Redroger]

Moderator comment: post edited and originator informed