Pershore and chapel-going

[Wulfsige]

(1) If seems possible that my grandmother's family may have moved from Pershore to Merthyr to work in the new ironworks at Penydarren, opened in 1784. Is Pershore in the sort of area from which there was migration to the new industries of South Wales at that period?

(2) It also seems that they worked for the Homfray family of Wollaston Hall, Worcestershire, the ironmasters at Penydarren, were 'big' Wesleyans. Was it already, at that period (say, 1790s), the custom in South Wales for industrial workers to worship at the chapel where their employer worshipped, or did that practice grow up later?

As you may have gleaned from my earlier posts, these 50 years of family history research began as a simple question: when and how did my father's family become Methodists? It has, of course, grown vastly beyond a search for the answer!

[Gibel]

You might find this interesting

https://www.merthyr-history.com/?tag=thomas-guest

You need to scroll down to the bit headed
Merthyr’s Chapels Wesley Chapel Dowlais

The article says that when in 1790 Samuel Homfray started a new process in his ironworks at Penydarren he needed to send for workers from Yorkshire and Staffordshire to help carry out this process. They were followers of John Wesley and wished to continue. At first they met in their cottages before building their own chapel which was opened in 1797. The foundation stone of the chapel was laid by Thomas Guest the son of John Guest founder of the Dowlais Iron Works. Thomas was an ardent Wesleyan.

It sounds to me as if the men Samuel brought to South Wales were already Wesleyan when they arrived.

Samuel Homfray was buried in the parish church of St Basil’s church in Bassaleg Newport. This would probably have been the church he attended.

[hanes teulu]

This mentions the Homfrays.
https://journals.library.wales/view/1386666/1421422/98#?xywh=-1781%2C-123%2C5790%2C3715

Use the search button to identify Homfray references.
The article discusses the spread of Methodism in the locale  - and page 108 issues a warning against employing Methodists as workers!
It's a good read.

cofion cynnes

[Wulfsige]

This mentions the Homfrays.
https://journals.library.wales/view/1386666/1421422/98#?xywh=-1781%2C-123%2C5790%2C3715

Use the search button to identify Homfray references.
The article discusses the spread of Methodism in the locale  - and page 108 issues a warning against employing Methodists as workers!
It's a good read.

cofion cynnes

Diolch. Ond dim syniad newydd eto am bam wnaeth o ddewis y Wesleaid fel gweithwyr. Serch hynny, mae'n ymddangos yn debygol ei fod o ddim wedi bod yn Wesle ei hun. Efallai fydda i byth yn gwybod. 

[Wulfsige]

You might find this interesting

https://www.merthyr-history.com/?tag=thomas-guest

It sounds to me as if the men Samuel brought to South Wales were already Wesleyan when they arrived.

Samuel Homfray was buried in the parish church of St Basil’s church in Bassaleg Newport. This would probably have been the church he attended.

- Yes, that article is very informative
- Yes, it definitely reads as if they were already Wesleyans before being brought to Merthyr. But if my ancestor was among them, was he likewise a Methodist already in whatever place he came from, or did he become a Methodist by meeting these men?
- Thank you. I had not occurred to me that if Homfray was buried at Bassaleg, that was probably where he worshipped - but then, I think Methodists were often buried in Anglican churchyards. On the other hand, Bassaleg is 24 miles from Merthyr, so there must have been a stronger reason than simply needing 6 feet of ground.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

By the time Samuel died in 1822, his connections were as much with Tredegar/Bedwellty parish and the county of Monmouth in general (being high sheriff) than Dowlais, and his wife was from the Tredegar House Morgan family, many of whom were buried at Basseleg parish church

[Wulfsige]

By the time Samuel died in 1822, his connections were as much with Tredegar/Bedwellty parish and the county of Monmouth in general (being high sheriff) than Dowlais, and his wife was from the Tredegar House Morgan family, many of whom were buried at Basseleg parish church

Hmmm... curiouser and curiouser... Bassaleg and Tredegar House are only 1½ miles apart, so the suggestion that he worshipped there is compelling. 

[hanes teulu]

Diolch. Ond dim syniad newydd eto am bam wnaeth o ddewis y Wesleaid fel gweithwyr. Serch hynny, mae'n ymddangos yn debygol ei fod o ddim wedi bod yn Wesle ei hun. Efallai fydda i byth yn gwybod. 
[/quote]

Ach Homfray -
https://journals.library.wales/view/1337678/1341103/4#?xywh=-307%2C-181%2C2824%2C1812

Tudalen naw i Samuel. Dim sôn am ei grefydd ond sa i'n meddwl ei fod e'n Weslead.

[hanes teulu]

!!!!!!!!!
https://journals.library.wales/view/1169834/1173632/35#?xywh=-222%2C715%2C2652%2C1701