Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for PONTYPOOL

PONTYPOOL, a town, a sub-district, and a district, in Monmouth. The town stands on the rive Avon-Llwyd, and on the Eastern Valleys railway, near the Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford railway, and near the Brecon canal, 8½ miles N by W of Newport; is in the parish of Trevethin; originated in extension of Trevethin village, about a mile to the N; was one of the earliest seats of the iron trade, with commencement of iron smelting-works, by means of charcoal, in 1560; attained celebrityalso, in the time of Charles I., for the manufacture ofjapanned wares, known long as Pontypool wares; continues to carry on iron-works, with great increase, butceased long ago to carry on the Japan-ware manufacture; shares largely also in tin-works, and in a coal trade, the latter from extensive neighbouring mines; is partlysituated on a steep acclivity, amid a mountainous country; was long remarkable for the irregularity, the incompactness, and the dirtyness of its streets; has recentlyundergone more improvement than almost any otherconsiderable English town; is a seat of petty sessions and a polling-place; publishes a weekly newspaper; and has a head post-office, ‡ a railway station with telegraph, a banking office, a very finely situated hotel, a town hall in the Italian style of architecture, three churches, upwards of twelve dissenting chapels, and a Baptist The ological institution. One of the churches bears its ownname; and is served by a p. curate appointed by thevicar of Llanover. Another of the churches is in thesuburb of Pontnewynydd, immediately to the N N W; and the third is the parish church of Trevethin. A weekly market is held on Saturday; fairs are held on 2and 22 April, 5 July, and 10 Oct.; and there are abrewery and other business establishments. Pontypool Park, the seat of C-Hanbury Leigh, Esq., is on an adjacent eminence; contains some family portraits and some Murillos; and stands in a beautiful park, withnoble views. Pop. of the town in 1851, 3, 708; in 1861, 4, 661. Houses, 880.

The sub-district contains the parishes of Trevethin, Llanhilleth, Mamhilad, Llanvihangel-Pont-y-Moile, and Panteague. Acres, 20, 434. Pop. in 1851, 20, 614; in 1861, 22, 633. Houses, 4, 447. The district comprehends also the sub-district of Llangibby, containing the parishes of Llangibby, Llandegveth, Llanthewy-Vach, and Llan-vrechva, and the hamlet of Glascoed; and the sub-district of Usk, containing the parishes of Llanbaddock, Monkswood, Goytrey, Kemeys-Commander, Trostrey, Gwernesney, Llangeview, Llanllowell, and Llantrissat, the town of Usk, and the hamlet of Gwehellog. Acres of the district, 51, 429. Poor-rates in 1863, £12, 834. Pop. in 1851, 27, 993; in 1861, 30, 288. Houses, 5, 986. Marriages in 1863, 383; births, 1, 165, of which 57 wereillegitimate; deaths, 620, of which 247 were at ages under 5 years, and 17 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 3,020; births, 11, 487; deaths, 6, 718. The places of worship, in 1851, were 28 of the Church of England, with 6, 269 sittings; 12 of Independents, with 2, 229 s.; 16 of Baptists, with 5, 921 s.; 15of Wesleyans, with 4, 254 s.; 4 of Primitive Methodists, with 840 s.; 1 of Bible Christians, with 100 s.; 3 of Calvinistic Methodists, with 635 s.; 1 undefined, with20 s.; and 2 of Roman Catholics, with 240 s. The schools were 15 public day-schools, with 1, 684 scholars; 19 private day-schools, with 458 s.; and 54 Sunday schools, with 5, 764 s. The workhouse is in Llanvrechva; and, at the census of 1861, had 166 inmates.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, a sub-district, and a district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Pont Y Pwl Tn/CP       Pont Y Pool RegD/PLU       Monmouthshire AncC
Place: Pontypool

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