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Machen

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"MACHEN, a parish chiefly in the lower division of the hundred of Wentllooge, county Monmouth, but partly in the hundred of Caerphilly, county Glamorgan, 5 miles N.W. of Newport, its post town. It is situated between the Rumney and Ebbs, and includes the hamlets of Upper and Lower Machen, and Rhydgwern. Here are mines from which are obtained calamine, coal, iron, and lead. The principal seat of industry is Upper Machen, where there are extensive iron and tin works, a foundry, and the works of the Rumney Railway Company. The Monmouthshire canal, and the Rhymney and Tyrhowey railways, afford facility of conveyance to Newport." [Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

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Bibliography

  • Bedwas and Machen Urban District official guide.        Carshalton] : Home Publishing, [1972]
  • Coleman, Delphine.           Machen revisited. Stroud : Tempus Publishing, 2001. Images of Wales. 128p.
  • Machen remembered.             Chalford : Chalford Publishing, 1996. 128p. Chalford Oral History Series.
  • Osborne. G A.        Notes on an early cattle enclosure on Mynydd Machen.           Gwent Local History. No. 91 2001 Welsh Journals Online
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Church History

Church and chapel data from The Religious census of 1851 : A Calendar of the returns relating to Wales, Vol 1, South Wales. Ed. by I.G Jones, & D. Williams. UWP, Cardiff, 1976. The names given towards the end of each entry are those of the informants. Check with Gwent RO to see what extant records are held, and possible names of chapels/churches established after 1851.

Machen Parish, consisting of the hamlets of Lower Machen, Upper Machen and Rhydgwen (the latter in the county of Glamorgan). Statistics; Area 4460 acres; Population 1172 males, 1038 females, total 2210

  • Lower Machen
  • Machen Parish Church Attendance - morning 127 + 42 scholars, afternoon 35 + 27 scholars "The presence of measles in the parish at the time will account for the small attendance of children" 2 services in English Augustus Morgan, Rector
  • Providence, Primitive Methodist Erected 1846 Attendance - morning 40 + 96 scholars, afternoon 98 scholars, evening 87 Thomas Giles, Minister, Abersychan
  • Ebenezer, Wesleyan Erected 1851 Attendance - afternoon 70, evening 150 Joseph Beeston. George Young, Grocer, Machen
  • Upper Machen
  • Capel Ucha, Wesleyan Meth. (Welsh) Erected 1830 Attendance - morning 28 + 30 scholars, evening 33 Thomas Price, Chapel Steward, Bedwas
  • Siloam, Baptist Erected 1820 Attendance - (average) morning 150, afternoon 70 scholars, evening 200 Thomas Williams, Deacon, Gellifiniog, Machen
  • Adullam, Upper Machen, near the Fountry (sic) Independents Erected before 1846 Attendance - morning 80 + 32 scholars, afternoon 'School', evening 200 Evan Jones, Deacon, Dyer, Pandy, Machen
  • Capel y Groes Calvinistic Methodist Erected 1843 Attendance - morning 30 scholars, afternoon 47, evening 37 Hugh Lumley, Leader, Pandy Machen
  • Rhydgwern hamlet (Glamorgan)
  • Draethon, Room or Place of Worship Wesleyan Methodist Erected 1825 (building not used exclusively as a place of worship) Attendance - evening 39 "Religious service is held in a house occupied by James Howells. Wesleyan Methodists commenced preaching in the above Place the year 1835." Signed by Mark; James Howell, Leader of the Society, Mason, Dreathon

See John Ball's site Welsh Churches and Chapels Collection for a photograph/data re St John the Baptist, Upper Machen

See John Ball's site Welsh Churches and Chapels Collection for a photograph/data re St Michael's Church, Lower Machen

  • Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales site
    • Siloam Chapel
    • Siloam Chapel, demolition 
    • St Michael's Church
    • St Michael's Roll of Honour 1914-18, 1998
    • Adullam Chapel, demolition
    • Opening of Pentecostal Church, March 1968
    • Wesley Chapel, 2000
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Church Records

See the Monmouthshire county page for links to online records

  • This list of parish records is intended as a rough guide to coverage only. Their location as stated should be confirmed with the appropriate Record Office prior to any visit.
    Machen, St Michael's Church - records with the NLW
    BaptismsMarriagesBurials
    1670-18501670-18371670-1849
    Bishops Transcripts1696, 1725-68, 1770-5, 1777-1828, 1830-77 - records with the NLW
    [Details as published in The Parish Registers of Wales, NLW 1986 - present location/availability may vary] selected parish records.
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Description & Travel

 

You can see pictures of Machen which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

  • There is a large collection of items under the name "Machen Remembered", a random selection of these appear throughout these topics  - on the People's Collection Wales site
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  • Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site
    • Receipt from Machen Tin Works 1872
    • Machen station, track removal in 1988
    • Rebuilding of Village Hall - opening day! nd
    • Toll house, Lower Machen
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Land & Property

Freehold plots and land for sale Machen 1925 - on the People's Collection Wales site

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Maps

  • Family Search have an interactive map called "England and Wales Jurisdictions 1851" showing parish (and other) boundaries with optional background maps such as Ordnance Survey. There is also a Search facility, do read the guidance notes to get maximum benefit from this useful resource. See here for further background information to assist in the interpretation of this data
  • Kain, R.J.P., Oliver, R.R., Historic Parishes of England and Wales: an Electronic Map of Boundaries before 1850 with a Gazetteer and Metadata [computer file]. Colchester, Essex: History Data Service, UK Data Archive [distributor], 17 May 2001. SN: 4348.  Here is a gazetteer/finding aid plus a set of overview maps to accurately identify the position of parishes within the county.
  • Plan of the parish of Machen in the counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan - on the People's Collection Wales site

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference ST210895 (Lat/Lon: 51.598821, -3.141575), Machen which are provided by:

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Military History

1914/18 War, Welcome home. - on the People's Collection Wales site

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Occupations

  • Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales site
    • Machen Station
    • Machen Corn Mill.
    • Machen Quarry.
    • Machen Quarry, workmen, 1930's.
    • Quarry, ballast trucks
    • Sinking of Machen pit
    • Group of workmen at the Foundry near Machen Station
    • Machen Co-operative Society shop, 1920's
    • Lower Machen old Post Offic, c. 1910
    • Tredegar Arms Hotel, c. 1900
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Schools

  • Various items  - on the People's Collection Wales site
    • Machen School class c.1955
    • Machen School Class, 1940's.
    • Machen School Class, 1935/36
    • Machen School Class, 1931/32.
    • Machen School Class, 1930's
    • Machen School Class 2 , infants, 1928/9.
    • Machen School class, 1920's
    • Machen School class, pre-1910
    • Machen School Class, c. 1900
    • Machen School Class, c.1897
    • Machen School class, c. 1895
    • Machen School Class 1890's
    • Old School Playground, Dumb-bells
    • Machen School, pupils and Brass Band
    • School Report, Trevor Jones, 1930s
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Social Life & Customs

  • Various items - on the People's Collection Wales site
    • Machen Soccer Team. nd
    • Machen Rugby team c.1886, Machen Rugby team, 1899 &  Machen Rugby Team, 1911-1912
    • Machen Hockey team.nd
    • Machen Bowls club.nd
    • Machen Cricketers. nd
    • Machen carnival, 1952.
    • Machen Brownies, c.1960
    • St John's Sunday School concert, 1947-48
    • Girls Friendly Society, 1910-20's
    • Siloam Social Centre, Opening on 25 June 1937
    • Dance invitation, 1935
    • British Legion parade