Rachel Kate Williams.
A daughter, Rachel Kate was born on 1st October 1871, according to the Glascoed Board school log books. Her parents were James Williams and Sarah nee Davies of Rose Cottage. She had give half siblings from Sarah’s first marriage to John Pitt and one brother, Alfred Williams, who was two years her senior.
She was recorded as Kate Williams when she married and on her children’s baptismal records, but on birth, death and census records she was referred to as Rachel or Rachel K. I imagine that she was commonly called Kate within her family and “circle” so will use that name for this biography.
Kate appeared on each census from 1881 to 1911. In 1881 she was with her parents at Rose Cottage. In 1891, aged 19, she was living in Pontnewynydd with her half-sister, Ellen Stratton (nee Pitt) and worked an Elementary Board School teacher.
Kate married Edward Bellamy at Corfe, Somerset (not to be confused with the more well-known Corfe Castle, which is in Dorset). Edward was “Assistant Master at the Workhouse” at the time of their marriage (28th September 1896), and was two years younger than Kate. Her father was recorded as “James Williams, farmer”.
Even though they had been married at Corfe, Edward’s home town, their first child Edward Arthur Bellamy was born at Usk on 31st March 1898. It appears that Edward (Kate’s first son) enlisted with the Royal Marines at the outset of the Great War, on 7th September 1914. His military records show Edward’s date of birth as 31st March 1897, although this would have made him 16 years old - he must have signed up under age. He somehow managed to live through the war. I wonder whether he was ever injured, or what sort of action he would have seen. Edward Arthur married Eva Rose Hudd at Portsmouth in 1919. According to the Death register indexes, Edward died at Truro in 1970 (March Quarter) - and these also confirm his birth date as 31st March, but in 1898. Eva died in the Warminster area (the place of her birth) on 29th December 1976. Her birth date was 12th November 1898.
The family were living at the Queen’s Head, Usk at the time of Edward’s baptism (24th May 1898), where Edward Bellamy was the Innkeeper. I found an entry in the County Observer in 1900, that showed when the family moved away from Usk. The article in the 17 February 1900 edition, recounted that at the Usk Petty Sessions the previous Thursday, the Usk Petty Sessions had heard the following petition: “An application was made by Edward Bellamy, landlord of the Queen's Head beer- house, Usk, for a transfer of the licence to John Price, of Cardiff. Testimonials having been produced and commented upon the application was granted.”
The family must have moved to Birmingham in 1900, since they were living there by the time of the 1901 census at 131 James Turner Street, in the Winson Green district. It’s only a couple of streets away from Her Majesty’s Prison, Birmingham, where I assume Edward worked. This must have been their reason for moving to Birmingham.
Their second child, Alfred Ivor Bellamy was born on 5th April 1902 and christened on 2nd July 1902 at St. Chrysostom parish church. Alfred married an He died at St. Pancras registration district in London in 1977 (June Quarter). The family were still at 131 James Turner Street at this point.
They had a third son, Harold, who was born on 4th January 1904 and christened at All Saints’ Church, Hockley, the mother church of St. Chrysostom on 23rd January 1904. They were living at No. 3 Turret, H.M. Prison, Birmingham, where Edward was an Assistant Warder. An interesting address! Sadly, Harold died soon afterwards. His death was registered in the June Quarter 1904 at Birmingham.
Their fourth and final child was born on 31st March 1905 at Birmingham (I assume again at the prison); Edith Lilian Bellamy. Edith married William Llewelyn Filer at Wandsworth in 1935 and they were at Banstead, Surrey, at the time of the 1939 Register where William worked as a Milk Roundsman. Interestingly, William had been born at Pontypool on 18th September 1899. William died somewhere in the Weston-super-Mare registration district in 1972. Edith died on 14th August 2001 at a Nursing Home in Burnham on Sea, Somerset.
The next time that I found Edward and Kate and family was at Shepton Mallet, at the time of the 1911 census. They lived at the beautifully name Convent Cottages, Shepton Mallet (No. 4). It certainly sounded more romantic than the H.M. Prison, Birmingham address. Edward must have worked at Shepton Mallet prison.It was built in 1610 and at the time of its final closure, in 2013, it was the oldest working prison in the UK.
It appears that Edward and Kate continued to live in Shepton Mallet until the mid-1920s. Edward was promoted to the role of Principal Officer at Wandsworth Prison in 1926. He transferred to Durham Prison to become the Deputy Chief Officer in June 1929 and twelve months later returned to Wandsworth Prison as Chief Officer. I can only assume that Kate moved with her husband and family on each occasion.
Sadly Kate died at the age of 61, in Wandsworth in late 1932. She would have lived to see her husband rise in the world and I assume that their standard of living increased as a result of their lifetime. Edward retired on 4th December 1933, about a year after his wife’s death. I wonder whether Kate’s relative passing played into his decision making.
RECORDS
Birth - 1871 October-December quarter. Registration District Pontypool, Monmouthshire. Volume 11a. Page 187.
Marriage - 28th September 1896 at the Parish Church, Corfe, Somerset. Edward Bellamy, 23, Bachelor, Assistant Master of Workhouse, Resident at Corfe. Father: Arthur Bellamy (Gardener).
BAPTISMS OF CHILDREN:
1) Edward Arthur Bellamy. Parish: Usk, Date 24 May 1898, Parent's Surname BELLAMY, Child's forename(s) Edward Arthur, Father's forename(s) Edward, Mother's forename(s) Rachel Kate, Type of Event Baptism. Residence Queen's Head New Market Street, Usk, (Father's) Occupation Inn Keeper, Officiating Minister PLC Nash, Vicar
2) Alfred Ivor Bellamy. Parish: St. Chrysostom, Birmingham. Born 5th April 1902. Baptism date: July 2nd 1902. Alfred Ivor, son of Edward & Kate Bellamy of 131 James Turner Street. (Father's occupation): Warder. Signed: Jno Edw Moon, Vicar.
3) No. 3511. Jan 23 1904. Harold Bellamy. Son of Edward and Kate Bellamy. Residence: No. 3 Turret, H.M. Prison. Father's occupation: Assistant Warder. Officiant: H. M. Thomson.
CENSUSES:
1881 (Rose Cottage, Glascoed).
1891 (Pontnewynydd, with her half-sister, Sarah Ellen Stratton - nee Pitt).
1901 (Birmingham - now married to Edward, with their son).
1911 (Shepton Mallet - with Edward and 3 children).
