Phillip Lewis was the son of Phillip and Mary Lewis. He was baptised at Monkswood on 3rd Dec 1815. He had at least one sibling, Caroline, who was 4 years his elder. The family was living at Glascoed at the time of Phillip’s baptism. Phillip senior, was a stonemason.

We first see him on the 1841 census, where he was living as the main householder at “Twyn Mary Samuel” in between Pergoed and Ponty cuckoo on the return. His occupation was listed as “Agricultural labourer”. His sister Caroline, now married to James Meredith, was living there too along with her new family (this included a son, James Meredith, aged 5).

He married Hannah Williams on 5th October 1842 at Usk Parish Church. Hannah, who hailed from Trelech Grange, was the daughter of William Williams, a labourer and his wife Ann. She did not appear on the 1841 census, but by the time of the marriage, had moved into Glascoed.

The couple were living at Upper House in 1851- Phillip was working as a labourer. They were at Bush Cottage by now, which was in the same general area as Upper House. He was now listed as a farmer of six acres.

Phillip and Hannah did not have any children (as far as I can tell). Hannah’s niece, Berthir/Bethia Parker, was staying with them on the night of the 1861 census.

Around this time, we see Phillip and Hannah appearing in court giving evidence for the prosecution relating to the “Glascoed Riots”. Phillip confirmed that they lived about 180 yards from the Meredith’s house and that the bonfires of the rioters were burning till after midnight. He was afraid that the fire might spread to some of his buildings. His wife, Hannah, was so afraid that her “heart shook in her body”. She was not afraid that the rioters would hurt her, but was worried about going out, in case she was hit by a stray shot. Phillip, as the brother of Caroline Meredith (one of the central characters in the riots - and one of those who enclosed parts of the common) would have had an interest in the case. I also wonder whether he may have been one of those who had also enclosed (according to James Meredith, “other people have enclosed as well as myself”).

There is an interesting note in this story that also gives us information about Phillip. The article describes how “acquired the house and land from my brother-in-law. My brother-in-law was convicted. He gave them to me two or three years before he was convicted. When I first had the property it was all bushes, two pieces were not enclosed except by bushes, one piece was part of the waste.” The brother in law was almost certainly Phillip. In 1841, he was the head of the household. By 1851 James Meredith had the house.

I don’t yet know what Phillip was convicted for, although it appears that this must have happened in the 1840s.

They went through a difficult period in their marriage in the 1860s, actually separating for a period, as we can see from a couple of Usk Observer articles here and here. It is reported that “the parties seem to have lived on very unhappy terms for some time”. Phillip’s legal representative tried to show that Phillip was “more sinned against than sinning”, although it was Phillip who was bound over to keep the peace for six months, after saying that he would “split her head with a loaf” and Hannah complained that she was in fear of her life. Phillip appeared in Court again in April, after having used threats against one Joseph Goodenough, (of Ty Coch, Glascoed). He accused Mr Goodenough of having had an affair, it appears with Hannah. The facts are not established in court about this, but it appears a likely scenario. Joseph and Hannah were of the same age and locality. Joseph, appears to have had some standing in the community, since he was appointed as a parish overseer in 1863.

Phillip was most likely friendly with John and Sarah Pitt. He was the informant on John’s Death certificate, and was present at the death. He signed the certificate with a cross, so evidently was illiterate.

By 1871 things appeared to have settled down, with Phillip and Hannah living back together again at Bush Cottage (Phillip being a labourer once again). They were still living together at Bush Cottage in 1881, which is the last time I have found a trace of the couple.

RECORDS

Census: 1841, 1851, 1861