Neal relations at Cuckoos Cup, The Wrekin

Feeling Bushed Exploring Bush Houses, Clydach Vale

It is a couple of years since I first stumbled across Bush Houses as the place where my coal mining ancestors lived on moving to the Welsh valleys. I can still remember the confusion of trying to work out quite where Bush Houses was (were?).

From the 1891 census for the Osborne family I could track down the ‘hamlet’ of Clydach, recorded here as part of Ystradfodwg parish in the Rhondda. But where was ‘Bush’ –  seemingly having no road name? The only place which came up in a map search was Bush Hotel. Surely the whole family couldn’t have been living in one hotel room? (And then the Bush Hotel on Clydach Road was undoubtedly more of a pub.)

Later I found what must obviously be the same place in the 1901 census shown as ‘Bush Houses’, and I have since been told that Cwm Clydach Street in the 1881 census again refers to the same place. And now, having tracked down old maps on the People’s Collection Wales, I can see them shown as Cwm Clydach Cottages (Ordnance Survey series 1868 to 1892 – see Tonypandy page). My initial confusion can be forgiven, perhaps.

Living close to coal

This image {1} clearly shows Bush Houses’ position adjacent to the working area of Blaenclydach Colliery, and proximity to the railway with coal wagons to the front of picture.

I am indebted to my second cousin (twice removed) John Osborne, living in Clydach, who has provided more background to life here, specific details and a photo.  During our visit he talked about how people living in Bush Houses referred to the rest of Clydach (on the northern side of the brook) as ‘over’ (as in ‘over there’?), and the walk ‘over’ would cut through woods and past the old coke ovens. You can see from the map extract below, as well as the photo above,  that the Bush remained isolated from other housing.

It is difficult to imagine the lives of my ancestors in such small houses with many children, coal dirt all around, back-breaking, dangerous work and how they felt coming from rural south Somerset. At least the immediate Osborne and Scott families appear to have been lucky in not having strings of child deaths, unlike cousins and other relations.

Church and chapel

The photograph of the rather modest St Albans Church below is courtesy of John Osborne. The 1920 to 1932 Ordnance Survey (available on People’s Collection Wales) shows a St Alban’s Church a little to the north west of Bush Houses, but it doesn’t show in earlier maps.

Given that this photo says St Albans, and the rows of houses of Clydach Vale are behind, this must be it. I had thought at first it was instead a chapel, shown as Methodist on the 1920/32 map, close to the eastern end of the south row of Bush Houses.

Changing landscape

From the 1920/32 map:

Built in the 1860s, the Bush Houses were demolished in 1969. The whole area around there has been landscaped, with a new lake and houses on one side and council offices on the other. The offices are partly located on the Bush footprint. (Cwm Clydach Cottages can also be found on OS first edition map, 1868-92, see Tonypandy and Rhondda page.)

An extract from Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust page on historic landscapes provides more dates:

 By 1875 the ‘fragmented’ first phase colliery settlement of isolated rows had been established at Cwm Clydach (such as Cwm Clydach Cottages or Bush Houses), while three collieries are also in evidence at this time: Cwm Clydach Colliery and coke ovens, opened 1864 and closed in 1895; Blaen Clydach Colliery, opened by Mr Bush and Company in 1875 (earlier Levels had been opened by Frank James in 1863).

That extract does give a clue as why Cwm Clydach Cottages/Street became known as Bush Houses – presumably they were either built by or later acquired by Mr Bush and Company (and rented to his workforce). However, we also note that Wikipedia’s Clydach Vale page states that the coal mine named Lefel-Y-Bush opened in 1863, although there’s no source reference for this information.

Community

Many families in Clydach today originate from the Bush, according to cousin John. A later article will relate how many Osborne relatives took up Bush property, and with a bit of luck give some idea of the close knit community – see A community in the Bush.

Cwm Clydach/Clydach Vale/Blaenclydach can be seen as a side valley extension to Tonypandy, which was one of the best-known coal mining towns in Glamorganshire.

Notes

On Cutlock & Co there are a number of other articles about Bush Houses, on the people, living conditions, census data etc. Bush Houses viewpoints has four additional photos of the place.

1. Credits

Photo 1: Sourced with permission from Rhondda Valleys section of the Anglesey Info site – now defunct? – so find on the Internet Archive. Also appearing on Rhondda Cynon Taf council’s heritage page.

Lake photo: thanks for the image Cathleen, hope you don’t mind the re-use!

2. Further reading

  • Clydach Vale page on Wikipedia has a little info on the Gorki Drift disaster as well as more about the area.
  • Local council ‘Our Past’ pages (aka ‘Heritage Trail’) have reappeared.
  • Our Valleys Heritage website has sadly gone (2014). The piece ‘A fold in the hills’ mentioned Bush Houses, as well as giving life to Clydach Vale in general.
    • “As children, my brother, sister and I loved to cross the little bridge over the railway to play.  Sometimes we took bottles to fill with water that came from the pump situated on the top of the street we called the Bush houses. At the other end of the street was a drift mine called Gorky Colliery and a chapel.
      “Sadly this street was demolished to make room for the land reclamation scheme.”
  • The Cwmclydach website (disappeared 2012) had a  history page giving a different opening date for Blaenclydach Colliery – 1863 – but that does match the earlier Levels noted above, and Wikipedia page.

3. Updates

I have updated this article – a couple more photos, a bit of tidying up and reference notes. Further contributions/amendments from other people welcome.

Comments

23 responses to “Feeling Bushed Exploring Bush Houses, Clydach Vale

  1. Sue Spiller nee Russell avatar
    Sue Spiller nee Russell

    My dads Granny Bush lived here. I used to think that was her name but later found out it was because of where she lived. I can’t remember at this time if it was a Russell or an Ashford relative but they both lived here at the end of the 1800 and begining of 1900’s

  2. Cutlock and Co avatar
    Cutlock and Co

    Good to hear from you Sue. I’ve done lists of 1891 and 1911 census for Bush Houses – no Ashford or Russell in 1891 (but there is an Ashman family from Somerset). 1911 Thomas John/Sarah Ann Ashford at number 19 – daughter Sarah Jane would have been 6 or 7 at time of 1910 riots.

    I still haven’t worked out where the middle name of Willie Ashford Holley came from – he married my great aunt Eurfron. Perhaps a connection!

  3. Sue Spiller avatar
    Sue Spiller

    Eurfron!!!! I havent come across that name yet, but will let you knowif she crops up

  4. Brinley Lewis avatar
    Brinley Lewis

    John Lewis living in number 5 Bush houses was my uncle, in the 1901 census he was living at number 37 with his parent’s and family having moved from Merthyr at some point.

    1. Cutlock And Co avatar
      Cutlock And Co

      Thanks Brinley. But did you mean William Lewis is your uncle – he was at No 5 in 1911. Or did John take on this address later? William was living with his parents, James and Jennet, and siblings (including John age 16) at 37 Bush in 1901. Useful to know that – and note that Elizabeth Ann, William’s wife, was already at No 5 Bush in 1901 along with her parents George and Elizabeth Osborne.

  5. Brinley Lewis avatar
    Brinley Lewis

    Sorry, yes it was William not John
    Brinley

  6. deborah avatar
    deborah

    Hi in the 1911 census my great grandmother and great grandfather lived at no. 44 thomas and margaret lewis. My grandfather was William david lewis age 2 at the time. He moved to coventry in the 1940s. Thanks for all you’ve collated regarding the bush houses it’s been very interesting.
    Regards
    Deborah

  7. Lee Evans nee Osborne avatar
    Lee Evans nee Osborne

    My grandparents Robert and Bella Osborne lived at no 44 bush houses. John Osborne is my uncle who sadly passed away this year. This has been a fascinating read thank you.

    1. Cutlock & Co avatar
      Cutlock & Co

      Hi Lee, thanks for the comment, glad you liked the material. You must be a third cousin (once removed), then! I’d love to know which of John’s brothers is your dad – send me a message via the contact form if you prefer.

  8. Paul Gregory avatar
    Paul Gregory

    Hello,
    My grandparents William Gregory and his wife Naomi lived in Bush Houses and raised a large family there in the shadow of the pit.
    Just stumbled across this fascinating site. I will read all of it’s contents, which has fired up a dormant interest in my ancestors history.
    My parents were Richard John Gregory and Jean ( formerly Jean Jones from the Dinas area.
    Kind regards Paul Gregory.
    06/10/2018

    1. Cutlock & Co avatar

      Hi Paul. Always good to hear from a “new” third cousin! I’ve added you, and your mum, to the tree (on my computer/Ancestry – details on living people are kept private). Do get back to me with any queries, here or via the contact form.

    2. Andrea Jones avatar
      Andrea Jones

      My mother was a Gregory her name was Patricia we are related

  9. Brian Churchill avatar

    Just come across your interesting site and read Paul’s contribution (06/10/18). I remember Paul’s grandparents, William and Naomi, well. William was a brother to my grandmother, Louisa, who lived at 15 Bush Houses. One of Louisa’s daughters, my Auntie Enid, married Albert (yes, another one!) who was a son of William and Naomi and so a brother to Paul’s father who everyone knew as Dick/Dickie.

    Even though living “over” in Jones Street, I spent a great deal of my childhood with my extended family “over Bush”, such that in the weeks of pre-bonfire night feuding between Bush Houses and Railway Terrace (next to Jones Street) I tended to be looked on with suspicion by both sides!

    There was always a Methodist chapel there, just by the Gorky, and the chapel moved over to Clydach Road when Bush Houses were demolished. The pastor of the chapel was for many years, until his death in c1970, Albert Gregory, brother to the Louisa and William mentioned earlier.

    Coincidentally, I’ve just been reading the supplement to last Saturday’s Western Mail in which there was an article about Spiller’s, Cardiff’s famous record shop and supposedly the oldest in the world. The article mentions Joe Gregory’s involvement with the shop (though it gets the dates wrong). Joe was another brother to William – best known as an accordian-band leader and, in his later years, a popular organist at the Treco Bay caravan site. If you ever saw a Jaguar over Bush you could be sure it would be Joe’s.

    There were lots more siblings of William Gergory and they all have interesting stories attached. Quite a generation.

    1. Cutlock & Co avatar

      Thank you for that, Brian. Another third cousin to add to the growing list – thanks to Valerie Newell you are already noted on the tree!

      I have recorded 12 children of William and Naomi. The entire Gregory branch of descendants from Albert James senior (1874-1922) and Rosina Osborne (1876-1926) is decidedly the largest bunch of cousins on the tree.

  10. Andrea Jones avatar
    Andrea Jones

    My grandparents were William and Naomi Gregory, my mam was Patricia unfortunately I don’t remember the Bush Houses as I was born in 65 but have heard many stories from my older sisters, I’m Andrea by the way

    1. Cutlock & Co avatar

      Hallo Andrea, and thanks for the comment, third cousin! Would be wonderful to have your sisters memories to add to the Bush Houses stories here.

  11. Cath avatar
    Cath

    What a large family we are… my name is Catherine and I’m one of Rosina and Alberts great grand daughters. My grandparents were Arthur and Ada Gregory. Reading the comments above makes me happy as I remember the names and stories as a child of Arthur’s siblings.

  12. Gary Jones avatar
    Gary Jones

    My great grandfather John Jones moved to Bush Houses in 1877. My grandfather George Jones was born at Number 16. They then moved to “recently built” Wern Street in 1885

  13. Melanie Murphy avatar
    Melanie Murphy

    What a lovely read. My grandfather is Roy Gregory, used to love listening to his happy memories of growing up in the Bush.

  14. Lynne Dallin avatar
    Lynne Dallin

    My grandmother and her siblings were living in the bush houses. Think she was born in 1908 Alice Maud Tucker, then she married Alfred Harries and my father Ronald Harries was born in 7 Thomas Street Tonypandy, he used to tell many tales of the Bush Houses, from what I can recall his grandmother lived there for many years after my grandmother got married. I did a few years ago find a census from I think it was 1912 (ish) and my grandmother was listed on here. Love these sites thank you.

    1. Cutlock & Co avatar

      Thanks Lynne. The 1911 census has Alice with her parents William and Mary at 24 Bush Houses – she is 7. William and Mary can be found in the 1939 register at 27 Bush, with youngest (?) daughter Hilda (later Hilda Daye, born 1920).

  15. Diane avatar
    Diane

    My name is Diane youngest and sadly the only surviving of Ivor and Gwenllian (Gregory) Magor,my brothers were oldest Colin, David, Richard and me Gwenny was one of William and Naomi Gregory daughter’s

    1. Cutlock & Co avatar

      Hallo Diane. Thanks for your comment, for some reason I have got your brothers names in my family tree notes but not yours. So I will be pleased to add you to the expanding list of third cousins!

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