Ann Morgan
Ann Morgan's headstone(left), at Hen Fethel, Glanamman.
I have read in an old cutting from the letters page of a newspaper, that the young woman whose funeral the colliers wished to attend, was "Serviah Bryncethyn of Gelli Fawr."
Searches of census documents and deaths indexes failed to find anyone of that name. In Hen Fethel cemetery, however, is the headstone of a lady named Serviah Williams, the daugher of William and Rachel Williams of Bryncethyn. Her headstone inscription states that she passed away on December 16th, 1892, which eliminates her as the correct person.
Next to her grave, lies the wife of Thomas Morgan. Further inspection reveals that she was the sister of Serviah and that she passed away on January 12th, 1884; only four days before the Garnant Colliery disaster. This suggests that Ann Morgan may have been the lady whose funeral the colliers wished to attend, on the morning of the terrible accident. Buried with her are her mother and father.
The inscription on Ann Morgan's headstone reads as follows:
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ER COF AM ANN GWRAIG THOMAS MORGAN YR HON OEDD FERCH I WILLIAM A RACHEL WILLIAMS, BRYNCETHYN, YR HON A FU FARW ION. 12, 1884 YN 23 OED. "FY NYDDIAU A AETH HEIBIO, FY AM CANION A DYNNWYD YMAITH; SEF MEDDYLIAU FY NGHALON." HEFYD AM RACHEL WILLIAMS, GWRAIG WILLIAM WILLIAMS, BRYNCETHYN, YR HON A FU FARW CHWEFROR 17, 1900, YN 75 MLWYDD OED "CANYS BYW I MI YW GRIST A MARW SYDD ELW." HEFYD AM Y WILLIAM WILLIAMS, UCHOD YR HWN A FU FARW AWST 16, 1901, YN 75 MLWYDD OED. DYN CREFYDDOL WREIDDIOL RIN-HYD ELOR CAED WILLIAMS BRYNCETHYN; O'I ÔL EF MAE HIRAETH BLIN DAEARWYD FFRYND Y WERIN. |
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| (WATKIN WYN) | |
The last part of the headstone inscription includes a tribute to Ann's father, in the form of an Englyn by Watcyn Wyn (Watkin Hezekiah Williams), the renown schoolmaster, preacher and poet. A sensible translation, of the verse is shown below:
"A religious and original man - even
unto his grave
Was Williams Bryncethin;
There is grievous mourning for him,
A friend of the peasant is buried here."
The 1881 census shows an "Anne Williams" living at Gelly Fawr. She was a 21 year old agricultural servant working for John Lewis, whose occupation is listed as being a Farmer of 113 acres. This census informaton links in the "Gelly Fawr" part of the newspaper cutting.
Although I have not found any relevant information in the marriage index for Llandilofawr district, there is a marriage for Thomas Morgan and for Anne Williams on the same page, listed under Pontardawe district. This district covers the parish of Llanguicke; the next parish to Llandilofawr, over the county border in Glamorganshire. The page of the marriage index covers the last three months of 1883, which would correlate with the information in various newspaper articles, which stated that the couple had not long been married.
Census Doc Refs: