Although there are grounds for believing that the district was important enough to be mentioned in the early seventeenth century, Tredegar, as a town, came into being with the arrival of, firstly the Sirhowy and subsequently the Tredegar Ironworks. The Sirhowey works initially was producing three tons of pig iron a week, but failed in 1794. By 1797 the lease had been taken over by Richard Fothergill and the Revd. Matthew Monkhouse, who completed the building of a new furnace in 1797.

A partneship was now formed with Samuel Homfray of the Pen-y-darren Iron Works at Merthyr. He was the son-in-law of Sir Charles Morgan, whose ancestrial name was Lord Tredegar. Land was least from Sir Charles on which the Tredegar Iron works was set up. The first furnaces were built in 1800 and the works named in his honour. Although there were a number of smaller furnaces in the area, the new plant employed more people and provided housing for its workers. The town that grew up around that works eventually aquired the name of Tredegar.

The first census of 1801 shows that the parish of Bedwellty, which included Tredegar, Blackwood, Bargoed, Fleur de lys, Ebbw Vale and a number of villages, had 619 inhabitants. By 1811 its population had risen to 2,200.
In 1850 the Tredegar Ironworks was employing 3000 men at its nine furnaces, mills shops and other plant.

The 1861 census shows that there was 2,192 houses for a population of 12,042. During the 1860's the sinking of deep mines in the area, primarily to feed the furnaces producing iron, created a need for an increase in house building. It was during this time that the southern end of the town was developed, with dwellings being built to house the increasing mining population.

The houses took the form of the terraced streets of Glyn & Vale terrace, Porchin crescent etc. Also the outer villages of Bedwellty Pits and Troedrhiwgwair (then called Himalayan Range) were constructed.

Presently I am creating a database of all the families that ever lived at Troedrhiwgwair and investigating its history.

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Valley Scans etc.

Over the last 150 years many families, and individuals, have moved from Tredegar and Troedrhiwgwair to all parts of the world. These pages are primarily for them. Hopefully, it will rekindle their interest in the town, and keep them informed as to how the old place has changed.

Clicking on the links below will load scans of the west, or east, side of the Sirhowy valley, looking north towards Tredegar and south towards The village of Porchin.
Scan of west side of Sirhowey Valley, near Tredegar
Scan of east side of Sirhowey Valley, near Tredegar

Wyndham Scandrett's  "History of Tredegar Volume Two " is now available prices £14.50 (about $23). Read more information on the following link: 
Old Tredegar Volume 2

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Brian's Corner of the Town

Over the years many families have left Tredegar to find a new life in other parts of the world. I am now including a page especially for those 'exiles'. You will be able to tell your story and leave your e-mail address, which will then appear on the page for all to see. It would be my hope that this page will re-unite "old Tredegarites or, their decendants", from all over of the world.
Brian's Corner of the Town

'Brian's Corner of the Town' page seems to be quite successful. To the extent that the local paper,'The Gwent Gazette' has written an article about the stories from Tredegar people and decendants around the world. I hope that their article will bring more local people to the page, who, hopfully, will then contact the "story writers". After all that is the whole idea of the page.
On the link below I have re-produced the article. Lousy photograph of me, but never mind.
The Gwent Gazette article, Tredegar all over the World.

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The Tredegar Story on Video

A Video history of the valleys town from its birth to the modern day. highly Recommended. More information on the following link.
The Tredegar Video

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Tredegar Town Guide

The new Tredegar Town Guide, produced by the town council, contains updated information about the town. I have also reproduced an article about the "Town Clock". Tredegar Town Guide(Plus article on Town Clock)

I often get e-mails from people tracing their family history in Tredegar or Wales. To help with this I am placing information on the following link.
Welsh Family History Guide

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Tredegar Ironworks Richmond Virginia

In 1833 Rhys Davies and a number of fellow workers from Tredegar were commissioned to assist in the building of an Ironworks in Richmond,  Virginnia USA. Its importance to the Southern States during the American civil war was immence. The story of the works is on the following link:
Tredegar Ironwork Richmond Virginia

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Scranton, Pennsylvania, & John F.Davis

The Scranton family had a huge problem with the new Blast furnace. They had tried twice to 'blow' the furnace without any success. For the importance of the expertise of John F. Davis, from Tredegar, in bringing about expansion of the city and a main area for Welsh immigration during the last century is on this link.

Scranton, Pennsylvania, & John F. Davis

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Troedrhiwgwair Village

The village of Troedrhiwgwair, which is about 130 years old and to the south of Tredegar, had to fight for its survival in the late 1980's. During the fight some interesting information about it's name and the 'local pub' came to light. Read about it, along with other articles about the village, on the links below.
The television series 'District Nurse' , starring Nerys Hughes, and 'The Citadel' starring Ben Cross & Clare Higgins, was filmed in the village in the 1980's
Troedrhiwgwair, or Himalaya Range

You will find a short early history of the village on the following link. You never know, you may find that some of your family passed through, or lived, in the village.
Troedrhiwgwair village: the early years

Much of the village is now gone, but the resident left in the village still have a pride in it. See images of the village in the past on the following link
Troedrhiwgwair & Valley, Images

The village school was demolished a few years ago. On the following link are a number of photographs, of the school, from the past and the present
Troedrhiwgwair School, Images

The Fountain Inn has always been a popular public house for villagers, and visiters to the district, alike. The building dates back to the late seventeenth century. See Images of the 'pub' on the following links.
Troedrhiwgwair Fountain Inn, Images

The age of Troedrhiwgwair village means that many families have lived there over the years. On the following link is a database of families that lived in the village during the 1940's and 1950's. If any of the information is inacurate, or if you want to fill in the blank spaces, let me know. I would also welcome information, or photographs (they can be sent as e-mail attachments) from ex-village families from Britain or other parts of the world.
Treodrhiwgwair House Occupants 1940/50's

You will find this page useful if you are looking for family information about the village. All the residents of the village, and some surrounding houses, are listed for the census of 1881.
Troedrhiwgwair 1881 census of House occupants

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Other Tredegar sites worth visiting:

For some historical photographs, local art and poetry along with painting's of Damon Davies, a school friend and local painter, who died some years ago. Visit Ron Harding's page on the following link. Ron also has some nice photograph's of the filming of the "District Nurse" at Troedrhiwgwair Ron Harding Tredegar

Nice up-to-date images, and other information, of the town on the following link           gallery.

The following site, by Ken Jenkins, is humorous and contains information, past and current, about the Sirhowey valley and its people. Well worth a visit on the following link: Sirhowy Valley News page