Brymbo Heritage Group

If you have any questions about Brymbo heritage or the people of Brymbo then please let us know and we'll try and answer them. If we can't then we will post them here (with your permission!). If you know the answers to any of our questions then please let us know by clicking here.

Current questions:

Peter Scott would like some information about a local headmaster, Mr Edwin Batho Astley.
Phil and Jenny Cordingley are trying to find the site of Woodland Road which was mentioned in the 1901 census.
John Andrew is trying to trace some of his ancestors who lived in the Brymbo area.
Sarah Smither is looking for information on the Key family who were from the Brymbo area:
Jo Wright would like to find out who was living at 4 Smelt Cottages in Brymbo.

Posted on 11/12/06

Peter Scott would like some information regarding his great great grandfather who lived in the Broughton area:

In my research of my ancestors I have come across my great great grandfather Edwin Batho Astley and was hoping to try and find some more information on him. He lived in the Broughton area from 1871 onwards and was the headmaster at Pentre School. I live in Crewe, Cheshire, so I am not familiar with the area at all. From the information I have come across I think Pentre School may have been called Black Lane School - or they may be two different schools?

On a recent visit to the record office at Ruthin I did have a quick look at a book: Broughton, Then and Now by John Bagshaw. It does mention my great great grandfather...

"The third headmaster was Mr Edwin Ashley who was destined to become a legendary figure in the area".

... he was actually Astley - not Ashley - but that's it. I was left hanging with this very tantalising piece of information!

Any help or pointers would be appreciated.

Posted on 07/01/07

Phil and Jenny Cordingley are trying to find the site of Woodland Road which was mentioned in the 1901 census:

We recently visited Brymbo looking for the home of a distant relative listed in the 1901 census. The relative's address was listed as being 22 Woodland Road in the parish of St Mary's and in the civil parish of Broughton. We could not find the road and passers-by that we asked had no clues either.

The family name was Blackwell and the occupation of the males in the family was coal miners. We are not sure if the house number is correct, but we do know that their neighbours were Parry, Maddocks and Matthias.

Does anyone have any idea as to the location of Woodland Road or know of any of the people who lived there?

Posted on 09/03/07

John Andrew is trying to trace some of his ancestors who lived in the Brymbo area:

I am trying to trace my ancestors from the area and visited St.Mary's Church recently during a trip 'up North'. However the church was closed and although I did have a quick look around the graveyard, the weather was so bad, I didn't stay long.

My GGGGG/F was William Andrew, who lived in Brymbo around 1800, he may well have been born in the village. His two sons, Moses (b.1810) and John (b.1817) moved to Chadderton, Oldham, Lancashire, around 1837. John was married to a Mary Vaughan from St.Asaph and although they married in Oldham in 1838, their son William was born in Brymbo in October 1839, so they must have returned for the birth. They later lived in Oldham until John died in 1867. Moses moved from Oldham to Durham in the late 1840's before returning around 10 years later. He died in 1864. Both brothers were coal miners all their working lives. I have a good history of both families after 1850, but very little before.

Posted on 06/06/07

Sarah Smither is looking for information on the Key family who were from the Brymbo area:

I am looking for information on the Key family.

What I do know is that James Key was a collier of Brymbo. He married Jane Roberts of Brymbo in St Giles, Wrexham on the 31st of January 1778.

Their children's baptisms were recorded in Wrexham as follows:

22nd October, 1780: John Key son of James Key, collier of Broughton
21st August 1785: Margaret Key son of James and Jane Key, collier Brymbo
22st March 1788: James Key son of James and Jane Key, collier Brymbo

The family moved to the Wellington area of Shropshire sometime before 1794 where they baptised a child, Mary, and went on to live in Coalpit Bank now Ketley Bank now part of Telford.

I am also interested to know more about a Richard and Jane Key of Broughton who baptised a child, Richard, on 22nd March 1783.

Posted on 10/06/07

Jo Wright would like to find out who was living at 4 Smelt Cottages in Brymbo.

I am trying to find out who was living 4 Smelt Cottages in Brymbo ( it is now demolished) in 1942 – or from 1934 – 45. I have tried everything I can think of with no success. Can anyone help? I have been through the regisitrar, denbs archives and Wrexham library so far.