History
Population Trends in Monmouthshire : 1800-1900.
In 1799, Archdeacon Coxe travelling around Monmouthshire reported that he was, "affected with the romantic scenery in the sequestered vale...peculiarly striking ". He was walking along the towpath of the recently constructed spur of the Monmouthshire Canal, which connected Crumlin to Newport in the Western Valley that was still semi-rural. He had found it difficult to find an English speaking person in Penmaen, but that was soon to change. Many factors would lead to the increased population of Monmouthshire, but immigration would be the primary one.
Monmouthshire was in the throes of the Industrial Revolution, the effects of which would change dramatically the landscape and people by the end of the nineteenth century.
In September 1841, the Monmouthshire Merlin reported that "Thomas Brown owner of the Blaina Ironworks had succeeded improving on his property in Cwmtillery at a depth of 130 yards, the Elled seam of coal of unusual thickness and superior quality...it may be deemed the most important mineral opening of the Welsh coalfield." The demand for Welsh Steam coal increased, and deep mines were opened up and down the mining valleys, providing employment with relatively high wages for the whole family - not just the men. The Childrens Employment Commission reported in 1842, "children are employed from the age of four", thus adding to the family income. Many families had lived in rural areas where it was expected that every member had to work, most were illiterate.
By the 1880s, mechanised farming had transformed the work performed by labourers. Where farmworkers were required, they were poorly paid. Inevitably, workers were attracted into the industrial areas by the lure of the vastly improved pay. My grandfather born 20th May 1879 in Treorchy, Glamorgan suggested that it may have seemed a bonanza to them.
Welsh hill farmers who were always sorely pressed to make a living, abandoned their farms. Some continued to farm part-time and earnings almost doubled in some cases. Most had large families to support, so the employment of their children as soon as they were big enough was crucial to their standard of living.
Immigration from neighbouring Welsh and English counties, particularly from the West Country and Ireland, increased the population of Monmouthshire at a furious rate. Rows of houses in the valleys were built to accommodate the immigrants, which ultimately grew into typical valley villages and towns.
The small port of Newport - with the addition of a new dock to handle the increasing volume of iron and coal on the canal - had a population of 1,423 in 1801 that grew to 13,766 in 1841. By the 1850s, when the expansion of the Great Western Railway had replaced the canal for carriage of manufactured goods, aggregate shipments from Newport were greater than those of any other port in South Wales.
The population of Monmouthshire increased from 45,568 in 1801, to 134,355 in 1841. Only 13,855 were employed in agriculture.