Henry Parfitt 

.. Henry Parfitt was a prominent local builder in the last three decades of the nineteenth  century ..

Henry Charles Parfitt was a founder member of the Primitive Methodist Church in Pontnewydd, which was constructed in 1866

.. Upper Cwmbran School (opened in 1868) ..

* Built by Mr. Parfitt, mason and Mr. Hugh Thomas, carpenter *

The Wedding , Ashley Place sometime in  the 1890`s

Left to right :- William Board, Ada Board, Vicar of Primitive Methodist Chapel, Pontnewydd Builder Henry Parfitt Senior, Ethel Parfitt, Arthur Lloyd, Mrs. Henry Parfitt Senior, Mrs. Henry Parfitt Junior, Henry Parfitt Junior.

..  Ashley Place now known as Ashley House Youth Centre ..

The two houses shown in the photograph are adjacent to the newsagents at the bottom of Mount Pleasant Road, Pontnewydd.  On the opposite side of the road is `Ladywell` Senior Citizens Complex.

The houses are numbered 40 and 42. Number 40 is the one on the left and has the letter ` T`  (upside down) stamped into one of the bricks. Number 42 is adjacent, the name H. Parfitt is stamped in the keystone of the doorway.

• Parfitt bricks were also used in the construction of the Engine House, Fan house and Air shafts of Porthmawr Colliery; also cottages near the Main Adit, (West Pontnewydd). I have also seen one in the rubble of a derelict outbuilding in the yard of the former Tin Plate Manufacturer John Conway, whose factory was known as the `Edlogan Works, at the bottom of Chapel Lane, Pontrhydyrun.

    Upper Cwmbran

Walk or drive up the road from the old `Bus Terminus`, just below Siloam chapel, towards `The Square` and on the right hand side of the road, lies the filter station for the old reservoirs above.

In the nineteenth century this was the site of a brickworks. The earliest reference noted, to a brickmaster, is to one William Wisdon, brickman, in 1634, but he probably lived near Llantarnam abbey. There is a further reference to a brickyard, owned by James Richards, in Llanfrechfa Upper Parish, in 1829, although its exact position is not known.

It is however, certain that brickworks, already in existence, were handed over in 1839, to Ebeneezer Rogers, who had come to Cwmbran at the age of 22, to manage the Stourbridge Fireclay Company, whose main premises were situated beside the canal in Lower Cwmbran.

He erected an up-to-date factory and Mr. Blewitt agreed to deliver fireclay to him, unless he were prevented from doing so "by faults, failure of clay or coal, or any general strike or combination among Colliers or Miners".

By 1843 the brickworks were important enough to be shown on John Prujean`s map of the county, and soon afterwards, production had risen to 100,000 firebricks per week.

Ebeneezer Rogers left Cwmbran in 1845 to go to Abercarn where he made notable improvements both in the mining industry and in the town, and was looked upon as a public benefactor.

In 1854, the brickworks became the property of John Lawrence who leased them to Henry Parfitt, in 1867, " with the Stoves, Kilns, Smith's shops and Cottages ". 

Brickyard Cottage

.. In the foreground is the Filter station ..

This building was originally divided into two cottages, probably built during the 1840`s to house the people working at the brickworks. The cottages were mentioned in the lease to Henry Parfitt in 1867.

Footnote - The grave of Henry Parfitt (1836 - 1898), his wife Ann, (1835 - 1889) and their son Henry William Parfitt (1862 - 1908 aged 46 years) can be found in the cemetery at the Holy Trinity Church, Pontnewydd.

• Their family home was ASHLEY PLACE, Pontnewydd

• Incidentally, close by is a street named after them - PARFITT TERRACE.  

• Date: 12th November 2012

• Name:  Stella Jones

• Email: [email protected]

     Message

I am related to Henry Charles Parfitt. He is my Great great great grandfather. I would love to hear from any member of the family or anyone who knew the family. Please email me, thanks very much.

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