Genealogy of the Morleys in South Wales: The Tinplate Industry and the Twentieth Century

Morley, John O

Annals of Genealogical Research > Vol. 8, No. 1 (2012)

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Genealogy of the Morleys in South Wales: The Tinplate Industry and the Twentieth Century

John O Morley, Swansea University

Abstract
This article describes the life of one branch of the Morley family in south Wales from the final quarter of the nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth century. The account begins with a description of the life of Thomas Morley (O1) and his family following his time in Ystalyfera which was the subject of a previous article. He was employed as a roll turner at the Upper Forest or Worcester Tinplate works in Morriston and his three sons followed him into this skilled occupation. His second son, William Morley, who was born in Workington, married Margaret Matthews in 1886. Following an initial job in Morriston, he moved frequently in his career. It appears that he first moved to Llangennech in Carmarthenshire for two years and then to Germany for around two and a half years at a tinplate works on the Rhine near Cologne. He returned to South Wales in late 1892 to work at the Gwalia Tinplate Works at Briton Ferry. He left this works in 1897 and moved with his family to Pontardawe to join the tinplate works owned by W. Gilbertson and Co., Ltd. About 1899, he moved yet again with his family to the Avondale Tinplate Works in Pontnewydd, Monmouthshire. By 1911 he had left Avondale to work at the Cardonnel Tinplate Works in Skewen but his wife Margaret refused to move and remained in Pontnewydd with most of his children. His sixth son Oswald (Os) Morley, who also features in this account, was born in Pontnewydd and worked initially in the local coal mine. Following the closure of the mine in 1927, he moved to London to seek work and stayed there for around ten years. He returned to his home in Pontnewydd in 1937 having gained employment at the newly opened Metalitho Factory in Cwmbran. He married Mary Davies from Ynysforgan, Swansea, in 1941 and shortly afterwards he was called up and served in the Royal Marines, travelling to North Africa and Italy. He was demobbed in 1946 and became active in local politics. He was a Labour Party councillor for Pontnewydd from 1952 to 1958 and retired from work in 1968. This account also provides some details of his brothers and sisters who were living in Pontnewydd at this time.

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Cite as: John O Morley, "Genealogy of the Morleys in South Wales: The Tinplate Industry and the Twentieth Century," Annals of Genealogical Research Vol. 8, No. 1 (2012) at http://www.genlit.org/agr/viewarticle.php?id=40

Subject areas: Morley Family; south Wales, Tinplate industry; South Wales; UK

Annals of Genealogical Research - ISSN 1555-9904