A history of the Price family and how they relate to the Edwards family through the marriage of Dinah Price to George Edwards.
The Price family had lived in 3 farms, Upper, Middle and Lower Nanserth for generations. All three farms lay on the high ground above the valley of the Nant-serth stream which flows down into the River Wye.
Edward Price from Lower Nanserth married Dinah Thomas, a cook from Gwardolau Farm, just below the farm and went to live in Fron Cottages. His daughter married George Edwards.
1841 – Edward and Margaret Price were living at the Lower Nanserth farm, near Rhayader. They had 2 children including Peter Price.
1851 – Peter Price and his wife Gwen were living at Lower Nanserth with 2 children.
1852 – Edward Price was born.
1861 – Peter and Gwen were still at Lower Nanserth but now had 5 children, including Edward Price.
1871 – Peter and Gwen were still at Nanserth and now had 9 children.
1881 – Another child, Mary Elizabeth had been born making 10 children. Edward Price was 30.
By this time Edward was working for the Prickard family who owned Dderw house and a large estate in Cwmdeuddwr.
1881 – Dinah Thomas was working for the Davies sisters at Gwardolau house, on the other side of the Wye river from Lower Nanserth.
Gwardolau House, home of the Davies Sisters
Gwardolau Cottage, where the servants lived
It is now a holiday home.
In order to get to his work at Dderw Estate Edward had to walk down to the Wye river and cross over it at a footbridge. He then had to climb the west bank following a footpath that crossed the railway line and went through Gwardolau before heading back down to Dderw.
Route to Dderw taken by Edward Price, passing through Gwardolau
The view across the Wye valley to Lower Nanserth from GwardolauLower Nanserth which is still farmed by the Price family It was at Gwardolau that he would have met with the servants of the house in the mornings and evenings, the cook, the housemaid and the gardener. The cook was a 28 year old from South Wales called Dinah, whom he later married. (see Thomas Family of Penblwyn).1882 – Edward Price married Dinah.
1891 – Edward and Dinah were living in one of the two cottages at Fron, Groc Terrace half a mile south of Gwardolau House. They had 2 children. Edward was a farm bailiff for the Prickard family who owned a large hall and estate at Dderw (Oaks) across the road from Fron and they were given the cottage to live in. The second cottage was empty.
What is now called Fron Cottage (Cottage on the breast or slope of a hill) was originally built in the 18th century as 2 cottages attached to a carding mill called March Melin (Mill of the Stallion). One cottage was for the Mill owner and his family and a smaller one was for a worker and his family.
The page below explains what a Carding Mill is and why there was one on the Gwnllyn stream.
Fron Cottage lay derelict for many years but has now been restored by the Pugh family who farm just across the valley from Fron.
Fron Cottage before restoration
Fron as a Holiday Cottage
1901 – Edward and Dinah were still living at Fron cottages. They now had 4 children including Dinah Beatrice.
1905 - Ben's Merit Certificate from the Church for Religious Knowledge.Dinah
Dorothy Moore remembered Dinah as a small lady, dressed in black. She died when Dorothy was 5. She did remember however, how Dinah arrived to visit them one Easter and brought with her some large boxes, which she said were hat boxes. On Easter morning she opened them and they contained Easter Eggs for the children.
Edward
1911 – Edward and Dinah had moved just down the valley to Upper Mill (Gwynllyn Mill). Their 2 youngest children were still living at home including Dinah Beatrice. The oldest son, John was working as a grocer’s assistant in Ammanford, 50 miles south of Rhayader. Rachel had got a job as a sewing maid for the Prickard family at Dderw House, just up the road. Upper Mill, called Gwynllyn Mill as it was powered by the Gwynllyn stream
Fron Cottages and Upper Mill were both close to Dderw.
Upper Mill
Dinah with unidentified people
Dinah and Beatie with cat
Edward and Dinah with Beatie and Tutsy
Edward and Ben also worked for them as a gardener and the Price family lived in houses owned by the Prickards.(see Prickard Family). Ben also worked for a while as a labourer on the construction of the Elan Valley dams.
Beatie never worked for anyone but did spend a lot of time at Penblewin in Pembrokeshire, nearly 3 years, helping out on the farm.
1916 - Ben Price signed up for the army.
1916 – John Edward Price was working as a grocer’s assistant in Ammanford when he also signed up, for the Royal Welch Fusiliers. (see John Price)
Ben, Tutsy, Beatie and JohnBen, Beatie, Tutsy and John
John
Rachel (Tutsy)
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Dinah and Beatie
Beatie |
Beatie and Tutsy
Beatie
Tutsy, Beatie and a friend
Tutsy at Derw
Tutsy with a friend
1918 - Tutsy went to British Columbia in Canada with the family of one of the Prickard sons to look after their daughter Barbera (Barbie). She was there for 5 years and only came back when her father died. Her mother sent for her to come home but she regretted coming back as she liked Canada and had boyfriend there.
Tutsy in Canada with Barbie
Tutsy's Canadian Passport
1920 – Beatie stayed at home until she married George Edwards from Widgeon Hill farm, Herefordshire and they moved to live there.
Edward and Dinah with Beatie, Gwlythin and a friend at Upper Mill
1923 – Edward died at the age of 72.
Edward had been in great pain for a long while and eventually committed suicide by drowning in the river Wye. Because he was missing there was a search of the area for him but he could not be found.
His daughter Beatie was living in Cobnash and a commercial traveller called to see the family as a friend. Beatie had had a dream the night before which had greatly upset her. She told it to her husband George and then to the traveller.
She had dreamed of her father’s suicide, where he left his hat and stick and where in the river he was. She had also dreamed of the funeral. At this point the traveller stopped her and told her he had come to tell her that her father was missing and a search party had been out all night.
The traveller took her back to Rhayader but on the way stopped at the Severn Arms hotel in Penybont and phoned to see if there was any more news. He was told that Edward’s body had been found in the river just as Beatie had dreamed.
1924 - Tutsy came back from Canada when father died. She then had a succession of jobs as a nanny including to Admiral Rakes of Brecon’s children, Heather and Dacre.
1934 - Dinah died at the age of 82.
When her mother died, in 1934, Tutsy came back home to Upper Mill to look after Ben.
1939 - Ben and Tutsy were now living at the Walk Mill, which was very close to Upper Mill. Ben was still working for the Prickards as a Gardener and Tutsy was still doing domestic duties for them.
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| The Walk Mill was also on the Gwynllyn stream |
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| In fact all 3 houses the Price family had lived in were on that stream and were very close together |
The page below explains what a Walk Mill was and how it worked
Ben and Tutsy at the Walkmill
Tutsy, Beatie and Ben with Trevor, Yvonne and Gwlithin in front of the Walk Mill
Tutsy, Beatie, Ben, Trevor, Yvonne and Gwlythin
Barry, Trevor and Yvonne with Tutsy, Beatie and Ben
Tutsy, Beatie and Ben
Beatie with Ben, Tutsy and ?
David and Dorothy with Bryan, Ben and Tutsy
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Ben, Tutsy, Gwlythin and Beatie with Trevor an Yvonne |
Tutsy with Bryan
Ben, Tutsy, Dorothy and Susan
| Ben, Tutsy and Dorothy with Susan and Bryan gathering wood around |
the Walk Mill.
George, Susan, Ben with Katie, Bryan and DorothyGeorge, Tutsy, Beatie, Keith, Katie and Ben being wrestled by Susan and Bryan
1957 - Tutsy wrote her will.1960 - Ben died and was buried at the Congregational Chapel at Rhayader.
1969 - Tutsy died and was also buried at the Congregational Chapel at Rhayader.
Dorothy and family visited Tutsy and Ben many times and always remembered their great kindness. They were always interested in all the family and showed great hospitality and a warm welcome to all.
