Lost Family The Powells And The Hoares

A Memory of Tir-y-berth.

My Mum, Evelyn (Bess) Hoare was born in Tir-y-Berth in 1918. The Hoare family were not natives of the town but my grandfather, a tunnel excavator, obviously found work in the area and the family were there for a number of years at least until 1932 when my Mum went into service at 14. My Dad was James Powell as was his dad, both were miners which is hardly surprising. Dad was born in 1908 but I'm not sure where. I recall Mum mentioning the Rhonda but I can only find Ebbw Vale in the 1911 census listing a 3 year old James Powell son of James Powell. Dad joined the Army in about 1927 and married Mum in London in 1938 along with Mum's brother and Dad's mate Fred Hoare who married Ceridwen in a double ceremony. Unfortunately Dad died in 1946 in an accident at work in London and the contact with the Welsh side of my family was gradually lost with all the Hoare family having moved.

I was evacuated to Tir-y-Berth after my birth in Shepherds Bush, London in 1943. Mum brought me back to London, thinking it was safe, just in time for the V bombs. She probably took me to the Berth after my dad died since I have this memory of a black river and a broken bridge. The last time I was in the Berth was about 1975/76 when I took my wife Pat and young son Adam James to stay the weekend with my cousin Jimmy Jones and his wife Linda who lived somewhere on the outskirts of Cardiff - details in a lost address book. The highlights of that visit were meeting Dolly Powell in her home in Grey Crescent who promptly burst into tears and being introduced, in the Berth's working men's club, to a small group of old miners as Jim Powell's son and, much to my joy, they remembered him. Dolly Powell living in Tir-y-Berth, Dad being a mate of Fred Hoare, also a one time resident and the mining veteran ex-colleagues in the Berth suggests that Dad was down a local pit and probably lived for a while in the Berth.

On this visit I also met some other cousins one of which was also a James Powell.

Unfortunately we didn't keep in touch - I guess we were all too busy with our own lives but it didn't help that we got the wanderlust and lived and worked overseas for nearly 15 years.

It was all so long ago but if any of the above rings a bell with family stories you've heard I would love to hear from anyone who can shed some light not only out of personal interest but also for my son and grandkids who I tell with pride that I'm at least half Welsh. Final clue, as far as I know the Hoare family also lived in Grey Crescent.

Jim Powell
powelljimpat@hotmail.com

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