An interesting source for the study of Welsh history** before 1830 are the Court of Great Sessions records held at the National Library of Wales (NLW). From 1543 until 1830 Wales had its own legal jurisdiction covering criminal, civil and Chancery cases. It’s the criminal side this post concentrates on.
"Hillside", Begelly (early 1990s); scene of inquest into death of William John in 1792
The Court’s criminal jurisdiction was similar to that of the Assize courts in England. Using the surviving records it’s possible to analyse the history of crime in Wales and, to help local and family historians get started, NLW has created an on-line database of cases heard in Wales between 1730 and 1830. One of the classes of documents referenced on the database are coroners’ reports. According to Parry, the coroner was “obliged by statute to go the place where any person was found slain or suddenly dead and was required by to summon a jury of local men to view the body…and to examine witnesses and suspects…”
It appears, from comparing another source, that all coroners’ reports have survived for the local mining parishes around Saundersfoot for the period between 1786 and 1820. Thereafter until the abolition of the Court in 1830, the survival rate is about half.***
What do these reports contain? The various coroners were not consistent in the information they recorded. In the late 1700s the then coroner was particular about recording all the types of data shown in the following table. His successor in the early 1800s was less so.
Types of Data Recorded by Pembrokeshire Coroners, 1786-1830 |
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| Always Included | Sometimes Included | |
| Deceased’s details |
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| Venue of inquest |
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| Jury |
|
|
| Circumstances of death |
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|
I have posted a list of coroners’ reports for the local mining parishes (including Amroth, Jeffreyston and Loveston) for the 1786-1830 period. The list includes the circumstances of death, the name of the deceased and the parish where the inquest was held. There is obvious value in this data for family historians. For example, anyone researching the Ollin mining family from around Wooden will find their ancestor, John Ollin, in the list. He died in a mining accident in St Issells in 1828.
For local historians the value is equally obvious. I used this source in a previous post to describe the problem of uncapped pits in the area. Among the many industrial-related accidents, several men fell from wagons moving coal to, and also on, Saundersfoot beach for shipping. With a long shoreline it is no surprise that others drowned in the sea walking along the coast or in boating accidents. These records provide a few snippets of their history.
Notes
** excluding Monmouthshire
*** I will post the records for the period 1732-1785 in due course
Source
A Guide to the Records of the Court of Great Sessions in Wales, Glyn Parry, National Library of Wales, 1995
Thanks for posting these Jon — makes for very interesting but sad reading. Intellectually, one knows that everyone worked to help keep the family together, but it’s something else to read the ages and how they died.
I’m pretty sure I’ve found a ‘missing’ family member in your list – Mary Griffiths of Amroth so again, thanks for posting this information — I’d never have found this information otherwise….
cheers
Lynda
Thanks for your comments Lynda.
Yes, I agree about the sadness of the details.
I checked to see if I had any other information about Mary Griffith’s inquest from the reports but there’s nothing else to add.
Jon
Hi Jon,
Question
The photo above is called “Hillside” with reference to the William Morris in 1792 – in the details it says “.. returning from smithy in Begelly to Hill St Issells” – is Hill and Hillside one of the same?
My 2 x great grandmother Mary Belt was living at Hill, St Issells when she gave birth her son James Belt in 1876
There is reference to Beacon Hill pit, a woman Elizabeth Morris is killed there in 1796 and the owners were Messrs Stokes & Roberts … so we now have a change of hands from 1792 when it was William Belth’s pit who we have discussed many times
Excellent work you are doing
Regards
Kevin
Hello Kevin
Thanks for your comments.
Hillside (Begelly) and Hill (St Issells) are 2 different places although both on the former turnpike road leading between Narberth and Tenby. If you walked up from Small Drink (where your Belts lived in 19th century) to join the main road at Begelly church, you’d see Hillside a few yards away on the opposite side of the road. Hillside (a 20th century name probably) was the scene of the inquest of Wm John, not Wm Morris. Morris’ inquest was held at Martha Morris’ house at Hill – I presume she was his widow.
As to Beacon Hill, I think this scene of Elizabeth Morris’ death was in St Issells parish so not the same places as Belth’s.
Jon