Jane Edwards (nee Green) 1883-1975
The Green Ancestry
Few towns were more dramatically transformed during the Industrial Revolution as Bilston was. In 1800, it was still a largely rural area dependent on farming. By 1900, it was a busy town with numerous factories and coalmines, as well as a large number of houses that had been built to house the workers and their families.
In January 1841 in the Collegiate Church, in the Parish of Wolverhampton, in the county of Staffordshire, William Green , a blacksmith married Elizabeth Jones. These were Joan Hamer's great grandparents. William had been born in 1818 and his father, Jack Green was also a blacksmith. Elizabeth Jones's father was a miner and her family had moved from North Wales. Shortly after their 1841 marriage the census records them living in High Street, Bilston. Situated just two miles southeast of Wolverhampton, Bilston was extensively developed in the 19th century for factories and coalmining.
William and Elizabeth had a son, John Green on 31st October 1851 at Swan Bank, Bilston. The 1861 census shows that William and Elizabeth had 3 children at that time – John aged 9, Moses aged 7 and George aged 1 month. They were living in 2 Baldwin's Fold, Bilston. William was still a Blacksmith which as a skilled trade must have meant their living conditions were better than average; even so the X mark on the birth certificate (instead of the mother's signature) showed that Elizabeth was (like many of that generation) illiterate.
John Green
On September 20th 1874, John Green who now was 22 (and a blacksmith like his father and grandfather before him) married Rosanna Walters aged 24 who was the daughter of a miner Henry Walters. The marriage took place at St Anne's Church in Aston.
In 1891 John and Rosanna were living in Greets Green - an area of West Bromwich with their children – Rosannah, Mary, James and Jane (who became Joan's mother) and Moses. There was another daughter – Frances born 1876 but she is missing from this census as she must have moved out. Frances may have been the reason that Jane came down to South Wales as Frances married Moses Higgs (yes- the name Moses seems to crop up a lot) who was an iron worker from Droitwich. They lived in Wednesbury and sometime between 1901 and 1911 moved to Aberbargoed. Moses moved down to lodge with the Higgs and so it is not suprising that other family members followed them. Jane had been born on 8th July 1883 in Darlaston. Sadly by 1893, John Green had died and Rosannah had married again - this time to William Dennison, a glass blower. Things must have been very difficult as by 1898, Rosannah was taken to the Stafford County Lunatic Asylum and William was in the workhouse. In the 1901 census Moses was 12 and was living with some relatives, but Jane was living and working as a domestic servant in a pub in Darlaston. Jane has spoken of being taken to an orphanage at some point and later being removed by her older sister Frances. Frances may have taken her in after getting married. Jane has said that she also did work for a time at the Winson Green prison. This prison is famous today for having been the temporary “home” of Ozzy Osborne and the serial killer Fred West. In 1909 Jane married David John Edwards, a miner from Aberdare. As mentioned previously they lived in Bargoed and later Tir-y-Berth and Fleur de-lis which were villages either side of the river Rhymney. As David died in 1958, Jane lived many years as a widow. In her later years she moved in with Joan Hamer and her family. She and her husband David John are buried in Penyrheol cemetery, Caerphilly.
In 1891 John and Rosanna were living in Greets Green - an area of West Bromwich with their children – Rosannah, Mary, James and Jane (who became Joan's mother) and Moses. There was another daughter – Frances born 1876 but she is missing from this census as she must have moved out. Frances may have been the reason that Jane came down to South Wales as Frances married Moses Higgs (yes- the name Moses seems to crop up a lot) who was an iron worker from Droitwich. They lived in Wednesbury and sometime between 1901 and 1911 moved to Aberbargoed. Moses moved down to lodge with the Higgs and so it is not suprising that other family members followed them. Jane had been born on 8th July 1883 in Darlaston. Sadly by 1893, John Green had died and Rosannah had married again - this time to William Dennison, a glass blower. Things must have been very difficult as by 1898, Rosannah was taken to the Stafford County Lunatic Asylum and William was in the workhouse. In the 1901 census Moses was 12 and was living with some relatives, but Jane was living and working as a domestic servant in a pub in Darlaston. Jane has spoken of being taken to an orphanage at some point and later being removed by her older sister Frances. Frances may have taken her in after getting married. Jane has said that she also did work for a time at the Winson Green prison. This prison is famous today for having been the temporary “home” of Ozzy Osborne and the serial killer Fred West. In 1909 Jane married David John Edwards, a miner from Aberdare. As mentioned previously they lived in Bargoed and later Tir-y-Berth and Fleur de-lis which were villages either side of the river Rhymney. As David died in 1958, Jane lived many years as a widow. In her later years she moved in with Joan Hamer and her family. She and her husband David John are buried in Penyrheol cemetery, Caerphilly.