The scene of our historical survey lies in the Hundred and Lorship of Abergavenny. Known throughout the centuries as the Parish of Aberystruth or 'Aber is Drwyth', the mouth below the washings from the small river Ystrwyth which empties itself into the lesser Ebbw”.

The boundaries of the Parish took the form of an inverted triangle with its sides running from Nantygoes below Aberbeeg along the east side of the Ebbw-Fawr to Beaufort, from thence to Wean Afran along the Milfram and Mynydd James Henry Thomas to Nantygroes including the valley of the Tillery.

Here from time immemorial life had been sequestered and uneventful; the many English travellers who took upon themselves to travel and the later to write of their journeyings in Wales left the district severely alone. It was a region of little hills and steep valleys whose sides were clothed with the alder, Beeach [sic], oak and ash, and where “the wild raspberry, twined in the thickets”. The mountain streams were clear and sparkling, the whole conveying as aspect of perpetual youth.

Here and there in the clearing were dotted the lonely homesteads of the pastoral people, mostly freeholders and using even until 1770 yoked oxen to do their ploughing. They hardly ever dreamed that some day their valley would be soiled and besmirched by the black hand of an industrial monster. That there were stirrings by this demon is almost certain. On June 3rd 1693 Lord George of Abergavenny “demised to Edmund John of Aberystruth yeoman, 20 acres of vast ground within the forrest of Lloydcoed in the manner of Ebouth Vaure except all mines to hold for the lives of himself and his two sons at thirteen shillings and fourpence per annum”.

The spiritual life of the people was bound up in the Church of St. Peter’s with a faint surging of the Dissenting faith. The years slipped quietly past, and baptisms, marriages and deaths were conducted by the perpetual curate from the church of Llanwenarth Citra .

On the 25th of February 1693 Ann Lewis proved the Will of Ann Harry at Llandaff. On June 29th 1696 Henricus Jones was wedded in the Parish Church to Elizabeth Williams and nine days later Adrian Meredith took unto himself Katherine Williams. In the same year on March 29th Lewis Thomas was laid to rest in the village churchyard and six days later Matilda Meredith was also buried there.

National and political life disturbed the people but little. Yet in 1715 Charles Felix, William Morgan, David Valentine, James Watkins and Charles Moles made the long journey to Usk to vote at the Parlimentary Election held that year. At Usk, the only five voters of the Parish cast their votes for Willaim Bray who defeated the Hon. Anderson Winsor by 54 votes. Monmouth, Usk, and Newport were the polling stations of the County.

Amidst this tranquil life an event occurred which was to become of great importance in the historical life of Aberystruth. In 1772 at Penllwyn House, Nantyglo was born Edmund Jones “Yn hen Proffwyd” the Old Prophet. It was he who in 1779 wrote and published at Trevecca. “A Geographical, Historical and Religious Account of the Parich of Aberystruth, in the County of Monmouth. To which are added Memoirs of several Persons of note, who lived in the said Parish”. Every writer and student who have delved into the history of Aberystruth have made copious references to the writings of Edmund Jones and no apology is offered in this brochure in the following example.

Edmund Jones in his remarkable book (for “Aberystruth is fortunate in having such and historian”) was very prone to dwell not only on the physical aspects of the area but also on the persons of note who lived therein. The air was wholesome and the inhabitants healthy. The mountains were clear and the valleys cloudy. There was neither town nor village here. The number of houses in the Parish totalled 150; built of stone and timber. He was eager to stress that these houses were not made of earthen sides and timber as in some parts of Wales. Some however were poor and meanly built but all were delightfully situated. Of the 150 houses 80 were situated in the valley of the Church (Ebbw Fach).

There were no stones of ancient characters but a monument was placed on the slopes of the Milfre Hill (Milfran) to guide travellers on their way to Abergavenny.

The soil was good and in the lower part of the valley were many corn fields, but more of oats than of wheat and barley, and cattle, sheep and wool were highly prized. One large field Swayn Ebbw was used for growing hay and was let for £4 a year.

Grouse, red game and woodcock, much esteemed and sought after by gentlemen in their proper season, abounded on the hills and in the woods, while worts and strawberries which could be taken with bread and milk formed one delicacy of the poor. Eels, trout and sewin were fished from the streams. In fact said the old prophet it was “the most remarkable and instructive district in all Great Britain, if not in creation”. “All the mountain streams and rivulets ran down hill and slightly in a south easterly direction. The upheavals and sinkins and glens and koomes were more numerous in Aberystruth than in any other Parish”.

Who could chuse [sic] to bear the long torment of the winter cold in the rich grounds of Oxfordshire and Berkshire before the warm valleys of Aberystruth?” taunted the old prophet. Even fairies, apparitions, ghosts and hob goblins “the foul brood of hell” abounded more in the parish of Aberystruth than in any other part of Wales and Monmouthshire and many were the revels they held at Hafodawel and Cefnbach.
 Such was the delightful and picturesque scene painted by our first local historian.

No parish except that of Mynyddislwyn produced so many pious people. Their piety and adherence to things spiritual were much to be marvelled at. Many famous preachers visited the Parish including Howell Harris, Walter Craddock, Vavassor Powell and Ambrose Martin. Once the last named came to the Parish to preach in the Church, but was pelted with hedgehogs hanging in the yew trees and “so he shut the Book, went to Gelli Krug and was heard with respect”.

As there was not sufficient corn produced in the valley, the poor obtained corn and oatmeal in Abergavenny. There were some manufacturers also Gwenllian Williams earned here living by making white flannel, which was manufactured into coarse clothes, woollen stockings and caps which were carried over the mountains and sold at the Abergavenny fairs.

Torques or rings of iron were often found in the fields. These were used as currency in the time of the Ancient Britons. Spars or small stones of crystallite were sold in the shops of Abergavenny. Other stones which people called brass were found in the coal pits. These were really copperas and were used for medicinal and mechanical purposes, and vitriol was also made from them.

When mining was first started is doubtful. An old account book of 1711-12 priced coal in the area at 2d. per bag and even in Edmund Jones’ day a cart load of coal cost 2d. at the mouth of the pit. The nature of digging for coal was by patching and adit.

The earliest coal lease granted in the area was on the 5th day of February 1752 “in the 25th year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George King of Great Britain”. This was between “the Rt. Hon. George Lord of Abergavenny of the one part and Morgan Morgan yeoman of the Parish of Aberystrith of the other part”. This “demised unto the said Morgan Morgan all those several coal pits and coal mines and coal works commonly called and known by the name of Lydgoed and Nantyglo situated in the Parish of Aberystruth and now in the possession of the said Morgan Morgan for and during the full term of six years thereby to be paid unto the said Lord Abergavenny the rent of £8. 8. 0 of lawful British money by two equal payments in the year”.

Again on the 5th July 1765 “The Rt. Hon. George Neville Baron of Abergavenny granted to Capel Hanbury Esq. of Pontypool liberty to dig iron stone and iron ore within the waste of the manor or Royalty of Abergavenny lying in the Parishes of Aberystruth Llanhilleth Llanover and Trevethin”.

Edmund Jones stated that coal was mined in great plenty and of the best sort which spoiled the water at the north end of the valley, while iron was mined and made at three places.

A small coal trade was carried on from Llwydcoed even up to 1800. This was maintained by carriers who fetched the coal from the pits and took it on the backs of mules over the mountains to Brecon and Abergavenny.

Other coal leases granted in the area were by the Earl Talbot family and Micheal Richards to Anthony Bacon and so slowly and surely a great industrial awakening was taking place. Towards the end of the nineteenth century England was at war with France and the demand for manufactured iron goods greatly increased.

Soon the solitudes of the hills, deep and unbroken would be resonant with the busy hum and the surging vigours of an abounding industrial life. Soon the scenic beauties of the Valley of the Church would wither in a miasma of smoke and grime and the night sky would redden as the residue of the furnaces was strewn indiscriminately over the countryside. Soon, almost too soon, the workers would flock from far and near to toil and sweat, fulfilling the tasks which destiny had set down for them.

The Industrial Revolution had come to Nantyglo and Blaina.