Oakfield Inn - cwmbran

 

The first mention in old newspapers of the Oakfield Inn was in the Illustrated Usk Observer of 10^th October 1863 when the Shepherd on the Hill Lodge held their anniversary gathering there. Around a hundred and twenty people sat down to supper provided by the landlord and his wife, Mr and Mrs Williams. Mr T Leadbetter was the chairman for the night and proposed loyal and patriotic toasts while entertainment was provided by harpist William Thomas of Merthyr.

Like many pubs in the 19^th century the Oakfield Inn was used as a place to conduct inquests into deaths. Such was the case in June 1866 when Samuel Whittington, a middle aged man employed by Hill and Batt was drowned in the canal by the Halfway Hotel. He was taken out of the water quite quickly and surgeon J.S. Cousins called for but by the time he arrived the man had died. A verdict of accidental drowning was returned.

By 1871 the Oakfield had passed to William Bevan, thirty-four. The census of that year showed him living there with his wife, Sarah, also thirty-four and children Mary, Samuel, Ann and Eliza. There was also a servant employed, Elizabeth Morgan aged sixteen. On the next census in 1881 the inn was being run by Benjamin Lewis, thirty-four and his wife Margaret, twenty-eight. On the first day of January 1886, the Pontypool Free Press reported great hardship among local people due to a depression in the local industries. A meeting had been held on Thursday 24^th December for the purpose of taking steps to alleviate the distress being felt. Notes were issued to deserving applicants to obtain supplies from local traders. One of these traders was the Oakfield Inn where bread and soup could be received.

By 1883 the landlord of the Oakfield Inn, John Lyons, was also victim to the depression. His business had been doing well but with the closure of the wire works customers became fewer and he became insolvent. He left the Oakfield Inn to become caretaker at the Forge Hammer public house. As for his debt his wife's money was used to pay some of it but even after that he still owed three hundred and fifty-five pounds seven shillings and six pence. His assets came to eighty-seven pounds and thirteen shillings leaving a deficiency of two hundred and eighty pounds four shillings and five pence. In court he made no offer and the case was adjourned.

In 1887 Emma Clark was landlady. In May of that year she was summoned at Caerleon petty sessions for selling beer during prohibited hours. Witness P.C. Watkins said he saw a man leaving the house after 11 p.m. with a jar containing half a gallon of beer. The defence was that the beer was a gift for a friend who was going to America. Emma wasn't fined but had to pay the court costs.

The Oakfield had another landlady by 1891. She was Sarah Malmloff aged thirty-six. She was married to Lars Malmloff a mariner from Malmo, Sweden. The 1891 census shows they had three children – William, Lars and Francis. A servant was also employed, Elizabeth Jenkins aged nineteen.

Being a landlady was a tough job as can be ascertained from a report in the South Wales Echo in February 1891. Thomas Scott was charged at Caerleon police court with assaulting Sarah. He had been in her pub using 'strong language' and she had asked him to moderate it three times before she took him by the shoulders and threw him out. After this wound to his dignity he returned and tried to hit her but a customer intervened and took the blow. Thomas then rushed at her and grabbed her by the throat choking her until she was unconscious. It took five customers to get him to release his grip. He said to the court that she had scratched his face and poked her finger in his eye which irritated him. He admitted to seizing her by the collar of her dress. She however, did not wish to press charges and he was let off with a ten shilling fine.

John Bryant was landlord in 1891 also. In June that year he applied for a music and dancing license. Mr Baker-Jones on behalf of Llantarnam Urban District Council opposed the request as did Superintendent James for the police. However the bench granted a license for Saturdays and Mondays for instrumental music and dancing only.

The 1901 Kelly's Trade Directory named Thomas John Pritchard as landlord for this year, however the license for the Oakfield was transferred in late 1904 to Edmund Jones, former landlord of the Hollybush Inn.

Before his departure Thomas Pritchard found the Oakfield making the news again. Edward Williams, a wire drawer was summoned for being drunk at the inn on 23 March. However Williams had arrived there already drunk so no charges were brought against Pritchard Police Sergeant Morris said he had followed Williams to the Oakfield after he had been thrown out of another pub. He had three previous convictions for drunkenness and was fined ten shillings.

The Oakfield changed hands again by the time of the 1911 census. It revealed the building had eight rooms and was home to John Jones, thirty-two, his wife Alice, twenty-eight, and his sister in law Annie Perry, twenty.

The original village of Oakfield was situated on Llandowlais Street between Two Locks and the railway line, now the Cwmbran Drive. Rows of houses hugged the sprawling mass of the Oakfield Wire Works, later Whitehead, Hill and Co, the site of which is now occupied by the territorial army centre. As to the location of the Oakfield Inn, old ordnance survey maps show a public house in the vicinity of the Jade Garden takeaway

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