Tutshill sits at the top of the hill leading out of Chepstow over the old Wye Bridge.
The older houses are mostly 19th Century but in there was much new building in the 1960s and then in the first years of this century.
The village centre is sited around the ‘rec’ a large recreation ground which has football and rugby pitches and a play area. Originally called the Turnpike Field it was given to the village by John Silley who was born in one of the cottages opposite.
John Silley was a marine engineer who started his working life at Messrs Edward Finch & Co. in Chepstow but who went on to found his own engineering company in London and then later in Falmouth he founded Silley, Cox & Co.
Among the larger houses in Tutshill are Tutshill House, now the home of St John’s on the Hill School, Tutshill Lodge and Ty Gwillim (formerly Tutshill Villa).
Tutshill C of E school was opened first in the cottage which was the childhood home of J K Rowling, now called Church Cottage, and then in the present building in 1893.
St Luke’s Church which is situated between the cottage and the school was built in 1853, it was designed by Henry Woodyer who also possibly designed Church Cottage.
In Tutshill is the Memorial hall, originally the Reading Room but rededicated as a Memorial to the men of the parish who died in the two world wars.
Thirty five men are listed in the WW1 panel some of whom have relatives still living in the parish.
Amongst those killed was Capt Harold Thorne Edwards, he had lived in the parish for a few years in the early 1910s at Tutshill Lodge. Captain Edwards was immortalised in the painting by Fred Roe which is now in the collection of Newport Museum and Art Gallery showing his response to the German call for the Monmouthshire Regt to surrender on May 8th 1915 at the Battle of Frezenburg. Captain Edwards is shown holding his revolver as he uttered the words “Surrender be Damned”.
Hello
My name is Trevor Hamilton and I am a descendant of John and Mary Ann Evans. Records show that John was a solicitor in Chepstow. In his will, John left a property to his wife which was to be left, in turn, to his daughters. In 1844 the Piggots directory (I think) lists daughters Mary Ann and Sarah Elizabeth living at Tutshill Cottage. Wife Mary Ann died in 1844 and a death notice mentions that she was also of Tutshill Cottage. A later newspaper article has James Evans, Esq. as late of Tutshill Lodge. In 1859 James and Thomas Evans (probable sons) advertise Tutshill Lodge for rent at 50 pounds per year. Does anybody know if this is the same Tutshill Lodge that exists today? Is there any further research I could do by visiting Tutshill? Can I join a history society or get any body to do research?
Trevor Hamilton
NSW Australia
Hi Trevor,
My husband’s great grandmother is Margaret Alice Evans, DOB 1860 who is the daughter of Thomas Evans 1820-1906. My research shows Margaret Evans born at Tutshill Lodge, Tidenham and her father as per the Census living there between 1851 & 1901. I am quite sure that the Thomas Evans you refer to is the brother of your James Evans who you refer to. I have not been able to as yet find Thomas’ parents’ names. He married a Fanny Maria Sylvester. From what I have gathered so far from using Google, it does appear that Tutshill Lodge still exists. If you have any further information about this family, I would appreciate hearing from you.
Best regards,
Diane Macpherson,
Victoria, BC, Canada
28 Feb/2016
hello,,my name is paul gibson,..my grandmother hailed from tutshill/tidenham and her father Richard Jones was a general and shoeing smith…his father was Thomas Jones who died in 1919 was also a smith before him.Thomas Jones lived c.1880 in “Church Cottage” ( today called Heather Cottage) in Tidenham Chase..Thomas had a brother named Charles Jones who was a well known taxi driver in a place called Cinderford.
i have a picture from a newspaper date unknown of a gate that my g grandfather made which is in the shape of field tools and it was situated at a garage owned by a Mr Frank Bowen.in 1926…i also have a photograph of Richard outside church cottage…can anyone help with the location of this cottage or any other help please…i would particularly be interested in finding this gate that he made…if it still exists..thank you..paul
I think we are related. My father’s name was Robert Leslie Jones. His father was Victor Jones. His father was Richard Jones, mother Edith Robinson.
Byron
I have been researching the life of John Edward (Eddie) Parris the first black footballer to play for Wales. His parents Annie nee Alford nee Clarke and John Edward Parris senior lived at Tutshill when they married on 2 October 1909.
By the time of young Eddie’s birth on 31 January 1911 the couple had moved – with Annie’s daughter Mabel Louisa Alford – to Ivy Cottage, Chepstow.
I just thought you might be interested in this little piece of Tutshill history.
If anyone knows more about Eddie and the family I would of course be delighted to know more.
Best wishes.
Hi
I’ve just come across an interesting interview on the BBC People’s WW2 that mentions how pubs were closed on Sundays in Monmouthshire so people would all walk over the bridge and up to the pubs in Tutshill. She specifically mentions the Cross Inn and The Star but I’ve never come across The Star before. Does anyone have an idea of where in Tutshill this was? The interview is here;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/38/a4065338.shtml
No record of a Star at Tutshill probably mis-remembered name of pub. They came over to the Cross Keys, the Live and Let and possibly up to the rising Sun at Woodcroft.