Mary (davies) Collier
Mary & her indomitable spirit
Mary Collier (nee Davies) joined our family tree in 1888 when she became the second wife of an aging John Skinner, our second great-grandfather. The couple went on to have two children together and lived in Cat’s Ash, Monmouthshire. As part of our research, we looked at Mary’s life before she married John and found some interesting stories, mostly rooted in Cowbridge and the surrounding areas.
Little is known about Mary’s early life; she was born in Llanharan in 1856 to a farmer and labourer called Daniel Davies. She wasn’t educated and entered service at a young age. By the 1871 census we find Mary working as a domestic servant in Llanblethian, Cowbridge. She lived with a local famer John John, his wife Mary and son Thomas. They lived at Aberthin Farm (later known as Court Farm) where John was a tenant farmer of 30 acres.
It was whilst working at Aberthin Farm that Mary met Daniel Collier, a young man who had grown up in the area. Daniel Collier was born in Penylan, Llanblethian 1850, one of three children born to Joseph and Amelia Collier. His father was a farm labourer working towards a farm of his own. In 1856 Amelia Collier died aged 39, leaving Sarah, Daniel and Mary without a mother.
In 1958 Joseph remarried, he wed Ann Herbert, and they had four more children. Daniel grew up in a busy household along with his siblings: Sarah, James, George, Mary Ann, and Robert. By the 1961 census Joseph had secured a small parcel of land and young Daniel helped his father on the 7 acres. The Collier family dealt with their fair share of tragedy in addition to the loss of Amelia, Robert died at 14 and Mary Ann at 12 years of age
The Colliers were an established family in Cowbridge and there were many family members living locally. By the 1871 census Joseph Collier was farming the 60 acre Penylan Farm, his son Daniel has left home and moved to the nearby Newton Farm where he laboured for Joseph Howe. The farm was 15 acres and Daniel was one of five staff on the property.
Daniel Collier and Mary Davies were married on the 23rd April 1879 at St Mary’s Church in Risca, Monmouthshire. Daniel was 29 and listed his job as a Forman, Mary was 23. Risca was some 30 miles from Llanblethian and initially seemed a strange choice for the wedding. Traditionally couples married in the parish of the bride, so Mary may have been working in Risca prior to the wedding. Both of the witnesses were from Risca, including William Evan Cross who ran the Green Meadow Inn.
The newlyweds moved to a cottage in Cowbridge at no.1 The Limes. They lived next to a busy pub, The Bridge Inn, and Daniel worked as a Railway Porter. The cottage was a couple of minutes walk from the former railway station on Eastgate. They had four children together: Catherine Amelia 1880, Daniel Robert 1881, Sarah Ann 1883, and Mary Elizabeth 1885. Unfortunately, the family was soon hit by tragedy, in January 1886 Mary died in infancy and later that year her father Daniel also died, he was only 36. Daniel was buried at Ramoth Baptist Chapel in Cowbridge.
With her husband deceased, Mary had little option but to return to service. Her three children went to live with Daniel’s parents and Mary moved to Kemeys Inferior to work. She lived and worked at Abernant Farm, a large property and home to a widowed farmer named John Skinner. An unlikely relationship formed between the two and on November 13th 1888 they married at All Saint’s Church in Kemeys Inferior. John was 66, more than 30 years older than his former servant, and the relationship caused quite a scandal in the Skinner Family.
After the marriage Mary was able to bring two of her children, Daniel and Annie, to live at Abernant Farm, eldest daughter Amelia remained in Cowbridge. They spent the early years of their marriage at Abernant Farm. In the 1891 census we find John, Mary, Daniel, and Annie living at the farm, along with John’s son James and three staff. Despite reaching 70, John fathered two children with Mary; Alexander was born in 1892 and Isabella in 1896. You can find out more about Alex and Bella by clicking here.
In 1893 John decided it was time to leave Abernant Farm and sold off all of his farming stock. He moved with Mary and their young family to nearby Cat’s Ash, where they lived at number 4. Annie Collier soon left the family home and entered service for a family in Llangibby. Daniel Collier appears to have maintained a good relationship with his stepfather John and they worked together as gardeners.
John died in December 1907 and was buried with his first-wife Jessie at All Saint’s Church. Although some may have disapproved of their relationship, John and Mary had spent 19 years together and raised four children between them. Mary’s life in the years following John’s death is still a mystery, but we know that in 1930 she went to live in Pencoed, Bridgend with her daughter Amelia and son-in-law Thomas.
Mary died in Pencoed March 20th 1933, and after 47 years was reunited with Daniel at Ramoth Baptist Church in Cowbridge. The funeral was well attended and started with a hymn outside the family home. Attendees included all three of her survivng children; Amelia and Daniel from her first marriage, and Isabella from her marriage to John Skinner. The headstones have now been moved to the outer walls and Mary and Daniel’s headstone can be found in the church garden.
We have also looked at the lives of the three surviving children from her marriage to Daniel Collier. We start with Amelia, born 1880, who had remained in Cowbridge when her mother moved to Abernant Farm. In 1906 Amelia became Amelia Elward after she married Thomas Elward, a local man, who listed his occupation as a Milk Vendor and Dairy Farmer.
They remained in Cowbridge during the early years of their marriage before moving to Pencoed, near Bridgend. They first lived at Elm Cottage and in 1930 were joined by Amelia’s mother Mary, who lived there until her death. They then lived at 93 Hendre Road in Pencoed, where they raised their seven children. On the 1939 Register Thomas is still working as a Dairy Farmer and three of their sons are living at home. Amelia died in 1956 aged 76, followed by Thomas in 1960. They were buried at St David’s Church in Pencoed.
After the death of his stepfather John Skinner, Daniel Collier returned to Cowbridge. We find him on the 1911 census living with his aunt Elizabeth Collier, who was widowed and living at Penylan Farm, Daniel worked for his aunt as a Farm Labourer. Daniel married Elizabeth Hole 6th June 1921 at St Senwyr’s Church in Llansannor, and they settled at Rose Cottage with Margaret Hole, who was Elizabeth’s daughter from her previous marriage.
They had two children together, Hilda in 1924 and David in 1926. Daniel lost his wife in 1931 after just 10 years of marriage and he raised the children alone. He spent the rest of his life at Rose Cottage and died in April 1967 at the age of 85. He was buried at St. Senwyr’s Church where he had married Elizabeth.
Finally, we have Annie Collier who had moved to Abernant Farm to live with her mother and stepfather. She entered service as teenager and in 1901 was working as a parlour maid in Llangibby for James and Mary Whitley. The Whitley’s then moved to Llanvair and Annie needed new employment. In 1911 she was living in Langstone and was working as a domestic servant, and in 1913 and 1914 Annie was living in a dwelling house at Far Hill, Llanishen. From here we lose track of her, although we do know that Annie was not at her niece’s funeral in 1929, or her mother’s in 1933.
If you can help uncover more information about Mary Collier (nee Davies) please email us: [email protected]