Place:Treorchy, Glamorgan, Wales

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Treorchy (Welsh: Treorci) is a village, although it used to be and still has characteristics of a town, in the county borough (or principal area) of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Fawr valley. Treorchy is also one of the 16 communities (or civil parishes) of the Rhondda, taking in the near villages of Cwmparc and Ynyswen. Its population in the UK census of 2011 was 7,694.

Prior to industrialisation the tithe maps of the area show an unpopulated area of scattered farmhouses, such as Abergorchwy, Tile-du, and Glyn Coli. The area was predominantly meadows, pastures and woodland and farmed by tenant farmers. The discovery of coal in the Rhondda Valley transformed the locality and within the decades after 1851 Treorchy became a densely populated industrial town. The town grew around the coal mining industry during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, but by the end of the twentieth century all the local pits had closed, creating an economic downturn in the community.

The Treorchy Male Choir was originally formed in 1883.

Research Tips

• GENUKI on Glamorgan Lots of leads to other sources.
• Rhondda Cynon Taf Library Service provides an historical description of a number of towns and villages in its principal area

The first three maps are provided by A Vision of Britain through Time

• A map of 1832 showing larger towns and some villages (not as good as the England county maps in this series).
• Ordnance Survey map of Glamorgan illustrating the parishes, rural districts, urban districts and boroughs as revised to 1899.
• A 1930s Ordnance Survey map of Glamorgan illustrating the parishes, rural districts, urban districts and boroughs as revised to 1944.

These maps were found on Wikimedia Commons

• Glamorgan Administrative Map 1947 separating the various types of administrations with colour coding. These division were most likely in place until 1974.
• A map of Wales outlining the prinicipal areas of Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan
• A map of Wales outlining the prinicipal areas of West Glamorgan
• A map of the Vale of Glamorgan principal area with the western part of Cardiff included

These maps of Glamorgan post-1974 were found on another site and are very useful for sorting out the up-to-date geography of the area

• A map of West Glamorgan showing the two principal areas and the towns located in them.
• A map of South Glamorgan showing the two principal areas and the towns located in them.
• A map of Bridgend, Merthyr and Rhondda showing the three principal areas and the towns located in them. The description states that this is "formerly part of Mid Glamorgan".
• A map of Caerphilly, Blaenau and Torfean showing the three principal areas and the towns located in them.