THE WORLD OF ....
Polly Jenkins
| The Year is 1875. Polly, younger daughter of an Iron worker, Ianto Morris and his wife Blodwen, was born Angharad Morris in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales in 1832. Her older brother John was an ironworker with ambition to be more. As had Angharad! When Angharad was 13 she began working at “the big house” as an under house parlour maid. Her employer didn’t like the name Angharad, as it seemed “too fanciful” and too “Welsh” so she ordered Angharad to change her name to Polly for use at work. Somehow Polly stuck. As Angharad moved on in the world, life was easier if she didn’t have to keep explaining her real name. By mid life, only her husband and brother continued to call her Angharad. In 1845, Polly’s brother John emigrated to American, to Danville to work in the thriving Iron industry. Over the following 5 years, he wrote constantly to Polly urging her to join him. Finally in 1851 Polly with the help of John, did just that. Her ship left from Cardiff, it was a shockingly rough journey. Her brother came to Philadelphia to meet her, and take her back to Danville with him. She immediately became involved in the life of the town. Polly got a job in the Chamberlain house, as a house maid. Working for an American family was vastly different to working for the castle in Wales. Far more casual, and in some ways more awkward. Involved in the life of the local Methodist Church, It was on a church trip that Polly met her future husband Iestyn. Iestyn Jenkins was a miner. After marriage Polly and Iestyn moved to Ebbr Vale near Hazleton. 20 years and 5 children later, you may get to know Polly as a widow, trying to cope without Iestyn, and trying to forge a better existence for her family in the coalfields of Pennsylvania. |
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