Frederic William Rafarel (1837 - 1903)

Born 26 Feb 1837 in Barnstaple, Devon, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Ann Emma (Bladen) Rafarel — married 30 Oct 1869 in Rugeley, Staffordshire, England

Died 2 Jun 1903 at age 66 in Cwmbran, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom

Biography

Frederic Rafarel was born in England.

1903 Obituary

FREDERIC WILLIAM RAFAREL was born at Barnstaple on 26th February 1837, and was educated at the Grammar School at Colyton.

About the age of fifteen, about 1862, he entered the employment of the Great Western Railway Co. at Paddington under Mr. Gibson, the superintendent of the carriage department.

In the spring of 1863, he obtained the appointment of paymaster of a fleet under command of Captain Sherard Osborn, which the British Government sent out to assist the Chinese Government in suppressing piracy on the coast of China.

On his return to England about two years later, he joined the Patent Nut and Bolt Co. at their London Works, Smethwick, near Birmingham, and was placed in charge of the prime-cost department. He was promoted to the position of assistant to the managing director, Mr. F. G. Grice, at the Cwmbran Iron Works and Collieries of the Company in 1867, and continued in the position under Mr. E. J. Grice, who succeeded his brother as managing director.

On the death of Mr. E. J. Grice in March 1899, he was appointed general manager of the Cwmbran Iron Works and Collieries, a position which he held up to the time of his death, retaining the appointment on the works being taken over by Messrs. Guest, Keen and Co. in July 1900, and later by Messrs. Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds in February 1902.

During his thirty-six years' service with the company at Cwmbran Works the works were very largely extended and developed. In 1885 he invented a metallic railway sleeper and method of fixing rails.

He was a member of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners' Association and of the Newport District Board of the same Association, and a member of the Hartley Colliery Trust. He was a magistrate for the County of Monmouth, and he took a large interest in local matters, being a member of the Pontypool Board of Guardians, and Chairman of numerous local public bodies for a number of years.

His death took place at his residence at Cwmbran, Monmouthshire, on 2nd June 1903, at the age of sixty-six, after a long illness, from bronchial asthma and an affection of the heart.

He became a Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 1868.

Also on 1881 Census > Governess Emma Roe, born in Manchester, Lancashire, England

Two Servants Martha Jones & Catherine Rees

Died Age 66 in Cwmbran, Monmouthshire in 1905 (The modern county is Torfaen)

Sources

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Frederic_William_Rafarel

Kelly's Directory http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~familyalbum/kwmbran.htm

"England and Wales Census, 1851," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/SGNR-HNK : accessed 17 Oct 2014), William F Rafarel, England; citing "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," index and images, findmypast.co.uk (www.findmypast.co.uk : Brightsolid, n.d.); PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

"England and Wales Census, 1881," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XQ3J-ZF8 : accessed 17 Oct 2014), Frederick W Rafarel, Llanvihangel-Llantarnam, Monmouthshire, England; citing "1881 England, Scotland and Wales census," index and images, findmypast.co.uk (www.findmypast.co.uk : Brightsolid, n.d.); PRO RG 11/, p. , The National Archives of the UK, Public Record Office, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm .

Burial details

"Wales, Monmouthshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KCTL-XDC : accessed 10 Mar 2013), Frederick William Rafarel, 1903.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Colin Madge for starting this profile.

Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Colin and others.