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The Tudgay families of Warrior Run, Pennsylvania

Thomas Tudgay, 1840-1907 and Isaac Tudgay, 1847-1923

Introduction - Extracts from A History of Warrior Run Borough and its People

Carved out of Sugar Notch, the Borough of Warrior Run was incorporated on January 25, 1895. Its origins as a community date back to the mid-1860's when the coal mining industry and the railroad companies endeavored to mine, transport and market the region's anthracite coal. Herein lies the history of the land and its people.

{short description of image} Map of Wilkes Barre Area

- The Coal Mining Industry -

The coal mining industry was the founding father of the community of Warrior Run. During and after the Civil War, the American industrial revolution took off and coal was its fuel. Coal production boomed in the Valley as anthracite was recognized as a superior fuel for steel mills, factories, railroads, and heating homes. Our pre-war agricultural society gave way to an industrial one. In 1864, the Warrior Run Mining Company was organized, reopening the old Holland and Hillman mine. Wishing to provide only the purest, highest quality coal sorted by size, the company constructed a breaker at the foot of the mountain which opened in 1867. This was a huge tall building in which coal was tumbled down long chutes and open troughs. Breaker boys, mostly between ages 10 and 17, sat astride the chutes, plucking out the slate and sorting out lumps of coal by size. At about the same time, both the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Nanticoke Branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey completed their lines through the area, thus making it possible to conveniently mine, transport and market the area's rivers of coal. From this point on coal production overshadowed nearly everything.

Workers in large numbers were needed to labor in the mines or railroads, repair shops and machine shops. The local population was not sufficient to fill the demand so skilled Welsh miners were recruited. Other foreigners, mainly Irish who had been jobless and poverty stricken in their homelands, turned to America for relief and relocation. The Warrior Run Mining Company operated these mines until 1869, when they were then leased to A. J. Davis, who operated until about 1919.

- Warrior Run Mining Village -

The community called Warrior Run Mining Village arose on land owned by the Warrior Run Mining Company. The company purchased nearly all the land around the colliery. This land was once the Rummage farm and then part of the Colonel Hendrick B. Wright tract. Here they built offices and three nice large houses for the mine bosses on what later became known as Boss Town Street (now Lower Beaumont), which was then adjacent to an orchard. The mining company also erected company houses so that employees could walk to work. Many of these were little more than shacks, but they were rented out at a profitable rate.

These houses extended to what was then Main Street, now Chestnut and Upper Beaumont Street. Much of this area was an unappealing place to live. Since workers did not own their houses and usually didn't live in them for long, little was maintained. Unruly boys and men, goats, cattle, and hogs ran at large. The houses had no shade trees, fruit trees, shrubbery, gardens or fences. Goats were kept in large numbers, and their destructiveness made it almost impossible to grow anything.

The 1880s were a time of prosperity and growth and the village of Warrior Run really began to thrive. More immigrants, mainly Welsh and Irish and Polish, were needed to fill the many available jobs. Many new houses were built while old ones were repaired and reoccupied. The mines prospered so the community prospered.

Residents of the early 1880s included the Brislins, Rhyses, Shovlins, Joneses, Williams, Evans, Wagners, Devines, Tudgays, Lloyds, Cyphers, Richards, and Jenkins. By 1885, telephone lines ran everywhere. Railroad Street had Pehle's general and drug store, John Elliot's saloon, John Evans' general store, Plumb's Reading Room and Shadrach Jones' Butcher shop. Orchard Street had Pearson's general store, William Richards' butcher shop, Barney Smith's butcher shop, the Smith Hotel and Rose Sheridan's Hotel, Dr. S. S. Pace's drug store, David Jones' tavern and an early schoolhouse.

- The Borough of Warrior Run -

On January 25, 1895, the Borough of Warrior Run was thus incorporated. The name Warrior Run had already been in use for many years. Both of the town's railroad stations were named after the Warrior Run Mines. Charles Williams was elected first burgess on February 19th. Elected to council were Thomas Tudgay, John Cyphers, John Elliot, Shadrach Jones, and William Richards, with Nelson Pearson as chairman. Isaac Lewis was elected secretary, John Evans treasurer and Edward T. Edwards as chief of police. Police appointed were Frank Crosky, James B. Brislin and John Shovlin.

?Photographs

TUDGAY Theodore, & Catherine; on Beaumont, 1935
TUDGAY Thomas, 39, & Jane, 36; on Hanover, 1880
TUDGAY Isaac, 52, mine laborer, & Rachel, 52; from Wales, 1881; on Hanover, 1900 (John, Mayor)

TUDGAY, Thomas, 59, laborer, Wales & Jane, 56; Mary, 25, Edith, 22, Isaac, 18, Bennah, 14. On Back (Orchard) Street - 1900. See http://www.pagenweb.org/~luzerne/census.htm


Parentage of Isaac and Thomas Tudgay emigrants from Abersychan, South Wales, UK

William Tudgee
1777-1824
b Leigh upon Mendip, Somerset
m. Sarah George
on 17 Aug 1800
backward link to Leigh on Mendip
Isaac Tudgee (Tudgay)
1816 - 9 Dec 1889
born in Somerset but family moved to Abersychan ca 1846
m. Eliza Smith (1820-1890)
on 19 Mar 1838
at St Peter & St Paul, Bath, Somerset
backward link to Talywain/Abersychan

The family of Thomas Tudgay, 1840-1907, born in Somerset, moved to Abersychan, Monmouthshire, South Wales, second son of Isaac and Eliza Tudgay, emigrated to Wilkes Barre, USA, ca 1866 (WB1),

The eldest or second of fourteen children
Thomas Tudgay
b 23 Aug 1840,
Mells, Somerset, England
family moved to Wales ca 1846
d. 17 Mar 1907
Hanover, PA
buried Hanover Green
Married
1866
moved to USA
no BMD records
Jane Hughes
b 04 June 1845
Abersychan, Mon., S. Wales
d 06 Nov 1926
Hanover, PA

Emigrated to USA
Thomas travelled ca. 1869, settled in Warrior Run. Jane followed in 1870
William Tudgay
b 1866
in Wales
d 20 Feb 1932
Sugar Notch, PA
buried Hanover Green
Phinnina Tudgay
b ?
John Tudgay
b 1869
d Jul 1890
Hanover
buried Hanover Green
Elizabeth Tudgay
b 1871
d 21 May 1885
Hanover
buried Hanover Green
Thomas Tudgay
b 1874, PA
d 1936
Mary Jane Tudgay
b 1874
d 1949
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Edith Tudgay
b 1878
Wilkes-Barre
d 1961
Lorissa (Louise) Tudgay
b 12 Sep 1879
Wilkes-Barre, PA
d 13 July 1941
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Isaac Tudgay
b 1882
James C Tudgay
b 1883
d 03 Dec 1884
Hanover PA
buried Hanover Green
Bennah
b 1886

(not in Barb's list?)

in 1910 census
Maggie Ann
Fulton
b 06 Oct 1871
Nanticoke, PA



Bessie James
b 1881
Ashley, PA
d 14 Jan 1958
Warrior Run, PA
Charles Stein John O. Richards
b 1874
Wales
d 1949
John Wesley Norris
b 09 Feb 1874
Parrysville, PA
d 07Mar 1947
Bloomsburg, PA
Carrie ?
b 1885
PA


m 24 Dec 1892
Hanover Twp, PA



m 29 June 1898
Warrior Run, PA


m 14 Dec 1898
Warrior Run, PA
m 1906

Alfred Tudgay (aged 3 in 1900 census)
Ralph Thomas Tudgay
b 20 Sep 1896
Sugar Notch
d 1 Feb 1990
PA
Thomas Tudgay
d aft 1920



Viola Tudgay b 1899 (1900)
Ada Tudgay b 1904
Florence Tudgay b 1907
Loretta Tudgay b 1909
James Tudgay b 1917
John Tudgay b 1921
Thomas Tudgay
Lila Stein b 1912 Margaret Richards b 1903 Helen Louise Norris 1900-1967
Edith Norris 1901-1967
Thomas Norris 1902-1966
Wesley Norris 1904-
Louise Norris 1905-
Harold Norris 1907-
Clyde Norris 1910-1978
Jane Pearl Norris 1912-1986
Winifred Norris 1920-
Thomas Tudgay
b 1907
Mary Tudgay b 1908


WB1A


WB1B


WB1C

Sources (ex Barbara DeLong) - 1. Mells Bishop's Transcripts, 1839-1842; LDS Microfilm #1526222


The family of Isaac Tudgay, 1847-1923, born in Talywain, Monmouthshire, South Wales, sixth child of Isaac and Eliza Tudgay, emigrated to Wilkes Barre, USA, 1881-2 (WB2)

Curiously both listed in 1881 UK Census [Mormon Records] as in Monmouthshire
also in Census - Tom age 11, Elizabeth A b 1872, James b 1874, Rachael b 1874, Henry b 1875, Walter b 1878(9)
Sixth child and fourth son - Isaac Tudgay
b 13 July 1847
d. 23 Nov 1923
buried at Hanover Green Cemetery, Hanover, PA
m. Rachael
Jones
b 04 Feb 1848
Garndiffaith (Abersychan, Trevethin), Monmouthshire, S. Wales
d 05 Feb 1915
at Warrior Run (or Portage, PA) source
Father - Thomas JONES
Mother - Hannah Howells (1829-)
Isaac and Rachael married in 1870, emigrated to the USA, arrived New York 05 July 1880
[this date appears to be wrong as Isaac is named in the 1881 Census for Talywain. However, the shipping list shown below (December 1881) has only Rachael and the children, so it seems Rachael may have given her husband's name to the Census enumerator even though he had already left for America]
Possibly "recruited" by brother Thomas Tudgay (above) who was settled in Warrior Run, Isaac worked as a mine labourer and as a school janitor
In 1920 Isaac living in house with Mary Casey, b 1860
Thomas James Tudgay
b 1871
Garndiffaith, Mon.
d 1928
buried Hanover Green, PA
? BMD has James Tudgay
b 4Q 1872 Pontypool
Elizabeth A
b 1872
Talywain
BMD b 4Q 1871 Pontypool
Rachael Tudgay
b 1874
Talywain
BMD Rachel Tudgay
b 4Q 1873 Pontypool
Joseph Henry Tudgay
b May 1876
Talywain
BMD Henry Tudgay
b 2Q 1876 Pontypool
Walter Tudgay
b 29 Nov 1878
Talywain
d 25 Nov 1932
Nanticoke, Luzerne Co., PA
BMD b 1Q 1879 Pontypool
Edwin (Ted) Tudgay
b Oct 1881
John A. Tudgay
b Dec 1884
d 1918
in great flu pandemic
Edith Ellen (Nellie) Tudgay
b Jul 1887
m Anne Prosser (Anna)
b 1870
m 20 May 1887

m James Walker m William Maycock m Catherine Shoemaker
b 1887
m Grace Jane Myers
b 18 Feb 1887
Plymouth, Luzerne Co., PA
d 29 Sep 1958
m 30 May 1911, at Pittston, PA
m Catherine Robinson
unmarried mother
in 1920 census still living with her father, Isaac, at 306 Hanover Street
Wyndham Tudgay 1899-1963
Eva Tudgay
b 1902
Harry Tudgay
1903-1977
Marvin Tudgay
1916-1987
?Anna Tudgay 1913-1984
Phillip Walker
Walter Walker
Leah Walker
Thelma Walker
Edwin Maycock
Sarah Maycock
Hildred Maycock
James Maycock
John H Tudgay Joseph Tudgay
1912-
1986
Ruth Gladys Tudgay
1913-1980
Earl Robert Tudgay
1915-
Walter Sterling Tudgay
1924-52
Florence Mae Tudgay
1922-
Edith Ellen Tudgay
Alan John Tudgay

1925-
Ester Tudgay
Rachel Tudgay
d 1980
Althea Tudgay

Amelia Tudgay m Jerome Brislin
WB2A

WB2B
WB2C


{ss Alaska log}Shipping log for Rachael Tudgay and her six children on the S.S. Alaska, December 16, 1881, from Liverpool.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Alaska_(1881)


SS Guion Alaska

Notes (ex Barbara DeLong)

Isaac TUDGAY
Born 13 Jul 1847 in Abersychan, Trevethin, Pontypool, Wales 1 ' Woodlands' cottage 2
1851 British census - age 3 Gylynos Rd, Abersychan 3
1861 British census - not found
1871 British census - not found
1881 British census - age 34 Trevethin, Monmouthshire, coal miner born Talywain 4
1886 - Naturalization Papers - Declaration of Intent: 2 Oct 1886; born in Wales 4 July 1853; arrival at Port of New York on 5 July 1880. Petition: 3 Oct 1888 5
1900 census age 52, Immigrated 1881, born Wales, father born England, mother born England, day labor in mines 6
1910 census age 62, PA, Warrior Run, Hanover St. Immigrated 1882, born Eng, father born Eng, mother born Eng, trashman in mines 7
1920 census age 72, PA, Peely, Warrior Run Borough, 306 Hanover St, Immigrated 1881, Naturalized 1885; born England, parents born England; laborer in coal mine 8
Death certificate: died 23 Nov 1923; born 30 July 1865 in Wales, School Janitor, father Isaac Tudgay born England, mother born Wales; buried Hanover Green 25 Nov 1923; of neprhitis, cold 9
Obit - TUDGAY: At Sugar Notch, November 23, 1923, Isaac Tudgay, of complications
[Research inconsistencies in birth dates: based on census ages = 1847, from naturalization = 1853, from death certificate = 1865]

Rachel JONES
Born 4 Feb 1848, Abersychan, Trevethin, Pontypool, Wales 1
1851 British census - not found
1861 census, age 12, living in Garndiffaith 10
1871 British census - not found
1881 British census - age 33 4
1900 census; age 52, born 3/1848 in Wales, parents born Wales, came to US 1881 6
1910 census; age 62, married 40 years, born Wales, parents born Wales, immigrated 1882 7
died before 1920 census
no death certificate 1910-1920 and 1920-1930
[Research - check 1920 mortality schedule for death]

Sources
1. Certified birth certificate, Abersychan, Trevethin, Pontypool, Wales
2. Per letter from John Taylor, 1/97; Family Report from Martin Taylor, 2/97
3. 1851 British census, Parish:Trevethin, Eccl. Dist:. Abersychan, LDS microfilm #104188
4. 1881 British census index, LDS microfiche, by surname
5. Naturalization Papers filed Luzerne Co. filed 3 Oct 1888, No. 1069
6. 1900 US census,Warrior Run, Luzerne Co., PA Vol 126, ED. 144, Roll T-623-1435
7. 1910 US census, Warrior Run, Luzerne Co., PA ED 122
8. 1920 US census, Warrior Run Borough, Peely P.O., Luzerne Co., PA ED 205
9. Death Certificate: Luzerne Co File No. 117208, Reg No. 18
10. 1861 Trevethin/Abersychan census, LDS Microfilm # 0543220


Sources

Census of Warrior Run - 1900 (Source - http://rootsweb.com/~paluzern/census/wr1900.htm)

Railroad (Hanover) Street
TUDGAY, Thomas, 26, laborer, Wales, 1879, & (wife), 19, Viola, 9 months.
TUDGAY, Isaac, 52, laborer, Wales, 1881, & Rachel 52 (E ), 27, Joseph 24, Walter 21, Edward 18, John 15
TUDGAY, William, 33, laborer, Wales, 1868, & Maggie Ann 28. Alfred, 3.

Back (Orchard) Street
TUDGAY, Thomas, 59, laborer, Wales, & Jane 56. Mary, 25, Edith, 22, Isaac, 18, Bennah, 14.

Census of Warrior Run - 1910 (Source - http://rootsweb.com/~paluzern/census/wr1910.htm)

Jones Street
TUDGAY, Thomas J., 40, carpenter, coal, & Anne, 31

Hanover Street
TUDGAY, Isaac, 62, trackman, & Rachael, 62; Joseph H., 33, house carpenter; Edward, 28, fireman


THE SHELHAMER GENEALOGY SITE - cemeteries - Mount Zion. http://www.shelventure.com/shelgen/cemeteries7-mtzion.htm

Located in Slocum, PA, Mt. Zion E.&R. Union Church of Christ is the resting place for the Myers/Jones family that connects to the Shelhamer's. The family has a whole section of the cemetery, but there are also relatives scattered throughout the rest of the cemetery. The records include Walter Tudgay 1878-1932 & Grace J. Tudgay 1887-1958; also Ruth G Delong née Tudgay 1913-1980; all of WB2C above. (spelt on tombstones as Tudgay, seen by Barbara DeLong, although the web link above has names as Tudgey!)


Wilkes Barre Tudgays - into the 20th Century


©2001, 2002, 2010, 2013, 2017 - Brian Taylor BTech PhD CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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