Newcastle Hill and St. Illtyd`s Church
| In his Will of
1877 William Lewis of Bridgend "gave and demised the tenement opposite
the entrance to Newcastle Church Yard and used as School Rooms .. unto
Catherine Elizabeth Leach .. the daughter of Dinah Leach". Trade Directories
show that Catherine and her sister Jennie ran the "Young Ladies School,
Ivy House, Newcastle Hill, Bridgend" until at least 1926. In her Will of
1942 (she died 24/2/1945) Catherine left the schoolrooms to her niece Constance
Freda Leach. In 1946 Constance (of 35 West Road, Bridgend) sold the schoolrooms
to the Apostolic Church
|
 |
| When she made her Will in 1942 Catherine Leach was living at 37 Newcastle Hill. This is the white house shown here and is the next house down the hill from Ivy House School. |  |
| The house centre picture is
number 44 Newcastle Hill; the sign indicates that it is now owned by a
potter. In 1881 and 1891 Catherine Leach` mother Dinah and her family are
living there.
|
 |
| Newcastle
Church - St. Illtyd`s
Dinah Leach (died 1891) is buried here but I have not found her grave. Her son Burleigh St. Leger Leach who died 4th August 1889 is buried in the area of the churchyard behind the church; buried with him are his niece Eleanor Dinah Kelsey and another probable niece Gwenllian Kennett Palmer - the gravestone describes her as " formerly China Island Missionary for many years and late Church sister at St. mary`s Longfleet Poole". |
 |