This is an amazing site! One of the first things I see on my first browse through the forum is a thread about this pub. Edward Davies is my 3G Uncle as I descend through his eldest sister, Margaret.
Edward's father was Davies Edward Davies, who married Elisabeth Williams at St Giles in 1821. When Margaret was born, at Broughton in 1822, Davies was a collier. He seems to have moved the family to the Bwlchgwyn area as the rest of his children give that as their birthplace. In the 1851 census he's living in
Minera* and is listed as a Mine Agent - an uncertified mine manager. His sons, Edward and Davies Edward junior, are colliers while Margaret is a servant at Glascoed.
Davies senior died in 1860 at Ffynnon y cwrw and is buried (I found from the sister site) at Wern Chapel. Whether there was a downturn in the mines or whether to two boys simply took the opportunity to leave the pit behind I don't know but both take different careers. Edward takes on the King's Head while Davies junior moves to Coedpoeth and becomes a grocer and, later, a butcher.
Margaret married Edward Peters, a boot and shoemaker from Ffrith. They had two daughters and I descend from the elder, Elizabeth. To cut a long story short, Edward died in 1879 and, as both girls were working in England as servants, Margaret moved from Rhiw Cottages at Llanfynnydd to the King's Head.
Edward and Mary, confusingly nee Davies, had two sons - Edward and Davies Edward. This has to be a family custom as his brother Davies also has sons named this way.
Edward Davies died in 1891 and Mary took over the tenancy. After she died, in 1896, the tenancy probably went to another family as neither son appears to have taken it on. Davies Edward died, aged 30, in 1900. My 2G Grandmother, who was blind by 1891, appears to have lived with Edward as he was a witness to her death in 1899. He was a labourer on the railway.
That's a quick summary of my info and I hope it's useful to someone.
* This turns out to be a mistake. The family were at Bwlchgwyn, Piece 2502, Schedule 83. My error was that Davies Edward Davies claimed Minera as his birthplace and that had stuck in my mind.
Keith Jackson