John Tilbury, born in Clanfield on 11th November 1838, was the son of James Tilbury and Hannah (nee Pink) who were prominently involved in the establishment of Methodism in the area and the founding in 1840 of the Methodist Chapel at Newtown, Clanfield.

James, Hannah and their family were banded as "dissenters" and incurred the Anglican Vicar's extreme displeasure. To be a "dissenter" in a rural community in the mid 19th century meant that you were severely disadvantaged as the community led by the Vicar were encouraged to boycott your trade thus making it very difficult to earn a living. As the Methodist movement grew, so the Vicar became more irate.

John, trying to build a trade growing, buying and selling fruit and vegetables, suffered greatly. At last he decided that the answer to his problem was to conduct his business in distant markets where his background wasn't known, well away from Clanfield. It was at Bristol market that he first met his future wife, Elizabeth Loyns.

Elizabeth was the daughter of a Frenchman who had fled to England from the horrors of the French Revolution. She grew up on a farm in West Buckland, near Wellington in Somerset - there are several entries for Loyns BMD for the 19th century in the West Buckland Parish Registers. Originally the family name was Lyons but the locals found that too difficult to pronounce and the name became Loyns. Elizabeth was "in service" as a lady's maid when she met John in the market.

Elizabeth and John married at Petersfield (only a few miles from Clanfield) in 1866 and rented a shop in Petersfield High Street. It was a combined greengrocer's (John's trade) and drapery shop (Elizabeth was a very skilled needlewoman). Their two oldest children, Elizabeth (1867) and John (1870) were born there and Elizabeth's brother, Mark, and her sister Ann, moved in to help with the business. Soon it became difficult to support four adults and two children so John looked round for additional income.

At this time the coal-mining industry in South Wales was rapidly expanding which gave John an idea - more pits meant more miners - with families - which meant a growing number of customers. In 1872 John moved his family to the Rhondda and there set up his greengrocery business. When this flourished, he set up a building contractor's business.

John never forgot his Methodist upbringing and he, with six other English immigrants, formed the Tonypandy Wesleyan Chapel. He and Elizabeth had five more children all born in Ystradyfodwg; one of them was Emma Jane, the future mother of George Thomas who became Speaker of the House of Commons.
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