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Hi Gareth,
Many thanks for your ideas and bringing to my attention that there's a
Cwmfelin at Maesteg, a fact of which I wasn't aware.
Jeff Coleman has written to me off list and has informed me there was an
earlier Cwmfelin Tinplate Works in Swansea which had a serious boiler
explosion in 1866 and led to the owner David DAVIES being made bankrupt
shortly afterwards; it looks like Edward Rice DANIEL subsequently
rebuilt part or all of the works.
Thus, if I can make a family connection between David DAVIES and my
ancestor William DAVIES, my questions will have been answered.
Many thanks Gareth and Jeff.
Greg Davies
On 24/12/2018 22:29, Gareth Morgan via GLAMORGAN wrote:
Hello Greg
My family worked in the Old factory (Woollen Mill) at Cwmfelin, before
moving further down the valley to a former mill that used to grind
flour. I'm not sure but the reason they moved may have something to do
with the opening of the Troedyrhiw Garth Iron Works in 1847 (Maesteg
Celtic Playing feilds) and the or the railway line coming to Maesteg in
about 1853. The
Tin Works Garth Maesteg May 1868
The first turf of the New Tin Works, to be erected opposite the Old
Garth furnaces, Maesteg, was cut on the 30th and the work is to be
pushed on with all possible speed.
If you google Mill Street, Maesteg, you will see the old mill and a
railway bridge going over the road, it cut the street in half and a pub
had to be rebuilt on the other side of the bridge. The landlord of the
Rose and Crown moved to Hughesovka.
The Woollen Mill is the white building on the left. Going through the
bridge and following the road up a little hill you come to the Maesteg
Celtic ground where the Troedyrhiw Garth Iron Works once stood. In 1849
there was a Galvanised Iron Works at Garth, owned by John Cole, David
Francis and William Francis.
After all that I have found the book that states that it was because of
an agreement with the Llwydarth Tinplate Works for water that the
woollen mill moved from Cwmfelin.
David Grey the owner of the Tin Works built a some houses named after
his wife Gwenllian Terrace, (later named Gwendoline Terrace) and after
his daughter Olivia Terrace.
David Grey was born in Llansamlet and was the mineral agent of the
Llynfi Iron Works. His company were famous for its japanning process,
which was carried out at Rock House, next door to Tabor Maesteg, which
is a garage now, the deeds of which were lost in a fire.
David Grey a mineral agent of Garth Cottage, Cwmdu, of full age married
at Llangynwyd Parish Church on 26 Oct 1854, the son of John Grey a Bolt
Roller. To Gwenllian Rowland of minor age, whose father was William
Rowland a Mineral Agent of South Parade, Maesteg. his wife died in
Milan, where e had interests in the tinplate industry there.
The Garth Works produced polished sheet iron or steel, which was
exclusively produced by Russia, which is why I included the landlord of
the Rose and Crown in this message (could he have revealed the process
to Grey). It employed 500 people at one time until the McKinley tariffs
were introduced and the works closed in 1897, according to a local
historian.
Regards
Gareth
P. S. I know there was a strong connection between Swansea and the
Cwnfelin works but I can't find any at present, possibly because of the
McKinley tariffs, work was moved to Swansea