Aberavon Margam Port Talbot Contents

PORT TALBOT, is a harbour in Swansea Bay, in the parish of Margam, and in the borough of, and 1 mile from, Aberavon, which latter place formerly was the port; but by an act obtained in 1834 and in 1836 to alter, amend, and further improve the said harbour, and to change its name. Also in 1840 it was further enacted by an act passed to enable the 'Port Talbot Company' to raise further monies, and to amend the acts relating to the same port, and thenceforth to be called bu its present name, and that the company incorporated by the first mentioned act should thenceforth be a body corporate by the style of the 'Port Talbot Company'. The channel of entrance is formed by the river Avon, which now runs into the sea 1 1/4 mile N.W. to the old entrance to Aberavon harbour, which is now disused. There is a large floating dock, distant 3/4 mile from the sea, upwards of a mile in length, with a depth of 16 to 20 feet of water at all times, which is entered by a lock 44 feet wide and 140 feet long. From this port vessels are employed in carrying copper, iron, tin-plate, coal, &c. to various parts of the world, the produce of the works, & c., in the neighbourhood, and which has tended very much to the prosperity of the port. There is also a railway station on the South Wales line, which passes through the town. The population, which is returned with the parish, is about 800.

ABERAVON, or Aberafon, is a parish, and borough parliamentary and corporate, and is governed by a port reve and other officers, and is of great antiquity, situated 1 mile N.W., from Port Talbot, between 6 and 7 miles s. from Neath and from 11 to 12 N.W. from Bridgend. The river Avon forms one side of the borough and ives it the name of Aber-avon. Abermouth situated near the shore of the Bristol Channel, and which was formerly the port, but has given precedence to Port Talbot, of which further mention is made in the particulars of that port. The trade of the town is mainly depedent on the neighbouring copper, iron and tin-plate works, which are of great magnitude. Between 2 and 3 miles hence is Margam Abbey, the princely residence of C. R. M. Talbot, Esq., M.P., and Lord-Lieutenant of the county, justly considered one of the finest seats in the principality. Aberavon shares with Swansea and other places (named under the head of the latter town), in the elective franchise. A new parish church is now being erected, designed by Messrs. Prichard and Seddon, of Llandaff, the diocesan architects. There are also places of worship for Baptists, Independents, Wesleyans, Primitives and Bible Christians. A list of which is given at the end. Also a national school adjoining the church for the young of both sexes. The parish contained in 1841 1, 290, and in 1851 2,380 inhabitants

CWM AVON, a populous hamlet, situated in the lower hamlet of the parish of Michaelstone, Super-Avon, distant about one mile and a half from Aberavon, and two miles from Port-Talbot, and is connected therewith by a railway, the property of the Governors and Co. of Copper Mines in England - nearly the whole of the hamlet is occupied by the copper, iron, tin-plate and other works and collieries belonging to the above Company. The chimney stack of these works is well worthy of notice from its novelty, it being carried along the side of a high mountain some distance from the works to its summit, at which point it terminates by a high stack, 1,200 feet above the level of the furnaces of the copper works, and 1,400 feet above the level of the sea, and which is easily to be seen for a number of miles in various directions, its object being to carry away from the lands under cultivation the noxious vapours arising from the smelting of the copper ore. There are two churches of the establishment, the parish church and All Saint's church: the service in the parish church being performed in Welch, and All Saint's in English. There are also two licensed rooms at Oakwood for the use of the upper hamlet of Michaelstone and part of Margam parish: Rev. M. Williams is curate. The living, in the gift of the Governors and Company, with a list of their ministers will be found attached to their respective churches, at the end of the directory. There are also places of worship for Baptists, Independents and Methodists. Also schools, which are connected with the works, are very extensive, and stand high in point of efficiency - daily attendance from 700 to 800 of both sexes. The population of the lower hamlet is about 7,000, the whole of which, within a few hundreds, are supported by the above works. The upper hamlet is chiefly agricultural.

TAIBACH, a village in the parish of Margam, distant about 1 1/2 mile from Aberavon, and something less from Port Talbot. The principal feature here is the extensive copper works of Messrs. Vivian & Sons, which employ a great number of hands, through which the inhabitants are almost entirely dependend. There is a chapel of ease under Margam parish church, and a chapel for the Calvinistic Methodists, likewise a school supported by the above works.

POST OFFICE, Aberavon, Alfred Miles, Post Master - Letters arrive (from Taibach, every morning at half past seven, and in the afternoon at half-past three, and evening at seven.

POST OFFICE, Cwm Avon, William Button, Post Master - Letters arrive (from Taibach), every morning at eight, and in the afternoon at half-past four, and in the evening at half-past seven, and are despatched thereto at a qurter past two, half-past five and six, p.m.

Gentry and Clergy

Schools

Booksellers & Stationers

Chemists and Druggists

Coal Proprietors

Commission Agents

Copper Smelters and Manufacturers

Fire &c. Office Agents

Inn and Public Houses

Retailers of Beer

Iron and Tin-plate Manufacturers

Iron Masters

Iron Mongers

Linen & Woollen Drapers
(See also Grocers & Drapers under the head Shopkeepers)

Ship Builder

Ship Chandlers

Shopkeepers, Traders &c.

Watch and Clock Maker

Places of Worship
And their Ministers

Aberavon Building Society (First), Castle Hotel . . Wm. Davies, secretary
Aberavon Building Society (Second), Victoria Hotel . . Wm. Jones, secretary
Central Glamorgan Building Society, Ivorites Hall . . William Davies, secretary
Custom House, Port Talbot . . William Loveluck, principal coast officer and collector of light dues; George Bydder, tide waiter
Gas Works, Water st. . . William Jones, secretary
Harbour Trust Co.'s Office, Port Talbot . . Thos. Lewis, harbour master, Henry John Lewis, receiver of tolls
Ivorites' Hall, Duck st - John Evans, secretary
Library and News Room, Cwm Avon Works . . William Button, librarian
Market Hall, Taibach . . Benjamin Jones, keeper
Market Hall, Church st. . Vacant
Police Station (County), Aberavon . . James Cecil, sergeant
Stamp Office, High st . . Evan Evans
Town Hall, Cae-green . . John Thomas, keeper

Conveyance by Railway

Conveyance by Water
Traders

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