CARDIFF

"CARDIFF, comprises the parishes of St. John the Baptist, and St. Mary; it is a seaport, market town, municipal and parliamentary borough, in the county of Glamorgan, South Wales, 170 miles to the W. of London. It was formerly the county town, a distinction now shared with Swansea. It is a principal station on the South Wales railway, and is the terminus of the Taff Vale and Aberdare and Rhymney railways. The town is situated on a level spot near the coast of the Bristol Channel, on the E. bank of the river Taff, or Taf, 2 miles above its opening, in common with the Ely, under the headland and roadstead of Penarth, and is a place of considerable antiquity. Its name is derived either from Caer-Taf, which signifies the "fort on the Taff;" or from Caerdidi, signifying the" fortress of Didius." The Welsh form of its name is Caerdydd, which is supposed to lend support to the conjecture that a fort was erected here by Aulus Didius, the Roman general. The native princes of Morganwg had their seat here from the time of their leaving Caerleon till after the Norman Conquest, when Robert Fitzhamon made himself master of the district, and built the castle, portions of which still remain, forming part of the mansion of the Marquis of Bute. Two monasteries were founded here by the earls of Clare in the 13th century. Cardiff derives its present importance from its port, and its proximity to the rich coal and mineral districts of Aberdare and the Taff Valley, and the great iron-works of Merthyr Tydvillage The construction of the Glamorganshire canal, the Taff Vale and Aberdare railway, and the Bute Dock, with the ship canal, have very greatly promoted the trade and prosperity of the town. Its population increased eighteen-fold during the first half of the present century-from 1,018 in 1801 to 18,351 in 1851; and has nearly doubled in the last decennial period, from 1851 to 1861. The canal, 25 miles long, extending from Merthyr Tydvil to the sea, was formed about 1795. The Taff Vale railway, of the same length, was completed in 1840, and runs in a parallel course with the canal. The Bute Docks, projected by the Marquis of Bute, were formed at a cost of above £1,000,000; and though opened in 1839, were not completed till 1859. The West Dock, that first opened, has sea-gates of 45 feet opening; depth on the sill at springs, 28 feet 81 in.; at neaps, 18 feet 72 in., and a lock 152 feet long by 36 feet broad; the area of the basin is upwards of 20 acres, and the length of quays 8,000 feet The East Dock has gates of 65 feet opening; depths on sill, 31 feet 82 in. and 21 feet 7 in.; with an outer lock 220 feet by 65 ft-, and an inner lock 200 feet by 50 feet The area of this basin is 46 acres; depth, 25 feet; breadth, 300 feet to 500 feet; and length of quays, 9,100 feet The dock-gates open upon a broad and deep channel cut in the mud, and flooded by the Taff. Fostered by the success of the Bute Docks, a company has undertaken the improvement of Penarth Harbour, and the construction of rival docks at the mouth of the Ely, which are near completion. These works are connected with the Taff Vale railway near Pentyrch by a short branch line. The harbour is one of the best on the coast, and steamers ply daily to Bristol, according to tides; also to Burnham, on the opposite coast, and to Cork in alternation with Newport. Aberthan and Barry are subports to Cardiff. The tonnage of the port in 1857 was 6,839 vessels, with a register of 1,081,080 tons. Besides the coasting trade there is a considerable colonial and foreign traffic. During the month of February, 1863, 331 ships cleared for foreign ports, carrying 115,890 tons of coals, chiefly the produce of the collieries of Aberdare, 632 tons of coke, 1,911 tons of patent fuel, and 12,669 tons of iron from the great works at Merthyr Tydvillage Corn and provisions are also exported. Cardiff received its first charter of incorporation from Edward III., in 1338. The borough is divided into two wards, and is governed by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors, bearing the style of the "bailiffs, aldermen, and burgesses of the town of Cardiff." The revenue of the corporation is about £2,450, and the limits of the municipal borough include 4,666 houses, inhabited, according to the census of 1861, by a population of 32,421, against 18,351, in 1851, showing an increase of no less than 14,070, in the decennial period. The town, part of which is of modern erection, has several spacious streets. The principal one is that in the line of the great road from London, which is crossed by another good street at right angles. The streets are paved and lighted with gas. The principal public buildings are the guildhall, which stands in one of the chief streets, and in which the Eistedvodd, or "Congress of Bards," was held in 1850; the market-house, erected in 1835; the county gaol and house of correction, the theatre, the custom-house, the infirmary (founded by Daniel Jones, Esq.), and the Union poorhouse, W. of the town. The suburbs are now almost as extensive as the town itself, consisting of large masses of buildings around the docks and railway stations, and scattered villas and lines of houses towards Reath and Maindy, at Penarth, Canton, and along the road to Llandaff. The management of the local affairs is entrusted to a numerous body of commissioners appointed under an Act passed in 1837. The town first received the elective franchise in the reign of Henry VIII., since which time it has returned, with Cowbridge and Llantrissent (its contributory boroughs), one member to the imperial parliament. The sanitary interests of the town are provided for by a Local Board of Health. The assizes and quarter sessions are held at Cardiff, and polling for the county elections also takes place here. Cardiff is the head of a Poor-law Union, and of County Court and excise districts. It is the headquarters of the county militia. A weekly newspaper, called the Cardiff Guardian, is published in the town. Cardiff comprises the two parishes of St. John the Baptist and St. Mary. The living of St. John is a vicarage* in the diocese of Llandaff, value £260, in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester. The church is a large and handsome edifice, partly in the early English and partly in the perpendicular style, with a fine embattled tower surmounted by pinnacles. It contains two altar-tombs, with effigies and canopies, in memory of Sir William and Sir John Herbert; the ruins of whose seat are still seen in the castle garden. The living of St. Mary is a vicarage in the same diocese, value £200, in the patronage of the Marquis of Bute. The church was erected about 1845. The old church of St. Mary was destroyed by a flood at the beginning of the 17th century. The Wesleyans, Roman Catholics, Independents, and Baptists have chapels in the town. The charitable endowments, which include a bequest by Cradock Wells for educational purposes, producing about £70 a year, and the income (£25) of the free school founded and endowed by the Herberts, amount altogether to about £140 per annum. There are several large schools in the town, a dispensary, and other charitable institutions. The castle, which stands on the W. side of the town, consists of a spacious quadrangular court, enclosed on three sides by a lofty earthwork, erected by the exterior wall and buttress towers. The fourth side, towards the river, is defended by a lofty wall, and includes the inhabited buildings, which constitute but a small portion of this ancient fortress. A fine tower flanks the western front, which is new. On a mound are still standing ruins of the keep, 75 feet high, commanding an extensive view over the flat neighbourhood. It was in this castle that Robert Duke of Normandy, surnamed Curthose, suffered an imprisonment of nearly 30 years, and died in 1135. During the civil war in the reign of Charles I. the castle was first garrisoned for the king, but afterwards fell into the hands of Cromwell. It contains numerous portraits of the Bute family, and other pictures, including works by Vandyck, Kneller, and others. A short distance E. of the castle are the scanty remains of the ancient friary. A garden and walks have been made on the W. side of the river, just across the bridge, by Lady Bute, who permits the public to enjoy them. The Taff is crossed by a bridge. Cardiff gives the title of baron to the Marquis of Bute, who holds the manor-Wednesday and Saturday are the market days. Fairs are held on the second Wednesday in March, April, and May, the 29th June, the 19th September, and the 30th November for the sale of cattle, &c."

"FLAT-HOLM, an island in the middle of the Bristol Channel, in the parish of Cardiff, county Glamorgan, about 3 miles S.E. of Lavernock Point. It is about 119 mile in circuit, and is chiefly composed of magnesian limestone, which forms low cliffs along the coast. Between this island and the Welsh coast is a dangerous reef known as the Wolves. A light house was erected at the southern point of the island in 1737, which has a fixed light visible for 17 miles."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018