LLANELLY

"LLANELLY, a parish, seaport, market town, and borough in the hundred of Carnwallon, county Carmarthen, South Wales, 13 miles S.E. of Carmarthen, and 2241 from London by the South Wales section of the Great Western railway, on which it is a station. The town, which has grown up since the commencement of the present century, is now a thriving port, with a population of near 16,000. It is situated on air estuary, formed by the river Loughor and the sea, called Barry creek, and is intersected by the Llanelly railway, which, after traversing the rich mineral district from near Llandilo Fawr, runs down to the docks and floating basin, which has 24 feet water, and admits ships of 600 tons register. The graving dock of the railway is admirably constructed, and a breakwater extends from one end of it, which enables vessels to lie at all times in smooth water. Each dock has a scouring reservoir attached to it, and there is besides a reservoir of great capacity for scouring the harbour and the channel. The parish, which is of large extent, comprising above 18,000 acres, contains, besides the town of Llanelly, the hamlets of Berwick, Glyn, Hengoed, and Westfa or Westoac. It is a borough by prescription, being nominally governed by a portreeve, burgesses, town officers, &c., who have an income of about £500 a year, but how or when they acquired their corporate capacity is not satisfactorily determined. It is also a parliamentary borough, contributory under the Reform Act to Carmarthen, in returning one member to parliament, and is a polling-place for the county elections. The town, which is irregularly built, has undergone great improvement of late years, the old and dilapidated dwellings of the ancient village having been superseded by excellent dwelling-houses and good ranges of shops. It contains a townhall, convenient market-house, custom-house, branch of the South Wales Bank, savings-bank, union poorhouse, and the smelting-house of the Cambrian Copper Works, belonging to the firm of Neville & Co., with a chimney 231 feet high, which is a conspicuous object for miles around. It has risen into considerable commercial importance from the mineral treasures in its vicinity, and its ready access to the sea, which renders it an outlet for a large part of the South Wales coal-field. The principal article of export is coal, in the working of which more than 1,000 persons are constantly employed. The coal is of a fine quality, called anthracite, and besides being largely supplied coastwise for home consumption, is sent to Malta, Marseilles, Odessa, Constantinople, Suez, Bombay, and other distant ports, for the supply of steam vessels re-coaling at those ports. The other commerce of the place consists in the export of iron, culm, copper-cake, and sheating, fire-clay and ironstone, and in the importation of copper ore and grain for the supply of the surrounding district. There are several foundries, iron, copper, tin, and lead works, and a pottery. In the vicinity of the town are several handsome mansions, as Llangrannick House, of the Earl of Warwick; Llanelly House, of W. Chambers, Esq., whose hounds hunt round here; Stradey of D. Lewis, Esq.; and Glanmor, of R. Neville, Esq. Its sub-ports are, Carmarthen, St. Clear, Laugharne, and Pembrey. Llanelly Poor-law Union comprises seven parishes, six in Carmarthen and one in Glamorgan. It also the head of a superintendent registry, and of a new County Court district. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of St. David's, value with the curacies of St. John and Trinity annexed, £100. The church is an old structure situated near the centre of the town, remarkable for having two towers, one of which terminates in an embattled parapet, the base being much broader than the top, while the other tower is surmounted by a steeple. There are also two new churches, one of which is in the Wern district, and another at Velin-foel. The living of St. Paul's district church is a perpetual curacy, value £150, in the patronage of the crown and bishop alternately. The Baptists, Independents, Wesleyans, Roman Catholics, and Primitive Methodists have places of worship. There are National and other schools. Market days are Thursday and Saturday. Fairs are held on Holy Thursday and 30th September."

"BERWICK, a hamlet in the parish of Llanelly, and hundred of Carnwallon, in the county of Carmarthen, South Wales, not far from Llanelly. It contains some ruins of a church."

"BOROUGH, a hamlet in the parish of Llanelly, and hundred of Carnwalton, in the county of Carmarthen, not far from Llanelly. Here are extensive iron-works and coal-mines, in which the inhabitants are principally engaged."

"CAPEL-IFAN, a hamlet in the parish of Llanelly, hundred of Carnwallon, in the county of Carmarthen, South Wales, not far from Llanelly. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of St. David's."

"DOCK, in the parish of Llanelly, and a suburb of the borough of Llanelly, in the hundred of Carnwallon, in the county of Carmarthen, 13 miles S.E. of Carmarthen. It is situated at the mouth of the river Llougher, which here forms an extensive dock and floating basin, with 24 feet water, and a breakwater outside. The Llanelly railway and dock has a station here."

"GLYN, a hamlet in the parish of Llanelly, hundred of Carnwallon, county Carmarthen, South Wales, 4 miles N.W. of Llanelly. It is situated at the foot of the lofty hill called Mynydd Sulien. The people are mostly employed in the collieries."

"HENGOED, a hamlet in the parish of Llanelly, hundred of Carnwallon, county Carmarthen, 2 miles from Llanelly, within which borough it is included, and 12 S.E. of Carmarthen. It is situated in the great South Wales coalfield, at the river Llougher's mouth, and near Bury Creek. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in the mines and collieries."

"WESTFA, a hamlet in the parish of Llanelly, county Carmarthen, 14 miles S.E. of Carmarthen."

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