Slaters Commercial Directory 1880

ABERAVON, Port Talbot, Margam, Michaelstone-super-Avon, Cwm-avon,
Taibach, Pontrhydyfen, Hafod-y-Porth, and Trissaint

Transcribed by Phil Mustoe

ABERAVON, or Aberafon, is a thriving and populous parish and borough of great antiquity, and is included in the Parliamentary district of Swansea, in the union, hundred and county court district of Neath, situated 1 mile N.W. from PortTalbot, 3 miles from Briton Ferry, 6 miles S.E. from Neath, and 12 miles N.W. from Bridgend, now under the Municipal Corporation Act, and governed by a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve concillors, who replaced the ancient portreve and other officials, and are elected annually. The river Avon forms one side of the borough, and gives it the name of Aberavon. Abermouth, situated near the shore of the Bristol Channel, was formerly the Port, but has given precedence to Port Talbot, of which mention is made in the particulars of that port. The trade of the town is in a flourishing condition, and is mainly dependent on the neighbouring collieries, and copper, iron and tinplate works which are of great magnitude, and give employment to a vast number of hands, and amongst which may be mentioned the Port Talbot Iron and Tinplate Works, and the Burrows Tinplate Works, the latter recently erected, with ample railway and water communication for transit to and from their extensive works. Aberavon shares with Swansea and other places named under the head of the latter town in the elective franchise. The church of St. Mary is a neat stone structure in the early English style of arhitecture, erected in 1861, from designs by Messrs. Pritchard and Seddon, the diocesan architects of Llandaff, on the site of the old church, and consists of nave, chancel, south aisle, and porch, a handsome tower, containing a peel of five bells, has been added making the total cost of the edifice about £3,500; the living is a vicarage in the gift of Griffith Llewellyn Esq., of Baglan Hall, and is annexed to Baglan. There are also places of worship for Roman Catholics, Baptists and Bible Christians, a list of which is given at the end. A National school adjoins the parish church for the young of both sexes. The gasworks and the waterworks have for some time been in the hands of the Corporation, and the latter are about being completed with a splendid system of supply at a cost of about £10,000. A large, handsome and commodious Public and Masonic Hall, in which public meetings and entertainments are held, was erected in 1874, by a proprietory company at a cost of about £2,500, thus supplying a want long felt by the inhabitants. The scenery in the surrounding neighbourhood is extremely pretty having beautiful hills, some ranging to 1,500 feet high. The railway station is at Port Talbot, distant about half a mile, where omnibuses and carriages meet arrivals of the trains. The parish in 1861, had a population of 2,916, and in1871, 3,396, since which period, owing to the increase of tinplate works in the neighbourhood, it has been steadily increasing.

PORT TALBOT is a harbour in Swansea Bay, in the parishes of Margam and Aberavon, distant one mile from the latter town, about 32 miles to the westward of Cardiff, and 5 miles from Swansea, (by sea). Aberavon was formerly the port, but by an act obtained in 1834 and in 1836 to alter, amend, and further improve the harbour its name was changed; and in 1840 another act was passed to enable the Port Talbot Company to raise further moneys and to amend the Acts relating to the same port and thenceforth to be called by its present name, and that the company incorporated by the first mentioned Act should thenceforth bear 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 1¼ miles N.W. of the old entrance to Aberavon harbour, which is now disused. There is a large floating dock distant three quarters of a mile from the sea, upwards of a mile in length, with a depth of sixteen to eighteen feet at all times, which is entered by a lock 44 feet wide by 290 feet long.

POSTAL REGULATIONS - Wick, Monknash, Marcross, and Llandow. - Letters for these places arrive from and are despatched to Bridgend, their post town, once daily

The nearest Money Order Office is at Llantwit Major

Gentry & Clergy

Bruce Lewis Knight, Esq., J.P., Monknash
Bruce Rev. William, J.P., Monknash
Edwardes Rev. W. J., The Rectory, Llandow
Jones Rev. Pryce W., The Rectory, Marcross
Jones Rev. Thomas, Wick

Schools

National Schools:-

Marcross - Jos. Thompson, master
Wick - Mary Roberts, mistress

Farmers

In Wick Parish

Bowen Thomas, Broughton
Cooke Thomas & Son, Wick
David Hopkin, Green Isha
David Thomas, Green Isha
Donne James, Wick
Dunn John, Court-y-Manerch
Evans Thomas, Wick
Harry John, Wick
Howells William, Glan-y-mor
Jenkins Benjamin, New Well
John Thomas, Broughton
Lloyd William, Wick
Morgan William, Wick
Preece Evan, West House
Prichard Ann, Green Isha
Thomas David, Monkton
Williams Philemon, Caia Craddock

In Llandow Parish

Hopkin Hopkin, Ty-yncaia
Richards William, Llandow
Thomas David, Sutton
Thomas Mary, Court Newydd
Thomas Robert, Grove Cottage
Thomas William, Llandow
Williams Rees, Llandow

In Marcross Parish

Cooke William, The Llan
Morgan Ann, The Farm
Morgan Evan, Village House
Thomas Edward, Groesol

In Monknash Parish

Alexander Thomas, Monkton East
Donne William, Monkton West
Jones Ann, Mill Farm
Morgan Edward, Clawdd-y-mynach
Thomas Evan, Monknash

Public Houses

Carpenters' Arms, Meyrick John, Wick
Horse Shoe, Bartholomew Jenkins, Marcross
Lamb & Flag, Thos. Llewellyn, Wick
Plough & Harrow, William Howells, Monknash
Royal Oak, Lewis Harry, Wick
Star, John Harry, Wick
Steady Pointer, Wm. Loughor, Wick
Swan, David Loughor, Wick

Shopkeepers, Traders, &c.

Cooke Thomas, Grocer & tailor, and assistant overseer, Wick
David George, miller, Llandow
Harry John, shopkeeper, Wick
Jones Ebenezer, blacksmith, Wick
Jones John, wheelwright, Wick
Jones Joseph, tailor, Llandow
Lewis Rees, tailor, Wick
Llewellyn John, stonemason, Wick
Loughor William, carpenter, Wick
Morgan Howell, brewer, Wick
Thomas Edward, shoemaker, Wick
Thomas William, grocer, Marcross
Thomas William, carpenter, Llandow
Watts George, blacksmith, Monknash
Williams Richard, blacksmith, Wick

Places of Worship and their Ministers

Churches of the Establishment

Holy Trinity, Llandow - Rev. W. J. Edwardes, rector
Holy Trinity, Marcross - Rev. Pryce W. Jones, rector
St James's, Wick - Rev. Thomas Jones, incumbent
St Mary's, Monknash - Rev. W. J. Edwardes, incumbent

Dissenting Chapels

Baptist, Wick - Rev. Titus Lloyd
Methodist (Calvinistic), Wick - Ministers various

Railways

The nearest Stations, are Bridgend, on the Great Western Railway, 5½ miles, and Cowbridge, on the Cowbridge and Llantrisant Railway, 6 miles from Wick