Overview

Fascinating volume of history, shedding light on the lead mining industry in Ceredigion and shipping from Aberystwyth, through the story of four generations of interlinked families in north Ceredigion in the 19th and 20th centuries. Comprises copies of 16 previously unpublished 19th-century watercolour paintings. -- Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru

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9781784619664

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The author is a native of Ceredigion, with roots in the area extending back for several generations. He is currently retired and lives in Swansea, but one of his interests is the local history of north Ceredigion, especially the lead mining industry which was vital to the economy of these remote rural localities. This led him to pursue the lives and careers of four of his forefathers. In this readable, absorbing tale, penned in a fluid style, a brief history of the Aberystwyth locality focuses on developments from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the lead mining industry came into its own and provided employment for substantial numbers of men. The first section of the volume discusses Captain William James (1842–1917), great-great-grandfather of the author who became an esteemed sea captain on several vessels which departed from Aberystwyth harbour, travelled widely to several continental ports, and left a number of records of his activities, which include entries recorded in his personal log book and a revealing letter book. His career was eventually heavily impacted by the advent of the railway in the county and a dramatic fall in the price of lead ore. He turned to the flourishing Cardiganshire milk industry in middle age, keeping fascinating records of his many activities. A new life on the farm also saw William James turn to drawing and watercolour painting, including some of his old sea vessels, and sixteen of his paintings, mainly from the end of the nineteenth century, are reproduced here. Several iconic local scenes are also included. This absorbing story, related with verve and conviction, includes many valuable references to the local history in the county. One of Captain James's children was William Richard James, born in August 1895. He joined the Cardiganshire Battery at the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914. The battery was ordered to move to France and then Cairo, subsequently charged to guard a section of the Suez Canal and then seeing action in several crucial battles in the Middle East. William remained there at the time of his father's death in August 1917. Eventually Wil returned to join his widowed mother in Aberystwyth, married and had two daughters. He then forged a new career as a local labourer and gardener. The third section in the book is devoted to the life of the author's paternal grandfather John David Davies (1876–1942), originally a farm hand at a local farm, Llain Fawr, and whose need for increased income to support his growing family led him to turn to the precarious occupation of lead mining against the wishes of his father, and set up home in the remote hamlet of Salem. Details of his working, family and domestic life have been meticulously collected and recorded here. Davies and his wife raised five daughters between 1908 and 1916. Local difficulties led to the difficult decision to relocate to south Wales where he became a coal miner and enjoyed a different existence in the hospitable coal mining communities – a real eye opener to a Cardiganshire man. The rest of this chapter details the career of a son Elfed born in September 1919 who saw military service in north Africa and Italy during the Second World War. The father of the author of this publication, he drafted a fascinating account of his childhood. The fourth chapter is devoted to the life of Isaac Jenkins (1883–1966), a native of Ystumtuen who also abandoned his low-paid work as a farmhand and secured work on the construction of the narrow-gauge railway linking Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge, completed in 1902. As is recorded here, the impact of this innovative railway link was far-reaching in a remote, rural community and it continues to be function today as a tourist attraction. A brief concluding note reflects on the personal changes wrought by the passage of time and the linking of the various generations in these remote rural communities. This intriguing little book is further enhanced by the provision of a 'family time line' which notes the key dates in the involved history of the families chronicled here. -- John Graham @ www.gwales.com

The author is a native of Ceredigion, with roots in the area extending back for several generations. He is currently retired and lives in Swansea, but one of his interests is the local history of north Ceredigion, especially the lead mining industry which was vital to the economy of these remote rural localities. This led him to pursue the lives and careers of four of his forefathers. In this readable, absorbing tale, penned in a fluid style, a brief history of the Aberystwyth locality focuses on developments from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the lead mining industry came into its own and provided employment for substantial numbers of men. The first section of the volume discusses Captain William James (1842-1917), great-great-grandfather of the author who became an esteemed sea captain on several vessels which departed from Aberystwyth harbour, travelled widely to several continental ports, and left a number of records of his activities, which include entries recorded in his personal log book and a revealing letter book. His career was eventually heavily impacted by the advent of the railway in the county and a dramatic fall in the price of lead ore. He turned to the flourishing Cardiganshire milk industry in middle age, keeping fascinating records of his many activities. A new life on the farm also saw William James turn to drawing and watercolour painting, including some of his old sea vessels, and sixteen of his paintings, mainly from the end of the nineteenth century, are reproduced here. Several iconic local scenes are also included. This absorbing story, related with verve and conviction, includes many valuable references to the local history in the county. One of Captain James's children was William Richard James, born in August 1895. He joined the Cardiganshire Battery at the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914. The battery was ordered to move to France and then Cairo, subsequently charged to guard a section of the Suez Canal and then seeing action in several crucial battles in the Middle East. William remained there at the time of his father's death in August 1917. Eventually Wil returned to join his widowed mother in Aberystwyth, married and had two daughters. He then forged a new career as a local labourer and gardener. The third section in the book is devoted to the life of the author's paternal grandfather John David Davies (1876-1942), originally a farm hand at a local farm, Llain Fawr, and whose need for increased income to support his growing family led him to turn to the precarious occupation of lead mining against the wishes of his father, and set up home in the remote hamlet of Salem. Details of his working, family and domestic life have been meticulously collected and recorded here. Davies and his wife raised five daughters between 1908 and 1916. Local difficulties led to the difficult decision to relocate to south Wales where he became a coal miner and enjoyed a different existence in the hospitable coal mining communities - a real eye opener to a Cardiganshire man. The rest of this chapter details the career of a son Elfed born in September 1919 who saw military service in north Africa and Italy during the Second World War. The father of the author of this publication, he drafted a fascinating account of his childhood. The fourth chapter is devoted to the life of Isaac Jenkins (1883-1966), a native of Ystumtuen who also abandoned his low-paid work as a farmhand and secured work on the construction of the narrow-gauge railway linking Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge, completed in 1902. As is recorded here, the impact of this innovative railway link was far-reaching in a remote, rural community and it continues to be function today as a tourist attraction. A brief concluding note reflects on the personal changes wrought by the passage of time and the linking of the various generations in these remote rural communities. This intriguing little book is further enhanced by the provision of a 'family time line' which notes the key dates in the involved history of the families chronicled here. -- John Graham @ www.gwales.com

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