Gwyn Estate records

This material is held atWest Glamorgan Archive Service

Reference
- GB 216 D/D Z 1012
Dates of Creation
- 1731-1880
Name of Creator
- West Glamorgan Archives
Language of Material
- English
Physical Description
- 1 bundle

Scope and Content

Records collected by or connected with William Gwyn and his son Howel Gwyn of Neath (later of Baglan Hall, then Dyffryn)

Administrative / Biographical History

Various members of the Gwyn family of Neath were solicitors. The family inherited land in Breconshire and Carmarthenshire, and purchased scattered farms and entire estates in the area to the north of Neath and Swansea, and were prominent in local life. The precise provenance of these documents is uncertain; they are clearly connected with the Gwyn family, and may have been collected by a member of staff at a Bridgend firm of surveyors during his working life.

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Archive Record|Table of contents

Gwyn Estate recordsD/D Z 1012

List of names of seat-holders in Neath parish church, entitled The distribution of the seats in the church of the parish of Neath in the County of Glamorgan as agreed upon at a Vestry held in the said church pursuant to public notice The document lists 93 pews and is divided up geographically within the church according to the location of the pews.D/D Z 1012/1

Lease for the lives of the lessee, his sister Margaret William, spinster, and Margaret Thomas daughter of Robert Thomas of Neath, butcher, for £1 10s annual rent, (i) Herbert Mackworth of Neath, esq. to (ii) Solomon William of Neath, Cordwainer. A house currently in the occupation of the lessee, and a garden adjoining, in New Street, Neath, with covenants as to the upkeep of the property. Endorsed: About Margt. Williams, spinster, her seat in Neath Church given by her to Mr John Gwyn 26 Decbr. 1755D/D Z 1012/2

Volume containing printed copies of various Acts of Parliament relating to Neath and Swansea, including Neath Canal Acts: an Act for making and maintaining a canal or navigable communication from or near a certain place called Abernant, in the county of Glamorgan, to and through a certain place called The Brickfield, near Melincrythan Pill, into the River of Neath, near the town of Neath, in the said county, 1791; an Act for extending the Neath Canal Navigation and for amending an Act, passed in the thirty first year of the reign of his present Majesty, for making the said canal, 1798; the Swansea Canal Act: an Act for making and maintaining a navigable canal from the town of Swansea in the County of Glamorgan into the parish of Ystradgynlais in the county of Brecon, 1794; and several Swansea Harbour Acts: An Act for repairing, enlarging and preserving the harbour of Swansea, in the county of Glamorgan, 1791; an Act for amending and enlarging the powers of two Acts passed for preserving the harbour of Swansea, in the county of Glamorgan, and for further improving the same, 1804; An Act to amend and render more effectual an Act, made in the thirty-first year of his present Majesty, for repairing, enlarging and preserving the harbour of Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, and for making improvements in the lights at the Mumbles, 1796; An Act to amend an Act made in the forty-eighth year of his present Majesty, to improve the land revenue of the Crown, so far as relates to the Great Forest of Brecknock, in the county of Brecknock, and for vesting in his Majesty certain parts of the said forest, and for inclosing the said forest, 1815; and an Act for making and maintaining a navigable canal and a railway or tramroad from the River Burry at or near the village of Penclawdd in the parish of Lanridian, into the township or borough of Loughor, and divers branches therefrom, all in the county of Glamorgan, 1811. Many of the Acts have William Gwyns name written at the top; the volume appears to have been compiled and bound by Howel Gwyn of Baglan Hall, and the volume has the bookplate of Joseph Edward Moore-Gwyn of Dyffryn.D/D Z 1012/3

Ledger of the Trustees of the Neath District Turnpike Trust. William Gwyn was the treasurer. The ledger gives weekly totals collected at each of the gates (West Gate, South Gate, East Gate, Aberavon Gate, Pontneathvaughan Gate), wages paid to each of the gate keepers, and accounts for repairs to roads.D/D Z 1012/4

Detailed itemised solicitors bill of William Gwyn for £1647 11s 9d for work undertaken on behalf of the Company of Proprietors of the Neath Canal Navigation during the period 1807-1814D/D Z 1012/5

Consistory Court of the Diocese of Llandaff: letters of administration of the estate of Lewis Jenkins of the parish of Neath, esq., who died intestate, granting administration to his widow, Elizabeth Jenkins. Estate value sworn under £3000.D/D Z 1012/6

Plan of the Borough of Neath and report on the borough and town, prepared for Parliament in the run-up to the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. The plan gives the existing boundaries of the borough and the suggested extension, and the report includes details as to the population, polling statistics and industrial expansion of the borough.D/D Z 1012/7

Extract covering Glamorgan from the Report of the Commissioners for Inquiring Concerning Charities. In the report, the county of Glamorgan is divided up into its constituent hundreds; within each, the parishes are listed and details are given of any charities in operation within the parish. Charities include endowed schools, alms houses and donations of money or food for the poor of the parish. The entry for Neath includes Gwyns Augmentation, a gift by William Gwyn by his will in 1827 of £100 in trust to augment the charity school established in Neath by the will of [Alderman] John Davies in 1719.D/D Z 1012/8

Particulars for the sale of parts of the Neath Abbey Estate in the county of Glamorgan, for sale by Murray, Tattersall & Murray. Includes farms called Cefn-yr-ysgir Isaf, Cefn-yr-ysgir-uchaf, Pant-yr-ysgir, Wern-goch, Pant-y-sianel, Maes-melyn, Cwrt-y-clafdy, Brith-dir, Pen-y-lan-isaf, Wern-ddu-isaf, Cilhendrefach, Gelly-felgaws, Craig-y-perchill, Trenache, Pentwyn, Ynysymond, Neuadd-wen, Tir-Einon and Gilfach; a third of the minerals under the estate, and cottages at Penrhiu-scuan (in Neath Abbey). Includes plans. Some of these properties were purchased by Howel Gwyn.D/D Z 1012/9

Map of the Neath Abbey Estate in the County of Glamorgan for sale by Mr Adam Murray. The map shows the farms, fields and houses in an area between Jersey Marine, Ynysymond and Cadoxton. Includes annotation: Old map Neath Abbey minerals adjoining Dyffryn EstateD/D Z 1012/10

Plan of Neath Harbour and new works. Shows Neath Harbour improvements, floating dock and railways in course of construction by the Neath Harbour CommissionersD/D Z 1012/11