Author: Richard

Despite the restrictions imposed by the Pandemic we have continued to cut the grass together with strimming, keeping the whole cemetery in very good order. Each “cut and strim” takes about five hours with three people, or two days if your  on your own ! Unfortunately we have still not been able to ask for assistance  due to regulations and guidance received, despite being offered it by several Friends of the charity and volunteers. I am sure however that we will soon be in a position to do so. Thank you to all those who have offered.

Only this week myself , my brother Robert and sister in law Alison spent several hours cutting the grass and for some time now have been conscious of a number of stones and possible memorials that were lying in the ground covered with soil, but “jutting out of the ground”. So it was that on Sunday afternoon we began to uncover what we believed to be a fallen headstone, hoping that at some point in the future we could once again have it re-erected like so many others if at all possible.

After much digging and excavation we finally uncovered the headstone but sadly only the top half was located, and that was in three pieces – the bottom half including the heavy stone base was missing. In view of this we have decided to leave the remaining top half of the headstone “in situ” for visitors to read. It is important to mention here that the headstone is not mentioned at all on the 1977 survey of memorials and therefore means that it was already buried under the soil before the survey took place. Here then is another very important find, the details of which will soon be added to the website database, thereby remembering another family name for posterity. May they rest in piece.

As I have said in previous articles, the inscriptions on the headstones very often don’t give the full picture and this is another example. As you can see from the photograph the inscription that is visible is inscribed thus…

 

 

 

IN

Loving Memory of

THOMAS HANCOCK

Guard, Great Western Railway

of Lammas St in this town

who died April 30 1875

aged 39 Years

In the midst of life we are in death

Also of Charlotte his wife

What the inscription fails to tell you is in fact that Thomas met a terrible end to his life by a fatal accident which occurred on the 30th April 1875 and the following is an extract from a local newspaper of the time.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT

 

On Friday last an inquest was held at the Railway Inn, New Dock, Llanelly before Mr J. D. Rowlands, coroner, on the body of Thomas Hancock, a goods guard on the Great Western Railway, who was killed on the previous day in the Dolau siding. It appears that he was engaged in shunting some trucks and the sudden jerking of the wagons caused him to fall off and he was crushed between the buffers, the effects of which proved fatal. A verdict of Accidental death” was returned.

THE WELSHMAN 7^TH MAY 1875 PAGE 5

Working on the railway’s in Victorian Britain was indeed a dangerous job and there were many fatalities caused by accidents of varying degrees, many of which could have been avoided. What makes this story even more profound was that Thomas left behind a wife and six young sons between the ages of 5 and 14 years old. Their tragic loss must have been unimaginable. Thomas  Hancock and Charlotte (Davies) were both born in Carmarthen and were married in 1857  – The six boys he left behind were Edward aged 5, Richard aged 8  (born in Aberdare) John aged 9 (born in Bristol) David aged 11, Thomas aged 13 and Joseph aged 14. Very clearly Thomas was an industrious hardworking man for two of his children to have been born away from Carmarthen suggests he was working away, though what his profession was at that time is unknown. Five years before his untimely death we know that he was employed as a “Water Bailiff” living in Shaws Lane Carmarthen so his employment with Great Western Railway had only been for a few years at least. Finally it is humbling to note that 44 years after the tragic death of her beloved husband Thomas in 1875 , Charlotte herself died and was buried with her husband in 1919 aged 83. At least now we can pay tribute to them once again. They are  no longer forgotten.

There can be few occasions over the recent months where I can honestly say that I have been “overjoyed” but today is one of those days. Why? I hear you ask, because of the discovery of a long lost gravestone of such a size that I thought it impossible it ever existed let alone survive. That all changed this week when our trusty contractor Richard Holmes brought to the surface, the memorial of the EVANS Family and in particular that of “EVANS THE BOAT” as he was affectionately known. The Boat and Anchor was a popular hostelry in Priory Street in the middle of the nineteenth century long since passed into history. Unbelievably this entire memorial had sunk into the ground to such a depth that it had disappeared altogether, so much so that in 1977 when the survey of memorials took place, it was never even mentioned due to the fact that it was below the surface. The memorial can be seen to the left of the photograph and you will also notice the extensive ground restoration work that continues to be undertaken.

Some months ago however, prior to the pandemic it was noticed that some form of memorial had been discovered just under the surface with some writing on it and originally it was thought it it was a piece of a broken memorial. It became clear however that after some soil removal it was much more than a broken piece of memorial and after further digging it became apparent that it was a rare “hipped stone memorial” meaning that all the sides sloped downwards. Only three of this type of gravestone exist in the entire cemetery. What was more, the inscription is entirely in Welsh. Two sides of the memorial have inscriptions . The memorial is certainly of considerable historic, social and cultural importance.

At least now, four more names can be added to the list on the database  and the location of the memorial added to the memorial database plan. All this work of repositioning the gravestone was carried out as usual very sensitively and with great care by Richard Holmes and whilst it inevitably has some scratches I will take great pride in cleaning it up in the coming week and it will look really good I am sure. Once again a family is remembered and is no longer forgotten. May they rest in peace. I am grateful to Trustee Dr Huw Michael for providing the translation.

Richard Goodridge ( Chairman of the Thomas & Elizabeth Mayhook Charity)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The following is a translation of the inscriptions.

In Memory of

David Evans Boat and Anchor of this town

Born Sept 9,  1848, Died June 4 1880

Also, Sarah Evans

Died 10 sept 1900 aged 63

In Memory of

Hannah,

Daughter of John and Mary Davies

Gilfach Isaf, parish of Llangeler

Born Jan 21 1822 Died Oct 6 1884

Also Margaret their daughter

Born Jul 28 1826, Died Dec 18, 1886

Therefore keep watch, because you don’t know in what hour your Lord will come.

 

 

 

 

It is a sad fact that many of those buried in the cemetery are unknown to history especially in view of the fact that no burial plan now exists of their final resting place and in the case of William Price and many others he has no grave marker and is therefore now in an unmarked grave. What is important however is to remember them all whatever their importance or status in life and when the Cross of Souls – Y Croes Eneidiau is finally erected next January it will ensure that ALL those buried without a memorial such as William will finally be recognised  and remembered.  The fate of William like so many others of his generation was tragic and unavoidable. Accidents involving horses in those days were commonplace, though fatalities were few, and on that fateful evening in June 1903 William was tragically killed and left behind a wife and 2 year old son….here then is the article that appeared in the local press at the time.

SAD DEATH OF A CARMARTHEN HAULIER

 

Carmarthen Journal 26^th June 1903

 

A sad accident occurred on Friday evening near the Cottage on the Llanstephan road, in which a young haulier named William Price of 24 Mill Street Carmarthen lost his life. The deceased was driving a heavy wagon load to Carmarthen, and when in the act of taking off the brake he unfortunately slipped and he fell underneath the heavy vehicle, weighing together with its load, about four tons which passed over his neck. Deceased was picked up unconscious, and died in about a quarter of an hour afterwards. The unfortunate young fellow was only 27 years of age, and he leaves a widow and young child, with whom the deepest sympathy is felt. THE INQUEST. Mr Thomas Walters, the coroner, held an inquest on the body on Saturday evening at the Edwinsford Arms, Llanstephan. Henry Francis Davies, sculptor, Lammas-street, said “ On the evening of the 19th inst., I and the deceased left Llanstephan about 7 o’clock with a four- wheeled wagon loaded with a tent and materials, which had been used in connection with the Eisteddfod held on the previous day The wagon was an open one drawn by three horses.

I and two others were in the wagon, and the deceased, who was the driver, was walking. Just by the Edwinsford Arms the deceased put the brake on before going down the hill towards the bridge. The brake was worked by a wheel on the front of the wagon. By the blacksmith shop he loosened the brake. When about half-way down the hill towards the Cottage I said, “I do not think the brake is quite off.” he then turned the brake again. He was still walking. All of a sudden I felt two jerks as if both side wheels had gone over a hard substance. I jumped off the wagon, and saw the deceased lying on the road.

He made a turn towards the side of the road, and never moved afterwards, but he breathed for some time. Deceased was perfectly sober. I have known deceased for many years. Mr T. Bland Davies deposed I am an agent for Mr Bland at Carmarthen. The deceased was in my employ for years. He was 25 years of age, married, and had one child. They lived in Mill Street. Deceased was a haulier, and had been sent to Llanstephan with a wagon and three horses to fetch the tent. Deceased was a very steady young man. The gross weight of the wagon was two tons 14cwts. Dr Arthur Richard Carver deposed: “Yesterday evening, about 7.45 p.m., I examined the body of the deceased. There was froth at the mouth, and he was bleeding from the ears. I am of opinion that the base the skull was fractured, and this was the cause of death”. The Coroner, having summed up and pointed out that the sad affair was the result of a pure accident, the jury of whom Mr David Thomas was foreman returned a verdict that the deceased died from fracture of the base of the skull, accidentally received by a loaded wagon which he was driving, passing over him on the Carmarthen road near the Cottage.” THE FUNERAL. The funeral, for men only, was a very large one, and took place on Monday afternoon last, the place of interment being St David’s Churchyard. Prior to departure a short service was held at the house conducted by the Rev O Jones (Curate). The deceased’s fellow employees at Mr T Bland Davies acted as bearers. The Rev O Jones also officiated in the church and at the graveside. A number of floral tributes of respect were received. The following were the mourners :—Mr D Price and Mr T Price (brothers) Mr Geo Evans (father-in-law) Messrs. D J Evans, C Evans, T Evans, and D Davies (brothers in law) Mr E Evans (uncle), and T Llewellyn (cousin).

As many of you will be aware who regularly look at this website and know our efforts to restore the cemetery, one of our biggest problems that we have faced and continue to face is the “emergence” of a considerable number of very small grave markers located throughout the cemetery. These markers were placed at the foot of the grave of families and individuals who could not afford the luxury of a normal or “proper headstone” Most of them are made of slate and are not inscribed at all , some have initials inscribed on them and one or two have just the surname of the person. Clearly with a very large cemetery such as St David’s it was very important to the families concerned to at least mark the spot of the burial so that in the future other members of the family could be buried in the same grave. Historically they are a very important piece of social history.

During our restoration of the cemetery grounds we continue to find lying buried flat under the soil many such grave markers and where possible they will be kept in situ, but many are also unable to remain as their original location is unknown and as they have no inscriptions they are carefully taken to one side so that one day they may be re-erected together in a small area of the cemetery. Considerable damage has been caused to many and for those that do remain in situ, we have the problem of ensuring we don’t damage the mower blades when mowing. However, when you have mowed the cemetery so often you get to know their locations pretty easily !

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also hope to be able to give you some good news soon on the progress we are making on the  plans for the “Cross of Souls” memorial, “Y Croes Eneidiau” which commemorates the 4,500 burials that have no known grave or marker.

My grandparents, Jim and Beattie Curtis are buried in St David’s Cemetery Carmarthen – James Charles was born in 1890 and died in 1946 and Beatrice Mary born in 1891 died in 1977. They were married in the summer of 1918 in Narberth. They lived at first in a cottage in Johnstown and then secured a council house in 1927. I was born in that house at 50, Pentrefelin Street in Carmarthen town but, unlike my father and his brother, attended the Pentrepoeth School and then the Q.E.G.S. for Boys.

Jim Curtis joined the GWR before the Great War and was sent down to Carmarthen from his home in rural Berkshire, the village of Beedon, a few miles north of Newbury. His grandfather had been Parish Warden and his grandmother had run a “Dame School” from 1847 in their cottage, Walnut Tree. Carmarthen was a major terminal for the railway system. He met and married Beatrice Mary Barrah who was in service at the rectory in Trevaughan. She was born in 1891. She had left the family farm in Jeffreyston, Pembrokeshire following the death of her father in 1908 and entered service in Trevaughan. The Barrahs had been tenant farmers and mine workers and also mine owners on leased land for over two hundred years in south Pembrokeshire.
James Curtis came from a long line of bell-ringers and church wardens going back at least as far as the seventeenth century. In Beedon church there are plaques commemorating their contribution to teams who had achieved the “Everest” of bell-ringing – the “Grandsire Doubles”, a continuously changing peal which lasted nearly five hours and which is mathematically unsurpassable. It was obvious that Jim would join the ringers at St Peter’s and he became captain of the team there. My father, Leslie and uncle Desmond also rang; Des became captain in turn and his wife Thelma also rang. Tommy Mayhook was also a ringer and they participated in bell-ringing competitions throughout West Wales.

 

 

 

My parents, Leslie Thomas Curtis and Doris Eileen Williams married in Carmarthen in 1945. Jim and Beatrice are placed on the left side of the wedding photograph. The best man is Ivor Badham, a schoolmaster cousin form Angle. The diminutive Gwilym Williams and his wife Mary are on the right. Gwilym (William) was an Anglican from Bangor who became a Methodist when he found work in the LMS wagon works in Newton-le-Willows, Lancs. He joined the chapel rather than the Church of England because God was spoken to though his native Welsh and there were two Welsh-speaking nonconformist congregations in that industrial area before the Great War. He was one of twelve children born to Hugh and Elizabeth Williams ; Hugh and his son, Richard, both captained ships out of Bangor in the slate trade. My Gran Williams died at our tea table at 50, Pentrefelin Street when visiting. I would have been four or five.

My mother attended the Methodist Church in Carmarthen which was on the site of the present M&S store, a retail development which also covers that of Nelson’s Garage at which my father worked as an auto-electrician.
I never knew either of my grandfathers, they both died before I was born on Boxing Day, 1946. But my Gran was an important figure in my life and I remember her taking care of me almost equally with my mother. Beatrice worked in the school canteen when I was at Pentrepoeth and also as the chief cook at the Littlewoods store restaurant in the town.
We moved to Pembrokeshire in 1960, but when I was an undergraduate at the University of Swansea Margaret and I visited number 50 on several occasions. Beatrice died in the Priory Street hospital and since 1977 we have looked after the grave of both my grandparents.
In 1993 I included a poem about that in my collection Taken for Pearls (Seren Books):

Under the Yew

Gran, it’s me. Passing through.
I’ve stopped again and brought these daffs for you.

No, it’s the beginning of February.
They fly them in from somewhere now – Jersey,
abroad. They force them in greenhouses.
They’re wiry and all the same
as if someone stamped them out on a machine,
but they’ll last a week
in the rain-water your urn’s filled for them.
The cover had blown off with its dry sticks
of whatever they were I left last time
from the other side of Christmas. I’ve put it back.

I’m losing my feet, such terrible winds we have now.
That’s all to do with greenhouses too,
but explaining would take more time than I’ve got,
Gran, and it’s more than I really know.

The yew in front and to the left of you
is down like a drunk old man. The earth still
clings to its roots, out in the daylight
after god knows how many years. It fell
last week in the last gales, no doubt.
The one behind that overhangs your plot
has weathered firm enough. Shelter for years to come
and, I suppose, shade and shelter enough for my time.

There’s blue sky, but not enough to patch a sleeve,
and the rain hammers down today like nails.
The Towy’s up to the brim of the fields and about to spill.
At least driving home I’ll go east before the weather.

It will be a month or two now, I expect –
I come down to work, or just to see Mum.
Dad’s so much dust on the coast path at Lydstep,
and that’s nothing like the same.
I fly to America, Hong Kong, all over the place,
but the string is tied back here, as they say. –
apron strings, heart strings, a way through the maze.

The time. I have to go now.
The rain’s coming hard again.
The motorway will be awash and dangerous as glass.
Everyone does such speed now, Gran.

Take care. And I’ll take care.

I’m sure that James and Beatrice would be pleased and proud of the work that we are doing to honour their lives and those of many others who have their final resting place in St. David’s Churchyard. The work that has been undertaken and which continues is ensuring that the churchyard is both a place of remembrance and a space of contemporary wellbeing and contemplation. St. David’s is a place of Anglican remembrance and for the whole town and district of Carmarthen.

Professor Tony Curtis BA. MFA. D.Litt. FRSL

 

The following story of the RICHARDS family has kindly been written and submitted by Mr Andrew Miller a descendant of the Richard’s family and “Friend” of the charity. It is a remarkable story of a seafaring family, many of which are buried in St David’s cemetery Carmarthen. One brother was killed when he was run over by a train in Russia on Christmas Day 1878, one relative was drowned, another brother aged just 16 died in Cuba in 1855, and an aunt died of mysterious circumstances in Kidwelly when found at the roadside. None of this information would have come to light were it not for the family bible that Andrew has in his possession and his keen interest in family history research. The following then is his story….so far.

Several years ago, I was able to arrange to see an old copy of the churchyard burial plan. As not one family member was listed it was assumed that the family was too poor to afford headstones and that all members had simply been buried in unmarked paupers graves. They were not especially poor as far as I know but I had to accept that. At the time the churchyard was an overgrown wilderness, with access sealed off, and no likelihood that it would ever be available to visit and view properly. Visiting the churchyard in summer 2019 out of curiosity to see what development had taken place I was thrilled to see that it had been transformed and was completely clear with every headstone fully visible. Knowing there were no headstones for the family, but having an interest in all of them anyway, I wandered over to the sunlit north wall out of curiosity and took a dozen headstone photos at random of with a view to looking the families up on the Ancestry website. One of them though excited me in particular, it read:
In Affectionate Remembrance of Benjamin Richards, son of Capt T Richards, Quay, who died Nov 6th 1877, aged 35 years leaving a wife and one child to deplore the loss.
I knew that a Benjamin Richards was listed in the family bible, that his father was Thomas and that he lived on Quay St so it seemed possible that it was a relative – I just couldn’t remember the date although only a month earlier I had received a copy of his death certificate. When I returned home I immediately took out the bible and certificate and was thrilled to see it was my Benjamin!

He had died of scarlet fever 21 days and intus susception 7 days (when the bowel telescopes in on itself and blocks up). I knew that he had married the previous year in Clifton, Bristol but not that he had a child. My quest now is to find out what happened to his widow Mary (nee Rooke) and child. Incidentally the bible and marriage certificate identifies him as Benjamin Parfitt Richards, the gravestone just as Benjamin and the parish church baptism entry as Benjamin James Richards. I have no idea where the Parfitt originates unless perhaps it was grandmother Esther’s mothers maiden name.
Benjamin’s grandfather was Thomas Richards of Llanstadwell, born July 1772, who married Esther White of the Parish of St Peter’s in St Peter’s church on 30th May 1805. Thomas and Esther had six children, the second of which was another Thomas Richards (born 2nd Dec 1809), father to Benjamin, who had married Louisa James (born 23rd Oct 1808) of the parish of St Peter, in the same church on 16 April 1829. Thomas and Louisa had nine children altogether (all detailed by Louisa in the family bible). Thomas’s occupation on the 1851 census is shown as “buoy keeper and barge marker”, in 1861 as “Trinity Buoy Keeper”, in 1871 as “Trinity Buoy Inspector” and by 1881 as “Harbour Master”. He was awarded his Masters Certificate of Service on 29th May 1851 following 27 years in the Coasting and Foreign Trades. A newspaper article, which appeared in the Cambrian newspaper of 30 May 1873, announcing his elder brothers (George White Richards) promotion to “Leading Man of Shipwrights” at Pembroke Dock refers to Benjamin’s father as Captain Thomas Richards, Trinity Officer for Carmarthen.
Thomas and Esther, Benjamin’s grandparents, both died in Carmarthen – Thomas on 27th May 1825 aged 50 and Esther 49 years later in Buckingham Alley, aged 94 on 24 Oct 1872. Seafaring appears to have been in the blood as an older brother of Benjamin’s, William (born 16 Sept 1838) died in 1855 in Havana, Cuba,

aged just 16 and another older brother, John David, was working as an Able Seaman when he went ashore in Odessa on Christmas Day 1878, was hit by a train and died shortly thereafter in the local hospital of the injuries sustained. I learned of this when I stumbled across a newspaper article from the Carmarthen Weekly Reporter of 21 Feb 1879 which referred to the Mayor of Carmarthen having received a sum of £122 from the British Consul in Odessa to be handed over to the widow of the late Able Seaman John David Richards, the money having been collected by the officers and crew for that purpose. It amounts to about £11,300 in modern currency.

And going back a generation his uncle George (brother of Capt Thomas Richards) was drowned at Ramsey, Isle of Man on 11th Feb 1823 aged just 17 years. Grandfather Thomas from Llanstadwell was also a mariner, a fact that came to light on the death certificate of Benjamin’s aunt Esther (born 27 Dec 1820), who, at the age of 34, was “found dead on the roadside (at Pen Y Banc near Kidwelly) without no marks of violence on her body”. Further research revealed an article about this in the Pembrokeshire Herald of 20 Oct 1854. It reads: Mysterious Death – It is our painful duty to record the death, under mysterious circumstances, of a young woman named Esther Richards of the Hope and Anchor Inn in this town. Miss Richards, who had latterly been residing in the Boars Head Inn, left town, it is supposed, on Monday afternoon, last afoot for Kidwelly. She had a day or so previously been observed to be much dejected and complained of being unwell. On Tuesday morning she was found on the road side not far from Kidwelly. Her body was found in a recumbent position on a bank. An inquest was held on the same day before Mr Bonville at Kidwelly and a verdict of “Found Dead” was recorded. Miss Richards was much respected by a large circle of friends and relations, and no reason can be assigned for her having left town on foot to go such a distance. The night in question was very stormy and it is supposed that having been overcome by fatigue she had sat down on the roadside and there she probably died.

Thomas and Louisa, Benjamin’s parents lived and died in Carmarthen – Thomas on 28th Jan 1888 in Buckingham Place and Louisa on 31st Jan 1885 in Spring Gardens. George White Richards, the eldest married twice and died in 1899 in Pembroke Dock, Thomas (born 1832) married and moved to Swansea where he died in 1916, Esther (born 10 Mar 1836) married and moved to Pennsylvania where she died in 1903, Maria (born 25th July 1840) also married and joined her sister in Pennsylvania where she died on 28th May 1911, James (born 8 Mar 1846) married and moved to Swansea where he died on 7 Oct 1925 and Mary Jane (born 21st May 1849) married and moved to Bermondsey/Camberwell in London. Her husband died in St Olave’s Union workhouse in 1905 where he had been for at least four years. In 1901 she was still alive but her subsequent whereabouts remain unknown.
Andrew Miller

James Wardle, a Dyer by trade was born in Macclesfield Cheshire in 1829. At the age of 18 he joined the Royal Artillery enlisting at Rochdale on the 23rd July 1847 for a life of daring do, and life and death heroic exploits in the far flung corners of the globe. He was 5ft 7 and half inches tall with a fair complexion grey eyes and light brown hair. By the end of his regular army service on the 29th December 1868 he had served a total of 21 years and 160 days fighting for Queen and country. In April 1864 he took the decision to accept promotion to Sergeant Major but after 102 days he decided enough was enough and reverted to the Rank of Sergeant until his retirement.

Upon his discharge from the army at Pembroke Dock he came to live in Carmarthen and to take up a post with the Carmarthenshire Militia at Picton Barracks where he met his future wife Margaret Jones who lived in Richmond Terrace. They were married in Tabernacle Chapel, Waterloo Terrace in September 1881 and had several children. Margaret herself died in March 1916 and is also buried in St David’s Cemetery but as the burial plan has been lost and as the headstone does not include Margaret’s name on it no one knows for sure where she may be buried.
There is no doubt that given the fact James enlisted into the Royal Artillery he would have seen and have been involved in much of the fighting. The noise, smoke and smell of the cannon forever firing at the foe in the distance is one thing, and then there’s the hand to hand combat with sword and musket of his fellow comrades which he would also have witnessed. The 11th Battalion of the Royal Artillery played a key role in the Crimean campaign and suffered heavy losses, including many through disease.
James however, after nearly two years fighting in the Crimea survived his ordeal only to be sent immediately with his Regiment to Lucknow in India to quell the Indian Mutiny that had taken place there with the loss of thousands of lives, many succumbing to unspeakable deaths at the hands of the mutinous Indian soldiers. It is recorded in the local newspapers that Sergeant Wardle took great delight in speaking of his exploits in the Indian campaign and in the Crimean war…..if only these had been recorded for posterity so that we could all know exactly what happened and what he did !!
Nevertheless, in December 1896 James breathed his last and with him went his memories but not his medals.

These very fine set of medals were kept by his family for many years as a reminder of a great soldier and father figure and by remarkable coincidence in 2015 they came up for sale at Bonhams in London and were sold to an Australian dealer/collector never to return to these shores…or will they ? In recent weeks enquiries have been made in Australia and an advertisement is planned in the hope of locating these medals once again and to bring them back to Carmarthen where they belong, teaching future generations about the great history of this cemetery and those long forgotten heroes. As you can see from the photographs of his headstone, it was originally discovered lying flat on its back amongst the overgrowth, having laid there for decades. As a result, and as it is made of stone, the surface of the memorial has been seriously damaged in the lower section with the surface of the stone crumbling away due to the ingress of water.

In time the remainder of the memorial is likely to suffer the same fate. However, photographs have been taken of it for posterity. You will also see that the memorial has now been, like so many others over recent months repositioned and secured back into position and I have to thank Richard Holmes for doing an excellent job in once again restoring dignity to the gravesite and the memory of James Wardle. The Thomas & Elizabeth Mayhook Charity continue to carry out the final phase of it’s restoration of the cemetery grounds and remain confident of its completion this year after six years of effort.

Despite all his heroics, James died suddenly and unexpectedly of a Brain Haemorrhage and the following is an account of his demise.

SUDDEN DEATH AT CARMARTHEN. ANOTHER CRIMEAN VETERAN GONE.

Sergeant James Wardle, aged 70, died somewhat suddenly at Carmarthen on Monday night, and as Dr. Price was not certain whether the death was due to an ugly gash on the forehead of this Crimean veteran, who had also experienced many thrilling exploits in the Indian Mutiny, a post-mortem examination was ordered. At an inquest on Tuesday night – before Mr Thomas Walters, borough coroner- it appeared that, contrary to rumour, the deceased had lived happily with his wife at 39, Richmond-terrace, and was recently taken home, being covered with blood that oozed from his head, the result of an accident. He was confined to his bed and medically attended, dying on Monday night. Evidence of Drs. Parry and Price showed that the cause of death was haemorrhage of the brain—in fact, the demise occurred entirely through natural causes. The jury returned a verdict to that effect. The deceased had been in receipt of a weekly pension of 18 shillings, and had served in the Royal Artillery.

There is a second part to this story expanding on the Inquest report and this can be found by scrolling down the list of “What’s in a Name” where you will find Part 2 of the story.

South Wales Daily News December 3rd 1896 page 6

The death of a loved one is always tragic and sad, especially so when it relates to children. To have three children die of disease within a few weeks of each other is unimaginable, and yet in Victorian Britain it was commonplace. The 1861 census reveals that Thomas Charles aged 27 was born originally in Middlesex, and his wife Mary aged 33 who came from Meidrim were living on a 95 acre Farm in Llandyfaelog together with their then three children, Anne aged four, Rhys aged two, and Esther aged one. Interestingly, all three children were born at Llanstephan.
Apart from them, there were also another five occupants on the farmstead making a total of ten, which by any standards was a large household.
These included Ms Jane Griffiths – sister in law, described as the “Fund holder” then Phoebe Davies – Dairy Maid, John Evans – Carter (driver of a horse drawn carriage) John Davies – Ploughman, and Theophilus Davies who was described as a “Hobble Boy”. A hobble or spancel is a device which prevents or limits the locomotion of an animal, by tethering one or more legs. Although hobbles are most commonly used on horses, they are also sometimes used on other animals. They are made from leather, rope, or synthetic materials such as nylon or neoprene. There are various designs for breeding, casting, and mounting horses.
Very clearly a busy farm with Thomas at its head, though it is difficult to see how the family ended up living in Union Street – Carmarthen Town, only five years later. Indeed movement of families was frequent during these times especially so when it was to find work.
Tragic and desperately sad are the only words that can be said about the loss of this young family to a hard working couple trying to make a living in Victorian Carmarthenshire.

Their story is one that has proven to be all too common at this time, when disease was so prevalent. Young Ellen died of Scarlet Fever, Esther died of Croup, and Rhys also died of Scarlet Fever, a disease so common in children at that time. By 1871, four years after the death of their three children both Thomas and his wife Mary Anne had left Carmarthen for good to go and live in Swansea where Thomas took up the job of becoming an Agent for the world renowned Hafod Copper works never to return, leaving behind their grief and three children for pastures new, though not before providing them with a fitting memorial tribute. There is in this case however, a happier ending in as much that the 1871 Census records Thomas & Mary as having a further three children, all of whom survived into adulthood. What became of them, who knows, but I would like to think that during their lifetime they had the opportunity to remember their brother and sisters and return to St David’s cemetery to pay their respects. We will never know, but they can be assured that their last resting place will now at least always be cared for.

Sarah was born in the village of Beoley in the County of Worcester. Her father Samuel was a wealthy land agent and local benefactor in the County and left her £1,000 in his will in 1833 together with an endowment of an annual payment of £200. A vast fortune in those days equivalent in today’s money of almost £100,000.

Sarah never married and it is not clear how she eventually ended up on the then French speaking island of Guernsey, several hundred miles away unless it was for health reasons, or indeed “wealth” reasons.

Living in a lovely house overlooking St Peter Port Guernsey, she was 77 years old when she died in 1865 and other occupants of the house in 1861 included two housemaids, Mary and Margaret Davies who originally came from Wales, and in my opinion were related to Sarah’s long time companion Elizabeth who had died in 1850 aged 43.

Researching this story has proven to be one of the most challenging, in trying to piece together a story of a bond of friendship between two women, who even in death could not be separated, and that after a span of fifteen years they were reunited in being buried alongside each other here in St David’s Cemetery Carmarthen.
The two identical adjoining memorials have the most ornate elongated gothic script, which makes reading them extremely difficult.

Made of granite they would have been made at enormous cost, hand engraved by specialists and transported to Carmarthen possibly by sea. These memorials are unique to the cemetery and thankfully remain in excellent condition.
Sarah, despite her enormous wealth apparently left no legal will – a fact which I find most extraordinary, not least because after her death her body was transported hundreds of miles by sea to Carmarthen from Guernsey and laid to rest alongside her faithful companion who had died sixteen years previously. This could not have been done unless some form of will existed. Not only that, but the construction and indeed the very wording on the two granite memorials could have only been “prepared” and written by Sarah herself.

Probate was granted on the 13th January 1866 to John Woollaston – Sarah’s brother, himself a land agent, the value of the estate being £8,000, which in today’s money equates to over a half a million pounds. Was there any skulduggery I hear you ask in the fact that no will existed or could not be found for someone of such standing in the community and who is listed in the Census of 1861 as a person of means with Bonded Securities? The following is a statement recently issued by The Probate Registry in connection with my application for a copy of Sarah’s Will – “We are unable to provide you with a copy of the will of the deceased. The reason for this is that the Grant that was issued in this case is a Grant of Letters of Administration. This is a legal document issued by the Probate Registry when a person has died without making a valid will (called intestate) and is issued to an administrator of the estate. This is usually the lawful spouse if any, or nearest blood relative”. It will undoubtedly always remain a great mystery that a spinster of such enormous wealth left no legal or apparent will.

Sarah’s lovely home village of Beoley in Worcester has a really lovely parish church called St Leonards and it is not surprising to learn that it has one of the most impressive stained glass windows I have seen – dedicated to Sarah herself as can be seen in the accompanying photograph. Both her parents and other family members are also buried in the cemetery.Thanks go to the Reverend Paul Irving of St Leonards Church in taking the time to photograph the window and inscription and giving permission for their use in this story.

What is most intriguing of all in this story are the two inscriptions on both memorials in elongated gothic script, and also the use of roman numerals for the dates which is very rare indeed and almost unheard of. Very clearly, Elizabeth Davies’ memorial was paid for by Sarah herself, but in my opinion was not erected until Sarah herself was buried alongside her 15 years later so that the two were erected at the same time….and then it’s what one can interpret from the inscriptions themselves and what story does it tell ? Sarah’s own memorial inscription is understandable given what we know so far, but on reading the inscription on Elizabeth’s memorial one is immediately drawn to an inseparable bond of devotion that Elizabeth had for her employer, let down only by her own illness and suffering over a “prolonged period of protracted sickness” Very clearly Sarah was greatly heartbroken on the death of her long time companion and never recovered from it, taking solace in the companionship of her two housemaids also from Wales.
There is much more to this story than we shall ever know. Were it not for the inscriptions on these two memorials standing side by side their story would never have been brought to light, and though we can look through the prism of history and deduce our own conclusions, the fact remains that St David’s cemetery continues to reveal the most intriguing stories of a long forgotten past, that must and should be preserved.

SARAH WOOLLASTON MEMORIAL INSCRIPTION

Under this stone
lie the mortal remains of
SARAH WOOLLASTON
born in Beoley in the County of Worcester
December the 6th 1787
deceased at Guernsey
the 6th day of June 1865
Brought hither by her own request
to be laid by the side of her faithful
attendant, whom, with many other
dear friends, she hoped, through the
atoning merits and pardoning
mercy of the Divine Redeemer
to meet in a better world.

ELIZABETH DAVIES MEMORIAL INSCRIPTION

To the revered memory of
ELIZABETH DAVIES
Daughter of David Davies of this town
and Mary his wife.
In grateful recollection of her many virtues
This memorial is erected
by one whom for more than twenty years
experienced at her hands, in addition to the
services of a faithful attendant, the constant
fidelity of a true friend, and the affection of
a loving Sister, by whose unceasing
watchfulness and zealous attention
never failed but by constraint
of mortal suffering: the pain
of protracted sickness was soothed
the anxieties of life assuaged, and under
the mercy of God, it’s duration prolonged.
She departed this life at Guernsey
on the 7th day of December 1850
in the 43rd year of her age.

Thomas Jones, a formidable fluent Welsh orator and Minister was the last person to translate a verbal confession in Welsh into written English to be used as a confession of Murder. In 1830, the Court of Great Sessions was abolished in favour of the new “Circuit” system of justice. Reverend Jones’ translation therefore, a few months previously passed into history as the last confession from Welsh (verbatim) into written English of a convicted murderer.

Reverend Jones’s time at the Gaol at Carmarthen must have been a harrowing experience for him over the many years he served there, though at the age of 70 he was still the Chaplain of the Prison in 1845, receiving a salary of £100 per year for which he was also employed as the “Schoolmaster to the house of Correction”
Thomas Jones’ therefore, as Chaplain to the Prison (Gaol) had a very close relationship with the accused during his trial for murder in 1829 as can be seen in the story of the Execution of David Evans.  Notwithstanding the fact that the wooden crossbeam supporting the hangman’s noose gave way at the first attempt to hang him, causing mayhem and distress to everyone who witnessed it.

I have however; in bringing the story of Thomas Jones to the fore, omitted for the most part the detail of the murder trial itself. Briefly David Evans used a billhook to mutilate Hannah Davies’ body.. too explicit to mention here. She was two months pregnant with his child and the evidence was overwhelming despite his plea of not guilty. The prosecutor at the trial was Sir James Scarlett KB –Attorney General for England and Wales, one of the best legal brains in the country at the time.

 

 

In a rather gruesome ending to this story, it was considered at the time that execution was not enough of a penalty for murder, and that if a person was convicted of murder that after they were hanged their bodies would also be dissected and put on public display. The 1751 “Act for the better preventing the horrid crime of murder”, usually known as the “Murder Act”, mandated the dissection (also known as anatomisation) of the bodies of executed murderers (including females ones) or gibbeting for male murderers in particularly heinous cases. It came into force on the 1st of June 1752 and ceased upon the introduction of the Anatomy Act of 1832.

So as the Thomas & Elizabeth Mayhook Charity continues its work of restoration of St David’s Cemetery Carmarthen, it also continues to research many of those yet untold stories of those that are buried there, very often with remarkable tales to tell, as is the case of the Reverend Thomas Jones…….

In the 1800’s murder was a crime that very few committed, because everyone knew the sentence would be ‘Death by Hanging’. However it did occur, such as the time David Evans was charged with the brutal murder of Hannah Davies. The public crowded Carmarthen’s Guildhall disgusted that such a vile deed could have been perpetrated in their community.
At the trial’s end, which lasted for twelve hours the Judge summed up the evidence and the jury retired to consider their verdict. An hour later they returned with the verdict of ‘Guilty’. The Judge donned the black cap and passed the inevitable sentence. The words of his sentence were as follows:

“David Evans, you stand convicted of the horrid and unnatural crime of murdering Hannah Davies. This Court doth adjudge that you be taken back to the place from whence you came, and there to be fed on bread and water till Monday next, when you are to be taken to the common place of execution, and there hanged by the neck until you are dead; after which your body is to be publicly dissected and anatomised, agreeable to an Act of Parliament in that case made and provided; and may God Almighty have mercy on your soul.”

The whole court, as well as the Judge, was clearly affected by proceedings. Evans was the only one who seemed to have little regard to the proceedings and appeared unmoved. He was convicted at the Carmarthen Court of Great Sessions at the Shire Hall Carmarthen on 18th September 1829 and sentenced to public execution.

The Court of Great Sessions was formally established in 1543 by Act of Parliament (an Act which came to be known as the ‘Second Act of Union’; the ‘First’ had been passed in 1536). This divided Wales into thirteen shires (which would form the basis of local government until 1974), of which twelve formed the circuits of the new courts. There were four circuits: Chester (comprising Flintshire, Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire); North Wales (Anglesey, Caernarvonshire and Merioneth); Brecon (Breconshire, Glamorgan, Radnorshire); Carmarthen (Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire, Pembrokeshire). Monmouthshire was added to the Oxford circuit of the English Assizes (and so its records are held in the PRO). In fact, the Great Sessions had already begun operating before the Act was passed, during 1541; the court would play a major role in the legal life of Wales until its abolition in 1830. The Sessions met twice a year in each county, in around April/May and August/September, administering English law – officially, in English, although the extensive use of interpreters would represent an acknowledgement of linguistic realities throughout its existence. It was a powerful institution: it covered both criminal and civil actions, on the civil side, it enjoyed the same powers within Wales as King’s Bench and Common Pleas (and it also had an equity jurisdiction) in England, and its criminal jurisdiction was equivalent to the English counties’ assizes. In other words, it was the main court for the prosecution of felonies and serious misdemeanours in Wales for almost three centuries, especially as the once-powerful Council of the Marches in Wales became increasingly feeble in the seventeenth century (it was abolished altogether after 1688).

The Execution of David Evans – Monday 21st September 1829.

On Monday the extreme penalty of the law was carried into effect on David Evans, for the wilful murder of Hannah Davies, on the drop in the County Gaol, in the presence of at least 10,000 spectators. Since the evening of his conviction, this unfortunate man has been penetrated with a just sense of the enormous character of the crime he committed, and of the necessity of an unaffected penitence, as a means of regaining that divine favour which he had meritedly forfeited.

As soon as he saw that his doom was inevitably fixed, his firmness forsook him, and he sought in religious and devotional exercises, that hope and that consolation which this world cannot give nor take away. The victim unsuspected and confiding, fell by that arm which ought to have cherished and protected her. Her lover was her murderer, he first seduced, and then hurried her “with all her imperfections on her head,” into the presence of her Creator, without one friendly moment to offer an ejaculatory prayer for mercy, for she never uttered a cry when she fell under the assassin’s blows. The unhappy man, who has now expiated with his life the violation of the law of nature and religion, has made a full disclosure of the facts connected with this horrible tragedy, and has acknowledged the justice of his sentence. Since his conviction he was attended by ministers of various denominations, who seemed all animated with a common desire to impart those spiritual consolations, which his peculiarly awful situation appeared to require. The Rev. T. Jones, the Chaplain of the Gaol, was indefatigable in his exertions to impress him with a proper sense of his guilt, & of his spiritual wants, and if external contrition, and a diligent appliance to devotional exercises, betaken to indicate internal change, there is every reason to hope that he is a new creature, and that lie will not perish everlastingly. —On the morning of the execution, the prisoner was attended early in the cell by his spiritual guides. The Rev. T. Jones, Rev. D. Peter, Rev. D. Thomas, Rev. D.A. Williams, and Rev. R. Gibbon, prayed with him, & he seemed absorbed in devotion during the whole of the time.

At nine o’clock the Under-sheriff (L. O. Lewis, Esq.) arrived, and shortly after, the Culprit, Governor, Officers, and Clergy moved in mournful procession from the cell to the chapel, where he partook of the Holy Sacrament at the hands of the Chaplain Reverend T Jones. He was then conveyed to the room adjoining the drop to be pinioned, and during this operation, the prisoner continued in audible and earnest prayer. After his arms were properly secured, and a short interval spent in prayer with Mr. Jones, the Chaplain, he ascended the drop with a firm step, and by a previously concerted signal, Reverend Jones dropped a handkerchief, and the drop fell but by one of those accidents which the utmost foresight cannot always prevent, the apparatus for his suspension gave way, and the shock the harrowed feeling’s of the assembled thousands received at this untoward event, was evidenced in a groan “not loud but deep.” He fell on the platform, but did not receive any material hurt. The scene at this moment was of a painfully distressing character. The prisoner was impressed with a belief that his life would be spared in consequence of the first attempt proving abortive, and when urged to re ascend the drop, in accents which clearly showed the tenacity with which he clung to life, he exclaimed in broken English “No hang again no no no gentlemen, was no hang twice for same thing,” and then proceeded in Welsh to protest against being obliged to undergo a second punishment for the same offence, and implored the intervention of the gentlemen who were on the platform. The gleam of joy that broke over his countenance when he found he had escaped the first death,” was most striking, and when assured that he must undergo the sentence pronounced upon him, the workings of despair upon his soul were indicated in the gloom that overcast his countenance. He resisted the re-execution of the sentence, until he saw that force would be resorted to, when again ascended the drop, and was launched into eternity without a struggle. — After remaining suspended an hour, he was cut down, and after being dissected was placed in a coffin. He was left open to public inspection, and thousands availed themselves of the permission given to view the mortal remains of this ill-fated young man. (CARMARTHEN JOURNAL 25TH SEPTEMBER 1829)

David Evans’ confession obtained by the Reverend Thomas Jones – Chaplain.

This is the Confession of me, David Evans, who am justly condemned to suffer, for committing a great offence against the laws of God and man. I die in charity with all men; I forgive all who may have offended or injured me, and I hope that all whom I might have injured in word or deed will forgive me also. I was received by Hannah Davies as her lover, and was much attached to her. I visited her on Thursday, the 11th of June last, and remained in her company on that occasion about two hours, and before we parted she asked me, if she were to go to her father’s house the following Saturday, would I accompany her? I said I would, and promised to meet her on the road near Esgair Fynwent. I left home between nine and ten o’clock, and took a bill hook with me, and told my sister that I was going to mend some gaps in the hedge; I began my work, but before I finished closing one gap, Hannah Davies came and called me, and asked if I was coming; my answer was that I would rather not come that night, and gave as an excuse that my sister was washing my stockings. She said,” come this night, or I will never forgive you” On this I went, and proceeded along the road to Cwmsifigw, in the parish of Llanybyther. We then went over the mountain, and proceeded along in a friendly manner until we reached the spot where the murder was perpetrated. As we were passing the small hollow where the body was found I struck her with the billhook (which I had concealed under my coat.) across her neck. She did not fall to the ground on the first blow; a second, which I immediately dealt, brought her to the ground, but on what part of the body it fell, I cannot exactly say, nor how many more blows I gave, for I was bewildered, and almost frantic, and-scarcely knew what I was doing. I was instantly smitten by my conscience after striking the first blow, and was sorry for the act; but I was urged to finish the deed for fear she would recover, and that the attempt would be discovered, and I suffer for it. I did not drag her from the road to the ravine, but she fell I should think in that direction from the force of the blows. I then ran homewards as fast as I could, and on the way dipped the billhook in a pool of water, to wash away the blood; I reached home about one or two o’clock on the Sunday morning, and got to bed very silently, where I lay about an hour; I then got up, wiped my shoes, and put grease on them. These were the shoes produced on the trial. Upon leaving the house on Saturday I told my sister, to prevent her coming out of the house, that she might not see me going with Hannah Davies, that I would drive the cattle into the night field; and in order to deceive her further, I finished mending the gaps in the hedges, after I got up on the Sunday morning. I do not think my sister heard me coming into the house, for I came in as silently as I could, and she was in bed. There was no blood on my clothes, and I had no accomplice whatever in committing this murder. I was instigated into this dreadful act by a feeling of jealousy, and I earnestly implore all young men to take warning by my melancholy end, and not give way to unruly passions, I return my most sincere thanks to those, in whose charge I have been ever since the awful and just sentence of the law was passed against me, for the very humane and tender kindness and attention, spiritual and temporal, which I received from them.

SIGNED “DAVID EVANS”

“This Confession was delivered voluntarily (verbally) by the Prisoner, in Welsh, and reduced to writing-in English by us, TMOS. JONES, Chaplain of the Gaol & D.A.WILLIAMS –Clerk.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All that is Mortal
Of
Sarah, the beloved wife of the
Rev Thomas Jones
Chaplain of the Gaol of the County of
Carmarthen
Is deposited beneath
The immortal part is gone to him that gave it
through the merits of a Crucified Redeemer
the separation took place
February 9th 18?? after a union
of 71 years
Looking for that blessed hope and the
Glorious appearing of the Great God
And our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave him all
For us, that he might redeem us
Also the mortal remains
of the above named
The Rev’d THOMAS JONES
who died March 4th 1857
aged 82 years