Williamstown
Williamstown lying
the foot of Mynydd Dlnas near Pen-y-Gralg in
the Rhondda, was built during the 1870s on land
which had been Inherited in 1867 by members
of the Williams family from their father’s cousin,
Walter Coffin, one of the pioneers of the South
Wales coal trade. The trustees of the estates,
were Morgan Bransby Williams, Leonard Dyson
Williams and Arthur John Williams. In addition,
their sister, Caroline Elizabeth Williams, was
an executrix and while not named In the will
as a trustee, did nevertheless come to play
an influential part In managing the estate.
The Williams family, and the families from whom
they were descended produced some Interesting
individuals who not only made their mark on
the history of Glamorgan but also Influenced
national and international affairs. Worthy of
mention amongst these are Ann Thomas, the legendary
‘Maid of Cefn Ydfa’ (1704-1727), Dr Richard
Price FRS, philosopher and International ‘Apostle
of Liberty’ (1723-1791), William Morgan FRS,
actuary and pioneer of scientific life Insurance
(1750-1833) and George Cadogan Morgan, minister
of religion and scientist (1754-1798). Biographical
details of other individuals are given In the
sections which follow
Walter Coffin
Walter Coffin was born
in 1784, the second son of Walter Coffin and
his second wife Anne Morgan. At the age of eight
Coffin went to Cowbridge Grammar School and
after remaining there for some eight years went
on to a private nonconformist academy at Exeter
run by the Revd Timothy Kenrlck, a leading Unitarian
minister.
The Coffin family were active Unitarians and
did much to promote that cause. On completing
his education, Coffin had hoped to enter the
Bar but because of discrimination against dissenters
he returned to Bridgend In 1804 and entered
his father’s tanning business. It was whilst
prospecting for bark In the Rhondda that Coffin
first became Interested In coal. His father
Invested In land, purchasing several farms In
the north western part of the parish of Llantrlsant
at Dlnas Uchaf and Dinas Isaf.
It was on these mineral-bearing
lands spread over some three hundred acres that
Coffin concentrated his coal prospecting. He
opened up various coal levels during the 1800s
but It was the Lower Dlnas Colliery, sunk in
1812 to give access to the No. 3 Rhondda seam,
which proved a really profitable Investment.
It paved the way for his success as a pioneer
In the South Wales coal trade In which he marketed
what became known as ‘Coffin’s Coal’ In July
1812, following the death of his father, Coffin
left the family home at Nolton, Brldgend and
moved to Llandaff Court, Cardiff This move was
to prove advantageous to him and brought him
positions of authority and Influence.
In the early 1830s he
was appointed a JP and in 1835 was made an alderman
of Cardiff This was followed In 1848 by his
election as mayor of Cardiff; he later became
chairman of the quarter sessions. In addition
to being a successful colliery owner, Coffin
owned several corner ships. He was a promoter
and director of the Tall Vale Railway, and on
Its formation In 1836 opposed Its extension
up the Rhondda Valley believing It would be
unprofitable. His view was that Dinas was the
limit of coal of any consequence to be found
in the Rhondda and that distribution could be
handled by tramroad and canal, means which he
himself was already using. Over the years, Coffin
had come to hold strong Liberal views and his
home at Llandaff Court became something of a
centre of Liberal political opinion In the Cardiff
area.
In 1852, in response
to a petition from some of the Cardiff electorate,
he stood as the Liberal candidate for the borough,
winning the seat by twenty six votes. At the
same time he relinquished his commercial interests.
In 1857 he gave up his parliamentary duties,
never having addressed the House as a member,
and moved from Wales to England In order to
be nearer his relatives Coffin died at his home
In Kensington In 1867 and was burledat Brldgend.
Neither he nor his brothers and sisters ever
married, and on his death the family name became
extinct. In the circumstances, It was only natural
that he should have chosen as the executors
and beneficiaries of his will those members
of the Williams family who had taken a close
interest in his welfare during his last years.
Caroline Elizabeth Williams
< class="body_text">Caroline Elizabeth Williams
was born in 1823 and her name is commemorated
in Caroline Street, Williamstown.
Although she was an executrix of the will of Walter
Coffin and was a beneficiary of his household
effects, she was not a beneficiary of his freehold
and leasehold mortgages, lands and buildings (these
were bequeathed to her brothers). However, It
Is apparent that she did play an active and Influential
part In administering the lands and property in
and around Williamstown, and claims In her own
will to have had a general power by appointment
over certain freehold and leasehold property In
the Parish of Llantrisant although at the same
time openly admitting that ‘doubts exist as to
the validity of all or some of the acts In which
I have concurred.’
Kelly’s Directory of South Wales for the
year 1895 refers to the Dlnas Institute, built
In 1893, which was presented to the district by
Miss Caroline Williams (owner of the estate).
In her will she bequeathed £800 to Aberdare Hall,
Cardiff In trust for a Catherine Buckton scholarship
(Catherine Buckton was her married sister who
did much to promote education In matters of health
and domestic arts in Leeds), £800 to the University
College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and £100
to the promotion of women’s suffrage. She was
a founder of the Women’s Printing Society and
she herself wrote
| A Welsh Family
which relates in an Interesting (but
sometimes confusing) manner the history
of her own family and ancestry. |
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She died In 1908.
Arthur John Williams
Arthur John, the youngest son
of Dr John Morgan Williams, was born on April
14 1834 and his name is commemorated in Arthur
Street, Williamstown. He was privately educated
and studied law with the intention of entering
the legal profession. He was eventually called
to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1867.
For many years. Williams served as honorary secretary
to the Law Society, of which Lord Brougham was
president. He was also honorary secretary to the
Legal Education Association which was established
to found a university of law. Another interesting
post he held was that of honorary secretary to
John Stuart Mill when he was chairman of the committee
for preventing the corrupt use of money and undue
Influence at elections, which led to the passing
of the Corrupt Practices Act.
Politics and economics were subjects which held
a particular fascination for Williams and In 1868
he published a book entitled The Appropriation
of the Railways by the State. He also wrote
Hints to Honest Citizens on Going to Law, How
to Avoid Law, A Just Law for Wales and other
works. In 1879 he became secretary to the Royal
Commission on Accidents in Mines and In the course
of the Commission’s enquiries he inspected all
of the collieries in England. Wales and Scotland
in which serious explosions had taken place. He
declined to accept the £400 per year salary which
this post offered.
In 1882, In association with Joseph John Tylor,
elder son of Alfred Tylor, founder of TYLORSTOWN
(q.v.), he founded the National Liberal Club;
he had already entered politics in 1880 when he
unsuccessfully contested the seat at Blrkenhead.
In 1885. however, he was elected as the first
Liberal member for South Glamorgan and hel4~,that
seat until 1895. For five years of that time,
as a government member of the Intermediate Education
Committee for the county of Glanaorgan, he was
constantly engaged In framing the schemes for
Its fourteen county schools.
On May 23 1877 Williams met and fell in love with
Rose Harriette, eldest daughter of Robert Thompson
Crawshay, the great ironmaster of Cyfarthfa Castle.
Merthyr Tydfil. A marriage was arranged for later
In the year but this presented problems. Rose
(or Trotty as she was known affectionately) was
then aged twenty nine but some years previously
she had promised her father that she would not
marry until after his death. The father was so
opposed to the marriage that he refused to attend.
Three weeks previously he had even attached a
codicil to his will (the first of six) which barred
any offspring of the intended marriage from benefiting
from themarriage
| And whereas the
said Rose Harriette Thompson Crawshay
is engaged to be married to Mr Arthur
Williams (Barrister at Law) and such
a marriage is not approved of hg not
wish any child or issue thereof to
have interest of or in either of the
said trust funds my will aforesaid.
Now I hereby declare that children
or issue of my said daughter Rose
Crawshay by the said Arthur Wiliiams
shall in any wo any share or interest
in the said ~t~~s... but ntj will
shall be read in all respects as |
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After his death In 1879 Crawshay
was burled In churchyard near Merthyr Tydfil and
on the large stone slab covered his grave were
Inscribed the words God forgive Me’. It is thought
by some that those words may reflect the remorse—he
possibly felt at having acted as he did towards
his daughter.
For some time the Williams family made their home
at Eastbourne but In 1889 they moved to Plas Coed-y-Mwstwr,
a new mansion near Bridgend. It was here that
Arthur John Williams died là 1911. His remains
were cremated, placed in a sealed casket and Immured
In a niche In the north wall of Coychurch church
without religious ceremony In 1912. His widow
and two sons survived him. His widow died In 1943.
She too, was cremated and her ashes put with those
of her husband: her name was added to the inscribed
marble tablet to her husband’s memory that had
already been erected In the church. The eldest
son, Leonard Eliot Crawshay, was born in 1879
and later changed his name by deed poll to Eliot
Craws bay-Williams. He also entered politics and
sat as the Liberal member for Leicester from 1910
to 1913. The other son, Leslie Crawshay, was born
In 1880.
Morgan Bransby Williams
Morgan Bransby Williams was
born in 1825 and was the eldest son of Dr John
Morgan Williams. He trained as a civil engineer
and was engaged in the construction of the Lancaster
and Carlisle, the Caledonlàn and other railways
In this country. He was also employed in constructing
large engineering works In France, Italy and Russia.
In Russia he was the chief resident engineer associated
with constructing and projecting eight hundred
miles of the railway system through the country’s
Baltic provinces. When the Riga and Dunaburg Railway
was officially opened In 1861, Tsar Alexander
II came to the opening ceremony at Riga and complimented
Williams on his work. He also presented him with
a diamond ring in recognition of his services.
In 1859 he married Constance, Baroness von Wulf,
daughter of General Carl Manderstjerna, governor
of St Petersburg. The Baroness died In 1864 and
Williams subsequently returned to this country.
In 1870 he retired form his profession and In
1871 married Margaret, daughter of George Browne
Brock, JP, Brynselfi, Swansea. Williams served
as a magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant for Glamorgan
and as High Sheriff of the county In 1894. He
died at his home, Killay House, Swansea In 1914.
Leonard Dyson Williams
Leonard Dyson Williams was
born in 1830 and came to hold a prominent position
in the Glamorganshire Banking Company. He married
Catherine Hughes and he died In 1876.
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