The information in this section is an edited version taken from Llanelli - Birth of a Town a CdRom by William and Benita Rees
The Public Library (Athenaeum)
&
Nevill Memorial Hall
The dictionary definition of the word athenaeum is ‘A Temple of Athene’ which was an ancient institution of learning or a literary university – a name sometimes given to a literary institution, library or periodical.
The Athenaeum pictured in 1903
James Wilson of Bath married Maria Buckley and designed the Public Library, Nevill Memorial and Wesleyan Church in Hall Street. Their son, James Buckley Wilson, designed the Halifax building at the junction of Cowell and Stepney Street, Castle Buildings, Bryncareau and the Parish Hall.
1764 The first local library was established at Cilymaemllwyd, Pwll, the family home of the Rees family said to be descended from the Rhys family of Dinefwr. This family claimed to be able to trace ancestry back to Urien Rheged King of Cumbria and Lord of Gower who built a stronghold at Carreg Cennen near Llandeilo Fawr.
1800 Until the 19th century Llanelli did not have its own library but there were groups of book lovers who would meet in their own homes to discuss the latest literary topics. These early literary societies were formed by members of the upper and middle classes and nothing was done to encourage the underprivileged working classes, most of whom could neither read nor write.
At the beginning of the 19th century, when the Llanelly Reading Society was formed, the members met at the Pemberton Mansion, which was on the site of the present day library. Members of this society later became the founder members of the Llanelly Chamber of Commerce.
Pemberton Mansion
An artist’s impression of the Mansion where the first Llanelly Reading Society held their meetings
1810 Before the establishment of public halls, reading rooms, libraries, town halls and assembly rooms, political, social and judicial meetings were held in local inns, hostelries and taverns.
1820 During the first half of the century there was a movement for parish libraries which was led partly by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) which was anxious to facilitate the reading of devotional books by agricultural labourers and partly by philanthropists who wanted to provide a meeting place other than the public house.
1838 A reading room had been established in the Thomas Arms before this time which ceased when there was a dispute amongst the members and the society was dissolved at a meeting held on 2nd July 1838. With Vicar Ebenezer Morris in the chair, a proposal by David Phillips, Esq., and seconded by Henry Thomas, stated “that in consequence of the members being obliged to leave the Thomas Arms Reading Room and also in consequence of the annoyance they have been since subjected to from Richard Edwards, an expelled member of the society, and from the part that the magistrates have taken in the matter of the expulsion of the said member at the Petty Sessions, held at Llanelly on the 30th day of June last, the said society be dissolved, and that such a proportion of subscription paid by the members therefore be refunded to each of them, as the funds will allow, on application to the secretary, and that he be requested to send a copy of this resolution to all absent members.”
Before 1840 the Llanelly Reform Reading Room was established at the Ship & Castle Inn (now the Stepney Hotel) in Park Street.
The President was William Chambers junior and there is little doubt that plans to establish a Mechanics’ Institute came from this new Reading Society.
At a meeting held at the Ship & Castle Inn on 1st February 1840 with William Chambers junior in the chair, the following resolutions were passed:
(1) The object of the Mechanics’ Institute is the intellectual improvement of its members by instructing them in Literature, and in the principles of the Arts and Science, excluding Theological and Political controversy.
(2) The means of attaining this object shall be:
i. By the Association of Tradesmen, Mechanics, and others, who, by the payment of the Yearly Sum of Eight Shillings, shall be admitted members of the Institution.
ii. By Donations of Money or Property available to the purposes of the Institution.
iii. By a Reading Room and Library.
iv. By Classes for instruction in the various branches of Literature, the Arts and Sciences, etc.
v. The Delivery of Lectures and the Reading of Papers.
(3) That a Committee be now formed consisting of Forty members, with power to add to their number, Five to be a Quorum, to carry into effect the above Resolutions, by preparing a Code of Regulations for the government of the above Institution and of reporting on the best means of furthering its objects.
The meeting was adjourned to 21st February 1840 when the Committee was asked to submit its report. Despite the efforts of certain individuals, actually getting the institution up and running was a different matter.
1846 The newly formed Llanelli Mechanics Institute held its first meeting at the Town Hall in December which was chaired by Frederick Lewis Brown Esq. There were 70 members present which was a much larger number than most had anticipated. The Revd Thomas Roberts who was credited with originating the Society, Mr Richard Howell and the Revd J G Avery, addressed the meeting discussing the necessity of this type of institution and the merits of information and learning. They hoped that the class of people for whose benefit the Mechanics Institute had been formed, would promote the Society by subscriptions, attendance and support. Several people enrolled their names as members and a vote of thanks was given to Mr Brown for his conduct in the chair. The meeting then closed and it was proposed to hold the first Lecture early in January of 1847.
1847 In January the Mechanics Institute was finally established in a chapel schoolroom behind the old Park Street Congregational Chapel. The schoolroom was only used as a reading room in the evening after school when the Revd David Rees and the Revd Thomas Roberts taught subjects ranging from English grammar to astronomy. Both Revd David Rees and Thomas Roberts were associated with Capel Als. A corner of the room was partitioned off as a library and books were just heaped in a pile with no semblance of order. Some of the books had been bought for the Institute but most were given by the Revd David Rees, the Buckleys, the Nevills and others who hoped the venture would be a success. The collection of library books covered a variety of topics and included quite a few outdated scientific books. The library remained small and the public, in general, did not make use of the facility that was the forerunner of the literary and scientific institution that was formed in 1856 with the establishment of the Athenaeum.
1850 The Public Libraries Act of Parliament was passed that allowed the people of a parish, however small to levy a rate of one penny in the pound to provide a library building. Not all local authorities took advantage of the new legislation and Llanelli was one of them. This lack of interest was probably because the new Board of Health had enough problems to cope with including, lack of proper sanitation, bad roads, inadequate markets, a poor water supply, the need to light the town, to mention just a few.
1854 During 1854 plans were submitted for a new building to house the proposed new library and three sites were considered by the committee set up to oversee the project. A site adjoining the South Wales Pottery, on land belonging to William Chambers was one of the three sites considered by the committee and the rates were reported to be £20 per acre. The committee reported that plans and drawings had been received from the architect and there was every possibility that the matter would proceed immediately. Funds were raised by public subscription to build a literary, scientific institution, which became known as ‘The Athenaeum’. The original Llanelly Athenaeum Trustees included: Richard Thomas Howell; James Buckley; John Pasley Luckraft; William Thomas and William Henry Nevill.
1855 The Cambrian of 30 November announced in a brief notice the Sale of the Pemberton Estate on 2 November 1855: "Llanelly Athenaeum - We are informed that the contract for the erection of this Institution has been signed and that it is to be completed by October next."
During construction of the Athenaeum two workmen were injured when part of the scaffolding gave way and they fell to the ground from a considerable height. One workman named John Jones sustained a fractured thigh and the other workman sustained a broken arm. Both men were taken to their respective homes and medical assistance was immediately obtained.
1856 Richard Janion Nevill died in January and a meeting was held at the Town Hall on Wednesday 6 February 1856, where it was Resolved: "That a Memorial to Richard Janion Nevill should be established and funding should be by public subscription. The following gentlemen were appointed to the Committee and five of them should be a Quorum:
Rees Goring Thomas Snr Esq;
John Hughes Rees Esq;
Rees Goring Thomas Jr Esq;
Rev. Ebenezer Morris;
Rev. David Edward Williams;
Rev David Morgan Rees;
Rev David Rees;
Rev Richard Hancock;
Rev William Hughes;
Rev John Rhys Morgan;
Rev John Thomas;
Rev James Davies Thomas;
Rev Thomas Davies;
Rev. Morris Evans;
Mr James Buckley;
Mr Benjamin Jones;
Mr Frederick Lewis Brown;
Mr Richard Thomas Howell;
Mr Richard Bevan Jones;
Mr Anthony Temple Tate;
Mr Edward Bagot;
Mr William Thomas;
Mr John Pasley Luckraft;
Mr Richard Glascodine;
Mr John Stanley;
Mr Henry Thomas;
Mr Thomas Lewis Howell;
Mr Benjamin Thomas;
Mr John Kirkhouse Cook;
Mr Apsley Smith;
Mr John Edward Morgan;
Mr Henry Jones Evans;
Mr John Smith;
Mr Samuel Bevan;
Mr William McKiernon;
Mr John Hall;
Mr John Thomas;
Mr William Willams;
Captain Thomas Roberts;
Captain John Samuel;
Captain Simon Samuel;
Henry Jones Evans, Esq., of Llanelly Bank (Wilkins & Co., branch of Brecon Old Bank), was appointed Treasurer and Mr Frederick Lewis Brown, Mr Richard Thomas Howell and Mr Richard Bowen were appointed Secretaries."
1856 At a meeting of the Committee held at the Town Hall on the 13th February it was Resolved: "That the erection of a Building for a Savings Bank with a room for the use of Benefit Societies and a Portrait to be placed in some public building, are appropriate Memorials to the late Richard Janion Nevill." Subscriptions ranged from £50 to 10s 0d.
Originally the Athenaeum and the Nevill Memorial were separate projects but they eventually formed part of the same structure which houses Llanelli Library today.
The original Trustees of the Llanelly Athenaeum project purchased property from the Pemberton family on 2 April 1856. The Athenaeum was erected on the site of the Pemberton Mansion where the Llanelly Reading Society had held their meetings more than fifty years previously.
On 5 December the committee resolved to offer a premium of £10 for the best design for a building (the Nevill Memorial) which was specified as consisting of "one room of an area of 1,250 square feet for the use of Benefit Societies, etc., Room for Saving Bank, Room for Committees and three rooms for housekeeper, with conveniences for the whole."
1857 In February the Committee encountered difficulties securing a suitable site for the Nevill Memorial and it was decided to send a letter to landowners asking if they would be prepared to grant “the freehold of a suitable piece of ground not exceeding a quarter of an acre.” Their application to landowners was not successful and they were forced to take another avenue of approach.
The money collected by public subscription from rich and poor alike was only enough to pay for the building of the Athenaeum. The new prestigious accommodation described as having "in addition to two fine rooms and a capacious vestibule on the ground floor, there is on the second storey a large Assembly Room in which lectures, concerts, etc., will be given", did not have any furniture or fittings.
On Thursday 24 September marquees were erected in Llanelly Park for a ladies committee which had organised a Grand Bazaar to raise funds for equipment. The following day (Friday 25 September) the weather was unsettled and threatened to disrupt the fund-raising event. The committee decided that the new Assembly Room should be used instead, so the Grand Bazaar, which raised £140, was the first event to take place in the new building.
1858 On 25 January William Henry Nevill of Llangennech Park organised a ball in celebration of the official opening of the Athenaeum which was attended by 70 guests. Dancing commenced at 9.30 pm and continued until 6 am the following morning. The supper was provided by Mr & Mrs Eynon of the Thomas Arms and Mr Ribbon s band provided music for the polkas, quadrilles and waltzes.
1858 The Athenaeum was described as "A neat and substantial structure situate in the centre of the town. The lecture room was capable of containing a large number of persons and the whole edifice was admirably adapted for the purposes intended. In addition to the large room several convenient offices were attached, designed for the formation of classes etc., so essentially necessary for the working classes to be instructed in and which would prove one of the most attractive features of the institution’. It was hoped that there would be enough room for the Chamber of Commerce and the Mechanics Institute.
1859 The Athenaeum had 300 books of which "11 were in weekly circulation2.
1860 The Mechanics Institute and its small library had stayed in the chapel schoolroom for 13 years until it moved to the recently completed Athenaeum.
On 23 April at a meeting of the Nevill Memorial Committee it was resolved that the Athenaeum Trustees should be approached and asked if they would be prepared to give permission for the Memorial building to be built on land adjacent to the Athenaeum.
1863 At a meeting of the Memorial Committee held on 7 August it was reported that Mr C R Robinson proposed to exchange land he held at the Wern for land held by Colonel Cowell Stepney which was adjacent to the Athenaeum. Mr Robinson agreed that he would bear the cost involved in exchanging the land and he would confer this land on the Committee to allow them to build the Memorial next to the Athenaeum. Additional funds were raised and the Nevill Memorial Hall was added to the Athenaeum as a mark of respect to the industrialist Richard Janion Nevill who had died in 1856 at Llangennech Park.
The Athenaeum was not only home to the Chamber of Commerce and the Mechanics Library it also provided accommodation for meetings, celebrations, exhibitions, theatre and a variety of events from celebrating the marriage of the Prince of Wales in 1863, to a grand concert under the patronage of Lieutenant-Colonel Cowell Stepney in November 1863.
On 19 August an Art School was established in the Athenaeum and the Guardian and County Advertiser carried advertisements for:
MESSRS ACE AND SONS
AT THE ATHENAEUM
Vignette Portraits at 10 for 10/-
SACRED AND SECULAR CONCERT
Given by the
Music Class of the Mechanics Institution
Tickets 2/- Reserved 1/- Front 6d Back
Note Because the concert was organised to raise enough money to buy a piano the tickets were not cheap.
1864 The Athenaeum School was established and later moved to premises close to Tabernacle Chapel.
The Mechanics’ Institute was firmly established in the Athenaeum and the operating expenses were only £211 0s. 0d; £31 3s. 3d. was spent on new books and £40 1s. 0d. was spent on newspapers and periodicals. The stock consisted of 1,516 volumes and books issued during the year totalled 5,269. There were 429 subscribers and the total income was £217 0s. 0d.
During February the Memorial Committee invited tenders and in their following meeting of 2nd April 1864 they considered tenders ranging from £1,330 to £949 16s.7d. The lowest tender submitted by Douglas and Company of Llanelli was amended to £965 because of minor alterations to the plans.
The architect was James Wilson from Bath who had designed other important buildings in Llanelli.
The foundation stone of the Nevill Memorial was laid by Mrs Charles William Nevill on 16 July and Richard Thomas Howell expressed his regret that the project had been delayed.
1865 The Nevill Memorial project had been delayed for many reasons including the fact that Douglas and Company had failed to complete the contract. David Jones took on the contract, but the following year was bankrupt.
1866 David Jones who had then taken on the contract was reported at a meeting held on 30 January 1866, to have ‘decamped and is now a bankrupt’.
A piece of land, adjoining the Athenaeum containing 8 perches, was assigned to William Henry Nevill, William Thomas, John Pasley Luckraft, James Buckley and Richard Thomas Howell, as joint tenants for the Memorial Hall for 10/-.
In a letter dated 16 February architect, James Wilson of Bath recommended that a respectable builder be employed to complete the work and John Thomas of Llanelli was appointed on 3 April.
In a document dated 29 December the Nevill Memorial building was conveyed to the Local Board of Health upon trust to be used for: Savings Bank; Benefit Societies; Llanelly Mechanics’ Institute; Museum and Library and Accommodation for a Curate. If any or all of the above should fail then the Local Board of Health and its "Successors and Assigns" had authority to use the Nevill Memorial "for other Public purposes".
1867 Hopes were high that the Nevill Memorial would soon be completed and that the Mechanics’ Institute would be provided with a new reading room for its members. It was obvious to anyone using the Athenaeum that the present accommodation for the Mechanics’ Institute was too small.
The Local Board of Health issued an advertisement announcing that the club room in the Memorial Rooms was ready and applications were invited from Friendly Societies and Clubs. There was no official opening which was probably due to the fact that there had been long delays in completing the Memorial and a grand opening would have caused embarrassment all round.
1867 Because the use of the Nevill Memorial was governed by the terms of the Trust Deed activities in the building were restricted to those set out in the conveyance. On the other hand the Athenaeum was used for a variety of activities including: Schools; Dancing Classes; Grand Balls; Music Hall; Variety Bioscope Shows; Musical Evenings Lectures; Picture Shows and Auctions.
During this period the library was neglected and housed in inadequate accommodation on the ground floor.
1877 The Athenaeum School transferred to a new building in Coleshill Terrace alongside Tabernacle Chapel. The date of 1877 is inscribed on the front wall of the building:
The Athenaeum School
THE PARK LLANELLY
(Established 1864. Removed from Athenaeum Hall to
School Premises near the Park 1877)
Mr ROBERT LINN, Head Master
CHRISTMAS QUARTER begins on 1st October
Pupils prepared for the Matriculation, Examination of
The London University, and for the several Public Examinations
3 Mina Street, Llanelly
30th September 1880
1880 By Order of the High Court made by Mr Justice Chitty the Athenaeum Trustees were empowered to convey the Athenaeum Building and Site to the Local Board of Health.
1883 On 20 February the Athenaeum Trustees conveyed the Athenaeum to the Board of Health on the same conditions as they were held by the trustees, which limited the use of the building. To raise funds for the purchase the Board of Health sold part of the town estate to the London and North Western Railway Company. The Trustees were paid £1,450 of which £1,200 was used to pay off the mortgage and balance was retained by the Trustees.
Although the Board of Health controlled all the buildings on the Vaughan Street site the Mechanics Institute still retained control of the library service which had been housed in the Athenaeum since 1860.
1891 Membership of the Mechanics Institute was 851. Although 16,769 books were issued the annual income was only £245 and nothing had been spent on new books. The only expenditure on books was a total subscription to Mudie’s Lending Library of £14 14s. 5d. and £51 10s 0d was spent on newspapers and magazines.
1895 The first Intermediate Boys School was opened using the Nevill Memorial for the main body of the school for about two years. More than 60 pupils attended and when the numbers increased the Athenaeum dressing rooms were pressed into service. The chemistry laboratory was housed where the Reference Library was established much later.
1897 During April, discussions took place in the Mechanics Institute about ‘a free library’ service being established and Llanelly Urban District Council (formed as a result of the Local Government Act of 1894) adopting the Public Library Acts. There had been a growing movement supporting the proposals and Mr Ballinger (the Librarian from Cardiff who later became the first Librarian of the National Library of Wales), had visited Llanelli and given a favourable report. At the April meeting the Revd H Elvet Lewis proposed that Llanelly should adopt the Free Library Act, and a lively, heated debate took place.
There were other meetings during the year and finally in November it was agreed by 13 votes to 2 that the necessary notice regarding the adoption of the Acts should be placed in the local press that week.
Around this time Jonathan Boulton became the Librarian having already been connected with the library for about 12 years.
1898 The Free Library Acts were adopted in Llanelli from 1 January and the Mechanics Institute formally transferred responsibility to Llanelly Urban District Council. A Saturday was chosen for the official transfer and the public showed that there was a need for this service when the new free library was crowded with readers. It became clear that there was a desperate need for additional accommodation. The main obstacle for the new library was that under the Acts there was still a restriction of a penny rate in the pound for expenditure.
1900 Although there was a restriction under the Library Acts to 1d in the £1 local authorities could take powers to increase the rate or remove all the limitations by promoting a Local Act. Some Local Authorities had either removed the rate limitation completely or raised it to 3d.
From 1900 to 1909, the original idea that the Athenaeum should be used to improve moral and intellectual values, seems to have been lost in the mists of time because music hall-type entertainment was the main activity. Mr Jonathan Boulton, the Librarian, acted as hall manager and wrote to many entertainers including:
Sid Macaire – the mystical merry maker, conjurer, humorist & ventriloquist; Alice Liebmann – the celebrated violinist; Fabbro’s Bioscope and Vaudeville Company; Douglas and Gordon – the Caledonian Comedy Couple; Sydney Bach – the Welsh Lady; the Brilliant Corrick Family of Entertainers; the Closter-Grime Opera Company with a repertoire of 17 operas from Carmen to Shamus O Brien; and Dome – the original comedy clay modeller.
1901 The Librarian also contacted many other entertainers who appeared in Music Halls all over Britain.
1907 Total expenditure for the library was £341 with £184 being spent on books, periodicals and sundries.
1909 In July Sir Emile Algernon Arthur Cowell Stepney (by now plain Mr A C Stepney having given up his title) died in America and the Daily Chronicle made the comment: "It cannot be said that Sir A C Stepney recognised his obligations to the town from which he derived so large a revenue."
The Chronicle failed to print a letter from the Librarian, but it did appear in the Llanelly Guardian: “For many years Sir A C Stepney took a keen and practical interest in the old Mechanics Institute, and more lately the Free Library . . . We owe to him our exceptionally large collection of music. Not long ago he sent us very many of the newest technological and scientific works, the price of which was far more than we could afford . . . In this prosperous town there are other landowners, many opulent manufacturers and prosperous colliery proprietors. In the last 30 years at least to the public library the united gifts of all these gentlemen are not 1/10th of those received from Sir Arthur.”
The large music collection, of mainly standard works, donated by Sir Arthur still forms a valuable part of the collection of music which is available to the townspeople today.
On 7th October 1909 the Llanelly & County Guardian and South Wales Advertiser announced that the Athenaeum would be turned into a ‘Picture Palace’.
1910 In October Mr T H Samuel took a lease on the Athenaeum Hall at a rent of £4 per week plus gas for his Bioscope (cinematographic apparatus or theatre) Entertainments. The Grand Opening Week started on 11 October and the Picturedrome advertised:
MAIN PICTURE
A Grand Dramatic Representaion of
NERO & THE BURNING OF ROME
SUPPORTED BY
Hamlet, Shakespearean Production
&
Miles of Other Pictures, Humorous and Pathetic etc. etc.
ALSO
A Grand VARIETY COMPANY of Refined
Artists
ADMISSION: CHAIRS 9d. BODY OF HALL 6d GALLERY 3d
Two Saturday Matinees Children All Parts 2d.
The early 20th century was the time of silent pictures and the Picturedrome was a favourite with the townspeople, young and old alike, with hundreds making it their regular Saturday entertainment venue for the next ten years or so. Talking pictures did not arrive until 1929.
1911 Lectures were held in both the Athenaeum and the Nevill Memorial. This was the year of the Railway Strike and a well known lecturer on geological subjects, Mr H F Northcote, was advised to postpone his visit because of the general unrest caused when two young men were killed and four others wounded by soldiers who opened fire near the Railway Station.
1912 For the year 1912-13 the cost of the whole library service was only £486, even though larger numbers of townspeople used the service.
1913 It was obvious that private patronage could increase the range of material but the lack of funds restricted expenditure on accommodation available to the library users. This was of great concern to the Library committee during the early part of the 20th century. At a meeting held on 4 April 1913, it was resolved: "That the attention of the Urban District Council be drawn to the fact that the accommodation at the library and public reading rooms is quite inadequate to meet the requirements of the users, and it was recommended that the matter of increasing the accommodation be taken in hand without delay."
At a meeting held on 7th November 1913 the Librarian was instructed to obtain estimates from the Surveyor for the cost of:
(a) Purchase of land adjoining the Lending Department and erection of new premises;
(b) Acquisition of Chamber of Commerce Room;
(c) Diversion of staircase into Vaughan Street (entrance) throwing open vestibule and Chamber of Commerce room for library purposes;
(d) Complete surrender of the building for library purpose.
The latter would mean that the Picturedrome, which contributed more than £200 a year in rent, would have to vacate their accommodation in the large upstairs room.
1914 At the Borough Council meeting held in March it was decided to acquire the Chamber of Commerce Room (the newspaper room) but the proposal to acquire the whole of the building for library purposes was defeated. During this year various proposals for altering the building were mooted whilst the Town Clerk made enquiries about the possibility of assistance from the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust. In October the Town Clerk was instructed to apply for a grant of £8,000 to the Carnegie Trust who were prepared to make a grant of £6,500 which was conditional upon the following:
(a) That a site is provided without any charge whatever on the library rate. In this connection the Trustees are advised that a site facing the Town Hall would prove an admirable one;
(b) That the present 1d rate is increased to 2d. Unless . . . this amount is raised . . . income will not be forthcoming to provide an efficient library service . . . ;
(c) . . . When new premises are secured . . .the opportunity should be taken to reorganise the administration . . . and reinforce the existing book stocks and in particular, to strengthen materially the reference section of the library which is likely to play a part of increasing importance as the industrial activities of the Borough grow.
The Trustees also commented that during wartime it was not suitable for commencement of building works.
1919 Negotiations continued with the Carnegie Trustees but the Library committee decided to postpone any decision in view of the abnormal cost of building. The library committee did recommend that the Borough Council take the earliest steps to secure the legal right to impose a 2d rate.
The Public Libraries Act was passed and all limitations on expenditure were removed.
1920 Jonathan Boulton was still the Librarian when the Lending Library was moved to the first floor Nevill Memorial Reading Room (now the Reference Library) which was then a rundown Museum and Newsroom. The Lending Library (on the recommendation of Jonathan Boulton) became an Open Access Library where the public could go to the shelves themselves to choose their own books. Previously borrowers had to rely on an indicator which showed (or should have shown) whether a book was ‘in’ or ‘out’ and a member of staff brought the book to the borrower. The cost of implementing the change was £45 exclusive of labour and the lending library was closed whilst the necessary book cards and pockets were prepared.
Small improvements were made during this period but the accommodation was definitely inadequate.
1924 The Carnegie Trustees were prepared to increase their offer to £7,150 but the Borough Council had to decline because the grant was for a new building.
A decision was made to ask the Trustees if they would be prepared to make a grant towards converting the whole of the Athenaeum Hall for Library purposes. The Trustees agreed in principle on condition that an inspection was made and their adviser submitted his report.
1925 During 1925-1926 total expenditure on the Library service was still quite low at £1,155 4s. 10d. Expenditure on books was £89 11s. 7d. and on periodicals was £126 4s. 0d. (The curious imbalance was probably due to the strong tradition of the reading room that had been set in the days of the Mechanics Institute).
The Carnegie Trust adviser was Mr H A Gold who made a favourable report and during October, tenders that had been received, were forwarded to him.
The alterations which cost just over £10,000 involved structural alterationsand re-siting the departments:
First Floor - The adult lending library occupied the old Athenaeum Assembly Rooms and Reference library occupied the old Nevill Memorial Reading Roomswhich had housed the lending library from 1920. Accommodation for the librarian and his staff.
Ground Floor - The newspaper room occupied the room on the left of the vestibule and the magazine room occupied the room on the right of the vestibule. The children’s library occupied the old newsroom at the rear of the ground floor.
1926 The Carnegie Trust gave a grant of £7,150 and the Borough Council borrowed the remainder. Messrs Benjamin Howell and Son Limited of Llanelli were awarded the contract for the work which radically redesigned the building to make better use of the space that was available. It was during these alterations that the elaborate portico was removed.
The opening ceremony was performed by the Mayor, Alderman J L Jones on 27 October 1926.
1927 The expenditure on the Library service had jumped dramatically in 1927-28 when it was £2,078 13s 10d - equivalent to a 2d rate (the rate that the Carnegie Trustees said should be spend as a minimum). £348 4s 0d was spent on books which represented just over 2d per head per year, equivalent to the price of a seat in the Saturday matinee at the Picturedrome.
1928 During the time that Jonathan Boulton remained as Librarian expenditure and advances in the library service remained static.
1935 Overall expenditure during 1935-1936 was £2,384 18s 0d and the amount spent on books was £373 4s 10d.
Jonathan Boulton retired after being connected with the Llanelli Library service for more than 50 years. Although he had been Librarian for 38 years and served the town conscientiously, Mr Boulton was not a fully trained Librarian. This was not unusual because when he was appointed, along with many others all over the country, it was not considered necessary for Librarians to be professionally trained.
Following Mr Boulton’s retirement the Borough Council decided to appoint a professional librarian and Mr J E Thomas who had been trained in Cardiff Public Libraries took up his duties in November 1935. During the 1930s Cardiff Public Libraries trained many Librarians who later took up posts as Chief Librarians in towns throughout England and Wales.
1935 During December the new librarian held two committee meetings and it was immediately obvious that his professional touch would be of great benefit to the Library service.
1936 A telephone was installed and Mr Thomas, backed by the Library Committee, gradually modernised the Library service and raised the standards.
1940 The Reference Library was improved beyond all recognition with the best use of finances being made to build up a basic reference library stock.
1945 It was not until after the Second World War that the public library service was able to claim undisputed right to use all the rooms in the Athenaeum and the Nevill Memorial.
1949 Harold Prescott was appointed Librarian and following his departure from Llanelli Mr Thomas took up a post as City Librarian for Cardiff. The local library service continued to expand under the direction of Harold Prescott, who continued to build on the strong foundation established by Mr Thomas.
1950 The Gramophone Record Library was established.
1951 Although all the rooms in the Nevill Memorial came into public library use in the late 1940s the Library’s sole right to them was established in 1951 by the Town Clerk.
A Hospital Library service was set up in October for four local hospitals.
1957 The Film Library of movie and still films was set up as a visual local collection archive.
1961 A Medical Library was set up.
1969 Because it was not possible to make any further adjustments it was decided to start building an extension the following year.
1970 Many proposals were put forward to alleviate the need for additional accommodation for the Library. Property developers had been eager to secure the prime town centre site and would have placed the Library service on the upper floors of a building in which the ground floor would have been a commercial development which would have meant that during the period of the lease the Library would not have been able to expand. Suggestions were also made that the Library should be built on a completely different site. It was felt that the Athenaeum and Nevill Memorial Buildings had been erected by public subscription and were intended for purposes which the public library service had assumed responsibility. There had been a continuity of use for the public good for more than 115 years and it was felt only right that it should be preserved.
1972 The official opening of the new extended and remodelled Llanelli Public Library was performed by The Right Honourable Viscount Eccles KCVO, Her Majesty’s Paymaster General with Responsibility for the Arts on Wednesday 19 April 1972 at 12.30 pm. Many local dignitaries attended the event.
The architects were Llanelli Borough Council Architect’s Department (Borough Architect R B Mowbray, ARIBA);
Consultant Quantity Surveyors were G T Francis ARICS of Swansea (in collaboration with the Borough Architect’s Department);
Main Contractors were Messrs J and P Zammit Limited of Llanelli.
At 12.15 pm guests started to arrive at the Nevill Memorial Hall, including the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Public Library Committee and the Right Honourable Viscount Eccles.
The Mayor extended a welcome to the gathering and called upon Councillor Dewi H R Jones, Chairman of the Public Library Committee, to introduce the Right Honourable Viscount Eccles and invite him to address the assembly and to declare the extension to the Public Library open.
The Mayor’s Chaplain the Rev. E Morgan dedicated the building and Councillor Harry Morris BRM JP moved a vote of thanks.
The Mayor then invited Viscount Eccles to unveil a plaque to commemorate the occasion and guests were invited to inspect the premises.
At 1.30 pm there was a reception at the Glen Ballroom (formerly The Ritz), followed by a luncheon at 2 pm.
1973 Many benefactors have given books and other items of interest to the library over the years and a valuable collection of first and signed editions was donated by Theodore Nicholl who had been born in Llanelli in 1902. He was the son of D W Nicholl the Welsh rugby international and a descendant of the Welsh poet, Sir Lewis Morris. Theodore Nicholl was the grandson of Jeremiah Williams who had been appointed Agent to the Stepney Estate in 1895. When his parents died he lived with his grandmother and his aunt at Greenfield Villas in Murray Street. He attended Llanelly Grammar School, which was in Marble Hall and later moved to London where he was a successful novelist, poet, critic, lecturer and journalist.
1983 Harold Prescott retired as Librarian and Mr David Griffiths was appointed.
1984 It was estimated that by 1985 the Library and its branches held more than 370,000 books, 3,000 maps, 11,000 local history items and 17,000 recordings on record or cassette. It was also estimated that the library purchased more than 670 different periodicals.
1996 With the Local Authority reorganisation Llanelli Borough Council ceased to exist and David Griffiths, the Borough Librarian, became Cultural Services Manager for Carmarthenshire County Council. Richard Davies was appointed Llanelli Regional Library Manager.
2001-2007 Further modernisation of the building took place and the the inclusion of an IT suite has ensured that the Library is able to offer the most modern facilities to the people of Llanelli.
Source
Information taken from a souvenir Programme prepared by Harold A Prescott FLA, Borough Librarian, who retired in 1983 and produced in 1972 to mark the official opening of the extended and remodelled Public Library.
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Page updated Saturday August 04, 2007