Originally called the Llanelly Tinplate Works

Baptisms     Marriage     Burials

1851 The business of John S Tregoning & Company was established on 25 March 1851 by John Simmons Tregoning and his associates, the Bissoe Tin Smelting Company in Cornwall. John Simmons Tregoning had been involved in the metal merchant business in Liverpool for six years but because he had difficulty in obtaining tinplates against orders he decided to build his own works. He chose Llanelly because of his association with the Copperworks, which was the town’s chief industry at the time.

Tregoning decided on the Morfa site because he could make use of the River Dafen and the Llanelly & Llandeilo Railways.

Originally called the Llanelly Tinplate Works, the Morfa Tinplate Works started with two mills and a tinning plant and was managed from Liverpool until the Bissoe, Liverpool and Llanelli businesses came under one ownership. When this happened Liverpool became a branch office directed from Llanelli.

1857 A forge for manufacturing charcoal iron was added.

1861 A separate cold rolling plant was added.

1866 Llanelly Guardian, 18th October

MARRIAGE FESTIVITIES

Mr and Mrs Tregoning were met on their return from their wedding tour, by their workmen of the Morfa Tinworks, and escorted to their home, Bigyn House, followed by the Rifle Corps with flags flying, and cannons fired along Ann Street. The later lived at Highfield House.

1872 The original partnership ended and John Simmons Tregoning (junior) (son of the founder), became the managing director. He had lived at Llanelli but moved to Iscoed Mansion near Ferryside and set about remodelling and extending the plant, adding two new mills and cold rolls, a new tin house and a second forge. At the same time he arranged for 55 houses to be built near the works for his employees.

1878 The business passed entirely into the ownership of John Simmons Tregoning (junior) who traded as John S Tregoning & Son.

Around this time advances were being made in metal technology and steel was produced on a commercial scale which led to iron being replaced by steel as the basis for tinplate.

1885 One of the iron forges was replaced by a small steel plant comprising 2 Siemens open hearth acid furnaces with steam hammers, re-heating furnaces and a bar mill, which operated successfully until 1894.

1886 The old works which had been erected in 1851 was remodelled and a new mill engine installed, bringing the number of mills up to seven.

1897 The open-hearth system had to be abandoned when it became obvious that new methods of steel production demanded a bigger plant. A plant four to five times times larger was necessary and there was no room to expand on the existing site.

John Simmons Tregoning retired, handing over the reigns to his two sons, John S Tregoning and W E Cecil Tregoning.

1909 The sons ran the business until this time when John Simmons Tregoning died and the business was transferred to a private limited company with the children holding the whole share capital.

1929 The entire plant was remodelled and the finishing departments were converted to electric power. A new mill engine was installed capable of driving six mills (only five were erected) and the pickling and annealing department was then completely rebuilt and modern gas fired annealing furnaces were installed.

The plant had a capacity of about 5,500 boxes per week and was equipped for the production of coke tinplates in an unusually wide range of sizes including old process charcoal tinplate and full finished terne plates.

1936 The Tregoning family carried on the business until it became part of the Richard Thomas combine which also bought up many of the tinplate works in South Wales.

1936 Llanelly Star, Saturday January 25:

Morfa Works Transferred

Richard Thomas Company to Take Over

The 250 employees of the Morfa Tinplate Works yesterday received the following notice in their pay:-

J. S. Tregoning and Company Limited,

Morfa Tinplate Works,

LLANELLY

January 24 1936

Dear Sir or Madam,

For a considerable period it has been clear to our shareholders that in the difficult conditions in which world trade is now possible large manufacturing organisations enjoy many advantages not open to small units. We have, therefore, arranged to transfer the Morfa Works to Messrs R. Thomas and Company Limited as from the end of March and we earnestly hope and believe that this step will prove to be in the best interest of our work people and the district generally. In relinquishing our responsibilities for the management of the works we desire to express our gratitude for the very happy relationship which has existed between our work people and ourselves for a long period of years.

J. S. Tregoning and W. E. Cecil Tregoning

Directors

Llanelly Star, Saturday February 1 1936:

Link with Pioneer Days Broken

Tregoning Family and Tinplate Trade

The purchase by Richard Thomas and Company of the Morfa Tinplate Works as reported in the “Star” means among other things the virtual disappearance of the Tregoning Family from the Tinplate Trade. It is a severance of an old and honourable connection. The Tregonings have been among the pioneers of the industry in the Principality.

The Morfa Works was built in 1851 by Mr Octavius Williams for Messrs Tregoning and Company (Mr John Simmons Tregoning and his partners in the Bissoe Tin Smelting Company Cornwall). Two mills for tinning plant were erected in 1857 a forge for the manufacture of charcoal iron was added.

Interest in Public Affairs

In 1872 the original partnership was terminated and Mr J S Tregoning (Junior) took over the management. Both Mr J S Tregoning and his son were prominently associated with public life in Llanelly. In 1882 the former was the Chairman of the Urban Council while his son succeeded him in 1902. Both were keenly interested in Harbour affairs and sat on the Harbour Trust for several years.

Shares in the Bynea Steel

Several Works developments took place during the management of Mr Tregoning (Junior). In 1885 two steel furnaces and a bar mill were laid down and increased to five. Ten years later, however, the steel plant was abandoned.

In 1913 the Company became interested in the Bynea Steel Works purchasing the whole of the shares held by the St. David’s Tinplate Company Limited. The present directors of the Morfa Works are:

Mr John Simmons Tregonning; Mr W. E. Cecil Tregoning; Mr G. L. Tregoning; Mr W. L. Tregoning; Mr G. E. Tregoning (Secretary).

1939 As a result of the lease-lend arrangements during the war, American companies supplied tinplate to United Kingdom markets, which led to a sharp decline in the export market.

1942 The Morfa Tinplate Works, like many other local works, were forced close permanently.

1904 3 April George Edward Tregoning, son of William Edward Cecil, Tinplate Manufacturer and Annie Tregoning, South Hills, Old Road.

1908 10 December David Bevill, son of William Edward Cecil, Tinplate Manufacturer, and Annie Tregoning, Caeffair.

1909 4 December John Langford, son of William Edward Cecil, Tinplate Manufacturer, and Annie Tregoning, Warborough

1913 12 June Joan Monica, daughter of William Edward Cecil, Tinplate Manufacturer, and Annie Tregoning, Warborough

1911 5 August Margaret Joyce, daughter of Geoffrey Norris, Civil Engineer, and Dorothea Mary Tregoning, Brynhafod

1913 14 February Charles Elizabeth, son of Geoffrey Norris, Civil Engineer, and Dorothea Mary Tregoning, Brynhafod

1915 3 May Ronald Geoffrey, son of Geoffrey Norris, Civil Engineer, and Dorothea Mary Tregoning, Brynhafod

1917 7 April Roger William, son of Geoffrey Norris, Civil Engineer, and Dorothea Mary Tregoning, Brynhafod. Vicar: D. W. Morgan

1918 29 August Peter Norris, son of Geoffrey Norris, MNS Official, and Dorothea Mary Tregoning, Brynhafod. Vicar: D. W. Morgan.

1901 9 October William Edward Cecil Tregoning, aged 30, Bachelor of Bryn Hafod, Tinplate Manufacturer and Annie Phillips aged 26, Spinster of Llwyneithin

Witnesses: John Simons Tregoning, Gentleman

John Beavan Phillips, Gentleman, Manager of Lloyds Bank.

1884 11 October James Tregoning, aged 56, of 6 Greenfield Villas.

1893 13 May Annie Maria Tregoning, aged 59, of Greenfield Villas.

1917 10 April Roger William Tregoning, aged 1 day, of Brynhafod.