Home   

Notable Businesses

J & P Zammit, Steeplejacks

Thousands of workers came to Llanelli during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century and many more came from far and wide at the beginning of the 20th century before the First World War of 1914-18. Some came to avoid persecution whilst others sought to seek their fortune and, in some cases, found ‘fame’ as well.

The story of the Zammit family starts in Malta in the latter part of the 19th century when young Jack Zammit, aged 11 years old, decided to leave his village of Zebbug to seek his fortune in pastures new.

His first job was as an assistant in a garrison canteen where he worked until he had saved a small amount of money, which was enough for him to make plans to take a ship to the Egyptian port of Alexandria with two friends. The three decided to take their chances in Cairo and walked there from the bustling Alexandria. Unfortunately, they ran out of money at Tanta and were forced to seek a night’s lodging in the local police station.

The following day the intrepid friends left Tanta and tried to hitch a ride on a train – but their attempt ended in disappointment when they landed themselves in a Cairo jail because they did not have enough money to pay for their fares.

As they were so young the British Consul was informed and they were told they would have to return to Malta. Young Jack had other plans for his future and managed to slip away from Cairo and made his way to Port Said. He worked as a dishwasher for a few years and was promoted to waiter by the time he was aged 15. But Jack had itchy feet again and with the help of a Naval Reserve book an acquaintance called Florentino had given to him and saying he was 21 years old he went to sea. Using the name ‘Florentino’ Jack signed-up as an ordinary seaman on a Norwegian tramp ship.

Like many other sailors before him his seafaring days brought him to the British coast and after sailing to various ports including South Shields and Cardiff he met and married a Welsh girl named Primrose. His new wife had friends at Llanelli and they decided to make the town their new home.

Jack, now able to use his own name, found work labouring at the local steelworks where he volunteered to paint the chimney stacks to augment his wages. The enterprising Jack agreed a rate for the job, which initially was no more than £1 per stack. This led to other work and over the years he was able to save money towards his own business.

The skyline of Llanelli was dotted with stacks and chimneys and his steeplejack business soon prospered until the outbreak of war when he, and other local employers, found they had a reduced workforce.

Jack was not the only enterprising member of his family, Primrose donned a pair of dungarees and joined him in the business. She was undaunted – even by ‘Stac Fawr’ belonging to the Copperworks, which was 325 feet high, the largest in Llanelli and the highest in Wales.

Primrose was a local celebrity and became a legend in her own lifetime, but after the war her illustrious steeplejack career came to an end when her husband decided she should remain with her feet firmly planted on the ground.

During the 1920s Jack’s steeplejack career came to an end when he was crushed between two cranes at the Bynea Steel Works. Always the businessman, by the time of his accident Jack and his indomitable wife, had laid the foundations for an engineering firm that became known as J & P Zammit. When the Copperworks closed the Zammits moved in and as they say the rest is history.

Jack Zammit, runaway, canteen assistant, sailor, labourer, steeplejack and construction engineer became a local councillor and was Mayor of the Borough during 1954-55. His construction firm J & P Zammit became involved with many projects as far apart as Llanelli and South Africa until it went out of business in 1974.