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Notable Houses in and around Llanelli

Caemawr Cottage

and

Plas Ucha, later called Glyncoed

Plas = a hall, mansion or palace

Ucha (Uchaf) = highest or uppermost

Caemawr Cottage, a picturesque thatched mansion, also described as a thatched wooden chateau, was once the home of Alexander Raby’s (senior) son Arthur Turnour Raby.

Alexander Raby (senior), lived at Furnace House and faced financial ruin because he mismanaged his business affairs. On 16 November 1809, at an auction at Garraway’s Coffee House, Cornhill, London, the leasehold of Cae Mawr Farm, and other business interests were advertised for sale. The financial crisis was only averted when The Llanelly Copperworks loaned Raby money. Arthur had decided to join his father as a business partner and during 1813 Arthur married Henrietta Smith, the daughter of a landowner in the West Indies. Arthur and Henrietta lived at Caemawr Cottage which was probably a converted farm house.

When the Raby’s business faced financial difficulties Richard Janion Nevill agreed to give financial assistance to maintain Caemawr Cottage as well as Furnace house.

Arthur Raby’s effects at Caemawr Cottage were advertised for sale in 1821, but he must have changed his mind about moving away, and continued in partnership with his father. However, Alexander Raby senior was forced to move away from Llanelli and assigned his business interests to Arthur.

A newspaper report of 29 May 1824 recorded that a fire had broken out at the home of Arthur Raby, Esquire, at Llanelly. Because the dwelling was thatched, the flames spread rapidly completely engulfing the property, which was totally destroyed in a short time. The newspaper also recorded that the furniture and effects were saved from the fierce fire, by the efforts and exertions, of the inhabitants. Although a great number of people were assembled not one single article was found to be missing.

John Innes, the local historian, in his book Old Llanelli, notes ‘It was burnt down one Sunday morning through the cook upsetting into the fire a frying pan containing fat.’

Although Arthur and his family lived at Cae Mawr when they were in Llanelli they also spent time in Swansea where he had business interests.

It seems that although the 1824 fire destroyed the wooden chateau it must had been rebuilt because Cae Mawr Cottage ‘the ex-residence of Arthur Raby’ was advertised for rent on 23 September 1826 in The Cambrian newspaper.

The Raby family later built Bryn Môr (where Alexander Raby junior and his family lived) on the site of Caemawr Cottage.

Sometime after 1827 Arthur Turnour Raby left Llanelli to live abroad, probably to avoid his creditors.

The Cambrian reported on July 31 1841 the death of Edward, son of Arthur T Raby at Bryn near Swansea, aged 15.

In 1889, Mr Benjamin Jones (Solicitor) of Goring Road, wrote about Caemawr and Brynmôr and recollected in Carmarthenshire Notes entitled Caemawr Cottage (Plas Villa) that:

‘Arthur Raby, Mr Alexander Raby’s [senior] son, lived in a pretty cottage, where now [1889] stands Glyncoed which was first used for the storage of oranges. This house burnt down in 1824 and instead of rebuilding the ruined cottage a new building was erected by the Rabys at Bryn Môr where Mr Alexander Raby [junior] Portreeve of Llanelly lived for many years.’

In 1891, known as Glyncoed, it was home for a short while for John Henry Rogers of the South Wales Tinplate Works and his family.

The Stradey Park Hotel now stands on the site of Brynmôr, the former home of Alexander Raby junior.

Following the death of Alexander Raby junior at Brynmôr in 1856 and his wife Jane at St Pancras, London, two years later, their home became the country residence of other local gentry.

By 1899 the name had changed from Brynymôr to Bryn-ar-y-môr and an advertisement appeared in the Llanelly Guardian of 20 July, for the sale of the ‘valuable residence and grounds.’

The beginning of the 20th century saw the disappearance of many of the local gentry families and the mansion was converted into the Bryn-ar-y-môr Hotel.

Stradey Park Hotel

Notes

Although Arthur Raby was said to reside at Cae Mawr Cottage The Cambrian newspaper Births Announcements reveal that of the five birth announcements for the Lady of Arthur Raby between 1814 and 1825, only one baby was born in Llanelli – the others were born at Swansea.

Bert Raby, a contemporary member of the Raby family, commented that ‘Arthur [Raby] certainly did move about quite a lot and it seems that his finances were uncertain. He was in Russia when he died in 1856.’

According to Francis Jones in Carmarthenshire Homes and their Families, 'Plas Ucha, later called Glyncoed, was once a thatched mansion, and the Raby family lived there.’