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Notable Houses in and around Llanelli

Pemberton Mansion

Adjacent to Llanelly House and known as New Inn and New Inn House

Marriage 1841     Census details, 1841 & 1851

Impression of Pemberton Mansion

Courtesy of local artist Millie Pugh

It is not known for certain when the Mansion House, situated where Llanelli Public Library is today, was built but it is known that when the Pemberton family came to Llanelli in the early part of the 19th century Ralph Stephen Pemberton made it his business base and his home.

Around 1796 a Mr Pemberton became friendly with Dame Mary Mansel, owner of the Stradey Estate. A few years later, in 1803, John Pemberton, a Barrister, advertised the fact that he had £20,000 available for industrial development. Pemberton formed an amicable relationship with William Roderick who was in severe financial difficulties and during 1803 the Pemberton family took over his some of his business interests.

By 1810 Ralph Stephen Pemberton, son of Richard Pemberton, was living at the Mansion House that became known as Pemberton’s Mansion or New Inn. Around this time a local literary society, known as the Llanelly Reading Society was formed by members of the town’s upper and middle classes and they met at the Pemberton Mansion. Members of this society later became founder members of the Llanelly Chamber of Commerce.

The family became actively involved in local business interests and started their own bank. They were known to be issuing their own bank notes from Pemberton Mansion in 1817, because The Cambrian reported that ‘Messrs Pemberton beg leave to inform the public that they have discovered a forgery of their guinea notes to a very trifling extent’.

Ralph Stephen Pemberton (of Llanelli) was High Sheriff in 1820, whilst he was living in the Pemberton Mansion

By 1828 the family had decided to sell their business interests and during 1829 they advertised the Llanelly Colliery for sale. Only Ralph Stephen Pemberton gave a Llanelly address as a contact for prospective buyers. George Bruin of Hermes Hill, Pentonville, London, purchased all the Pemberton industrial interests at Llanelli.

Around 1830 and following the Pemberton family’s financial problems they left the Mansion House and moved away from Llanelli and George Webb and his family moved in. By the time of the 1851 census the Webb family had moved to Furnace House.

Thomas Pemberton died in 1839, and his son William Francis Pemberton lived at New Lodge Pembrey. This is where William was living when he married Louisa, the daughter of John Brown, Attorney of Thomas Street, on 21 April 1841. William Francis Pemberton was described as ‘Gentleman’ and his bride was described as ‘Lady’ and they were living in Thomas Street when the 1841 census was taken. They must have returned to Pembrey sometime after 1841 because when Louisa died in June 1848 she was living at New Lodge. The 1841 census shows that a merchant by the name of William Webb was living at the Pemberton Mansion, known as New Inn House and Dr Thomas B Cook lived at the old Mansion House until he moved to Llanelly House around 1851.

Ralph Stephen Pemberton, who had lived at the Pemberton Mansion died on 22 February 1847.

In 1856 members of the Pemberton family, namely, Richard Lawrence Pemberton, of Barns in the county of Durham, Anne Mary Pemberton of York, Charles Richard Robinson, of Foston in Yorkshire, and his wife, sold the old mansion (renamed the ‘New Inn’), with its stables and yards, to the Trustees of the Llanelly Athenaeum. Pemberton Mansion was later demolished to make way for the Athenaeum.

Marriage [CPRO]

1841 April 21 William Francis Pemberton, Gentleman, of New Lodge (Father Thomas Pemberton) and Louisa Brown, Lady, of Thomas Street (Father John Brown, Gentleman, Attorney at Law).

Census details

1841 Church Street, New Inn House

George Webb 25 Merchant Not born Llanelly

Marian Webb Wife 20

William Webb Son 20

Mary Vaughan 20 Independent

Mary Griffiths 25 Female Servant

Anne Bailey 12 Female Servant

1851

Marian Webb Head 30 Ship Merchant’s Wife Grantham, Lincs

George H Webb Son 7 Llanelly

Martha Morgan 40 House Servant Haverfordwest

Sources

Llanelli Chronicles

Coalmining in the Llanelli Area, Vol. 1, 16th Century to 1829, Dr. M. V. Symons.

The Cambrian

Llanelly Guardian

Public Records Office

Trade Directories

UK Census