Industrialists

The Biddulph family

The word "Biddulph" is an old Saxon word which means "the community near the diggings".

The Biddulph family can trace their ancestry back to Henry of Over Biddulph before Edward I’s reign. Over Biddulph in Staffordshire is now called Overton.

The Llanelli connection with the Biddulph family is through Chauncey Townsend’s daughter Sarah who married the Reverend Thomas Biddulph and John Biddulph junior who married Emma Chambers, daughter of William Chambers Senior of Llanelly House.

John Biddulph (junior) was superintendent of the Llanelly Railway & Dock Company and manager of the Llangennech Coal Company.

Another member of the family with Welsh connections was Thomas Tregenna, Biddulph’s son Thomas Shrapnel Biddulph who was Prebendary of Amroth Castle in Pembrokeshire.

Thomas Tregenna and his son Thomas Shrapnel were related to Sarah Townsend by marriage. Sarah Townsend was Thomas Biddulph’s second wife. His first wife was Martha Tregenna, the daughter and co-heir of the Rev John Tregenna of Tregenna Castle in Cornwall. Thomas and Martha had a son Thomas Tregenna Biddulph who married Rachel Shrapnel daughter of Zachary Shrapnel and their son was known as Thomas Shrapnel Biddulph of Amroth Castle.

Important dates

Before 1757 Francis Biddulph (died circa 1800) had established a Banking House in London and during 1757 formed a partnership with James and Thomas Cocks and established the Cocks, Biddulph Bank.

1759 The Cocks, Biddulph Bank moved from St Paul’s Churchyard to 43 Charing Cross, later called 16 Whitehall, where it remained until it was taken over by Martins Bank in 1919. Martins Banks later amalgamated with Barclays. The Cocks, Biddulph & Company Banking House also had links with Wales when it was the London Agent for the Carmarthen Bank and the Pembroke Bank.

1768 John Biddulph (senior) was born. He was the second son and not expected to inherit the family estate and spent time travelling, visiting India, the East and West Indies and serving on board a small craft as first, then second mate.

1786 Thomas Biddulph of Padstow, Cornwall married Sarah Townsend who became his second wife.

1797 John Biddulph Senior married Augusta Roberts who brought a considerable fortune with her.

1802 Sarah Biddulph, widow of Rev. Thomas Biddulph, late of Padstow, Cornwall, Clerk, died on the 17th December.

1806 John Biddulph (junior, 1806-81) was born at Ledbury into a banking family.

1814 When his older brother Robert Biddulph died John senior inherited the Ledbury Estate and joined Cocks, Biddulph Bank as a partner.

1819 In September John Biddulph (junior) entered Harrow School and later left to become a student at Clare College, Cambridge.

1828 John Biddulph (junior) received a BA from Cambridge.

1829 John Biddulph (junior), with the help of his father, became involved in an iron works at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and at Deptford in south east London and his younger brother Ormus took part in the trial of a new steam powered locomotive engine at Liverpool. They were impressed to witness one engine operating at 30 mph whilst the engine they travelled on went at 28 mph. The trial heralded a new era of travel by train and the rapid expansion of the railway system. John Biddulph became interested in the railways because iron works were becoming increasingly involved in making rails for them.

1831 Robert Biddulph (older brother of John Biddulph junior), was MP for Hereford City and served in Parliament as a member for the Whig Party but lost his seat in 1837.

1832 John Biddulph (junior) first became associated with Llanelli and with the help of relative Benjamin Biddulph of Burghill, Herefordshire, he became manager of the Llangennech Coal Company.

1833 The Llanelly Railway & Dock Company built a tramroad, which wasoriginally worked by horses and known as the Dafen Branch. The tramroad was used to transport coal from Gelli Gille Farm to Machynys Pool. This line was also known as the St David’s Branch because it carried coal from St David’s Pit, which had opened in 1832.

John Biddulph junior who had moved to Plas Isaf (Plas Issa) Llangennech and his younger brother Francis Biddulph were preparing to open a banking establishment in Carmarthen.

1834 John Biddulph (junior) felt it was necessary to tender his resignation from the Llangennech Coal Company.

1835 The address of Biddulph Bros & Co was recorded as Quay Street, Carmarthen, with premises in Pembroke. They had been the London Agents for the Carmarthen Bank and the Pembroke Bank before both banks ran into financial difficulties.

An Act of Parliament was passed to allow the Llanelly Railway & Dock Co. line to be extended into Carmarthenshire and John Biddulph (junior) was employed as a superintendent for the Llanelly Railway & Dock Company. He was also made Brazilian Vice-Consul at Swansea and he was turning to business interests outside Llanelli.

1836 John Biddulph (junior) married Emma Maria, daughter of William Chambers (senior) of Llanelly House, Llanelli. There were no children from the marriage.

In March a grand dinner was given by the local gentry at the Thomas Arms Inn to John Biddulph (junior) and other promoters of the intended new railway to Llandeilo. George Bush described as an intelligent engineer had arrived in town for the purpose. William Chambers Senior presided with John Biddulph and William Chambers (junior) on his right and George Bush and Thomas Morris, a banker from Carmarthen on his right. The Rev Ebenezer Morris filled the chair at the other end. Mr Chambers toasted the New Llanelly & Dock Company and commented on the fact that it would be a great advantage to the town.

1839 The Llanelly Railway & Dock Company line between Llanelli Dock and Pontardulais was opened. By August the line was completed two miles to the north of Pontardulais and the branch line to Cwmamman was said to be ‘in a forward state of progress’ with a branch to Mynydd Mawr started.

By September the first cargo of anthracite coal was transported from Mynydd Mawr Colliery and shipped from the New Dock, Llanelli, to Brazil.

1840 John Biddulph (junior) became a partner in Cwmamman Colliery and the Llanelly Railway & Dock Company.

1842 John Biddulph (junior) seems to have had difficulty in concentrating on one business enterprise at a time and his volatile temperament did not endear him to colleagues or workers. By 1842 the Llanelly Railway & Dock Company was experiencing financial difficulties.

1844 On 15th March. The Trustees to the Burgesses granted a lease to John Biddulph of Swansea of 8 acres, 0 roods, 31 poles for a term of 99 years from 25 March 1843 at an annual ground rent of £63 11s. The land was to be used for the construction of messuages, erections and buildings, with necessary yards, courts, gardens and outbuildings etc., and with such streets and roads, as may be reasonably necessary.

1845 John Biddulph (junior) resigned as superintendent of the Llanelly Dock & Railway Company. He did retain an interest in the company but increasingly his business interests were outside Llanelli.

From 1845 to 1853 he acted as Agent for the Swansea branch of the Bank of England.

1848 John Biddulph was appointed to oversee management of the Copper Miners’ Tin Plate Company Limited at Cwmafon which was experiencing financial difficulties. John Biddulph was appointed to manage the affairs of the Abercarn Tinplate Works in Monmouthshire that had also run into financial difficulties.

1859 On 3 September the Biddulph lease was amended and the land leased was reduced to 7 acres, 3 roods, 2 poles and the ground rent was reduced to £58 19s. During the course of development underleases were granted by John Biddulph to private individuals on the understanding that they would build on the land. However, there was no definite building plan and the terms of the leases varied from 69 years to 99 years.

1861 John Biddulph (junior) and his family lived at Derwen Fawr House, Swansea, and he described himself as an iron and tin manufacturer.

1863 A ceremony was held at Blackpill near Mumbles to mark the commencement of the extension to the Llanelly Railway from Pontardulais through Gorseinon and Dunvant to Swansea Victoria. Mrs Emma Biddulph, wife of John Biddulph and daughter of the late William Chambers (senior) cut the first sod on Wednesday 15 April 1863.

1867 Although John Biddulph (junior) had resigned as superintendent of the Llanelly Railway & Dock Company in 1845 he was still chairman in 1867 when the Llangennech Coal Company defaulted. Later, when the Llangennech Coal Company was taken over, it became known as the Llangennech Colliery Company.

1871 John Biddulph (junior) and his family had moved to Belvoir Place, later known as St Helen’s Road, Swansea. Biddulph’s business address was given as 5 Bank Lane, Swansea.

1876 John Biddulph (junior) formed a partnership with Wood and Jevons of Liverpool who owned the Briton Ferry Ironworks from 1871 to 1882.

1881 By this time John Biddulph held the offices of Deputy Lieutenant for Glamorgan and Justice of the Peace and had moved to a larger house near St James’s Church, Ffynnone, Swansea.

1881 John Biddulph (junior) died on 20th July at his London home, 37 Lowndes Square, London SW1 and was buried at Donnington Church near Ledbury.

1905 Over the years the Biddulph Lease had been assigned many times and on the 7th June it was vested in Mrs Kellan Jones, subject to all the under-leases granted by John Biddulph but with the benefit of the improved rents thereby secured.

1941 The last of the under-leases of the Biddulph Estate expired in September.

In the 21st century little of the Biddulph estate is recognisable, but the Biddulph Arms in New Street remains as a memory to a family involved in Llanelli’s industrialisation.