It is an interesting exercise to try to form a family history from the information that is available, and this has been attempted with Simon Mead who was one of many businessmen who came to Llanelli during the Industrial Revolution.

The first written information about Simon Mead and his family history was a record of the burial of William Mead, aged 11, who died at Glanmor in 1834. From this basic information it can be assumed that his mother and father probably married around 1821.

From the census of 1841 it can be seen that Simon Mead aged 44 was living at Field House, home of the Nevill family. By this time Richard Janion Nevill and family had moved to their new home at Llangennech Park (also shown by this census). The census also shows that Simon had a wife, Anne aged 38, and a son Joseph, aged 16. Their other son John, aged 12, for whatever reason was not at home on the evening of the census. It may be that he was away at school or staying with relatives.

Georgina Teague aged 19 was living with the family and she was described as of independent means and may have been a relative. Also living at Field House, Box Railway, was Charles Nevill, older half-brother of Richard Janion Nevill.

Records show that Anne Mead died in 1846 whilst she was living at Wellfield, New Road. The 1851 census shows that her husband Simon was an Assay Master and Accountant and that he was was born at Redruth in Cornwall. Their elder son Joseph was also born at Redruth and a later census shows that their other son John, was born at Mold, Flintshire.

Joseph Mead was 26 years old in 1851 and it is reasonably safe to assume that he was born at Redruth in 1825 or 1826. The youngest son John who had been born in Mold was aged 22 years in 1851, so it may also be reasonably assumed that he was born in 1829 or 1830. This information suggests that the family had left Cornwall after 1825 and before 1830.

As William Mead had died at Glanmor in 1834, the family must have moved to Llanelli between 1829 and 1834.

Charles Nevill died in 1845 and by the time Anne Mead died the following year the family had moved to Wellfield, New Road.

It can be seen from the records that Simon Mead had been involved with the Nevill family from the time he arrived in Llanelli. He had lived at the Nevill family home in Field House and was probably working at the Nevills’ Copperworks as an accountant.

On the 3rd December 1856 the Parish Register shows that 22-year-old Henrietta Mead, wife of Joseph for less than two years, was buried. She may have died in childbirth which was quite common in the 19th century. She  may have fallen victim to one of the many diseases that were rampant at that time.

Simon Mead and his younger son continued to live at Wellfield. The census of 1871 shows that he was now aged 74 and along with his son John (aged 44 and unmarried), were both Accountants at the Copperworks.

By the time the 1891 census was taken, Simon Mead had died and his son John Mead was still living in New Road and was aged 64. John Mead remained unmarried and was described as a ‘Merchant’s Accountant’, so it would seem that the family had severed connections with the Copperworks. It may well have been that when Charles William Nevill (who managed the Copperworks following his father’s death in 1856) died in 1888, John Mead decided to branch out on his own.

On page 44 of John Innes’ Old Llanelly – a book available from Llanelli Reference Library – we find “In 1896 Mr John Mead left £2,000 to the Hall Street English Wesley Chapel for completing the tower and other purposes. The tower was finished, and the freehold of part of the chapel and schoolrooms purchased with the money.”

This shows us that John Mead died in 1896.

So with a few details from existing records, available to any member of the public, it is possible to build up a profile of many of the families who were either living in Llanelli, or came to seek their fortune, during the Industrial Revolution.