William Roderick was born in 1738 and lived at Myddynfych, Llandybie, Carmarthenshire. As early as 1770 he is known to have been involved in Llanelli’s developing coal industry. As an Agent to Lord Dinefwr and the Alltycadno Estate of the Clayton family, he knew the potential of the partly developed coalfield.

William Jones (who later became William Roderick’s father-in-law), was the son of the Lord of the Manor of Gurrey. Sometime during 1762, William Jones, described as a Tanner, leased Cilsaen Ucha, east of Llangathen village on the west banks of the Myddyfi near to its confluence with the Tywi. In the late Middle Ages, Cilsaen Ucha was the home of Rees ap John ab Owen, a descendant of Ideo Wyllt.

In the 16th century, Cilsaen Ucha, an estate of 49 acres and Cilsaen Issa, 97 acres, had been part of the vast estates belonging to the Vaughans of Golden Grove. A stone in the building of Cilsaen Ucha was inscribed ‘WJ 1762’ which would seem to confirm that it was once the home of William Jones who was granted a further lease 20 years later.

In 1784 William Jones’s daughter Sarah married William Roderick of Myddynfych, in Llangathen Parish Church. That same year William Roderick, is said to have left Llandeilo for Llanelli with his partner Griffith Bowen.

Griffith Bowen and William Roderick were related by marriage. Griffith Bowen’s daughter Ann, married William Jones, Sarah Roderick’s brother which made William Roderick brother-in-law to William Jones.

William Roderick and Griffith Bowen obtained substantial coal leases for land under Llanerch, Talsarnau and the Wern districts of Llanelli, from Sir John Stepney. The partnership also took over the collieries opened by John Allen.

William Roderick was ambitious and planned to erect copper or iron works, construct waterways and canals and to install engines to drain his colliery workings.

Mentioned in a lease dated 13 February 1790, are John Philipps, gentleman attorney of Llandilofawr, William Roderick, gentleman, of Myddynfych, Carmarthenshire, Brynhafod and Brynhafod Mill in Llangathen Parish. The lease was granted for the lives of the lessee, Sarah (William Roderick's wife), and their daughters, Sarah and Mary Anne.

William and Sarah Roderick had several children and for some time they lived at Brynhafod, Llangathen

1. William (1), born 17 October 1784, died on 2 December 1784.

2. Sarah, said to be have been born in March 1785, but in all probability was born in March 1786. Sarah never married and died in March 1814.

3. Mary Anne was born around January 1887.

4. Margaret was born on 23 September 1788.

5. William (2) was born in 1790 later to became the first Clerk to the Trustees to the Burgesses in 1810.

6. Thomas Roderick was born at Llangathen on 2 July 1792 and married Ann Challoner. It was their son William Roderick who married Maria Buckley and later became Manager of the West of England and South Wales Bank, which was the forerunner of Barclays Bank PLC, in Vaughan Street.

7. David, born 17 August 1794, died as a young boy, after a fatal accident, caused by swinging on a Church gate.

8. Frances born 2 February 1801. She married John Davies, an Attorney, and they lived at Bradbury Hall.

9. Elizabeth, who married George Thomas.

William Roderick was anxious to exploit his resources and his connections with Thomas Bowen, a local industrialist with considerable knowledge and expertise working the Llanelli coalfield. Roderick persuaded the 79 year old Thomas Bowen to consider entering into a partnership with him and it was finally agreed that Bowen and his widowed daughter Margaret Griffith would form a partnership with William Roderick.

The partnership re-opened a number of old pits previously worked by John Allen and possibly worked by Thomas Bowen himself. It invested heavily in their new coal mining enterprises but suffered several major setbacks, from which they were never to fully recover. However the English industrialists were arriving and they were to take a great interest in the partnership’s assets.

On 18 February 1804 William Roderick renewed his leasehold interest in Brynhafod, Llangathen, for the lives of his wife Sarah and his daughters Sarah and Mary Anne.

By 1805 Margaret Griffith (Thomas Bowen’s daughter and business partner), remarried. Margaret Griffith became Margaret Eaton, the wife of Henry Eaton, who later became one of the Trustees to the Burgesses and Collector of Customs in 1817.

The partnership of Roderick Bowen and Eaton that had started with such high hopes were troubled by flooding in their pits and were forced to end their involvement with Llanelli’s coal mining industry.

By 24 May 1808 William Roderick was heavily in debt – due to his involvement in other failed ventures – and was declared a bankrupt. The same year he was forced to advertise his leasehold interest in Brynhafod and Brynhafod Mill, for sale and it is more than likely that  he moved to Bradbury Hall at this time.

Although William Roderick was declared insolvent, he was not completely ruined, and he and his family lived at Bradbury Hall until he died on 10 May 1823 aged 85, after suffering much pain.

Marriage

1824/25 July Vicar Ebenezer Morris

Thomas Roderick and Anne Challoner

Note

This Thomas Roderick was the son of William Roderick (1738-1823) and father of William Roderick (1831-1882), Bank Manager, who married Maria Buckley (1837-1905).

Baptisms

 20 March 1825 Jane daughter of Thomas & Ann Roderick, Seaside

20 November 1831  (born 1 August) William son of Thomas & Anne Roderick, Seaside

Burials

16 March 1823 William Roderick of Town, age 85

12 April 1831 Elizabeth Roderick of Seaside, age 16 months

20 March1835  Sarah Roderick of Town, age 72

30 October 1837  Ann Roderick of Pembrey, age 12

20 October 1843 Ann Roderick of Burry Port, age 43

13 April 1857 Frances Davies of New Road, age 58

19 Sept. 1860 Sarah Roderick of Hall Street, age 32  (residence Pembrey)

11 April 1864  Margaret Roderick of Hall Street, age 76

26 August 1873  Thomas Roderick of Dan y Graig, Pembrey, age 81