Pearse's Commercial Directory to Swansea and the Neighbourhood, for 1854

By Ebenezer Pearse

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Pearse's Commercial Directory to Swansea and the Neighbourhood, for 1854" by Ebenezer Pearse. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DigiCat
• Release date: Sep 16, 2022
• ISBN: 8596547326663

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Ebenezer Pearse

Pearse's Commercial Directory to Swansea and the Neighbourhood, for 1854

EAN 8596547326663

DigiCat, 2022

Contact: [e-mail]

Table of Contents

SWANSEA.

TO THE READER.

PEARSE’S SWANSEA DIRECTORY; 1854.

NEIGHBOURHOOD OF SWANSEA.

GOWER.

BLACKPILL, & C .

LANDORE.

LANSAMLET.

MORRISTON.

KETHENDAPANDAY.

WERN VADOG.

YNISTAWE.

NEWTON.

NORTON.

OYSTERMOUTH.

SKETTY.

SWANSEA VALLEY.

CLASSIFICATION OF TRADES.

Accountants.

Agents—Ship & Commission, &c.

Ale and Porter Merchants.

Auctioneers & Appraisers.

Architects.

Artists.

Bakers and Flour Dealers.

Barristers.

Basket Makers.

Baths.

Berlin Repository.

Blacksmiths.

Booksellers and Stationers.

Boot and Shoemakers.

Braziers.

Brewers.

Brick and Tile Makers.

Builders.

Butchers.

Cabinet Makers and Upholsterers.

Carpenters and Joiners.

Carpet and Fringe Warehouse.

Carvers, Gilders and Picture Frame Makers.

Chain Cable Makers, and Anchor Smiths.

Chandler.

Chemists and Druggists.

China, Glass and Earthenware Dealers.

Civil Engineers.

Coach Builders.

Coal and Culm Proprietors and Merchants.

Confectioners & Pastrycooks.

Consuls—Vice.

Contractors.

Coopers.

Copper Smelters and Manufacturers.

Copper Ore Merchants.

Cork Cutters.

Corn and Flour Merchants, and Dealers.

Curriers and Leather Sellers.

Dentist.

Dyers.

Earthen Ware Manufacturers.

Eating-House Keepers.

Farriers and Shoeing Smiths.

FIRE AND LIFE INSURANCE AGENTS.

Fishmongers and Dealers in Game.

French Polishers.

Fruiterers.

Furniture Brokers.

Grocers and Tea Dealers.

Hair Cutters.

Hardwaremen.

INNS AND HOTELS.

INNS AND PUBLIC HOUSES.

Iron and Brass Founders.

Ironmongers.

Law Stationers.

Libraries—Circulating.

Linen and Woollen Drapers, Haberdashers, Hosiers, &c.

Livery Stable Keepers.

Lock and White-smiths and Bellhangers.

Lodging House Keepers.

Malsters.

Marine Store Dealers.

Mast, Oar, Block, and Pump Makers.

Merchants.

Millers.—Corn.

Milliners and Dress Makers.

Musical Instrument, & Music Sellers and Tuners.

Nail Makers.

Nurserymen and Florists.

Outfitters and Clothiers.

Painters and Glaziers.

Paper Hangers.

Pawnbrokers.

Physicians.

Pilots—Licensed.

Provision Dealers.

Plasterers and Slaters.

Plumbers.

Printers—Letter-press.

Printers—Lithographic and Copperplate.

Professors and Teachers.

Rope and Twine Makers.

Saddle and Harness Makers.

Sail Makers.

Salt Merchants.

Schools.

Seedsmen.

Ship and Boat Builders.

Ship Chandlers.

Silversmiths and Jewellers.

Slate Merchants.

Solicitors.

Stone Masons.

Straw Bonnet and Hat Makers.

Surgeons.

Surveyors.

Tailors and Drapers.

Tallow Chandlers.

Tanners.

Tea Dealers and Drapers.—Travelling.

Timber Merchants.

Tinmen and Braziers.

Tobacconists.

Toy Dealers.

Undertakers.

Upholsterers.

Watch and Clock Makers.

Wheelwrights.

Wine and Spirit Merchants.

Wine and Spirit Vaults.

Weavers.

Woollen Manufacturers.

MISCELLANEOUS.

SWANSEA POST OFFICE, Fisher street, John Davies, postmaster.

Despatches.

CHURCHES.

DISSENTING CHAPELS.

LAW AND PUBLIC OFFICERS.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS, &c.

PUBLIC COMPANIES.

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC.

NEWSPAPERS.

THE CORPORATION.

Officers.

Police Force.

The Fire Brigade.

Town Porters.

LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH.

Officers.

MAGISTRATES.

Acting for the Hundred of Swansea.

For the Borough, of Swansea.

COUNTY COURT.

HARBOUR OFFICERS.

CUSTOM HOUSE.

OFFICERS OF THE POOR-LAW BOARD.

INFIRMARY.

BANKS.

PUBLIC CONVEYANCES.

The South Wales Railway Up Trains

South Wales Railway Down Trains

Vale of Neath Trains

Coaches and Omnibuses.

Carriers.

Steam Packets.

SWANSEA.

Table of Contents

Swansea

is most delightfully situated in the centre of the Bay to which it gives its name, near the junction of the river Tawe with the sea. The town is protected from the chilling influence of the north-west and north-easterly winds by two hills lying on either side, but freely receives those of the south, where it is open to the sea; and the soil being light and gravelly to a considerable depth, the air is both salubrious and agreeable.

Swansea justly claims to be the first and most important town in the Principality. It is the centre of commercial transactions of very great magnitude, and its status is proved by its having been selected for the Meeting of the British Association for the advancement of Science, in 1848. Few commercial towns have so admirable a sea-side available to the inhabitants, as that which extends from Swansea to the Mumbles, round the western margin of the bay.

The town is in general well planned and built, particularly in the newer portions, and the shops in the principal streets are in the most modern style. There are three churches and numerous chapels belonging to the various denominations of dissenters. The Castle is an object of principal interest to the antiquary; it is a fine old ruin, built in 1330, and is remarkable for the range of light arches surrounding the top of the massive quadrangular tower, and supporting the parapet which forms a connection with the turret at each angle. The Guildhall is a beautiful Grecian structure of Bath stone, and was greatly enlarged in 1848. The Royal Institution of South Wales, erected for literary and scientific purposes, is a most elegant structure, the museum and library of which are well worth a visit by strangers, who may obtain ready access by a note from any member. The Market Buildings are large and commodious, and well supplied with every kind of provisions, especially butter, poultry, fish and meat, besides other articles of almost every description. In the centre is a tower with a two-dial illuminated clock. Principal Market days—Wednesday and Saturday. The Grammar School founded by Bishop Gore in 1682, has been recently restored, and a new building in the Tudor Gothic style erected on a site at Mount Pleasant, commanding a most beautiful prospect of the Bay and surrounding Country.

There are also other Public Buildings of less importance, of which the following may be especially named,—Custom House, Theatre, Assembly Rooms, Police Court, House of Correction, Union Poor House Infirmary, National and British Schools, Railway Station, Docks, Piers, the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and Beau Nash’s Birth-place.

Next to the raising of coal, the most important trade carried on here is that of copper smelting. The circumstances that originally determined the settlement of cooper smelting in and around Swansea, are that it is possessed of an excellent and well-sheltered harbour, has an almost unlimited supply of the proper description of coal in the immediate neighbourhood, and is the nearest Welsh port of any rank to the Coast of Cornwall, from whence is obtained the principal part of the supply of copper ores. Some idea of the extent of the trade may be formed from the following particulars. The quantity of ore annually sent from Cornwall is about 150,000 tons, of the value of nearly £1,000,000. Irish, about 15,000 tons. Foreign—from Cuba, Chili, Australia, &c., about 50,000 tons: these contain about double the per centage of copper as compared with that of Cornwall, and are therefore proportionately valuable. This will give upwards of a million-and-a-half of money as the amount annually paid for ores alone. In addition to the copper works, there are extensive works for silver, iron, tin-plate, zinc, alkali, and patent fuel. Potteries, breweries, and ship building yards; and these together with bituminous, freeburning and stone coal are the articles which go to form the great export trade of Swansea. The imports are principally metallic ores, timber, flour, &c., &c.

Under these favorable circumstances, the shipping, the general trade, and the limits of the town have for many years past been greatly extended. In the coasting trade, the shipping has nearly trebled itself within about thirty years, whilst in the foreign trade the increase has been in a much greater ratio. The rate of increase in the population has been found to correspond with the general improvements of the town; in 1821 it was rather above 10,000, whilst it now amounts to nearly 35,000.

A great impetus was given to this part of the Principality by