Home   

Notable Houses in and around Llanelli

Westfa, Felinfoel

Westfa Sale 1906    Census details

Westfa pictured in 1960

Westfa in the village of Felinfoel was the home of Charles William Nevill, (1816-1888) eldest son of Richard Janion Nevill and grandson of Charles Nevill senior. Charles married Jane Davies of Swansea in 1841 and around 1845 Richard Janion Nevill living at Llangennech Park arranged for Westfa Mansion to be built for his eldest son. Before Charles married Jane he lived at Llangennech Park with his parents. After their marriage Charles and Jane lived at Glanmor (Field House) until their new home at Westfa was completed. Charles worked closely with his father as Manager of the Copperworks but was involved in shipping.

When his brother Richard married Mary Sophia Wills in 1849, the young married couple moved into another Mansion House which was built close to Westfa Mansion and known as Felinfoel House.

The 1851 census shows that Charles, his wife and young family had settled into their new home in the hamlet of Westfa.

During 1857 Charles and his brother Nevill contributed substantially sums of money to enable Holy Trinity Church at Felinfoel to be built. Many of the monuments to the Nevill family are in the church graveyard.

In 1873 Westfa, a grey stone mansion, overlooking the church, with the status of a squire’s domain was described as a commodious house of three floors containing 29 rooms, standing in 517 acres. The stone used to build the Mansion was said to be from Scandinavia and was brought to Llanelli as ballast by vessels bringing timber to Nevills’ Dock, and dumped in the area at Seaside, known as ‘The Ballast’.

Charles William Nevill, served as MP in 1874, died in 1888, aged 72 years, and the following year in 1889 a Sale was held to dispose of his freehold properties.

Gwilym Evans, younger brother of David Evans of Llangennech Park purchased Westfa and was living there around 1892. Gwilym was a local chemist who invented the formula for ‘quinine bitters’, a once famous national tonic. He came to Llanelli circa 1870 and traded as a chemist at 7 Stepney Street. In 1891 he was living with his wife at Penycastell House, but had moved before 1897. He was landlord of Castle Buildings (Penycastell).

By 1906 the Mansion had changed hands again when it was purchased by Evan Thomas and his son, who were farmers and butchers.

Over the next 50 years, Westfa was occupied by various organisations and provided accommodation for Belgian refugees in the first World War. The Second World War saw the mansion used as a safe haven for evacuees, and from 1944 to 1954 a local motor manufacturer held executive meetings in the grand accommodation

From 1954 to 1960 the mansion remained unoccupied until a building contractor, Mr Harry Flowers, of Furnace, bought the former home of the Nevill family and then rented the house to Fisher and Ludlow for use as a Guest House and meeting place for business executives.

The Mansion House was said to be built with Scandinavian Stone, but Gerald Grant (a Seasider who lived near ‘The Ballast') is dubious about this explanation. He queries that Scandinavian stone was carried as ballast in a timber ship. A loaded ship carries cargo (say timber from Sweden or Norway) and an empty ship carries “ballast” to enable it to settle lower in the water, which makes it more manoeuvrable in winds and sea. Mr Grant questions whether ships sailed either to Scandinavia with a ballast of stone or returned with a cargo of stone and timber. The ship’s owners and masters would ensure that they had full cargoes sailing to and from foreign ports for economic reasons. Also large ships would not have been able to dock in local docks which would not have been deep enough to accommodate the larger ships which would have had to moor in deeper waters near Whitford Lighthouse. The ‘ballast bank’ at The Flats, Sea Side, was made up of gravel sized peas and chalk. As a lad Gerald, with his friends, spent the long summer holidays on the seashore, camped out on The Ballast, dug holes in the bank to acquire bags of gravel which they gave to the pigeon fanciers living in the Seaside district. The larger chalk lumps which were the size of a fist, were used for marking games on the roads, such as hopscotch and writing their names on walls.

Mr Flowers' grand-daughter, Mrs Janet Wilson (nee flowers, remembers Westfa being the family home in 1967 and she lived there with her grandparents, parents and three sisters. When her grandparents died her father, Owen Flowers, became the new owner.

The family lived at Westfa until 1985 when it was sold and then demolished. During the 25 years that the Flowers family lived at Westfa it was never converted into flats and is now a housing estate.

Census details

1851 Westfa Hamlet, Westfa House

Charles William Nevill Head 35 JP Copper Smelter Llanelly

Jane Nevill Head 31 Swansea

Catherine Ann Nevill Daughter 7 Scholar at home Llanelly

Emily Harriet Nevill Daughter 2 Llanelly

Caroline Nevill Daughter 9 months Llanelly

Louisa Ellwell Unmarried 18 Governess Wolverhampton

Martha Davies Unmarried 27 Cook St David’s

Ann Goulstone Unmarried 22 Nurse Llandilo, Talybont

Eliza Bowen Unmarried 23 House Maid Llanelly

Alice Jane Smith Niece 10 Scholar at Home Oystermouth

1861 Westfa House

Charles W Nevill Head Esq 44 Copper Smelter

Jane Nevill Wife 41

Catherine Ann Daughter 17

Emily Harriet Daughter 12

Caroline Daughter 10

Hugh Son 6

Blanche Daughter 3

Gertrude Mary Daughter 1

Margarette Jeffreys Niece 8

Annabel Jeffreys Niece 6

Mary Thomas 32 Cook

Margaret Jones 35 Nurse

Margaret Mainwaring 26

Martha Brown 32 Maid Servant

Hester Jenkins 17 Kitchen Maid

1871 Westfa House

Charles William Nevill Head 54 JP Copper Smelter Llanelly

Jane Nevill Wife 51 Swansea

Catherine Daughter 27 Llanelly

Emily Harriet Daughter 22 Llanelly

Caroline Daughter 20 Llanelly

Blanche Daughter 13 Llanelly

Gertrude Mary Daughter 11 Llanelly

????? Nichols 29 Ladies Maid

Catherine Davies 23 Cook

Rebecca Voyle 24 House Maid

Susan Anne Rees 19 Nursery Maid

Harriet Jones 20 Under House Maid

Ann Morris 19 Kitchen Maid

William Daniels 16 Boy Servant

1881 Westfa House

Charles William Nevill Head 64 Magistrate Copper Smelter

Jane Nevill Wife 61

Catherine Daughter 37 No occupation unmarried

Emily Harriet Daughter 32 No occupation unmarried

Gertrude Mary Daughter 21 No occupation unmarried

Sarah Dodd 26 Ladies Maid Domestic Servant

Mary Richards 21 House Maid Domestic Servant

Mary A Thomas 20 Kitchen Maid Domestic Servant

Ann Peregrine 16 House Maid Domestic Servant

Advertisement for Westfa Sale, 1906

SALE BY Messrs. WM AND WALTER JAMES

Re the late Gwilym Evans, Esq., J.P., D.L., deceased

WESTFA, LLANELLY, CARMARTHENSHIRE

Distant 1 mile from the town of Llanelly, and 1½ miles from the Railway Station on the Great Western Railway main line.

HIGHLY IMPORTANT SALE

of the ENTIRE CONTENTS of the above

MAGNIFICENTLY FURNISHED MANSION

comprising

EXCEPTIONALLY CONSISTENTLY MODERN HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE and EFFECTS of the best Workmanship and most beautiful design.

LUXURIOUS TAPESTRY, WINDOW CURTAINS numerous and Expensive DRESDEN CHINA and other ORNAMENTS,

Handsome STERLING SILVER & ELECTRO-PLATED GOODS,

Beautiful CHINA and GLASS, splendid CARRIAGES and HARNESS.

The contents of several HOTHOUSES, CONSERVATORIES, &c. &c

In conjunction with Mr J Rice Jones

Are favoured with instructions from the Trustees under the Will of the late Gwilym Evans Esq., deceased to Sell by Public Auction

On the Premises, as above on

MONDAY, TUESDAY, and WEDNESDAY,

MARCH 19th 20th and 21st 1906

Commencing each day promptly at 12 o’clock noon,

the Whole of the magnificent Household APPOINTMENTS (as supplied almost entirely regardless of cost, by the well known firm of Messrs Ben Evans and Co., Ltd. Swansea)