1803

John Pemberton, a Barrister, came to Llanelli advertising the fact that he had £20,000 available for industrial development.

1804

Charles Nevill Senior thought the Pembertons were speculating and would probably be unable to meet their commitments.

John Pemberton was known to be friendly with William Roderick who was in financial difficulties, and offered him assistance. Pemberton also gave Roderick £1,000 for a steam engine, to be erected in the unfinished Bres pit, that was powerful enough to pump out the water. An agreement was finalised on 6th January when the Pembertons took possession of the unfinished Bres pit and probably also took possession of other pits at Talsarnau, situated near the Box Colliery site where the Workhouse (later Bryntirion Hospital) was built. They were also given permission to use Roderick, Bowen & Griffith Wern Canal and their shipping place.

Ralph Stephen Pemberton came to Llanelli around this time and lived in a large house which later became known as the Pemberton Mansion.

The Pemberton Mansion

1805

By March 1805 William Hopkin, Agent, commented that the Stepney estate was not receiving the royalty payments that had been anticipated. The partnership of Roderick, Bowen and Griffith had agreed to supply the Llanelly Copperworks with coal and if they defaulted the Copperworks Company could take possession of their collieries.

Margaret Griffith, Thomas Bowen’s widowed daughter and third member of the partnership, remarried in November 1805 and became the second wife of Henry Eaton who was a prominent member of Llanelli’s commercial life.

1807

The Pembertons did not want the Copperworks to obtain possession of the partnership’s colliery and entered into negotiations and by May 1807 the partnership’s coalfield was shared by the Pembertons and the Copperworks Company.

1808

William Roderick was declared bankrupt in 1808.

The Pembertons seemed to have committed themselves to developing their coalfield and installed the powerful steam engine in the Bres pit. They also started at least one new pit at Talsarnau and may have re-opened an existing pit. Coal mining was a time-consuming and expensive operation, and it may have been three or four years before they were able to actually mine the coal.

1809

Richard Pemberton senior acquired a 1/12th share of the Llanelly Estate (which included Llandafen) when William and Lucinda Hayton sold all or part of their share in 1809 that had belonged to Dorothy Vaughan, one of Jemimah’s daughters. This led to the area becoming known as ‘Pemberton.’

Thomas Bowen, one of the partners of Roderick, Bowen and Griffith, died on 7th May, aged 94.

The Cambrian of 22nd July 1809 reported the arrival at Swansea of Mr Meyrick, Mr Thomas, Mr Pemberton, Mr R Williams Mr Lucas and Mr Eaton.

1810

In June a small sloop belonging to Messrs Pemberton and Yalden, carrying lime from Mumbles, caught fire at Ilfracombe. The fire which was caused by water penetrating the lime was thought to be suspicious and not accidental.

The Cambrian of 14th July reported that John Pemberton Esq. of York married Miss Browne, daughter of the late William Browne of Cumberland.

1811

Holden’s Trade Directory lists Ralph Stephen Pemberton under Gentry as being a ‘Coal Owner’.

The Cambrian of 30th November reported that Thomas Makin of Llwynegrin Hall married Catherine Pemberton, second daughter of John Pemberton, of Sutton Place, Lancashire, at Mold, Flintshire.

1812

Between 1812 and 1816 the Pembertons purchased land at Llwyncyfarthwch from the Haytons and John Rees of Cilymaenllwyd.

1813

At least seven members of the family became involved in developments in the Llanelli and Pembrey area. They were: Francis Pemberton; Christopher Pemberton; Richard Pemberton Senior; John Pemberton, Barrister; Ralph Stephen Pemberton; Richard Pemberton Junior and Thomas Pemberton.

1814

The Cambrian of 22nd October reported that Thomas Thompson married Elizabeth Pemberton at Bishop Wearemouth.

The Cambrian of 12th November reported that John Salusbury Piozzi Salusbury of Brynbella married Harriet MariaPemberton at Condover.

1815

A dispute arose between the Pemberton family and Copperworks Company over the supply of water to water wheels at the Wern. The the flow of the watercourses in this area was slow, so water-wheels had to be up to 12 feet wide to provide the necessary power. Any decrease in the water supply would have severely affected the Llanelly Copperworks Wern Colliery.

1816

As a result of the dispute over the water supply, the Copperworks Company offered to sell the Wern Colliery to the Pembertons, who were unable to take advantage because they were already committed financially to their own collieries. The result was that the Wern Colliery was abandoned around

The Cambrian of 13 July reported the marriage of Francis C J Pemberton to Frances Theore of Cambridgeshire.

1817

The Pembertons had business interests at the Bres and Talsarnau collieries, and an interest in the railway from the Wern to Seaside. They had also taken over Roderick, Bowen and Griffith’s shipping place, enlarged it and renamed it Pembertons’ Dock. They were advertising that their coal trade required 5,000 tons of shipping to carry coastal ports and to Ireland. They were well established and were issuing their own bank notes from their Mansion House where the Athenaeum was later built.

1820

Ralph Stephen Pemberton Esq., of Llanelli married Ann Mary Rippon of Durham (The Cambrian, July 1820.)

Around this time the Pembertons had sunk the Bres pit to about 550 feet (168m).

According to John Innes in Old Llanelly, R S Pemberton was High Sheriff.

1820-22

The Pembertons started building a railway system from their newly sunk Llwyncyfarthwch pit to their Dock.

1821

Penelope Lawrence, eldest daughter of Richard Pemberton of Barnes, Durham, died (The Cambrian, 26th May 1821.)

1823

Richard Pemberton Senior assigned his interest to his three sons by an Indenture dated 1st May 1823.

1824

Thomas Henry Musgrave Esq., of Gloucestershire, married Harriet Pemberton in London (The Cambrian, 25th September 1824.)

1826

Henry John Pemberton Esq. married Miss Williams of Newcastle Emlyn (The Cambrian, 7th October 1826.)

Eleanor Pemberton, daughter of Richard Pemberton Esq., died at County Durham (The Cambrian, 21st October 1826.)

1828

The Pembertons had been forced to abandon their Llwyncyfarthwch pit because they failed to reach the coal they were looking for. They put forward plans to construct a separate railway linking St David’s pit, which had been sunk at Gelly-gille, with their railway at Llwyncyfarthwch. Between 1825 and 1832 the Llangennech Coal Company had sunk their St David’s pit to about 660 feet (201m) and the proposed railway would have allowed them to ship coal at Pembertons’ Dock. When proposals were put before Parliament to build a floating dock at Machynys Pool with a railway to Gelly-gille, the Pembertons, not surprisingly, opposed the Bill. On 19th June 1828 the Bill received Royal Assent, which was the last straw for the Pembertons, who decided to withdraw.

Lieutenant Colonel Austin, KCTS, married Margaret Pemberton of Barnes, Durham, at Llanelli (The Cambrian, 19 July 1828.)

On Thursday 31 January 1828 Anna Maria Emma Pemberton, aged 37, eldest daughter of the late Nicholas Owen Smythe, Esq., of Condover Hall, Salop, and widow of the late Edward Pemberton, Esq., of Ryton Grove, died at the Abbey House, Shrewsbury.

1829

The Pembertons’ Llanelly Colliery was advertised for sale or let in February of 1829 and George Bruin of Hermes Hill, Pentonville, took over their interests.

Ralph Stephen Pemberton probably left Llanelli around this time.

1830

Pigot’s Directory of 1830-31 lists Colonel Pemberton as ‘Gentry’ of New Lodge. (This is New Lodge Pembrey, not to be confused with the New Inn, another name for the Pemberton Mansion, Llanelli, where the Athenaeum was built in 1856). The same Directory lists Ralph Stephen Pemberton and Thomas Pemberton as ‘Coal Proprietors and Merchants’ but does not give a location.

1834

It is interesting to note that the Voters’ List of 1834 does not mention any members of the Pemberton Family.

1835

Pigot’s Directory of 1835 lists Colonel Pemberton as ‘Gentry’ living at New Lodge.

1838

Richard Pemberton Senior Esq aged 94 died at Durham. He was responsible for improving Llanelly’s Port (The Cambrian, 7 April 1838.) He had bought land, including land in the Llandafen area, from William and Lucinda Hayton.

1839

Thomas Pemberton, of New Lodge, Pembrey, Coal Proprietor, father of William Francis Pemberton died in 1839.

1841

William Francis Pemberton aged 25 of New Lodge, married Miss Louisa J Brown aged 40, of Thomas Street. Thomas Pemberton, Gentleman, was father of the groom and John Brown, Attorney at Law was father of the bride. Witnesses to the marriage were Mary Brown and Edward Grove.

Following their marriage, William and Louisa Pemberton lived at Thomas Street and their live-in servant was Hillary Lodwick aged 15.

Henry John Pemberton, aged 60, described as late of Laugharne, died at

Rutland Place Swansea. He had married Miss Williams of Newcastle Emlyn in 1826.

The census of 1841 shows that William Francis Pemberton, who had married Louisa Brown on 21st April 1841, was living with his wife at Thomas Street when the census was taken.

George Webb, Merchant, was living at the former Pemberton Mansion, New Inn House, with his family.

The census of 1841 also shows Francis Pemberton aged 60, of Independent Means, living at New Lodge Pembrey.

1843

Richard Pemberton Junior died.

1844

Colonel Pemberton of New Lodge, Pembrey, was listed as ‘Gentry’ and Proprietor of Bituminous and Anthracite Coal of Burry Port with William Williams as his Agent.

1847

Ralph Stephen Pemberton Esq. aged 67, former High Sheriff of Carmarthen, died (The Cambrian, 5th March 1847). According to John Innes he was the last of the family to be connected with Llanelli.

1848

Frances, widow of Matthew Pemberton died at her son Richard’s home, Hay. (The Cambrian, 14th January 1848.)

Mrs William Francis Pemberton died at Rock House, Pembrey (The Cambrian 16th June 1848). Formerly Miss Louisa Brown, daughter of John Brown, Attorney at Law she had previously lived at Thomas, Street Llanelli.

1851

According to the census Apsley Smith aged 25, Copperworks and Colliery Agent, from Peckham, Surrey, was living with his family at the Pembertons’ home, New Lodge, Pembrey

Revd E R Pemberton married Susan Bassett, late of Boverton, at Greenwich. (The Cambrian, 2nd May 1851.)

1855

Valuable Freehold Estates belonging to Messieurs Pemberton, in and round Llanelli amounting to approximately 1,300 acres, including farms, land, building sites and ground rents, were advertised for sale by auction at the Falcon Inn, in 37 lots, on Wednesday 31 October 1855.

1857

On 19th June an advertisement appeared in The Cambrian ‘To let New Lodge Colliery near Pembrey, Carmarthenshire’.

Sale of valuable properties in Carmarthenshire, the estate of the late Colonel Francis C J Pemberton (The Cambrian, 2nd October 1857.)

1858

On 1 January an advertisement appeared in The Cambrian ‘To Let New Lodge Colliery near Pembrey, Carmarthenshire. Apply to W P Struve, Swansea’.