This William Roderick was born in Llanelly in 1831 and was one of the 10 children of Thomas Roderick and Ann (née Challinder – sometimes spelt Challoner) and the grandson of William and Sarah Roderick of Bryn Hafod, Llangathen, who later lived at Bradbury Hall.

The 1841 census shows the family were living at Burry Port: William Roderick’s grandfather, another William Roderick had faced financial ruin in 1808 and died aged 85 in 1823. In 1837 a branch of Wilkins & Co.’s Brecon bank was opened in Llanelli in Thomas Street (Goring Place) and Pigot’s Trade Directory of 1844 lists Wilkins & Co. (Bank of South Wales) drawing on Barnetts, Hoare & Company, London. Morgan Williams was Manager and was also listed as manager in 1849.

By the age of 19 William was involved in banking and the 1851 census describes him as a banker’s clerk, unmarried and a visitor at a bank in Goring Place, Llanelli. The head of the household at the bank was Henry Jones Evans, a banker, who had been born in Merthyr Tydfil.

In 1859 William Roderick wrote a letter to James Buckley asking his permission to marry his daughter Maria, who had planned her wedding day for 12 April 1859, subject to her father’s consent. William and Maria did marry and by 1861 were living at Goring Place with their young daughter, also named Maria. Two servants, Mary Phillips a housemaid aged 25, and Eliza Thomas a nurse aged 18, lived with them.

By 1867 William Roderick was no longer with Wilkins & Co.’s Bank, he was manager of the West of England and South Wales District Bank (Branch) at Bridge Street. The bank’s London Bankers were Glyn, Mills & Co. Wilkins & Co.’s Bank of Goring Place continued to draw on their London Bankers Barnetts, Hoare & Co. but their manager was no longer Mr Williams but Mr John Beavan Phillips who later became manager of Lloyds.

The census of 1871 shows that William Roderick now aged 39, was manager of the West of England and South Wales Bank. He lived in Bridge Street with his wife Maria aged 34, son William Buckley Roderick (who later founded Rodericks Solicitors), Sydney James aged 7 and their youngest daughter aged 4. The family employed two live-in servants – Elizabeth Thomas their domestic servant aged 19, and Elizabeth A Williams, a nurse aged 20.

In 1878, the West of England and South Wales District Bank, with William Roderick as Manager, faced financial collapse. William sent a note to his father-in-law James Buckley which read simply

“There is a run on the Bank. My poor wife and children. What will become of them”

Mr Buckley called out one of the Brewery dray carts and, flanked by draymen walked to the bank where the draymen unloaded gold bars and carried them ostentatiously into the building. This gesture did not save the bank and the London & Provincial Bank took over the failed bank’s affairs. William Roderick became general manager of the London & Provincial Bank Ltd (now Barclays Bank PLC), which opened its new Branch in Vaughan Street and employed Roderick as bank manager and he received an annual salary of £400. Frank Moon, his cashier, received £150.

Roderick had a large family, including two physicians:  Dr Henry Buckley Roderick, who became a Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he had his practice, and Sidney James Roderick, who practised at Bradbury House. The three daughters were Jessie Muriel, a spinster, who lived at Ferryside; Mrs Long-Price who married a clergyman and lived at Llanarthney and Gertrude Emily who married Richard Austin Nevill, known as Lieutenant Colonel, son of William Henry Nevill.

Text of the Letter from William Roderick to James Buckley

regarding the marriage proposal between himself and Maria Buckley

Bank of South Wales

Llanelly

12th February 1859

My Dear Jim,

I had some conversation with Joshua the other evening & asked him whether he thought you would be agreeable to your Daughter Maria and myself being married.

He said he did not know, but that if I liked he would ask you.

I told him I should be much obliged if he would.

I have seen him subsequently & he tells me he spoke to you about it & from what I can gather from him I conclude you are not altogether averse to it.

Will Mrs Buckley & yourself kindly consult & see whether you can make up your minds to part with Maria on the12th April next, as that is the day she has fixed for her wedding, provided I get your consent in the meantime.

Would you be as good as allow me to come up to Penyfai on Monday evening next to see you on the subject, when probably you will be able to let me know.

Yours very sincerely

W Roderick

In 1882 William Roderick died at the age of 51 and his son William Buckley Roderick, the solicitor, on behalf of his mother, Maria, thanked the Board of Directors of The London & Provincial Bank Limited for their condolences.

Memorials to the Roderick family can be seen at Holy Trinity Church, Felinfoel, along with memorials to other families who helped shape the fortunes of the town.

Acknowledgement

Gastell Gorfod Papers Add 35, provided by Caroline Jenkins B.Ed

(Hons)

Carmarthenshire Public Records Office, 28 November 2000

Collapse of West of England and South Wales Bank