Tag: Dr Job James

J. D. Williams – jeweller

by Carl Llewellyn

One of the most iconic buildings in Merthyr Tydfil’s High Street is Milbourne Chambers. Situated on the corner of High Street and Glebeland Street, presently the shop premises is empty but was formerly an established hairdresser’s named “Ladybirds”. For a majority of the towns-people though, they still refer to the premises by the name of the previous establishment, “H. Samuel” – jeweller, watchmaker and goldsmith, but what of the shop history and its association with the jewellery trade?

In this particular case the “H. Samuel” premises were formally rented by J.D. Williams’s jewellery business. The formation of J.D. Williams’s business began in 1856, when James David Williams returned to Merthyr Tydfil; he was the son of the Rev Benjamin Williams who was minister of Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, Merthyr.

After leaving school he was apprenticed to Job James, ironmonger, of Merthyr. When his apprenticeship was completed he moved to Soham, Cambridgeshire, to take up the management of an ironmongery establishment there, before moving to the city of Cork, where he obtained an introduction to the watch and jewellery business. It was not long before he secured an advancement from the position of an assistant to that of the buyer.

In 1856 he returned to Merthyr, where his family was well known and remembered, and commenced a business in November 1856 as a watchmaker and jeweller at premises in Market Square, which adjoined the old Merthyr Telegraph, and General Advertiser For the Iron Districts of South Wales.

Due to his admirable aptitude, both as a buyer and seller,  he quickly extended the business which he commenced in a smaller shop. He searched for more commodious premises, and finally, by April 1858 he purchased new business accommodation at No 129 High Street, which he continued to occupy to the end of his days when he died on 24 February 1890 aged 62 years old. After his death the business was taken over by his only son Frederick Carlyle Williams, who continued the business under his father’s name.

J. D. Williams shop at 129 High Street. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

In 1903 the Post office officials decided to build and relocate the Merthyr Post Office. Merthyr’s first postmaster was William Milbourne Davies, whose descendants were the owners of Post Office building and its land.

Due to the dilapidated state of the Post Office and the adjoining buildings, one of Davies’ descendants, Miss Mary Davies, decided to build a new block of buildings on the site, with the upper part of the building being used for living accommodation and offices. The building was to be named Milbourne Chambers in memory of William Milbourne Davies. Part of the building design included a shop premises, so as it was the intention of  Frederick Williams to expand and relocate his business, the opportunity manifested itself him to negotiate with the owners of Milbourne Chambers and he began a shop underneath the building and adjoining workshops.

The Merthyr Express dated 16 July 1904 recorded the pending opening opening of J.D. Williams & Co:-

There was a heavy copper name plate above the shop which gave a grand spectacle. There were handsomely appointed offices at the rear, and still further back, on Post Office lane, were elaborately equipped workshops, used for manufacturing, repairing and reconstructing items in the jewellery and watch making trade.

A word must be said about the clock. It was manufactured in the work shop, and it is a full sized one so far as the hands and dial are concerned, but no trace of the works can be seen. The clock is situated on top of the building, which faces Lower High Street, and proved over the years to be an impressive acquisition. The dial is five feet in diameter, and illuminated all through the night. The name of J.D Williams stood boldly on a handsome scroll with wrought iron sides – this was also illumined all through the night.

J. D. Williams new shop on the corner of the High Street and Glebeland Street.

On the day J.D Williams & Son, Jewellers opened at the new premises, Mr Walter West joined Mr F.C. Williams as a partner in the business.

By 1907 J.D Williams & Son, Jewellers had been sold to the H. Samuel chain of jewellery shops. The Samuel’s jewellery business was owned by Walter Samuel (1829-63). He married Harriet Wolfe in 1852, and after Walter’s death Harriet took over the family clock and watch business in Liverpool started by her father-in-law Moses Samuel. The first of the H. Samuel  Stores (“H” for Harriet) were opened in Preston in 1890, before long there were branches throughout Wales and England.

In 1907 the Merthyr Express dated 6 July 1907, advertised the new Samuel’s store:

The H. Samuel sign above the shop consisted of three panels, with lettering on each board, GOLDSMITH, H.SAMUEL & JEWELLER, but  by the 1960’s the signs were replaced by florescent lettering highlighting the name H. Samuel. For approximately 90 years H. Samuel served the town as one of the foremost jewellers, but in 1999 the business was finally transferred to 6 Graham Way in the St Tydfil’s Shopping Centre. Since H. Samuel moved, the premises in the High Street became a second hand furniture store, before becoming “Ladybirds”.

Memories of Old Merthyr

We continue our serialisation of the memories of Merthyr in the 1830’s by an un-named correspondent to the Merthyr Express, courtesy of Michael Donovan.

After crossing the bridge over the Morlais Brook, keeping to the left we pass a public house, some cottages, the glazier’s shop, which had been built by and was occupied by Mr Lewis, the road crossed the tramroad, but alongside the tramroad there were some houses built (they were not there in 1834), one of which, if I remember aright, a flannel factory, but a Mr Greener and a Mr Trump lived in houses there for certain. Mr Job James had a garden there too, and it was connected with his residence by a private wooden bridge.

William Lewis & Son, Glaziers in Pontmorlais. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

Immediately adjoining was a lot of masonry, never carried out to its first intention, which was the erection of a forge or mill for use in the manufacture of iron, to be driven by water power, the Morlais Brook being diverted for that purpose. Mr Job James, however, obtained an injunction restraining the Penydarren Company from doing this in consequence of his intending to put up a grist mill on his own premises, and this he subsequently did. Mr Greener was a rail inspector and Mr Trump the veterinary surgeon of the Dowlais Works, whose family soon after removed to Rhymney, and have ever since resided there.

Just at the junction of the two roads, some 80 or 100 yards further on, at the corner, the Rev Mr Jones, the curate in charge of Merthyr Parish, resided, and had a select school. From what was heard at the time the living was vested in a Mr Mayberry, who had not visited the parish for many years. I cannot recall whether Mr Jones died or left, but his house was afterwards occupied by a Mr George Price, flour merchant, who afterwards kept the Angel Hotel.

Just opposite this a few houses were built, their backs being towards the Tramroad, which is, or was then, in a cutting apparently, but was doubtless on sidelong ground at the time of making, for the bridge over it was evidently built for the tipping of the blast furnace cinders from the Penydarren Works.

From a short way on the tip a path led down to the Morlais Brook, stepping stones gave pedestrians the means of crossing it, and slight clamber up would bring anyone to the end of the Glebeland. In after years a wooden bridge was erected for foot passengers, and remained there until the Local Board removed it to build the road over the present culvert.

An extract from the 1851 Ordnance Survey Map of the area covered in this article. There are some changes in the 20 or so years between the time described in the article and the map, but the general layout is plain to see.

To be continued at a later date……

Memories of Old Merthyr

We continue our serialisation of the memories of Merthyr in the 1830’s by an un-named correspondent to the Merthyr Express, courtesy of Michael Donovan.

On the other side of the road where the Town Offices now stand, there was first a small place used as a butcher’s shop, then the opening into the Bunch of Grapes yard, a public house of that name being at the top, then a drapery shop kept by Mr Samuel Smith, who had a sister living with him. Their brother was Mr John Smith, the mineral agent of the Abernant works, and father of Mr W Smith, now manager of Rhymney Collieries, and then what was afterwards the Canton Tea Warehouse of a Mr Watkins.

An extract from the 1851 Ordnance Survey Map of Merthyr showing the Castle Hotel (top left) and the Bunch of Grapes Pub (middle right)

We are now facing the Castle Hotel, and as far as can be recalled it is the same as in 1834-5, or at least as regards its externals. The steps remain, and the entrance and bar are so, but there have bee some slight alterations in other parts. At the date just mentioned Mr Edward Purchase was the host. Mrs Purchase and two or three daughters of hers were there also.

From all I ever heard, at the time of its building, persons wondered at its being so, for the position was not thought appropriate, but Mr John Treharne was right. Mr Treharne was evidently a person of some decision of character. He was known among his convivial friends as Sir John, and upon his widow marrying Mr Purchase she was sometimes referred to as No 25.

The Castle Hotel (right) at roughly the time detailed in this article

Immediately above the Castle, in fact a portion of the premises, was a gin shop, used also as the booking office for the coaches. Whether adjoining, or a door or two above, there was a hairdresser’s place, kept by Mr Abbott, who had made himself very unpopular to some by swearing to the identity of Dick (sic.) Penderyn of the riots of a few years before, and who had been executed for being implicated therein.

Some doors above was the Vulcan. There was an alley with cottages on two or three of its sides, then a public house – the William IV, then another narrow opening leading to the Morlais Brook, with Zoar Chapel on one side, just where Messrs Thomas had a drapery shop, and then an opening, and on the corner beyond, the residence of Mr Job James, the doctor. He had been, I always understood, a naval doctor. Next door lived his mother-in-law, Mrs Williams.

A person named Brown kept a shop adjoining, and the English Wesleyan Chapel followed. The residence of the minister of the chapel adjoined, and some doors above a Mr Thomas Williams, followed afterwards by a Mr Anstey upon Mr Williams removal to Victoria Street. Mr Thomas Williams was the father of the late Mr Thomas Williams, some time coroner. Only a few doors further and the Morlais or Pontmorlais turnpike gate was come to.

To be continued at a later date……