B.M.D. Shows that Catherine Prudence Daniel was born in the March Quarter of 1844 in the Swansea District.
[ most probably at Church Street Morriston, Llangyfelach.]
She was a daughter of Edward Daniel 1808-1875 and his wife Mary Ann Cole 1799-1885.

Her grandfather was  Edward Daniel 1784-1862 who had come from Llansamlet to Margam in 1818 first as a collier, but worked his way up to become the colliery agent to the Vivian family at Taibach Copper Works.
He was one of the early Methodists who attended the old Duffryn Barn.

When Edward and his wife Mary Ann Cole first came to Margam they settled in a cottage at Letty Harry. It was there on July 27th.1817 that their daughter Mary was baptised by Pastor Hopkin Bevan.
From the Duffryn and Carmel nonconformist register at Somerset House seen by Mr. Leslie Evans Taibach historian.
Also now copied from a register at Swansea by Allen Blethyn  in 2010.

BEVAN , HOPKIN ( 1765 - 1839 ), Calvinistic Methodist minister . Born 4 May 1765 at Gellifwnwr (or Cilfwnwr ), Llangyfelach , the son of Rees and Mary Bevan , received a smattering of education at Llangyfelach and Swansea . He joined the Methodists in Gopa-fach in 1788 , and was ordained in the first Methodist Association for the ordaining of ministers held at Llandilo in 1811 . He was a popular preacher and, according to the custom of those days, toured the country from end to end.
He was also a writer of books and of hymns , and published Marwnad…Griffydd Morgans (an elegy) ( Caerfyrddin , I. Daniel , 1796 ), Hymnau a Phenillion (hymns) ( Abertawy , E. Griffiths , 1838 ), Ychydig Hanes neu Goffawdwriaeth ( Abertawy , E. Griffiths , 1838 ). In the two latter books there are several hymns and elegies, and the last, in particular, is a valuable chronicle of the beginnings of Methodism in Glamorgan . His autobiography was published by his son in 1840 , and his verse was collected by his biographer in 1899 .

He died. 29 Dec. 1839 and was buried in the aisle of Bethel chapel, Llangyfelach .

Edward Daniel became the mining surveyor, and managed the coal needs for the Taibach Copper Works,which were at that time worked by the English Copper Miners Co.of England.
In 1839 he held that same position, when the works were taken over by the Vivian family, who already owned the Hafod Works in Swansea. Over half the coal used at Taibach, came from the Brombil Colliery margam.
By 1842 the Taibach Works need much more coal, and so Edward Daniel, who already knew that the coal seams being mined by the Talbot family at Bryndu Pit, in  East Margam near Pyle, had big reserves of coal that stretched to the Morfa Margam Moors and out under the sea.
He proceeded to sink bore holes on the Moors, and soon found the coal below.
In 1847 he attempted to sink a pit there, but the sandy wet conditions there defeated his efforts. As he was also coming up to his retirement age, and so the Vivians decided to employ another mining engineer, to assit him, one William Gray of Washington, Co.Durham.
When William Gray saw the conditions at the proposed colliery site, he could straight away see that he would need the assistance of fellow expearanced miners from his home town, the leader being one by the name of William Barrass.
The wet sandy conditions were ovecome by the building of a pump house, with its own engine, and a shaft was sunk to a depth of 168 yards.
The first coal was brought up in 1849 and transported along a tram-road, to Taibach, some one and a half miles away.

Edward Daniel did not live in a fancy house, he lived side by side with his workers at 3.Colliers Row.Taibach.
It was there that he died in 1862 aged 78 years.

Catherine Prudence Daniel married John Jones Jenkins on the 10th.of May 1864 at Neath, Glamorgan.
This marriage produced two children, -.     Olga Violet  Jenkins.Sep.1877.Gower and Alina Kate Elaine Jenkins. Mar.1880. Gower.

John Jones Jenkins
John Jones Jenkins, 1st Baron Glantawe (1835-1915) of the Beaufort Works and Upper Forest Works was a Welsh tin-plate manufacturer and Liberal politician.

1835 May 10th. Born the son of Jenkin Jenkins of Morriston, Glamorgan and his wife Sarah Jones.

Jenkins was co-founder and manager of the Beaufort Tinplate Works at Morriston in 1859. He was also with the Upper Forest Tinplate Works.

1861. 3.Church St. Llangyfelach
Jones John Jenkins hd.m.25.Tinplate manufacturer emp.28 men 24 boys and 11 girls.Llangyfelach
Margaret Jenkins wife27. Morriston.
Joshiah B Jenkins son.6.Morriston.

1881.The Grange.Oystermouth.
John Jones Jenkins hd.m.45. Alderman and Mayor of Swansea.
Catherine Prudence Jenkins wife 34.
Olga Violet Jenkins dau.3.Oystermouth.
Alina Kate Jenkins dau.1. Oystermouth.
Agnes E E Daniel niece 18 Clydach

Lord Glantawe married, firstly, Margaret Rees, daughter of Josiah Rees, on 20 January 1854 at Swansea with whom he had two sons. He married, secondly, Catherine Prudence Daniel, daughter of Edward Daniel, on 10 May 1864 at Neath, Glamorgan.

Jenkins had two daughters by his second wife - Olga Violet Jenkins (b. 1878) and Alina Kate Elaine Jenkins (b. 1880) but had no male heir.

1915 July 27th. Died aged 80 at The Grange, West Cross in Swansea, now the site of the Territorial Army base, and was buried at All Saints. Oystermouth Cemetery. The peerage died with him.

1915 Obituary [1]

LORD GLANTAWE of Swansea died after a long illness on July 27, at his residence, The Grange, near Swansea. John Jones Jenkins, first Baron Glantawe, was born on May 10, 1835, his father being Mr. Jenkin Jenkins of Morriston, Glamorganshire.

In his early life he worked as tinplate boy at the Upper Forest Tin Works, then owned by Messrs. Hallam and Co. At the age of twenty-three he had become the outdoor manager of the works, which were then the largest in the trade. In 1859 he established, in conjunction with others, the Beaufort Tinplate Works at Morriston; and until 1868 he was the chief partner and manager of the undertaking. He took a great interest in local public affairs.

In 1865 he was elected on the Town Council of Swansea, and in 1868 he was unanimously elected mayor of the borough. In 1880, when the British Association visited Swansea, he was regarded as the most suitable man to take the position of host, and he was, therefore, elected mayor a second time. In 1882 he received the honour of knighthood, and was created a baron in 1906.

He was returned a Member of Parliament for the Carmarthen Boroughs in 1881 and again in 1885. A Liberal in politics, he signified his adhesion to Unionist principles in 1886, and lost his seat at the following General Election; but was successful in winning it back in 1895. He was chairman and principal proprietor of the Swansea and Mumbles Railway, a director of the Metropolitan Bank of England and Wales, a member of the Board of Trade Arbitration Court, chairman for eight years of the Swansea Harbour Trust, and President of the Swansea Royal Metal Exchange since its formation in 1887.

Lord Glantawe was an original member of the Iron and Steel Institute, having joined it on its establishment in 1869. He was a frequent attendant at the meetings, and took considerable interest in the proceedings.

In 1804 a group of Swansea pioneers promoted a parliamentary bill to build a railway line from Swansea to Mumbles. The act was passed, the Oystermouth Railway and Tramroad Company was incorporated and work began on building the line. In 1806 goods traffic began to pass over the line in wagons pulled by horses, limestone being the most common form of goods. In 1807 the line became unique in providing the first regular rail passenger service in the world. The railway was hit by massive competition when a road was built between Swansea and Oystermouth in 1826. The passenger service was closed, and the line remained unused except for the traffic from a few goods trains.

The ownership of the railway passed to George Byng Morris, the second son of Sir John Morris (one of the original shareholders) in 1840. The line was re-laid with edge rails in 1855 and the passenger service between Swansea and Oystermouth was re-opened by 1860. In agreements dated 19 Oct 1864 and 15 May 1865 George Byng Morris agreed to sell Mumbles Railway to John Dickson, a railway contractor for £20000. The purchase was not completed as Dickson was declared bankrupt and the railway remained in Morris's hands. In 1877 it was eventually sold at auction and bought by friends of John Dickson for £31000.

On 31 Mar 1879, Dickson registered his business as a limited company, called the Swansea and Mumbles Railway Company Limited. In 1884 the company leased the railway to Sir John Jones Jenkins and Robert Capper, who then sub-leased it to Swansea Improvements and Tramways Company. Capper later assigned his interest to Sir John Jones Jenkins, who secured a very large financial interest in the company.

In 1889, an Act of Parliament was obtained incorporating a new company, the Mumbles Railway and Pier Company, with powers to build a new railway extending to Mumbles Head, and a new deep water pier. Work started and the new line and pier opened on 10 May 1898.

The undertakings of both companies were leased to Swansea Improvements and Tramways Company by an agreement dated 16 Dec 1899 for 999 years (as sanctioned by the Oystermouth Railway or Tramroad Act of 1899). The companies remained as freeholders, collecting rents under the terms of the lease. In 26 Jul 1893 the Swansea and Mumbles Railways Limited was registered to acquire the business of the older company of almost similar title.

In 1958 the South Wales Transport Company Limited bought both the railway and the pier from the Swansea and Mumbles Railway Limited and Mumbles Railway and Pier.

Mumbles pier designed by W. Sutcliffe Marsh and promoted by John Jones Jenkins of the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, the pier opened on 10 May 1898 at a cost of £10,000. It was the western terminus for the world's first passenger carrying railway, the Swansea and Mumbles Railway; and a major terminal for the White Funnel paddle steamers of P and A Campbell, unloading tourists from routes along the River Severn and Bristol Channel.

More on this story to be added. Allen Blethyn October 2024.