The Grange Blackpill by Wendy Cope
THE GRANGE
Grange farm was offered for sale in 1834 at a most opportune time for its purchaser Rev. Samuel Davies, vicar of Oystermouth. He was married on 12th May that year and was looking for a new home. He had been in Oystermouth for some years but until then had lived in rented accommodation. He decided to build a new house on his property, which would be more in keeping with his position than the old farmhouse. He chose a site nearer the turnpike road that had been recently built between Swansea and Mumbles, with good sea views.
The Grange, West Cross, 1941
Four children were born to Samuel and Mary Ann and they lived in some style, employing a ladies maid, parlourmaid, housemaid, cook, kitchenmaid and coachman at the house. Samuel kept a four wheeled carriage drawn by two horses. He had a riding horse as well thus justifying the need for a four stall stable. He also employed a gardener who lived in the lodge facing Mumbles Road. The old farmhouse was occupied by a farm labourer, suggesting that Samuel oversaw the running of the farm himself.
In 1845 Samuel was made Rural Dean of East Gower and in June 1849, he was honoured by the presence of the Bishop of St David’s at The Grange for a select dinner party. The bishop was travelling from Ystradgynlais to Llanrhidian where he held confirmation services.
Samuel was a Glamorgan magistrate for very many years and sat on the bench regularly. He was also visiting magistrate for Swansea Gaol. In Oystermouth he took his turn at the ancient manor offices of ale taster and layer keeper.
At the beginning of January 1865, he caught a bronchial infection and died a few days later having been vicar for 44 years. His widow stayed on for a short time but in 1869 the house and farm were advertised to let.
By the beginning of 1870, the family of John Jones Jenkins were living at The Grange. At first they rented the house but bought it from the Davies family at the end of 1872 and they redeveloped and improved it so that it became larger and more grand.
J. J. Jenkins was a successful industrialist, becoming partner in the Beaufort Tin-plate works, Morriston, and sole manager of the Cwmbwrla Works. He then took an interest in railways, was chairman of the Rhondda and Swansea Railway Company and director of the Mumbles Railway Company. He worked assiduously for the town of Swansea, was elected to the town council when only 30 and was mayor three times. He served on many local boards including the Harbour Board and the School Board. He was elected Liberal M.P. for Carmarthen Boroughs in 1882 and although defeated in 1886, returned to the Commons in 1895. He was knighted in 1882 following the Prince of Wales visit to the town to open the new dock, a visit he had organised in his capacity as mayor. In June 1906 he was created Lord Glantawe.
Catherine Jenkins, John’s wife, took part in the social life of the area and was often listed as a patroness of bazaars and other charitable functions. John too was generous, giving money for books to the newly founded public library, buying meat for the poor of Morriston before Christmas, and supporting many charities and the Friendly Society Movement. They supported the Congregational Church and Mrs Jenkins laid the foundation stone of Tabernacle in Mumbles in 1870. She also performed the official opening of Mumbles Pier in 1898.
John arranged a bonfire and fireworks, a band concert and other celebrations in Mumbles to mark the marriage of the Duke of York, (the future George V) and Princess May in July 1893, and The Grange was illuminated with fairy lamps which were much admired by travellers on the Mumbles Railway. Back in 1888 the Duke of Teck, May’s father had dined at The Grange.
John died in 1915 at The Grange and he left the house to his two daughters. Elaine was then unmarried and was to be able to continue living there. His other daughter, Olga, had married Horace Daniell in August 1878 with a grand reception at The Grange.
Elaine Jenkins married Thomas Cooper-Smith, known as Tim, in September 1920 and they then spent time traveling together. Elaine had surgery for appendicitis in the autumn of 1925 with a convalescence in Bournemouth in the early part of 1926 and this was followed by the death of Tim in June 1926. Elaine later married Lord Bledisloe who became Governor General of New Zealand in the early 1930s. Olga and Horace Daniell came to live at The Grange with their son John. He added his grandfather’s surname to his own, becoming John Daniell Jenkins. Shortly before the 2nd World War John, his wife and son emigrated to Canada.
During the war The Grange was used by the R.A.F. for housing service personnel, taking an officer and between 22 and 42 servicemen and women. The Daniells sold the house and farm in about 1943 to Charles Campbell Vivian. Although Swansea council bought the farm from him for £17,200 they did not buy the house and garden. They erected a 6ft. boundary wall around the residence for its protection but by the end of the war it was in a very sad condition. It was later bought by a developer and he built the Grange apartments between the old driveway, now a footpath, and the Mumbles Road.
The Grange was demolished and in 1952 the new Territorial Army headquarters was opened by the duke of Gloucester. The lodge was used by the TA at first but was later demolished. The former coachman’s house, Grange Cottage on Lilliput Lane, was retained, and is now the caretaker’s house.
The centre is the base for the Royal Logistics Corps 223 Transport Squadron. They teach volunteers to drive large army lorries. There is also a REME section concerned with truck maintenance and units of the University Officers Training Corps, the Army Cadet Corps, and the Air Training Corps who have their own building. The site is busy every evening and weekend.
Also sharing the site at The Grange are an emergency bunker and a large communications mast which belong to Swansea Council.
A few years ago the framed coat of arms of John Daniells Jenkins was discovered in a garden shed. It was returned to Mary Balsdon, John’s daughter, in Canada. In the newspaper photograph she stands in front of her great-grandfather’s portrait that once hung in the dining room at The Grange and holds her father’s and grandfather’s coats of arms.
When Grange Farm was compulsorily purchased by Swansea Council in 1945 it covered 62 acres which were let on a yearly tenancy to Mr. A. D. Thomas.
Buildings consisted of —
Homestead — Stone with slated roof. Parlour and kitchen on ground floor and 3 bedrooms on first floor.
Old house — Stone with slated roof. 2 rooms on ground floor, 1 fitted with bath and 2 rooms on first floor.
Cowhouse — Stone with slated roof; 10 ties; loft.
Stables — Stone with pantile roof; three stalls and calves cot. A leanto of brick with tile roof, used as a 2 stall stable.
Toolhouse — Brick with a slate roof.
Pigscots (2) — Brick with corrugated iron roof.
Dairy and Coalhouse adjoining — Stone with slate roof.
Earth closet — Stone with slate roof.
Garage and toolshed — Corrugated iron throughout.
The farm was valued at £14,500.
The lodge which Samuel Davies had built near the entrance to The Grange on Mumbles Road had a sitting room, kitchen, back kitchen and two bedrooms. It was the home of the gardener. Thomas Davies, Edward Young, and William Linton were followed by C. Fenner. In 1926 George Thomas was appointed. The following year he unfortunately had an accident while lifting pampas grass to transplant it and tore sinews in his hip which kept him off work for seven weeks, during which time Mr. Daniell paid his normal wage of £2. 10s. a week. (In 1902 C. Fenner’s wages had been £1. 1s.) A temporary worker, F. Cowley, an ex-under gardener at The Grange, also had to be employed at 30 shillings a week while he was incapacitated.
By 1902, William Linton had retired and the head gardener was C. Fenner. He had an under gardener A. Holland.
In 1926 a new head gardener was appointed. He was George Thomas and his under gardener was A. Hanwell.
In October 1927, George Thomas suffered an accident at work. He tore sinews in his hip while trying to transplant a clump of pampas grass. During the 7 weeks he was unable to work, Mr Daniell paid his wages of £2 10s. each week. Through his accident insurance policy, Mr Daniell was able to claim wages of £1 10s. for a temporary extra under gardener. He employed a man who had worked in the garden previously,
F. Cowley.
AN ENCOUNTER AT THE GRANGE
A woman who gave her name as Ellen Burnett was brought before the magistrate charged under the following circumstances:—
The Rev Samuel Davies of Oystermouth having been sworn, said,
“Yesterday evening between one and two o’clock, I was called to the house by Mrs Davies, who informed me that there was a woman at the door begging, and wished me to speak to her. I went to the front door, where I saw the prisoner, Ellen Burnett - - -. She complained of being very ill, and said she had a cancer in her breast. Her right breast was bound up with wrappers and cloths. She said she had a ticket for the Swansea Infirmary, and it was necessary she should have a guinea on going in. She said she was to be admitted on Thursday morning and begged me to give her something to support her until then. I asked her to show me the cancer. She said she would if I would let her come into the house. She came into the hall and sat down. My cook came there and the prisoner offered to exhibit the cancer. She drew down part of the gown and I saw her breast. I then put my hand on her breast to feel for the cancer and she called out that I hurt her. I told her I was a magistrate and should send her to the House of Correction, but if she convinced me she had a cancer, I would give her a shilling. I then, accompanied by my servant, Thomas Davies, went with the prisoner toward the house of police constable Jenkins. I told the prisoner that she had been deceiving me altogether, and she admitted that she had. She went on her knees and begged I would not punish her. When we arrived near the Brinny Inn, the prisoner ran from us, and went as fast as she could towards the Mayalls. Thomas Davies and myself pursued and overtook her. I seized her cloak and arm, and Thomas also seized her. She struggled with us and fell down dragging myself and Thomas with her. She endeavoured to lay hold of a stone from the ground, but I prevented her doing so. We with considerable difficulty kept her down. She cried out that I hurt her and she kicked me on my chin and on my breast. I afterwards delivered the prisoner to Morgan, one of the constables of Oystermouth.”
The prisoner, for her defence, said she did not kick Mr Davies designedly, but did so in trying to adjust her clothes by turning on her side while kept down by Mr Davies and his servant.
She was committed to the House of Correction for two months for vagrancy and soliciting charitable contributions under false pretences.
25th May 1844
The Cambrian
ADA NOYES, LADIES MAID TO MISS ELAINE
by Sue Barr
by Sue Barr
My grandmother was so proud of the days she worked at The Grange. She worked her way up from kitchen maid to tweenie, housemaid, then parlour maid and eventually ladies maid
She told stories of the stern butler and cheeky, over-familiar footman. There was a poor unfortunate boy servant who was showing off in the kitchen by throwing freshly podded peas up in the air and catching them in his mouth, except one went the wrong way and the poor lad choked to death. There were stories about how she trained a new kitchen maid and how she told her the way to wash glassware so that it would shine with very little polishing. (Rinse in cold water and leave to drain overnight on a teatowel. Next morning give a little rub and it gleams.) She told of getting up at 6am, washing in cold water and if by chance her voluminous underskirt went on inside out it stayed that way all day because she didn’t have time to change it around.
She told how she would go round the garden with the gardener choosing which blooms for him to cut for Miss Elaine’s rooms.
She told stories of riding with Miss Elaine in the landau (and feeling like a lady herself). When she accompanied Miss Elaine to various functions at other houses, she and all the other ladies maids had a hierarchy of their own and were treated with a little bit of reverence within the kitchens they visited with their lady. Comparing Gran’s stories with the TV programme Upstairs Downstairs, the programme was pretty accurate. The butler was in charge, then the cook but the ladies maids were a little apart from them and treated as guests in the kitchen.
Her proudest story was of the day the King came to visit. Gran actually met him!
This would have been King Edward VII.
Gran worked at the Grange until 1910, when she married my grandfather. She had 9 children by 1926 and life was hard.
What a change her life had taken.