﻿GLAUOBOAMSUniE. 



GLAMORQANSUIRE. 



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rouUieni portion of tb« eouiily. It form*, with some intcmiptiuiu, 

 tlto cUSi wbich ara foiud from Lavernock Point to the month of the 

 Osmore, and oocnpiee the lower part of the ralley of the Ogmore. 

 The lia* hen ie chiefly foiiuU filling up the TiiIlo.Te and dcpresaions in 

 tb« aulijacent fonnntiona. Ita ctmta are nearly horizontal, exeept 

 irher« (liaturhe<l L; the &ulti of the lower formations. The clina 

 fiirmt-tl )>y this rock are bold and lofly, and i-ainphire grow* more 

 pK-utiriilly on them than on an; otlior. In the >outherQ part of the 

 county the newrr red marl or red-aandstone ia also found, eapecially 

 in the neighbourhood of Cardiff, and along the ooaat from the Unmncy 

 to Lavemock PoinL The conglomeratei amodated vith this rock 

 predominate near LlandAlf and in the vale of Ely. Gypsum is found 

 near Lavernock Point. The' newer magncaiau or conglomerate lime- 

 atone, which is the lowest rock before coming to the coal-measures, 

 i» found in seTcral places in the southern ]>art of the county; ito 

 thiekneaa variaa from 30 feet to as many inches, almost in the 

 tamacliK 



The rest of the county is occupied by the coal-measures and the 

 aasociatul beds, the mountain lime><toue, nud the old red-sandstone. 

 The coal measures occupy all the northern part of the county ; they 

 arc l«iuiiil«l on the south by a line drawn across Oowor Peninsula 

 from Whitford Burrows to OysleiTuoutb on Swansea Bay, by the shore 

 of Swansea Bay, and by a wavinR line drawn eastward from Horgam 

 on tliat bay by Llantrissent and Caerphilly to the river Riimney. The 

 miucr finds coal without any considerable descent ; for the whole 

 country is intersected with deep valleys in a north and south direction ; 

 and the miner, taking advantage of this, drives levels into the 

 adjacent hills and obtains ironstone and coaL There arc however 

 many mines in valleys and low places. Near Swansea an enormous 

 fault, many fathoms thick and filled with fragments of the disrupted 

 strat*, tnverses the field effecting a rise, on one side of the fault, of 

 240 feet in the strata. Near Herthyr, where the coal-field approaches 

 its northern limit, and at the head of the Nenth valley, is found a 

 ooaiae conglomerate of the millstone grit formation, separating the 

 coal menaurea from the subjacent carboniferous limestone, which skirts 

 tlie coal-field nearly all round. A belt of thia limestone crosses 

 Olomorganshire south of the coal-field; and the old rcd-saudstone is 

 f'jund ot each extremity of the county, in the valley of the Rumney, 

 and in the peninsula of Gower, cropping out from beneath the 

 carboniferous limestone. In the pcnini'ula is a central ridge of old 

 nd-saudstone, with two parallel limestone belts resting one on each 

 side of the sandstone lidge. In the lower part of the valleys of the 

 Tawe and Neath, and along the southern limits of the coal-field, the 

 cool is principally of a bituminous or binding quality ; the pits round 

 Merthy r and Aberdare yield ' coaking or iron-making coal ; ' and those 

 in the upper valleys of the Tawe and Neath yield 'stone-coal,' which 

 gives out little smoke, and is used, the hu^e coal for malting, and the 

 small coal, or culm, for burning lime. 



Ironstone is foimd in the valley of the Neath, but most abundantly 

 in Aberdare and near Herthyr, which last may be considered the 

 capital of the iron district of South AValcx. The black -band iron- 

 stone is found and extensively smelted by means of the anthracite or 

 atone-coaL There are some lead mines in the district occupied by the 

 carboniferous limestone, near Cowbridge and Llantrissent. Limestone 

 ia qaarried in various places. 



Produce. — The Vale, or Plain of Glamorgan, is distinguished 

 by ita fertility. Dairy husbandry is much attended to in this district, 

 and butter and cheese are largely exported. 



Dirition; Totrnt, Ac. — The county of Glamorgan derives its name 

 from Momn, a chieftain, who possrased this territory after the depar- 

 ture of Uio Romans. Its designation was Morf;anwg (Moi^gan's 

 country), or Gwlad Morgan, whcnco by corruption Glamorgan. This 

 <l( »i)mntion extended at first to Monmouthshire, but as the princes 

 who held the district in aftertimcs were grailually dispossessed of 

 their territories, the limits of Morganwg were contracted. Down to 

 the Um»of Henry VIII., when the present boundaries of the Welsh 

 counties were fixed, the name Morgnnwg waa given to the country 

 between the Usk and the Neath, or perhaps the Tawe. The peninsula 

 of Gowar, and probably sU that part of the county which is west of 

 the Tawe, bclongc<l at that time to Coermarthenshino. The modem 



f'- ■• ' filamorgarshirc arc as follows : — Caerphilly, or Caorphili, 



ridge, routli and ccntml ; Dinas Powis, south and south- 

 . 'T, or Cibwr, including Cardiff, south-cost; Llangovclach, 



or LUngyfrlach, norlh-wont; Miskin, central and north; Neath, 

 central and north ; Newcastle, soutli-we«t ; Ogmore, central and 

 south; Swansea, including the Inronghof Swansea except the hamlet 

 of St. Tlioraas in the hunilrol of Llaiigcvelach, west. 



UhuDorganshira contains one city, Li.Aitii.vrK ; ten parliamentary 

 borouitba, CARDirr, Swaii«(a, Mkiithtii Ttdvii,, Cowbrukie and 

 Llaotriasant, Lotighor, Neatii, Aberavon, Kenvig, or Kenfig, and 

 Aberdare. Loiighor, Aberavon, Kenvig, and Alicnlare are not market- 

 towna. liesidea the boroughs arc the market-ton ns of BnioaEHD and 

 Ca»TphilIy. 



Aberaxon, or Port Talbot, 80 miles N.N.W. from Cardiff, is a small 

 place ou tlie right bank of the river Avon, about 2 miles above its 

 nioath. The population of the borou^ in 1851 was 6.'i(>7. A large 

 inereoaa has aristn from extended mining operations in the nci)<h- 

 bonrisg valley of Cwm Avon, and from tlie construction of a floating 



harbour at the port by Mr. Talbot The parish ohorch is a smalt 

 modem edifice. There are chapels for Independents, ltapti«t8, and 

 other Uissenten. There is a stone bridge of one arch over the river. 

 The borough U contributijry to Swansea in returning a mi'mbur to 

 the Imperial Parliament. The aea-look of the docks is 45 feet wiilo, 

 and vessels of large burden can, at spring tides, enter the harbour. 

 Considerable quantities of cop|>er, iron, and tin-plate are shipped 

 here. There ia regular communication with Bristol by steam-vessels, 

 A stntion of the South Wales railway is at Aberavon. The works 

 in Cwni Avon valley, which are among the largest in South Wales, 

 ore under the management of the Bank of England, into whoae hand* 

 they have come in consequence of some financial arrangement with 

 the proprietors, styled — The Governor and Company of the Copper 

 Miners of England. Several reading-rooms, and a mechanicis inxtitiile, 

 with lectures and musical performances, have been establinhud for 

 the benefit of the workmen and their families ; the day-schools hiivo 

 been extended, and evening schools opened ; and other measures of a 

 like character have been adopted. 



Aberdare is on the right bank of the river Cynon, 20 miles N.N.W. 

 from Cardiff; the population of the pariah in 1851 was ]4,Pit9; a 

 large increase has taken phtce in consequence of the cxtenxiou of coal 

 and iron mining operations. Large quantities of the co.-vl r.iised in 

 the district are used in the iron-works, and a considerable amount of 

 coal is exported. The ]>arish church ia a plain edifice. The Inde- 

 pendents, Baptists, and other Dissenters have places of worahip. 

 Three fairs are held in the course of the year. The Aberdare Cnnol, 

 communicating with the Glamorganshire Canal, commences about a 

 mile west from the town. Aberdare forms part of the parliamentary 

 borough of Mcrthyr Tydvil, which it adjoins. 



CaerjihiUy is a small, irregularly-built town, 7 miles N. by W. from 

 Cardiff, population of tlie hamlet of Ener-Glyu, in which the town 

 is situat«d, 962. The town is situated near the river Rumney, which 

 forms the eastern lioundary of the county. It consists for the most 

 part of well-built houses. The i-uins of the ancient castle occupy a 

 moderate elevation near the middle of a level tract, au<l consist of 

 walls and towers with various apartments. The most remarkable 

 feature of the castle is the le.ining tower, a vast fragment of a tower, 

 still called ' the Mint,' which has been thrown considerably out of 

 the perpendicular without falling. This tower is 70 feet in height, 

 and is at least 11 feet out of the perpendicular, and divide<t by a 

 fissure. The ruins are now the property of the Marquis of Bute. 

 Thero are in Cafrphilly a chapel of case, chapels for Independents, 

 Baptists, and other Dissenters, and a savings bank. Some small 

 woollen manufactures ore carried on. In the vicinity are extensive 

 coal-mines and iron-works. The market is held on Thursday, and 

 there are six fairs in the course of the year. 



IJanlrissmt, 10 miles N.W. from Canlif^ population of the borough 

 1007, occupies a commandiug situation ou the brow of a lofty hill 

 which overlooks some of the finest parts of the vole of Oliuuorgjin, 

 the Bristol Channel, and the hills of Devonshire. Tho church is a 

 ca]>aciou8 Nomian buililin^, and being dedicated to three saiuta, gave 

 name to the town (Llan-tris-saint). In the town are ch.ipeis for 

 Baptists, Independents, Calvinistic and Wesleyou Methodists. The 

 town-hall and moi'ket-house are of modem erection. There are soma 

 remains of an ancient castle. Tho market ia on Friday for provisions ; 

 there are four yeorly fairs. The borough is contributor}' to Ciu-difl' 

 in returning a member to the Imperial Parliament. 



Louyhor (in Welsh Cat lAwchwr), 45 miles W.N.W. from Cardiff, 

 population of the borough 821, is at the mouth of tho river Loughor, 

 on tho left bank of the river. Loughor consists chiefly of (mo main 

 street, having the chureh at the western end of it, on a point jutting 

 into the river. There is a National school. A bri<lgo was thrown 

 across the river Burry in 1833, in lieu of the ancient ferry of Loughor, 

 as a means of commuuication with Cnermnrthcnshire. Several 

 hands are employed in collieries and copper-works within tho borough. 

 VeasoU of 200 tons bunleu can come up to the wharf. There is the 

 shell of an old castle at Loughor, and east of the town are two 

 small Roman camps. The borough is contributonr to Swansea in 

 returning a member to the Imperial Parliament. Two annual fain 

 are held. 



The following are some of the more important villa^-es, with tho 

 population of the parishes in 1851, and other particulars : — 



Aberthaw, on tlie coast, 13 miles S.W. from Cardiff, is a small 

 village in tho parish of Penmark ; the population of the entire parish 

 in 1S51 was 495. Limestone of a jieculiar kind, which immcdiaUly 

 hardens on being immersed in water, is raised in considerable quantity 

 here, mid is shipped at the p<irt. A vessel plies bclnccn Aberthaw 

 and Bristol once a fortnight. The headland named Breaksea Point 



firot(-cl8 the harbour. Boraiov, 15 miles S.W. from Cardiff, popu- 

 ation included in the parish of Lantwit Major, of which Boverton 

 is a hamlet. Roman coins and other antiquities have been found 

 here. Remains of an ancient castle, one of tho chief residences of 

 the Lords of Glamorgan, previous to the reign of Henry 111., are 

 still extant at Boverton. Briton Prrry, 33 miles W.N.W. from 

 Cordiff: the population in 1841 Wiis 718; in 1851 it was 1737, the 

 great increase being oltributcd to tho incrcose of trade at the port. 

 Kolling-mills were established here a few years since, with an engine 

 of SOO-horse power. Much of the iron produced in the Vole of 



