Ask, and you shall receive!
I am most grateful to all of you who replied to my query about the
Nant-y-Car Mine, in particular for the very detailed responses from Dave
Williams, who replied "on-list", as well as Mark Walters of the Clwyd-Powys
Archaeological Trust, who replied "off-list". The replies have certainly
added immensely to my knowledge of Nant-y-Car.
I'd like to pick up on certain aspects of the two latter replies, as they
may be may be of wider interest - the involvement of Bradford based
merchants in the development of mines in Ireland, Wales, and from part of
Dave's note below, the Isle of Man as well; and the value of genealogy in
mining history research. The latter I mention with some trepidation, given
the somewhat fraught airing this topic received earlier this year on this
list.
A number of Bradford merchants figure prominently in the establishment of
the Tassan Mine, as documented in the archival records of the Companies
Registration Office held in the Public Records Office, Kew (folios BT
41/675/3686 and BT 31/249/821), amongst them Benjamin Briggs and John
Benjamin Popplewell, both Wine Merchants, George Greenwood Tetley, a "stuff"
merchant (I believe this relates to Worsted cloth), James Knowles, Cloth
Merchant, and more prosaically, Plumber and Glazier, James Keighley. Several
of these individuals also feature in various combinations as signatory
Directors on extant share certificates I have in my collection. The folios
provide detailed information about shareholdings, and the winding up of the
Company, at which time Tetley is recorded as Chairman. But who exactly were
these people, and how might they and their accomplishments now be rescued
from the shadows of history?
Two sources have so far provided invaluable information and avenues for
further research: Bradford City Archives - and the web. I have previously
found google.com an excellent search engine, and, much to my amazement, it
did not fail when I searched for George Greenwood Tetley. Up came a 100%
hit - on a genealogical web site for the family name Tetley and variants.
George G. (1805 - 1873) was born in Birkenshaw, married in Bradford Parish
Church (now the Cathedral) in 1840, lived at Manningham Lodge, and had six
children, five girls and one son, George Rennie Tetley (1851 - 1915). This
is almost certainly the George R. Tetley listed in Min. Stats as the owner
of Nant-y-Car, 1872 - 1874 (albeit recorded as "Tetsy" 1872-3, a presumed
misspelling), while father George G. indulged his mining interests in
Ireland and the Isle of Man - and maybe elsewhere?. I have since contacted
the owner/moderator of the site, explained to him my interest, and he is now
attempting to track down any living descendants in the perhaps vain hope
that they might still have in their possession documents etc. relating to
their ancestors mining activities.
So what started out as a personal interest in an obscure mine in Ireland has
very rapidly evolved into a much more extensive undertaking - researching
the Bradford connections. And to pursue that much further, I'll have to get
my digestive system attuned to the culinary delights of the Curry capital of
the UK - oh what we suffer in the name of research! In due course, all of
this will be published in the newly established Journal of the Mining
Heritage Trust of Ireland (www.mhti.ie or www.mhti.com).
Thanks again to all respondents - and any thoughts/suggestions/leads on the
Bradford dimensions would be much appreciated.
John Morris.
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Dave Williams
Sent: 23 October 2001 22:43
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Nant-y-car Mine, Wales
Hope that the information below is useful.
______________________________________________________________________
At a quick pass there was a George Greenwood Tetley of Bradford,
merchant, who was a trustee of the Kirk Michael Lead and Copper Co. in
1868. A Charles Tetley of Douglas was a partner in the same mine
earlier. (See Kirk Michael Mine in the Isle of Man by Rolf von Arx,
British Mining no. 61)
_______________________________________________________________________
>From "Metal Mines of South Wales" by George Hall, dated 1971 or 1993
(take your choice) -
NANT Y CAR
Copper, lead, and zinc mines 6.5 miles W. 40º S. of Rhayader
North Mine GR. SN 891 618.
South Mine GR. SN 885 609
|