Slate Quarrying in Pembrokeshire [ continued- Pt 3] ########## Llanrhian parish Richards wrote from an address at Cwm-yr-eglwys, Dinas Cross, near Fishguard, and delivered his opinions regarding the Trwynllwyd slate quarry, some miles south and west, near the village of Llanrhian. The letters between John Roberts and his brother [somewhere in Pembrokeshire] seem to suggest that the quarry being discussed was on the north western coast of the county. The quality of the slates was discussed and it should be noted that Pembrokeshire slate, because of its geological nature, is rather inferior to the older, harder, slate of north Wales. Inspection of the Enumerator's Schedules for the parish of Llanrhian, which contains the slate quarries of Trwynllwyd, Abereiddi and Porthgain reveals that there were a number of families and individuals from north Wales living within the parish and probably working at the quarries. The word probably is used because the occupations of the persons enumerated are a little confused being variously described as ; Slate Quarrymen ; Slate Quarry Man ; Labourer ; Slater ; Quarryboy ; or Slate Cutter. Censuses in north Wales show a definite 'Slate Quarryman' description without fail. In Llanrhian a 'Slater' may of course have been someone who put slates on roofs. The census of 1841 shows people in Llanrhian parish who were born outside the parish, one example of someone probably working at the quarry is ; At Trefin ; Evan Jones, aged 30, and his wife Mary, aged 30, with children Elizabeth 10, John 4, Evan 2 months. Mary and the children were natives of PEM but Evan was not. Was Evan perhaps one of the first persons from north Wales to work at the local quarries ? In 1841, only 7 'Slaters' and a 'Superintendent' worked at the Llanrhian quarries, but this was a time of rapid development with a soaring demand for roofing slates. By 1851 the following occupations were recorded ; Mineral Agent - 1 Quarryman/Slate Quarryman - 30 ; chiefly at Abereiddi Slater - 15 Tipper - 3 Miner - 2 Railway labourer - 5 Stone cutter - 1 Pump maker - 1 Horsekeeper - 1 Clerk - 1 [Based on The Pembrokeshire Slate Quarrymen by Dafydd Roberts, in Llafur [Journal of Welsh Labour History] Vol 5/1, 1988. Gareth, 20 Jan 2001 D/P] ########### Gareth List Administrator for Dyfed, CGN & PEM. Lookup Exchange http://www.johngareth.freeserve.co.uk/lookup.html Help Page http://www.johngareth.freeserve.co.uk/hicks.html