Melingriffith Corn (grist) Mill ; iron and tin plate (General)

by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Sunday, January 25, 2009, 20:32 (5853 days ago) @ tonyjenkins

Probably no other industrial undertaking in South Wales has been worked without break for as long a period as the Melingriffith Tinplate works. It is situated at or near the site of an ancient corn mill which in medieval times was a manorial mill of the Lordship of Senghenydd and, at a later period, of its member the Manor of Album Monasterium. The name Melin Griffith (Griffith's Mill) was probably derived from Gruffydd, son of Ifor Bach, who was Lord of Senghenydd during the latter part of the 12th century.

The mill was in operation intermittently for many centuries. In 1695 it was leased, with a 2 acre field called Cae Vellyn, by the Dowager Countess of Pembroke to John Mathew, of Splott, and was described as being in a 'ruinous' condition. It was probably put in commission by the Mathew family, for in a similar document of 1715 the adjective 'ruinous' does not appear.

The mill was driven throughout its existence by the water directed along an artificial course from the river the Taff at Radyr Weir, and this method of obtaining power has been and still is in operation at Melingriffith Works.

The earliest reference I know to an ironworks undertaking at this point occurs in an Ewenny Priory document of May, 1749. This records that Rees Powell, of Llanharan, agreed to lease for 21 years to Richard Jordan and Francis Homfray, both of Staffordshire, "a water corn grist mill called Velin Griffith and a forge in the parish of Whitchurch." In an unexpected draft lease for a period of 200 years by William Powell to Richard Jordan mention is made of forges erected on the site of a water corn grist mill called Melin Griffith and a forge erected nearby by Rees Powell. It seems clear from these documents that an ironworks enterprise was founded by Rees Powell, of Llanharan, probably before 1749.

The Jordans disposed of their interest in the property to a Bristol firm called Reynolds, Getley & Co., in 1765. Amongst the partners of this firm were ironmasters of the name of Hartford, who were well-known Bristol Quakers. By 1786, if not earlier, the ownership of the undertaking was in the hands of Hartford, Partridge & Co., a firm who were later associated with the other South Wales ironworks undertakings, including Ebbw Vale.

In 1266, the De Clares, the bullying Norman overlords of Glamorgan, stripped Gruffydd of all his possessions, so the name he left to the tiny grist mill may have been his only permanent memorial. The grist mill continued, in 1715 it was leased to a William Jenkins. Meantime, Ironwork had appeared in the neighbourhood. There was a forge at Pentyrch and back in 1574 the Pentyrch locals had been caught by Elizabeth I's officers, making guns and smuggling them abroad for export. By 1750, there was also a flourishing iron forge at Melingriffith. By 1760, it had caught the attention of the Bristol Merchant Venturers. The Quaker firm of Reynolds Getley leased it from the Lewis of the Van family for 200 years at £80 per annum.

Melingriffith was ideally situated for making tinplate by a new process brought back from the Hartz Mountains in Germany by an exiled Cromwellian soldier who returned to England after the Restoration. Melingriffith's own water-power was re-inforced by the weir at Radyr: from Pentyrch came limestone, coal, iron-ore, timber, more water. Charcoal was burned at Cefn Mably and in the local woods. All day long mule-trains came to Melingriffith carrying pig-iron from the Dean Forest, coal from the valleys, limestone from Penarth cliffs. The owners of the works kept strict control over the lives of their work people. Their weekly wages had to be spent in the company shop on food and clothes. The works managers were the Vaughan family, who served for five generations. In 1785 John Vaughan wrote a letter: "I will see Walter Davies about that love affair, if he does not end it I will discharge him".

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>