Bust at Mellingriffith

The story of the Booker family is like a Victorian melodrama. Starting with an unexpected inheritance, the growth of a tinplate works (and the acquisition of both an ironworks and coalmines just upstream at Pentyrch). Fabulous wealth, TW Booker becoming MP for Herefordshire and all-round philanthropist to his workers and the local community

As in all the best melodramas, there was a villain-of-the-piece. TW Booker (junior) inherited the business after his father died unexpectedly and his two brothers died young too

TWB (junior) was so unlike his father. In true Victorian style, it’s been suggested that he greedily expanded the business, exploited his workers and milked the profits. Corners were cut and health and safety issues totally ignored

When financial pressures increased, he turned his business into a limited liability company and borrowed heavily from his bankers

The Franco-Prussian War of 1871 (who ever heard of that?) caused a world-wide financial slump and the trade for tinplate suffered. Business was not good, but TWB (junior) still had standards to keep!

The Booker-owned coalmines and ironworks at Pentyrch seemed like a cash cow, with very little investment, they were milked for all they were worth. In December 1875, there was an explosion at the Lan Colliery when there were 150 men and boys working underground. According to Dic Mortimer, Lan was a disaster waiting to happen; claustrophobic tunnels, dripping walls, sagging pitprops, and methane. 16 men and boys were killed on that day!

The subsequent inquiry (with jury members pretty much all Booker employees!) found the company accountable for the disaster, but were given the mildest of rebukes; ‘they should show greater vigilance in future’

In the same year, 1875, the West of England & District Bank, who had lent huge sums to the Bookers, failed and crashed with huge debts. The following year, the Booker enterprises failed too, with permanent closure of the Pentyrch works and only fitful working at Melingriffith, all run by a liquidator

Amid this catastrophe, TWB (junior) and his family simply walked away. They left Velindre and set up home in a swanky house in Southerndown, overlooking the sea (but still with lots of servants to help). The sketch below shows Velindre at the time, perhaps with the elegant daughters having a lingering last look before leaving

In Whitchurch, many workers and their families found themselves without work and home, so left the area. The subsequent crash caused widespread recession locally and took many years to overcome

What about Melingriffith? It was put up for sale in 1881, but there were no takers. It was leased to the Cardiff Iron and Tinplate Co Ltd and limped on until 1887 when it too was placed in liquidation

Finally, in 1888, it was sold in lots by public auction, and the Melingriffith works, its railway and 39 freehold cottages were bought by Richard Thomas of Lyndhurst for a knockdown price of £12,000, plus a further £10,500 for all of the plant and machinery

He set up a new company, Melingriffith & Co Ltd with wealthy and powerful shareholders. It prospered with increasing world trade, no debt, ample free water supply and skilful management. By 1916 Richard Thomas & Sons took control with Spence Thomas as managing director until 1934, when it was sold to Richard Thomas & Co Ltd

Melingriffith remained in profitable production, through two world wars, until 1957

What about Velindre? Sadly no one wanted it after the Bookers had left, and it remained empty (although it was sometimes tenanted) for the next few decades. We’ll take a final look about the house in a few weeks

So, what happened to the Bookers? TWB (junior) had 8 daughters, so no male heir. Richard Blakemore Booker remained a bachelor, and although John Partridge Booker married, was there any family? Does anyone know?

Dic Mortimer suggests that TWB (junior) died a broken man in 1887; I wonder? Are we being too harsh on the man. What do you think?

No happy ending sadly! Just lots of new houses built on the site of an historic works which (some will say) made our village

What do you think?

 

Thanks to Dic Mortimer for information on ‘Cardiff’s Mining Disaster’ taken from his blog posted 23 September 2011

 

  Back