Swansea Family History

  Every year on 8th March we celebrate International Women’s Day. It’s a global celebration of social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This short article will look at some of the achievements of two ladies from Swansea’s history. The first person,  Mary Dillwyn  will be known to many.     Mary Dillwyn  (left) was born in 1816, daughter of  Lewis Weston Dillwyn  and younger sister of  John Dillwyn Llewellyn . Photograph pioneer  William Henry Fox Talbot  was related by marriage to the  Dillwyn Llewellyn  family.  Fox Talbot  was a scientist, inventor and photography pioneer who invented the salted water and calotype processes, which were precursors to the photographic processes of the later 19th and 20th centuries.     Mary  is considered to be the earliest female photographer in Wales. Her subject matter was flowers, animals, family and friends. She is credited with taking the first person to photograph a snowman, in 1853 (above right).     Mary  married the  Re

  I start this article in 1898 when the stables were built on Glanmor Road. They occupied the site of the former Post Office (right) which was next door to where the new coffee shop,  Sloth , has opened. The stables were part of Penlan House, now Oakleigh House School, and the two Ordnance Survey maps of 1879, and 1913 (below) show the development of the landscape with the stables. Penlan House was the address where a  James Walters  died a decade earlier in 1888.  James Walters  was a prosperous and influential man, who was instrumental in the development of the land which we know today as Walter Road.  James  was the second son of  Thomas Walters  who ran a drapery shop and founded a grocery and chandlery business in Castle Street. He later became a banker.  Thomas Walters  sold the business to  Christopher Thomas  of Bristol, who also bought White Style Field from  Mr Gwyn Jeffreys . This area became known as the Ffynone Estate and it was here that Ffynone House was situated.     Ja

 List of names of those Swansea civilians who lost their lives during the Second World War, both here in Swansea and in other parts of the country Absalom , B. Civilians Absalom , E. A. Civilians Absalom , G. T. Civilians Adomaitis , J. P. Civilians Allen , W. H. Civilians Anderson , T. Civilians Andrews , E. F. Civilians Andrews , R. L. Civilians Armarine , E. J. A. Civilians Ashford , C. R. Civilians Aspevik , H. M. Civilians Atherton , T. Civilians Aubrey , D. J. Civilians Baker , E. Civilians Baltzer , L. F. Civilians Barker , C. R. Civilians Barnes , W. Civilians Bellamy , D. H. Civilians