Minutes of the Cardiff Street Commission and Local Board of Health: Extracts from Town Book IV

Town Book IV.

The following is a copy (fn. 1) of the first entry:—

As no Commissioners appeared at the above Meeting it is therefore adjourned to Monday the 27^th Instant at the Cardiff Arms Inn in the said Town at 12 o'clock in the forenoon.

By W^m Stibbs,

Clerk to the said Commissioners."

On their twenty-first Meeting-day six Commissioners attended. They ordered a Rate of one shilling in the pound, appointing Mr. John Wood, senior, Treasurer.

After thirteen more Meetings had been vainly called, the Commissioners met 24 December 1816 and ordered Womanby Street and Duke Street to be repaired by poor parishioners.

The next Meeting, held 27 March 1817, learning that "the best materials for making kirb stones is to be had on the Marquess of Butes Estate at Lavernock," ordered that his Lordship should be approached on the subject.

The Commissioners transacted some business at a Meeting held 24 December 1817, when they signed, sealed and delivered certain Orders. Thenceforth they met with tolerable regularity, the subsequent Meetings being held at the Guildhall (which now began to be called the Town Hall) instead of at the Cardiff Arms.

9 February 1818. The following old Commissioners went out:—

Lord Mountstuart.
Lord Vernon.
Sir Charles Kemeys Tynte.
homas Edwards.
William Edwards.
Thomas French.
Marmaduke Gwyn.
William Hunt.
Owen Jenkins.
William Llewellin, clerk.
Philip Lewis (of Lanrumney).
TThomas Lewis.
Sir Herbert Mackworth.
John Morgan.
Michael Richards.

The following new ones were elected in their stead:—

William Ray, esq.
William Lewis, draper.
ohn Langley, esq.
Captain Roberts.
John Hill, esq.
Charles Vachell senr.
Richard Reece, esq.
Joseph Davis.
Major Bourne.
Francis Minnitt.
JJohn Davies.
Samuel Dimond.
Philip Woolcott.
Joseph Wheeler.
Josiah John Guest.

The Commissioners signing this day's Orders were:—

P. T. Walker.
Jno. Bourne.
Hy. Williams.
Rich^d Griffiths.
Jno. Bradley.
John Thackwell.
Tho^s Jones.
J. Bird.
Thomas Charles.
John Jones.

24 December 1818. The Bankers, Messrs. Savery, Towgood & Co., were appointed Treasurers under the Act of Parliament.

Ordered, that courses of stones be laid down from the Tennis Court to the church, from the Corner House to Mr. Thomas Evans', from the corner of High Street to Mr. Rugg's from the Glove and Shears to the Red Lion, and in other places.

1 March 1819. "Ordered that the Surveyor set up lamps, posts and irons in this Town and the Liberties thereof and in such parts thereof as he in his discretion shall judge proper."

6 December 1819. Ordered, that 24 new lamps be provided, and lighted with oil as soon as possible; and that the old lamps be lighted as soon as they can be got ready.

1819 Dec^r 13. In consequence of some lamps having been wantonly broken, it is therefore Ordered that David Evans, William Evans, John Mathews, John Ballard and Evan Llewellin be appointed officers to protect and guard the lamps in the said Town, at the sum of 12s. each per week, during their good conduct; and that they go round the said Town for that purpose every half hour from 10 o'clock at night to 6 o'clock in the morning, from this day to 25^th March next, and report the same every half hour at the Watch House, to be inserted in a book kept for that purpose; such persons to be sworn Constables, so as to be able the more effectually to guard the lamps and to secure any person or persons who may be detected in breaking them.

1819 Dec^r 17. It appearing that an extra quantity of oil is used in lighting the lamps at the Cardiff Arms and Angel inns, it is Ordered that the landlords of the above inns shall bear the expense of such extra quantity of oil.

The Box placed in Saint Mary Street, for the shelter of one of the officers appointed to protect the lamps, having been destroyed, it is Ordered that Mr. E. P. Richards be directed to prosecute the offender or offenders, if upon a legal opinion being taken it shall appear that an Action or Indictment will lie for the same.

1820 Feb^y 7. Mr. Thomas Watkins appointed Clerk to the Streets Commissioners, vice William Stibbs resigned.

1820 April 4. Mr. John Bradley paid £5 per annum for the privilege of having the sweepings of the streets, and was responsible for their being properly swept, particularly on every Saturday evening. It is complained that for some time past the streets have been very much neglected.

1820 May 1. Ordered, that the pavement be continued along Camp Street, otherwise called Camp Lane (Running Camp.)

1820 Sept^r 4. Ordered, that Mr. Gower's bill be paid, viz., £2. 14. 11 for candles for the men who guarded the lamps. (There were now 48 public lamps in the town.)

1821 April 4. Mr. Broadmeadow attended and submitted a proposal for lighting the town with gas. It was accepted, and arrangements were made for the erection of a gasometer (fn. 2) on the garden occupied by Evan Lewis, Parish Clerk, and on the Town Wall between that garden and the Glamorganshire Canal. (The old lamps were subsequently ordered to be taken down and taken care of.)

1821. June 4. Ordered, that the Clerk do give Notice to John Thomas, of Cowbridge, carrier, that he shall not in future feed his horses in the streets of this Town.

1821 July 23. The following application having been received from Mr. N. French, viz.:—

"Gentlemen,—Have you any objection at my having a Bow Window in my House in Angel Street the same size as M^r Ben. Davies. Cardiff. 23 [July] 1821.

N. French sen^r."

It was ordered that such window be not permitted to be erected. And Notice was given to Mr. French that if he did put up the window, he would be indicted for the same at the next Quarter Sessions. This Notice has been given him in consequence of his having declared to the Meeting that he would erect the same notwithstanding leave was refused him.

1821 Aug^t 30. Ordered, that Notice be served on Mr. N. French senr. to remove the projection or encroachment from his house in Angel Street, and that the underwritten be the form of such Notice.

"To M^r Nathaniel French the elder, Mercer. We the undersigned Commissioners under an Act of Parliament made and passed in the fourteenth year of the reign of his late Majesty King George the third, entitled 'An Act for the better paving cleansing and lighting the Streets Lanes and public passages in the Town of Cardiff and Liberties thereof, in the County of Glamorgan, and for removing and preventing Nuisances and annoyances therein,' do hereby give you Notice to remove or cause to be removed a certain bay or bow window, projection, or Incroachment now erected and projecting over the pavement from the house or shop in the said Town of Cardiff now in your possession and situate in a certain Street called Angel Street, contrary to the provisions of the said Act. And we hereby further give you Notice, that unless you remove or cause to be removed such bay or bow window, projection or encroachment within ten days from the date hereof, then and in such Case we the said Commissioners will cause the same to be done at your Costs and charges as by the said Act we are empowered to do. Dated the thirtieth day of August in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty one.

Signed by 5 or more Commissioners.

Rich^d Griffiths
E. P. Richards
R. Reece
Jn° Bradley
Thomas Charles
W^m Ray."
Thomas Watkins Clerk.

This Notice does not appear to have been served; for, at a Meeting held 29 November 1821, "M^r Nathaniel French having persisted in erecting a Bay window in his House in Angel Street, notwithstanding a friendly Notice had been given him to desist from doing so, it was Ordered" that a Notice, in precisely the same terms as the former one, should be served upon him by the Clerk.

"1822 Jan^y 3. It appearing upon re-consideration that it would be more eligible to indict M^r Nathan French for erecting the Bay window in his House in Angel Street, than to run the risk of any turbulent proceedings which may take place in opposition to the order of the Commissioners, It is ordered that M^r Richards be directed to indict M^r French for erecting the said Window at the next Great Sessions to be held for the County of Glamorgan, and to remove the Indictment by Certiorari into the Court of King's Bench.

"1822 April 25. An Order having been made on the 3rd day of January last, that M^r Nathan French should be indicted at the then next Great Sessions, for having erected a Bay window in his house in Angel Street, and the said Order not having been carried into effect: It is now unanimously Ordered that the said Order be enforced at the next Great Sessions for the County of Glamorgan, and that M^r Richards be requested to attend to this Order.

"1822 Aug^t 29. Mr. Richards having requested the Commissioners to allow some other Attorney to prosecute the Indictment against M^r French: Ordered, That M^r Matthews be employed on this occasion."

1822 Sept^r 26. M^r Matthews is to prosecute the Indictment against M^r French, "for his Nuisance of a Bay Window," at the next Quarter Sessions, and to remove the same by Certiorari into the King's Bench.

"Ordered that the Clerk do prevent Persons with Baskets &c from reposing the same or their Contents, to sale upon the Pavement, & from sitting upon the same."

All persons whose water troughs are out of repair, are to repair them.

1822 Oct^r 3. "Ordered that the Indictment against M^r French for a nuisance be not proceeded in at the next Quarter Sessions, which will be holden at Swansea, it appearing that a considerable expence would arise in taking Witnesses there & no good would result from proceeding at such Sessions."

1824 March 11. The Bailiffs are to be requested to move the Cattle Markets and Fairs held in Crockherbtown to "S^t Mary Parish.'

1828. The streets were macadamised.

1828 Nov^r 6. "Ordered that the Contractor for supplying the Town with Gas be excused from lighting the Town on Thursday the 20^th day of Nov^r instant, in order that he may supply M^r Green with Gas for the purpose of inflating his Ballon." (This was Charles Green, the celebrated aeronaut, immortalised in Barham's humorous skit, "The Monstre Balloon.")

1829 April 27. Charles Kemeys Kemeys Tynte, esq., having given a portion of the Tennis Court (fn. 3) to the Commissioners for the purpose of widening the street near the Vicarage House: Ordered, that £20 be paid for compensation to the tenant, Mr. Powell. (Mr. Kemeys Tynte's letter, with his armorial seal in black wax, is stuck into the book.) It was also ordered that a new wall be built, further back, for the Tennis Court.

At various times the Commissioners have made Orders relative to the cleansing of the streets, sewers and gutters, particularly in and about Running Camp.

1831 Nov^r 21. Ordered, that the drains be opened and cleansed at the corner of Broth Lane, Baker's Row, on the Tunnel, Broad Street and Homanby Street.

The Commissioners' flagging zeal in sanitary matters has evidently been aroused by a letter received from the Committee appointed to inspect the state of the Town, containing the following Resolution:—"It was resolved to present a remonstrance to the Commissioners of Streets on the very neglected and dirty state of the Town generally."

Ordered, that a copy of the same be sent to Mr. Bradley with the urgent desire of this Meeting that he will attend to his duty as to cleansing the Streets.

Ordered, that Informations be laid for such nuisances as have been observed to exist by the Committee, if the same are not this day removed.

Ordered, that Mr. Watkins be directed to remove the manure or rubbish laying [sic] near the river in Saint Mary Street.

These Orders were renewed the following August.

1833 Sept^r 4. The public houses in Church Street are ordered to remove their projecting signs.

1835 Oct^r 26. The Commissioners resolve to take the cleansing of the streets into their own hands, and for that purpose to employ able-bodied paupers, with barrows or carts, and besoms.

1836 June 10. The streets are to be swept every Tuesday and Saturday. A water-cart is to be provided. Persons throwing refuse into the streets are to be prosecuted.

1837 May 8. This day was held the last Meeting recorded in this Book, and the last which met under the old Act of Parliament, "for the better paving, lighting and cleansing of the Town of Cardiff."