1894

The First Parish meeting was held at Board School (Old School) on Tuesday December 4th 1894 at 7pm, after a public notice was placed around the town. The meeting was well attended by local residents despite the exceptionally cold/wintry weather coming in at –3°C thus being the start of the twelve week frost.

The meeting started promptly at 7 o’clock with Mr Illtyd Bond Nicholl being unanimously elected to take the Chair. Illtud, aged 31 years and being the oldest son of Mr George W Nicholl, being well known in the parish as a Gentry family of land owners and residing at the Ham, asked the towns folk gathered for nominations, Illtyd was himself nominated and immediately withdrew his nomination. He later would come on to the Council in March 1897.

Click to enlarge these scanned original documents

Nominations then continued to be given from the floor until eighteen gentleman of the town were put forward by a show of hands,

Andrews, William Post Office 43 See Poll
Board, James Sheepleys 23 See Poll
Chatterton, John Carpenter 33
Davies, Edwin Builder 46 Elected *
Farmer, Charles Herbert Inland Rev Office 19
Gaskell, Joseph Gentleman 48 Elected
Hopkins, David Swan Inn 21
Lloyd, Edward Thomas Farm Bailiff 47 Elected
Morgan, Thomas Gentleman 34
Morgan, Thomas Carpenter 29 See Poll
Nicholl, Digby Leys Whittlock Gentleman 50 Elected
Price, Thomas Gentleman 44 Elected *
Thomas, David Down Cross Cottage 50 Elected
Thomas, Illtyd T Architect 9
Thomas, John Tyle house 49 Elected
Thomas, Rees Boverton Place 32
Thomas, William Plymouth House 61 Elected
Williams, John Grocer 46 Elected *

The count was then taken and the Chairman young Illtyd declared the following nine gentlemen had received the greatest number of votes and he would declare them elected unless a poll was demanded. (See Table above).

Just as Illtyd was about to declare the said gentleman duly elected to the First Parish Council, up stands John Williams the grocer who demands that a poll be taken, (something he later regretted). The Chairman declared the meeting closed and a date was set for the poll to be taken.

When the poll was taken poor John Williams the grocer who was aged 34 years and was living at Sunnyside Llantwit lost his own seat along with Edwin Davies aged 38 years, Builder form Collage Street and Thomas Price the gentleman form Collage Street, I don’t suppose John was favour of the month to his two Colleagues (John had to wait until 1898 before getting on the council and became Vice Chairman, taking the Chair in March 1899). And in their place came William Andrews aged 55 The Towns Postmaster (father of Hughie Andrews). Living with his wife Eliza at Wesley Street, Thomas Morgan aged 43 years a Carpenter whom was living with his mother Gwenillian who was a grocer/draper residing at the Boverton Shop and James Board age 58 a Farmer.

So along with Joseph Gaskell aged 44 a Commissioned Merchant of Boverton House, (whom went on to become Managing Director of Brewery Company Cardiff), Edward Thomas Lloyd 28 years a Farm Bailiff From Boverton Court (previously a Farmers Son of 243 Acres at Great Frampton), Nicholl, Digby Leys Whittlock 26 years of the Ham (brother of Illtyd Nicholl & son of George the Land owner), David Thomas from Down Cross Cottage, John Thomas who was form Tyle House, John could have either been the father 71 years or the son 31 years, it is worth noting that the Son John was the same age as Illtyd and a few years senior to Digby and is shown in the 1881 census as living and working as a young man of 18 at the Ham along with the two brothers, and William Thomas 45 years a farmer of 225 acres residing at Plymouth House. Together they all became Councillors of the first Parish Council.

The First Parish meeting then took place at the Town Hall on Thursday January 3rd 1895 at 7pm, heavy snow had fallen in Llantwit from frequent showers of the sea and many places reported 8 to 15 cm deep with strong SE winds. The oil heating was turned up full while each member signed the declaration of acceptance of office; Councillor William Thomas took the Chair provisionally while proposals were sort for the first Chairman of the new Council. William then proposed and seconded by Cllr Edward Lloyd that Cllr William Andrews be Chairman, but Cllr Digby Nicholl and Cllr James Board put an amendment that Cllr James Gaskell be Chair. Cllr Gaskell immediately withdrew his candidacy, stating that he could not allow himself to be nominated without the unanimous support of the Council; So Cllr W Andrews was duly elected to the Chair and returned thanks for being placed in this position, the minutes of the first parish meeting were then read and countersigned. The election then took place of the Vice-chairman and it was resolved that Cllr D L W Nicholl be Vice Chairman.

Cllr E T Lloyd accepted the office of Clerk, it is worth noting that the words ‘without enumeration’ were written next to this entry but were then crossed out.

The election of Treasurer then took place it was proposed by Cllr Gaskell and seconded by Cllr J Thomas that a Mr W L P Marshall be appointed Treasurer (without enumeration), as an amendment it was proposed by Cllr W Thomas and seconded by Cllr D Thomas that a Mr W Hughes (National Provincial bank Cowbridge) be appointed Treasurer. The amendment was put the vote when four members voted for it Councillors D Thomas, T Morgan, W Thomas and E T Lloyd, the original being put three voted for it Councillors J Gaskell, D l W Nicholl, and J Thomas, the Chairman and Cllr J Board did not vote, Mr W Hughes was declared elected, it was then resolved that all meetings be opened to the public and that they be held on the first Thursday in every month at 7pm at the Town Hall. It was then resolved that a 1d rate in the £ be made on the overseers to meet the currant expenses, it was also resolved that the clerk be em-powered to get the necessary books and stationery. The question of a chest was deferred to the next meeting.

Cllr T Morgan then proposed and was seconded by Cllr J Gaskell that a circular be published throughout the parish inviting landowners who are favourable to letting land for allotments to communicate with the clerk before the 1st day of February next stating what lands they were prepared to let, and that persons desirous of obtaining allotments communicate with the clerk by the same date giving particulars of the extent and nature of their requirements.

It was resolved that the clerk apply to the Local government Board asking for draft regulations for regulating the letting and managing of allotments.

It was also resolved that the temporary repairs be done of the existing water works and that W Edwin Davies be requested to attend to the work and that the Vice Chairman and Cllr W Thomas give the necessary instructions and supplemented the same. Cllr J Gaskell gave notice that he would move at the next meeting the matter affecting local Charities and Properties, Existing Lamps, Weststreet Pool and the Water Supply.

The chairman declared the meeting closed.