Congratulations from Rowland

‘Loss leader’ marketing tactics are obviously not a new phenomenon. George's cousin Rowland married his Lizzie in the early summer of 1882 in her home town of Leek in Shropshire, prudently waiting until he was making a success of his business.

R.T. Bevan

Ironmonger

17, The Hayes,

Cardiff

May 5^th 1880

My dear Cousin

I was exceedingly pleased to hear from you the other day for tis such a long time since any communication passed between us, allow me to congratulate you on the termination of your apprenticeship and I must say with all due diffedence to Uncle’s welfare, that I commend your determination to leave Llandudno at an early period, for I presume your position and experience have now somewhat the same as I passed through, and I found that I had to learn and unlearn a great deal, if Mr. Hern was now in business I should recommend you to spend six months or so under his tuition, for he certain made a man of me if a man I am.  

Well dear Cousin you see I am now fairly in the battle of life and I find the struggle hard and as yet somewhat uncertain for you and I have opened a new business altogether matters would be far different perhaps had I taken on an old established place, as it is you see I must be content with merely casual customers as they pass by, for I have not been long enough in Cardiff to be very severally known but I flatter myself that the majority of my customers will come again once they have been here, nevertheless we have done very well indeed and things are improving.  

We are in a very good position and quite opposite a large American meat market, but Cardiff is such a place for cheap goods and unless you can get your hand up being a cheap man you are nowhere so I have some things outside my door every day marked very cheap, (a sprat to catch a mackrel). 

Mother has been up here for some time putting me all square or round, but she is now gone home again and I am left alone in the cargo hould, the first night (Sunday) I was left alone I heard a great noise down in the shop and must confess to having felt rather nervous, however so far so good as to having a housekeeper I have not the slightest intention of having a permanent one for years to come but when I do I suppose it will be the one I met at dear old Llandudno, I saw her at Xmas and she is still very well and just the same Lizzie Stubbs as ever.  

I suppose you have heard something from Gower on the subject but I have not pleased them so will as to tell them the particulars I have told you and you need not do so for they never said a word to me about Jane my old sweetheart wedding nor even sent me a bit of wedding cake, of course is quite natural for them to suppose I am going to marry so do all the Cardiff people but I should not like to take anyone from a comfortable home until I had provided at least an equal one for her.  

I am glad to know dear Cousin you are still going on in the good old way and earnestly pray you may continue so to do, please give my love to Florey and all the family dont forget Sill and tell him I am not in immediate want of a tinman but may be in the not very distant future, tell him I have not forgotten my promise to write to him.

          With love

                    Your affectionat Cousin

                              R.T. Bevan

 The Hayes and other old images of Cardiff

Paraffin 10d per gall

Cardiff

Oct 30 1879

My dear Cousin

In answer to your last note I have to say that Mr Thomas does not intend having a new hand as the one he thought of having (a relative of his) remains on, I should have written at once but he has only lately decided, if there is any opening in the neighbourhood I shall certainly let him know.  I think Messrs Cross Brothers St. Mary St are in want of one or two hands, some of theirs have been dismissed lately I know, perhaps your friend had better write there.

I am sorry dear cousin that I have been negligent as regards corresponding with you, however we are now in more comfortable apartments and have better facilities for writing etc.

I am getting along very nicely our shop is much improved and enlarged since I came here, it is not one of the first class shops but we do an immense trade.  You may imagine when there are sometimes more than 500 customers served in one day we are now 11 counter hands and have an apprentice coming on next Monday, we cut things very fine down here.  Paraffin 10d per gall, cut nails 1½ on everything which comes in there is a certain discount put on & we have to stick to our price, which saves us no end of barney, especially with foreigners & Irishmen they often go out without purchasing, but invariably come back again for the goods so we loose [nothing] in the end.

I like Cardiff, much better than Swansea and I am sure you would too, the only objection I have is to the long hours, I hear that next month we are to fined for all mistakes.

How I hope you will write me soon for I know nothing of Llandudno news, who of my old friends are still there what sort of a season have you had, have you had all your money in etc

From your affectionate Cousin

R.J. Bevan

Share your kind regards to Uncle Aunt Florence George Hedley Jeni Arthur Miss Perry, Miss Symonds the Franklands all the Jones family & all the rest

Rowland gets on nicely

Another ‘shop talk’ letter from cousin Rowland, out to impress and asking for word of home.  

34 St. Mary St.

Cardiff

Feby 20 1879

My dear Cousin

I feel sure you must think me very unkind indeed in not writing to you before in your last note you wondered wether I was alive or not and now I fancy you must really think I am gone to the happy hunting grounds but I am still alive I am and have been in good health and spirits ever since I have been at Cardiff.  I am getting on very nicely I have been here now just over 12 months and in that time I have had my salary raised twice our shop is now one of the finest Ironmongers in South Wales it is now 150 feet long and 3 stories high & it was only one before.  We have not finishd the alterations commenced by our new master Mr Thomas yet.  I hope however we shall be all right by July for it is really very troublesome and aggravating to have ones shelves pulled about by workmen and having the dust and dirt to clear away so often.  Joiners are now fixing a patent Lift to carry goods from the ground floor up to the stock and show room.  I will try to give you some description of the shop.  One window is always filled with tools it is now filled with trowels of all descriptions and for some distance the shop is occupied with tools of all descriptions on command of the tool man as he is called then comes a department of ods & ends wire, Taps & Trimins fittings of all Kinds.  Then comes the Builders department which I had for some time now in command of another young man.  Opposite him is the Oil Paint & Color departm. as that counter we have to patint Pumps which draws the oil about as fas as T. Jones Yard to your shop and measures it at the same time one for Bingolene another for Paraffin which we sell @1½Pt. then comes to the furnishing departments which occupies the 2 sides of the shop as is bigger than any other two in the shop.  I am in command of this branch which is I suppose the most important in the shop.  I have a boy under my care who I keep employed in changing the things and dusting a villain he is I caught him one day mangling S Hooks if you please of course he spoilt the [illegible] and I had to take them off and get them turned.  Then out in the back beyond the shop are the workshop etc the second story is one long show room where we show Boxes Bedstead etc the next and largest is a stock room where we keep all sorts of thing from german flutes to penny whistles.  I can tell you George I have had to keep my eyes open & learn a thing or two since I came here, and I should advice you to employ all your spare time in getting at the prices of things, discounts number etc when I was in the Building department I was supposed to know the numbers and prices of all the sash Fasteners, lach Pullies, Locks, Hinges etc and so I did nearly.  I had to order things too as they were wanted and keep up stocks and as I have now.  I should like very much if you could just pop in for an hour some day and see us what a different master we have to the old one our present one gives us rather too much liberty whereas we did not have enough before he is quite a young man his father comes down for one thing nearly every day he is a [illegible] and we have to mind what we are doing when he is down. I now sleep out with an apprentice for company we are most comfortable together he is a nice little chap.  I much prefer sleeping out to indoors for the young men are such a noisey lot and cannot read or talk quietly in the house.  You have been home lately.  I am sure you were pleased to see your dear father so far recovered.  I had expected he would [illegible] prayer has had a good deal to do with his recovery. All the Llandudno news I have received for a long time has been from somewhere in the –dlands I believe it is a little town in Staffordshire called – what about all of my old pals M. Thomas Morris M Powell Mark & Co mind and write soon and tell me all and not [illegible]  as I have seen all you as you [illegible] for correspondence.  You may tell my friends [illegible] talk about [illegible]. Tell Florey I shall write to her soon and give kind love to her and George Hedley Uncle Aunt James & Arthur also to M. Thomas M. Powell Miss Symmond & Miss Perry of your affection. Cousin R Bevan

The last page of the letter has been reversed and Rowland continued writing across what he had previously written.  Unfortunately this renders it almost illegible.

Shop Talk

George's elder cousin Rowland had also served his apprenticeship with Uncle William in Llandudno.  In this incomplete letter the two young ‘ironmongers’ enjoy some shop talk.


34 St Mary St.
Cardiff

Ap. 8th 1878


My dear Cousin

I was very pleased to receive your note this morning.  I can assure you your letters are always very welcome, the only fault I find with them generally is the last word come too soon you justly accuse me of negligence but I think I can justify myself as I proceed.  It grieved me very much to hear about the disturbance in Chapel.  I hope things will soon better.  Wm Bowden told us once in Class that he had a bad temper but he had felt nothing of it for this last 30 years.  I fear it has mastered him again now about the books you ask for.  I am very sorry to say I left them at home.  I only brought some of my books here with me the rest I carefully packed in boxes at home.  I will however write home to mother and ask her to send it you.  I fear however she will be unable to find it if she does you may keep it until I ask for it.  Perhaps you would like the Dictionary as well if so please let me know.  I was very pleased to hear what you said about your father whenever you write me let me know how he is for you know better than they do at Horton.  I dare say you would like a little of Cardiff news.  I came here on the 9 of Feby. Just one day more would have been the anniversary of my 5 year at Llandudno.  Aunt Margaret lives 13 miles from here & seeing Mr Hernes advertisement I came to Cardiff to see him.  I was at Hingead a week before he gave me an answer.  I find Mr Herne is not as bad after all rather curious sometimes but withal a thorough business man of sound principles he will not have us talk too much to our customers he says it is not business like & they dont like it and I quite agree with him.  We have only one price except wholesale when we take 10% for cash that is an excellent rule it saves no end of trouble & confusion sometimes there are exceptions when the articles are damaged or old stock. When foreigners come in and he get a great many we always tell them before we commense ‘one price’ but they will try and beat down then the master comes and tells them to go about their business but they invariably buy for they too like it we sell all kinds of oil & paints etc but the assistants are not allowed to touch any Iron, wire felt flash oil & anything of that sort there are boys who have to attend to these things I dont think I can do better than…….

St Mary Street, Cardiff