1 Coat vest & trousers £3 5s

Among the letters is included an invoice from W.B. Oliver, Tailor and Draper, Ladies’ Habits and Jackets Made to Order, Trinity Buildings, Llandudno addressed to a Mr. S. Bevan for 1 Coat vest & trousers £3 5s.  The bill was settled the same day.

Swansea 2 Augst 1879

Dear George,

          

You will be surprised to find your Father & I are payeing our long promised visit to Mr Roberts we came in on thusesday and are going home today I shall not send you a Post Office Ordar to day I think you better ask the Tailor what he will charge for your best suit & a strong trousers cloth is much cheaper than it was a little wile ago but if I buy it here W. Hirey may spoil it & the expense of sending it away you had better have them at Llandudno.  M. Davies charged £2 16s for your last suit.  Saunders passed his examination first division his Mother & Father are very please about it.  Robert is in London.

With kind love from your affectionate Father & Mother

Frank is quite well & is coming home this eveing if Mr Jenkins Can spare him.

Too cold to cut the corn

July and just when George thought he was forgotten he receives letters from Jane and Elizzie.

Overton

Sunday Evening

My dear Brother

We are all most by ourselves to day.  Sill went into Swansea yesterday afternoon to go to Neath Fair with the cold and to day George Bevan and Robert is gone with Father & Mother to meet the 3 oclock train at Killay.  They are going to stay until Saturday at Mr Roberts they intended going yesterday but had not finished a bout the hay.  We have all in but one load it came on to rain or we should have finished. 

Mr. John Hughes of Newton was married yesterday to Miss Bevan of Pitton the youngest daughter of his Cousin. I suppose it was rather a grand turn out old Mrs Hughes has been living at Long Ash near the Mumbles for some time with David. They keep a pony and a cow they have a splendid house and garden like a gentlemans.  The school that is tomorrow at Porteynon they expect a large gathering.  The parents of most of the Children are invited Sill & Eliza so if all is well I shall be by myself to morrow night. 

I am a little better but far from well now.  Mother will write in a few days.  Eliza Bevan is going home on Saturday.  Aunt Harriet of Porteynon is not very well all besides enjoy good health hopying you enjoy the same

                   I am

                             Your aff. Sister

                                      Jane Bevan

Overton

Monday evening

Dear Brother

I suppose you think we have forgotten you.  I daresay we are not gifted with such long memories as you Llandudno people.  For you have been thinking of us very often this last month or so.  We have been very busy lately therefore you must excuse us.  

Hannah & Georgie were very disappointed last Wednesday.  The weather was stormy father was afraid to venture so far as Swansea so they all had to stay home.  Sil took the colt but missed to sell it horses were very cheap and he brought it home again.  He is going to Swansea tomorrow with the wool.  We have had new potatoes this long time we sent some to Swansea on Saturday but I dont know what they were sold for.

We have not begun to cut hay yet.  It is so cold that I dont know when the corn will be ripe.  We have no gooseberries now so I think you had better wait until the apples come before you send home your parcel.

We are all quite well and hoping you are the same

I remain

          Your affecte Sister

                   E. Bevan

P.S. I could not send the letter for want of a stamp.  There was none to be bought in Port Eynon.

Image - Kennixton Farmhouse for more information visit http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/stfagans/

Sea Serpent spotted in Bristol Channel?

Overton  

Gower

July 12th 1879

Dear Brother,

You seems to have a very bad season in Llandudno and no doubt you will have many black looks but take care you do not get a black pair of peepers, when you are round with your bills.

It is very bad times on the farmers everything is so low.  I brought home Brights two year old colt from Swansea fair only being bid 20£ when two year's ago we had 30£ for just the same sort of beast.

I was in with the wool last Wednesday to Mr. Rock.  Charles Bevan put one of their horses with Jolly in Capt Stevens brake and we took our wool together which realized for sheeps 10d per lb and lambs 8d much lower than it have been for a great many years.

We began to cut hay yesterday but it is raining hard now we have but very few fine days there are very good crops of hay but slight crops of corn and a very late harvest.  We began to thin a few white turnips to day some of the late farmers have scarcely finished sowing yet we have finished a good while.

Cousin Elizabeth and Edith, from Swansea are down for a visit for a fortnight at our house.

The young draper likes his business pretty well.  We are all quite well and I hope you are the same.

I conclude with kindest love

I remain
              Your affect. Bro.
                                 Silvanus Bevan

P.S. Remember me to Florey - Do you believe in the Sea Serpent seen in the Bristol Channel.

Trade is dull in Swansea

Overton June 23

1879

Dear George

We got your letter this morning & Ellen purposed writing to you to night but she has failed to do so & is gone to bed.  We are glad to hear that you are keeping well. 

Your Father has got pain in his feet and was able to walk to Church in the morning & Chaple in the eveing at Porteynon yesterday which is pretty well for him.  Jane is very Poorly she has caught cold & got bad pain in her head & Ears. 

I am obliged to milk the Cows & Elizz & Hannah had had a wet eveing to milk the Ewes they have not had a dry morning or eveing since they commenced I know they are quite tired of it.  

Sill & the boy & Tom Ace have been at Moors sowing Sweeds to day so we have plenty of work to do. 

Trade is very very dull in Swansea & everything very cheap Butter is only 10d per lb Mr. Rocke call’d this afternoon to see the Wool he has offered 10d per lb for it.  I suppose we shall not get any more for it so try & take care off your clothes & make them last as long as you can if any of them want mending you must send them home.  I have Franks home every fortnights.

We have very few Goosberrys or Apples this season it has been so cold & wet your Father tried the new Potatoes for dinner today they were very good. 

We were surprised to hear your Uncle had been to France.  I hope his he’th is quite restored how is Florrie.  I saw your Aunt Jane yesterday.  She has been to Cardiff spending a week with Rowland he is quite well. 

Your Father is thinking to go to Swansea the wool fair day he has promised to take Robert & John Overton & George is to drive the trap they are all quite pleased about it I can tell you. 

Dear George it is getting late & I must conclude with the kindest love & may God bless and keep you from every Evil

From your affect. Mother

For this and more old views of Swansea visit http://www.oldukphotos.com/graphics/Wales%20Photos/Glamorganshire,%20Swansea,%20Oxford%20Street%201910%27s.jpg

The Rev Biscombe is to preach on the evening

Overton

June 1^st/79

Dear Brother

I am glad to tell you we are all quite well although the weather is so cold.

Today the tea meeting takes place at Oxwich green.  The Rev. Mr. Biscombe from Lanelly is to preach on the evening.

Sill and Harriet are gone but it has been raining very hard ever since they started so I think they will enjoy a good shower bath if nothing else.

I think Frank will be disappointed at the rain.  They were going to walk out to Sketty and have their tea on Sketty Green but I am afraid they will have to get indoors in somewhere.

We washed the sheep on Saturday and we should be glad with your services to help shear them if you could spare a week or so but I suppose you are so full of business that you couldnt be spared.

You were going a little too fast when you sent to ask us had we finished sowing Swedes.  We have not Begun.

Jane has been into Swansea and had her tooth pulled out she had been suffering very much in it.

Aunt Jane started for Cardiff Saturday to see Rowland.  I cannot think of any more important news to tell you so I must conclude

                   with love from all

                             I remain

                   Your affectionate sister

                             E. Bevan

In April 1672 Richard Bevan’s house in Rhossili was officially licensed as an Independent Meeting House and four years later the congregation numbered 45 in this small parish of approximately 135 residents, thus becoming the largest group of dissenters in Gower. (Richard was one of the sons of Jenkin Bevan and his wife Elizabeth After, brother to William who is recorded as being a member of the Society of Friends in the mid 17th century.)

John Wesley, the founding father of Methodism, visited Gower at least four times between 1762-1773 staying at a cottage in Oxwich. By 1780 the Methodist movement had spread widely in the southern counties of Wales and produced a flurry of chapel building in the Gower area. Oxwich Chapel was built in 1808 and Horton in 1813, followed by Pitton in 1833, Llangennith in 1862 and Reynoldstone in 1869 - the chapel at Porteynon was fitted out by Captain Bevan in 1852. The chapel at Horton where several of Silvanus and Ann’s children were baptised was built on land provided by William Tucker. The Old Manse was built in 1868 when Horton became the place of residence for Gower’s Wesleyan Minister, although according to the Bevan description of the cramped accommodation afforded the incoming Minister in 1879, the manse would appear to be little more than a small cottage.

The 1851 religious census in South Wales recorded a total of 1,863 places of worship – of these 615 were Church of England, 7 Roman Catholic and 2 Jew – all the rest were non-conformist chapels with 80% of the Welsh people describing themselves as ‘adherents’ of Non Conformist bodies.

Silvanus appears on the Gower Circuit Quarterly plan of May-July 1868 as being ‘On Trial’, the stage before full accreditation as a local Preacher is given. By the time of the Quarterly plan of August-October 1869 S. Bevan of Overton is on the Preachers List. In 1870 Silvanus is described as leader at Porteynon. In 1878 he is listed as being one of the Circuit Stewards, a senior lay position, along with Capt. William Bevan and John Tucker as Assistant.

The cottage in Oxwich where John Wesley stayed

Eliza and Hannah milks 28 ewes on the Clift

Early summer heralds a busy time on the farm as a letter from Sill reveals.

 Overton Gower

May 21^st 1879

Dear Brother

We are all quite well except Jane.  She has been suffering very much in the tooth-ach.  The weather is very mild and sultry and makes everything look like summer.

We have a very fair prospect of a good crop of apples, and pears, there is plenty of blossom.  The cattle and the 1 yr old colt went to Muzzard last Saturday.  We have not one this year the white face colt we are going to keep and he does a good deal of work and has eaten a good deal of oats the other we are preparing for wool fair the second day of July.  We are thinking to wash the sheep on Saturday.  Eliza and Hannah milks 28 ewes on the Clift and they are to have eight more tomorrow we have 57 lambs and have about half-a-dozen more young ewes to have lambs we only lost one and sold four late thanks to the young draper’s perseverance.

Mother was to Swansea on Saturday and Frank intends to stick at the drapery.  Today the trial is to come off about the Mary Stenhouse George Gibbs and 7 or 8 of Rossily people for and against him went to London yesterday.

We have just had a band playing before the door this evening the second this spring I should think a sign of poor times.

I had a couple of craks with the gun to day, the first since you were home and killed four pigeons.  I have not seen many rabbits on the clift this year.  Hoping this will find you in good health.

I remain,

                   Your affection. Brother

                             Silvanus Bevan

George Bevan sends his kind regards to you and hope you will envite him to your wedding.

I think and Pray for you every day

 A poignant letter from Ann in which she expresses how much she misses her two sons working away from home.

Overton

1879

Dear George,

It is a long time since I wrote to you but do not think your all forgotten.  I think and Pray for you every day.  Sunday eveing when the Children were reading & singing I could not help thinking were you & Frank would be & how glad I should be if you were nearer home & could come & see us some times.

Frank has only been home once since he has gone to Swansea.  He has got plenty to do and is going to stick to the Drapery if all is well.  I think to go to Swansea on Saturday.

I am glad to say we are all quite well, your Father walked to Chaple Sunday eveing & yesterday I and Ellen & Robert & Eddy walked up to Castle & Sill Brought us home in the Trap in the eveing.    

The Children were very pleased with their paints.  We have had some nice rain today, it will help on the crops as Grass is very tough for the Sheep & the Potatoes & Vegetables are very backwards this spring.  The weather has been so cold.

How is your Uncle, he was very poorly when he wrote.  I hope he is quite well again.  George Stevens is going to Sail tomorrow in the Pembroke Castle for the Cape.  James Bevan of Horton is Captain.

I have no news worth telling you and Father & Sill are waiting for their Suppe.  Be a good boy & write soon as we expect to hear once a week and may God Bless & keep you form every evils.  

                             For your ever affectionate

                                    Mother.