James Ormande Dalton

James Ormonde Dalton, of Gillyvychan & Vaughan's Lodge, Carmarthanshire was the son of James Dalton & Joyce Vaughan.

James Ormand Dalton was born in 1678 in Pembrey, Carmarthanshire, Wales. He died in 1761. He was sealed to his parents on 12 Apr 1960 in the St. George Utah temple. He was baptized on 4 Jun 1889. He was endowed on 7 Jun 1889. He married Ayliffe Edwards. They were sealed on 13 Oct 1960 in the St. George Utah temple.

Note: The Dalton Brothers, John and James Ormande were Estate agents ot the Ashuburnham

Pembrey Estate.

THE ASHBURNHAM CANAL (1796 - 1818)

Coal has been mined on the western slopes of Pembrey mountain, facing the Pinged hamlet, for a very long time. Two of its main sources were Coed Rhial (Royal Wood) and Coed Marchog (Knight's Wood); both woods have an ancient association with the Manorial lands of Pembrey Court, which was part of the Norman Lordship of Kidwelly. The coal was mined from a variety of outlets, including bell pits, adit mines, levels and slants, particularly from Coed Rhial.

It is worth noting here that Coed Marchog (rear of Butchers Arms) off the Pinged road is overlooked by the precipitous craggy western face of the famous Garreg Lwyd (Grey Rock). This was a traditional pilgrimage site for local children on Good Friday, for the twin purposes of sliding on the long smooth rock and to gather bunches of blue-bells from the adjacent hill. The rock is known to have been a prehistoric defensive settlement. A fierce fire during the prolonged hot summer of 1976 (which destroyed the Forestry Commission conifers and also the undergrowth on the rock hill) exposed some interesting defensive features. Excavations by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust in 1977 indicated that it was a settlement and that there were some "finds" of at least the "Early Iron Age".

A section of the 1796-1818 Canal, from Pinged Road to Ty Mawr. Although overgrown, the canal is still well defined and the original towpath is now a public footpath.

Details of all coal experts between 1714 and 1721 have been recorded in a ledger by the brothers John and James Dalton, who were then joint estate agents of the Ashburnham Pembrey Estate. All the coal was carried by pack horses, and continued to be so carried for many years afterwards, from Coed Rhial and Coed Marchog and other nearby mines, to the Gwendraeth Fawr river estuary for export in small sailing ships. The vessels carried the coal to ports in Devon, Cornwall, Ireland and France. Towards the end of the 1700s, Lord Ashburnham (2nd Earl 1724-1812) perhaps enviously inspired by the success of Kymer's Canal, from Kidwelly to Carway, decided to build a canal from near the coal mines to the Gwendraeth estuary. The canal would enable a far greater amount of coal to be shipped, and would allow Lord Ashburnham to dispense with the slow and costly pack horses and their owners, known as hauliers. All the hauliers fiercely opposed the plan, as they realised that they would lose their livelihood, but in spite of their opposition the building of the canal began in 1796. It started from a field near Waun-cae-Philip, below Coed Farm, off the Pinged to Pembrey road, and continued towards Ty Mawr Farm, then across Pinged Marsh (present R.A.F. and Motor Sport area) and, by 1801, ended at Pill Tywyn on the river estuary. Two shipping places and a dry dock had been built there by 1817. In 1805, a branch canal of 300 to 400 yards to the Ffrwd Farm was added. The canal was 1 ½ miles long with no locks, it cost and the size of its barges are unknown. During the canal's "life", there was no railway (1852) nor main road (1850) to cross, but several agricultural access bridges were built across the canal. It was not used after 1818, as the mines had become exhausted.

The Will of James Ormande Dalton 1679 - 1761

JAMES DALTON SENIOR - LLANELLY CARMS GENTLEMAN - 1761

Date of will: 13 Nov 1759 Probate date: 28 July 1761

Codicil dated 1 Feb 1760

People Property mentioned:

Arthur Bevan - Lessee

John Phillips - Lessee Esq

John Lewis - Lessee Gent

Thomas Edwards - Lessee Gent

James Dalton junior - son-in-law Gentleman

Lettice daughter, wife of James Dalton junior

Griffith Roberts - Mortgagee

Mrs Ann Thomas - Tenant widow prop mentioned: Llettyrffonen Pembrey

Mary Dalton - grandaughter, minor

Ayliff Dalton grandaughter, minor

Margarett Dalton g/dau minor

Thomas Dalton - g/son minor

John Dalton

Edward Dalton debtor/mortgagee Aberlogin tenant, Glam

Four youngest g/daughters

Exec: Thomas Bevan, William Bonville, James Dalton son in law

Witnesses: Benj Allen, Edward Dalton collier, Edward Dalton jnr.

Indenture 11 Jan 1737. Signed 4 Jan 1737 with testator as lessor 13 Oct 1755, 2 Jun 1758.

Codicil signed by Edward Dalton collier, and Edward Dalton junior.

James Ormande Dalton is buried at St. Elli church in Llanelly.