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Chapter 11
JAMES - The Welsh "Man of Norfolk"
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Six years after George IV came to the throne, James, son of James and
Biddy Metcalfe) was born, at Wells-next-the-Sea, and baptised at
St. Nicholas Church, on 27 February 1826.
James was the second son of his parents' marriage (following four years
after his brother - Robert's - birth), and in later years was to accompany
his father to South Wales.
On the 1841 Census, James appears with his parents and the rest of
the family, living at Lugger (or Logger) Yard, and was recorded as age
13 - although in reality he was aged 15. By 1848, his youth, and a
seven year apprenticeship behind him, James' "Rank or Profession
followed" was stated on his Certificate of Marriage, as being that of a
" Shipwright".
Rev. Val (?) Hill, who from the early 1800's had "married" at least eleven
Powditch's in the Wells-next-the-Sea Parish Church of St. Nicholas,
added a twelfth to his tally, when James Powditch, "of full age" (he was
22 years old), a Bachelor and Shipwright, resident at "Wells" (and son
of James Powditch, Sailor) - married - according to the Rites and
Ceremonies of the Established Church, after Banns - Elizabeth
Rumbles, also "of full age" (she was approximately 24 years old), and
a Spinster.
Elizabeth, who for ever after in the family was known as "Betsy" also
hailed from Wells-next-the-Sea, and her "Rank or Profession" was
given as "Servant". Her father's name was Thomas Rumbles, and he
was shown as "Labourer". Both James and Elizabeth signed the
register, in the presence of John and Lucy Edwards. The date of this
important event was 18 May 1848.
1848, besides being an important date for Powditchs, was also famous
for it being the Year of Revolutions. In this year, the Third French
Revolution broke out in Paris. King Louis Philippe was driven from his
throne and fled to England, and a Republic was established in France.
The shock of this revolution caused the throne of every monarch in
Europe to totter; insurrections took place in Italy, Spain, Germany and
Austria, and demands for "a popular government" were put forward
everywhere. Following hard on the heels of these Revolutions, England
saw the Great Chartist demonstration take place - only to fizzle out by
the end of the year.
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Registered, both at Walsingham (the Registration District includes
Wells-next-the-Sea), and between January and March 1849, the birth
of Sarah Ann Powditch heralded the start of James and Betsy's own
family.
At some time between the birth of Sarah Ann in 1848/49, and 1850
- when their second child was born - James, Betsy and baby Sarah,
together with whatever belongings they had, appear to have either
accompanied, or followed, James' father (also named James), to
Milford Steynton (modern day Steynton), near Milford Haven, South-
West Wales.
Both James's being "men of the sea", it is possible - though
exceedingly lengthy in both distance and time - that the journey from
Wells to Wales was by ship. The road journey would have been
shorter and quicker, although the route, - changing at London - may
have given opportunity for the family to meet up with son and brother
Robert, at Poplar.
The 1845 White's Gazeteer and Directory of Norfolk states that;-
(The 'Hero' was the name of the coach, and the 'Crown' was a
residential hotel in the south-east corner of the Buttlands, at Wells-
next-the-Sea).
- any possessions may have preceded - or followed - them on one
of "Green and Archer's" (Carrier) vans, which went from Church Street,
Wells, to London, "every Monday and Thursday' - at 3 o'clock in the
morning !
Whatever means, whichever route, whether there was a meeting with
Robert or other London-based Powditch's is unknown - but what is
known, is that by the time that James and Betsy's second child -
James Thomas, was born, the family had already arrived at, and were
living in, the area around Milford Haven.
Did those Powditch's newly arrived at Milford, experience the
description (in a pamphlet) by the Victorian Jelinger Symons, who
described the vision, thus;-
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The village of (Milford) Steynton, sits atop of the hill leading down to
the Haven, its few houses and a pub clinging to its cross-roads, whilst
the Church and churchyard lie close by.
Into this community at various times, from the late 1840s to at least the
mid 1850s, Powditch's were born, married, and died. At least one
came and stayed, whilst the others came, but moved on to fresh
pastures within a few years.
We have already looked at James - the Trinity Man, in Chapter 5, and
have mentioned the presence also of his daughter, Sarah Ann, who
must have accompanied the family to Steynton, to have married
Thomas James there in late 1853/early 1854 (registered between
January and March 1854). We have also seen that both James
Senior and his daughter, Sarah Ann (by now, married), were living at
Main Cross Street, Milford Steynton, up to 13 July 1855, when James
senior, died.
Before 1885 however, James (junior), and Betsy, together with their
daughter, Sarah Ann (who had been born at Wells-next-the-Sea), and
their son - James Thomas (who had been born at Milford Steynton),
had not only moved further east - to Cardiff - another major sea-port
of South Wales - but had had yet another child - Robert Henry -
born at Cardiff in 1853.
Between 1848/49 and 1852, James and Betsy were to have 10
children; one born in Norfolk, one born in Pembrokeshire (South-West
Wales) - and 8 born at Cardiff, in the Welsh County of Glamorgan.
James and Betsy's children were;-
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The first discovery of the address of the family at Cardiff, is in the 1871
Census (as I haven't yet checked the 1861 Census).
In 1871, at No.12, Dry Dock (1 house), on the night of the Census,
were;-
- and on the same Census night, living next door, at No.13, Dry Dock
(High buildings of Yard, Dry Docks and Offices), were;-
As had been already learnt from James' marriage certificate to Betsy
(and as is confirmed by the 1871 Census), his "Trade" was that of a
"Shipwright" - and the fast growing dockland area of Cardiff became
the family's base, not only for his work, but also for the births, marriages
and deaths of his descendants.
In October 1882, a booklet, under the title "Port of Cardiff" was
published, which sought to both congratulate those who had the
foresight to develop the area, and to promote the facilities in order to
encourage more trade.
The booklet ended one chapter, by concluding;-
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The "rich mineral treasures", were coal - the "black gold" treasure of
the South Wales pits, and the "capitalists of the hills", were the many
mine-owners (mostly English), who through the slave-labour of the
workers, and the demand of the world, shipped - via the port of Cardiff
- to "Foreign" countries, the following tonnage;-
- thus leading to Cardiff becoming the largest shipping port for coals,
foreign-wise, in the world. Coal, however, was not the only trade at the
docks, as reference to the Port of Cardiff" booklet reveals.
Kelly's Directory of Cardiff for 1875, records that;-
Into this hubbub of construction work - whether for the new docks, or
for the many new homes being built for the explosion in population;-
- James, Betsy, and their two young children had settled, around the
year 1852.
"Dry Dock" - where the family had been living from at least 1862 up to
the time of the 1871 Census - was a residential area, and by checking
both the Census, and the locality's Trade Directories, is shown to have
had a number of inhabitants. Although consisting mostly of
Shipwrights, the presence of a Shipbuilder living on his premises
indicates that besides being residential, it was also the workplace for
others.
"Tradition" in Mary Bennett (nee Powditch)'s family, is that James was
"a very big man" (in size), and that when her Grandfather (James
Thomas, son of the "very big man") was a child, he was "put into
James' huge boots". The same "tradition" holds that James once been
monied, having had servants and nannies - but had also been a
gambler - and "with friends" used to go to the Castle to play cards,
and whilst there had lost his money to the Marquis of Bute. The
comment by the
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Acknowledgements