Berrington Estate Papers

Deeds of properties in the parishes of Bishopston, Llanrhidian, Loughor, Oystermouth and Swansea, Glamorgan, 1728-1890; deeds and documents relating to the Pryce family's estate in the parishes of Llanedi and Llandybie, Carmarthenshire, including papers relating to court cases, 1758-1840; and deeds relating to the settled estates of Arthur Davies Berrington.

Although not a local family, several generations of Berringtons lived in and near Swansea. Jenkin Davies Berrington had a son Jenkin Davies Berrington, born in 1801, who married Charlotte Hall, the sister of Benjamin Hall of Llanover and heiress to a considerable estate. Benjamin Hall had bought Woodlands Castle (now called Clyne Castle), and it became the residence of J.D. Berrington senior until his death in 1834, and of J.D. Berrington junior and his wife Charlotte. They had a son Arthur Davies Berrington, who was given the house in 1857 but sold it soon afterwards and moved to Pant-y-Goetre in Monmouthshire. The land holdings of the Berrington family was situated in various places, including the parish of Llangiwg and Pantygoetre near Aberdare, Glamorgan. Part of the estate lay between Penclawdd, Loughor and Dunvant, in Iscoed, which was originally part of the lordship of Gower which was held by Welsh land tenures. Consequently much of this area had never been part of a large estate in the same way that the manors of south and west Gower had been. Jenkin Davies Berrington bought these farms piecemeal from a number of landowners, including Griffith Eaton, the trustees of the Cameron Estate, the trustees of the estate of Sir Lewes Watkin, and William Seys. He also bought a number of houses in the town of Swansea, mainly in High Street, and around St Mary's Church. Another part of the estate, the Pantyffynon estate, had been in the possession of Francis Pryce, who held them as tenant-for-life, and who granted leases to Joseph Martin of Glyncollen beyond his own lifetime. This caused a number of disputes relating to the strength of title to the estate, which was resolved in Chancery, and the Pryce family estates passed into the hands of the Berringtons.

Original order has been maintained where possible. The papers were found in bundles each relating to a different property. The documents within each have been listed in date order.

No restrictions

It is the policy of the West Glamorgan Archive Service to withhold the names of depositors.

Compiled by Andrew Dulley of West Glamorgan Archive Service. The following source was used in the compilation of this description: West Glamorgan Archive Service, Schedule of Berrington Estate Papers.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at West Glamorgan Archive Service

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at the West Glamorgan Archive Service have been retained

Accruals are not expected

Further papers relating to the Berrington estate are at the West Glamorgan Archive Service: D/D Z 374/1, D/D EMJ 1-8, D/D RE 1/271.