Castell Gorfod Estate records

Family and estate papers of the Buckley family of Castell Gorfod, Carmarthenshire, comprising deeds, 1587-1883; maps and plans, 1752-1879, including plans of Burry Port Harbour, New Pembrey Harbour, and Cynheidre Colliery; Buckley letters and papers, 1796-1951; papers relating to the Buckley and Roderick families, 1817-1957; Wedge letters and papers, 1793-1853; hunting records including hunting dairies and journals, 1885-1962; an extensive group of views and engravings relating to Wales, 1552-1870; records relating to the rabbit problem in Carmarthenshire, 1935-1957; newspaper cuttings, [c. 1800]-1890, personal correspondence, 1869-1944; recipe books, 1689-[20th cent.]; records of the Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire Otter Hunt, 1879-1990, of which Lt. Col. Kemmis Buckley was joint master; and personal papers of W. J. Buckley, W. H. Buckley and others, 1868-1949.

The Castell Gorfod estate was acquired by the Buckley family in 1871, when James Bevan sold it to James Buckley of Penyfai, Llanelli. The Castell Gorfod estate had previously been owned by the Bowen family of Llwyngwair, who had acquired the property through the marriage of George Bowen (1722-1810) and Esther, daughter of William Thomas, Pentowyn, and heiress of Castell Gorfod. The Buckley family came originally from Lancashire. Mark Buckley and his wife Alice had, with other issue, a son, the Rev. Thomas Buckley, a Wesleyan minister, who settled in Llanelli. His son was James Buckley (1802-1883). He came to live at Penyfai after he married Elizabeth, daughter of Joshua Thomas Wedge (1776-1856) of Penyfai in 1834. James Buckley purchased Bradbury Hall, Llanelli, after the death of William Roderick of Bradbury Hall and formerly of Brynhafod, Llangathen, Carmarthenshire. It was Joshua Wedge, the younger brother of John Wedge (1765-1853) who built Penyfai mansion. The Penyfai estate was sold by the Buckley family in 1920-1922, whilst Bradbury Hall was sold in about 1890 by Dr Henry Child Buckley, James Buckley's third son.

Arranged into five groups: Group I - deeds and legal documents; maps and plans; letters and papers; and miscellaneous documents; Group II - deeds and legal documents; miscellaneous documents; maps, plans, prints and drawings; and additional documents; Group III - additional Castell Gorfod documents; Group IV - documents relating to the Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire Otter Hunt and personal papers relating to the Buckley family; Group V - a photograph and correspondence and receipts relating to the winding up of the Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire Otter Hunt.

Ar Agor / Open

Dim cyfyngiadau / No Restrictions

Adnau preifat / Private deposit

Mae copiau clawr caled o`r catalogau ar gael yn Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin ac yn y Gofrestr Cenedlaethol Archifau. Polisi Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin yw catalogio yn iaith y ddogfen / Hard copies of the catalogue are available at Carmarthenshire Archives and the National Register of Archives. It is the policy of Carmarthenshire Archives to catalogue in the language of the document.

Cyflwr da / Good condition

Compiled by Mair James for the HMC/NLW Family and Estates project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Jones, Francis, Historic Houses of Pembrokeshire and their Families, (Newport, 1996); Jones, Francis, Historic Carmarthenshire Homes and their Families, (Newport, 1997); Nicholas, Thomas, Annals and Antiquities of the Counties and County families of Wales, (London, 2 vols, 1872), vol. II; Burke's Landed Gentry (London,1969)

Mae'r holl gofnodiadau sy'n cydymffurfio â pholisi casglu Archifau Sir Gaerfyrddin wedi eu cadw / All records which meet the collection policy of the Carmarthenshire Archives have been retained

Deposited by Lieutenant Colonel W.H. Buckley, Castell Gorfod, St Clears , in [?1962] followed by a number of deposits by Colonel W.K. Buckley, Briar Cottage, Broadlay, Ferryside, between July 1972 and October 1990.

Ni ddisgwylir croniadau / Accruals are not expected

Further papers relating to the Castell Gorfod estate are Carmarthenshire Archive Service, Coedmore Estate Records.