History of Aberystwyth
1800-1850

Bridge

New bridge opened to replace the one swept away in 1796

Aberystwyth bridge over the Rheidol
(Illustrated by Henry Gastineau in 1829)

Population

Population in Aberystwyth 1758 in 350 houses.

Pier

Small pier built on the Weeg (Small rocky ridge at the end of Pier Street,) to help protect fishing boats. This proved much too small and quickly washed away.

March 13: Hafod Fire

“ This magnificent edifice, together with the greater part of its valuable contents, was totally destroyed by fire, on the morning of March 13th, 1807. It would be impossible to calculate the loss which literature has sustained in this conflagration, which consumed many very rare and expensive books, a collection of Welsh manuscripts, and other articles impossible to be replaced ”^[21]

Printing

'James and Williams' run the 1st printing press in Aberystwyth - before then anything printed had to be sent away for.

Bank

'The Aberystwith and Tregaron Bank' opens on Bridge St. The design of the notes incorporates black sheep - apparently to help the local population understand the denomination. It is for this reason that the bank became popularly know as 'Banc y Ddafad Ddu' (The Black Sheep Bank) and not because it went bankrupt and was closed down in 1814

The £1 and £2 bank notes issued by the
Aberystwith and Tregaron Bank

Day Trip

Travel to Shrewsbury takes a whole day by Stage Coach

Stocks

Last recorded repairs to stocks

Bath

Located where the northerly shelter on the promenade now stands, work was started on Dr Rice's bath house called 'Penbryn House'.

The New Aberytwyth Guide - TJL Pritchard, 1824,^[15]

“

THE MARINE BATHS.

At the northern extremity or the Terrace, adjoining the commencement of Craiglais, stand the Marine Baths. The building is erected on a rocky foundation, and projects right into the sea; being defended from the violent assaults of the ocean by a strong wall, as well as the more impregnable fortifications of strong black, or deep blue rocks, massive, and singularly romantic in their appearance. It is almost an injury to the Proprietor to proceed on a premature description of what, (considering his great projected improvements, which are even now commencing,) may be called a mere beginning; however, favoured as we are by his communications on the subject, we can safely acquaint the reader with the nature of those improvements. The Baths are erected on scientific principles suggested by an eminent Engineer, undermined by vast iron pipes, branching out many fathoms into the sea, and conveying from a rocky, sandless portion of the ocean, the pure saline stream; which is pumped, and by a conductor led, into an immense boiler, containing five hundred gallons. From the boiler are various pipes, leading to the different baths. These baths are each six feet long and two and a half wide, lined with Dutch tile, which being much less porous than marble, is more effectually cleansed from all impurities to which they are liable; and each occupies one end of a neat little room, with fire, where every desirable accommodation has been studiously considered; and there are two cocks attached to every bath, one conducting hot, the other cold water, which bathers can turn, and temper by an intermixture at their own pleasure. In addition to these, there is '

A COLD PLUNGING BATH.

In another room, with its corresponding apparatus is

A SHOWER BATH.

which is recommended on the score of bathers being less liable to the cramp, than when using the Cold Bath. In an apartment up stairs, with all its attendant necessaries, is

A VAPOUR BATH.

This is a comparative recent invention, and considered a discovery of so much import, as in all medical establishments to supersede the use of the Hot Bath: for the nature and properties of which, the reader is referred to 'Sir Arthur Clarke's Essay on Warm, Cold, and Vapour Bathing,' pages 100 and 106.
This building also contains bed chambers, for the accommodation of those whose health ' would render it dangerous to remove them: and a handsome sitting room, with a large bow window, looking over, and commanding an expansive view of the sea, as well as of the distant objects, and alpine wonders, before dilated on in the description of the Castle Ruins, which are also to be seen from this spot, as well as the whole Terrace, a great portion of the town, and, on the other side, a view over Craiglais, and its wild and rugged coast. In its finished state, this building will doubtless be an ornament to that part of the Terrace on which it stands

”

This building was removed in 1892

Population

Population 2264

School

The Ysgoldy built as a Church school, later becoming the private Aberystwyth Grammar School. The Parish Hall was built on the site in 1914. ^[7]

London 48

Travel from London by Stage Coach takes 48 hours (28 hours to get from London-Kington, and another 13 hours from Kington-Aberystwyth)

Bank

Opening of the 'Aberystwith Provident Bank for Savings' on Bridge Street

July 1: Ball Room

Opening in Laura Place of what was initially called the 'Ball Room', but is now called the Assembly rooms. It was designed to be a large ball room (by night) and by day a reading room, card room, billiard room & bar. It was designed by the London architect George Repton and built on land donated by WE Powell of Nanteos.

Ball Room Rules include:
“A Ball will take place every Tuesday evening during the Season
the first dance to be called at nine o'clock precisely
Country Dances and Quadrilles alternately;
and a dance not to be called after one o'clock”
“That no Servants be admitted”
“That no Gentlemen (Military excepted,) be admitted in boots.”
“The Promenades commence the first Wednesday in July at one o'clock, and continue twice a week during the season. On Wednesday the Welsh Harper attends, and on Fridays, a small Military Band and the Welsh Harp alternately.”

Card Room Rules include:
“No game of Hazard to be allowed”^[15]

(Currently the building is used by the university for Music & Education.)

Whip

Last public whipping through streets of Aberystwyth

Prom

Work started on Promenade in front of Marine Terrace - completed in 1874^[19]

New Religion

Welsh Calvinistic Methodists formed in 32/34 Great Darkgate St (later Co-op now Supersave)

Comments on Apathy, Mining and Rent

The New Aberytwyth Guide - TJL Pritchard, 1824,^[15]

“ Severe reflections have been made, both by strangers and natives, on the lack of ingenuity and spirit of enterprise discoverable in the people of this county, whose apathy continues them poor, although possessing a rich country: while they have the mortification to see strangers bear away their treasures, as well as the palm of industry and science ” ^[15]

“ Mr Evans, in his tour, observes,
"yet, though this country is so prolific in mineral substance, still, from the neglect of centuries, and the indolence, ignorance, and poverty of the present inhabitants, it may be said of its subterraneous treasures, 'Terrae perdunter opes;' and although modern discoveries in chemistry have furnished much better means of separating the metal from the heterogeneous substances combined with it in the ore, both in the humid and empyreumatic way, diminishing labour, and increasing the produce, yet metallurgy seems to have made no advance. It is far from what it ought to be - a science" ” ^[15]

“

EXTORTION IN LODGING-HOUSES,

" These exactions, are Most pestilent to the hearing."--SHAKSPEARE.

A bitter and justly severe chapter might be written under this head, but certainly not in reference to Aberystwyth, to any great extent; although it is not to be denied that some individuals have injured the growing prosperity and reputation of the town by this most hateful and ruinous system. For ruinous it is, in every sense, both to the good name of the public in this part of the world, and will ultimately prove so to the rapacious and selfish wretches, who disgrace their country and themselves. Would examples avail as warnings of celebrated marine bathing-towns that have out-lived their day of attraction, and sunk into comparative insignificance, they are to be found, contiguously situate, and emphatically destitute of the admiring strangers, that once gave consequence and fashion to those favoured spots ; and the greedy beings who brought on themselves this deserved and unprofitable loneliness, now, vainly mourn and murmur in the shadow of their desolation. What place was so much resorted to as Swansea, till lately? but her attraction has ceased with the growth of extortion, and the bright days of Tenby are no more. The town is comparatively deserted by the visiting public; and the people there, with singular frankness, confess the justice of their doom, and own that their shameful and insatiable spirit of avarice has disgusted and driven them away, perhaps, forever. It will be confessed by them that when their town leaped into unexpected popularity, they became bewildered with their sudden fortune, and were ignorant what to ask for their houses, consequently required thrice as much as they ought; and beyond what the most greedy votaries of exaction would have claimed, either at Brighton, Bath, or Cheltenham. We have heard of two guineas per week being asked at Tenby, for a very ordinary back parlour and bedroom, obscurely situate; and on the infamous terms being acceded to, the wretched proprietor, in the true spirit of unslakeable selfishness has lamented that he did not extort an additional guinea ! Let Aberystwyth, in the youth of her prosperity, think of this, and by shunning the faults, avoid the fates of those towns; and be assured

" I have spoken
Most bitter truths, but without bitterness ;
Nor deem my zeal nor factious, nor mistimed."

Roads may be cut, houses built, piers erected, hills levelled, and hollows filled, and every species of improvement perfected, that taste can suggest, or liberality complete-in vain-absolutely in vain! if the base and grinding spirit of Extortion is once suffered to get root. It will gain ground and undermine the noblest foundations public spirit can lay, and crumble to dust the fairest piles of human ingenuity.
The vampire-spirit of Extortion is the foulest fiend of Lucre, and feeds on its victim's blood securely; unimpeded by the legal bars that bound the progress of other atrocities. Theft has its gallows, murder its gibbet, and suicide its nameless grave amid the cross roads, but Extortion is a chartered villain; and although allied to meanness, cowardice, and robbery, the blood-sucker assumes the name of Thrift, and is sheltered from their disgrace by the intervention of dishonest wealth. But the disguised felon shall not escape; while public indignation has a brand to wield, it shall hiss with fire on his shameless front, and deeply indent the blazing characters of his infamy. ”

Theatre

Theatre built at the corner of North Parade and Thespian St

Census

Town's Population 4128 in 712 houses

July 27: St Mike's #2

Opening of the church of St Michael
Architectural plans of St. Michael & All Angels (1833)

Church of St Michael shown on 1834 Map
It's the large cross shaped building

Foundry

1st Foundry built between harbour and South Rd

Map of Aberystwyth from 1834 with most buildings within the circular old town walls. Some new buildings now appear to the east and over the bridge

Council

Municipal Corporations Act brought to an end the Town Corporation and an elected Town Council was formed.

Castle

Some repairs are made to castle ruins
It is made illegal to remove stone from the castle ruins (typically used for house building)

St Mike's #1

Chapel of St Michael pulled down

Chapel of St Michael shown on 1834 Map
It's the building to the south of the large cross shaped building

May 5: Poor

Aberystwyth Poor Law Union formed which led to the construction of a Workhouse

Water

Opening of new Water Works - small reservoir in the dingle under Constitution Hill

Harbour

Foundation stone of the harbour pier laid
Harbour ranked as the 3rd most important in Wales

January 5: Infirmary

Opening of the Aberystwyth Infirmary and Cardigan General Hospital on Upper Portland Street. This was funded by charitable contributions.

Lighting

Aberystwyth is one of the 1st towns in Britain to get Gas Street Lighting (Electric street lighting arrives in 1894)

Foundry

2nd Foundry built in Northgate St

Post Office

Post Office moved to Pier Street in 1842

Drought

Severe Drought

Castle

Castle excavated to reveal more about its structure and history.

Deaf and Dumb

Opening of the Cambrian Institution for the Deaf and Dumb in Pier Street. (This was the 1st such institution in Wales.) It was moved to Swansea in 1850