[... Emmanuel David Marendaz was a] farmer in the parish of Margam, paying only a peppercorn rent for his tenancy as a result of the benevolent patronage of his landlord-Thomas Mansel Talbot of Margam and Penrice Castle. Four successive generations of the Marendaz family enjoyed the same privilege, the last being Richard (Dicky) Marendaz of Cwrt Ucha or Upper Court Farm, sited near the Port Talbot General Station and demolished in 1913. The progenitor of the family, David Emmanuel Marendaz, was evidently a person of some social standing, held in respect by local folk, for an entry made in the Margam Vestry Records in 1799 refers to him as Mr Marendaz. T. M. Talbot advanced him a sum of £400 under a bond of repayment issued at Penrice on January 1, 1799 (Margam MS. 10363), in which he is referred to as D. E. Marendaz, Gent. Subsequent Margam records (5672, 8743 and 10232) show that he farmed old Tonygroes Farm (formerly sited at Holy Cross Church) in the period 1803-1820 and that he also held Tydraw Farm in the latter year. From the Leslie Evans article: The circumstances under which David Emmanuel Marendaz, Snr, came to Margam had long excited my interest, and 1 have long pondered over the reason for the patronage extended to him by T. M. Talbot. The answer lies, it would appear, in strong, albeit confused, family traditions. These point to a dramatic experience at sea, involving Marendaz and Talbot when the latter was on one of his many cruises abroad. Marendaz is said to have saved Talbot's life, which would certainly provide an adequate reason for Talbot's benevolent attitude to him. Some years ago, the late Roderick Williams, the Bridgend historian, told me that Marendaz was the captain of Talbot's yacht, whilst Helen Thomas, wife of the poet, says in her book on Edward Thomas ('As it Was') that her husband's ancestor was a Spanish sea captain. She also refers to a beautiful gold signet ring which had belonged to him and which Edward Thomas had given to her. In a recent conversation with Mr. Richard G. F. Marendaz, 1 was informed that he had been told that his progenitor was Portuguese, and I think he is correct. His brother, Capt. D, M. K. Marendaz, writing in 'Apollo', vol. 39, 101, hints at the circumstances attending his ancestor's settlement in Margam in the following brief notice: "After an adventurous yachting cruise in the Mediterranean, Emmanuel Marendaz accompanied Talbot to England and lived with him at Margam Castle until 1797, afterwards settling at Margam and Porthcawl." It should be noted that he could not have lived in Margam Castle at that time, for it was built some thirty years later. The writer presumably meant Penrice Castle. See also the exchange of letters between Dr. John Thomas and Capt D.M.K. Marendaz, which was obtained from the National Library of Wales.