The Story of Kenfig, by A. Leslie Evans

References to Loveluck and related families

Introduction

Following are extracts concerning the Loveluck and related families from the Book The Story of Kenfig. There is no publication date in the book, but the Acknowledgements are dated October 1960.

1. Page 23. Chapter: The Mediaeval Town.
   Living side by side with these Welsh tenants were several families of Norman stock. Among them were the descendants of Walter Lovel, who held the sub-manor of North Cornelly; the family of Stormy or Sturmi, who held the manor of Stormy; the Grammus family, who held land ranging from North Cornelly to Pyle; the Burdins, who held Grove Farm, formerly Burdin's Grove; Hugh de Hereford and the Aylwards and Begans of Cornelly.

2. Page 38. Chapter: Later History.
   An early survey of the Borough, drawn up in 1570, before Sir George Penruddock, Robert Grove, Gent., Edward Morgan, and William Jenkin, Armiger (of Blaen Baglan and Tythegston?) records the names of the jury impanelled for the purpose. This jury list is of interest in that with one exception all the names are typically Welsh; none of the earlier English names which punctuate the older records pertaining to Kenfig appear, apart from that of Thomas Began.

3. Page 38. Chapter: Later History.
   The accounts for the latter estate [that of Lord Mansel] for 1788 show that Wm. John, Portreeve of Kenfig [probably the father of Ann John, who married John Loveluck], paid £2/5/7¼ for the rents of the Borough and the Paschal Hill holding.

4. Page 48. Chapter: Court Presentments.
   May 7, 1736 . . . "We present Wm. John [probably the father of Ann John, who married John Loveluck] petty constable for not appearing at this court." Fined 13s. 4d.

5. Page 50. Chapter: Borough Accounts.
   On Sept 20, 1839, William Loveluck was paid for "Powder used in rejoicing of the birth of a Heir to the Margam Estate" - i.e., Theodore Talbot.

6. Page 58. Chapter: The Parish Churches.
   As a result of the religious innovations introduced during the Reformation in the 16th century, Roman Catholicism, which had been the universal religion of the people of England and Wales, was superseded by Protestantism and relics of the old religion disappeared from both of the parish churches. Many of the local families refused to embrace the new tenets of the reformed Anglican Church, however and remained staunch Romanists. An examination of the Glamorgan Recusant Rolls for the year 1590 reveals that more than half of the number of people convicted for adherence to the old faith came from Pyle, Kenfig, Cornelly and Margam. In 1591 there were thirteen recusants in Pyle and Kenfig - the highest total for any Glamorgan parish - and 160 Catholics celebrated a secret mass at Margam in the same year. Among those accused between 1587 and 1611 were the Turbervilles of Sker House, who harboured seminary priests, Henry Aylward, Gent., of Kenfig, Hopkin Began, yeoman of Cornelly, and William Thomas, yeoman, son of Thomas ap Richard.

7. Page 61. Chapter: Excerpts from the Parish Registers.
   
   BEGANS
   
   Thomas Began, died 1699; Christopher, d. 1706; Thomas, son of Thomas Began, b. 1708; Isod, d. of Jenkin, b. 1705; Thomas, d. 1711; Richard, d. 1722; James, d. 1729; John, d. 1740; Christopher d. 1744; and Joan Began, d. 1781.
   
   An early member of the family was Griffith Began, brother-in-law of Roger Sturmi, whose sons quit-claimed land at Stormy to the Margam monks in 1234. One of these sons, Geoffrey Began, was a burgess of Cardiff. Most of the family were connected with North Cornelly. A Thomas occurs in 1570, Lewis in 1611, William in 1642, and Jenkin, James, Richard, Thomas and Christopher in the period 1660-76. Several members of the family were presented as Catholic recusants in 1629. None of them appears in local records after 1781.

8. Page 62. Chapter: Excerpts from the Parish Registers.
   
   TURBERVILLES
   
   [...] They were descended from the Turbervilles who held the Lordship of Coity in the 12th century. Thomas and his brother John sold their Penllyne estate in 1703 and the former settled at Hall Farm, the manor house of North Cornelly, which had been long owned by the family.

9. Page 63. Chapter: Excerpts from the Parish Registers.
   
   TURPINS
   
   Robert Turpin, died 1762, aged 73; Mary Turpin, died 1764; Mary Shaftesbury Turpin of Hall married David Williams of Cowbridge and Ann Turpin married Edward Sanders (surgeon) of Cardiff, widower, on June 20th 1763, both weddings being witnessed by William Turpin and Mary Turpin. Captain Robert Turpin purchased Ballas and Hall in 1742 for £1,760. The deed relating to the sale says that he was of Tower Hill, Middlesex, but tombstones under the yew tree at Newton Churchyard suggest that the family came from Messingham, Lincolnshire. One epitaph states that William's son, John Turpin, was born there in 1736. The same tomb records the death of Francis Turpin, brother of John, in 1809, and states that he was living in Hall Farm. William Turpin (1696-1774) lived at Grove Farm. Inevitably, popular fancy has associated the family with the infamous Dick Turpin, the highwayman, who is said to have lived in Lincolnshire for some time.

10. Page 64. Chapter: Excerpts from the Parish Registers.
    
    LOUGHERS
    
    [...]
    The Loughers trace their descent to the Loughers of Sker and Tythegston Court, whose ancestors were the Lords of Afan. the above Richard Lougher (1650-1698) lived in Cornelly - probably in Ty Maen - and was the son of Thomas of Tythegston, grandson of Watkin (d. 1608) of the same place. The stock ran: Watkin-Robert-Thomas-Richard-Thomas-John. The last named Thomas died in 1744 and founded a charity for the poor of the parish by bequeathing £50 for that purpose; he, too, lived at Cornelly. His son John lived at Cowbridge but later moved to Hall Farm and married Mary Turpin, daughter of William Turpin.
    [...}

11. Page 66-67. Chapter: Excerpts from the Parish Registers.
    
    OTHER FAMILIES
    
    [...]
    
    John Williams of Hall, aged 20, was drowned in 1827 whilst fording the River Ogmore
    
    [...]
    
    Edmund Sanders of Hall married Anne Loveluck in 1835 and his death occurred in 1867.
    
    [...]
    
    Jenkin Thomas of Sker married Alice Williams of Horegrove in 1838. He was the grandson of the immortal Methodist lay-preacher, Siencyn Penhydd; his sister Catharine married John Loveluck, a Kenfig farmer, in 1840.
    

12. Page 71. Chapter: Places of Interest
    
    HALL FARM, NORTH CORNELLY
    [There is a sketch on the following page.]
    
    This house has also suffered from reconstruction, but it still preserves features of the Tudor building owned by the Turbervilles of Penllyne. It was virtually the manor house of North Cornelly, and Gray has suggested that it occupies the site that was once owned by the Grammus family, who flourished in the area in the 12th and 13th centuries. The courtyard at the rear is bounded by the battered walls of a ruined building of earlier date.

13. Page 73. Chapter: Places of Interest
    
    STORMY FARM
    
    This modernised house, once the home of the Waters family, represents another grange of Margam Abbey. About half a mile east of it there can be seen the low mound or motte upon which Geoffrey de Sturmi built his small castle.
    [...]

14. Page 79-80. Appendix II, Portreeves of Kenfig Borough
    
    1793     John Loveluck
    
    1811     William Loveluck
    
    1819     William Loveluck
    
    1841     William Loveluck