The Booker’s of Velindre

Back in November last year we looked at TW Booker and his uncle Richard Blakemore, and how TWB inherited the Melingriffith works and the grand house Velindre

This time, perhaps we can look a little about how TWB grew into his position, his wife and his children

As we’ve discovered, TWB moved to Whitchurch as an eighteen-year-old to live with his uncle at Velindre. By the age of 23 he had married Jane-Anne Coghlan, and settled into married life at The Ynys, a smart house just upriver at Tongwynlais. For the next six years, The Ynys was their family home and they had the first two of their children; Anna (or Hanna) Booker who was born in 1826, and Richard Blakemore Booker, born 1829

By 1830, they had moved into Velindre, a much grander house and set about rebuilding and restoring the old house into the new pleasure palace. They also had another three children; TW Booker (junior), born 1830, Mary Booker born 1832 and John Partridge Booker born 1834

We don’t know much about the early family life of the Booker’s, but they probably enjoyed the life of an affluent Victorian family. The children would have been taught at home, and would have had a nanny. The gardens were expanded and would have made a wonderful environment for children’s play

The census of 1841 reports that Thomas Booker, now aged 35, was the head and described himself as an ‘ironmaster’. His wife, Jane and 4 of her children were being looked after by 8 live-in servants, and the coachman who lived next door at Penylan

The image below (courtesy of National Library of Wales) shows TW Booker in the 1840’s, painted by George Zobel

By the 1851 census, TWB was absent as Jane was noted as head, with her 5 children at home. They still had 8 live-in servants, including Anna Evans aged 79 (as house servant and nurse) and a 40-year-old widower as butler. Nearby, lived the gardener, groom and 2 coachmen. Obviously, things were looking up!

As well as a successful businessman, TWB had been elected as High Sheriff of Glamorgan and later as MP for Hereford. So, he wanted to ensure the succession of the family business. He built large houses for two of his sons, The Pines for his eldest, Richard and Greenhill for John Partridge his youngest. TWB Junior, who was the budding businessman, was obviously going to inherit Velindre

As only one of his sons showed much interest in the business TWB Senior began grooming Junior for a future role in the business. Probably just as well, because just a few years later, TWB (who had added his uncle’s name of Blakemore to his own) died in London in 1858, aged 57. There is a story that whilst he was being considered for better things in Parliament, he was discovered as having an affair with the wife of an admiral, and Queen Victoria was not impressed!

Anna (Hanna), the elder daughter, never married, and died in 1855 aged just 29. Only a few years later in April 1860, her younger sister Mary married the Rev Cyril Stacey at (old) St Mary’s Church, and the local papers reported on the sparkling occasion and the reception on the lawns at Velindre. Sadly, nothing seemed to last, and she too died only a few years later at the age of 35

Of the other 2 sons, Edgar Chappell reported that Richard, the eldest son was ‘of dissolute habit’, and died aged only 32. He could only have lived in the Pines for a very short while

John Partridge Booker, married and started a family with 2 daughters at Greenhill, but he too died young at only 34

TWB Junior seems to be the only one of the children to live to middle age. He took over the business, married Caroline and had 8 children, all daughters. By 1861 he was living at Velindre with Caroline and 8 servants (including Anna Evans, now 89!). In the coming years, he was instrumental in collapsing the whole endeavour and by 1881 he had moved with his family to Southerndown. He died in 1887 at the age of 57 with no male heirs. More about TWB Junior another time

There is a family mausoleum in Old St Mary’s Churchyard where all of the family are interred. The mausoleum was designed and sculpted by local man Eli Jenkins. More about him too another time

By the end of the century, only the widows of TWB Junior (Caroline) and of JPB (Clara) seem to be alive. I wonder which of these ladies was the ‘Mrs Booker’ who sold Velindre and the land adjacent to Cardiff Corporation for the new mental hospital, and who agreed the land exchange for the Recreation Ground (and the future library)? Does anyone know?

 

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