Cylchgronau Cymru

Rhys Phillips described him as 'A great church builder, strong churchman and generous landlord.44 Indeed, his outstanding public service record and patriarchal leadership makes his name synonymous with the growth of Victorian Neath. The second largest purchaser was William Gronow (1771-1830) of Court Herbert, Neath. In 1821, he purchased four properties for £ 3,000, all of which were located in the hamlet of Rhyndwyglydach Lower and totalling 332 acres.45 Among them was the 188 acre farm of Alltyfanog which, according to Rice Merrick, was one of four 'ancient houses of the family of Hywel Melyn'.46 Until the Briton Ferry estate came on to the market Gronow had not owned any land in the parish. He also acquired Cefn Eithrim Genol (83 acres) in 1820/1, which had previously been in the ownership of a Miss Williams and adjoined his recently acquired Briton Ferry estate land.47 His son, Revd Thomas Gronow, inherited in 1830.48 Two other 'emerging' families can be cited as benefiting from the dismemberment of the Briton Ferry estate: the Cook family from Clydach and the Martins of Ynystawe. John Cook (1759-1832) acquired three properties: Tyr Dan y Graig Felin Fach (Graig Felin), Tyr y Lone, both in Rhyndwyglydach Lower, and Porkin, a smallholding, in Clase Higher, close to the border with Rhyndwyglydach.49 John Cook's kinswoman, Ann, also acquired Cefn y Pare, a 52 acre farm in Rhyndwyglydach Lower.50 A family of farmers, surgeons and industrialists, the Cooks had probably originated in Scotland and were to be conspicuous in the Clydach district, John himself being prominent in the Ynyspenllwch tinplate works.51 The tithe apportionment records the Cook family owning over 450 acres in the parish. They also occupied a further 280 acres. The principal Cook landowner was Herbert Daniel Cook (c. 1818-77), a land agent and the son of John Cook by his second marriage. He owned seven holdings totalling 398 acres, of which 183 were contiguous and concentrated in the hamlet of Clase Higher: Gellywastad (86 acres), Pant yr Uchedydd (47 acres), Penrhiwgwysfa (44 acres) and Porkin (6 acres). The other three holdings, totalling 215 acres, were in Rhyndwyglydach hamlet. Two, Graig Felin (58 acres) and Tyr y Lone (33 acres), were in the lower division, whereas Coed Cae Mawr (124 acres) was in the higher division, the latter being acquired by his father John, to the disappointment of Lewis Weston Dillwyn. H. D. Cook is named as owner-occupier of Penrhiwgwysfa on the tithe apportionment (although the 1841 census enumerator's book shows it being occupied by a non-agricultural head), the remaining holdings including Pant yr Uchedydd (occupied by Bedlington Cook, his half brother) being let out to tenants.52