George Bowser and his family came to this area from Newington Green, Middlesex, late in the 18th century, and the family name survived in Burry Port for almost 150 years. Bowser was a resourceful, enterprising and a ruthlessly independent mining developer. He began his mining activities in this parish in the 1790’s, while sometime living briefly at Dythel, off the Trimsaran to Llanelli Road, and at Grove House, Causeway Street, Kidwelly. The family were members of the old Capel Sul, on Ferry Road, Kidwelly; Elizabeth, his youngest child, although born in Pembrey, on August 10th 1808, was baptised in Capel Sul. During the early 1800s, the family moved to Kenross House, on the Graig, Burry Port, and Bowser is recorded as a churchwarden in Pembrey Parish Church, in 1806.
Bowser’s mining activities stretched across almost the whole of the southern half of the parish, from the Gwendraeth Fawr river, in the west, to Dyfatty, in the east, and he leased land in several places for mining, tramways and canals. In 1806, he built a tramway and a short canal from his mines, which included Coed Evan Ddu, Syddin and Brynwthan in the Llandyry area, to his shipping place on the Gwendraeth Fawr river between Muddlescombe and Holway, to enable him to export his coal. He later built a tramway from his colliery at Bryndias, Pinged, to the Llandyry to Pembrey road, from where the coal was carried by a short canal to join a completed section of the Kidwelly and Llanelli Canal near the "Plough Inn". In September 1807, Bowser leased land for mining purposes from Sir Hugh Owen, and a map of 1811, shows "Bowser’s Level" in the Cwm Capel valley. He then leased Kenross (Cwm Capel) Colliery, on 1816 from Mrs. Colby, the terms of which allowed him to lay a tramway from his Kenross mine to his canal (1817) at Dyfatty. The canal carried his coal to a shipping place known as Carreg Edwig, on the Tywyn Bach shore, which was the site of the later Burry Port Harbour.
Thomas Gaunt, a solicitor turned industrialist, of Conduit Street, London; George Bowser and two other partners had leased land in 1816 from Lord Ashburnham to build and operate the Pembrey Harbour. The four partners had already established the Pembrey Iron & Coal Company. This Company leased Gwscwm Colliery c. 1818, and the adjacent Furnace Iron Works, which they enlarged and equipped with new furnaces; the colliery would provide coal both for their Iron Works and for export from their 1819 harbour. Bowser, however, withdrew from the harbour agreement on the 1st February 1819, as he considered the total cost of £70,000 to £80,000 excessive, he therefore sold his share in the agreement to his three partners for £4,000. In view of the later bankruptcy of his former partners, Bowser’s withdrawal may be regarded either as a shrewd business assessment or a fortuitous escape.
A further tramway was laid by Bowser from Kenross, or Cwm Capel Colliery, to another of his canals (1817) which he had cut from the Gors Pool to Carreg Edwig shipping place. He had probably intended that this canal would carry his coal to Pembrey Harbour, but due to the disagreement with his late partners, who then owned the harbour, he was unable to get their approval to export coal from their harbour. Another tramway was laid by Bowser (c.1820) from Cwm Capel, which passed Jerusalem Chapel and across Furnace fields, to join the Pembrey Iron & Coal Company’s tramway from Gwscwm yard to the Pembrey Harbour, but his earlier partners informed him by letter, dated 9th July, 1821, that they would not allow him to join or use their tramway. He was, therefore, unable to export any coal from Pembrey Harbour.
As the result of his inability to export coal from Pembrey Harbour, and his dissatisfaction with the shipping place at Carreg Edwig, Bowser became one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the New Pembrey Harbour at Burry Port (Built 1825 – 1832).
George Bowser died on March 29th 1835 aged 77 years, and is buried in a box or table tomb in Pembrey churchyard, most of the family burials are recorded on the horizontal memorial stone.
Pembrey "Old Harbour"
The inscription on Bowser's grave reads as follows
In Memory
Of
Geo Bowser Esq.
of Newington Green in the county
of Middlesex, afterwards of
Kenros House in the Parish of Pembrey
who died March 29th 1835 aged 77 years
he was the first to discover the rare
and most valuable capabilities of
that part of the coast in Pembrey
on which the harbours are situated
consequently was the founder of all
the maritime improvements which
have since been effected here.
He was the means of opening the
Cwm Capel and Gwscwm colleries
and his loss was severely felt by many
families to whom he gave employment
Also
of Mary
Ann Green, his beloved wife
and daughter of Samuel Green Esq.
of Chiswell St. London
She was one of the most amiable women.
Died July 28th 1849 aged 81 years
Geo
Bowser their son
Died July 25th 1851 aged 63 years
Rob
Bowser their son
died Sep. 28th 1861 aged 66 years
Also
Elizabeth wife of Edwin Bowser
Son of the above George & M.A. Bowser
Died November 4th 1883 aged 82 years
Also of
Mary Bowser daughter of the
above George & M.A Bowser died April 22nd 1894
Aged 90 Years
Also of
the above Edwin Bowser
Who died February 14th 1895 aged 93 years
Also of
Capt. George Bowser son of the above
Robert Bowser died Oct 14th 1911 aged 83 years
Also
Margaret Elizabeth Bowser daughter of the
Above Edwin Bowser died Dec. 30th 1916 aged 72 years.
Kenross House on the Graig
Built in the late 1700s and later home of George Bowser.
According to the 1851 Census, George Bowser Jnr. lived there with his
sister Mary and their niece Mary Ann Williams who is listed in the
census as "Servant"
Gwscwm Colliery
(those Wimbush historians out there will know what I'm talking about)
(eg Mathilde is in the wrong place). These will be rectified at the next tree update.