John Williams of Great House (c.1828 – by 1908)

John Williams was born at Leckwith about 1828 and took over the tenancy of his farm from his father in 1855. For half a century he appears in the record as the farmer at Great House: in the census, the directories, the rate books, the newspapers and the Bute estate’s own rent audits. He was a juror of the Bute lordship’s court leet at Llandough for many years. His wife Mary was born at Cogan.

April 1881 — 1881 census: the John Williams household

Record:

EV-0224 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

What the record shows. The 1881 census for Llandough records John Williams, 53, born at Leckwith, farming with his wife Mary, born at Cogan, and children born at Llandough. The schedule calls the holding “Llandough Home Farm”.

What it does not show. The census name for the holding differs; that it is Great House Farm rests on the directory entries of the same years.

1868–1901 — Trade directories: John Williams at “Great House”

Record:

EV-0225 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

What the record shows. Six published directories (1868, 1875, 1880, 1887, 1891 and 1901) list John Williams at “Great house” or “Great House farm”, Llandough, and list the separate Llandough Farm under another name.

What it does not show. Directory entries are names supplied to the publisher; they say nothing about tenure or acreage.

1872–1876 — The parish poor-rate books

Record:

EV-0212 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

What the record shows. Llandough poor-rate books of the 1870s rate John Williams as occupier of a farm of about 76 acres owned by Lord Bute, and of glebe land.

What it does not show. The books give no farm names, and the acreage depends on reading rows across the fold.

10 June 1892 — The geese case names John Williams of Great House Farm

Record:

EV-0226 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

geese stolen, “the property of Mr. John Williams, Great House Farm, Llandough, on November 11, 1891”.

What the record shows. A contemporary newspaper names “Mr. John Williams, Great House Farm, Llandough” as the owner of the geese stolen on 11 November 1891.

What it does not show. It shows his name and farm, nothing of tenure.

16 July 1904 — “His 102nd rent audit”

Record:

EV-0227 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

“He succeeded his father in the tenancy of the farm in 1855 … Saturday was his 102nd rent audit.”

What the record shows. The Cardiff Times reported John Williams, a Bute estate tenant, at the rent audit dinner, and that he had succeeded his father in the tenancy of his farm in 1855.

What it does not show. The paper calls his farm “Llandough Farm”; matching him to Great House rests on the directories, which place the separate Llandough Farm with another family.

23 October 1908 — A vote of sympathy at the court leet

Record:

EV-0243 (Legal Wiki, Evidence Register)

What the record shows. The Barry Dock News reported a vote of sympathy at the Llandough court leet for the family of the late John Williams of Great House, who had served for many years as a juror of the Bute lordship’s court.

What it does not show. It does not give the date of his death.