Danygraig Cemetery and the Crimean War
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| St. Thomas, Swansea Ordnance Survey Glamorgan XXIV Published 1884 |
“THOMAS-ST, a township, forming that part of the
parish of SWANSEA which is in the hundred of LLANGYVELACH, in the union of
SWANSEA, county of GLAMORGAN, SOUTH WALES, half a mile (E.) from Swansea; and
containing 683 inhabitants. This place, which within the last few years has
greatly increased in population and importance, is situated on the left bank,
and near the mouth, of the river Tawy, across which there is a ferry to the
town of Swansea, on the opposite bank, but which, during the whole of the
interval from two hours before till two hours after the time of low water, is
fordable. Considerable alterations have been made here, under the provisions of
an act of parliament for improving the harbour of Swansea; of which the
principal are, the construction of the eastern pier, extending six hundred
yards across the mouth of the Tawy, and inclosing a capacious basin, which at
high water has a noble appearance; and the formation of Port Tennant, the
.private property of H. T. Tennant, Esq., by whom it was projected, and at
whose sole expense it was completed. This latter consists of a dock capable of
receiving, vessels of two hundred tons' burthen, communicating with the Swansea
and Neath Junction canal, formed by the same gentleman, which extends hence to
the village of Cadoxton, about a mile above Neath, where it joins the Neath
canal, thus providing a Cheap means of conveyance between Port Tennant and a
large district abounding with coal and culm, which are brought down the canal
and here shipped. The hamlet includes a portion of the Cremlyn Burrows, an
extensive marsh stretching along the coast, and bounded on the south by Swansea
bay. It formerly contained a chapel of ease to the mother church of St. Mary,
in Swansea, but, from the encroachment of the sea on this part of the coast,
the site cannot now be distinguished. The seat Tan-y-Graig is pleasantly
situated within its limits; and it is included within the electoral limits of
the borough of Swansea, as defined by the act of 1832, to”
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| St. Thomas, Swansea Ordnance Survey Glamorgan XXIV Published 1900 |
Situation on
the lower sloops of Killay Hill, Danygraig Cemetery, opening on 1st
January 1857. Danygraig Cemetery was the
first Municipal Cemetery in Swansea, and it was to replace the overcrowded and potentially
full graveyards located in Swansea town.
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| Charles Kavanagh |
The first
burial at Danygraig Cemetery was that of Father Charles Kavanagh. Father Kavanagh who died suddenly aged 47, 1856,
from the results of cholera.
Father
Kavanagh was sent to Swansea after he had studied for the Priesthood in Lisbon.
During the 1840s, there were over 300 Catholics in Swansea, and the majority of
them were Irish. They had arrived at
Swansea even before the Irish potato famines.
This number rose from 1,369 during 1851 to 2,800 during 1859.
Father
Kavanagh opened St. David’s Church, Rutland Place. The following four years, a school was built.
The Irish
lived in the industrial areas north of the town, which became known as Greenhill,
and many were living in squalid conditions.
During the cholera epidemic of 1849, Greenhill was hard hit. For two months, Father Kavanagh had conducted
over 170 funerals.
Father Kavanagh
was instrumental in the purchase of land for cemeteries located at Oystermouth
and Danygraig. Before his death in 1856,
he applied for the lease of land at Greenhill, when several years later at cost
of £10,000 St. Joseph’s Church was built.
It was designed by P. P. Pugin.
Father Kavanagh’s
funeral had been a civic occasion. The
Mayor of Swansea and some of the Corporation were in attendance
During this
time, St. Thomas was developing with additional houses being built. The names of some these new roads, included,
Balaclava Street, Inkerman Street and Sebastopol Street. Names that were give after the Crimean War
battles. Also, Delhi Street, named after
the Indian Mutiny conflict.
The Crimean War
was fought between October 1852 to February 1856. The cause of the conflict involved the rights
of Christian minorities in the Holy Lands.
The churches had worked their differences between the Ottomans, however,
the French Emperor, Napoleon III and the Russian Tsar, Nicholas I refused to
back down. Nicholas issued an ultimatum;
the British arranged a compromise which Nicholas agreed to. The Ottomans demanded changes to the agreement
that Nicholas prepared for war.
The result
of the Crimean War was the Treaty of Paris, 1856.
Swansea
1914, months before the outbreak of the First World War, Hugh Conway, who was a
veteran of The Crimean Conflict died. He
had military funeral, where he was laid to rest at Danygraig Cemetery.
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| The Cambrian Daily Leader 19th March 1914 |
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| The Cambrian Daily Leader 20th March 1914 |
At the time
of the 1911 Census, Hugh Conway was residing at Vincent Street with his wife,
Mary. Hugh who is listed as Henry was
born at Scotland is recorded as a Naval Pensioner.
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| 1911 Census 2nd April 23 Vincent Street |
Other Crimean
War veterans also included William Owens, died 1909, buried at Mumbles; William
Morgan; Thomas Evans, died 1903 and Henry Mansfield died 1905 and both buried at Danygraig Cemetery.
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| The Cambrian 8th January 1909 |
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| The Cambrian 13th January 1905 |
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| The Cambrian 21st August 1903 |
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| The Cambrian 3rd March 1905 |
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