Every Picture tells a Story.............

Simon’s artwork (left) on the front cover of last month’s September edition of bay, inspired me to look at the history of the WEST PIER 

 Currently, there are works being undertaken to repair damage caused by Storm Dennis from 11th to 18th of February 2020.

It is thought that the Mumbles Lighthouse was the first to aid and assist ships around the dangerous waters off Mumbles Head, when it was completed in 1794. However, the first harbour lights known as the ‘Lanthorn Beacon’ was erected on posts at the mouth of the River Tawe during 1792. These posts were to mark the proposed new pier.

After completing the Mumbles Lighthouse, Swansea architect William Jernegan, designed a lighthouse in 1803, on the head of the finished West Pier. This lighthouse was 20-foot high; an octagonal tower, standing on a stone plinth. By 1810, the lantern, having been lit by candle was situated in a smaller octagonal lantern, crowned with a domed top. The candle was replaced with oil by 1845. The elevation above high-water was 28ft, sharing the same characteristics as the other harbour lights.

 

West Pier 1830s

By 1878 the old lighthouse structure had been moved to the end of the wooden pier, constructed by Scottish civil engineer, James Abernethy. Abernethy’s projects included the Swansea docks, he was also acting as consultant to the Swansea Harbour Trust from 1847 and became their Engineer-in-Chief in1849, but he was still residing in Aberdeen. He moved to Birkenhead in 1851, and still held the same

position. In 1853, Abernethy set up an office in London, where he oversaw a number of docks, including Cardiff, Fraserburgh, Newport and Swansea.

In 1909, the pier was once more extended; the works were undertaken by English engineer, Patrick Walter Meik. The new West Pier also included a new lighthouse, which was made of both iron and wood, and had an octagonal iron lantern. At the time of Meik’s death the following year, his most successful work was the opening of the new King’s Dock, in November 1909. It cost £2 million (which would be £166 million today). This pier was replaced in 1971, and it is this one that was damaged last year.

The West Pier does have a sinister past. Swansea Corporation labourer Thomas Nash was a widower with two daughters; 17 year old Sarah and 6 year old Martha Ann.  Nash embarked on a new relationship but failed to tell his second wife that he had two children. He placed the girls in rooms, but failed to pay their rent so the landlady, Mrs Goodwin went with Martha Ann to Nash’s place of work and he paid his debt.

The evening of 5 December 1865 was a wild night, and Nash was seen walk-ing down the pier hand in hand with Martha Ann. Minutes later, Nash was seen returning alone. Nash was arrested and failed to say what happened to Martha – her body was discovered later that evening washed up on the beach.

    Nash was tried at Cardiff assizes, where he was found guilty of murder. Petitions were placed to reduce his sentence to that of penal servitude for life, as no one had actually witnessed Nash throwing his daughter into the sea.  Home Secretary, George Grey stated that the execution would still take place and Nash was hung on 1 March 1866 at Swansea Prison.

Copyright - Bay Magazine, October 2021