Welsh Journals

BOOK REVIEWS Tredegar, the history of an Agricultural Estate 1300-1956 by Roger Phillips. Self Publishing Association Limited 1990 £ 15.95. This fascinating book fills a gap in the several histories of the Morgan Family in existence in that as its title states it concentrates on the Estate itself-its growth and history and on the people who were responsible for its smooth running over the 600 years of its existence. Detailed explanations are given on the way in which the land was acquired-by inheritance, by marriage settlements and by purchase. Eventually it stretched over a large area of lower Monmouthshire, and into both Glamorganshire and Breconshire. The success of the Estate was mainly due to the astuteness of the various stewards employed by the family to look after its interests. Mr. Phillips knows them by name and he draws attention to the achievements of each. To obtain the wealth of information supplied in this book pays tribute not only to the carefully documented records kept by these stewards but also to Mr. Phillips' research in culling this information and presenting it in such a readable form. The Morgans were kind and compassionate landlords as witnessed by the personal memoirs of people who had lived and worked on the estate, particularly that of the author himself and also by the fact that they even allowed tenant farmers a discount in their rents, when times were hard. The contribution of the Estate to the prosperity of Newport was enormous. It was mainly responsible for the building of the railway, the Docks and the development of the town as a commercial centre. This is a well written enjoyable book printed in clear type and enhanced with many photographs. MLG MLG Postscript Unfortunately Roger Phillips died earlier this year. Since his retirement from Senior Lecturer in English at Gwent College of Higher Education he has been very active in Local History matters and a regular contributor to the Journal. "Thoughts on Tintern" by Bryan Little An interesting Essay in Booklet form taking the reader through the centuries from the foundation of the Abbey at Tintern, its environs and their development. "Thoughts of Tintern" will they create a desire for personal exploration and observation? K.A.B.