Cotton Row, Taibach

[Colin Bull]

I would dearly love to obtain a photograph of Cotton Row, Taibach; the home of my wifes grandparents. Any help or advice much appreciated. Regards, Colin

[heddwch]

Hello Colin,
There are a few  old photographs of Taibach on www.ourwales.org.uk.
Just type in the village in the search section
Good luck
Heddwch

[Dips]

Hi Colin

There is a photo of Cotton Row in the Arthur Rees book Street & Place Names of the Port Talbot District. Don't know if it is still in print.

The houses in Cotton Row were used as offices for Margam Steel Works and demolished around 1939.

[weidling]

hello Colin.
                   I am trying to find a foto of Cotton Row too, my Grandfather and Grandmother lived there in number 25.
                   I have tried on amazon etc but i can not seem to find a copy of the book by Arthur Rees.
                   Have you found a copy?

[Colin Bull]

No, I'm sorry to say that photo's of Cotton Row are a bit thin on the ground as are copies of the book you mention.

[Cell]

Hi,

The book was published by Port Talbot Historical society.
Maybe it's worth emailing  them. Email details  on this list http://www.npt.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=1516
They are based in Sandfields library.
You could also phone the library:
http://www.npt.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=2161

(I don't know if you're in the uk as your profiles don't say - if not you can email them)

Dylan's bookshop )is usually good for this sort of thing -it's a treasure trove for out of print history books. Phone them, or email if not in the UK
http://www.ilab.org/eng/booksellers/715-dylans_bookstore.html


 I think this below could be the picture that is in the book. The picture is  on Community Archives Wales site , it was uploaded by the Port Talbot historical society, and the image  that is uploaded is owned by Arthur Rees (the author of the book). It's  a picture of the copper works, cotton row is in the picture

http://www.ourwales.org.uk/index.php?option=com_joomcaw&controller=image&task=show&id=2127&lang=en-GB
  Are you on ancestry? if you are  a few public members have uploaded the same picture  from the postcard (postcard is out of copyright)


Description of the above copper works picture  :
"View of Taibach about 1910 from docks. The Copper Works is in the centre, Cotton Row in front of it. On the hillside are old Constant(Constantinople Row) demolished in 1912, Balaclava, Inkerman and Stamboul Rows"

If it were me, I'd try and get in contact with the Port Talbot Historical society, or the library to see if they maybe would be  kind enough to help.

Hope that helps
Kind regards

[Colin Bull]

Many thanks for all of your info I will indeed get in touch with the Historical Society. I had seen the Copper Works postcard before but had not realised that Cotton Row was just to the fore of the works. I have just had a look at Taibach maps on http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html?coords=277500,189000 and that confirms what you say (I know - I've always been a doubting Thomas!) the 1876-77 map shows that it was originally named Greenfield Row although if you consider that the copper works, gas works, coking ovens, railway lines and lime kilns were all within a hundred metres or so I would imagine that Greenfields was just a dream.

[weidling]

thanks all for your help

[Colin Bull]

Stay in touch - I have e-mailed the historical society and will post any useful information. Out of interest it is the George family that we are trying to track, I assume you are following another family name?
Regards
Colin