Laura Cotton, Glamorgan Archivist, writes: This book of reference relates to surveys undertaken in 1776 by Edward Thomas of Margam, Land Surveyor. Thomas is well known in the local area and is mentioned several times in the book ‘Glamorgan Estate Maps’ by Hilary Thomas. He also surveyed land in the surrounding area within the Dunraven Estate, and this newly discovered volume adds to our knowledge regarding his work in the locality.
The survey covers land held at St Donats Manor as well as land in the parishes of Llantwit Major, Marcross, St Andrew and Sully. Within the volume are recorded details of tenements and tenants, field names, acreages, cultivation and the total acreage of constituent parts of the estate.
The small volume also includes images of two paintings at the front, showing the North Gate at St Donats Castle and the castle viewed from the North West, both painted by the Surveyor.
The survey was undertaken on behalf of Thomas Drake Tyrwhitt to detail the lands in the Vale of Glamorgan inherited in 1776, when he adopted the name Tyrwhitt in order to inherit the estates of his cousin Sir John de la Fountain Tyrwhitt, of which the lands depicted by this survey were part. Thomas Drake Tyrwhitt also served as Sheriff of Glamorganshire for the year 1786-87, and inherited his main estate of Shardeloes in Buckinghamshire upon the death of his father in 1796.
The family sold the estate in the 1860s, by which time the castle was partially in ruins. It was later reconstructed and restored by various owners, including William Randolph Hearst, the American newspaper tycoon. Today, the castle is home to Atlantic College.
Glamorgan Archives holds some material relating to the Tyrwhitt Drake estate in Glamorgan, and this small volume adds to the breadth of knowledge about the area at this date. The survey fills in gaps in our knowledge about the area, providing information that has hitherto been unavailable, and has also enabled us to re-date another piece already held. We have also corresponded with colleagues at Buckinghamshire Archives, as the holders of the Buckinghamshire portions of the Tyrwhitt Drake estates. It is a valuable addition to our collections relating to the area and to this estate specifically.
