The Pontlottyn Store – Abertillery

The Old Pontlottyn Store.
The Pontlottyn Store, Abertillery was originally set up by Mr David Morgan in the mid 1870’s.

Mr David Morgan.
Mr David Morgan was born in 1833 at Caecrwn, Battle, Breconshire.

In the 1850’s, at the age of 23, Mr David Morgan opened his first drapery shops at Rhymney and at Pontlottyn, Rhymney, Glamorganshire.

The Abertillery Store.
In the 1870’s Mr David Morgan opened a store at Somerset Street, Abertillery. I am unsure what the store was known as, more than probably Messrs Morgan.

Messrs Morgan & Co.
In October 1879 Mr David Morgan opened a store in the Hayes, Cardiff, as Messrs Morgan & Co.

Messrs Morgan & Owen.
In 1883 Mr David Morgan entered into a business partnership with Mr John Owen.

Mr John Owen.
Mr John Owen was born in the 1860’s, a native of Pontlottyn, Rhymney, Glamorganshire, he came to Abertillery as a young boy. He later did an apprenticeship with Mr David Morgan and trained at the Cardiff store, he was later entrusted to be part of his business at Abertillery and they traded in Abertillery as Messrs Morgan & Owen.

The Pontlottyn.
The building on Somerset Street, Abertillery occupied by Messrs Morgan & Owen was later called the Pontlottyn, more than probably named after the place of Mr John Owens’ birth and the place where Mr David Morgan had his first store. 

Mr William Lewis.
In 1885 the head tailor in the Pontlottyn Store was Mr William Lewis. Mr Lewis was born at Brechfa, Carmarthenshire in 1852. He trained for his trade in England and came to Abertillery in 1885. He later left the Pontlottyn Store to open his own business at Market Street and later at Church Street, Abertillery.

Mr John Owen.
In 1890 Mr John Owen acquired the Pontlottyn Store entirely and carried on the flourishing trade in the town.  In January 1893 he fell ill and the business at the Pontlottyn Store began to suffer.

The Death of Mr John Owen.
In May 1893 Mr John Owen sadly passed away at the age of just 33 years of age,

Messrs Morgan and Francis.
In 1893 the Pontlottyn Store at Abertillery was taken over by Mr John Llewellyn Morgan (son of Mr David Morgan the original store owner) and Mr Benjamin Francis. They ran the Abertillery store as Messrs Morgan & Francis.

Mr Benjamin Francis.
Mr Benjamin Francis born in 1867 at Clydey, Pembrokeshire. Mr Francis left school and went into teaching, he later left that profession and went into business as an apprentice of Mr Elias Thomas a draper of Newcastle Emlyn. After leaving Mr Thomas, Mr Francis entered into the employ of Mr Morgan & Co the drapers of the Hayes, Cardiff. It was here that he met Mr John Llewellyn Morgan, the son of the owner Mr David Morgan and their partnership at the store began.  

In 1897 as the town grew the proprietors of the Pontlottyn Store – Messrs Morgan & Francis decided to have their old premises demolished and to have a much larger store built with extensions each side to keep up with the demand for their goods. Following is a Link to – The Old Pontlottyn.

The New Building.
In 1897 work started on the new building.

The New Pontlottyn Store.
In 1897 the proprietors of the Pontlottyn Store – Messrs Morgan & Francis decided to have their old premises demolished and to have a much larger store built over the existing store though with extensions each side to keep up with the demand for their goods.

The Contractors.
Messrs E. Turner and Sons, of Eldon Road, Cardiff were the contractors for the new Pontlottyn Store, Abertillery. (South Wales Echo – Thursday 12th of August 1897). 

National Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks.
On Tuesday 8th of February 1898, a meeting of shop assistants was held at the Great Western Dining Rooms, Abertillery. It was decided at this meeting to establish a branch of the National Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks for the Abertillery and District. Mr Enoch Jones was elected (Chairman); Mr Davies of the Pontlottyn Shop (Vice-Chairman); Mr S. Rogers of Rogers & Co (Treasurer) and Mr E. L. Bevan of Rogers & Co (Secretary):

The Completion of the New Pontlottyn Store.
In May 1898 the store was completed. The southern corner of the new building has a cartouche in moulded relief with the date of 1897 and the initials D.M. (David Morgan the original owner and father of Mr John Llewellyn Morgan). Messrs Morgan & Francis were the proprietors.

Description of the Building.
The following is a description of the new building by a journalist from the newspaper of the time – “On the ground floor is the drapery and outfitting department, from this floor there are a few steps descending into general furnishing, this is a well-lit area and is easily approached from the shop above. Leading from the main floor is a comfortably constructed staircase to the second level which is specially dedicated to the assistants, of whom 23 are employed with more soon to be introduced. The rooms on this floor comprises of a dining room, general sitting room, private rooms and a library. On a further floor are the millinery and dressmaking departments. On the fourth floor were the bedrooms of the female assistants, the fifth and top floor were the bedrooms of the male assistants.

One would have to go to such important towns as Manchester, Liverpool or London itself to find better. Messrs Morgan and Francis has carefully and conscientiously studied the welfare of all their staff in their employ. There is also an ingenious contrivance in connection with the gas supply to the rooms. On each floor there is a tap on the gas line to each department which when turned off isolates the supply so no-one can accidentally leave the gas on at night and all staff can sleet in safety – The pavements outside the building abutting the main road had been widened a full two feet. The area at the back has been fully paved for the storing of boxes etc”.

The Cardiff Assistants.
A twenty-four-page catalogue listing all the available stock for sale was issued to the public. In the opening week the shop assistants employed at the Pontlottyn were helped out and taught on how to cope with such a large volume of customers by a number of specially trained assistants from the Cardiff store who were sent to Abertillery through the kindness of Messrs Morgan & Co the Hayes, Cardiff.

Staff Outings.
Each year during the month of June, the Pontlottyn Store Assistants outing was held. The assistants from the Pontlottyn used to hold their annual outings at Abergavenny and have tea at the Swan Inn. Over sixty members would often travel by coaches and brakes, all expenses paid for by Messrs Morgan & Francis.

The Cricket Team.
In the early 1900’s the Morgan and Francis Pontlottyn Store, Abertillery formed a cricket team and entered a Wednesday’s team into the Valley’s Cricket League. Council reports show they were given permission to play on the recreational grounds.

In July 1905 the Morgan and Francis Pontlottyn Store Cricket Team played Ebbw Vale at the park, the Pontlottyn team was as follows – Mr Y. Thomas; Mr P. Lodge; Mr U. Moore; Mr Sleeman; Mr A. Baker; Mr G. Howells; Mr Rice; Mr Ivor; Mr L. Price; Mr W. Spencer and Mr J. Drew:

Further Expansion.
In June 1912 Messrs Morgan and Francis acquired the premises of Mr Edwin Price the Chemist and extended and altered the frontage of the Pontlottyn building along Somerset Street, also making more space at the rear.  

Mr David Bernard Morgan.
Later the company was taken over by Mr David Bernard Morgan (son of the late Mr John Llewellyn Morgan).

The Closure of the Pontlottyn.
The Pontlottyn closed in the mid to late 1970’s.

Kwik Save Supermarket.
After the closure of the Pontlottyn Store, the building was taken over by Kwik Save, the supermarket chain.

The Discount Store.
In the mid 2000’s, Kwik Save closed and the building was used as a discount store, the store was only in use for a few years and was closed in about 2009.

Wetherspoons.
In 2009 Wetherspoons food and drink chain, converted the building into one of their pubs and it was renamed back to the “The Pontlottyn”.

The Official Opening of Wetherspoons.
On Friday 12th of February 2010, Wetherspoons, the “The Pontlottyn” was officially opened.