Newcastle Emlyn History Society
Old Library
Market Hall
Market Square
Newcastle Emlyn
SA38 9AQ
Hanes Emlyn
Town Bridge 1790
Market Hall
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More Post Office
The Postal Service in Newcastle Emlyn evolved from the early Posthouses, Emlyn Arms Hotel and the Salutation Hotel, both in Bridge Street with Postbuses (these also carried fare paying passengers) running between Carmarthen, Newcastle Emlyn and Cardigan. Then, when the Railway reached Llandysul in 1876, the Postbuses ran between there, Newcastle Emlyn and Cardigan. Finally in 1895 the Great Western Railway reached Newcastle Emlyn and the post came directly from London, Bristol, Cardiff and any other point that was connected to the railway network.
With the demise of the Posthouses, Post Offices or to give them their full name, “Post & Money Order Office & Post Office Savings Bank, & Government Annuity & Insurance & Telegraph Office”, appeared and one of the earliest in Newcastle Emlyn seems to be the “Old Post Office” in Lower Bridge Street. I haven’t found any evidence to substantiate this, though an entry in Pigot & Co.’s Trade Directory for 1830 gives Timothy Thomas as Postmaster but gives no location. The first one I can find is in Sycamore Street and if the 1851 Census is taken as correct then there was a Post Office the Market Hall side of “the Angel Inn”, next door to what is now the butchers shop. In 1850 the Postmaster was John Jones, 1851 it was Joseph Jones, 1853 it was Thomas Jones and later William Lewis. The 1881 Census gives us Thomas Jones, who was also a Draper & Grocer in Sycamore Street. Photographic evidence confirms this office as the Beehive (now Makers Mark) in Sycamore Street. Kelly’s Trade Directory for 1895 lists the Postmaster as John Richard Davies and also tells us that he was a printer (He was the son of David and Esther Davies, Workhouse Master and Matron) and the 1910 Rates Act places him in 5 Sycamore Street. A Postmistress, Miss Gwladys Beynon was appointed in April 1920. According to the Tivy Side for June 9th 1922 “The Post Office opened at it’s new home on Messrs Thomas & Evans’ premises on the previous Monday”. In 1928, photographic evidence puts it in the same place, between Tom Phillips & Son, Furniture Makers, and Printers (The Estate Agent between Somerfield and G S News) in Sycamore Street. It then moved back to Bridge Street between Swan House and Bridge Pharmacy and then to Bank House and it had more moves before coming to rest at Gwynnant Stores again in Sycamore Street. It might be appropriate here to compare posting and delivery times; in 1830 Letters from London etc. arrived at 7am and were despatched every day at 3pm. Letters from Cardigan arrived at 2.50pm and were despatched every morning at 7.10am. Letters from Lampeter, Aberystwyth and North Wales arrived Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the evening and were despatched the same morning at 1am. With the arrival of the Railway at Llandyssil the letters (from all parts) arrived at 8.30am and 3.45pm and were despatched at 9.25am and 2.40pm. Sunday they arrived. at 9.45pm and were despatched at 12.55pm. With the arrival of the G W R in Newcastle Emlyn 1n 1895, times changed again. Letters from London arrived 7.45am, north mail at 3.25pm; despatched for London at 4.10pm, north mail at 10.10am; Sundays letters arrived at 10.15am, and were despatched at 2.30pm. Wall letterboxes were Adpar cleared at 3.25pm, Wernfach at 4pm, and Glazier Row at 4.5pm, with no collection on Sundays. It is interesting to note that in 1914 the Post Office was also a Telephone Call Office and the later Trade Directories ask people to add Carmarthenshire to the Postal Address.