TURNER, WILLIAM
(1766-1853)
William Turner (1766-1853) was born at Seathwaite, Leicestershire to a local quarry owner, the sixth child of Henry and Jane Turner who lived on a small landed estate called Low Mosshouse, Seathwaite, near Broughtonin- Furness, north Lancashire (he was christened 23 March 1766); his father was lessor of the Walmascar slate quarries. He was educated under the Rev. Robert Walker, ‘the wonderful Robert Walker,’ incumbent of Seathwaite (and grandfather of Mrs. Thomas Casson, Blaenddôl, Ffestiniog).
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Hearing of beds of slate in Welsh hills he came, when he was quite young, on a walking tour of Snowdonia, entered into partnership with Williams, Pwllycrochan, Colwyn Bay, to work a quarry near Llanrwst (Llanrhychwyn?).
Realising that this quarry would not pay he examined possibilities in the Ffestiniog district, hit upon a splendid vein at Diffwys, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and persuaded two Lancashire friends, Thomas Casson and William Casson, to join him in working the quarry.
This was done, Hugh Jones, Hengwrt Ucha, Dolgelley, joining them in a company called ‘William Turner and Co.’; for the subsequent history of the undertaking, see G. J. Williams, Hanes Plwyf Ffestiniog. His son, Sir Llewelyn Turner, in The Memories of Sir Llewelyn Turner (London, 1903), gives particulars of his father’s success in marketing and exporting the slates produced at the Diffwys quarry and adds that because of this success he was offered a partnership by Thomas Assheton Smith (died 1828) in the Llanberis quarry, provided he came to reside in Parkia, near Caernarvon, which he did (before 1812). Later he was concerned with other slate quarries or mines in North Wales.
As William Turner of Carreg-fawr, Croesor, he was high sheriff of Caernarvonshire, 1823-4, and of Merioneth, 1832-3.
He died in November 1853.
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Sir Llewelyn Turner
(1823-1903)
Sir Llewelyn Turner (February 11, 1823 – September 18, 1903), was a Welsh politician and Deputy Constable of Caernarfon Castle.
He was born at Parkia, Criccieth and christened 26 February 1823 at Llanfairisgaer church. The son of William Turner of Parkia, who had been High Sheriff of both Caernarfonshire (1823–24) and Merionethshire (1832-33) and his wife Jane (Williams), who was connected with the family of Griffith Williams (died 1672), bishop of Ossory, Ireland.
He was educated privately by Rev H. D. Owen, DD.
Sir Llewelyn Turner was a man of his time, and his period was the reign of Queen Victoria. He is commemorated by a plaque at the Institute, a building he often visited as a town councillor and mayor. The photo of him on the right is from his portrait in the Institute.
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He was the last of William and Jane Turner's 11 children. The family lived at Parkia, Bangor Road. William was a partner in the Dinorwig slate quarry company, which was key to the town's economy.
The young Llewelyn became a lawyer with an office in Market Street, but his greatest interest was sailing his yacht and competing in regattas across Britain. In 1847, at the age of 24,
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He served eleven consecutive years as Mayor of Caernarfon from 1859 to 1870, and was Deputy Constable of Caernarfon Castle.
He was the founder (1846) of the Royal Welsh Yacht Club, deputy-constable of Caernarvon castle (and in that capacity did much to the fabric), and served as sheriff of Caernarvonshire, 1886-7. He was for many years a life-boat volunteer; he was also instrumental in inducing many men to join the Royal Naval Reserve in The Battery, where the Yacht Club is today.
He was elected as mayor at the age of only 36 and held office for 11 years (1859-1870) – the longest period for any Caernarfon mayor.
The years of his youth and up to middle age were exciting in the history of Caernarfon, Wales and Britain. The Industrial Revolution reached its peak and thousands moved home, from the country to towns. Caernarfon's population swelled from 3,626 in 1801 to over 9,500 in 1861. There was no clean water supply or sewerage system at the time, and in 1866 c.400 residents were infected by cholera. Almost 100 of them died.
As mayor, Llewelyn persuaded the council to borrow £10,000 to fund a new water system. It supplied Caernarfon’s famous fountain, which you can see today at the top of Pool Street. A plaque on the Maes records this historic event. Llewelyn, who was knighted in 1870, continued with other plans to improve the town and residents’ standard of living. He also instigated restoration of Caernarfon Castle.
He married, 1878, Agnes, daughter of G. Bell.
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Commodore of the Royal Welsh Yacht Club, in 1860 he received the thanks of the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty and of the officers commanding the West Coast of England and Wales, for his exertions in promoting and keeping up the Reserve Forces of the Royal Navy.
In his Memories, published when he was 80 years of age, just before he died, he gives interesting reminiscences of his career and of his numerous friendships with lawyers, yachtsmen, etc. He was prominent in the municipal life of Caernarvon, was very active during the cholera epidemic of 1867 and claimed to have been instrumental in clearing away many slums in that town, of which he was mayor on two occasions.
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Knighted in 1870, he was appointed High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire in 1886–1887, 43 years after his father had held the same post.
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​He died 18 September 1903 and is buried in the cemetery of Llanfairisgaer, beside the Menai Strait.
