Michael Gibbs Collection

Register of tombstone inscriptions in St. Mary's Church and Churchyard, Swansea compiled by the sexton Evan Daniel 1857. Account book of John Walters of Swansea, undertaker 1865-1872. Illustrated invitation card from the Swansea Harbour Trustees to the ceremony marking the cutting of the first sod of the new dock by King Edward VII 1904 July 20; illustrated invitation card from Swansea Harbour Trustees to the opening ceremony of the King's Dock, 23 November 1909.

Collected records of Michael Gibbs, concerning tombstone inscriptions at St. Mary's Church; John Walters undertaker and coffin-maker and the new King's Dock which opened in Swansea 1909. Evan Daniel was sexton of St. Mary's Church, Swansea 1832-1852. He was then employed part-time until 1857 when the churchyard was closed. John Walters was undertaker and coffin-maker of Calvert Street, Swansea. His account book includes details of the burials of paupers from the Swansea Union as well as other funerals and notes on deaths from cholera in 1866. Walters died in 1871 and the few entries made during 1872 are presumably in the hand of his son who succeeded to the business. It was obvious that by the end of the nineteenth century the existing docks including the Prince of Wales Dock (opened 1881) at Swansea was no longer able to cope with the amount of trade and the larger ships being operated through Swansea Harbour. In the early twentieth century it was agreed that a new deep dock should be constructed to the south of the Prince of Wales Dock. The first sod of the King's Dock was cut by King Edward VII in July 1904. The King's Dock was completed in 1909. It was formally opened in 1909 by Sir Griffith Thomas, the Chairman of the Harbour Trust.

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