John Loveluck
(1739-1803)
[Notes by John D. Thomas]

 

1739 Believed to have been born in Wiltshire. Certainly the name as Lovelock is to be found in a number of Wiltshire parishes in the 18th century and in Chisledon the Loveluck variant can be seen on a gravestone in the churchyard by the porch.

A family story says he was born Lovelock and as a young man, in the employ of Mansel Talbot, saved the latter from death at sea.

Talbot, in recognition of this service, brought the young man to Margam where he began to use the name Loveluck because of an improvement in his fortunes.

Certainly he received preferential treatment on the estate, because he rented The Warren for only one shilling for the rest of his life. Bloom Turpin (brother of Captain Robert Turpin) had been paying £30.00 per annum previously.

23.Xl.1765 Married Ann John at Margam Abbey. Bride signs with an "X", but bridegroom signs "John Loveluck" in a clear hand.

Ann, we believe, to have been related to the Aylward family who were in evidence in the area as holders of land long before the Mansels or the Talbots.

After marriage the couple may have lived on another of Talbot's estates, (? Grateley on the Wilts./Hants. border), because their eldest children, Ann and John, were not baptised in the Margam or Penrice area.

Daughter Ann was eventually to marry David Emanuel Marendaz, who was loaned money by Talbot to set up in farming on the estate. A descendant, Captain Marcus Marendaz, says that his ancestor was employed as an interpreter on Talbot's yacht and that they were ship-wrecked and that just before they were saved, had got down to drawing straws. Talbot got the short straw, but Marendaz refused to be party to cannibalism (not uncommon amongst shipwrecked sailors well into the 19th Century).

It seems likely that the story has confused Loveluck and Marendaz, since they were both ancestors of Marcus Marendaz. Loveluck seems to have had the more preferential treatment from Talbot and the Loveluck family story insists that Marendaz was not on the boat.

In the writings of Edward Thomas, the poet, and his family there is reference to the original Marendaz being a sea captain and Myfanwy Thomas has a medical chest which is said to have belonged to him. Edward was, of course, descended from David Emanuel Marendaz and Ann Loveluck.

1781/2 Paying £1.14s.0d. per annum to the Margam Estate for part of Henry Aylwards Tenement together with his nominal 1/- rent for the warren.

Some ten years later he was paying additional rent of £1-5-0 for demesne land and £1-13-0 for a dwelling house and 3 acres.
Land tax on these holdings was about 4/6d.

1789 Ref. to him getting the hounds ready for Talbot to hunt fox and otter.

1794 Elected Portreeve for the Borough of Kenfig.

1794 John Loveluck of Pyle and Kenfig yeoman registered a deputation etc. as a gamekeeper for the Manors of Sker, Margam, Havodyporth, Pyle, Kenfig and North Cornelly.

This does not necessarily mean that he was employed as a gamekeeper. The game laws were such that other than the squire and his eldest son, all persons had to register to shoot game. Renting the warren may have necessitated registration.

1816 Ann Loveluck died. Will Proved Llandaff.

John and Ann Loveluck are buried in a box tomb in Margam Churchyard.
The inscriptions are as follows:-

William son of John Loveluck and Ann his Wife died 9th July 1781 aged 2 years.
John the Son of the above named died 31st March 1786 aged 18 years.
Also the above named John Loveluck who departed this life the 18th March 1803 aged 63 years.
Also Ann, Wife of the above named John Loveluck who departed this life the 9th November 1816 in her 77th year.

"The Lord Gave and the Lord hath taken away Blessed by the name of the Lord."