This is a Christian outreach initiative that began in 1994 using volunteers from St. Teilo’s, various denominations and folk of none. The shop seeks to ‘minister’ to the whole community. It stocks a wide range of cards, books (Christian and non), gifts, love spoons, paintings, jewellery and a wide range of Fair Trade products. Refreshments are served – there is a children’s play area and the shop is a booking agency for the Grand Theatre.

All profits are donated to charity (not to Church funds) and each year charities are chosen both local and abroad. All Christmas cards support charity too - including Ty Olwen, Leprosy Mission, RNLI and Air Ambulance.

The Lamplighter is located on Bishopston Road (in the centre of the village) and is recognised as a Tudor-like building that overhangs the road. It is open six days a week – Monday to Saturday from 10.a.m. to 4.p.m.
Tel. 01792 232012

Why not come and bring your friends for coffee/tea and light refreshments?

The Lamplighter
90 Bishopston Road
Bishopston
SWANSEA
SA3 3EW

If you would like to visit The Lamplighter, you would be very welcome. To see a map from Multimap, click here. (N.B. If you are coming from furhter afield, use the zoom facility within Multimap, to locate "The Lamplighter" within Bishopston, or Swansea etc).

Re-opening of The Lamplighter with Kevin John from Swansea Sound.

A History of The Lamplighter  90 Bishopston Road, Bishopston

by Margaret Edwards  November 2010

The history of this mock Tudor building, although not dating back to that time, still has an interesting and varied history.  It was part of a number of buildings, which formed Bishopston Farm and was built possibly during the latter part of the 18th century.
The original farm, together with  considerable landed property , belonged to a Robert Hancorne, who had aquired it through marrying an Elizabeth Griffith, the eldest daughter of John Griffith, a prosperous Swansea shipwright, who, in turn had inherited through the will of William Griffith of Blaenrhondda.
Their son, John Hancorne Griffith took over his share of the property in 1814, when he came of age and following the death of his father in 1800.  (His mother, the widow of Robert had since remarried and had appointed The Revd. Owen Hill as agent until such time as when her son came of age.)
Bishopston Farm occupied the corner plot between Providence Lane and Bishopston Road (on the right hand side) The Lamplighter was part of the Hancombe Estate, consisting of a single dwelling, comprising both the present Lamplighter, the flat above and the house next door (no.92 Bishopston Road and the home of Mavis Dalton).  At that time this property was known as The Croft and was where a John Jones lived.  He was the Assistant Commissioner for the collection of Tithes.  The tithe map of 1844 shows very clearly the extent of land and property owned by John Hancombe.  It covered approximately 130 acres of land, of which he farmed personally 60 acres, the rest he rented to tenant farmers, as shown by the Tithe map. Plot number 573 is listed as Barns, Hall and Garden (the home of John Jones). During an extensive make-over in 2000, when the builder, Mr. Paul Thomas stripped away the old walls, he found evidence of a fireplace at the back wall, next to the Children's Play area and another in the middle of the shop, where the builder constucted a most attractive display area! - all of this suggesting habitation for humans rather than animals!!  John Hancombe died in 1848,having suffered a stroke.  He was 55 years old, leaving his Estate in trust to his wife and then children.
However in 1856 part of the estate was sold - The Cambrian of 24th October  1856 records: That 70 to 80 acres of arable and pasture land belonging to Bishopston farm are for sale as the proprietor is retiring from farming.
In 1865 the Estate is bought by a James Strick, following an Auction at the Cameron Arms Hotel, High St. Swansea on 28th October, which lists the properties and land therein. It would appear that James Strick farmed his land.  In the Cambrian paper, dated 10th December 1869, he was commended for his specimen of butter (uncoloured and not less than 5lbs in weight) at the West Glamorgan Agricultural Show! 
It appears that he died sometime in 1875 as there was a Public Auction at Bishopston Farm by the Auctioneer John M.Leeder on 17th September at which all the live and dead Farming Stock, Crops,Implements etc,were to be sold.  As an incentive to attend, we read “Luncheon on the table at eleven”! - sale to commence at Twelve precisely.
I am unsure as to how the estate was finally broken up and to whom.

As to the occupants of The Croft/Lamplighter,I find evidence of their appearance in the Cambrian papers from time to time.The Weekly Cambrian journal of 1st April 1843, lists as follows: To be sold by private contract: That customary or copyhold close of Meadow Land, containing about an Acre and a Half, called the Croft, by the house now in the occupation of John Jones, at the annual rent of £5. 10s.
The Cambrian paper again records on 7th September 1855 – I quote:  To be sold by auction: Lot 4.  All that Freehold Message or Dwelling House, together with the garden, Meadow and Croft, belonging thereon and known as the Hill, situate in Bishopstone and containg by measurement 2a.1r.31p. and now in the occupation of Mr. Samuel Davies as yearly tenant.  It would appear that John Jones had died and that a Samuel Davies was tenant. Also in the 24th October Cambrian paper, when some of the land is being sold off, we read that:The Croft which is part of the Freehold Property known as the Hill is now in the occupation of a John Jenkins at an annual rent of £10.0s 0d.  I found that on 22nd September 1893, again in the Cambrian, a short notice which reads as follows:
Croft Cottage, Bishopstone.
Messrs. John F. Harvey and Co. have been instructed by Mr. Evan Jenkins, who is leaving the neighbourhood, to sell by auction, at the above address on Wednesday 27th 1893                HOUSEHOLD,FURNITURE,FARMINGSTOCK,CROPS AND IMPLEMENTS,including mahogany book-case, two dining-tables, dresser, ware and sundry items too numerous to mention.Together with two ponies, covered cart, harness, two ploughs, harrow, Hillier's incubator (for 100 eggs) and foster mother, pulper, cheese press, cooley creamer, two mows of black oats, quarter acre ashleaf kidney potatoes etc.Terms- Cash!

My research took me back to Geoffrey Orrin's book, when in 1896, we read of Haswell Griffiths taking up his position as sub-postmaster of Bishopston Post Office in – yes 90 Bishopston Road, i.e. The Croft! until 1909 when it moved  to 66 Bishopston Road.  It would appear that, at this stage, it belonged to a Henry Billings of Oystermouth, a builder.In the South Wales Evening post, dated 11th April, we read: HAIGH – April 4th at “The Croft”, Bishopston, to Sergeant and Mrs. Haigh, a son.  So obviously , at this time, it was a family home!  Mr. Billings then sold it to Tudor Morgan Jenkins in 1918, who was a warehouseman.

 In 1921 the telephone came to Bishopston, with  the opening of a single switchboard serving about 25 lines. This was installed in the front room of no.90.  The manual exchange was eventually replaced by a small automatic one in 1962.(Not in no. 90 though). Mr. Jenkins didn't keep the Croft, alias the Old Post Office for long, for he sold it to a John Arthur Downing for the sum of £750. He was a butcher by trade and lived in Port Tennant.  The telephone exchange was granted a lease by him for 21 years at an annual rent of £52 from 1926, which I guess was renewed as necessary.  Mr. Downing gifted it to his son,James William, also a butcher and so “The Croft” became a Butcher's Shop sometime in the 30s.
After the death of James William Downing, the property passed to his widow, who remarried and sold the property  to Thomas James Glasbrook Griffiths for the sum of £1,700 in 1963. He then, by a deed of gift, gave it to his wife, Joan Margaret Griffiths in 1968.
It was in 1966 that a lease for 21 years was granted to the Midland Bank at an annual fee of £208. It was during this time that 90 and 90a came into being!!
In 1975 Joan Margaret Griffiths sold the property to George Williams, who continued to rent downstairs to the Midland Bank but by 1987 the annual rent had increased to £2,500 per annum and in addition was renting out the upstairs flat, which was self-contained and had use of the back garden which was accessed by a fire-escape.
Mr. Williams then sold the downstairs property to  Mr. And Mrs. S.T. Noakes, who had ideas of opening up some sort of shop, since the Midland bank no longer had need of it.
It was at this point in 1993 that The Revd. Chris Lee arrived to take up the living at St. Teilo's Church.  He and his wife Tessa had in mind to open a Christian Book shop with coffee facilities, within the village. Negotiations ensued with the owner and in the spring of 1994, a lease was signed with St. Teilo's church for  a 5 year term.  The Lamplighter was born.  It's name is taken from St. Matthew's gospel Chapter 5. After Jesus had spoken to the crowds and delivered those well known words, called the Beatitudes (verses 3-12), He goes on to describe how we should be in a world that knows Him not and is unaware of His teachings. Verses 14 and 15 calls us to be: “A Light in the world and that light should shine just like a lamp that is put on a lampstand, so that it will be seen”.
In this instance, the Church, which is in the valley, is being seen in the Community.  We live out our Christian discipleship in the context of being there for others.  Although St. Teilo's supports the shop, it is manned totally by volunteers, who are from all Christian denominations and none.  So in that context, we are a Community Christian shop.This has been the on-going ethos of the shop.  
The setting up initially, for fittings, alterations, stock etc, was financed by loans,which in time were repayed or waved, so that we were able and continue to  give away any suplus profit to various designated charities.
Throughout our time as a Christian shop, the work has been undergirded by Prayer.  At times this has been vital to our work.  In 1997, Tessa died, following a lenghty illnes, during which time the running of the shop had been gradually taken over by a very committed group of volunteers, who together did all the buying etc.So after much prayer, we decided to continue the work, partly as a fitting memorial to her.
 Our next earnest time of prayer came, when in 1999, Mr. Noakes wanted to sell the shop.  The church was approached but did not have sufficent funds and literally, at the eleventh hour, a buyer came forward, who was attracted to the concept and bought the property.  Christian (who remains anonymous) was willing to refurbish the Lamplighter and leased it to us at the same rent, whilst retaining the Christian ethos that we have always tried to maintain.  So in 2000, the Lamplighter was completely refurbished, paid largely for by Christian.  A local builder Mr. Paul Thomas (the gentleman who discovered the fireplaces as well as the wall that had been built to separate us from No.92 – Mavis Dalton's home) did an excellent job and we re-opened some weeks later, with Kevin Johns, a local celebrity doing the honours. 
What do we provide you may ask?  Apart from being a meeting place, where friends can meet for light refreshments, we offer an excellent selection of Christian books, including Bibles and children's books.  In addition we sell good quality non-Christian books, including those of local interest, children's and material for Church use.  We also sell cards -  Christian, Medici, Woodmansterne  and ones with local views on.  Our range of gifts are extensive, of good quality and reasonable price. Some of our gifts help support an Orphanage in Romania. At Christmas, we stock cards, that support local charities, including Ty-Olwen, The Lifeboat, Air Ambulance and the local Bird hospital.
 In addition we sell a range of Fairtrade goods and support local artists by selling their paintings. We continue to be staffed by volunteers, numbering nearly fifty, whose ages range from fifty to late eighties and we are open Monday to Saturday inclusive from 10am to 4pm.  In addition a fortnightly Communion Service is held on a Thursday.  Everyone is welcome.
I hope you will find all this of interest.  The life of 90 Bishopston Road is very different from it's inception but as part of a large estate over 200 years ago,serving the Community, it's raison d'etre doesn't seemed to have altered too much.  We hope, as Christians, we still serve the Community in which we live.
 ...............

N.B. I am indebted to Geoffrey Orrin for information about the Hancombe family in his book:  “A History of Bishopston” and to Sally Hyman for access to her manuscripts on the “History of Providence Chapel” written in 1981.