| Description | The Milford Haven Dock and Railway Company was formed by Act of Parliament in 1860 at the instigation of the Honourable Robert Greville, owner of the Milford Haven estate. The original purpose of the company was to extend the Milford Railway to Newton Noyes, to build a pier there, and to convert part of Castle Pill into a dock. Unfortunately the company lacked adequate financial resources from the beginning. Even before Greville's death in September 1867, the whole of the company's stock was mortgaged to the National Provident Institution; in April 1868, 3 members of the Institution were appointed to the Board of the company including the Chairmanship; in May of that year, it was resolved that all future Board meetings should take place at the Institution's offices. The railway and pier were finally completed in 1869, but the Company's resources were exhausted. In 1871 the Company leased its works to George Bower, Alfred Beeston, John Morton Toler and James A. Eaton, but they, too, were unable to complete the works and surrendered the lease in 1876. By 1881 the bridge over Castle Pill had become so dangerous that it was removed and both pier and railway were in disrepair. Parliamentary powers were obtained to lease the works to Lake and Company, the Docks Company contractors, but, unfortunately, Lake's bankruptcy in 1882 terminated this project. From the wreckage emerged the Milford Haven Railway and Estate Company, which planned to take over the lease of the Dock and Railway Company's works, but this company, too, failed to achieve its objectives and went into voluntary liquidation in 1899. In June 1920 all the assets of the Dock and Railway Company were sold by the National Provident Institution to Thomas W. Ward Limited, which used the site for shipbreaking. In 1934 Thomas W. Ward Limited sold Newton Noyes Pier and all their works on the East side of Castle Pill to the Admiralty. The Dock and the Railway Company still exists (1984) as a subsidiary of Thomas W. Ward Limited which has become a subsidiary to Rio Tinto Zinc.
It is important to bear in mind that the Milford Dock and Railway Company is separate and distinct from the Milford Docks Company (founded 1874), the Milford Haven Railway and Estate Company (1882 - 1899) and the Milford Railway Company (1856 - 1896)
DB/42/1-13 Acts of Parliament
DB/42/14-18 Board of Directors
DB/42/19-21 Shareholders
DB/42/22-23 Shares
DB/42/24-47 Deeds and agreements
DB/42/48-53 Correspondence
DB/42/54-59 Accounts
DB/42/60-63 Plans etc.
DB/42/64-65 Miscellaneous |