Did you ever hear of a pub which bears the name of a minister of the Gospel. If not, then come along to Loughor and there you will see one, because a little time ago, the Corporation Hotel underwent a face lift and at the same time it assumed a new name – The Reverend James. You will see the name resplendent in colour on the sign at the front of the hotel, along with a splendid picture of the Reverend Gentleman in full clerical garb, with his Bible held aloft in his right hand.
I do not know of any other pub in Great Britain which is similarly named, and it would appear that in this respect Loughor can boast of a unique pub sign. When the name of the Corporation Hotel was changed, the local residents were amazed by the change and there was much speculation as to what lay behind it. Many people were disposed to ask who in their right minds, would have thought of putting the name of a minister of the Gospel on a pub sign? Was there any reason for so doing ? In fact, there was indeed, there lies a very interesting story behind the change of name.
The Reverend Gentleman’s full name was James Buckley and he was born in Oldham, Lancashire in the year 1770. He went in for the Ministry and at 21 years of age he was ordained a minister with the English Wesleyans, to serve in the Glamorganshire circuit in 1794, at that time the Glamorgan circuit extended from Chepstow to Llanelly.
The story of Buckley’s first visit to Llanelly is an exciting episode which is fully recorded in the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine. He was within a hair’s breath of losing his life when crossing the river Loughor, many years of course before the erection of the bridge in 1834. However, it was possible to ford the river at low tide, possible that is to those who were familiar with the river. When the Reverend gentleman reached the river bank, a local resident indicated to him the best place to attempt a crossing, and thereupon the minister ventured into the water. Before he had gone many yards, he found himself out of his depth and the current carried the poor unfortunate man down river for up to a quarter of a mile, before he eventually reached the opposite bank. There the ground was so muddy, it could not support his weight and he started sinking into the mud. Mercifully, his plight was noticed by a man who was familiar with the river and its tricks. He called out to him to stay where he was, hurried towards him and dragged him safely to dry land. Soaked to the skin, with his clothes bespattered with sand an mud, he resumed his journey to Llanelly. At long last, stricken with weariness he reached the residence of a certain Mr. Childs who extended to him a warm welcome.
It is interesting to note that James Buckley was not the first man of God to experience the dangers attendant upon fording the river Loughor, for Howell Harris, the Methodist revivalist records in his diary a visit to Loughor on 29th November, 1740, in these words “Came here near 8 o’clock. The Lord inclined a young man to pity me and he came with me through the ford, though in danger”. But to return to James Buckley, his story has a happy ending. It transpired that Mr. Childs who took him in, was an agent to Sir John Stepney, he was in addition a leader of the Methodist cause in Llanelly. Furthermore, he was engaged at that time in setting up a small brewery in the town. Very soon he gave his daughter’s hand in marriage to Rev. James Buckley and before long, Rev. Buckley was combining two professions which to our minds appear to be wholly inconsistent with eachother. Namely, managing Mr. Child’s Brewery and acting as Chairman of the English Methodist Churches of South Wales. Brewer and Minister at one and the same time. After Mr. Child’s death, the Rev. Buckley came into possession of the brewery, the name of which was changed to Buckley’s Brewery.
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