A New Start and Harsh Realities

A New Start Across the Severn (1846-1851)

By 1846, Robert Milsted and his family had relocated from England to South Wales, where they established a thriving business in Cardiff and Swansea. Despite Robert’s prior insolvency issues, their fortunes seemed to have reversed. Trading under the name ‘R & A Milsted: Furriers and Straw Hatters (Wholesale and Retail) and Importers of Foreign Skins’, they positioned themselves as premier merchants, boasting the largest collection of furs outside London.

Advertisements from September to December 1851 in local newspapers reinforced their success, highlighting their extensive range of Tuscan and Straw bonnets, ribands, corsets, hats, caps, and umbrellas. Robert oversaw the Cardiff store on Queen Street, while Albert managed the Swansea branch on High Street. Their strategic locations capitalised on the booming economy and expanding railway network, which saw Cardiff and Swansea flourish as commercial hubs.

The Victorian era saw a shift in consumer habits, with the growing middle class investing in luxury goods as status symbols. Cardiff’s shopping scene expanded rapidly, culminating in the opening of the Royal Arcade in the 1850s. Even The Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian (27 October 1849) noted that Cardiff was becoming increasingly self-sufficient in fashion retail:

“Several old marts have been transformed into handsome modern edifices… no longer must locals travel to Bristol to secure the latest new fashion. Mr Milsted has lately found it necessary to extend his premises at the corner of Queen Street.”

Albert’s New Life: A Second Wife and Fatherhood?

By 1851, Albert had more than just a business to manage—he had a new family. He was living above the Swansea shop at 117 High Street with his sister Ellen, wife Margaret, their young daughter Alice, two milliner’s assistants, and a servant. Alice was born on 25 February 1851 and baptised at St Mary’s, Swansea on 2 April 1851.

However, there is no record of a marriage between Albert and Margaret Dawkins, a dressmaker from Llandaff. This is particularly suspicious because Albert was still legally married to Mary Ann Worthington, his first wife. There is no evidence of a divorce, and no official marriage record for Albert and Margaret has been found. Could this mean Albert was living a double life, or was Margaret simply his common-law wife?

Regardless of the legal status of their relationship, Albert now had a daughter to support, marking a significant shift from his earlier reckless years as a public house owner. At 25, he had transitioned into a businessman and family man—at least on the surface.

Harsh Realities Behind the Prosperity

However, beneath the surface of this economic boom, the living conditions for many in South Wales were dire. Industrialisation had driven a massive population increase, but public health infrastructure lagged behind. The 1849 cholera outbreak in Cardiff, which claimed 396 lives, exposed the appalling sanitation in areas like Newtown. Investigations revealed extreme overcrowding, with reports of 54 people living in four rooms and 500 residents sharing four toilets.

Against this backdrop, the Milsteds were relatively well-off. The 1851 Census places Robert and his wife Elizabeth in Duffryn Street, Cardiff, along with their daughters Fanny and Lucy, who worked as a milliner and a scholar respectively. Notably, unlike many of their neighbours, the Milsteds occupied their home alone and even had a live-in servant, Ann Gimlate.

Albert, on the other hand, lived at the Swansea shop with his new family and employees. His relationship with Margaret remained questionable, but his role in the Milsted business empire was becoming more prominent.