Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - A History of Penarth Dock by Roy Thorne . . .

John Batchelor, "The Friend of Freedom", whose statue stands in The Hayes, Cardiff, was born at Newport in 1820. He and his brother bought a shipyard at the lower end of St. Mary Street in 1843 where the River Taff then flowed before it was diverted to its present course when the South Wales Railway was brought through Cardiff.

The brothers moved their works to the West Dock in 1849 to a site they had leased from the Butes. He became a Liberal councillor, Mayor of Cardiff, leader of the anti—Bute faction, and a supporter of Coffin against the Bute nominee, Nicholl, in Parliamentary election of 1852 which Coffin won.

After living at Talworth House, Plucca Lane (Heol y Plwca) 1852 - 59, (it did not become Castle Road until c. 1870 and City Road until 1905), and Llanishen, John Batchelor moved to Cliff Villa in 1867 on the north side of Penarth Head, and later to "Upper Cliffe" house on the headland. He became Penarth's first School Board Chairman in 1874.

He joined the Board of the "Ely Tidal Harbour and Railway Company" in November 1855, four months after the initial meeting. [1162] [ 3rd November 1855]

From 1866 to 1871 his business suffered severely from hindrances and in 1872 he was adjudged bankrupt. His health was affected and he died in 1883.