My Name is Dave Winter and I am the son of Margaret Lillian Winter nee Andrews who was born in a cottage known as Bleanant Rhandermoyn in 1907. Margarets father was a Mr Andrews{dont know Christian name] who in 1904 was part of a syndicate raising £10000.00 to re open the mine. Margarets grandfather was named Roderick.
Can anyone with knowledge of the mine please place a little more flesh on the bare bones that I have. Was Roderick's Load named after one of my ancestors.
Many thanks....Dave

http://www.rhandirmwyn.net/  says it may be able to assist with genealogical research.

Dave

The fullest published accounts of the mine's history are given in G.W.Hall 'Metal Mines of Southern Wales', 2nd ed, Kington, 1993, pp.51-59, and in S.J.Hughes 'Nant y Mwyn Mine, Llandovery, Dyfed', British Mining vol.45, Memoirs of the Northern Mines Research Society, 1992, pp.87-110.

On p.99 Hughes states that 'Following the abandonment in 1900, all production ceased until 1915 despite a lease having been issued to a Mr.O.Davies. According to an old inhabitant, Octavius Davies, proprietor of the Rhandirmwyn Stores tinkered about the mine about this time. Some underground trials took place in 1907-08 and again in 1911 with up to seven men being employed during this period.' The next working he discusses is the reopening in 1914 by Joseph Argall.

Hall gives a briefer but similar account of this period.

Lodes at metal mines were often named after prominent miners or mine captains. A quick read of Hall and of Hughes seems to suggest that the name 'Roderick's Lode' is only encountered as an alternative to 'Old Lode' on twentieth century plans of the mine.

Many thanks for your help. I have been through as much of the history of the mine as I could find on line. I think Mr Andrews was part of the small band of men working in the mine in 1907. There is a report in the local Journal of a meeting with the Agent of the Cordor Estate with a view to taking a lease.
Mr Andrews was part of this syndicate who raised the money but he was not well having spent quite a part of his life mining in Africa and he died in 1909.
I am about to retire myself and with more time I shall be carrying out some more research.
Take care Dave Winter

There is a report in the local Journal of a meeting with the Agent of the Cordor Estate with a view to taking a lease.

Carmarthen Archives (the county record office) hold extensive archives from the Cawdor Estate. The estate records might contain a draft lease, or correspondence realting to a proposed lease.