Samuel Drinking Fountain

A drinking fountain was placed in the Botanic Garden in 1908, one of several presented to the City by the Samuel family. The Parks Committee approved a site near the bandstand in May 1907,[1] and in July 1908 agreed " to ask the chairman to formally open the fountain fixed in Roath Park by Messrs. Samuel in memory of Mr. Louis Samuel J.P." This was said to be the fourth drinking fountain presented to the City by the Samuel family.[2]

It is likely that this fountain was moved to the Botanic Garden from North Road when a new fountain was placed there in memory of Louis Samuel. In March 1907 the Town Hall Committee agreed that the original North Road fountain would be moved to Roath Park.[3] Referring to the same meeting, the Western Mail reported that Mr. Isaac Samuel and his brothers "had chosen another fountain of a more imposing design (to replace the one already erected near the 'bus terminus in North-road), which they were prepared to present to the city, provided the one already erected be removed to Roath Park, and re-erected there on a site to be mutually agreed upon, both fountains to bear inscriptions applying to Mr. Samuel's late parents."[4] It is probable that the original fountain was presented in memory of the Samuel brothers' parents, who died in the 1890s.

Ordnance Survey maps for the 1920s and 1940s show a fountain at the junction of two main paths, near the shelter and the second bridge below the promenade. The edge of the bandstand appears on the right hand side of the image below and can be seen in full in the original postcard.

 

Samuel fountain in the Botanic Garden c.1913

Sources of Information

  1. Meeting of the Parks, Open Spaces and Burial Board Committee 27th May 1907
  2. The Weekly Mail Saturday August 1st 1908 page 12 & Cardiff Times and South Wales Weekly News, Saturday August 1st 1908 page 4
  3. South Wales Daily News Saturday 9th March 1907 page 5
  4. Western Mail Saturday 9th March 1907 page 8