| DOCK
CHAMBERS
Dock Chambers is the oldest Office
Block in Butetown. It was built in the 1850s to house
shipbrokers and coal companies.
According to The Western Mail Cardiff-
Directory Aadnesen & Dahl had their office
here between 1910-1913. Harald Dahl, who was Roald Dahl's
father had his office in the room that today is BHAC's
conference room.
HARALD DAHL IN CARDIFF
Roald Dahl was born in Cardiff on 12 September 1916.
If it had not been for the Welsh coal trade Roald
Dahl may never have been associated with Cardiff.
Roald's father, Harald Dahl, was a prosperous
shipbroker and coal exporter who made his fortune in
Butetown.
Harald Dahl had lived in Norway. His father owned
a small shop in a town near Oslo. About 1880 Harald
and his younger brother Oscar left Norway to make their
fortunes in the world.
In Paris Harald met and married a young French girl,
Marie. He also met another Norwegian, Ludvig Aadnesen.
They agreed to become business partners. They set up
the firm of Aadnesen & Dahl, Shipbrokers.
As shipbrokers they provided the equipment for the ship
and its crew and also supplied the coal for the voyage.
The best coal in the world came
from the valleys of South Wales. The best place to buy
this coal was Butetown, just – outside the docks
in Cardiff.
The three took ship for England
and completed the journey from London to Cardiff by
The Great Western Railway. They settled in Butetown.
At first they were only a small firm. As they became
known around the docks they had more business.
Harald Dahl bought a family house
in Fairwater Road, Llandaff. He named this house "Villa
Maria", perhaps in honour of his wife. He had two
children but his wife died. In 1911 Harald married again.
He had four more children. The third of these was Roald
who was born in 1916.
By the time of his death Harald Dahl had made a large
fortune of over
£1 50,000. Roald Dahl was just four years old
when his father died.
You can read all about Harald Dahl in Cardiff and Roald
Dahl's early life in "Boy".
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