Esgerfa farm is located about a mile north east of the village of Abernant. According to heritage consultanct Trysor, 'The farmstead is not shown on the Carmarthen map sheet of the 1811 Ordnance Survey Original Surveyors Drawing, with just a field system shown between Cilwen and Waungochion.'
'By the time of the publication of the 1831 1 inch to 1 mile scale Ordnance Survey map a dramatic change had taken place. The farmstead of "Esgairfa" had been built in its current location and at least 5 buildings were shown. The access track is shown on the 1831 map as leaving the road at the same place as today and entering the farmyard in the same way, but curving through the fields to the northwest on a different alignment to the modern farm access lane.'
'On the tithe map of c.1842, the farmhouse and fields at "Esgerfach" are shown. The farmyard contained five buildings. The farm was recorded as being owned and occupied by Jonathan Phillips and its fields were listed in the tithe schedule as follows: 'Park Syddin'; 'Rhos Fach'; 'Rhos Fawr'; 'Park Gelli Ucha'; Park y pound'; Park Penyheol'; 'Park Wain Syddin'; 'Park y Bank'; 'Park or onin'; 'Park Vicar'; 'Allt Vawr'; 'Allt Canol'; 'Allt Issa'; 'Park Gwain'; 'Park ar odyn'; 'Park bach + road'; 'Park Cyffle'; 'Park Sgubor.'
'The layout of the farmyard and field system is shown clearly on the 1889 and 1906 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey maps. They show a group of three buildings at the southeastern side of the farmyard area. Buildings still stand on the same sites although it is not clear from aerial photographic evidence whether these are all the original buildings or which is the farmhouse. The later 20th century has seen a major expansion of the building range on the farmyard, with several large agricultural buildings now standing to the northwest of the original farmyard core, none of which appear on the 1975-1984 1:10000 scale Ordnance Survey maps.'
'The 1841 Census returns for Abernant parish shows two households under the name of Esgerva. One was occupied by 70 year old farmer Jonathan Phillips as named on the tithe map, his wife Catherine, also 70, and two female servants and a male agricultural labourer. The other household was occupied by 40 year old Thomas Phillips (perhaps Jonathan Phillips' son), who lived with his wife Anna, aged 30, and their six children, all aged 11 or younger. In 1851, the properties are known as Escerfa and Escerfa Isaf. The former was the larger farm it seems, although its extent is not clearly recorded. It was farmed by Catherine Phillips, by this date an 82 year old widow. She employed two male workers on the farm and two female servants in the house, and her grandson John Rees also lived and worked here. Thomas Phillips farmed Escerfa Isaf, which was just 15 acres in extent. A daughter and two young sons lived at home at this time, all under the age of 11.'
'The cenus data for 1861 is missing so the next available census data is from 1871 when Escirfa was a farm of 80 acres in 1871, farmed by John Phillips, aged 42, a son of the late Jonathan Phillips perhaps. He lived with his wife, Elizabeth, and a son and a daughter. He employed a female domestic servant and a male farm servant. There is no mention of Esgerfa Isaf in 1871, or on later census returns. John and Elizabeth Phillips were still farming here in 1881, employing a male farm worker and two female domestic servants, and a similar situation is recorded by the 1891 census. In 1901, John Phillips, now 75, had remarried and lived with his second wife, 36 year old Anne, and 5 children aged 12 or younger. He employed a male farm worker and female servant. By 1911, the most recent available census, we see that Anne Phillips was a widow and lived at Esgerfa with two sons and two daughters, her eldest daughter Catherine Williams being registered as a married woman.'
'The census evidence suggests that the family holding remained stable from its establishment, with Esgerfa Isaf being used as a temporary subdivision depending on the family situation.'
Source: Trysor report entitled 'Esgerfa, Abernant, Carmarthenshire Historic Environment Appraisal' by Jenny Hall and Paul Sambrook, published December 2013
M. Ryder, RCAHMW, 5th March 2019