In 1853/4, Brogdens bought the iron and coal mining business at Tondu, Mid-Glamorgan of Sir Robert Price, 2nd Baronet.
At first, the marriage was happy but in February 1864 an affair began between Helen and John Popkin Traherne, who lived at nearby Coytrahen House.
This hurt James terribly and created a rift, which was bad for both the family and the business because it was hard for the two men to maintain cordial relations.
[2][3] James went out to New Zealand on behalf of the family firm to negotiate the contracts with the government to build railways using emigrants from the UK.
It runs to over 100 pages of manuscript and offers a very readable account of the places he visited and the people he met.
James's companions on this journey were: "Dunny" (his son Duncan Dunbar Milne Brogden), "Fielding" (his servant) and "Llewellyn" (a friend).