It’s been almost a year since I took over running this blog, and despite the blind terror over the technical side of things, I have enjoyed doing it.
I would like to thank everyone who has made donations to allow this site to continue – a special thanks to The Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society for their generous donation. I would also like to thank everyone who has contributed articles to the blog – it is really great to receive articles about things that I might not have the time, or indeed the idea of writing….. besides which, there are time when my brain ceases function and I run out of ideas altogether!!!!
I hope to continue in the same vein during the forthcoming year. I really appreciate your feedback, so please keep it coming, and if anyone has any ideas for the blog please let me know.
Most importantly, if anyone has anything to contribute – please get in touch. I’m sure there are many established, as well as budding historians who could really enhance this blog with their articles.
Please – get your thinking caps on and get writing!!!!!
The report from the South Wales Daily News transcribed below describes some of the events taking place in Merthyr 124 years ago today.
On Boxing Day the weather was dull, and the streets dirty. There were however, many visitors to the town.
The repetition at the Drill Hall by the Merthyr Choral Society of the oratorio Elijah, under the able conduct of Mr Dan Davies, attracted much attention. At the Temperance Hall Mr Hermann Vezin and Company’s dramatic performances were continued. Mr Vezin has been engaged for the whole or the week.
An entertainment at the workhouse was given as usual under the direction of Mr J. W. Morgan, Hirwain. Mr Harris, an Aberdare guardian, occupied the chair, and the body of the hall was crowded with the inmates. Some visitors also were present. The performances of the Merthyr Christy Minstrels, including whistling by Davies formed a special feature in the varied programme. Able assistance was rendered by Miss Rosie Beynon (who sang “In Old Madrid”), Mr W. Meredith, solicitor (comique), Mr Morris, and several others, Miss Wilkins playing the pianoforte accompaniments. Mr Thos. Morris, C.C., Cefn, and Mr Dan. Thomas as, guardians, were present.
Among the incidents of the day it may be mentioned, a child was found in the streets and taken to the workhouse, and in the roadway, opposite the Nelson Inn, a boy was run over and severely injured.
The following is an extract of a letter written by my grandmother, 72 years ago today, to her son who was still on service with the Navy. She regularly attended Christ Church, Cyfarthfa, which she talks about in the letter. The vicar in question was Rev Vivian Thomas who was at Cyfarthfa Church from 1937 until 1948.
Christ Church, Cyfarthfa
Merthyr Tydfil 23 December 1945
“Christmas is the day after tomorrow…..It is a happier Christmas in many ways than we have had for the last six years. The cloud is lifted. There is no fear. But for ease of living I suppose things are worse than they have been at all at there is no evidence that they will be any better for a very long time. We shall be paying off our debt to America for generations.
…Vicar got up a carol service this Sunday evening like the one in King’s. Nine lessons by different members of the choir with a carol sung between each. Two Choir boys read lessons and four of the choir men….
Vicar had a brainwave. He would have two Christmas trees in church, decorated and lit. He appealed to the congregation to give him decorations. But there are none left…..when I went up yesterday to decorate the font he was down in the depths. His enthusiasm was petering out. The trees that came were too big. They had had no end of trouble to get them in place. There were no decorations. People wouldn’t lend any and none could be bought. And he could see he had had the idea the wrong year. He should have waited until things were normal again etc etc.
We found at home long stands of tinsel – tarnished but whole – and took them up. I bought silver paper in town and drew a star on paper, a foot across. We cut it out in stiff cardboard and stuck the silver paper on. It made two grand stars. We made two tiny holes and pushed wire through and they were at the very top of the tress and looked well. In the dark, before the lights were put on, it looked as if it were a star hanging up in the sky. Vicar had an electrician up who wired one tree for lights, and he put a floodlight to light up the tree. Only one. The other tree was against the pillar just beyond the font. The electrician came to me (I was decorating the font) for cotton wool with which to decorate the tree. It looks really well……
After the (Carol) service, the whole choir went to the hospital and gave a concert of carols. They went to six wards….by the end of the tour even those members of the choir who didn’t attend many choir practises, began to know them.
The sideboard is beginning to assume a Christmassy aspect, cards everywhere and oranges and apples. Think of it. G told me some time ago that he would see I had oranges and apples for Christmas; though for their business this was going to be the leanest winter of the war. It is too. The powers that be purposely arranged that there should be an allocation the week before Christmas. To keep up our morale, no doubt”
My grandmother next writes on 29 December, when she describes Christmas Day and Boxing Day , shared with family and friends. The house had “Usual decorations, a holly wreath tied with red ribbon over the fireplace, the long string of separate letters from the mantlepiece…mistletoe over the hall arch, holly behind every picture…yellow chrysanths in one table vase and holly in the other…best china and linen and a nice big fire ….. on both days your photograph in a silver frame was on the table for meals and there was talk of you all day long”.
It may have been the first Christmas of peace but in many ways it was also the last Christmas of war, when families were still apart, loved and missed.
How different is her description of 1945 from Christmases today.
We continue our regular look at Merthyr’s chapels with an aptly named chapel in the run up to Christmas – Bethlehem Chapel in Caepantywyll.
Bethlehem Chapel was one of the oldest Welsh Calvinistic Methodist movements in Merthyr.
In 1840, a number of the congregation of Moriah Chapel, Cefn Coed decided to start a new cause in the rapidly growing area of Caepantywyll, a chapel was subsequently built in 1841 and called Bethlehem.
During the mid 1800’s, the residents of Caepantywyll, mostly employees of Cyfarthfa Iron Works, had established a unique educational network, with three ‘front room’ schools as well as six schools held in public houses.
Rev John Roberts
Bethlehem Chapel was in the forefront of the education of the residents of Caepantywyll, and indeed its first minister Rev John Roberts was a strong leader in education.
Rev Roberts, who was also known by the bardic name Ieuan Gwyllt, was also famous as a musician. As well as composing many famous hymns, he founded the Cymanfa Ganu and also in 1859 he produced “Llyfr Tonau Cynulleidfaol” which took him six years to complete.
The publication of this book began a new era of Welsh congregational hymn singing.
By the 1960’s, with the number of residents of Caepantywyll decreasing, the small congregation dropped to such an extent that the chapel closed and services were held in the vestry of the chapel until that too closed in 1979. The chapel was demolished in the early 1980’s.
What better for a cold winter’s night than a gruesome tale of murder and it’s ghostly aftermath?
The following story is one of those tales that has been passed down through many generations (I have certainly heard about it from several different sources), and has passed into Merthyr folklore.
As most people know, Cyfarthfa Ironworks was founded in 1765 by Anthony Bacon, a rich London merchant, and in around 1770 he had a home built for himself on the banks of the River Taff, next to the works, and called Cyfarthfa House.
Cyfarthfa House in the 1790’s from a drawing by William Pamplin. Photo courtesy of Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery
Soon after it was built, one of Anthony Bacon’s maid-servants began a love affair with a young man named William Owen, who, on one occasion presented her with a pair of silver shoe-buckles and a black silk neckerchief. The couple visited the Cefn Fair, but Will noticed that his lady-friend was very reticent towards him, and was paying far more attention to another young man – Benjamin Harry, obviously another would be suitor. To make matters worse, Will noticed that his rival was wearing the fancy buckles and the very silk neckerchief he had presented to his beloved!
On the Sunday following the fair, Will decided to confront the maid. Having attended the evening service at Ynysgau Chapel he went to Cyfarthfa House for an explanation of her behaviour. Will declared his love to the girl and proclaimed his faithfulness to her at all times, but accused her of being unfaithful to him. A heated argument ensued, culminating with Will plunging a knife into her chest. The injured girl managed to get into the house, and climbed the stairs to join the other maids. As she ascended the stairs, faint through loss of blood, she rested her bloodstained hand on the wall for support, before dying.
Ever since then, so the story goes, that subsequent generations who occupied the house decorated the hallway many, many times over, but no matter what they used, be it paint or wallpaper, the bloody hand-print would always show through.
Sir Frederick J Pedler, former mayor of Merthyr and historian, says in his book ‘History of the Hamlet of Gellideg’, that he actually visited Cyfarthfa House in 1926, and was shown the spot where the maid rested her bloodied hand on the wall, and sure enough, there was the shape of a hand print on the wall.
Cyfarthfa House was demolished in the 1930’s, and with it went the hand-print for good.
Many thanks to Chris Parry at Cyfarthfa Museum with additional information about Cyfarthfa House.
The Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society are pleased to announce the publication of volume 28 of the Merthyr Historian.
The book will be officially launched on 11 December 2017 at The Redhouse (the Old Town Hall) in Y Faenor Room (The Gallery) at 2.30pm.
Details of the latest volume are below.
Volume 28
Christine Trevett & Huw Williams, Editors Published 2017 – ISBN 978-0-9929810-2-0
Contents:
An Editorial Statement
1. Ars Gratia Artis: Popular Culture and the Making of Modern Merthyr Tydfil by Huw Williams
2. Rediscovering J.O. Francis (1882-1956) The Distinguished Merthyr-born Playwright by Mary Owen
3. Pilgrimage of a Vagabond: The Harry H. W. Southey Story by Christopher Parry
4. More Than Just a Bed-cover, More Than Just a Dress by Christine Trevett
5. Disestablishment of the Church in Wales: An Anniversary by David Lee
6. Isaac Craigfryn Hughes of Quakers Yard: Colliery, Culture and the Common Man by Christine Trevett
7. William Warde Fowler: From Gwaelod y Garth House to Ancient Rome by Christine Trevett
8. The Royal Crescent Allotments 1917-2017 by Hywel Mathews
9. George Jones (Talfyrydd): A Forgotten Local Historian by Brynley Roberts
10. The Taff in Poetry and Paint: An Appreciation of “A Fold in the River by Philip Gross and Valerie Coffin Price” by the Editors
11. Biography of Contributors
100 years ago today you could be enjoying this Festive treat….
