The article transcribed below appeared in the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian 160 years ago today (7 May 1859).
Our new necropolis has this week been formally opened for the burial af the dead. It consists of about 21 acres of ground, and is situated about, two miles from Merthyr, beyond Cefn Coed y Cymmer and between the Brecon road and the River Taff. It was purchased at a cost of about £2000; and from £2000 to £3000 more have been laid out in walling it in, in the erection of chapels for the use of Churchmen and Dissenters, and in laying out the ground and making roads, walks, lodges, gateways etc.
The ground has been divided into three portions – one for the use of the Established Church, one for Dissenters, and one for Roman Catholics; and these several portions have now been formally dedicated to their respective uses. It was expected that the Church portion would have been consecrated on the 29th instant; but this was postponed to Tuesday last. In the meantime the Roman Catholics had taken possession of their ground, and had opened it for burial according to the uses of their church.
Much discussion has been for some time going on among the dissenting part of the population as to the mode of dealing with theirs. Having been violently opposed to the ceremonial of consecration practised by Churchmen, and having habitually denounced all consecrations of burial grounds as useless forms, if not something worse, they were placed in an awkward dilemma. If they abstained from any formal proceedings they would give the Established Church an opportunity to outshine them in the public eye; and if they had a formal service they turned their backs on their own professions, nullified all their own arguments, and would after all give a deliberate and imposing sanction to that consecrational usage which they had so often denounced. These various arguments were used over and over again in most of the dissenting chapels and Sunday schools. Where the spirit of nonconformity prevailed it was resolved to abstain from any demonstration, and to adhere to the fixed principles of their forefathers; but in the meantime a new spirit has found its way into dissenting chapels, and they incline to follow the example of the Established Church, while violently and even bitterly denouncing their example.
The object of the latter class was to produce a demonstration of the numerical superiority of the nonconformist part of the population; but in this respect it was a comparative failure; for several congregations discountenanced the movement, and others only half approved of it, so that they only put forth half their strength. The first intention was that all the children of the dissenting Sunday schools should take part in the demonstration but, owing to a prevalent disapprobation of the object thereof, and to a feeling that the motives in which it originated were uncharitable and unchristian, only a few schools turned out on the occasion, and of those some were divided and only displayed half their real numbers. Among those which joined in the demonstration were the Sunday schools in connection with Zoar Chapel, High Street Chapel, Adulam Chapel, a part of the Welsh Wesleyan School, and that of the Wesleyan Reformers.
Viewed in itself, and apart from the spirit which dictated it, the demonstration had several points of interest. The day was fine; the children, led by their ministers walked in procession, and, as they wended their way towards Cefn, they sang hymns appropriate to the occasion, making the streets vocal with their silvery tones, and populous with pleased hearers and spectators. Having arrived on the ground, religious services were celebrated in the chapel dedicated to the use of Dissenters; and addresses were delivered by several ministers and laymen. One of the speakers even went the length of asserting the propriety of consecration, and the superiority of the Nonconformist form of it. “Today,” said he, “we consecrate this ground with prayer; tomorrow it will be consecrated by ceremonies.” As if Churchmen could not pray as well as Dissenters.
Passing by this exhibition of bigotry, which we are happy to find met with the disapprobation of many Dissenters, we pursue our narrative. On the following day, the ground set apart for the use of Churchmen was consecrated by the Right Rev. the Bishop of Llandaff, in accordance with the rites of the Established Church. The Burial Board paid his Lordship the compliment of attending in their corporate capacity; and a considerable number of ladies and gentlemen – Churchmen and Dissenters – attended on the occasion.
The new burial ground having been formally opened on these several occasion, and in its several parts, will now speedily become the last resting-place of many of the inhabitants of this locality.
