Month: December 2024

Memories of Old Merthyr

We continue our serialisation of the memories of Merthyr in the 1830’s by an un-named correspondent to the Merthyr Express, courtesy of Michael Donovan.

The men were from the Atlas Works (Sharp, Roberts & Co). Richard Roberts had previously been at Dowlais, and Lady Charlotte, in showing him around, took him into the church, where he remarked what a splendid fitting shop it would be.

The No 5 blast engine was, at the time of its erection, the largest ever made, and it had two steam cylinders – after the Hornblower or Woolf type, and to get all the valves to work properly, was then thought difficult – in fact, they did not work as well as desirable. Amongst the persons had for consultation was Mr Brunton from Hornsley. He it was that first brought the application of a fan for the ventilation of collieries into notice, I can recall his models and explanation. It was not readily adopted. Furnaces were very simple, and there was not much thought of economy of coal, but the furnace was dangerous. This was palliated by means of a dumb drift, but as far as I know, no colliery of any size uses a furnace for its ventilation.

Simple and efficient as the arrangement was for letting persons know the boiler was short of water it was not quite as perfect as the following will show.

Mr John Evans, on looking at the boilers of the furnace at the Ivor works, when everything was in full work, noticed the whistles (that is the only thing visible thing in the arrangement for making a noise if feed was low) were all covered, and speaking to the attendant, found he had designedly wrapped some ‘gasket’ around to prevent noise. With some cause Mr Evans was in a passion, so he ordered the man off at a moment’s notice, and sent for the writer, telling him to get the feed right. There were four boilers, and every one was in low water. The engine was doing its full work, and therefore taking steam; the fireman was firing as hard as usual to supply the necessary steam, but no water was going into the boilers to form the steam.

On examination, I found the bottom valve of the feed pump was deranged, and the anxiety and fear I experienced can be recalled now. Mr Evans, as soon as he told me, went off to the old works to send an attendant thence, but was more than an hour before he came, and in the interim, having got the valve right, the boilers were being replenished. Even then, however, danger was not over, for cold water going upon hot plates is apt to get into the molecular condition, and instead of taking up heat quietly, and get into a kind of bubble then explode. Boutigny has since done much to exemplify it, and in his work on “Heat a mode of motion”, Tyndall has fully explained it, but at that time neither had been heard of. The fact was known, but ascribed to another cause.

However, to my great relief, everything passed off safely, and without derangement of working. More than once I inclined to stop the engine. This would naturally draw all the furnace men about me, when it was likely that the imminence of danger would have caused all to get as far away and as quickly as ever they could. The experience of that hour has, however, never been forgotten.

To be continued at a later date…..

The Dark Side of Convict Life – part 23

by Barrie Jones

Chapter XX. Henry recounts the day of his discharge from Parkhurst Prison, after serving a period of imprisonment just three months short of his nine year sentence.  

The Dark Side of Convict Life (Being the Account of the Career of Harry Williams, a Merthyr Man). Merthyr Express, 11th June 1910, page 9.

Chapter XX

I do not think that, after the events related in my last chapter, you would care to hear more of them, so I will give an account of my liberation. I was released from Parkhurst Prison in August, 1907, having served eight years and nine months of my sentence, the remaining three was all I was granted. On the happy morning of my discharge I left the prison at 6.30, together with a gang of convicts who were escorted to Dartmoor Prison to serve the remainder of their time. We all got into a four-wheeler, which was to carry us to Cowes, and a nice journey it was, too, at least, for me – the other poor fellows had their chains on. After the six miles had been covered we arrived at Cowes pier-head, where we were taken into a waiting room. It was some time before the boat arrived which was to take us across to Southampton. She arrived at last, and the chained gang was led aboard, and I followed.

But how about my ticket-of-leave and the few shillings gratuity? This is where the stringent part of the rules governing discharged convicts comes into force.

No convicts are allowed to be in possession of anything until the boat moves from the landing stage, and not until then can a convict say he is a free man. An officer who accompanies him stands on the pier-head after seeing him safely on board, and as soon as the boat glides away from the side he stretches forth his arms and hands over to the convict his ticket-of-leave together with his gratuity sealed in a n envelope, and he is then left to fight in the world against sin. I can well remember when on board ship one of the convicts who was being escorted to Dartmoor asked me if I would pay for a drink for him. “Certainly,” I said, and going over to the bar where drinks were sold, I was on the point of ordering a glass for all six of them, when up came the  warder in charge saying, “Now, I cannot allow this, Williams; it is strictly against the rules.” It was a very hot day, and the poor fellows were almost dropping with thirst, so I up and said, “shall I order a cup of coffee for each of them.” “I have my rules, and I must obey them,” replied the officer, and at the same time he had a glass of beer before him. Certainly, he was on duty, and was not supposed to eat or drink while on duty, and he, knowing this, refused the poor fellows a drink. They would receive nothing till they arrived at Dartmoor Prison, and then it would only be a pint of water. one or two of the convicts when they heard this, called him cruel. Convicts are all accustomed to ill-treatment, and do not mind, especially at the time of escort, to pour some sweet words into the ears of the officer, and in the hearing of the public, and a good thing, too, if a newspaper reporter had been on board that day to have heard the request and refusal, and seen the officer enjoying his own glass.

Arriving at Southampton the gang bade me good-bye and wished me luck, and in return, I said, “Cheer up, for there will come your time someday,” and with that I left them. I arrived at the railway station, but had no sooner done so than two gentlemen who had seen me waving good-bye to the gang, entered into conversation with me, asking me if I had been serving time at Parkhurst, and several other questions, which I felt was no harm to answer. I had purchased a pipe and some tobacco and the gentlemen seeing me trying to burst myself at the first draw, asked me if I would like a nice cigar or two, which, of course, I accepted. Instead of smoking them I rolled one of them up in a small plug, and put it into my cheek, but I was sorry after that I had done so for they both gave way to a fit of laughter, which caused the other occupants of the carriage to do the same. Anyhow, I took it all in good part, and seeing that one of the gentlemen said to me, “Why do you chew it instead of smoking it?” “God bless you, sir,” says I, “this is the first chew of genuine stuff I have had for nine years.” They very nearly jumped from the seat of the carriage when they heard the sentence I had undergone and the offences I had committed. One said, “Poor fellow,” and turning to his friend said, “That’s where the injustice of the laws of this country come in. That poor chap has no earthly chance whatever.” I think they said it was a thing that wanted badly looking into. I received good advice from these gentlemen, and one of them left me his address, but somehow or other I dropped it.

Thus the train steaming into Newport Station put all end to our conversation, when they wished me good luck. I stepped out of the carriage on to the platform to await the motor train, which was to convey me to Merthyr Tydfil, and to the home of my childhood.

To be continued….

Merthyr Y. M. C. A.

by Carolyn Jacob

The former Y.M.C.A. is a striking four-storey terracotta building occupying a commanding and elevated position at the northern end of the town centre at Pontmorlais, where it joins the Brecon Road. It is a Grade II listed property, which was re-listed on 13 January 1998.

Originally the Y.M.C.A. buildings at Pontmorlais cost £8,400 and, following a competition, they were constructed from the competitive designs of Ivor Jones and Sir Percy Thomas, architects from Cardiff.

The official opening was on 5 October 1911 by Mr Mervyn Wingfield.

The stated purpose of the building was to provide a place where youths and young men could congregate for healthy amusement, recreation and health giving exercise.

On the ground floor were offices 2 shops and a café, the first floor had a lecture hall which could seat 150 and also a billiard room with 2 tables, the second floor had a lounge, reading room, games room and a library, and on the upper floor there were

Other games rooms, a rifle range and gymnasium.

The Y.M.C.A. when it was the Labour Exchange.

In later years the building was occupied by the Board of Trade and the Labour Exchange and then became the District Education Offices. The Y.M.C.A. played a major role in the educational and sporting life of Merthyr Tydfil.

King Edward VIII visited the building when he stopped off in Merthyr Tydfil on his tour of South Wales in 1936. After seeing the Labour Exchange in the former Y.M.C.A. building, Edward journeyed to Dowlais, where he made the historic statement,  “Something must be done”.

The British champion boxer and later manager, Eddie Thomas had a gym there and there was also a very active boxing club. The building was also used for further education courses before the present Merthyr College was built. This historic building ceased to be used as a District Education Office in 1989. During the 1990s there were concerns for its future and it was purchased by Nazir Mohamed in 2001. The building was sold by him in 2006 to property developers.