Tag: Evan Roberts

Merthyr Historian Sale

The Merthyr Tydfil & District Historical Society is pleased to announce a very special offer price for back issues of Merthyr Historians.

All books are as new and are offered at £2.00 each or 3 for £5.00.

Postage is £3.50 per book, or books can be picked up from depositaries in Merthyr (on arrangement).

If you would like to buy any of these volumes, please contact merthyr.history@gmail.com

The volumes on offer are:-

VOLUME 15 (2003)  ISBN 0 9544201 1 X Ed. T.F. Holley
1.  Dr. Joseph Gross by Glanmor Williams
2. Attraction and Dispersal by John Wilkins
3. Mrs. Mary Ann Edmunds by Mary Patricia Jones
4. Bacon v Homfray by Eric Alexander
5. Cheshunt College, Hertfordshire by Barrie Jones
6. Striking Features: Robert Thompson Crawshay’s Large-Scale Portraits by Jane Fletcher
7. Margaret Stewart Taylor. A Notable Woman of Merthyr Tydfil by Carolyn Jacob
8. Iron Working in the Cynon Valley by Douglas Williams
9. Owain Glyn Dwr – After Six Hundred Years by Glanmor Williams
10. Merthyr Amateur Theatricals, 1860’s by H. W. Southey
11. Shon Llywelyn of Cwm Capel by Lyndon Harris
12. Hoover Transport, 1948-98 by Gwyn Harris M.M.
13. David Jones (1760-1842), Merthyr Clockmaker, Revisited by W. Linnard, D. Roy Sears & Chris Roberts
14. The English Bible by J. W. Bowen
15. He Came, He Saw, He Conquered Merthyr Commerce – Thomas Nibloe’s Story by T. F. Holley
16. Colour Supplement – Merthyr Buildings

VOLUME 17 (2004) ISBN 0 9544201 3 6 Ed. T.F. Holley 
1.  & Pastimes in the 18th & 19th Century, Merthyr Tydfil by Geoffrey Evans
2. Celtic Connections: Early Quoiting in Merthyr Tydfil by Innes MacLeod
3. The Will of the Revd. William Price Lewis, 1839 by T. F. Holley
4. The Dic Penderyn Society and the Popular Memory of Richard Lewis by Viv Pugh
5. The Welsh Religious Revival, 1904-5 by Robert Pope
6. Reporting Revival by Neville Granville
7. A French View of Merthyr Tydfil and the Evan Roberts Revival by William Linnard
8. Songs of Praises: Hymns and Tunes of the Welsh Revival, 1904-5 by Noel Gibbard
9. Revival, Cwm Rhondda, 1905 by William Linnard
10. Diwygiad 1904-5. A Select Reading List by Brynley Roberts
11. Rosina Davies, 1863-1949. A Welsh Evangelist by Eira M Smith
12. Evan Roberts, the Welsh Revivalist by J. Ann Lewis
13. Evan Roberts at Heolgerrig, Merthyr, January 1905 – Transcribed
14. Sir Thomas Marchant Williams & the Revival – Transcribed
15. Potpourri, a Medley by The Editor
16. What Wales Needs – Religiously, 1907 by Evan Roberts
17. Joseph Williams, Printer. TYST A’R DYDD. 1903 by T. F. Holley
18. Dr. Thomas Rees (1825-1908), of Cefncoedycymer by John Mallon
19. Everest & Charles Bruce (1866-1939): The Welsh Connection by Huw Rees
20. The Lusitania Catastrophe and the Welsh Male Voice Choir by Carl Llewellyn
21. Merthyr Amateur Theatricals, 1860’s. Part Two by H. W. Southey
22. Books, Old and New. Short Reviews by The Editor
23. Night Mrs. Evans by Ken J. Mumford
24. Some Early History of Park Baptist Church, The Walk, Merthyr – Transcribed
25. Letter re: Wool Factory, Merthyr Tydfil

VOLUME 22 (2011) ISBN 0 9544201 8  7  Ed. T.F. Holley
1. A Visit to Merthyr Tydfil in 1697 by Brynley F. Roberts
2. A Pedestrian Tour Through Scotland in 1801: New Lanark before Robert Owen by Innes Macleod
3. Note for Merthyr Historian by K. H. Edwards
4. Charles Richardson White, Merthyr Vale by T. F. Holley
5. Isaac John Williams, Curator by Scott Reid
6. The Merthyr Historian. Some Statistics by J. D. Holley
7. Thomas Evan Nicholas, 1879-1971 by Ivor Thomas Rees
8. Eira Margaret Smith: A Personal Tribute by Huw Williams
9. Saint Tydfil’s Hospital 1957. A House Physicians Recollections by Brian Loosmore
10. John Devonald, 1863-1936. Aberfan Musician and Remembrancer of Musicians by T. F. Holley
11. The Remarkable Berry Brothers by Joe England
12. Albert de Ritzen: Merthyr Tydfil’s Stipendiary Magistrate 1872-1876 by Huw Williams
13. A Scrap of Autobiography by Charles Wilkins, Annotated by His Great Grandson by John V. Wilkins, OBE
14. Industrial History of Colliers Row Site and Environs by Royston Holder (the late)
15. The Life of Maria Carini by Lisa Marie Powell
16. Lecture by J. C. Fowler, Esq., Stipendiary Magistrate, 1872 ‘Civilisation in South Wales – Transcribed
17. Gwyn Griffiths -‘The Author of our Anthem. Poems by Evan James’ – Book Review by Brian Davies
18. Enid Guest – ‘Daughter of an Ironmaster’ by Mary Owen – Book Review by Ceinwen Statter
19. Caepanttywyll – A Lost Community by Christopher Parry
20. James Colquhoun Campbell (in four parts) – T. F. Holley
(A) The Social Condition of Merthyr Tydfil, 1849
(B) The Venerable Archdeacon Campbell, 1859, Biography
(C) St. David’s Church, Merthyr Tydfil, Visited, 1860
(D) J. C. Campbell and the Census Record, Research by Mrs. C. Jacob
21. Interesting Book Plate

VOLUME 23 (2012) ISBN 0 9544201 9 5  Ed. T.F. Holley
1. Vince Harris, 1904-1987 by Margaret Lloyd
2. All Change for Plymouth: A Year in the Life of a Mining Engineer by Clive Thomas
3. Who Was The Real Lydia Fell? by Christine Trevett
4. Sewage Pollution of the Taff and the Merthyr Tydfil Local Board (1868-1871) by Leslie Rosenthal
5. Redmond Coleman, the Iron Man from Iron Lane by Carolyn Jacob
6. The Assimilation and Acculturation of the Descendants of Early 20th Century Spanish Industrial Immigrants to Merthyr by Stephen Murray
7. David Williams, High Constable, Merthyr Tydfil 1878-1880 by T. F. Holley
8. John Collins, V.C. by Malcolm Kenneth Payne
9. Marvellous Merthyr Boy – Transcribed
10. A Remarkable and Most Respected Enterprise, J. Howfield & Son, Merthyr Tydfil, 1872-2001 by Mary Owen
11. The Uncrowned Iron King (The First William Crawshay) by J. D. Evans
12. Watkin George 1759-1822, The Mechanical Genius of Cyfarthfa, The Pride of Pontypool by Wilf Owen
13. Opencast History (Illustrated) by Royston Holder
14. The Laundry Trade by T. F. Holley
15. Grand Concert at the Oddfellows Hall, Dowlais – Transcribed
16. Guidelines for Contributors – By courtesy of the Glamorgan History Society

VOLUME 24 (2012) Ed. T.F. Holley
1. Elphin, Literary Magistrate: Magisterial Commentator by Brynley Roberts
2. Picturing ‘The Member For Humanity’. J. M. Staniforth’s Cartoons of Keir Hardie, 1894-1914 by Chris Williams
3. William Morris, Yr Athraw and the ‘Blue Books’ by Huw Williams
4. Hugh Watkins by Carl Llewellyn and J. Ann Lewis
5. Gomer Thomas J.P. 1863-1935 by Wilf and Mary Owen
6. Oddfellows and Chartists by Lyndon Harris
7. John Roberts, Ieuan Gwyllt, Composer of Hymns by G. Parry Williams
8. Georgetown? How Was It? By Clive Thomas
9. Book Review: Bargoed and Gilfach – A Local History
10. A History of Ynysgau Chapel by Steven Brewer
11. ‘Mr Merthyr’ S.O. Davies 1886-1972 by Rev. Ivor Thomas Rees
12. Historical Farms of Merthyr Tydfil by John Griffiths Reviewed by Keith Lewis-Jones
13. National Service, Doctor With The Gurkhas by Brian Loosmoore
14. A Year of Anniversaries: Reflections on Local History 1972-2012 by Huw Williams
15. The Family of Dr. Thomas Rees, Revisited by John Mallon
16. Merthyr District Coffee Tavern Movement, 1880 by T. F. Holley
17. Henry Richard (1812-1888) – Apostle of Peace and Patriot by Gwyn Griffiths
18. Owen Morgan – Miners’ Reporter by Brian Davies
19. The Tredegar Riots of 1911 – Anti Liberalism ‘The Turbulent Years of 1910-1914’ by Lisa Marie Powell
20. Adulum Chapel by Carl Llewellyn
21. Cyfarthfa’s Curnow Vosper Archive by Gwyn Griffiths
22. Whithorn Gas, 1870 by Innes Macleod
23. A Journey from Merthyr to Sydney, A Talented Portrait Painter by Graham John Wilcox
24. The Merthyr Bus Rallies by Glyn Bowen

VOLUME 25 (2013)  Ed. T.F. Holley
1. The Merthyr Tydfil 1835 Election Revisited, Lady Charlotte Guest’s Account by E (Ted) Rowlands
2. John Josiah Guest at Auction by Huw Williams
3. Conway and Sons Dairies Ltd. – Some Notes by G. Conway
4. John Petherick; Merthyr’s Man of Africa by John Fletcher
5. Travels in the Valleys. Book Review by Glyn Bowen
6. Plaques by John D. Holley
7. William Thomas Lewis 1837-1914 by A Family Member
8. Boom Towns by Brian Loosmore
9. The Taff Valley Tornado 1913 by Stephen Brewer
10. Plaques by John D. Holley
11. From Mule Train to Diesel Lorries. The Dowlais Iron Company Connects the Coast by Wilf Owen
12. Review CD. Some of the History of Merthyr Tudful and District via Its Place Names by John & Gwilym Griffiths by Keith Lewis-Jones
13. Caedraw Primary School, 1875-1912 by Clive Thomas
14. Charles Butt Stanton, 1873-1946 by Revd. Ivor Thomas Rees
15. The Merthyr and Dowlais Steam Laundry Limited, 1891 by T. F. Holley
16. Dynamism, Diligence, Energy and Wealth. Trade and Commerce in Merthyr Tydfil 1800-1914 by Mary Owen
17. YMCA. Merthyr Tydfil Lecture 1861 by J. C. Fowler – Transcribed
18. John Nixon and the Welsh Coal Trade to France by Brian Davies
19. Tydfil School, Merthyr Tydfil, 1859-1873 by Evan Williams – Transcribed
20. Gossiping in Merthyr Tydfil by Carolyn Jacob
21. Penywern to Pontsarn. The Story of the Morlais Tunnel. The Writer’s Early Impressions by A. V. Phillips
22. Short History of the Thomas-Merthyr Colliery Company. Merthyr Tydfil, 1906-1946 by Ronald Llewellyn Thomas – Transcribed
23. Morien and Echos of Iolo Morgannwg by T. F. Holley
24. Merthyr Tydfil’s Stipendiary Magistracy and Walter Meyrick North (1886-1900): A Case Study by Huw Williams

VOLUME 26 (2014) ISBN 978 0 9929810 0 6 Ed. T.F. Holley
1. Three Generations of a Dowlais Medical Family 1860-1964 by Stuart Cresswell
2. Viscount Tredegar, Balaclava Veteran, 1913 by T. F. Holley
3. What Makes a Country Great? Lecture by Stipendiary Magistrate – J. C. Fowler – 1858
4. Billy ‘The Doll’ Williams by Malcolm K. Payne
5. Evan James, Dr. William Price and Iolo Morganwg’s Utopia by Brian Davies
6. John A. Owen (1936-1998), Dowlais Historian: An Appreciation by Huw Williams
7. Welsh Women and Liberation from Home: Feminist or Activist? By Lisa Marie Powell
8. Gwilym Harry (1792-1844), Unitarian – Farmer – Poet by Lyndon Harris
9. ‘Aunt’ Emma’s Ronnie by Clive Thomas
10. Morgan Williams: Merthyr’s Forgotten Leader by Joe England
11. Matthew Wayne (1780-1853) by Wilf Owen
12. The Contribution of Hunting to the 1914-18 War, 1914 by T. F. Holley
13. The Difficulties of M.T.C.B.C.’s Financial Management and Administration, 1926-1937: Maladministration, Political Ideology or Economic Reality? By Barrie Jones
14. The Rail Accident at Merthyr Station, 1874 by Stephen Brewer
15. Courtland House, 1851 by Mary Owen
16. Formation of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Brass Bands Association, 1891 by T. F. Holley
17. Moses Jones (1819-1901) by Annette Barr
18. Dr Richard Samuel Ryce, M.D. M.Ch.: An Irish Doctor by T. F. Holley
19. Cwmtaf – A Drowning of the Valley and its Consequences by Gwyneth Evans
20. A Professor Gwyn A. Williams Symposium
a. Recollections of Professor Gwyn Williams, University of York, 1967-70 by Frances Finnegan
b. Memories of Gwyn at York by Brian Davies
c. Professor Gwyn Alf Williams. A Personal Remembrance by Viv Pugh
21. Merthyr Tydfil at War, 1914 by Stephen Brewer
22. Photo Feature – Archaeology by T. F. Holley

Rev Peter Price, Dowlais – part 1

by David Pike

In July 1904, Peter Price took up an appointment as the minister of  Bethania Welsh Independent Chapel in Dowlais. This was just four months before the outbreak of full-blown revival in Glamorgan under the ministry of Evan Roberts at the start of November. Remarks Price made later suggest that Bethania, while large and seemingly successful, had become somewhat complacent prior to his arrival. It was certainly galvanised in the weeks that followed as Price’s preaching, described by historian R. Tudur Jones as ‘majestic intense preaching’, took effect. It was not long before young miners and steel workers in the congregation were turned into evangelists, and the wider community began to feel the effect of the new minister’s work. An article in ‘Y Dydd’ early in December 1904 mentioned that 40 had been added to the church even before the Revival came, and that 150 had been added since; while a piece about Peter Price which appeared in ‘Tarian y Gweithwr’ in April 1905 included the following:

‘From the time of his arrival in Dowlais in July 1904, by the zeal and tireless labours of Peter Price, especially among the young, the church has greatly increased the number of its members – and its membership now stands at one thousand. On one Sabbath night alone, he received one hundred and four new members and has received about three hundred since his arrival at the place.’

Bethania Chapel as it would have looked in 1904. Photo courtesy of the Alan George archive

Undoubtedly, long before Evan Roberts himself came to Dowlais in January 1905, Bethania had been experiencing revival, as had several other chapels in the Merthyr district. Roberts led a meeting at Bethania on Monday evening 23rd January, which was only scantily reported in the press the following day. All that appeared in the ‘Western Mail was the following brief comment, part of the longer article about the meetings held in various chapels in the town:

‘ … the prayers and testimonies were numerous, but there was no outstanding feature in them. Still, there could have been no possible exception taken to the devotional character of the Dowlais meetings, unless the curiosity which naturally prevailed may he said to have, now and then, acted as a barrier to the “swing” of enthusiasm which is characteristic of Dowlais people as it is of those of anywhere in Wales.’

But it seems that Evan Roberts had been somewhat critical of a certain coldness of heart that he had detected in some of those who were occupying the Big Seat in the meeting, among whom no doubt would have been some of the chapel deacons, and probably Peter Price himself.

Peter Price subsequently wrote a letter to the Editor of the ‘Western Mail’ which was published on the last day of January 1905. It was highly critical of what he called ‘the Evan Roberts revival’ which he saw as a false, worked-up  and man-made phenomenon which was distinct from the true Holy Spirit revival which had been occurring in his own church and elsewhere. In the letter, Evan Roberts was portrayed by Price as an ill-educated and inexperienced newcomer who was not even trained as a minister, and who was causing untold damage to the churches out of a desire for personal prominence. More specifically, Price challenged Evan Roberts’ use of what might be called today ‘words of knowledge’ to identify in the meeting where people were coming to faith, questioning the spirit behind it; and also the apparent expressions of anger and rebuke when he sensed a coldness or unresponsiveness in the meeting. The letter was rather pointedly signed

“Rev. Peter Price, B.A. Hons., Mental and Moral Science Tripos, Cambridge (late of Queen’s College, Cambridge), minister of Bethania Congregational Church, Dowlais, South Wales.”

The letter created a furore in response, which found expression in a torrent of letters to the Editor of the ‘Western Mail’ which went on for several weeks.

Four fifths of the letters were strongly supportive of Evan Roberts (right), the young former coal-miner who in a few short months had emerged as a leading revivalist of the time; but the rest strongly took the side of the letter-writer himself. Evan Roberts  did not respond and privately denied that the letter attacking him had any impact on him personally. However, within a week of its appearance, he became unwell, and had to cancel engagements for a period. Among them was a long-awaited visit to Cardiff, which subsequently never happened.

The Revival gradually petered out thereafter; and the letter has ever since been regarded by many as a primary cause for its coming to an end. However, while the letter he wrote may have been unnecessarily vehement in its criticism of Evan Roberts, it is also unfortunate that it has tended to overshadow the very positive outcomes of his ministry both in Dowlais and elsewhere. In spite of the backlash, Peter Price remained unrepentant, a reflection on how sure he was of his point of view. In fact, in September 1905, he spoke publicly again of his views on the Revival when speaking in Liverpool, and once more there was widespread public consternation.

In some circles in Wales after the Revival Peter Price continued to be regarded with a significant degree of disfavour. Even today there are those who only know him as the man who opposed the Welsh Revival. But his ministry was undoubtedly fruitful in Liverpool and Bethania; and after the Revival, his powerful and direct preaching won him considerable favour both in Wales and further afield. His ministry as a whole will be explored separately.

To be continued……..

Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society

The Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society is pleased to announce details of forthcoming lectures.

Monday 2 September 2019
The Rev Maber and Merthyr’s Glebelands
Barrie Jones

Monday 7 October 2019
Anthony Bacon (1717-1786) ‘A Man of Foresight’
Founder of Cyfarthfa Ironworks
Mary Owen

Monday 4 November 2019
Some Aspects of Early Nineteenth Century Housing in Merthyr Tydfil
Clive Thomas

Monday 2 December 2019
Evan Roberts the Evangelist
David Pike

Meetings are held at Canolfan Soar at 7.00pm
Membership – £10 per annum
Non members – £2 per lecture

ALL ARE WELCOME

Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society – 2019 Lecture Programme

The committee of the Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society are pleased to announce the programme for 2019’s lectures.

The Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society meet at Canolfan Soar at 7.00 on the first Monday of the month – please come along….all are welcome.

4 February
Robert Jones An Historical Walk around Abercynon
4 March
Anne Watts The Last Tsar of Russia
1 April
David Maddox Voices: Valley Women’s Lives 1900-1918
13 May
Victoria Owens Lady Charlotte Guest
3 June
Klavdija Erzen History of Jews in South Wales
1 July
Society AGM
2 September
Barrie Jones The Rev Maber and Merthyr’s Glebelands
7 October
Mary Owen To be announced
4 November
Clive Thomas Some Aspects of Early Nineteenth Century Housing in Merthyr Tydfil
2 December
David Pike Evan Roberts the Evangelist