Lower Thomas Street – The Melting Pot

Merthyr’s Chapels: Adulam Chapel

Adulam Welsh Independent Chapel, Merthyr

In 1829, David Williams, an elder at Pontmorlais Chapel, became dissatisfied with the form of worship at the chapel and led a breakaway group of worshippers and began holding meetings, originally at the Bush Hotel, Caedraw.

Mr Thomas Powell, Sadler, High Street was one of the staunch supporters of David Williams, It was Thomas Powell who negotiated the land required, and the finance for building their own place of worship. Representation was made to the land owner William Thomas Esq. of the Court Estate to lease a parcel of land to build a chapel for 99 years for the sum of 2½ pence per annum. When sufficient money was raised, a chapel to be called Adulam was built in 1831 on Tramroadside North at a cost of £250.

A painting of Merthyr from the early 1800s. The original Adulam Chapel and its graveyard can be seen at the bottom right

The ministers of Zoar and Bethesda were opposed to David Williams and his people, and many of the ministers outside Merthyr felt the same, but several favoured him and went to Adulam to preach, and invited him to their pulpits, and eventually in Tretwr Assembly, he and the people under his care were recognized as a regular church. The chapel applied to the Methodist Union for membership but were refused; but then applied to, and were accepted into the Independent Union. David Williams was duly installed as Adulam’s first minister.

The church was burdened with a large debt and little effort was made to clear it during David Williams’ lifetime. The cause did not increase much. The fact that it was an old Methodist cause meant that Congregationalists who came to the area did not feel drawn towards it, especially in view of the fact that there were Congregational chapels in the area already. Mr Williams did not live long after joining the Congregationalists, dying on 12 June 1832.

Following Rev Williams’ death, the chapel depended on visiting ministers from other local chapels until Rev Joshua Thomas was ordained on 12 April 1833. Under Rev Thomas, the congregation at Adulam began to grow. Joshua Thomas was also instrumental in the starting of the causes at Bryn Sion Chapel in Dowlais and Horeb Chapel in Penydarren.

By 1856 the congregation had grown to such an extent, that when Lower Thomas Street was being built, it was decided to build a larger chapel with the entrance now on Lower Thomas Street. The new chapel was completed in 1857 at a cost of £1200. To save money, the chapel wasn’t built on the street, but set back behind two houses with a small courtyard in front of the entrance. The new chapel also incorporated a small vestry and stables for visiting ministers which were situated beneath the chapel. The stables were later converted into two small cottages.

Within five years of the new chapel being built, Rev Abraham Matthews was inducted as the minister at Adulam Chapel. Rev Matthews became the minister of the chapel in 1862, but he left Adulam in 1865 when he and his family left Wales and became one of the first group of settlers to start up the Welsh Colony in Patagonia.

Unlike many other chapels in Merthyr, Adulam was one of those chapels frequented by working class worshipers; its membership did not include an array of financial benefactors and throughout its history struggled to maintain its religious survival. Following the death of Rev Daniel T Williams in 1876, Adulam could not afford to pay for a new minister until 1883 when Rev D C Harris became minister. One of the first things he did on becoming minister was to set about alleviating the debt on the chapel. In 1884 he sent out appeals for aid to relieve Adulam’s financial burden to every household in the area – see above right. It is interesting to note that the name of the chapel is spelt in the English way with two ‘L’s rather than the more usual Welsh way with a single ‘L’.

By the 1960s, due to falling attendances, services began being held in the vestry beneath the chapel. In 1972, the congregation had dwindled to just nine people, and the sad decision was reached that the chapel should close. The final service was held on 24 September 1972. Following its closure, several plans were put forward to use the building for a number of different projects, but none of these came to fruition. By the 1990s the building had fallen into such a derelict state that it had to be demolished.

A new development of flats has been built on the site of the chapel and is called Adulam Court.

Merthyr’s Chapels: Twynyrodyn Chapel

The next chapel we are going to look at is a chapel that has been somewhat forgotten – Twynyrodyn Unitarian Chapel.

When Rev T B Evans was appointed as minister at Ynysgau, he was considered far too conservative by the Arminian members of the congregation, and they lodged a protest. The matter was taken to court, but the Arminians lost their appeal and left Ynysgau.

In 1814 they began meeting in a room at the Patriot Inn near Ynysgau with Rev Thomas Evans taking the services. In the following few years, discussions were held regarding the opening of a Unitarian Chapel in Merthyr.

In 1820, therefore, when the congregation was forced to leave the Patriot Inn, a committee was appointed and within a year, Twynyrodyn Unitarian Chapel was opened in Court Street, and Rev David Rees was appointed as the first minister there.

After Rev Rees left in 1823, Rev David John became minister in 1826. By the 1840’s David John began expressing sympathy for the Chartist Movement and the congregation, not comfortable with his views began to leave the chapel. Due to the severe drop in the congregation, the chapel closed in 1847. Rev John thus left the chapel, but the following year, the chapel reopened and new ministers were appointed.

By the beginning of the 20th Century the old chapel was becoming obsolete and the congregation decided that they should build a new chapel. It was decided to build the new chapel in Lower Thomas Street, and the architect chosen was Mr A E Johnson who designed a very opulent, striking gothic building. With the building of the new chapel, Twynyrodyn Chapel became vacant until it was bought and became the Gospel Hall.

The chapel was demolished in 1969 during the redevelopment of the town.

The name plaque from Twynyrodyn Chapel which is now located at Hen-dy-Cwrdd Chapel in Cefn-Coed.

Lord Buckland – 17 September 1877–23 May 1928 – part 1

BOWEN, BERRY, and BILBO BAGGINS

By Irene Janes

I love putting together my family tree and one day going through the microfilm of old newspapers in the central library, for something totally unconnected, the name John Moses Bowen jumped out at me – my grandfather, and it was concerning Henry Seymour Berry. I was on the first step to finding out more of the name on the statue near the bottom of the library steps I had just passed.

BOWEN

One Thursday, in June in 1897, at Merthyr Tydfil Police Court, stood an eight year old John Moses Bowen, a pupil at Abermorlais School. He was a witness for the prosecution with regards to an assault on Thomas (Tommy) Alfred Baverstock, also aged eight, which allegedly took place on Monday, 24 May, just a month before. Bowen told the court he saw the Pupil Teacher – one Henry Seymour Berry, hit Baverstock on the head with the frame of a slate. Bowen said on the Wednesday after the incident the teacher told the class to say if anyone was to ask, they were to say he (Berry) did not hit Baverstock.

Abermorlais School. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

Wyndham Marshall, aged nine, confirmed he saw Berry break the slate on William Joseph Foy’s head and like Bowen saw him strike Baverstock with its frame. He said a few days later, at school, Berry had asked him where was Baverstock, to which Marshall answered ‘he was home’, as Baverstock’s brother had hit him in the eye. Marshall explained to the hearing he had said this only because Berry had told him to say that the brother had caused the injury.

Elizabeth Baverstock said her son had made a complaint to her and she went to the school to show Berry her son’s eye. Berry had knelt down and asked her son “Did I do it Tommy?” The lad replied “Yes.” Berry then asked the mother to let him know every day how the boy was and once he sent down to ask.

William Joseph Foy, aged eleven, was called for the defence. He said it was not true that Berry had broken a slate on his head, like the one produced in court, or that Berry had struck Baverstock with the remnants of the slate. Alfred W Dean, aged eight, also denied seeing Berry assault Baverstock.

Mr W. N. North presiding said he was bound to state that he did not believe the evidence for the prosecution because they, Bowen and Marshall, had contradicted themselves in a very marked manner. He believed the evidence of the two boys, called by the defence, Foy and Dean, and dismissed the case.

(Information from The South Wales Echo, 18 June 1897)

BERRY

Born at 73, Lower Thomas Street, to John Mathias and Mary Ann Berry. Seymour first went to Abermorlais School as a pupil and was fortunate to befriend John Payne who helped him with his schoolwork. Several years later Berry, became the first Pupil Teacher in Abermorlais School. However, he decided a teaching career was not for him. Therefore, on 1 September 1897, two and half months after the alleged assault, (mentioned above) he left the profession and went to work with his father.

His parents had moved to Merthyr Tydfil from Pembrokeshire. To supplement his wages as a railway clerk John Mathias Berry sold packets of tea and then became a commercial traveller. Henry Seymour and his father must have proved to be a good team as seven years later they opened J.M. Berry and Son, Auctioneers & Estate Agents in Victoria Street.

In 1907 he married Gwladys Mary, Justice of the Peace, Mr Simon Sandbrook. They went on to have five daughters.

Berry’s father was the agent of David Alfred Thomas, Liberal M.P. for Merthyr Tydfil (1888-1910). Henry Seymour’s hard work, ambition, and keenness to seize an opportunity soon saw him become a protégé to this politician and industrialist. This set Berry on his way to becoming a very successful and rich man. Thomas became Viscount Rhondda in 1918.

Seymour Berry was now beginning to be regarded as a social climber.

In 1915 Berry suggested to Thomas, who was no longer an M.P., but a creator and controller of the largest combined collieries in Wales, he should go and work with him. Berry didn’t want a wage but a chance to show his capabilities.

The following year Thomas joined the government’s cabinet. He turned to Berry to look after his numerous industrial companies. When Thomas joined the government’s cabinet Berry took on more responsibly and 1918 was a director of over sixty companies.

To be continued…..

Merthyr Memories: Tramroadside North Memories

by Christine Brewer (née Williams)

I was born on Tramroadside North during the War, and I spent all of my early life there. The Tramroadside North I remember from that time bares very little resemblance to the same area today – it has been developed beyond recognition.

The part of Tramroadside North that I am talking about, or ‘The Tramroad’ as it’s more commonly known, is the road that runs between Church Street and what was known as Harris’ Hill – roughly where the Tesco roundabout is today. When I was growing up, the road was much narrower and was lined on both sides with small houses and cottages.

A map showing Tramroadside North (marked in yellow)

On the side of the road nearest the Railway Station were also several ‘courts’ of houses: Joseph’s Court, Vaughan’s Court and Rosser’s Court. There was also a pub, The Tydfil Arms, and we also had a green-grocer’s shop and a small ‘front-room shop’ in one of the houses.

An aerial view showing the top part of the Tramroad. The Tydfil Arms is at the centre of the photo (the larger white building). Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

When I was a child I clearly remember the old tram-lines running down the middle of the road, the trams had stopped running years before of course, and I also remember the air-raid shelter near the lane up to Thomas Street. I often wondered how effective this would have been in an air-raid as it was quite a flimsy brick-built building just built at the side of the road.

The Tramroad decorated for the coronation of King George VI in 1937. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

Most of the families who lived on the Tramroad had lived there for generations, and we were a community all of our own. Everyone knew everyone else, and I could tell you who lived in almost every house. I was born in a very small two up, one down cottage – the youngest of five children, so when I was young I went to live with my aunt who had more room. She lived at the bottom end of the Tramroad, and had huge garden which stretched all the way back to the Station Yard. I clearly remember the animals being brought into the Station Yard before being taken to the abattoir, which was near the present day Farm Foods store.

There were, of course, some characters living on the Tramroad. One of our neighbours had a garden full of fantastic cabbages, and whenever anyone asked her about them, she would say that she had buried her husband’s ashes there, and that is what made them so big. Another lady, actually another one of my aunts, had a menagerie in her house. Whenever she came across an injured animal, she would take them in and care of them. Over the years I remember her having many wild birds, hedgehogs etc. At one time I even remember her having a fox-cub!

At the top of the Tramroad was Adulam Chapel. The chapel actually faced Lower Thomas Street, but the cemetery was on the Tramroad, and there was path to the chapel through the cemetery. I went to Adulam Chapel every Sunday, and I remember going to Sunday School in the vestry underneath the chapel and being taught the Lord’s Prayer in Welsh by the teacher Evan John Peters.

The Tramroad in the 1960’s with Adulam Chapel in the middle of the photo. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

Also underneath Adulam Chapel were two very small houses that shared a kitchen and toilet. When I was a little older, my sister married and moved into one of these houses. I dreaded going to see her as I would have to walk along a path through the cemetery to get to the house; I remember one occasion walking down the path and a boy jumping out at me from behind a grave – he thought it was one of his friends and wanted to frighten him…..he certainly frightened me!

Adulam Chapel. Left is the front of the Chapel on Thomas Street. Right is the back of the chapel on the Tramroad, showing the cemetery with the path (left) leading to the houses

So much has changed. Most of the houses have been demolished, and all of the courts, the Tydfil Arms and Adulam Chapel have all gone. It’s sad to look back and see all I remember disappeared.