Pant Cemetery

by J Ann Lewis

Pant cemetery opened in 1849 owing to the Cholera outbreak that had claimed so many lives, and the shortage of space at St John’s Church burial ground and other burial grounds in the area. The Dowlais Works had been unable to give any of their land as it contained minerals, so the prominent landowner, the Hon. Robert Clive, gave two acres of land near the Kissing-Gate opposite the Pant Cad Ifor Inn on the following conditions:

That the ground was consecrated
A fence was made around it
A chapel was built for prayers

The Dowlais Company organised the last two conditions and the Rev Jenkins officiated at the consecration ceremony.

One of the first burials at Pant Cemetery was on 6 August 1849, of a four-year-old boy who had probably died of cholera. During this epidemic, 1,432 victims died. Two more cholera outbreaks followed on 1854 and 1866.

In October 1858, the newly formed Dowlais Burial Board borrowed £1,200 for a new burial ground, and ensured that a new site, given by Lady Windsor, was opened in 1860. There were, in effect, two cemeteries at Pant which were situated next to each other. The Established Church’s cemetery which had opened in 1849 and the Dowlais Board’s in 1860. They later became one single cemetery.

The cemetery has been extended several times, once in 1903 when £1,950 was borrowed for the purpose. The land adjoining Pant Cemetery was acquired from Lord Windsor and Messrs Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds Ltd, for the sum of £100 an acre, and £312 was paid to Messrs Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds Ltd for providing an arable field instead of the one taken over by the council. The topsoil was taken from the building site at Caeracca Villas and was used for making up the graves.

Pant Cemetery in the early 1900s with Mr Bunn who worked at the cemetery for 57 years, seven as a grave-digger and fifty as sexton. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

Also in 1903, a storm caused considerable damage when some large poplar trees in the cemetery blew down. The fallen trees were used to make decent seats for visitors, and the remaining logs were used for firewood for the road roller.

In the part of the cemetery opened in 1860, there were about 130 trees growing to a height of 35 – 40 ft. Add to these the 224 trees in the area opened in 1874, as can be seen, the trees were taking up a lot of space. One of the trees covered an area of 90feet in circumference, whilst others covered people’s headstones with the roots striking into adjoining graves. In 1907, about 25 trees were cut down, made into blocks of about 24 inches and sold to the public for 6d each.

In the area added to the cemetery in 1882, a belt of trees 60 yards long and 10 yards wide ran along the boundary wall. These trees were no trouble however, and were planted for the purpose of secluding the adjoining Brynonen House.

1862 saw the completion of the chapel at Pant Cemetery. It soon became too small for the increased number of worshippers, so the larger Christ Church was built nearby. It continued to be used for special occasions until the 1950s when it was demolished. A new church was built which was used by the Roman Catholic Church for a while, but the building is now used as a storeroom.

Pant Cemetery Gates showing the old chapel. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

In 1906, 400 tons of stone were quarried at Pant Cemetery to make further space for graves. Also a complaint was made to Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds Ltd about the danger of blasting at the nearby Bryniau Quarry during a burial service; fortunately no-one was injured. Later, in 1947, two people who died in Pengarnddu during the terrible snow-storms were brought by sledge down past Caeracca Farm to be buried.

Over the years the cemetery has been an accepted place for walks, and on sunny days it is interesting to read the many different verses and messages on the gravestones. One such verse reads: “Chewing gum, chewing gum made of wax sent me to the grave at last”.

Merthyr Tydfil and its Brave Souls of War

by Gavin Burns

Upon moving to Merthyr in 2010 and in the years that followed, it always struck me as strange that there were multiple war memorials scattered around with names (Pant/Cefn/Troedyrhiw etc), but that the main war memorial was locked away in Pontmorlais, with no record of any names. Fast forward to 2019 and a chance advert on Ebay caught my eye, where a 1914/1915 trio of medals were up for sale to a Merthyr man who had been killed in World War 1. Unfortunately I can’t remember the name and I didn’t purchase them, but it made me look into how many men had died from Merthyr at the time and how were they commemorated.

This slowly morphed into my current project which members may have seen, which is called “Merthyr Tydfil Remembers – The WW1 & WW2 Memorial Project”. Initially set up as a Facebook page for somewhere to post some of my research, it became apparent that people across the Borough have found the articles and pictures really interesting, and it has grown from there.

The aim of the page is to find out about the men and women who gave their lives in both wars. Where they lived, where they served & their actions which resulted in the ultimate sacrifice, their lives. The end goal is to be able to have a full memorial list which is accessible for everyone, to allow us to always remember. I certainly didn’t realise the magnitude of the task at hand until I found a rough estimate of numbers who had passed.

When the War Memorial in Pontmorlais was opened in 1931, the memorial handbook states that they believe over 1140 names would have had to be added, and due to the number, the names were not included on the memorial but in a hand out, which would turn into a “beautifully bound and illuminated book, to be deposited at Cyfarthfa Castle and then the Free Library”. Unfortunately, this never happened. The handout is now the basis of my project, and what has become apparent, is the number of anomalies within the booklet.

Noting it is 2022 and we now have the internet, but also with the various research methods now available (including most importantly WW1 pension records), I have begun cross referencing each name in the 1931 booklet to ensure they are from Merthyr. Alongside this, I have been searching through the Merthyr Express & Western Mail from 1914 – 1919, locating photos and articles that were published weekly of the men who served.

Whilst I have marked a number of entries as needing to be potentially deleted, the most important aspect is the 60+ men (and rising) who I have found from Merthyr who were missing from the initial memorial booklet. Work is ongoing, although it is a huge project.

Some of the stories of sheer bravery I have come across from Merthyr has been astounding – and one I feel that needs to be highlighted. Everyone is aware of John Collins winning the Victoria Cross at the Battle of Beersheba (and so they should), but some other examples below which are not in the ‘public eye’ so to speak:-

Sgt John Owen (Dowlais), who was killed in the fighting at Bourlon Wood, Cambrai with the Welsh Regiment. He was found dead on top of a German Bosche Dug Out, having single handily bombed the dug out, killing 40 Germans. Remarkably, John was not awarded with a gallantry award (however, I am still convinced he must have been!)
Lt John Arthur Howfield (Vaynor), who was awarded the Military Cross for attending to casualties under heavy shell fire, and rescuing a comrade whose clothes had caught fire following a hit from a German shell. He was later killed in action in September 1918.
Company Sergeant Major, David Jones (Penydarren), who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in October 1917 for actions at St Julien where he captured an enemy stronghold and killed the Garrison. He was subsequently killed by a German sniper whilst looking for an injured officer in no mans land in November 1917. David has been recently rededicated following the identification of his body this year.
Private James O’Brien (Dowlais) who was awarded the Military Medal for taking part in a German Trench raid with the Lancashire Fusiliers, where he was involved in hand to hand combat with the Germans. Such is the magnitude of the raid, the Lancashire Fusiliers Museum has a highlighted citation on the raid, which shows 2 x Military Crosses, 1 x DCM and 6 x Military Medals were awarded in connection with the raid.

The Merthyr Knuts with Sgt John Collins front centre

Since I have started this project, it has brought me into contact with so many people who have been willing to share pictures & stories of their relatives, which has enabled me to post them onto the page and I am very grateful.

Some of the brave men I have researched:-

Pte Ieuan George (Vaynor Villas) – awarded the Military Medal in April/May 1917 ‘ for conspicuous bravery during a bombing attack on the German lines, during which he was badly wounded in both arms’. He was killed in action by a German Sniper on 14th July 1918.

Pte Llewellyn Thomas Samuel (Dowlais) – discharged due to sickness on active duty & died in 1920. Buried at Pant Cemetery.

2nd Lt Richard Stanley Evans & his brother Captain Rees Tudor Evans’ (Brynteg Villa), who were both killed in action on the same day at the same battle in Gallipoli (10th August 1915).

An open request to anyone reading this – if you have any pictures, stories, memorabilia etc. from relatives (or even non relatives) from Merthyr and would be willing to share with myself, that would be fantastic. I am keen to continue sharing stories to ensure their memory stays alive. I am also a keen collector of war memorabilia to Merthyr to preserve items locally, and to ensure they are ‘brought home’.

Lest We Forget.

For further information on the memorial project or how to adopt a Merthyr war grave, please go to www.merthyr-remembers.co.uk

The Pant Fever Hospital – part 2

by J Ann Lewis

Mr James Ricketts was Superintendant of the Hospital for several years; he was given a Rechabite funeral after his death in August 1899. The Independent Order of Rechabites, also known as the Sons and Daughters of Rechab, is a fraternal organisation and friendly society founded in England in 1835 as part of the wider temperance movement to promote total abstinence from alcoholic beverages. His wife Mary Ann then had charge of the hospital until her death a few months later. Their gravestone lies in Pant Cemetery.

During another outbreak of Typhoid Fever in September 1900, it was felt that the infection might have come from the common food supply, such as milk, or dust carried in the atmosphere from one infected district into another. The bacteria would grow on potato peelings, in water containing small quantities of animal matter, in urine and other excreta. When we remember that in many districts, the common method of disposing of urine slops was into the gutter, it is easy to understand how the disease spread, and it did indeed frequently spread down the street in the direction of slop water. The children playing in polluted puddles that collected in bad and broken surfaces were soon infected, and this would cause the spread of the disease.

There was also much debate as to who should care for the families of men stricken with Smallpox or the like; the committee deciding that poor families should be given 8s per week relief rather than make them paupers and admit them to the Workhouse.

In 1902, one patient suffering from Smallpox slipped away from the hospital and was found talking to several children; the parents were justifiably upset and sent a letter of complaint to the Committee. On another occasion, during their convalescence, two male patients also slipped away and visited the local public house, and on returning to the hospital, broke several windows and some furniture. In due course they were fined for the damage and for exposing themselves whilst suffering from an infectious disease.

I was fascinated to read that in 1906, my grandmother was fined 5s for allowing my father, aged three years old at the time, to sit on the front doorstep of their home in Lower Elizabeth Street, Dowlais whilst suffering from Scarlet Fever.

In October 1902, one man suffering from Smallpox walked from his home in the High Street, Dowlais to the Penydarren Surgery, and came into contact with at least 50 people; this caused great concern as many children had yet to be vaccinated. Another man had tramped all the way from Glasgow looking for work, only to arrive in Merthyr destitute, and dying just 20 days later from Typhus Fever which he had contracted on the journey.

Over time, the residents of Pant and Dowlais became increasing distraught that patients in the hospital were able to receive parcels and converse with outsiders over the wall, and were also seen receiving ice cream from the local ice cream vendors. They were also worried about the precautions undertaken by the nurses and other staff for disinfecting themselves on leaving the hospital.

During the 1902 Smallpox outbreak, at least 13 patients were nursed at the hospital. A petition, signed by 640 people, was presented to the council asking that a temporary hospital be erected away the area and the building be removed. In the meanwhile, Pant School was to be closed while patients were nursed there. It is hard to understand why a school was built so near a fever hospital, and, so fearful were people that some carried Camphor tablets in a little bag around their neck to ‘ward off’ the infection when passing the hospital.

A map showing the proximity of Pant School to the Fever Hospital

When the new Mardy Central Fever Hospital was officially opened in 1907 (a temporary iron structure having been constructed on the Mardy Estate for nursing Smallpox patients a few years earlier), the Pant Fever Hospital was no longer required, much to the relief of the people of Pant and Dowlais. The hospital was destroyed by fire, as planned by the committee, on 24 August 1907.

A photograph showing Pant Fever hospital (in the background)

The West Family Version of the 17 Miracles – part 1

The following article, contributed by Maryellen West, is a fine example of the excellent job done by local Family History experts.

In 2017 my goal for visiting Wales was to discover Margaret Rowland, the sister of Job Rowland, my great-great grandfather who immigrated to the United States in 1849. I had records that indicated that her husband, Morgan Thomas, had been buried in Pant Cemetery in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales but nothing about her and I was determined to suss out her information.

In March of 2017, my friend Sandra, my two brothers and their wives and I set out for a journey that would take us across the south of England, thru Scotland and straight into our family’s history in Wales.

The day we arrived in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, we went to the Glamorgan history center, and spent a couple of confusing hours trying to determine how to begin our search. At a loss, we decided to pick up a few pamphlets and to go to the Pant cemetery where we were sure we could find the grave of Morgan Thomas, the husband of Margaret Rowland, or at least find someone who could guide us to the grave.

When we arrived, we were stunned having been used to our western American cemeteries of limited size. Pant was huge! Hill upon hill of ancient gravestones in every conceivable condition of disrepair. We all stood in disbelief as we stared at the task before us. We ultimately decided just to walk around a bit as we prayed to be guided in the right direction. After about 30 minutes of wandering we met and determined that this would be a hopeless endeavor and somewhat discouraged we left for dinner.

The next morning, we went to the Ynysfach Engine House (a genealogical repository and information center) in Merthyr to begin our research. It is there where the miracles began as we entered the Engine House and met miracle number one: Terry Jones.

Richard, Joe, Eileen, and I were downstairs learning about the history of the iron industry in town when Sharon and Sandy went upstairs to wander and look for restrooms. There they encountered a gentleman working on a computer and began a conversation with him about our quest. When they mentioned trying to find one grave amongst the 10,000 in Pant Cemetery he realized that we really did need some help. He arranged for us to meet him at the cemetery office across the street where he introduced us to Deb, the keeper of records. Here we not only found Margaret’s grave site number but others who were related and resided next to her. We were able to arrange with her husband, the caretaker of the cemetery, to meet later that day to see the graves.

Miracle number two occurred when we returned to the cemetery and realized that all six of us had previously stood very near the actual site of the graves at some point as we wandered the cemetery. The reason we didn’t see the graves was they were covered entirely by a huge tree that had completely swallowed them. We had photographed the tree because it was so immense and imposing but for no other reason. We returned later to cut away some of the lower branches so that Sharon could crawl inside and read the writing on the headstones and we discovered that we had many more relatives buried in this plot than we realized.

Miracle number three came with a visit to the Colly Ishaf farm upon which Margaret and Morgan Thomas farmed. It is no longer in the Thomas family, but the current owners allowed us to visit and photograph the place where our family lived. We discovered the name of the farm listed on the back of a photograph found Aunt Mary Miller’s material.

To be continued……

Merthyr’s Boxers: Tosh Powell

Thomas Morgan ‘Tosh’ Powell was born in Mountain Hare in 1908. His father, Richard, a collier moved to the Cynon Valley to work when Tosh was still a child, with the family settling in Llwydcoed.

Although there is no record of when “Tosh” Powell first started fighting, he was an amateur fighter over a year before he turned professional, with a recorded fight at the Drill Hall in Merthyr in April 1926. Powell’s first recorded professional fight was against Trealaw’s Nobby Baker, at Merthyr Tydfil on 30 April 1927. Baker was the more experienced professional with seven undefeated contests to his name. The fight went the full fifteen rounds, with Baker winning by points decision. Despite his lack of professional fights, Powell’s next opponent was against Johnny Edmunds, the holder of the Welsh bantamweight title. The fight took place at Snow’s Pavilion in Merthyr on 9 July 1927 and was scheduled for twenty rounds. Edmunds, with 48 fights was vastly more experienced, but Powell stopped him via technical knockout in the tenth round, taking the Welsh title.

Two months after the contest with Edmunds, Powell was given a re-match against Nobby Baker, which was also recognised as a title defence for Powell’s bantamweight belt. Baker had been the busier of the two boxers in the four months between their meetings, contesting six matches to Powell’s single fight against Edmunds; though Baker’s last two bouts had seen him face defeat for the first time in his career. The fifteen round match, held in Pontypridd, ended after just seven rounds when Powell stopped Baker in the seventh round on a technical knockout. This contest is regarded as a successful title defence.

Nearly five months later Powell faced Tom Samuels, a novice professional from Treharris. The match lasted only seven rounds when Samuels was disqualified. Although this is recorded as Samuels’s only professional fight, this was regarded as a challenge for the Welsh bantamweight championship, and thus a second successful title defence for Powell. On 1 March 1928, Powell fought his first contest outside Wales when he travelled to Liverpool to fight local boxer Lew Sullivan. Sullivan, who had 25 professional matches behind him, had only been stopped once in his career, in the fifteenth round of an encounter with Kid Rich. Powell made it a short contest by knocking Sullivan out in the first round. This would be Powell’s only clean knockout in his professional career.

Powell was invited back to Liverpool two months later, with a fight arranged against Dutch featherweight Rein Kokke. The fifteen round match only lasted three rounds when Kokke was stopped through a technical knockout. Powell had now fought in six professional fights with five wins and just one defeat. Six days after his fight with Kokke, Powell was back in the ring, a hometown match in Aberdare, in his third encounter with Nobby Baker. This time the fight was not considered a title defence, which was fortunate for Powell who was stopped for the second time in his career, and the second time to Baker who again beat him on a points decision after the contest went the distance.

Powell’s final fight would take him to Liverpool for the third time in his professional career, when he was arranged to fight with London bantamweight Billy Housego. Housego was slightly more experienced with twelve pro fights, but his record was poorer with only five wins, and of those, four were won by points. Boxrec states that the fight took part on 31 May 1928, though other sources agree on the following day, Friday 1 June. The fight at The Stadium, was scheduled for fifteen three-minute rounds, and in a close contest the fight reached the last round. With only a minute of the fight remaining Housego knocked Powell to the canvas. Powell recovered to his feet on the count of seven, but after returning in a daze to his corner he collapsed. The referee, Mr Gamble, stopped the contest with the match awarded to Housego on a technical knockout. Powell was carried to the dressing rooms, where the doctor on attendance recommended that he be taken to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary. His death, which occurred on Saturday 2 June at 5:50pm, was attributed to a haemorrhage of the brain, he was 20 years old.

At the inquest, Powell’s father Richard, testified that his son had not been training before the encounter with Housego, and that he had tried to cancel the fight. Richard Powell stated that the Liverpool promoter, Albert Taylor, had threatened that he would have his son’s license suspended if he pulled out of the fight. Taylor denied these claims. The doctor who performed the autopsy testified that the rupture ‘might happen to anybody’, the charges were dropped but the promoter was censured.

Tosh Powell was buried in the town of his birth, at Pant Cemetery. Thousands lined the route of the funeral to pay tribute to the young boxing star. Among the floral tributes was a wreath in the shape of a torn harp. It came from Billy Housego.

I have had several requests for more articles about boxers, and one specific request for Tosh Powell – hence this article. As I am not an expert on the subject, however, most of the text in this article is transcribed, with permission, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tosh_Powell. I try not to use Wikipedia articles verbatim, but this is an exception. Please forgive any mistakes.

If anyone would like to contribute any articles about the excellent boxing tradition in Merthyr – please get in touch…I am sure there are people much better qualified than me to write about Merthyr’s boxers.

Merthyr’s Heritage Plaques: John Collins

by Keith Lewis-Jones

John Collins V.C., D.C.M., M.M.
Plaque sited in the foyer of Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery
Memorial Plinth in the grounds of St. Tydfil’s Church, Merthyr Tydfil

John Collins was born in West Hatch, Somerset in 1880 and came to Merthyr when he was about ten years old.

He fought in the Boer War and also served in India. In 1914 he joined the Welsh Regiment.

He won his Victoria Cross whilst serving in Palestine with the 25th Battalion, The Royal Welch Fusiliers. The citation states:

“…although isolated and under fire from snipers and guns, he showed throughout a magnificent example of initiative and fearlessness.”

Known as Jack the V.C., he died in 1951 and is buried in Pant Cemetery.

Merthyr Memories: Memories of Dowlais – part 2

by Sarnws

Ivor Street in particular had a reputation for being generous to beggars, who in those days would just walk up the middle of the road, often silent, cap in hand, and the children would run in to tell their mothers, who in turn would spare a few coppers.

Ivor Street in the 1970’s, shortly before it was demolished. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

This was in the thirties. By now we had moved from “Merthyr” which generally describes Merthyr itself, Dowlais, Penydarren, Heolgerrig, Pant, Georgetown Twynyrodyn etc. One day I dashed in from the street, quite excited, to tell my mother that there was a beggar, cap in hand, walking down the middle of the road just chanting “Ho Hum, Ho Hum” repetitively. She was as excited as I was and in turn dashed out to put something in his hat. It was a link with “home”, for he was well known to her.

I remember that beggars were quite a common sight. My father in the very early nineteen hundreds, before going to work as an apprentice blacksmith, worked in Toomeys. He was paying in to the bank one day when a beggar who used to push himself around, mounted on a small flat trolley with the aid if two short sticks, was paying in. When he reached the counter, the clerk checking in not an insignificant amount asked if he had had a good day. The reply was, “Average”.

On a few occasions at about 8.30 pm on a Saturday there would be a message from one of the houses in Pontsarn or Pontsicill, to the effect that some friends had dropped in so would Mr. Toomey send up the brace of pheasants he had hanging. My father would be sent on the errand, having been given two-pence for the tram, and with the kind instruction that he needn’t come back.

Until the day she died, sadly quite young, if someone asked my mother when making her way to the train for her weekly visit, where she was going, the reply was always the same, “Home for the day”.

I remember my father, when on a visit to Merthyr when Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles were still there, showing me the Trevithick memorial in Pontmorlais, and being brought up with knowledge of the social and industrial heritage of “Merthyr” and its contribution to the world.

Is it possible when the light is just right that a mirage of the Coal Arch can be seen?

Does the glow from the Bessemer converter still light the night sky?

When I retired, thirty years ago I took the elderly aunt of a colleague to lunch in the Teapot Cafe at the end of the Station Arcade, which was the main exit from Brunel’s station. A lady came in with her husband, nodded to me and smiled. She turned to her husband and I could see her say, ”I know that gentleman”. I could not place her, and just nodded as we left.

The Station Arcade in the 1980s. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

A little while later I saw her again in the company of friends or family one of whom I knew. I was drawn into their company. The lady had been living on Orpington as teacher and then head teacher for thirty-five years, so had not encountered me in that time. It transpired that she remembered me from Dowlais school, fifty years before.

My son has a silver pocket watch and chain, given to me by my uncle, of the same christian name just before he died. It was bequeathed to him by an uncle, again of the same name. His aunt had it serviced for him by the clockmaker half way up the arcade. That must have been about 1920.

As you entered that clockmaker’s premises, facing you was a huge grandfather clock. Integral with the pendulum was a cylinder of mercury. This expanded and contracted with temperature change, compensating for the temperature variation in the length of the pendulum rod, seemingly so simple a concept, but how brilliant.

I was telling a colleague, who had been brought up in Dowlais, but previously unknown to me, that I could remember standing under the railway bridge at the end of Station Road, sheltering from the rain, and watching the Fish and Chip shop opposite, in Victoria Street I think, burning down. He turned and said that he had been there too. That had happened, I think, in the winter of 38/39. Thirty-five years or so before.

I have tooted the car horn many times on Johnny Owen, out for his morning run. I always got a wave of the hand in return. What a number of boxers and other sportspeople Merthyr has produced. The last years of my working life were in Merthyr, and being steeped in its history by my parents, it was interesting to encounter family names which were familiar to me, particularly the Spanish ones, as I was familiar with their family histories to some extent.

My parents are buried in Pant Cemetery, as are Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, Cousins and more. Whenever I visit I cannot but drive around Dowlais, now much changed, but a place to which I am still drawn.

Except for one year, October ‘38 to September ‘39, when I attended Dowlais Junior School, and was a patient for three months in the childrens’ hospital which occupied the original Sandbrook House, I have not lived in Merthyr since I was a baby. When I was discharged from Sandbrook House I had been indoors for nearly the whole of my stay and insisted on riding up as far as the Hollybush Hotel on the open top deck of the tram. The era of the tram ended very shortly afterwards.

Sandbrook House. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Collection

I seem to have read or heard somewhere that nature has implanted within you a sacred and indissoluble attachment to the place of your birth and infant nurture, perhaps Tydfil’s martyrdom has created this aura about Merthyr which evokes such hiraeth.

Minnie James and the Temple of Peace – part 3

by Peter Garwood
(courtesy of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs)

OPENING DAY

The Welsh National Temple of Peace and Health was meant as a symbolic gesture of the commitment of the whole of Wales to two causes by providing space for two organisations: the King Edward VII memorial association, which funded research into tuberculosis, and the League of Nations Union in Wales, formed to support the work of the League of Nations and its efforts for international peace.

The day of the opening of the Temple of Peace and Health arrived: a typical November day with a gale that had torn branches off trees in Cathays Park. In his opening speech, Alderman Sir Charles H. Bird CBE said:

“Much thought has been given to the question as to who should be asked to unlock the door on the occasion of to-day’s function, and it was felt that no better choice could be made than some representative Welsh mother, to represent not only the mothers of Wales and the Empire, who lost their sons in the Great War, but also to the mothers of other countries, the loss of whose sons has brought such poignant sorrow to them, whatever their nationality may be.

So it is that we have with us today Mrs James of Dowlais who lost three of her sons, and we are all happy in the knowledge that she has been spared to join with us in this ceremony of dedication.

It is, therefore , with great sense of the honourable position to which I have been appointed as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Welsh National Temple of peace and Health, that I now call upon Mr Percy Thomas, the architect of this building to present Mrs James with the key, and to request her to perform the opening ceremony.”

Minnie James at the opening of the National Temple of Peace

At the ceremony Mrs James was wearing a hat and holding a large bouquet of scarlet carnations given by the Hon. Lady Davies and was wearing all three sets of medals that had belonged to her sons. Mrs James spoke into the microphone:

“We are assembled here to day to take part in the solemn dedication of this building for the noble purposes for which it was erected.”

She was presented with a Golden Key by Mr Percy Thomas, the architect, to open the doors of the Temple. He said: “Mrs James I have pleasure in presenting you with this key and asking you to accept it as a little token of this what I know must be a memorable occasion for you.” Mrs James said “thank you” and gave a short speech:

“In the name of the women of Wales it is my privilege to open the building. I dedicate it to the memorial to those gallant men of all nations who gave their lives in the war that was to end war. I pray that it may come to be regarded by the people of my country both of our generation and of those that are to follow as a constant reminder of the debt we owe to the millions who sacrificed their all in a great cause and as a symbol of our determination to strive for justice and peace in the future.”

Because she was speaking in a low voice, and despite the microphone, the newspapers reported that not all the hundreds of people present were able to hear her.

She then took the key from the presentation box and symbolically put the golden key into the lock of the bronze doors (which are still there today), pushed the door open and was the first person of those gathered outside to enter the newly opened temple of peace. The guests entered the Great Hall and sat down. Mrs James and the bereaved mothers then entered the Great Hall and the assembled crowd stood up as the bereaved mothers and other representatives entered. They walked down the central aisle to the platform. Hundreds of guests from all over the world stood up in tribute and respect.

Hymns were sung, and prayers given, The Rev. Dr Elvet Lewis spoke in Welsh and then ended his remarks in English: “So this day we dedicate this Temple for Peace and Health. Health will make for better peace and peace will make for better health, and then the blessing of God will come on all people around us in god fellowship, in kindness, and in a harmony that will last forever.”

The mothers chosen to represent countries from all over the world stood up and spoke. First was Mrs E. Lewer of Aldeburgh speaking on behalf of the mothers of Great Britain, then spoke Mrs R Struben form the Union of South Africa, speaking for the British Commonwealth mothers. Mrs Cederlund of Sweden for the Scandinavian countries said: “In the name of the women of Scandinavia I associate myself with the dedication of this building. May it be a constant reminder to the people of Wales of their duty to further the cause of progress, freedom, peace, and justice and of the debt they owe to those who fell in the defence of these ideals.”

Mrs Moller spoke for the U.S.A., and Madame Dumontier from France spoke for the European countries.

For a full account of the opening ceremony, see ‘The New Mecca: an account of the opening ceremony of the Temple of Peace and Health’, which, thanks to Wales for Peace volunteers, can now be accessed through the People’s Collection Wales.

The Welsh National Temple of Peace and Health in 2018

Mrs Minnie James in later life

Minnie James died at the age of 87 and was buried on 3rd April 1954 at Merthyr Tydfil Council Cemetery Pant. Her death was reported in the Merthyr Express on April 10th 1954 (Page 16). This mentions that she had opened the Temple of Peace in 1938 and that she had been an active spiritualist for over 71 years. It reveals that at the time of her death, her youngest son William was alive and that her daughter, Winifred, was also living.

The paper stated: “It is difficult for those who knew her to realise life without Mrs James. She had known great sorrow in World War 1, her three sons, David, Jack and Tom made the supreme sacrifice. This experience merely enriched her life and was responsible for her many ministrations of good. He home was a sanctuary to many and the obvious tributes paid reveal the esteem in which she was held by her close as well as by far distant friends.

She will long be remembered for her gentleness, her immense triumph over personal sorrow and serenity of spirit. It was a privilege to have known her. Her home and wide circle of friends gaze sadly at the vacant chair but gratefully recall the lines:-

“The memory of the just is blessed”. She will long be remembered as the heroine of the spirit who was so aptly chosen as official opener of the “The Temple of Peace”.

Her daughter and son, Winifred, known as “Winnie” and William , known as “Billy” never married and moved out of 8 Cross Francis Street in 1968. Her surviving children do not appear to have had any children themselves and with their eventual deaths the James family passed into history.

Peter Garwood (with notes by Ffion Fielding), August 2017.

Thank you to the Welsh Centre of International Affairs for allowing me to use this truly fascinating article.

Original article can by found at:

http://wcia.org.uk/Senedd/WomenWarPeace_Stories_MinnieJames.html

Minnie James and the Temple of Peace – part 1

by Peter Garwood
(courtesy of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs)

In November 1938 Minnie James was thrust into the limelight when Lord David Davies decided that he would like to have a Welsh mother who had lost sons in the Great War to open the Welsh National Temple of Peace and Health on behalf of all mothers who had lost sons.

Minnie James from a Movietone news film about the opening of the National Temple of Peace.

But who was Minnie James? Peter Garwood, Wales for Peace volunteer, has been trawling through the archives to find out more.

Minnie James was born as Minnie Annie Elizabeth Watkins on 3rd October 1866 at Merthyr Tydfil.

Minnie Watkins married William James, a bachelor, age 23 on 1st January 1891, at the Parish Church in the Parish of Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. The 1911 census shows the family living in a seven roomed house, 8 Cross Francis Street, Dowlais. William is working as a Clerk, Minnie has no listed occupation. The parents have been married for 20 years and have had eight children, six of whom are still alive. David is 19 and single and working as a Draughtsman, John is age 16, single and working as a Apprentice Fitter, Thomas is still in school. There are two new children: Winifred James age 7 born Merthyr and William James , age 1 born Dowlais. The family are sufficiently well off to have a General Servant, one Elizabeth A. Murphy, age 22, a single woman, born Dowlais.

Two children had died:

Elizabeth age 2 months who died and was buried 28th September 1901 at Merthyr Tydfil Council Cemetery Section.
Gwladys age 7, who died and was buried 6th March 1907 at Merthyr Tydfil Council Cemetery Section.

1914-1918: the impact of war on the James family

In 1914 the Great War broke out and men were quick to enlist. Minnie’s first son, David James joined the Welsh Guards, enlisting at Merthyr. He entered the theatre of war on 17th August 1915 in France. He was killed in action on 25th September 1916, age 24.

Like many men who died in the conflict of 1914-1918, his body was never identified and he is named on the Thiepval Memorial. He was awarded the British Victory and War medal along with the 1915 Star. His death was reported in the Western Mail on 13th October 1916.

The war ended in November 1918 but her second son Thomas had joined the 13th Welsh Regiment and had been wounded in France dying from wounds, age 21, on Christmas Day 1918. He was awarded the British Victory and War medal.

Her third son James, (known as Jack) had joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers and entered the theatre of war on 1st December 1915. He was wounded during the war, and awarded the British Victory and War medal along with the 1915 Star and the Silver War Badge for wounds. He was discharged on 28th January 1919.

However, he died on 23rd June 1920 at 8 Cross Francis Street, age 24 with his father present, eighteen months after his brother Thomas. His death certificate records the fact that the cause of death was “General Tuberculosis”. He was buried on 26th June 1920 at Merthyr Tydfil Council Cemetery, Pant.

All three sons who died in the Great War are commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Minnie’s husband William James died at the age of 68, he had served as a Special Constable in the Great War and was buried on 20th November 1936 at Merthyr Tydfil Council Cemetery, Pant.

……to be continued.

Original article can by found at:

http://wcia.org.uk/Senedd/WomenWarPeace_Stories_MinnieJames.html