From the Merthyr Express 80 years ago today….
Merthyr Station and its Approaches
Tag: Tramroadside North
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.
Now it always occurs to me that the doctoring system is a remainder of what in other cases would be called the truck system. Pray understand, I know how careful and skilful medical men are generally, and how admirably they perform their duties, yet there is always the thought that the system does not always co-ordinate with those general principles adopted in other things.
My own conviction is that truck in the early age of Merthyr was actually a necessity. When the works really began they were small, and no certainty of continuance. I am well aware of attempts that have been tried in various systems to alter it, but the system seems too firmly rooted to be altered for some time at least. An experiment in the adoption of a another method is, I believe, now being tried.
After a while Plymouth had Mr Probert (who by the bye, had been an assistant of Mr Russell), and so remained until his death, I think, but yet doubt that he resigned previously. Penydarren had Mr John Martin, and Mr Russell retained Dowlais, but it passed into the hands of his nephew Mr John Russell, for some time, and on his leaving Dr John Ludford White came to Dowlais.
This gentleman married a niece of Mr Wm. Forman, of the firm of Thompson and Forman, Cannon House, Queen Street, London, and after some years moved to Oxford, with the intention, it was said, of taking higher degrees. Dr White obtained the appointment through the recommendation of the London physician of Sir J John Guest, and in order that an accurate knowledge of the requirements might be, had visited Dowlais to see for himself. I remember him there, and an incident followed that will be mentioned when Dowlais is visited which will show the kind-heartedness of Sir John, and I hope also to mention one demonstrating his decision of character and another where I saw him weep.
We now return to Mr Russell’s surgery. A little further down, on the other side was Adullam (sic) Chapel, and cottages thence to the road to Twynyrodyn, while on the same side as Mr Russell’s was the way from the High Street, John Street by name, cottages somewhat irregular. The old playhouse also stood here; yes reader. It was a stone and mortar structure, and was for a long time unused.
Further on there was the Fountain Inn, between which and the Glove and Shears the road passed to Dowlais over Twynyrodyn, Pwllyrwhiad etc, but we cross and a few yards brings me to what was the boundary wall of Hoare’s garden, which continued down to where the line to Dowlais is now.
It has been my pleasure to see many gardens, but in all my experience I never saw one kept in such trim as this. Upon its being taken for the railway, Hoare started a garden and public house, if I remember well, at Aberdare Junction. Owing to the Taff Vale Company not allowing anyone to cross the line, a very long way around became a necessity to get there, and he did not do as well as anticipated or (I think) deserved.
Lower down the tramroad were some cottages on the right hand side, in one of which, adjoining the Shoulder of Mutton, a cask of powder exploded. It was kept under the bed upstairs for safety, and, lifting the roof off its walls, it fell some dozen yards away. The roof was covered with the thin flagstones often used and very little damaged. No one was fatally injured but one or two were injured, and altogether it was a wonderful escape. Moral: Do not keep a cask of explosive material upstairs under the bed!
To be continued at a later date……
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.
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: Then and Now
TRAMROADSIDE NORTH
The ‘Tramroad’ has changed a lot in the last 50 or so years. The cottages shown in the first photograph have been demolished (as indeed have almost all of the houses that lined the road). Adulam Chapel (which can be seen top middle of the first photo) has also been demolished to be replaced by a new development of flats.
Indeed, if we were to follow the Tramroad towards Twynyrodyn, we would see that the whole layout of the road has entirely changed.
At least there are more trees now!!!!
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.
There has not been much reference yet to Caedraw, nor can there be much recalled to describe. The Gas Works were erected here, a Mr Evans being the first manager, and a brother of his the deputy. There were two breweries near the end of the road joining Bridge Street, one owned by a Mr John Toop; the other, which was smaller, owned by Mr Anstie, who kept the shop in Pontmorlais previously. This Mr Anstie bought the property between the road in Caedraw and the Isle of Wight, and came to reside there after improving the buildings.
The basin tramroad was ordinarily used as a pedestrian thoroughfare, in fact many houses had no other way of approach. I cannot recall anyone ever being prevented from walking the tramroad, although it might not have always been judicious to do so on account of safety. Things are so altered now, and we are accustomed to the change, that it takes consideration to recall things quite decidedly. For instance, brakes to slacken the speed or stop conveyances were unknown. The ‘sprag’ was the only thing used, and these projected at variable distances from the wheels of the trams, if the trams were going fast – for they would occasionally run wild – it was a serious matter to be caught in any narrow part of the road. It was also a hazardous thing for the haulier to put them in or take them out, and many a limb as well as life has been lost by a slip.
As one instance of there being no other way of going to or coming from a residence on the Tramroad, somewhere behind the Morlais Castle Inn can be cited. It was the residence of Mr Roger Williams (I think it was his own property). He was a public functionary, but whether relieving officer or assistant overseer is not remembered now. If we went down the Tramroad towards Twynyrodyn, before coming to Professional Row we should see a door on the right hand. This is where a Mr Russell stayed. He was a brother of the Mr Russell who was the doctor of Dowlais, Penydarren and Plymouth Works at one time. He lived in the lowest of the three houses in Professional Row, and his surgery was at the back with public entrance from the Tramroad.
Old Mr Russell, his brother, and others attended the surgery, but the one very often attendant upon the patient was the brother, about whom I remember the remark that after enquiring as to symptoms he always gave two pills in a paper, and the patients were often (very often) so hurt, that the pills used to be thrown over the Tramroad wall into the field on the other side, whence they were collected to again be served out.
To be continued at a later date……
Earthquake in South Wales
Most people will know about the terrible earthquake that devastated San Francisco on 18 April 1906, but did you know that another, much less powerful, earthquake actually hit Merthyr later that year, 115 years ago today?
At 9.45 am on 27 June 1906, a powerful earth tremor was felt across much of South Wales, its epicentre being placed just offshore of Port Talbot. The quake, which struck just a few weeks after the devastating San Francisco earthquake, was felt as far afield as Ilfracombe, Birmingham and southwest Ireland. Measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale, the quake was caused by movement in the ‘Neath Disturbance’ and ‘Swansea Valley Disturbance’, two fault lines in the South Wales area.
Although there were no fatalities, and only minimal minor injuries sustained by falling masonry, people were terrified by the unexpected tremor.
In Swansea, there was damage to St Andrew’s Church, Swansea Prison, the Board of Trade offices and the gasworks, and the Mumbles Lighthouse was said to have ‘rocked on its foundations’. In Llanelli, the town hall clock stopped and people in Ammanford were convinced there had been a huge pit explosion, and colliers from several pits in South Wales were hurriedly brought to the service due to concerns over the stability of the mines.
The tremor hit Merthyr about five minutes after the original quake. Chimneys on two houses on the Tramroad were dislodged and crashed to the street, a similar fate befalling a house at Bryn Sion Street in Dowlais, and the plasterwork in several buildings cracked. Apart from these incidents, there were several incidents of pictures and clocks falling off walls, and crockery was smashed as it fell from shelves and tables. Yet again, however, people were terrified.
At Abermorlais School, the glass partitions between the classrooms ‘shook like leaves’, and it was only due to the calmness of the teachers in reassuring the terrified pupils that panic didn’t ensue. At Twynyrodyn and St David’s School, windows rattled and the blackboards swayed alarmingly. Yet again it was only due to the presence of mind of the teachers that panic was avoided.
A rumour quickly spread that the roof of the school at either Abercanaid or Pentrebach had collapsed injuring many of the pupils, but luckily this was not the case. At the Dowlais Gas and Coke Company, the offices were shaken with such force that the staff there feared that one of the gasometers had exploded. The staff at the Town Hall were also greatly alarmed, and they described two shocks being distinctly felt, one gentleman present remarked however, that he thought that “the Ratepayers Protection Association had commenced its work”.
Contrasting Fortunes of War
Today marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Denmark Strait, one of the most infamous naval battles of the Second World War.
On 18 May, the new German battleship Bismarck, at the time the most powerful battleship in the world, embarked on her maiden voyage, accompanied by the heavy-cruiser Prinz Eugen. Their mission was to attack the convoys bringing much-needed supplies to Britain from America.
In response, the Admiralty deployed as much of the British Fleet as possible to intercept the Bismarck. On the evening of 23 May, the British heavy-cruisers HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk spotted the German ships passing through the Denmark Strait – the passage between Iceland and Greenland. The two cruisers, being totally out-gunned by the German ships did not engage then enemy, but reported their position to the Admiralty to enable them to send in bigger ships, able to engage the enemy with heavier fire-power. The cruisers continued to track the ships using radar throughout the night.
The nearest British ships capable of tackling the Germans were the brand-new battleship HMS Prince of Wales, and the Home Fleet flagship, and pride of the British Fleet – HMS Hood. Despite its immense size and reputation, and armed with eight 15-inch guns (the same as the Bismarck), the Hood was an old ship, having been launched in 1918. Furthermore, the Hood had been designed as a battlecruiser – a ship with the fire-power of a battleship, but with the speed of a cruiser. The extra speed was attained by sacrificing the strong armour of a traditional battleship, especially on the deck. This left the Hood very vulnerable to plunging fire.
At approximately 05.35 on the morning of 24 May, a lookout aboard the Prince of Wales spotted the German ships. The British ships turned towards the enemy to engage in battle, and at 05.50, Admiral Lancelot Holland, commander of the British taskforce, aboard HMS Hood, ordered the British ships to open fire when in range, and two minutes later, HMS Hood fired the first salvoes of the battle.
Within 8 minutes however, the unthinkable happened. A shell from the Bismarck struck the weak deck of the Hood and plunged through the ship, exploding in the armament magazine. The whole ship erupted in a fireball, broke in two, and sank immediately. From a crew of 1,418, there were three survivors.
The loss of the Hood, would send shockwaves around the world.
In the meantime, the Prince of Wales was being pounded by enemy fire, and unable to continue the battle alone, retreated. The admiralty, devastated by the loss of the Hood, made the immediate decision that the main priority was now to destroy the Bismarck at all costs.
After a thrilling chase across the Atlantic (the details of which are too complex to go into on this blog), on the morning of 27 May, the Bismarck, which had by this time been crippled by a torpedo from a Swordfish plane from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, was finally cornered by ships of the British fleet. The battleships HMS Rodney and HMS King George V devastated the Bismarck with gunfire, and the heavy-cruiser HMS Dorsetshire finished off the stricken ship with torpedoes. Of Bismarck’s 2,131 crew, there were 115 survivors.
Now we get to the Merthyr connection. Below are two cuttings taken from the Merthyr Express dated 21 June 1941 highlighting the two sides of the battle.
To read more about the Battle of the Denmark Strait, please visit http://www.hmshood.com/history/denmarkstrait/index.htm
John Alistair Owen: The Last Manager of the Dowlais Works
by Carolyn Jacob
John Alistair Owen, was a local man who was born in Tramroadside North, Merthyr Tydfil in 1936. There are pictures of him as a child taking part in a concert to raise money for the Merthyr Express ‘Spitfire Fund’.
He attended the Quaker’s Yard Technical School and went on to an engineering apprenticeship in Walsall. Following a short period in England, he returned home and joined the former GKN Works (Ivor Works) in Dowlais as a design draughtsman in 1958 and remained there through the BSC years until closure in 1988. Although his high powered job took him to India, the USA and other countries, he was always anxious to return to his family and to Dowlais. He was devoted to his career and to the Dowlais Works. He fought hard to keep the Dowlais Works open but finally had to negotiate its closure; although he was proud of the fact that Dowlais always successfully made a profit throughout its long history.
From his school days, he developed a keen interest in old photographs. In the Dowlais drawing office surrounded by the records of the Dowlais Works, he came to develop a keen interest in its history. When his book ‘A Short History of the Dowlais Iron Works’ was first printed in 1973 Dowlais was still exporting iron all over the world. John Owen was co-founder of the Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society and active supporters of the Heritage Trust and the Dowlais Male Voice Choir. He became the authority on the history of the Dowlais Works and the community which grew up around it.
He built up a large personal collection of photographs on Dowlais; gathering together pictures loaned by local people and also the private collection of the Works and engineering institutes. He produced a number of picture books, these included ‘Dowlais Works and Town’, and four popular books of local pictures published by the Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society. A number of exhibitions in Dowlais Library, containing around 300 photographs each, were financed from his own pocket and these pictures are now all held by the library. He felt that the Dowlais Works had been good to him and so he wanted to give something back to the people of Dowlais, showing them how their ancestors lived and how the environment had changed over the centuries.
When he started giving illustrated slide lectures in Dowlais Library, organised by the librarian David Watkins, there was always a full capacity audience with hardly ever even standing room at the back. Due to their popularity, these talks were extended to numerous locations and continued throughout his life. History and local photographs were his main interests but John still found the time to apply his business acumen in assisting the Merthyr Tydfil Institute for the Blind on a voluntary basis and, after joining the Board in 1991, he became its vice-chairman.
He was a good friend to Merthyr Tydfil Libraries, providing support and advice. John A. Owen, the last works manager of BSC Dowlais, was a keen rugby fan and he sadly died in 1998; only ten minutes into the International between Wales and Ireland in Dublin. He has been greatly missed but he left a large legacy of Dowlais photographs behind him which the late Alan George, with the blessing of John’s widow, Mair, made digital copies of future generations to enjoy and study.
V.J. Day – a Contemporary Account
by Laura Bray (née Bevan)
Following on from the account of V.E. Day from Glyn Bevan’s diary which appeared on this blog in May (http://www.merthyr-history.com/?p=4691), to mark the 75th anniversary of V.J. Day, here is an account of the days leading up to V.J. Day and the day itself from Glyn’s diary.
13th August
We put up all our flags and streamers yesterday and have listened to every news today to hear the official announcement of the end of the war. None of us have much doubt about it although it is believed that the Japs in Burma may fight on whether Japan capitulates or not. Rumours all day about peace and premature celebrations all over the U.S., Canada and Australia. Stayed round the supper table talking for ages and then washed up. Continued talking in the drawing room until 01.00.
14th August
All up rather late. Decided to go to Tintern and Symonds Yat before dinner. Came on through the Forest of Dean (where a red squirrel crossed the road) to Monmouth, and then went on down the lovely Wye Valley to Tintern. Unfortunately it was shut but we walked all round the outside of it. A very lovely place and in very good repair. Came on through Chepstow, Caerphilly and Nelson. Celebrations all the way up, several bonfires and a few rockets, floodlighting and illuminating V’s etc. Rumours all day. We fully expected the official announcement on the 9.00 o’clock news. Now we are waiting for Attlee to broadcast at midnight. We are all expecting Japan to agree to our terms of course, and that means peace.
……….
PEACE
Attlee has just announced that Japan has accepted our surrender terms and that tomorrow and the next day will be celebrated as victory days throughout the country. A very matter of fact speech with none of the drama that old Churchill would have put into it. The whole Empire must be sorry that he couldn’t make the announcement. We toasted the new peace with whiskey and wine and cake. Rockets started exploding singly and there was a little shouting. From the bedroom window we could see about 15 bonfires – but none really large. Later on crowds in town sang and danced and prayed until 3.00 o’clock in the morning. Hooters went as well and engines in the station blew their whistles. Several church bells rang including ours (people thundered on the door of the Vicarage, woke the Vicar and pretty well told him to ring it) and there was a peal of bells from the Parish Church. Town filled rapidly and there were crowds there for hours.
15th August
Rain last night, and after a week of very dry weather and the air was cold and clean with smoke drifting up and the sound of church bells in the valley. Very calm and peaceful, fresh and sweet, like a Sunday morning. I read most of the morning and nearly all the afternoon. Listened to a description of the King driving down Whitehall to open Parliament and also went to town where the shops were open till about 10.30. Then came home to find they had all gone to a Thanksgiving Service in Cyfarthfa so we down town to see if there was anything doing. There seemed to be a lot of troops about (nearly all army) but things were fairly quiet. Plenty of flags and streamers. Came back via Thomastown and up the Tramroad in time to hear the King at 21.00. We all went down to the bonfire on the allotments after the news (for which we supplied most of the heavy logs). About 20 good bonfires in the valley and lots of rockets and fireworks but no bells tonight.
16th August
Spent the morning doing little odd jobs that I wanted to clear up before going away. Read after dinner till 15.00 when we decided to go down to Cardiff to see Terence Rattigan’s play “While the Sun Shines”. Play very good. Museum floodlit. A large crowd was dancing and singing in front of the Civic Centre. Bonfires all the way up the valley but not on the same scale as Coronation night. Came through Pontypridd where they had coloured lights strung along both sides of the main streets for about a mile and a well made crown fixed over the bridge. Very poor fireworks, but it is amazing that people have any at all. Saw lots of street teas on the way down.
Merthyr in the 1850’s
Below is a fantastic lithograph of Merthyr in approximately 1850. It is a view roughly from present-day Thomastown looking over the town. Some of the important landmarks have been labelled. It is remarkable how much the town has changed in the 170 years since this picture was drawn.
| 1. St Tydfil’s Church 2. Twynyrodyn Unitarian Chapel 3. Tramroadside North 4. Old Market Hall |
5. Ynysfach Ironworks 6. Adulam Chapel 7. St David’s Church |