Tag: Merthyr Express

Thomas Jacob Thomas – Sarnicol

by Barrie Jones

Wales has provided a number of prominent twentieth-century poets with the surname Thomas, for example: Dylan Thomas (1914-1953), R.S. Thomas (1913-2000), and Edward Thomas (1878-1917)[1]. However, all three poets wrote solely in the English language.

A prominent Welsh poet who wrote in both Welsh and English was Thomas Jacob Thomas (1873-1945). Born 13th April 1873 near Rhos-yr-hafod, Capel Cynon, Cardiganshire, he was the fourth of the five children of David Thomas (1841-1922) and Mary nee Jacob (1837-1919), David was an agricultural labourer and the family lived in Sarnicol farm cottage.[2]

After an early education attending Capel Cynon board school and later Talgarreg school, owing to his frail health it was advised that he attend New Quay grammar school. Here, he stayed for four years taking Department of Science and Art examinations. In 1891 he won a £20 scholarship for the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, reading for the University of London B.Sc. degree.[3]

At that time, it was normal for most well-educated working-class men and women to pursue teaching careers. So it was with Thomas, who halting his degree course, accepted a teaching post in mathematics at the Hartley Institution in Southampton in 1894. Returning to Wales in 1896 he obtained a post as science master at Abergele intermediate school, Denbighshire. Here, he completed his final B.Sc. examination. The following year he moved to teach science at schools in South Wales, Merthyr Tydfil County School, (1897-1901), and Abertillery Secondary School (1901-1913). In September 1913 he accepted the post as assistant master at the newly established Cyfarthfa Castle Municipal Secondary School, Merthyr Tydfil, teaching Chemistry and Welsh. In his final year at Cyfarthfa he took an external B.A. degree of the University of London. In 1922 he was appointed headmaster of the newly established Quakers Yard Grammar School, Treharris. What is unique is that Thomas was associated with the early years of Merthyr Tydfil’s three grammar schools: ‘The County,’ ‘Cyfarthfa Castle,’ and ‘Quaker’s Yard.’ In 1931, at the age of fifty-eight, owing to ill health he took early retirement and moved with his wife ‘Katie’ to live in ‘Llywel’, Laura Place, Aberystwyth, ‘where he found kindred spirits interested in literature and etymology with whom he could discuss the subjects which despite, his science training, were nearest to his heart’.[4]

Throughout his adult life Thomas wrote prose and verse contributing to numerous publications such as Ymofynydd, Cymru, Y Geninen, the Western Mail, the London Kelt, Y Lienor, Y Ford Gron, Y Beirniad, and Y Cymro. He also edited a Welsh column for the Merthyr Express newspaper for a number of years. His chief publications on collections of his poems were Ar lan y mor a chaneuon eraill, (1898), Odlau Mor a Mynydd, (1912), Blodau drain duon, (1935), Storiau ar gan, (1936), Catiau cwta, (1940), and Chwedlau cefn gwlad, (1944). Ready for publication at the time of his death in 1945 was Odlau’r aelwyd, which he considered to be his best poems. The manuscript is currently held at the National Library of Wales.

Thomas entered his odes (awdlau) to numerous National Eisteddfodau; London, (1909), Colwyn, (1910), Wrexham, (1912), Abergavenny, (1913), Birkenhead, (1917), and Bangor, (1931). At the Abergavenny Eisteddfod he was chaired Bard for his ode (awdl), ‘Aelwyd y Cymro,’ (The Welshman’s home) using the bardic title’ ‘Sarnicol,’ after the name of the cottage where he was born. He also judged the awdl at Llanelli, (1930), and Bangor, (1943). In addition to his odes, Thomas entered translations of verse to the National Eisteddfodau at home and in the United States of America. These covered Welsh into English, English into Welsh, and even French into Welsh. In 1915 he won a forty-dollar prize for a translation of verse from English into Welsh at the San Francisco Eisteddfod, California.[5] In July 1901 Thomas passed the National Eisteddfod examination for Gorsedd degree as a bard.[6]

Following his bardic achievement at Abergavenny in 1913 he was much in demand to give addresses to groups and societies throughout Wales. His favourite topic at that time was the Welshman and humour, (Y Cymru yn y cywair llon), drawing upon examples from Welsh literature both ancient and modern. ‘The suggestion that the Welshman was a sad, morose individual, devoid of all sense of humour, was contrary to facts, as revealed in Welsh literature and life.’[7]

Following the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Thomas demonstrated that he could be carried along with the war fervour that gripped Britain at that time. In typical jingoistic fashion in November 1914, he wrote the lyrics of ‘Men of Cambria’ to the tune of ‘Men of Harlech’, the song finishing with the following lines:[8]

Face the Teuton’s fire and thunder,
Rend the Kaiser’s hosts asunder;
Strike again the World with wonder,
Show that right is might!

His penchant for writing verse to popular tunes was most notable when while teaching at Cyfarthfa Castle Grammar School he wrote the lyrics to the school song; Can y Castell (Song of the School),[9] to the tune of Captain Morgan’s March[10]: –

Can y Castell

Ienctyd y Castell, caer I ddysg a hedd,
Gloewn ein harfau I’r gad ddi-gledd;
Byddwn yn deilwng blant I enwog lu,
Dewrion wyr Morgannwg y dyddiau fu:
Byddwn yn deilwng blant I enwog lu,
Dewrion wyr Morgannwg y dyddiau fu.

Ienctyd y Castell, awn ymlaen o hyd,
Galw am ein gorau mae’r eangfyd;
Gorau gyda chwarae, gorau gyda Gwaith
Gluda glod ein Castell drwy’r ddaear faith;
Gorau gyda chwarae, gorau gyda Gwaith,
Gluda glod ein Castell drwy’r ddaear faith.

Song of the School

Youth of the Castle, fortress of learning and peace,
We burnish our weapons for the swordless battle;
As children we’ll be loyal to a host of famous people,
The heroes of Glamorgan in days past;
We’ll be loyal children to the famous hosts,
The heroes of Glamorgan in days past.

Youth of the castle going forward at all times,
The wide world is calling for our best;
Best at play and best at work
Carry the renown of our castle throughout the earth,
Best at play and best at work,
Carry the renown of our castle throughout the earth.

The song was sung regularly at school assemblies up until the 1970’s and surely is well remembered by many ex-pupils of the ‘Castle’ school, although I for one found learning the words so difficult in my first year at Cyfarthfa.

In April 1914 Thomas married Catherine Elizabeth Thomas (1876), (A.R.A.M.), at Frederick Street Presbyterian Chapel, Cardiff. ‘Katie’ was the daughter of Edwin Thomas (1853-1918) and Sarah Ann nee Owen (b. 1857). Edwin was headmaster of Aberfan Boy’s School, and Thomas and Katie lived at Katie’s parents’ house; ‘Llywelfa’, Aberfan Road, Aberfan.[11] Katie and Thomas knew each other from their time teaching at Merthyr Tydfil County School, both joining in 1897, barely a year after the County school had been established.[12] Thomas died 2nd December 1945, and following his death Katie returned to live in Merthyr Tydfil. Katie died 8th July 1960, and both are buried at Bwlch-y-groes (Congregational) chapel cemetery, Llandysul, Cardiganshire, the cemetery where Thomas’s parents are also buried.

[1] Although not born in Wales, Percy Edward Thomas was of Welsh parents.

[2] Evan David Jones, ‘Thomas Jacob Thomas (Sarnicol),’ Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 2001.

[3] Jones, Sarnicol, DWB.

[4] Jones, Sarnicol, DWB.

[5] Cambrian News, 21st September 1917, p.5.

[6] ‘Gorsedd Degrees,’ Evening Express, 2nd August 1901, p. 4.

[7] ‘Wales and Humour,’ The Amman Valley Chronicle, 26th February 1914, p. 5.

[8] ‘Men of Cambria,’ Aberdare Leader, 28th November 1914, p.6.

[9] Mansell Richards, A farewell to Cyfarthfa Castle School, Merthyr Tydfil Library Service, 2014, ps. 16 & 72.

[10] A traditional Welsh tune by an unknown composer, most probably written in the late eighteenth century.

[11] Cambria Daily Leader, 15th April 1914, p. 3.

[12] ‘Merthyr County School,’ Merthyr Times, 29th October 1897, p. 8.

The Dark Side of Convict Life – part 11

by Barrie Jones

Chapter VIII. Henry describes Portland Prison’s cells, the classes of convicts and their perquisites, and the standard diet a convict could receive there.

The Dark Side of Convict Life (Being the Account of the Career of Harry Williams, a Merthyr Man). Merthyr Express, 12th March 1910, page 5.

Chapter VIII

The separate cell in a convict prison is what the reception cell is in a local prison, that is, a prison set apart for the receiving of convicts; but this also is a place of punishment known as the “refractory penal cell.” These cells are different to others, having the window in the roof instead of at the back of the wall. There are no tables, stools, bedding, etc., as in other cells, but only two gutta-percha utensils. The entrance to these cells is through a long winding passage, and the doors, which are double, have, in addition to a lock, a heavy iron bolt. After being made ready to be employed on public works I was taken to another part of the prison known as C hall, and I was located in a corrugated-iron cell, something, similar to those mentioned in a previous chapter at Dartmoor. These cells are very closely packed, and only a thin partition separates one man from the other. There are something like two hundred of them in each hall, and there used to be six halls in Portland, excluding the infirmary and penal cells, which are, of course, built of Portland limestone, namely A hall, B hall, C hall, D hall, F south hall and F north hall, the two latter being much lighter than the others. A, the foul-smelling dungeons have been condemned, and owing to the country having made an advance towards civilisation, the cells are now sweeter, and an ounce more of fresh air is allowed to travel into the lungs of a convict.

There is one thing in connection with these cells which pleases the convicts, and that is, it is possible to converse one with another without being overheard, as the iron partition having partly rotted away by age, there are holes which are often used as telephones. What drives a man out of his mind, and then to the lunatic asylum, quicker than the silent system? I can well remember talking to a poor wretch in one of those cells, in 1899. He was undergoing a term of fourteen years, and our conversation drifted towards the prison diet. He had only began his sentence, like myself, and it happened that I was allowed tea, instead of porridge, by orders of the medical officer, but no convict, properly speaking, was allowed tea under the rules until he had served two years’ of his term, that is, until he had attained, by good conduct, the distinction of a second-class convict. There are four classes, and each convict has to pass through as many as his sentence permits. He will begin in the probation class, and will remain in it one year, after which he will, by good conduct, be promoted to the third class, allowed to earn a gratuity of twelve shillings, and to write and receive a letter, also a visit of twenty minutes’ duration for each nine-hundred and sixty marks he earns in this stage. One year, from the third to the second stage, in the latter he will receive, instead of porridge, one pint of tea, half-ounce of margarine and two ounces of extra bread (ten ounces) each day in the week, and also be permitted to earn a gratuity of thirty shillings. After another year, again he will be promoted to the first class, and allowed to earn a gratuity of three pounds. Then, if undergoing a term of twelve years or upwards, after serving seven years and six months he will be entitled to earn an extra half-crown per month in order to purchase luxuries for himself, such as oranges, apples, marmalade, jam, biscuits, and so forth, except tobacco and beer, which are strictly prohibited. A convict in a special class will be entitled to six pounds on his release, but only on condition that he joins a Prisoners’ aid Society. Perhaps when he is discharged he finds work, but his employers may be informed that he is a ticket-of-leave man, and at once he is turned into the streets to either beg or thieve. He may have a wife and several little ones, who have been, for years, waiting his return, and they, too, of course, have to suffer. Is not this rather hard? Such is truly the case, without varnishing it in the least.

To come back to my conversation with this man undergoing fourteen years. He told me one day, when talking about the diet, that his stomach was so weak that it would not take the porridge, so, wishing to do him a good turn. I managed to devise a way in which to share my tea with him without being seen, and this is what I did. I took an old letter I had received from home, and I screwed it up into the shape of a tundish. I then placed the small end through a hole in the iron partition, and, holding the paper tundish with the left hand, I poured the tea into it with the right; the man in the next cell, at the same time, holding his tin cup ready to receive the liquid. Thus, in this small way, I befriended my fellow-convict.

Before concluding this chapter, I will give a list of the dietary for convicts of the present time:- Breakfast, 10 ounces of coarse bread, with one pint of tea, or porridge, and half-an-ounce of margarine. Dinner, Mondays, 16 ounces of beans, 16 ounces of potatoes, 8 ounces of bread, and two ounces of fat bacon; Tuesdays, 6 ounces of boiled mutton, 16 ounces of potatoes, and 8 ounces of bread; Wednesdays, 1 pint of pork soup, 16 ounces of potatoes, and 8 ounces of bread; Thursdays, 6 ounces of boiled beef, 16 ounces of potatoes, and 8 ounces of bread; Fridays, 1 pint of vegetable soup, 16 ounces of potatoes, 8 ounces of brad; Saturdays, 16 ounces of suet pudding (beef without bone, as the lags call it), 16 ounces of potatoes, and 8 ounces of bread. Sunday’s diet is considered the worst diet of the week; it consists of 6 ounces of tinned beef, 16 ounces of potatoes, and 8 ounces of bread. In addition to thus a convict on hard labour is allowed two ounces of cheese for supper twice weekly. To speak fairly, in quantity the diets are enough for an ordinary man, but sometimes the quality leaves much to be desired.

To be continued….

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.

We have now entered Dowlais – yes, to some extent, truly called dismal and dirty. No doubt it has redeeming traits, but from personal recollections I do not consider it had even the amenities that existed in Merthyr. It was, or seemed to be, more brusque, more aggrandising, but if Merthyr was truly a village in the early thirties, Dowlais was somewhat less. “Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice” shall be my guide.

Up the brook a short way there was a brewery, erected by a Mr Powell of Abergavenny, whose father was a church dignitary there. The hill before us is steep, and the first road is one that doubles back in front of the Dowlais Inn, and then turns up to the right to the Dowlais Church, stables and on to the Ivor Works. This was kept by a James Henry, who went thence to keep another public house in Rhymney.

The Dowlais Inn. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

Keeping the coach road, another public house on the other side was the Vulcan. There were steps alongside down to the tramroad, and the lowest entrance gates into the works stood just there. Some short distance further there was another public house, whose name has slipped. It was, however, some four steps (nearly three feet) lower than the road. Mr David Williams and his aunt, Miss Teague, kept it awhile after leaving the Angel in Merthyr, but it was taken as the station of the railway from the Taff Vale, and used as such at the time.

Following this on the same side was a row of workmen’s cottages having their back to, but the ground floor much lower than the road. About six of what were then the best shops in the place being passed, the main entrance into the works and office was come to.

The shop nearest the entrance gates was, or had been, the old Company shop. It had, however, ceased to be carried on upon the truck system as far as can be recalled. A Mr Parnell was the manager, but there is some hazy idea of Mr Williams, the father of Mr Joshua Williams, of Aberdylais (sic), being connected with it. Mr Jenkins, the druggist, had a branch shop in the row; also a Mr D Lewis kept another druggist’s shop, and Mr Lewis, draper, of the London Warehouse, also had a branch. Immediately opposite to the entrance gates was the Bush Hotel, kept by Mr Richard Henry who had been a contractor in the works some years before.

The Bush Hotel in Dowlais c.1885. Photograph courtesy of the Alan George Archive

At the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832, Merthyr was made a borough, and privileged to send one member to Parliament. Sir John (then Mrs) Guest was returned, but he had previously been member for Honiton, and upon one occasion ordered a large number of pairs of boots and shoes there. They were dispatched to Dowlais to the company’s shop there, but Mr Parnell decline having anything to do with them. “He had not ordered them”, and knew nothing whatever about them.

Richard Henry was sent for to the office, he being then a contractor and having a great number of persons under him. “Dick I want you to sell a lot of boots and shoes for me” was said by Mr Guest. “Well, but master, I don’t want them, and how am I to pay for them?” was replied. “Oh that shall not trouble: you can pay when you sell the last pair”, was the rejoinder, and ‘Dick’ took them all but never sold the last pair. It is not possible to vouch for the strict accuracy of it, but I can vouch for having the narrative from Mr Richard Henry’s own lips.

To be continued….

The Dark Side of Convict Life – part 10

by Barrie Jones

Chapter VII (continued) recounts Henry’s meeting with John Lee, the “Babbacombe Murderer.” Sentenced to hang for the murder of Miss Emma Keyes at Babbacombe, Devon, Lee had escaped execution by an “accident on the gallows “when the trap door had failed to open on three attempts. After having “undergone the pangs of imminent death,” the Home Secretary had obtained the consent of the Queen to a reprieve. Throughout, Lee had protested his innocence and writing to his sister he stated that “it was the Lord’s will that I should not die yesterday at the time appointed by man.”

The Dark Side of Convict Life (Being the Account of the Career of Harry Williams, a Merthyr Man). Merthyr Express, 5th March 1910, page 11.

Chapter VII (continued)

I am not going to worry my readers with an account of the journey from Exeter. On my arrival at Portland Prison I was hurried again to the place called the separate cells, and just as I was entering the gates I happened to turn my eyes aside when I sae a rather tall, slightly built convict, and upon his arm he wore the letter L, which, of course, indicated a life sentence.

Shortly after the very same man brought me another suit of khaki and pointing to the figure nine upon the sleeve of my jacket, he said, “I wish that was my sentence, sonny.” He then said, “You tried to escape on your last lagging (sentence), did you not?”- “Yes,” I replied, “but how did you get to know that?” He then told me everything he had heard passed between the officers of Exeter and the Portland officers. They, in turn, passed it from one to the other, and I was closely watched.

Now the life sentence man, who told me all this, was a man who had  a great history, and when I first knew him he had served over fourteen years in his life sentence. Our conversation ripened into deep friendship, and before I had known him a month I had learned all his history from the first time he entered the service of Mrs Keyse, the murdered lady, to the first time I saw him at Portland, for I am speaking of none other than Jake Lee, the man they failed to hang, though they made three attempts, at Exeter Prison in the month of February, 1885.

Jack Lee was a typical convict, and quite a different chap in every respect to other convicts, and a man who was well liked by everyone he came in contact with. He as not like some of those who make it their business to inform against their fellows in misfortune in order to curry favour with an officer. During the whole time I was at Portland, and I was there over five years, not once did I hear a convict say that Jack Lee was a copper (informer). He was not a chap who had much to do or say with anyone, but if he could do no one any good he would do them no harm. This was a man who suffered over twenty-three years in prison, to say nothing of the sensation he must have gone through when placed upon the gallows face to face with death.

People may form their own opinion in regard to the case, but I firmly believe the man to be perfectly innocent of the crime, and the curious part of the case was that the day fixed for his execution he awoke and told the warders that he was not be hanged that day, and the very same gallows who failed to hang Lee had hanged many a man before him. Thus, I believe that the hand of God was in it all.

To be continued…..

A Scarcity of Fish

by Laura Bray

The Merthyr Express of 6th February 1943 ran a piece on the scarcity of fish, assuring Merthyr housewives that the cause was not “due to the Food Control Committee or distribution authorities”.

Apparently the only fish available were “the occasional sprats or kippers” and the paper sent reporters out on the streets to try to ascertain the cause.

All of which made me wonder why the Express would report on this, during World War II, when rationing was just a part of normal life. Well, it seems that fish and chips were not rationed; indeed, the government considered fish and chips to be an important part of the war effort and it was the one solid meal families could get in relative quantity. There were always queues when the chip shops were frying.

But although fish was not rationed, the oil for frying was, so the quality was not always great, and the fish themselves were also prone to variations in supply. Fishing vessels had been requisitioned by the Royal Navy, and those still in use were subject to attacks from German U-boats. The price of fish rose considerably, but the government managed to maintain a steady supply, which would have been no mean feat. So important were fish and chips to the war effort that allegedly British troops were known to use it as code to identify friendly troops: one would shout fish, and the other would reply chips.

So, what did cause the scarcity of fish in this February? The Express reported that it was down to a combination of bad weather around the coasts, and the few fish that did get through were prioritised for the hospitals.

Hopefully the situation resolved itself within a few weeks, although the Express remains silent on this.

Memories of Old Merthyr

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

The Basin Tramroad continued between the turnpike road and the Morlais Brook, until it came close to Gellyfaelog, and then curved round to the right, the road taking a turn just beyond. There were several public houses on the way; one, the Talbot, was not far from Penydarren, and three chapels can be recalled.

The Talbot Inn, Penydarren. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

The Morlais Brook was kept to its course by masonry, sometimes in the form of a semi-circular culvert, at other places by a wall. A rope maker by the name of Verge followed his business here, his walk being between the brook and the tramroad. About where the road now turns, for years there stood an ash tree, but it became dispoiled to a stump or trunk eventually; it was always understood to be a boundary of some property, the detail of which if ever known has now slipped into the land of forgetfulness. This road, however, is to me a new one, and was made after all the works traffic was conveyed by the railroad.

For some distance along here the continuity of the dwellings on the right side was broken. There were others further on, in one of which Thomas Gwythiwr, the roll turner of Dowlais lived, and a person by the name of Shaw, whose father kept a school in the Glebeland, Merthyr, stayed with him. Shaw was an artist, and painted likenesses in oil, as well as any scenes, real and fanciful that may have taken his fancy. Whilst writing this, it occurs to me that it is likely some of his work yet exists in the locality; indeed, I firmly believe, one place could be mentioned, but do not like to say so without permission. If anyone will enquire of me through you it could be mentioned without fear of offence.

At the end of the block of dwellings in one of which Gwythiwr lived, the tramroad and turnpike were not above forty feet apart, and level with each other. A pedestrian could, and generally did, come on to the tramroad to shorten the way, but all other traffic would go a little further on and then turn. This bridge is Gellifaelog, and the brook is the Morlais. There was was at one time a tramroad on the left side of the brook running around to the Ivor Works.

An extract of the 1851 Ordnance Survey Map showing the Gellifaelog Bridge

Crossing the bridge I fancy a turnpike gate can be remembered, but a public house, the Bridge End, can well be remembered. It was kept by one of the name of Evans. His daughter was married to Will Williams, who with others went to Russia on a rail matter; that may be again alluded to. There was a cheque presented at the Brecon Old Bank and paid, which turned out an imposition, and it was reputed to have been done by her in man’s clothing, but another was thought to have been the instigator. Whether the identity was correct or not, there was the on dit.

To be continued at a later date……