Admiral Lord Nelson – The Melting Pot

The Star Inn

by Carolyn Jacob

Not to be confused with the Star Inn in Sand Street, Dowlais, the old Star Inn was at number 19 Lower High Street, Merthyr town. Few people now remember the old Star Inn as it was demolished in 1960.

The Star Inn. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

In the nineteenth century there were a number of early coaching inns in Merthyr, the most famous being the Star Inn. The Star Inn was thought to be the oldest inn and the only one of any consequence for a long time; its position in the old ‘village’ area of Merthyr Tydfil and near to the parish church seems to confirm this. The first justice – room was at the Star. The earliest directory of 1792 shows that Margaret Jenkins was the landlady here. She is described as a doughty if slapdash matriarch by Chris Evans in ‘The Labyrinth of Flames’.

In July 1797 a special dinner for the local ironmasters was held in the Star Inn. The ironmasters were frequently at loggerheads with each other and this was a move towards better understanding. It was recorded in March 1800 that a group of ironmasters and coal owners met together in the Star Inn to petition Parliament for better security of their industrial enterprises.

William Hamilton visited Merthyr Tydfil in 1801 and was a guest of Richard Crawshay at Cyfarthfa House. He later wrote to Emma of this visit according to ‘Emma, Lady Hamilton’ by M. Hardwick. Sir William Hamilton, Lady Emma, Horatio Nelson and others visited Merthyr Tydfil in July 1802. Lord Nelson had begun a tour of South Wales and made a detour from the main route to Milford Haven to travel south to the Iron Works of Merthyr Tydfil, where the iron was manufactured for naval cannon.

He is reputed to have stayed at the Star Inn, near St Tydfil’s Church. It is said that a large admiring crowd gathered around the Inn where Nelson stayed. If he had hoped to have a quiet time in this ‘backwater’ with Lady Hamilton he was mistaken. Nelson was the main hero and idol of his day. An account says that whilst a band under his window played ‘Rule Britannia’; Nelson cheered and received’ three hearty cheers from the crowd’.

Pigot’s directory of 1835 lists John Richards as the Star’s landlord. John Griffiths, born in Crickhowell was the licensed victualler on the 1851 census. His 15 year old daughter, Tabitha, was the barmaid. As well as his wife, 4 sons and daughter, there were 2 general servants and another 2 visitors staying overnight in the Star. They included Llewellyn Williams, a harpist and a William Lewis a general labourer. Listed in directories in 1853, 1855 and 1857 John and Mary Griffiths and their children were still in the Star in 1861. The Young Britons Friendly Society met in the Star Inn at this time Slater’s 1889 directory lists Mary Griffiths as the landlady.

According to the 1901 census returns Octavius J. Davies was the licensed victualler of the Star. As well as his wife, two sons, daughter and cousin residing in the Star, there was a visitor, 7 boarders and a domestic servant. Among the boarders was Alfred Norton a circus proprietor and three music hall artists. By the 1911 census Octavius John had given up working as a landlord for work above ground in a colliery. According to the Merthyr Express, 28 August 1909, Thomas Henry Hamer, who was landlord of the Star Inn in 1909, seems to have been rather slack in his control and he was fined 40s. and costs for permitting drunkenness. The Merthyr Express recorded on 6 November 1909 that John; Humphreys, a North Walian, was summoned at the Merthyr Police Court for being drunk at the Star Inn, Merthyr, on Sunday, October 3rd. P.C. Rees said that with Detective Evans he visited the house, and saw several men there. Two said they came from Aberfan and two from Senghenydd.

In July 1910 there was a sale of freehold ground rents at Merthyr at the Bush Hotel, Merthyr, Messrs. J. M. Berry and Son offered for sale by public auction a number of freehold ground rents on the Llancaiach Estates. There was a large attendance of bidders. £30 per annum secured upon the Star Inn, High-street, Merthyr, together with the slaughter-houses and yard at the rear, the premises being subject to a lease of 30 years, from September 1901. According to Kelly’s 1923 trade directory William D Jones was the landlord then. An old photograph of The Star was given to Merthyr Library by the fashion designer Julien Macdonald, whose family once ran the pub. Sadly The Star Inn was demolished on 12 March 1960, and today only the Crown Inn remains of the original first ‘coaching inns’.

The Star Inn being demolished in 1960. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

How well do you know Merthyr? The answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posed you last week. How did you do?

What was the name of St Tydfil’s father?

King Brychan Brycheiniog

Who founded the Cyfarthfa Ironworks in 1765?

Anthony Bacon

Who was Merthyr’s first Labour M.P.?

James Keir Hardie

What was the name of the first chapel to be built in Merthyr town?

Ynysgau Chapel

What was the name of the pub that Lord Nelson stayed in when he visited Merthyr in 1800?

The Star Inn in Caedraw

Nixonville in Merthyr Vale is named after whom?

John Nixon, the founder of Merthyr Vale Colliery

Who has ‘God Forgive Me’ inscribed on his grave?

Robert Thompson Crawshay

Where was the Olympia Skating Rink?

In Pontmorlais, just further up than the Theatre Royal

Which Merthyr-born boxer won the WBC World featherweight title in 1968?

Howard Winstone

Where would you find St Matthias Church?

Treharris

The Bwthyn Bach Inn is missing from the Old Merthyr Tydfil list of pubs, where was it situated?

At the corner of what was known as the Broad Pavement, opposite was the name given to a street built behind the Palace Cinema.

Where was Tai Harri Blawd?

Behind the Theatre Royal and bordering the old Tramroad

What is the area known as Daniel’s Waterloo?

The area now known as the Grove

Where was the Merthyr Tydfil clay pipe factory?

In Vaughan Street, Caedraw

What did the factory next to Factory Cottages make?

Factory Cottages were alongside the old Drill Hall and given this name as they adjoined a flannel factory.

How did Storey Arms get its name?

The first landlord there was a Mr Storey

Where was Pendwranfach?

A narrow street by the Fountain …… turn left at the bottom of the High Street

What is the real name of the pub often called The Spite?

The Farmer’s Arms, Mountain Hare

Who was Miss Florence Smithson and what building is she associated with?

A famous actress associated with the Theatre Royal

Why was an area by St Tydfil’s Church named Lle Sais?

Its name is derived from the fact that most of the English people brought in to the area to work in the Penydarren Ironworks lived here

How well do you know Merthyr?

To round the year off, here is a quiz for you about Merthyr’s history.

There are 20 questions in all – 10 easy and 10 difficult. See how well you can do. The answers will appear in the New Year.

What was the name of St Tydfil’s father?
Who founded the Cyfarthfa Ironworks in 1765?
Who was Merthyr’s first Labour M.P.?
What was the name of the first chapel to be built in Merthyr town?
What was the name of the pub that Lord Nelson stayed in when he visited Merthyr in 1800?
Nixonville in Merthyr Vale is named after whom?
Who has ‘God Forgive Me’ inscribed on his grave?
Where was the Olympia Skating Rink?
Which Merthyr-born boxer won the WBC World featherweight title in 1968?
Where would you find St Matthias Church?
The Bwthyn Bach Inn is missing from the Old Merthyr Tydfil list of pubs, where was it situated?
Where was Tai Harri Blawd?
What is the area known as Daniel’s Waterloo?
Where was the Merthyr Tydfil clay pipe factory?
What did the factory next to Factory Cottages make?
How did Storey Arms get its name?
Where was Pendwranfach?
What is the real name of the pub often called The Spite?
Who was Miss Florence Smithson and what building is she associated with?
Why was an area by St Tydfil’s Church named Lle Sais?

Many thanks to Carolyn Jacob for the hard questions…..she obviously has a hidden vicious streak!!!!

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.

I will now endeavour mentally to walk up the High Street. Beginning from about the old Taff Vale Station, the opening on the right led around, and came out near the Court House, while the second (there was only a public house between them) to Pendwranfach. Passing these there was a division in the road; pedestrians, if they liked, could keep the right hand one (which was the shortest of the two), but vehicular traffic kept to the left hand opening just as it is today.

The first opening on the left of this left hand opening was Cross Keys Street, on which, on the right hand side there was the ‘lock-up’. This consisted of two rooms, quite dark as far as I can remember, and the entrance doors were alongside one another. It was here, I remember, Dick Tamar being locked up for the murder of his mother. The next opening on the same side was Mill Street, and just opposite, at the entrance was the stocks. An entrance gate to the churchyard was close to the stocks.

An extract from the 1851 Public Health Map showing the area in question

In Mill Street there was public house called the White Lion, and adjoining the residence of Mr Evans, minister of Ynysgau Chapel. Mr Evans had evidently married a widow, for there were four Miss Williamses there as well as a son whose name was Evans. Mill Street led around by the Plymouth feeder or watercourse to Bridge Street. Adjacent to the dwellings the ruins of the old mill stood. This was an old grist mill, and will be alluded to again as being of great assistance in a law suit.

The block of buildings between the right hand, or path and the left, or road, is the lower shop. In one of the two facing up the High Street, a bank (the Merthyr Bank) was kept for a while, a Mr Williams being the manager, who was also, I believe, a tallow chandler, for I know his widow and son were so at a later date. Only a short way above the junction of the path and road, on the right hand side, stands The Star, at one time the best hostelry in town, for it was here Nelson stayed on a visit to Merthyr Tydfil.

The Star Inn. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

Then follows an opening – Mardy Street then I believe, for the Mardy is close by. The next opening on the same side is Broad Street, and the next above on the same side Gillar Street; but before coming to Gillar Street, on the opposite side of the road, was what I will call Three Salmons Street, for the public house of that name was on its left hand side.

On the left hand from the White Lion there was nothing but the churchyard wall. The churchyard itself was higher than the road, and getting very full, the wall being kept well limed for a very good purpose. Between Mardy Street and and Broad Street there was a small shop, then the Boot, kept by James Evans, then a druggist’s shop kept by a person named Strange, and at the corner of Broad Street, a grocer’s shop kept by David Rosser. This was the name he traded in, but his full name was David Rosser Davis.

The Boot Inn. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

On the opposite corner of Broad Street was the Farmers’ Arms, and adjoining it, extending up to Gillar Street, was the Angel, kept by David Williams. His aunt, a Miss Teague, was there, and had, I think, an interest in it. Perhaps I ought to say when John Nixon opened on the coal at Werfa, this David Williams had an interest in the sinking, but taking more capital than anticipated, James Evans, a wine and spirit merchant, of Redcliff Hill, Bristol also joined at a later date.

To be continued at a later date…..

Merthyr: Then and Now

In the latest post in our ongoing series we have a couple of photographs of the area just outside the gates of St Tydfil’s Church.

In the first photograph, taken in the early 1900’s we can clearly see the famous Star Inn, where Admiral Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton stayed when they visited Cyfarthfa Works in 1800.

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

The second photograph, taken in 2012, shows the area completely changed.

That’s progress for you – an important part of Merthyr’s history replaced by an advertising hoarding.

The Puddler

Many thanks to prominent local historian Joe England for the following article:-

The Puddler

Who or what was the Puddler? He (always male) was a worker who in his day was central to the making of iron and a person of some importance in Merthyr and the other iron towns.

One writer reminisces: ‘One puddler I knew at Dowlais filled the chapel with his presence . . . a Cyfarthfa man stood in the Star parlour with his coat tails to the fire in the presence of Admiral Lord Nelson … another of the species used regularly every week to ride down to the seat of an influential county gentleman whose daughter he came very near marrying . . . it was by the merest accident in the world they found out, just in the nick of time, that the son-in-law elect was only a puddler.’

Puddling was a method of turning pig iron into much more malleable wrought iron. It was invented by Henry Cort but perfected by Richard Crawshay at Cyfarthfa in the 1790s. The puddler stirred the molten metal in a puddling furnace with an iron bar, working in conditions of tremendous heat and agitating the metal as it boiled and then gathering it at the end of a rod while the molten metal thickened.

This was arduous, strength-sapping work, but the puddler’s special skill was his judgement of when to bring out the congealing metal, a decision crucial to the quality of the finished product. He therefore held a key position in the manufacture of iron. They were usually young men in their twenties and thirties. By their forties they were physically burnt out.

In the early years of industrialisation their key position in the manufacture of iron made them workplace militants, although later they accepted the wage cuts imposed by the ironmasters. The reasons for that I have explained in my forthcoming book The Crucible of Modern Wales: Merthyr Tydfil 1760-1912. But the masters, nonetheless, were determined to find ways of getting rid of them. Puddlers were expensive and too powerful.

The opportunity came with the Bessemer process of making steel which would replace wrought iron in making rails. When the first steel rail was rolled at Dowlais in 1858 it broke while still hot ‘to the undisguised rejoicing of the assembled puddlers.’ But the writing was on the wall. Steel rails began to be successfully manufactured and by 1876 the iron rail was seen as a thing of the past. So was puddling. In 1885 the number of puddling forges at Dowlais was 19. There once had been 255.

Joe England