Tag: Dowlais

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….

Merthyr Historian volume 33

The Merthyr Tydfil and District Historical Society is pleased to announce the publication of Volume 33 of the Merthyr Historian.

Contents:

  • A Local History Appreciated (‘The Story of Merthyr Tydfil …’ 1932) by Huw Williams
  • Merthyr Tydfil & District Historical Society: helping the historians of the future (The Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative Awards) by Clive Thomas
  • The history of Garthnewydd House by Lucy Richardson
  • Creating Merthyr Tydfil Educational Settlement (1930-1949): a view from behind the scenes by Christine Trevett
  • “Eisteddfod Merthyr Tydfil a’r Cylch”1958-1962 by John Fletcher
  • Japanese naval commander at Merthyr 1902 (transcription) by T. Fred Holley & John D. Holley
  • Mary Emmeline Horsfall, the lady of Gwernllwyn House: art, philanthropy and the workless in Dowlais by Christine Trevett
  • A Merthyr man’s wartime service in His Majesty’s Royal Navy by Brian, Peter & Barrie Jones
  • The dark side of convict life: an account of the career of Harry Williams (b. 1876), a Merthyr man by Barrie Jones
  • The White Horse, Twynyrodyn in the 19th century by Richard Clements
  • The first Aeronaut (balloonist) in Merthyr, 1847 (transcription)
  • Evacuees in the Borough’s Wards: ‘Merthyr welcomes evacuees…’ (transcription, 1940) by Stephen Brewer
  • Putting Merthyr Tydfil on the map by Clive Thomas
  • ‘Honouring a Dowlais Musician. Complimentary Concert …’ John Evans (Eos Myrddin) 1841-1905. A transcribed report from the Merthyr Times 1893 of ‘A Grand Performance’ by T. Fred Holley & John D. Holley
  • Gurnos Farm and the Cyfarthfa Estate by Alison Thomas Davies
  • Treharris pit-head baths and The Lancet 1908 (transcription)
  • The Lavernock tragedy 1888 and its Aberfan memorial by Stephen Brewer
  • The ‘earthly Eden’ which was dry and rustic Trelewis (newspaper items and editor’s commentary)
  • Chess in Merthyr by Martyn Griffiths
  • Lewys Glyn Cynon, Merthyr Vale poet by T. Fred Holley & John D. Holley
  • Calling local historians: banking and boxers by Stephen Brewer & Christine Trevett

This 324 page book is available to buy from the Merthyr Tydfil & District Historical Society for £13.

If you would like a copy, contact me at merthyr.history@gmail.com and all orders will be forwarded to the Society.

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.

But stay! there was a round building that must not be forgotten. It is probable that many are unacquainted with its purpose, for they are not in vogue now. It was a structure for the rolls not in use, or being attended to for making or repairing. It was built round so that a crane fixed in the centre would sweep around, so as to deliver or take up all within its scope. I should add the rolls were stored on their ends, the floor plates having the necessary circular holes for taking in the neck or bearing, and so keep them in vertical position.

As regards the individuality of Penydarren, Mr Richard Forman was the one time manager, and resided at Gwaelodygarth Cottage. When Mr Grenfell was manager he resided at Gwaunfarren, and it was so occupied by Mr Benjamin Martin after he became manager, previous to which he resided on the “yard”, or rather the road leading to it and to Caemarydwn (sic).

Mr Martin had five brothers and one sister that can be remembered. Two of his brothers, Joseph and Thomas, were in the works; Edward who became the registrar at Penydarren; John was the doctor, living near the Bush, in the High Street of Merthyr, and George, who is always remembered in Dowlais. The sister married and went to America, whence she returned, and lived in a house between where the Pontmorlais turnpike gate stood and the bottom of Penydarren Works.

The first millwright that can be recalled was Mr Thomas Davies, who went thence to Nantyglo. He was succeeded by John Watt, from Dowlais, who afterwards removed to Govan. James Roe, a younger brother of John P Roe, was there also, and I think he died there. Bye-the-bye, he married either the daughter or other relative of the Waunwyllt family. Adrian Stephens (left), the inventor of the steam whistle, was also there.

It was in the Penydarren Forge one of Trevithick’s engines and boilers was seen, and another also of his make was used for winding coal at Winch Fawr. The upper end of the forge was built of limestone, and the purest specimen of Doric architecture ever seen in South Wales. The chimney or stack of the roll lathe, not many yards thence, was a copy of the Monument on Fish Street Hill, but one fifth the size.

Now to return to the crossing of the turnpike road on the limestone tramroad. I have an idea that Mr Morgan, who lived close by there, and already alluded to, married a sister of Mr Benj. Martin, but she has not been mentioned with that gentleman’s other brothers and sisters as I am not positive respecting it.

There were houses almost continually from her to Dowlais. On the opposite (the left) side of the road there was a shop kept by the name of Williams – it was a son of his, I believe, who erected a flour mill, and opened a grocery and and provision place on the right hand side of Victoria Street and named it the Hong Kong Shop.

I have omitted to say that one of those living in the houses near Penydarren Office was a Mr Gibson; he was the cashier, and married a Miss Farmer, whose father was a gunsmith etc. in Cardiff. His shop was, as near as I can remember, where or near there is one one present, between the Bute estate offices and the Angel Hotel. He built a row of cottages on the left, opposite to where the road now turns to Dowlais, and thus avoids Gellyfaelog, which is known to this day as Gibson’s Row.

Gibson’s Row in the 1940s. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

A family named Waters also lived in the clump. John, the eldest son, became the furnace manager at Duffryn under Mr A Hill, in which position some years after he was succeeded by Mr John Place. Mr Evan Roberts, another of Mr Hill’s furnace managers, had charge at Plymouth after Mr Thos. Davies left.

To be continued at a later date…….

The Dowlais Communist, J.S. Williams

by his son Iori Williams

I was born on October 12th 1926, the second son of John Samuel and Jane. Later there were 4 other brothers and of this number 5 survived childhood. Our first home was a one up and one down terrace house in Dowlais. The one bedroom was divided into two by a draped blanket and the part where my brothers and I slept had a tiny window through which we used to watch the sky light up when the furnaces in the local steel works were working. The mother of this very happy brotherhood came from a family steeped in music. One of my uncles was the organist at Bethania Chapel. Another uncle, two aunts and Mam herself were members of the famous Dowlais United Choir.

The father of the family was from Bethesda in North Wales but due to a shortage of employment there the family moved south to the coalfield. Dad left school at the age of 12 to work underground. He was an avid scholar and throughout his life he read and read. He had thought of becoming a minister at some chapel but the more he studied the less enchanting that seemed. He was deeply concerned about society and the way it was structured with the few amassing capital at the expense of the hard-working exploited masses. He became a very active trade unionist and a founder member of the Communist Party. All this was looked on with disfavour by the mine owner and so he was sacked in 1923. We his children would never remember him working for cash. But work he did.

He continued to read and built up an impressive personal library the bulk of which David and I donated to the South Wales Miners Library at Swansea University College when we were adults. Another illustration of his love of learning was that he became the local organiser of the Left-Wing Book Club. He loved children and organised two camps for the children of the unemployed in 1934 and 1935. These were my first holidays shared by hundreds of other children. One of my clear memories of Dad was his taking me to the dentist but on the way, we called in several establishments and I was the mute witness to Dad’s scrounging equipment, food and cash to sustain those camps.

Dad was the founder and organiser of the local branch of the N.U.W.M.  (National Unemployed Workers Movement) and was the main organiser of the Hunger Marches from South Wales to London. Dad was a very good public speaker on the soap box or in a more formal setting. In 1935 Dad gave evidence to a Royal Commission on the status of the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil and the Commission Chair Sir Arthur Lowry CB complimented Dad at the end saying that he ‘admired very much his ‘fluency and eloquence’. Afterwards he ‘disappeared’ from our lives to follow his convictions. The men who went to fight in Spain left in the dead of night and were careful not to involve their families. They never spoke afterwards about who had helped them get to Spain, not even fifty years after their return home. Dad was different, because before he left, he sat the family around a table and explained his reasons. He had encouraged young men to fight fascism in Spain and so he felt a moral obligation to go himself. He returned barely alive, suffering from malnutrition and various conditions and he did not live for long after his return to Merthyr Tydfil.

Mum was widowed when I was twelve years old and so she had to do all for us. Tom was seven, John five and Owen a babe of three. David aged fifteen left grammar school to become the bread winner. The family income then was a widow’s pension of ten shillings a week plus parish relief of two shillings and sixpence for each child. Mam herself supplemented this by cleaning for others, by taking in laundry and lodgers. The paying guests were key workers who came from N.E. England and Scotland to man the new shadow factories being built nearby. By this time of course we had moved into a new council house which had three bedrooms and a bathroom. The days of baths in a portable wooden tub were gone. The move into this house was the result of Dad’s pressure on the local council.

I was brought up in a family that loved music and that encouraged reading and scholarship and above all a sense of identity with the local community and its problems and challenges. I followed my older brother by winning a scholarship to a local grammar school that was located in Cyfarthfa Castle, a mock Norman castle built in the 19th century by a local ironmaster and set in a large park. Not all the castle became a school, a part of it became the local museum. There was a side door connecting school and museum and I quickly developed the tendency of sneaking into the museum and that has become a habit of a lifetime.

Merthyr’s Heritage Plaques: Gwyn Alf Williams

by Keith Lewis-Jones

Gwyn Alf Williams

Plaque sited at Lower Row, Penywern, CF48 3ND

A native of Dowlais, Gwyn Alfred Williams (1925-1995), was a lecturer at Aberystwyth University followed by professorships at York and
Cardiff.

His books on Welsh subjects include – ‘The Welsh in their History’ 1982, ‘The Merthyr Rising’ 1978, ‘When Was Wales?’ 1985 and ‘Madoc: The Making of a Myth’ published in 1979.

He was a Marxist who later joined Plaid Cymru.

He took part in many television progammes of which his series with Wynford Vaughan Thomas, ‘The Dragon Has Two Tongues’
aroused much interest.

The plaque has a mistake in that Gwyn Alf Williams died, not in Cardiff, but in Dre-fach Felindre, Carmarthenshire.

The Mystery of Dr Gabe – part 1

by Lynette Rees

Doctor Gabe, who is reputed to be one of the first doctors on the scene of the final Jack the Ripper murder of Mary Jane Kelly, is one of the persons mentioned, apart from Mary herself, who I find most intriguing of all in the case. Not just because he was born and bred in my home town of Merthyr Tydfil, but because of his movements during that period of time.

Gabe, was reported as living in Merthyr Tydfil, where his father was reputed to be the landlord, Rees Gabe. Now this is where the confusion and mystery begins…there appears to be a Doctor John Bernard Gabe listed as being Rees Gabe’s son of Merthyr. John Bernard Gabe did exist as I’ve found a newspaper clipping of his death, complete with a photograph, [see above].

In the article in the newspaper called ‘The Cambrian -10th July 1908‘,  it says that John Bernard’s father was Rees Gabe, but it appears to say John Bernard previously resided in Cefn [there is a Lord Raglan pub which is still operational in Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil.. I have found mention of 3 such pubs, one in Glebeland Street, Cefn Coed and Dowlais] But which one was it really? I’ve also found an article in a Welsh newspaper where Rees Gabe from the Lord Raglan Glebeland Street, had bales of hay stolen and had taken someone on in court for the offence.

Not only is the pub an enigma, so is Doctor Gabe as there is a Doctor John Bernard Gabe mentioned and more often Doctor John Rees Gabe in connection with the case of Jack the Ripper. Now, John Rees makes complete sense as being the son of Rees Gabe as names were often handed down to sons. Yet, on the Census there is only a boy called John and a boy called Joseph that could be brothers who were doctors. There are three other brothers, William age 13, Benjamin 7,  and 1-year-old Henry.

Joseph’s age fits best the year John Rees Gabe was born which was said to be around 1852 [he might have been almost 9 when the census was taken so could have been born in 1852.] So was that name changed at some point from Joseph to John?

Also curious is the fact that John Bernard isn’t on that census, though the newspaper report says Rees Gabe was his father. If he was 55 years of age in 1908 when he died, then he was born circa 1853. So was he Joseph? Was there only one year between John Bernard and John Rees? It doesn’t make sense. Of course the one called John on the census there was 6 at the time, which would have made his birth year around 1855, that doesn’t tie in with any dates either.

1861 Census return for the “Lord Raglan”, Merthyr Tydfil

  • Rees Gabe (Head), 38, born Llangathen, Carmarthenshire. Innkeeper
  • Anne (Wife), 35, born Llangathen, Carmarthenshire. Innkeeper
  • Mary Anne (Daur), 11, born Merthyr. Scholar
  • William (Son), 13, born Merthyr. Scholar
  • Joseph (Son), 8, born Merthyr. Scholar
  • Benjamin (Son), 7, born Merthyr. Scholar
  • John (Son), 6, born Merthyr. Scholar
  • Elizabeth (Daur), 6, born Merthyr. Scholar
  • Henry (Son), 1, born Merthyr
  • Anne Williams (Servant), born Carmarthen Town. House Servant
  • Mary A Williams (Servant), 15, born Pontypool, Monmouthshire. House Servant

I’ve also discovered a Doctor J. Gabe who worked as a medical officer at St, Tydfil’s infirmary/workhouse in Merthyr Tydfil. A newspaper article mentions him one night working with ‘his brother’. So did Rees Gabe the publican have two sons who were doctors? One called John Bernard and one called Joseph Rees [who later changed his name to John Rees when he arrived in London?]

The Doctor J. Gabe who worked as a Medical Officer at the workhouse/ infirmary seemed to be a colourful character who got involved in certain inquiries held by the hospital board where he came under suspicion of various misdeeds. One was about giving a ward sister a lot of grief, who seemed to dislike him intensely! He was often spoken of as having an extremely bad temper by staff at the infirmary.

To add to his mystery, several Ripperologists have mentioned that Mary Jane Kelly, was at one time living in Merthyr Tydfil herself. Mary was said to have married young to a man with the surname ‘Davies’, but sadly her husband got killed in a pit disaster. [This information is derived from an account by Joseph Barnett, her London lover, who told police this information after her death]. There is a 16-year-old ‘Mary Jane Davies’ listed as residing at the Brunswick Hotel in Thomas Street, not that far away from St. Tydfil’s Infirmary.

Mary, although described as ‘Irish’ is known to have spoken the Welsh language. Her father was said to have worked at the ironworks [again this information came from Joseph Barnett].

To be continued…..

Many thanks to Lynette for allowing me  to use this. To read the original article please see

The Mystery of Doctor Gabe from Merthyr

Iorwerth Price Jones, Trelewis…The Quiet Referee – part 2

To keep fit, Iory would do a lot of road work around the valleys and often run all the way to Dowlais and back, he also attended the gymnasium. Iory was also a keen cricketer and liked playing badminton and bowls; he really was a very fit man, despite his earlier problems with his knee.

On the 20th September 1967 he ventured into Europe and officiated in Switzerland at a European Cup Winners Cup game at the Stadium Olympique Pontaisen. It was to be the first of many European adventures of Iory. He was also the referee at the Welsh cup final between Cardiff City and Hereford later that season….both John Toshack and John Charles played in that two legged final which Cardiff City won 6-1.

A game in Europe

Into 1968 and Iory was 40 years old and into his third season as a top referee, he was making many friends in the football world and was respected by some of the games biggest names, Bill Shankley, George Best, Bill Nicholson to name just a few. He would often travel to games with his wife Meg and they would be greeted by club commissionaires and often Meg would get treated like royalty, especially by Shankley at Liverpool.

Often before matches, Iory would be in a room that was filled with a buffet for him and the linesmen and the press would pop in, people like Jimmy Hill, Brian Moore and Ken Gorman and the press men would often devour all the food before the officials had a chance to get a sandwich, but it was all good fun and Iory had a good relationship with many from the press but he was well aware that not all of them were genuine and he had to be careful at times in what he said.

In September he was abroad again, in the middle with two Welsh Linesmen at his side for another European match, this time in Cologne, his reputation was growing.

A genuine team sheet that Iory still has, signed by the legend Matt Busby in 1969, look at the famous names on the list.

In 1969 he became part of a new refereeing scheme called the elite referees, to cover the most difficult games, another testament to the respect that Iory had earned. He was now classed as one of the top referees in Great Britain, along side other top refs such as G. Kew, W. Gow, Leo Callaghan and Jack Taylor. In October he reffed the famous Benfica and Eusebio and he also officiated a vital World cup qualifying match in Luxemburg.

During 1970 he had the honour of being one of only four British referees chosen to attend an International course of referees in Florence.

He also was held in high esteem in Europe and was chosen to ref behind the Iron Curtain in East Berlin, which was an amazing experience in those days. Cameras and secret police everywhere and his interpreter always had to accompany him and his linesmen wherever they went. It was freezing cold there and Iory was seriously considering calling off the game due to a frozen pitch, however he was assured it would be playable. 200 soldiers were sent to the stadium and the completely removed the thick ice and top layer of grass to make the match safe to play, the stadium was full to capacity and Iory claims it was one of the best games of football he ever had the pleasure to referee in.

On the 16th February 1970 he received a letter from the Association of Football league referees and linesmen, informing him that he had been appointed to the reserve list of referees for the upcoming world cup finals in Mexico. A truly magnificent honour, he was sent a full supply of kit from Slazenger, all red. Unfortunately he never got to make the trip, the F.A.W. decided not to send him over, even though there was a fourth reserve Russian referee sent over by the Russian FA.

July 1970, and the disappointment of not making the trip to Mexico was offset by the fact that once again Iory was appointed to the list of referees for matches of E.U.F.A. competitions for the following season. In November he was appointed to ref the biggest match in round two of the European cup, Athletico Madrid v Calgari, a 1-0 victory for the home side in a game that Iory excelled in.

He often had Welsh linesmen with him on trips to officiate in Europe and on May 12th 1971, he was awarded the Nations cup match in Berne between Switzerland and Greece, the two linesmen were from Swansea, Tom Reynolds and Trevor Jenkins. June 1971 and once again Iory was appointed for another year to referee European matches.

In 1972, Iory ran the line with W. J. Gow (Swansea) referee in an England v Northern Ireland match at Wembley, some of the superstars that played that day included, Gordon Banks, Norman Hunter, Alan Ball, Rodney Marsh and for Ireland Pat Jennings, Terry Neill , Pat Rice, George Best and Sammy McIlroy

Iory continue to gain plaudits for his quiet but fair approach to refereeing and he continued to get International matches and big games, however he never got to referee an F.A. Cup final, he got very close and short listed but lost out to an English man called P. Partridge and in true Valley fashion he took it on the chin saying “Well it’s only fair really because I have officiated at a Welsh Cup final that the English Final be done by an Englishman”

To be continued….

Many thanks to Paul Corkrey for allowing me to use this article. To view the original please go to https://www.treharrisdistrict.co.uk/treharris-areas/trelewis/history/