My Street – part 2

by Barrie Jones

Chapter One

Tir Ysgubornewydd (New Barn Farm)

Ysgubornewydd farm was part of the Morlangau Estate; a prominent estate which extended south and east of the village of Merthyr Tydfil. In earlier times its owners were a younger branch of the family of Edward Lewis of the Van. Morlangau covered 172 acres of land already split between two farms: the Mardy and Ysgubornewydd. The earliest reference to an occupier of Tir Ysgubornewydd is the 1715 Rental which shows two occupiers of Tir Morlangau, Nicholas David and John David, possibly brothers and probably John David occupied Tir Ysgubornewydd. The Davids’ were related to Nicholas the brother of Gwenllian David wife to Lewis William of Tir Castell Morlais, and it is possible that a succession of Nicholas Davids occupied Tir Morlangau from 1666 to 1718.

In 1719 the lease of Morlangau was granted to Thomas Richard, who subsequently purchased the freehold from the Lewis of the Van family in 1727, the sale was precipitated by the hefty fine imposed on the Lewis family following their support of the failed Jacobite rebellion. At this time, 1719, probably his son, Lewis, occupied Tir Ysgubornewydd. Thomas’s other son David had ownership of Morlangau from 1749 to his death in 1780, after which ownership passed to his son William (ap David, afterwards known as Davies). Prior to his death in 1820 William may have been living at Tir Ysgubornewydd.

The Mardy farm was twice the size of Ysgubornewydd but being nearer to Merthyr village, the main road and the emerging Plymouth works by 1850 it had already lost a significant portion of its land to housing and industrial waste and had ceased to function as a single farm, its remaining fields being leased to numerous individuals. It is probable that the Mardy farmstead was located near to the main road and perhaps close to the Court and their adjoining boundary, hence its exact location yet not being known.

Prior to 1844 the Morlangau estate was held ‘under trust’ by Jane, wife of William Thomas of the Court, during that time it consisted of Ysgubornewydd Farm and eight other meadows let out to different people. The importance of the farm was already diminished by so much of it being fragmented by separate tenancies. In 1841 this is further evidenced by the farmstead being occupied by a merchant and mine workers while the farmer, Aaron Lloyd, was living off site in nearby Plymouth Street. The leasing of land for housing and industrial waste demonstrates that the estate’s owners and trustees were determined to maximise rental returns from the land rather than holding any preference for agricultural use.

By 1850 the farm estate covered an area of fifty-four acres of meadow, pasture, wood, and waste.  However, only 39 acres of the farm was tenanted by Aaron Lloyd.  Already the owners had allowed the incursion of waste tipping along its boundary with the Nant Blacs and the tramroad that ran from Pen Heol Ferthyr to the Plymouth Iron Works.

Ysgubornewydd Farm:

Map Ref. Description Cultivation Acres Roods Perches
1389 Cae Jenkin Hopkin Meadow 3 1 24
1390 Cae Lewis Thomas Meadow 1 3 16
1391 Cae Pen Twyn Meadow 3 – 18
1392 Waste – – 2 –
1393 Rubbish and Waste – 3 3 8
1394 Y Waun Pasture 2 2 4
1395 Cae Main Pasture 2 2 23
1396 Cae Pwdwr Meadow 2 2 4
1397 Road and Waste – 2 1 12
1400 Cae Sgubor Meadow 2 2 20
1401 Cae Dan y Ty Meadow 1 2 7
1402 Homestead – – 1 8
1403 Coed Sgubor Newydd Pasture & Wood 1 2 –
1404 Part of Coed Sgubor Newydd Pasture & Wood 2 – –
1404a Cae Pant Meadow 4 3 18
1405 Cae Ishaf Y Cwm Pasture 3 3 22
1406 Part of Cae Ishaf Y Cwm Pasture 5 – 24
1398 Cae Thomas Rosser Meadow 6 3 10
1399 Cae Cant Llaeth Meadow 2 3 4
Total Measurement   54 0 22
Source: 1850 Tithe Schedule (see tithe map below, area edged red)  

In 1851 the farm was further reduced in size by the construction of the Dowlais Railway through the fields Cae Lewis Thomas, Cae Jenkin Hopkin, Cae Main, Cae Sgubor, and Cae Cant Llaeth.  Thus, the Dowlais Railway (“Incline”) cut off a sizeable portion of the original farm estate from the farmhouse, an estimated area of over twenty-four acres, making the later development of the Twynyrodyn side of the incline more practicable. By the time Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council purchased the remaining farm in 1947 the area between the Incline and Gilfach Cynon was already a fully established community of houses, shops, chapel, and school.

Despite this significant loss of acreage, the records show that up to its sale in 1947 the farm’s tenants farmed an area of between 40 and 50 acres. It is likely that a portion of the already fragmented Mardy Farm estate also ‘cut off’ by the ‘Incline’ was incorporated into the Ysgubornewydd farm. This area comprised four fields to the southwest of the Coed Sgubor Newydd and Cae Ishaf y Cwm fields:

Map Ref. Description Cultivation Acres Roods Perches
1407 Coed y Banner Pasture & Wood 6 1 38
1408 Caia Wolridge Pasture & Meadow 3 0 0
1409 Caia Wolridge Pasture & Meadow 2 3 36
1410 Cae Daniel Stephens Meadow 2 0 8
Total Measurement   14 2 2
Source: 1850 Tithe Schedule (see tithe map above, area edged blue)

In 1906, 4½ acres was purchased for the construction of the Mardy Hospital further reducing the amount of farmland. The hospital largely occupied the fields Caia Wolridge (1409) and Cae Daniel Stephens (1410). At no time since 1820 does there appear to be a period of settled tenancy of the farm with change nearly every decade or so. There is no family continuation usually associated with farms and generally the new tenants were not local to the area as highlighted in the following list of occupants:

Year Tenant Occupation Place of Birth
1841 Aaron Lloyd (living off site) Farmer Merthyr Tydfil
1851 Aaron Lloyd Farmer (39 acres)
1861 David Morgan Farmer (50 acres) Llanbedr, Brecon
1871 David Morgan Farmer
1881 Edmund Gibbs Farmer (40 acres) Framton, Glos.
1891 James Bolton Horse slaughterer Tewkesbury, Glos.
1901 James Bolton Horse slaughterer
1911 John Jones Farmer Rhymney, Mons.
1919 John Jones Farmer
1929 W Price Farmer (42 acres)
1947 W Price Farmer (44 acres)

 Sources: Merthyr Tydfil Census Returns, 1941-43 MAF Farm Survey, and MTBC Council minutes.

The tithe map of 1850 shows that field use on the farm was largely a mix of pasture and meadow (88%), so the farm was almost exclusively engaged in rearing livestock, although whether this included sheep is not known. Close to the farm’s demise in 1947 it was run as a dairy farm with thirteen cows and probably the milk was sold for local consumption which in those days was from a pony and trap.  Since 1850 there has been little change in the total area of land cultivated for pasture and meadow.  The Ministry of Agriculture (MAF) survey in 1943 records a small amount of land (two acres) was farmed for root crops, such as turnips, swedes, and mangolds, mainly for fodder, and over seventy fowls were reared.

Despite the gradual erosion of its acreage from the early 1800’s through the activities of both the Plymouth and Dowlais iron works, the expansion of the community of Twynyrodyn and improvements in health care, the farm was able to maintain an optimum size to ensure an agricultural livelihood. However, with the requirement that milk should be pasteurised or bottled under approved conditions under new regulations introduced in the 1950’s, it is very unlikely that a farm so small, although “well run”, could have modernised its dairy production and hence would have ceased to continue as a dairy farm. In 1947 the farm’s uncertain future may already have been anticipated. After over 150 years of industrial and urban pressure the final phase in the farm’s history was completed when through the increasing need for more and better housing the County Borough Council acquired the remaining 43.9 acres of freehold land at a cost of £3,100 plus fees.

To be continued…..

Cyfarthfa Castle and Park 1925-2005 – A People’s History

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Cyfarthfa Castle, the Merthyr Tydfil & District Historical Society has produced a lavish book celebrating the Castle, Park and the people who lived, worked and visited there.

The book will retail at £15 for softback and £25 for hardback, and will be available from 18 May 2025.

Please contact merthyr.history@gmail.com for further details.

 

The Growth of Football in Merthyr Tydfil – part 1

Transcribed by Phil Sweet

These articles which appeared in three consecutive editions of the Merthyr Express in March 1921 are Harvey Boots’ own reminiscences of the development of three football codes in the town up to that date.  

ARTICLE 1 MERTHYR EXPRESS 5TH MARCH 1921

THE GROWTH OF FOOTBALL IN MERTHYR

(By Harvey Boots)

While sitting in the grand stand and gazing around at the sea of faces assembled on Penydarren Park to watch Merthyr and Swansea play some weeks ago, my mind naturally reverted back to know what would be considered the “old days.” Sitting behind me was a personality who, probably, had as much to do with the assembling of that vast crowd as anyone in the history of Merthyr football. The gentleman I refer to is now a successful London businessman known as Mr. J. H. Evans, better known to the football fraternity as “John Ben”. My reasons for opening with this statement will appear later on in a subsequent article. Sitting next to me on the occasion referred to was the genial Editor of the Merthyr Express, who, after hearing our conversation about old times, etc., asked me point blank if I could manage to give him a few lines for the Merthyr Express on Merthyr’s football history as far as I could go. The bait was skilfully laid; I nibbled, and here I am – hooked. As I have no data to go upon, but simply giving a short history of my own recollections, there will obviously be a few inaccuracies which, I trust, will be excused and, at the same time, be non-controversial.

In my early days Rugby was the only code in the district, as a Soccer ball was quite a rare event, and so this portion of my story will be entirely of the Rugby game. My earliest memories recall to mind some of those giants of the past whom I used to see deporting themselves of the old game. Indeed, I have an old photograph before me now (kindly lent me by Mr. E. Beynon, of Abercanaid), and it would be interesting to recall some of the names of the group, vis, J.T. Harrup, Gomer Thomas, Arthur Howfield, the late Major H.H. Southey, J. Beynon, Tom Morgan, Jenkin Williams (Cowbridge), Ivor Thomas, son of Mr. William Rees Thomas (chemist), Claude Biddle, T.T. Fryer, the late Gwilym Thomas and Howell Thomas, Crad Evans (son of the late Roger Evans, draper) Tommy Elliott, W.R Southey and Joe Jones (Manchester House). At that time the playing venue was at the Goitre Field – quite a good walk both before and after, a match. A little later we come to another period when I recall the names of Fred Beddoe, G. Truran, “John Ben”, and Shenkin Davies.

At this period, or it may be prior to this, the playing pitch was Penydarren Park, which was quite a different proposition from what it is to-day. In those days there were numerous trees in the ground then utilised, and often the players, while careering down the field, would come in contact with one of those obstacles and become hors de combat. Indeed, I believe it is on record that several very serious accidents occurred from this source. About this time Mr. W. H. Baker, The Garage, used to bring a team from Newport on Good Friday to play for the benefit of the Railwaymen’s Society, and I believe he, with one or two others, was largely responsible for approaching Major Morgan, Bolgoed, with a view to having the trees removed; which was subsequently done. In those days the various playing pitches were anything but deluxe, and bathing accommodation often consisted of three or four tubs in some back room of whatever hostelry happened to be the headquarters of the team we were playing. On a particularly muddy day the biggest sprint of all was after the game to be one of the first “to tub”. The condition of the water for the last bathers can better be imagined than described. Hot and cold showers, massage, etc. were an unknown luxury in those days. But in spite of those little drawbacks the game was played with a zeal that to-day would be truly refreshing. The fun and good fellowship we used to get out of our football more than compensated for those little inconveniences. I remember one incident en passant which occurred when we were playing Bedford at the latter place. We were getting beaten for possession of the ball in the scrum, and our captain, who was also a forward, and shall be called “X” shouted out, “There is somebody not pushing, who is it?” Promptly, came the reply from poor old Crad Evans (a great wit, now, alas no more!) “I think it’s “X” naming the captain.”

To be continued….