Merthyr’s Heritage Plaques: Dr Joseph Parry

by Keith Lewis-Jones

Dr Joseph Parry

Plaque sited at 4 Chapel Row,CF48 1BN

Joseph Parry was born on 24 May 1841 in the front, side room of 4 Chapel Row, Georgetown, Merthyr Tydfil. At the age of seventeen he began to take music lessons and made rapid progress. He sent four compositions to the Swansea Eisteddfod in 1863 signing them ‘Bachgen Bach o Ferthyr, erioed, erioed’ (A Merthyr boy forever and ever).

In 1868 he entered the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied for three years.

It is estimated that his songs numbered about 300, including the well-loved ‘Myfanwy’, in addition to some 300 anthems, chorales, glees, choruses, operas and orchestral works. He is probably best known internationally for his hymn tune ‘Aberystwyth’ – ‘Jesu, lover of my soul’.

The Execution of Dick Tamer – part 2

Continued from the last article…..

CONFESSION OF RICHARD EDWARDS.

In the early part of the week, the Culprit made the following statement to the Chaplain:-

“I was not alone when my mother came by her death There were three presents beside me. My child (10 months old), was in bed in the room. My mother died on Thursday night. When dead, two women placed my mother in bed beside my little boy, where the corpse remained until the Monday night following. The two other persons present, beside me and my wife, when my mother died, were the nearest relations of Peggy (my wife). Peggy and the other person had been in the womb of the other. These three persons told my father-in-law and my mother-in-law’s sister, that they had passed that night in Cefn Coed Cymmer. I gave my mother a blow about the jaw, because Peggy cried out that my mother was beating her. My mother fell down under my blow.

Peggy, her mother, and brother then laid hold on my mother. My mother did not speak; she groaned for some time. I saw Peggy and the other two squeezing her throat until she ceased groaning. I was in liquor: the three others were not. This happened about 12 or 1 o’clock, I cannot tell exactly, for there was no clock or watch there. And now, if Peggy had been allowed to be examined by me in the Hall, I would have made all this known then. Peggy asked me to bury her. I said I would not, I would leave her there, for I was afraid to be seen. I told them they had killed my mother. They begged me to keep everything secret. We all remained in the house till the dawn of day. I then went up to Dowlais, and the others returned home (to my father-in-law’s, as they say) and told their story about being at night at Coed y Cymmer.

I met my wife again about six o’clock the evening of the following Monday, at her aunt’s house, at Cae Draw (Jane Phillips’s) and we went together, the child in her arms, to my mother’s house. My wife placed the child in the opposite side of the bed to where my mother’s body was lying. We then together dragged the corpse out, and placed it under the bed. We continued to live in the house dining the rest of the week sleeping five nights in the bed under which the corpse lay! I was full of anxiety all the week, and on Saturday I started off the day my mother’s body was discovered, leaving my wife in my mother’s house. I was absent from Saturday until the following Wednesday, when I was apprehended in the Cast-House at Dyffryn, and wandering about.

I tell the best truth – the truth I should tell in the presence of God, where I shall he next Saturday – to you now. My blow did not kill my mother, for she groaned afterwards. Her death was caused by their meddling and scuffling with her on the ground. I know not exactly ill what manner. I mean Peggy, and her mother, and brother was scuffling with her. Neither of these three charged me at this time with having killed my mother. This is all true as I shall answer to God. I know nothing of the death of any other human being, male or female. If I did, I should confess it now, having gone so far. But I am guilty of every other sin or crime, excepting theft or murder. And now I have no more to say, having told the whole truth, and my heart is already feeling light. I began to feel lighter yesterday, when I determined and promised you to confess everything”.

The mark X of RICHARD EDWARDS.

The whole of the foregoing statement was read over in Welsh by Mr. Stacey, and explained to Richard Edwards, and signed with the mark by him in my presence, this 18th day of July 1842.

JNO. B. WOODS,

Governor of the County Gaol.

The Execution of Dick Tamar – part 1

The following is transcribed from the Cambrian dated 30 July 1842 – 180 years ago today.

In a Second Edition of our last number, we published a report of the Execution and Confession of Richard Edwards, alias Dick Tamar, who at the last Assizes for this County was found guilty of the murder of his mother, Tamar Edwards. We this week republish the same for the information of our distant readers: –

This atrocious Criminal was executed at Cardiff this morning (Saturday). The convict was visited on Friday night by the Rev. Mr. Stacey, who remained with him for several hours. He seemed to be perfectly resigned to his fate, and frequently offered up prayers to the throne of grace for mercy in the last hour. We understand that several of the Dissenting ministers of Cardiff applied for permission to visit the wretched man, but that he declined seeing any spiritual teacher except the Reverend Chaplain, whose incessant endeavors to bring the poor creature to a proper sense of his situation, are beyond all praise.

Tamar slept soundly after the Reverend Chaplain left him. At twelve o’clock be awoke and left his bed. He expressed himself as being perfectly easy, and appeared firm and collected. At an early hour this morning (Saturday) crowds assembled round the goal, which gradually increased to about eleven thousand persons. At the dawn of day, the worthy Chaplain visited Tamar. Shortly before six o’clock, he asked for tea and bread and butter, and smoked a pipe with apparent unconcern. He observed to the Governor about this time that he was in “very good spirits”.

The Sheriff arrived at the goal at half-past seven in the morning. Edwards was then engaged in prayer with the Chaplain. Shortly before eight o’clock the Sheriff, accompanied by the officers of justice, proceeded to the condemned cell, and formally demanded the body of its miserable inhabitant. Having taken leave of the Chaplain, Edwards was placed under the hands of the executioner, who pinioned him in the cell. Dick repeatedly protested his innocence he underwent the terrible operation with remarkable firmness. The mournful procession then moved down the pathway in front of the Governor’s House, the Chaplain reading portions of the Burial Service. The convict did not show any fear, he wept slightly. Assisted by two turnkeys, he mounted the scaffold, on which he stood with the utmost firmness. Just prior to the rope being placed round his neck he said, “Hear me, I have been guilty of every crime except murder and thieving.” The fatal knot was then tied, and the cap drawn over the criminal’s face, not a muscle quivered – the bolt was then withdrawn, and Dick Tamar after one or two struggles ceased to exist. He did not appear to suffer much.

The body of the criminal was suspended for an hour, and then cut down. Several medical gentlemen were present for the purpose of taking a cast from the head.

Thus, died the Merthyr murderer whose name and crimes will be long remembered.

At the convict’s urgent request, the Holy Communion was administered him. On being asked how he felt, he said, “I have confidence, and hold fast in God’s mercy to me.” He frequently repeated the following verses, which he had committed at some previous time, to memory:-

Mae’r dydd bron myned heibio,
Mae’r haul bron myned lawr,
Mae’n amser ninnau’n tynu
Tua thragywyddoldeb mawr.
Mi af o flaen yr Orsedd,
Er dued yw fy lliw,
Pwv wyr na cha’i drugaredd,
Un rhyfedd iawn yw Duw.
O Arglwydd cladd fy meiau
Cyn fy nghladdu i,
Mewn eigion mor o angof
Sydd yn dy gariad di.
Ni alla’i ddim gwynebu,
Dydd y farn sy’ ddod,
Os na fydd claddu beiau
Cyn hynny wedi bod.

The following is a translation of the above:- “The day is nearly gone, the sun is nearly setting, and our time is drawing towards Eternity. I shall go before the judgement seat, though my crimes are so black; and who knows but that I shall obtain mercy, for God is wonderingly gracious. Oh! Lord, bury my sins before I shall be buried in the depths of Thy love; for I cannot face the day of Judgment, which is to come, unless my sins are buried before that lakes place”.

To be continued……

Donations

I hope everyone is continuing to enjoy reading this blog.

It does cost quite a bit to keep the blog up and running (for internet fees, the site domain etc.), so if anyone would like to make a donation to help keep the blog going, any contribution, no matter how small would be greatly appreciated, and every penny will go towards the cost of running the blog. I am very grateful to everyone who has already given a donation.

If you would like to contribute something, please see the Paypal application in the side-bar to the right. It will certainly help to keep this blog going.

Please don’t feel that you have to donate – you certainly don’t, I just want people to enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy compiling it, but if you would like to contribute – thank you very much.

Merthyr in the Tudor Period

In 1540, an English traveller, John Leland, spent some time travelling through Wales. Luckily, he kept an account of his journey, the relevant part about the Merthyr area is transcribed below.

“Merthyr Tydfil is in the commote of Senghenydd Uwch Caiach which is in the cantref of Eweinlwg. To go from east to west in the highest part of Glamorganshire towards the roots of the Black Mountains, is a sixteen mile of wild ground almost all.

Uwch Caiach stretcheth up to Taf by the east bank from Caiach to Morlays Castelle (sic), and two miles upward by north-north-east to Cae Drain, where the boundary is between Upper Monmouthshire, Breconshire and the Uwch Caiach part of Senghenydd.

Morlays Castelle standeth in a good valley of corn and grass and is on the right bank of the Morlays Brook*. This castle is a ruin and belongs to the King. Morlays Brook……comes out of the Breconshire hills, near Upper Monmouthshire and to Morlays Castelle, and about a mile lower in the parish called Merthyr it goeth into the east bank of the Taf.

There is a hill called Cefn Glas**, and stands between Cynon and Taf. This is the boundary between Miscin (sic) and Senghenydd. The ground between Cynon and Pennar is hilly and woody.

The water of the Taf cometh so down from woody hills and often bringeth down such log and trees, that the country would not be able to rebuild the bridges if they were stone, for they are so often broken.”

*  Actually the Taf Fechan River

**  Part of the Aberdare Mountain which overlooks Quakers Yard

Scheduled Monuments in Merthyr

I recently received an enquiry asking whether there were any Scheduled Monuments in Merthyr Tydfil. The following is transcribed from Wikipedia:-

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough has 43 scheduled monuments. The prehistoric scheduled sites include many burial cairns and several defensive enclosures. The Roman period is represented by a Roman Road. The medieval periods include two inscribed stones, several house platforms and two castle sites. Finally the modern period has 14 sites, mainly related to Merthyr’s industries, including coal mining, transportation and iron works. Almost all of Merthyr Tydfil was in the historic county of Glamorgan, with several of the northernmost sites having been in Brecknockshire.

Scheduled monuments have statutory protection. The compilation of the list is undertaken by Cadw Welsh Historic Monuments, which is an executive agency of the National Assembly of Wales. The list of scheduled monuments below is supplied by Cadw with additional material from RCAHMW (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales) and Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust.

Name Site type Community Details Historic County
Gelligaer Standing Stone Standing stone Bedlinog A 2 m (6.6 ft) high stone on open moorland. Probably Bronze Age and with the possible remains of a Bronze Age burial alongside. An inscription on the stone, now mostly illegible, is described as either post-Roman/Early Christian or Early Medieval. Glamorganshire
Coed Cae Round Cairns Round cairn Bedlinog Located in a cairnfield with at least 19 stony mounds, the scheduling consists of a group of eight Bronze Age burial cairns. Glamorganshire
Gelligaer Common Round Cairns Round cairn Bedlinog A group of eleven Bronze Age burial cairns. Glamorganshire
Carn Castell y Meibion ring cairn Ring cairn Cyfarthfa

Troed-y-rhiw

 A ring cairn, possibly dating to the Bronze Age, with a 8 m (26 ft) diameter and surrounded by a 3 m (9.8 ft) wide stony ring bank. Glamorganshire
Brynbychan Round Cairn Round cairn Merthyr Vale, A Bronze Age circular cairn with a diameter of 18 m (59 ft). There is an OS triangulation pillar on the site. Glamorganshire
Cefn Merthyr Round Cairns Cairnfield Merthyr Vale Glamorganshire
Morlais Hill ring cairn Ring cairn Pant Glamorganshire
Tir Lan round barrow cemetery Round barrow Treharris The remains of six Bronze Age round barrows, three to the north-west and three to the south-east of Tir Lan farm. All six remain substantially intact despite being reduced by ploughing in the past. Glamorganshire
Garn Las Earthwork Round cairn Troed-y-rhiw The remains a circular burial cairn measuring 14 m (46 ft) in diameter, probably dating to the Bronze Age. Glamorganshire
Merthyr Common Round Cairns Round cairn Troed-y-rhiw A group of six Bronze Age burial cairns ranging from 5 to 19 m (16 to 62 ft) in diameter. Glamorganshire
Carn Ddu platform cairn Platform Cairn Vaynor Glamorganshire
Cefn Cil-Sanws ring cairn Ring cairn Vaynor Glamorganshire
Cefn Cil-Sanws, Cairn on SW side of Round Cairn Vaynor Brecknockshire
Coetgae’r Gwartheg barrow cemetery Round cairn Vaynor Glamorganshire
Garn Pontsticill ring cairn Ring cairn Vaynor Glamorganshire
Dyke 315m E of Tyla-Glas Ditch Bedlinog The remains of a later prehistoric/medieval dyke with a clearly defined bank and ditch running east-west across a ridge top. The 3 m (9.8 ft) wide ditch is 1.5 m (4.9 ft) deep at its east end. Glamorganshire
Cefn Cil-Sanws Defended Enclosure Enclosure – Defensive Vaynor Brecknockshire
Enclosure East of Nant Cwm Moel Enclosure – Defensive Vaynor Glamorganshire
Enclosure on Coedcae’r Ychain Enclosure – Defensive Vaynor Glamorganshire
Gelligaer Common Roman Road Road Bedlinog Glamorganshire
Nant Crew Inscribed Stone (now in St John’s Church, Cefn Coed ) Standing stone Vaynor A 1.5 m (5 ft) high square-sectioned pillar stone thought to date to the Bronze Age. A Latin inscription on the west face and cross incised on the north face are from the 6th and 7th-9th centuries. Holes in the stone indicate that it had been used as a gatepost. Brecknockshire
Platform Houses and Cairn Cemetery on Dinas Noddfa House platforms (& Cairnfield) Bedlinog Medieval house platforms, also prehistoric cairnfield Glamorganshire
Platform Houses on Coly Uchaf Platform house Bedlinog Glamorganshire
Morlais Castle Castle Pant The collapsed remains of a castle begun in 1288 by Gilbert de Clare, Lord of Glamorgan. The walls enclosed an area of approximately 130 by 60 m (430 by 200 ft). It was captured during the 1294-95 rebellion of Madog ap Llywelyn and may have been abandoned shortly afterwards. Glamorganshire
Cae Burdydd Castle Motte Vaynor A 3 m (9.8 ft) high motte and ditch dating to the medieval period. The diameter of 23 m (75 ft) narrows to 9 m (30 ft) at the top. Brecknockshire
Cefn Car settlement Building (Unclassified) Vaynor Glamorganshire
Gurnos Quarry Tramroad & Leat Industrial monument Gurnos Glamorganshire
Sarn Howell Pond and Watercourses Pond Town Glamorganshire
Abercanaid egg-ended boiler Egg-ended Boiler, re-purposed as garden shed Troed-y-rhiw Glamorganshire
Cyfarthfa Canal Level Canal Level Cyfarthfa Glamorganshire
Cyfarthfa Tramroad Section at Heolgerrig Tramroad Cyfarthfa Glamorganshire
Iron Ore Scours and Patch Workings at Winch Fawr, Merthyr Tydfil Iron mine Cyfarthfa Glamorganshire
Ynys Fach Iron Furnaces Industrial monument Cyfarthfa Glamorganshire
Penydarren Tram Road Trackway Merthyr Vale Glamorganshire
Iron Canal Bridge from Rhydycar Bridge Park Glamorganshire
Pont-y-Cafnau tramroad bridge Bridge Park An ironwork bridge spanning the River Taff constructed in 1793. The name, meaning “bridge of troughs”, comes from its unusual three tier design of a tramroad between two watercourses, one beneath the bridge deck and the other on an upper wooden structure which is no longer present. Pont-y-Cafnau is also Grade II* listed. Glamorganshire
Merthyr Tramroad: Morlais Castle section Tramroad Pant Glamorganshire
Merthyr Tramroad Tunnel (Trevithick’s Tunnel) Tramroad Troed-y-rhiw Glamorganshire
Cwmdu Air Shaft & Fan Air Shaft Cyfarthfa Glamorganshire
Remains of Blast Furnaces, Cyfarthfa Ironworks Blast Furnace Park Glamorganshire
Tai Mawr Leat for Cyfarthfa Iron Works Leat Park Glamorganshire
Deserted Iron Mining Village, Ffos-y-fran Industrial monument Troed-y-rhiw Glamorganshire

Please follow the link below to see the original:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scheduled_monuments_in_Merthyr_Tydfil_County_Borough