Tag: Merthyr Express

Memories of Old Merthyr Tydfil

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.

Bidding goodbye to Plymouth, let us walk up to Penydarren, but to fall into line with what has been previously stated, now imagine ourselves at the old turnpike gate close to the Morlais Castle Inn. The road inclining to the right must now be followed.

After a short time the tramroad from the basin would be crossed, and only a few yards previously, the branch into the works would be seen. The gates, or rather the lower gates of the works are here, and passing through, the works would be virtually surrounding you, at least the rail shed, the brickyard, an the new mill, but persons other than hauliers with their horses etc. were not allowed in that way, so we must keep to the turnpike road for a short distance, having the tramway on the left, when another gate would be come to opposite the entrance to Penydarren Park.

A composite of parts of the 1851 Ordnance Survey Map showing Penydarren House and Gardens (left) and the Penydarren Ironworks (right)

Only a few yards further on the tramway again crosses the road, and over this very crossing the turnpike gate (the Penydarren gate) was hung. The gate house on the left was only recently removed by the District Council.

The clump of buildings on the right from the entrance gate to the works was agents or other employees residences, with the offices of the works in front of them. The tramroad kept to the right, and did not rise as fast as the turnpike road. There were no houses on the right-hand side of the road until the tramroad from the Morlais Limestone Quarries had been crossed.

The first come to was occupied by Mr Morgan, the blast furnace manager, but there were some cottages on the left before coming to the tramroad. There was a brick cistern near the crossing that was made for the use of the locomotives at work on the lower, or basin road, and upon one occasion, while being filled, the boiler exploded.

Before proceeding further, let us glance at the prospect on the right. Immediately in front were the blast furnaces, five in a row and one detached, a little to the right; but before reaching them the Morlais Brook, or dingle in which it ran, would be seen, then a long incline leading up on the left. This was used for the removal of cinders or other refuse, no doubt, after the tip on the riverside had become as large as could well be. On the other side of the incline were the blast furnaces, with a large spherical wrought-iron regulator for the blast between the engine houses.

To the left of the furnace yard are, or were, the hitting shops; to the right, after the blast furnaces, was the refinery, the the smiths shop, a self-acting incline to lower coal forge and mill use; then the rod lathe, the forge (or puddling forge) followed these mills where bars, sheets and slit rods were made. The rail mill was the lowest, and the sheds extended to the gates at the bottom of the works.

Penydarren Irnoworks

To be continued at a later date……

Walter William Meredith – The Man Who Secured Penydarren Park for Sport

by Phil Sweet

History is full of individuals who accomplish notable deeds and then fade from memory. One such gentleman is Walter William Meredith. This short article will hopefully both bring his story to life and recognise his achievements.

Walter Meredith was born on New Year’s Day 1863 and was the second child of William and Harriet Meredith who resided at 125 High Street in Merthyr. Walter’s father was a successful jeweller and had the financial means to invest in his son’s education.

Meredith initially attended Lloyd’s School in Merthyr. It was at this school that he first participated in the code of football which existed at the time. When he was eleven Meredith attended Taunton School and, during the five years he spent there, represented the school at both rugby and cricket.

He then spent the next three years at Shrewsbury School and whilst a pupil at the school he became acquainted with Association Football. Meredith proved to be a quick learner and went on to represent the school at football, cricket and running. During this time his rugby skills weren’t forgotten as he occasionally turned out for Merthyr RFC whilst home on vacation.

Meredith’s talents were not just confined to the sports field and on leaving Shrewsbury School in 1882 he was articled to a firm of solicitors in the City of London. While he was in the Capital Walter’s sporting career continued to flourish. He joined the London Athletic Club and on Wednesdays played rugby for a team called the Anomolites which was a combination of members of the London Athletic Club and doctors from the various London hospitals.

He was also a member of the Hermits & Phoenix Football Clubs which later merged into the well-known Clapton club. Indeed whilst he was with Clapton Meredith played at right back in the Clapton team which won the London Association Junior Cup. A true sporting all-rounder Meredith also competed in cross-country competitions for the Clapton Beagles team and during the summer months was a regular and successful participant in athletic sports held within easy travelling distance of London.

In 1887 Walter passed his final law examination and qualified as a solicitor  This event saw him curtail his athletics career. However, his interest in sport was not extinguished completely as he served for a season as Secretary of London Welsh RFC.

In June 1891 Meredith returned to Merthyr to open his own solicitors practice in Market Square and resided with his parents and older sister Kate at 125 High Street. Back in his home town Walter wasted little time in throwing himself into the civic life of the area. As well as being President of Merthyr RFC and Secretary of Merthyr Athletic Club, in 1904 he was appointed High Constable of Caerphilly Higher.

Shortly after being appointed to the latter office Meredith made his lasting contribution to the sporting life of the town when he concluded the negotiations, on behalf of Merthyr Athletic Club, with the Bolgoed Estate for a 99 year lease on Penydarren Park which at the time was in great danger of being built on. This agreement secured for the people of Merthyr a central and well appointed venue for sporting activity which had previously been so lacking in the town.

Having secured the use of Penydarren Park for sport the twelve-strong syndicate of prominent townsmen who comprised Merthyr Athletic Club wasted little time in levelling the arena to create a playing field as well as athletics and cycling tracks. The ground was officially opened on Saturday 9th September 1905 when Swansea RFC took on Merthyr RFC and immediately became the home to Merthyr RFC, Merthyr Thursdays RFC and Merthyr Ladies Hockey Club.

These organisations were the first of many such clubs to take up residence at the ground. Although Penydarren Park has become synonymous with football in the town, having hosted both Football League and European Cup Winners Cup matches, the arena has also played host to touring international rugby teams and greyhound racing. Equally as significant is the fact that it has allowed countless thousands of children and adults in the Borough to engage in a variety of sporting pursuits.

Whilst securing the lease on Penydarren Park was undoubtedly Walter Meredith’s lasting civic legacy to Merthyr Tydfil his interests were not just confined to the sporting arena. As well as being an enthusiastic archaeologist and a recognised authority on the history of Merthyr Tydfil Meredith was the long-standing  Secretary of both the Merthyr & Aberdare Incorporated Law Society and Merthyr Chamber of Trade & Commerce.

Politically he was a strong supporter of the Conservative Party acting as party agent in the town for the first decade of the twentieth century.  Ten years earlier he had been one of the founder members of the Merthyr Constitutional Club eventually becoming the club’s president after holding the post of vice-president for eighteen years.

Walter Meredith was a bachelor who, following the death of his parents, moved with his spinster sister to 2, Courtland Terrace. He died on August 2nd 1932  whilst on holiday at Aberdw in Mid Wales where he was indulging in another of his life-long passions – angling. His funeral took place Friday August 12th at St David’s Church where he was life-long member. He is buried in Cefn Cemetery.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Evening Express
Merthyr Express
1871 Census
1881 Census
1891 Census
1901 Census
1911 Census 

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.

A family of the name of Steel were at Plymouth. Old Mr Steel was the chief and trusted agent. One of his sons died, the other was in America for many years. Alfred Meyler Hughes, who was at Dowlais, married a Miss Steel, but as far as known, the family have died out.

The Joseph family were there: the oldest that can be recalled was Mr Morgan Joseph. He had three sons and two daughters. The sons were Mr David Joseph, who became one of the trustees under Mr Hill’s will; Mr Thos. Joseph, one of the most enterprising of colliery proprietors (although he did not amass a fortune); Mr Morgan Joseph, who was an agent or resident part proprietor with the Ocean Colliery, and is yet alive, I believe, at Bath. One of the daughters married a Mr T Davies, who was furnace manager at Plymouth; the other married Mr Samuel Thomas, then of Pontstorehouse, but later of Ysguborwen, the father of Mr David Alfred Thomas, the senior member of the borough (right).

The Bevan family were the forge carpenters, or if the term is preferred, the engineers, as was also a Davis family, the daughter of whom, Angharad Gwent, is, I hear, yet with us. All there were prior to Mr W T Lewis’ time.

A Mr John Bevan, not the same family as previously mentioned, was in charge of the horses. This Mr Bevan’s brother was archdeacon of Carmarthen. Mr William Thomas – the grandfather of Mr W Thomas of Oakfield, and brother of the Mr E Thomas alluded to – was the chief book-keeper, left for a while but returned, and after some few years passed away.

Before leaving Plymouth, I should say Mr A Hill was extremely fond of Chemistry, Dr Wollaston was his beau ideal, but chemistry was not then advanced as now. What with some few experiments, and very careful observation in practice, Mr Hill did certainly produce first a bar iron, and afterwards a rail, which stood amongst the highest of their kind. He used certain materials not usually resorted to, but nothing would induce him to patent after the experience of the cinder one.

To be continued at a later date.

The Dark Side of Convict Life – part 7

by Barrie Jones

Chapter V recounts Henry’s completion of his prison sentence at Dartmoor Prison, approximately three months short of his three-year sentence, and his first experience of London.

The Dark Side of Convict Life (Being the Account of the Career of Harry Williams, a Merthyr Man). Merthyr Express, 26th February 1910, page 11.

Chapter V

The liberation of a convict is looked forward to far more than that of a local prisoner. In the first place, the governor has no power to release him until the preliminaries are gone into, as all his papers, records and so on are sent up to the Home Secretary three full months before his release; and then, and not until then, will he be allowed to grow his hair, or, what is called, “going into orders.” Then he has to be photographed, and all the minute marks on his body are taken, and also his fingerprints, with head measurements. He is also measured for his clothes and boots, and finally he is called up by the governor concerning his future prospects. The Government allows so much for each convict’ skit, which consists of one suit of clothes, one pair of boots or shoes, two pairs of woollen socks, two handkerchiefs; two collars, two over-shirts, one hat, and a penny comb; but they are not worth much. Convicts, as a rule, do not wear these prison made clothes very long; they get rid of them as soon as possible, as nearly everyone knows the prison cut, particularly the flannels. I have known a convict to be liberated in those clothes, and only a week later, brought back to “serve his ticket” for a breach of the rules, and wearing quite a different suit altogether.

My journey from Dartmoor to Pentonville was a rather pleasant one, and a great deal happier I felt coming from than going to. I had still seven days yet to serve at Pentonville, and that short period seemed to me as long as the whole sentence; indeed, I must confess that the night previous to my discharge was to me rather a restless one, for I lay awake reckoning each stroke of the prison clock. A convict does not think much of his sentence while serving it, but when he is within his last three month’s time drags. The lag says: “It is the longest part of my lagging.” It is then he begins to feel the punishment of along sentence. I can well remember a convict at Dartmoor asking me how long I was doing, and when told it was three years, he replied: “That is only a sleep.” Naturally it was only a sleep to him, for he wore upon his arm the letter L, which told that he was serving a life sentence. I have nothing to say about Pentonville Prison, as I was not long enough there to experience anything approaching person treatment; it being the first time I had ever been in a London prison, or London itself. I wish to let my readers know what I went to London for, and that was, to join a Prisoner’ Aid Society. It was not that I had no home to go to, for I had as good a home as any man, but I did not wish to go back home, as I had too many friends who were always ready to treat me with another “lagging,” if I gave them the least chance. Between nine and ten o’clock on the morning of my discharge I was given an old temporary suit of clothes at the prison, and I was taken in a cab to the well-known Saint Giles’ Christian Mission, where I was supplied with a new suit of common black diagonal, and a pair of boots, as I refused clothes made at Dartmoor. Those clothes were paid for by the Government to the Society, the former allowing two pounds two and sixpence for a convicts’ rig-out, and I was entitled to a balance of over a sovereign, as the clothes and boots could be obtained at any clothiers for a little over a sovereign.

I had an interview with the founder of this establishment, and asked him to give me the promised assistance, but he said: “You haven’t sufficient money to start with,” and he could do nothing for me. This is a Prisoners’ Aid Society, and he had a few loafers there who had the cockney impudence (and that Is impudence seldom heard in Wales) to ask me to stand them a drink. I was having none of it, and as Welshmen are looked upon by that class of people as “mugs,” I up and asked them if they thought they had a shark. I told them that I was a Welshman, but nearly all Welshmen could speak English, too, so in the end I was advised to go home, as London was not the place for me. I replied: “No, you are right; I think I had better go home.” Thus, I left Paddington on the 19th of July 1898, for Merthyr, where I was received with open arms by my mother and sisters.

To be continued…..