Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

The New Inn: ‘Mormon’ meeting place

by Freda Entwistle

The New Inn, Penydarren, was located at no. 307 High Street, but was demolished in the late 1970s for modernisation.

It was a typical public house: the ground floor providing an entrance to the pub itself; living accommodation for the family of the licensee at the rear of the building; and the floor above provided a sizeable hall, which was hired out for various events and activities to local groups.

One of those groups was the Latter Day Saints or ‘Mormons’ – officially members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In the early 1840s William Henshaw, a new convert to the cause, was sent to Merthyr Tydfil, to preach the gospel.

In the History of the Church, Joseph Smith recorded:

Sunday, February 19, 1843 —– Elder William Henshaw having been directed… to go to South Wales, he commenced preaching in the English language privately to several families in Pen y darren, near Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire. A number of the people believed his testimony, and this day he baptized William Rees Davis, his wife, and two of his sons, and commenced preaching publicly in Brother Davis’s house, about one-third of the people only understanding the English language.

The Davies’ home soon proved too small for the growing membership. It became necessary to look for premises to accommodate the growing membership and inquiring minds from the public. The New Inn provided such a meeting place. Penydarren thus became the first branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Glamorgan, established on 25 March 1843. The branch grew to a membership of 50 by the end of 1843.

Several other branches were established in the Merthyr area in the ensuing years, often meeting in public houses such as the New Inn. There is evidence of the Penydarren branch still in existence in the 1851 Religious Census, which confirms the New Inn as one of the meeting places the Latter-day Saints used for their services.

William Rees Davies was later assigned to the Rhymney area and became branch president there before he, his wife Rachel and their children emigrated with the first large company of Welsh converts in 1849.

Another early member of the Penydarren LDS branch was Abel Evans (left). Born in Carmarthenshire, he moved to Merthyr where he was baptised by William Henshaw, 10 February 1844, and became a stalwart member of the Penydarren branch. His six years of devoted missionary service throughout Wales brought many other converts into the Church.

Fluent in Welsh, he was often called upon to translate sermons given in English by visiting church authorities, for the benefit of those who only spoke and understood Welsh. In 1850 he emigrated to the Great Salt Lake Valley in Utah Territory, but in 1865 he returned to Wales as a missionary. Sadly he died here in November 1866, and is buried in the cemetery at Cefn Coed.

Names of the first converts baptised into the Penydarren branch, as recorded by Edward G. Roberts

Merthyr Tydfil: Two chapels, two prophets

by Alan Davies

In the twentieth century two chapels were built in Merthyr Tydfil by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They have a unique connection: they were both dedicated by a prophet.

After experiencing great success in Merthyr Tydfil in the nineteenth century missionary work for the LDS church practically ceased after many members emigrated. The local branch of the church was officially closed in 1912. However, in the 1930s missionaries were again assigned to the area so a branch could again be organised. After months of effort baptisms took place in January 1932. Having no purpose-built chapel, the new converts were baptised in the River Taff, and during this time weekly meetings were held in members’ homes, with local halls hired for conferences.

By 1936 the local members felt it appropriate to build their own chapel. After purchasing the materials, they built their new wooden chapel in Penyard. This was done under the direction of the 74-year-old branch president Elder Evan Arthur, who was a missionary serving his third mission back in his homeland of Wales. The first recorded Sunday meeting in the new chapel was held on 20th December 1936 with President Arthur being the principal speaker.

In February 1937 it was announced that President Heber J. Grant would visit Great Britain during the summer. President Grant was the head of the LDS church worldwide, and thus considered by the church membership to be a prophet, like Moses or Elijah. His plan was to observe the hundredth anniversary of the LDS missionaries coming to Britain on 23rd July 1837. Accordingly, on Monday, 26th July 1937 President Grant visited Merthyr Tydfil and dedicated the recently completed chapel. His dedicatory prayer included a blessing on the chapel that it would stand for as long as the members needed it.

Heber J. Grant, worldwide LDS church president (centre) with his counsellors. On the right is David O. McKay, who would later also become worldwide president of the LDS church.

In the 1950’s the growth of the church warranted a new larger chapel in Merthyr Tydfil. A two-and-a-half acre site was purchased in Georgetown, approximately half a mile from the previous chapel. Ground breaking took place in March 1961. The local leadership now included men who had been present as young boys at the earlier chapel dedication in 1937 where they had met President Grant.

As the church had recently instigated a building programme across the UK, a building supervisor and building missionaries (who served a type of apprenticeship under the direction of the supervisor) were assigned to Merthyr. Together with the help of local members the new building was completed by 1963.

The dedication was performed by President David O. McKay in August 1963 just a month before his 90th birthday. President McKay was then the current worldwide leader of the church and therefore also considered a prophet. His mother Jeanette (nee Evans) had been born in Merthyr and joined the church along with her family before emigrating in the previous century. With that family background President McKay had a keen interest in the progress of the building work and made the effort to be present for the dedication despite poor health.

As a footnote it should be recorded that in 1936 two huts were built in Penyard, both with the same materials and design – the one by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the other would be used by a youth club and scout group. A year later the non-church hut collapsed. Several months after the LDS church vacated their Penyard building it also collapsed – after more than 25 years of use. The members who had been present at the dedication in 1937 were not surprised and would refer to what President Grant, the prophet, had said during his dedicatory prayer.

Baptisms in the River Taff

by Alan Davies

So ran the headline in the Merthyr Express, a local newspaper published on 23rd January 1932. The article continued by referring to it as an “unusual scene “when new members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints were baptised” by immersion”. The scene was witnessed by a crowd of onlookers despite the rain storm on the day. The article concludes “It is understood that more of these baptisms are to take place.” Were they right to say that?

The Millennial Star[i] reported the following during 1932:

Millennial Star 11th February:

“Five persons were baptised by Elders Evan Arthur and Leon Whiting at a baptismal service held near Merthyr Tydfil Sunday January 10th. They were confirmed[ii] members of the church the same day by Elder Edward Rowe, Clarence Taylor, Evan Arthur, Marion Olsen and Elman Woodfield.”

Millennial Star 31st March:

“Onlookers numbering over two hundred and fifty were deeply impressed by a baptismal service held in the waters of the River Taff. Nine baptisms were performed ….and immediately after the new members were confirmed.”

Church records show the baptisms took place on 10th March 1932.

Millennial Star 14th July:

“Elder Frank Miller baptised two converts in the River Taff at Cefn Coed, near Merthyr Tydfil 18th June.”

Millennial Star 18th August:

“Elders Olsen and Butcher baptised three candidates 23rd July at Cefn Coed, near Merthyr Tydfil.”

Millennial Star 13th October:

“An impressive baptismal ceremony was held 17th September, near Merthyr Tydfil, in the River Taff, under the shadow of the huge railroad viaduct at Cefn Coed. Four candidates fulfilled the ordinance. Confirmation took place immediately afterwards during a service conducted in an adjoining cottage.”

The following year the Millennial Star issued on 9th February 1933 reported there had been 23 convert baptisms in the Welsh District in 1932. All are included in the separate reports above.

Not only was the original article correct to say “more of these baptisms are to take place,” it also reported that the baptismal scenes were witnessed by crowds of onlookers. A recently discovered photograph taken by the missionary Elder Donald K. Ipson[iii] impressively captures the baptismal scene on 17th September 1932 when the last four candidates were baptised.

In the mid-1800s missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints experienced considerable success in gaining news converts, but so many emigrated to join the main body of the Church in America, local congregations had disappeared by 1900. But after a quiet start for the church in Merthyr Tydfil at the beginning of the twentieth century, 1932 proved to be a turning point.
[i] UK publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from 1840 to 1970

[ii] After baptism, membership in the church is ‘confirmed’ by hands being laid on the head of the newly baptised person and a blessing being pronounced on them.

[iii]Donald K. Ipson mission collection, 1876-1934, available online at: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org