Plymouth Street – The Melting Pot – Merthyr Tydfil's History and Culture

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…..

Merthyr’s Lost Landmarks: Lost Chapels of Merthyr

Following on from the recent pictorial look at Merthyr’s lost churches, (https://www.merthyr-history.com/?p=8922) I have had a number of requests to do a similar one for Merthyr’s lost chapels. As there are so many, I have divided them up into various areas. We start with the chapels in Merthyr itself.

Adulam Welsh Independent Chapel

Lower Thomas Street, Merthyr Tydfil

Built 1831. Rebuilt 1857. Demolished late 1990s

Ainon Welsh Baptist Chapel

Dynevor Street, Georgetown

Built 1860. Demolished 1971

Bethel English Baptist Chapel

Bethel Street, Georgetown

Built 1809. Rebuilt 1826, 1855. Demolished 1983

Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

Bethel Apostolic Church

Brecon Road

Built 1951-2. Demolished ?

Bethesda Welsh Independent Chapel

Bethesda Street

Built 1811. Rebuilt 1829, 1880. Demolished 1995

Bethlehem Calvinistic Methodist Chapel

Waterloo Street, Caepantywyll

Built 1841. Demolished 1979

Church of Christ

Plymouth Street

Built 1904, Demolished 1995

Ebenezer Welsh Baptist Chapel

Plymouth Street

Built 1793. Rebuilt 1831. Demolished ?

Market Square Congregational Chapel

Graham Street

Built 1841. Demolished 1969

Morlais English Baptist Chapel

Glebeland Place

Built 1881. Demolished 1925

Salem Welsh Independent Chapel

Heolgerrig Road, Heolgerrig

Built 1855. Rebuilt 1872. Demolished 1990

Trinity Forward Movement Presbyterian Chapel

Baden Terrace, Penyard

Built 1907. Demolished ?

Twynyrodyn Unitarian Chapel

Court Street

Built 1821. Demolished 1969

Tydfil Hall Forward Movement Presbyterian Chapel

Pontmorlais Promenade

Built 1907. Partially demolished 2010s

Ynysgau Welsh Independent Chapel

Victoria Street

Built 1749. Rebuilt 1853. Demolished 1967

If anyone has photographs of any other chapels that are no longer with us, and there are a few I can’t find photos of, or if anyone can fill in any details, please get in touch.

My Street – part 1

by Barrie Jones

My Street Location:
Wheatley Place, Keir Hardie Estate, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 0TA,
Ordnance Survey Grid Reference 305 701 Easting, 205 427 Northing,
What Three Words: visual. human. light.

Introduction

We are all local to somewhere – to places, as large as a city, county or country, and to places as small as a street or house. In 2020 a nationwide initiative was set up to encourage people to write the history of the street they live in or once lived in. “The Story of Our Street,” invited research into the history of the land the street occupied, the street’s origin, its buildings, and significant events and notable inhabitants, if any, that may be associated with the street.

In 1948 I was born at number thirty-seven Wheatley Place, Keir Hardie Estate, and lived there for the first twenty-five years of my life. Wheatley Place was a brand-new street built in 1948 as part of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council’s post-war house building programme. Not a street of great age compared with streets in other parts of the Borough of Merthyr Tydfil but after seventy-seven years it has a history, albeit small, that needs telling. This is an account of the street and the land it occupies from its beginnings to the time my parents left number thirty-seven for a new home in Bro Dawel, Plymouth Street, in 1980.

Aerial view of part of Keir Hardie Estate, taken in 1988, in the centre of the picture is Greenwood Close with Jowett Avenue to the right and Wheatley Place to the left. Portions of Aneurin Crescent can be seen encircling Jowitt Avenue and Wheatley Place.

Keir Hardie Estate was built on the remaining portion of Ysgubornewydd Farm, and to those living in the area the estate was known as the “Sgubor or Skeepo.” Once, Ysgubornewydd was a much larger farm sandwiched between the parish road; ‘Heol Ferthyr,’ to the east and the Nant Blacs to the south. The farmland sloped down the valley side from its eastern boundary; the top of Gilfach Cynon (Heol Ferthyr), westwards towards the Merthyr turnpike road, now known as Plymouth Street.

The chapters which will appear over the next few months tell the story of Ysgubornewydd Farm, Keir Hardie Estate, prefabricated BISF houses, and Wheatley Place and our house number thirty-seven.

To be continued……

Merthyr’s Chapels: Tabernacle Chapel

Tabernacle Welsh Baptist Chapel, Brecon Road

In 1834 a disagreement occurred at Ebenezer Chapel, Plymouth Street and 54 members of the congregation left, some going to Zion, Twynyrodyn and some to Carmel Chapel in Aberdare.

Because of the distance they had to travel, the worshippers who had gone to Aberdare decided that they should start their own cause in Merthyr, and so began worshipping in a room near St Tydfil’s Church. In 1836 they bought an unfinished chapel in Bryant’s Field, Brecon Road for £25 and completed it at a cost of £350.

By 1842, it was obvious that the chapel was too small, so a new chapel was built on the site of the old building at a cost of £2,200. When it was completed the new chapel was the largest chapel in Wales.

An 1877 photo showing the old Tabernacle Chapel just to right of centre at the top of the photo

By the 1890’s a movement was set in motion by Mrs Davies, wife of Alderman David Davies to provide more comfortable chapel. When Mrs Davies died, Alderman Davies took up the movement and the building of the chapel was begun.

The new chapel was designed by George Morgan of Carmarthen and would eventually cost over £5000 to build – a £1000 of which was raised by the congregation. The new chapel was opened in 1897, and is still holding services today.

Terrible Accident in Merthyr

From the Merthyr Express 80 years ago today….

Merthyr’s Chapels: Ebenezer Chapel

Ebenezer Welsh Baptist Chapel, Plymouth Street

In 1793, a schism occurred at Zion Chapel, Twynyrodyn and a group of worshippers left the chapel and began worshipping in a house in Plymouth Street.

Within a year it was decided to build a chapel. A plot of land was acquired opposite the house where the congregation had been worshipping and a chapel which they called Ebenezer was built. Although the official name of the chapel was Ebenezer, for many years, it was known as Capel Isaf (Lower Chapel), with Zion known as Capel Uchaf (Upper Chapel).

Rev William Price, who had not been allowed to preach at Zion Chapel, became Ebenezer’s first minister. Following several prosperous years, Rev Price embarked on a number of collection tours around England on behalf of the chapel funds. As such he was allowed 25% of the funds towards his personal expenses, but questions arose over the authenticity of his expense claims.

Although it was never conclusively proved that there had been any malpractice regarding the funds, and the Baptist Association gave Ebenezer no authority to dismiss him, the congregation, led by a deacon named Evan Lloyd, excommunicated Rev Price and he left the chapel.

In 1808 Rev Maurice Jones was ordained as minister at Ebenezer, and in marked contrast with Rev Price proved to be very devout and popular amongst the members, and under his leadership the congregation grew steadily, and by the time of his death in 1830, it had become obvious that a larger place of worship was needed.

Following Rev Jones death, his assistant Abel Jones became minister and the members decided to build a new chapel. It was soon discovered however that the chapel could not be rebuilt in the same place as the lease on the original plot of land had become invalid due to Rev William Price illegally sub-letting the ground to build several cottages. A new piece of land was obtained for £30 and a new chapel was built in 1831 at a cost of £850

Ebenezer Chapel was plagued by a number of disagreements – in 1834, 52 people left the chapel and eventually established Tabernacle Chapel. In 1902 another serious schism occurred when a number of the congregation left to establish Jerusalem Chapel in Court Street.

In the 1930’s the chapel housed Merthyr’s first ever soup kitchens.

By the 1980’s the congregation had dwindled and the chapel closed. It remained derelict for several years until it was demolished to make way for the Trevithick Gardens housing estate.

Ebenezer shortly before demolition. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

Merthyr’s Turkish Baths

by Malcolm Shifrin

Not much is yet known about the early history of this Turkish bath, set up two or three years after the first Welsh establishment opened at Church Place, Neath, in 1864. From the chronology, it seems that Thomas Atkins ran it with his wife until the incorporation of the Merthyr Turkish Bath Co Ltd in 1871. This company originally intended to build a new Turkish bath. Perhaps closer investigation suggested that the town would not be able to support a second establishment, or the company was deterred by the cost. However, for whatever reason, the directors decided that the easier way forward would be to purchase the existing bath and get Atkins to remain on as manager.

Some time between 1881 and 1884, Thomas Atkins died and a new manager, Edmund Frayley, was brought in from Neath where he had been manager of the Church Place Turkish baths since the early 1870s. The company retained Atkins’ widow Mary to manage the baths on Tuesdays when they were reserved for use by women.

A portion of the 1875 Ordnance Survey Map showing the location of the Baths in Caedraw.

By 1890, the company seems to have been in financial difficulties. The baths had been in existence for over twenty years and it could be that they were now in need of major refurbishment which the company could not afford, or which a reduced number of bathers discouraged them from undertaking. A liquidator, David Robert Lewis, was appointed, and he sold the establishment to William Pool.

Advertisement: Kelly’s Directory of Monmouthshire… (London, 1891)

Pool immediately set about renovating, improving, enlarging and publicising the baths. And he wasn’t shy about making claims for the therapeutic benefits of the Turkish bath, claiming that it was specially recommended ‘To sufferers from Rheumatism, Colds, Sciatica, &c’, claims which were not unreasonable compared with those of many others who claimed the bath as a medical panacea.

As was so often the case, an establishment which was unable to make a profit large enough to satisfy its shareholders, continued quite satisfactorily to provide for the needs of a sole proprietor.

In 1897, a local business directory included an advertorial for the baths which gives a good impression of how they looked after the renovations.

To the left of the main entrance was a carpeted reception room and, to the right, the cooling-room with changing cubicles and velvet covered divans for relaxation. Refreshments were available from an attendant who could be summoned ‘by just touching the electric bell push overhead.’

Two hot rooms were maintained at temperatures of 140°F and 200°F, and there was a shampooing room clad in chocolate coloured glazed bricks, with a ‘shower bath apparatus’. There, according to the advertorial, ‘by scientific manipulation at the hands of a trained masseur, every nerve and muscle of the human frame is restored to its natural action and elasticity’.

The Turkish bath also included a 36 x 25 foot swimming pool equipped with an aquatic trapeze and swinging apparatus by means of which ‘the swimmer may disport and launch himself with ease into shallow or deeper water, as he may desire’. An earlier reference to the swimming pool indicates that if was from three to six feet deep.

The baths were last noted as being open in 1918.

Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

1868	Baths (including Turkish baths) Thomas Atkins (Propr and Superintendent)
1871	Merthyr Turkish baths Thomas Atkins (Propr)
1871	Merthyr Turkish baths Merthyr Turkish Bath Company Limited (Proprs) Thomas Atkins (Mgr)
1881	Merthyr Turkish baths Merthyr Turkish Bath Company Limited (Proprs) Thomas Atkins (Mgr)
1884	Merthyr Turkish baths Merthyr Turkish Bath Company Limited (Proprs) Edmund J Frayley (Mgr); Mrs Mary Atkins (Mgress)
1890	Merthyr Turkish baths Merthyr Turkish Bath Company Limited (Proprs) Edmund J Frayley (Mgr); Mrs Mary Atkins (Mgress)
1891	Merthyr Turkish baths William Pool (Propr and Mgr)
1901	Merthyr Turkish baths William Pool (Propr and Mgr)
1906	Merthyr Turkish baths John Morgan (Propr)
1918	Merthyr Turkish baths John Morgan (Propr)

For more information and to view the original article, please visit https://tinyurl.com/ycapx2lh.

If anyone has any further information about the Turkish Baths, please get in touch with Malcolm Shifrin (via the link above) or myself via the e-mail shown.

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.

To return to the coach journey, the Bridgewater Arms was then kept by Mr George Roach, who afterwards move to the Castle at Merthyr,and after the change of horses they came to Quakers’ Yard. Here a slight halt was made, it might have been put down to kindness towards the animals, but the hostelry also supplied refreshments for the inner man. Whatever may be the reason, a long and steep hill had then to be ascended. After passing Pantannas the ascent modified, and on arriving at Nantddu turnpike, the pace could be again increased.

The Nantddu Turnpike (or Tollbooth) in Edwardsville. Courtesy of the Alan George Archive

A run of about two miles after this brought us to a pleasant cottage on the right hand side, owned and occupied by a Mr Stephens, and the Mount Pleasant Public House, kept by John Griffiths, who afterwards moved to the Star opposite the Old Church in High Street, was close by on the other side of the road.

The drive through the woods up to Troedyrhiw was a pleasant one. The road just before entering Troedyrhiw has been altered a little for the making of the Taff Vale Railway, and after passing Troedyrhiw for about 1½ miles the road was subsequently diverted by Mr Anthony Hill. After crossing the line of the railroad forming the connection at present between the Taff Vale Railway and the South Duffryn Coal Pits, it kept to the east of the present road, passing close in front of Duffryn Cottage, the east end of Taibach and Pentrebach Rows, through what was part of the Forge Yard, then past Pentrebach House (where I believe Mr Probert now resides), and came out at a little above Plymouth Lodge.

A drawing of the Plymouth Lodge in the 1820’s. Photo courtesy of the Alan George Archive

From here there has not been any deviation of route, but until the Britannia Public House on the right-hand side, there was not a single cottage on either side. There was a bridge over the road for the conveying of mine rubbish between the Dowlais Branch Bridge and the Britannia similar to one passed under at Pencaebach. About a hundred yards on towards the High Street, and on the other side of the road stood the Bell, and adjoining the Bell was the Plymouth Tollgate. On the opposite side of the road, but just before coming to the Bell there was an open space to the town road that was used as place where coal was delivered; which with some others will be alluded to to exemplify the arrangements at the time.

After coming through the Plymouth gate there were cottages on both sides until the Plymouth watercourse came so close to the road as to prevent their being built on the left hand. Where the Taff Station was at the opening of the railway and for years afterwards, there was nothing but rubbish tips, but they were not high, and the road with a ford through the river went from Plymouth Street across by Rhydycar. Perhaps this was the very Rhyd (a ford), but the place called Rhydycar was on the side of the canal bank, a house and mine pit with a winding engine. It was doubtless a parish road for Mr Bruce, the grandfather of the present Lord Aberdare, when Stipendiary of Merthyr, passed that way home to his residence in Mountain Ash.

A section of the remarkable 1836 map of Merthyr by John Wood showing the Plymouth Street area as mentioned in this article.

To be continued at a later date….