Timeline 1870 -79

 

1870

January:

At about 7.30 a.m. on 23 January, a man’s mutilated body was found on the Vale of Neath Railway. The probable cause of death was a collision with the early- morning goods train. The accident occurred close to the Melincwrt Brick Works, and the body was recognised as that of a man named James Matthews, a blacksmith who lived in the neighbourhood. “The man appeared to have been knocked down by the buffer of the engine, thrown forward, and then hurled against the wheels as the iron guard passed on”.

February:

Trade at Briton Ferry Docks was recently showing great improvement. The home coal- trade was brisk: J. Thomas and Sons’ Resolven  coal , for example, was in great demand; whilst great quantities of iron ore were being sent by the Vale of Neath Railway to the districts of Aberdare and Merthyr. The prosperous state of the docks could be largely attributed to the improvements made in the harbour and dock approaches, under the able direction of the harbour master, Lieut. Gwyn Lewis.

March:

An advertisement was placed by the Guardians of the Poor of the Neath Union for a Medical Officer and Public Vaccinator to cover the central district of that Union which included Resolven. The salary offered was £30 a year, with extra fees for any surgical operations, midwifery and vaccinations authorised by the Guardians. The Medical Officer would be required to reside in the district, to provide all the necessary medicines and appliances, to be registered under the Medical Act 1858, and to possess the qualifications which were required by the Poor Law Board.

A cultural evening (“cyfarfod llenyddol”) was held at Melin-y- cwrt Chapel. The adjudicator of the reading and essays was Rev. R. Morgans, Glynneath, and the adjudicator of the singing was D. C. Rees. The winners were R. Herbert for his solo performance; Edward Jones and Mary Evans for impromptu reading; W. Herbert for impromptu singing, and Thomas Evans for an essay on the theme of ‘Winter’.  “Terfynwyd wedi cael cyfarfod hwylus iawn trwy gydganu”.

At a meeting of the Resolven Vestry held at the Vaughan Arms on 9 March, it was agreed that “John Rees of Heolhir be appointed Assistant Overseer to collect all rates at a salary of £20 per annum.”

May:

Trade at the port of Swansea was reported to have been sluggish of late, with the exception of the period when the screw-steamer, ‘Minia’, arrived to take on board 1,200 tons of Resolven steam coal, before proceeding to London, Milford Haven and New York. The ship was capable of taking on a maximum cargo of 2,600 tons; it was 340 feet in length and had recently arrived from Odessa with a cargo of Indian corn.

June:

William Morris was charged by Police Constable Johns with assaulting him at Resolven. “The defendant and his friends, annoyed at the policeman requesting them to go home, flung stones at him, and went to the hedge to get some sticks to fight with. Their courage cooled on seeing the officer’s staff, and they left the place.” Morris was fined forty shillings and costs.

July:

Enoch Harrison was summoned by Police Constable Johns for cruelty to a horse which he was working along the Neath Canal, near Resolven.  Harrison was fined twenty shillings and costs, or twenty-one days’ imprisonment.

On 21 July, nearly five hundred children from the National Schools at Resolven, Blaengwrach and Aberpergwm were invited by Mrs. Edwards Vaughan to a summer treat at Rheola. “The hour appointed for the entrance of the children to the park (the extensive grounds of Rheola , with the flower gardens, being thrown open) was four o’clock, when the Resolven School marched in procession, with flags and banners bearing appropriate mottoes: ‘Church and Queen’,’Resolven School’, ‘Long Life to Mrs Vaughan’, ‘Gratitude’, etc; made their appearance, while the distant sound of Messrs. Curtis and Harvey’s band from Pontneathvaughan intimated the approach from another direction of the other schools.(…). The children were now ordered to sit down in picnic-style beneath the shade of oak, laurel and rhododendron to prepare for tea, and afterwards each was allowed to amuse himself as he liked in a cricket match, in running races, or in sacks, blindfolded and with legs tied, (…) or he might dance to his heart‘s content to the sounds of sweet music. At eight o’clock, the bugle sounded when the Vicar of Resolven spoke of Mrs. Vaughan’s kindness in giving such a liberal treat.”

September:

Two Aberdare men were forcibly removed from a train at Resolven railway station for disorderly conduct. They were kept overnight in the “lock-up” in Resolven, and were allowed to continue their journey home in the morning. One was fined four pounds and ten shillings, and the other five pounds.

On 15 September, Sardis Chapel held its annual tea-party. This event was regarded as an opportunity to lower the chapel’s debt, and tickets were on sale to members and friends living in Skewen and Glynneath. The cakes for the event were made, and provided, by Mrs. Jones, the village grocer.

October:

In an auction of farming stock to be held at Neath, the following was advertised for sale: “One rick of well-harvested short hay, about three tons, standing on Troed-y-gwydd Farm, in the parish of Resolven; another rick in barn, about two tons. Samples of the two last-mentioned lots will be provided at the time of sale.”

 

1871

February:

A meeting was held on 21 February to explain the new Elementary Education Act of 1870, whereby non-sectarian Board Schools, governed by a board of locally-elected ratepayers, would be set up in localities where there was no existing school. (In Resolven the existing National School would continue to operate until 1897 when it became a Board School and, in 1903, a Council School.) The speaker at the meeting was D. Williams of Llanelli, and the chairman was T. Rees, a colliery agent. With this increase in provision of elementary education in mind, a correspondent to Y Gwladgarwr described Resolven “(…) as a place where Toryism and the Established church have sprouted up over the years, where priest and sexton (“yr offeiriad a’r clochydd”) have been allowed to control village events to the exclusion of everyone else, where there is no school worthy of the name, and where there is no fair-play for the children of the workers and ordinary people”. Non-conformists, he maintained, were beginning to bestir themselves, to feel their strength and to be unwilling to be docilely led by others.

April:

The 1871 Census took place on Sunday 2 April. It revealed that within the last ten years there had been the following developments: the building of the first eight houses of Railway Terrace; five extra houses at New Inn Row, (from six houses to eleven); four extra houses at Shoemaker’s Row (by now called Davies Row); one extra house added to Sim’s Court; three houses added to Shop Row with a change of name to Chapel Row (i.e. the present-day Tan-y-rhiw). The name ‘Ynysfach’ has disappeared from the record to be replaced by Sim’s Place which comprised seven dwellings: five made up of the Ynysfach  farmhouse complex, including the former Edward’s Arms, and two new ones built on what would be known as Neath Road.

The census shows that the vast majority of the village’s working population was Welsh by birth and employed by the colliery, so the following summary, for the sake of interest and balance, highlights those inhabitants of the village who were born outside of Wales and/or employed in other occupations.

New Inn Row: no.1: Mary Herbert, a widow of 54, described as a mason. No.8: Jane Rees, a widow of 73, described as a carpenter. No.9: Gwenllian Roberts, a pauper, and, at No.11, Hopkin Davies, 37, a licensed victualler.

Railway Terrace (eight houses): No.7: Thomas Jones, aged 31, a grocer, and Ellen Harris, 18, described as a letter carrier.

Vaughan Arms: Margaret Sims, a widow, 51, an inn keeper, and her son John, an unemployed mineral surveyor and accountant. School House: John Morgan, 44, a schoolmaster at the village’s National School with his wife, Elizabeth, and his niece, Elizabeth Jones, 18, also a teacher.

Chapel Row (today’s Tan-y-rhiw): No.7: John Morgan, 57, a widowed shepherd, and at No .8: Margaret Morgan, 30, a widowed pauper living with her two sons and two daughters aged from two to nine.

Davies Row: No. 2: George Sheppard, 32, a widowed pottery man born in Bridgewater in Somerset. No.3: Charles Palmer, 39, a tipper at the colliery born in Taunton, Somerset and George Wilcox, 32, a ganger on the railway also born in Somerset. No. 4: John Lewis, 48, a railway porter and John Harries, 46, station master. No.5: John Davies, 29, an accountant at the colliery, his brother, Thomas Davies, 21, a bootmaker, and Thomas Morgan, 25, a visiting mineral surveyor.

Lyon’s Row: No.16: Police Constable Martin Markham, 36, born in Chepstow and his wife, Caroline, 38, born in Gloucester.

Nant-y--gleisiaid: No.2: William Williams, 83, a pauper and former collier, and Gwenny Morris, 63, a widow and pauper. Neath Road, Melincwrt: No.1: Ann Jones, 44, a widowed dress-maker, with her daughter Jane, 17, a planter of trees. No.3: James Davies, 29, a tipper in the colliery, born in Matlock in Derbyshire, with his wife and his mother, both born in Devon.

The Census also showed  that, at this point in time,  the working farms and farmers in Resolven and Melin-y- Cwrt were as follows: Aberclydach: Thomas Evans, a farmer of 12 acres. The Ton: Catherine Mosser, a widow and farmer of 20 acres. Melin-y-Cwrt/ Mill Court: John Evans, a farmer of 40 acres and also a miller. Llwyncoedwr: Catherine Jones, a widow and farmer of 60 acres. Hendre Owen: Gwenllian Morgan, a widow and farmer of 300 acres. Heolhir: John Rees, a farmer of 40 acres. Ffald-y-dre: Howel Rees, a farmer of 300 acres. Drehir: John Woodward, a farmer of 86 acres. Pentwyn: David Jenkins, a farmer of 22 acres. Pant-y-crybach: Lewis Morgan, an agricultural labourer, and Ty’n-y-cwm: William Jones, a farmer of 325 acres.

April (continued):

On 1 April, David Jones, the future Welsh heavyweight boxer, who fought under the name Dai St. John, was born in Resolven.

Two Resolven farms were advertised to let: Clun Gwilym Uchaf and Blaenycwm. These farms contained some 240 acres of arable, meadow and pasture land and were “(…) advantageously situated near the Resolven collieries, and within about one mile of the Resolven Station on the Vale of Neath railway, a siding being on the adjacent property where lime and other manure may be conveniently procured.”

The new 1871 county rate of £4207 for Resolven was to be confirmed at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace to be held at Cardiff on 27 June.

June:

A detailed account was submitted for publication by William Rees, of Clun Gwilym Farm, of the journey undertaken by some members of his family and friends from Resolven to the United States. Their itinerary included stops at Liverpool, Buffalo (New York State), Toledo (Ohio), and Kansas City. Their destination was a small house outside the town of Emporia in the State of Kansas where they received a very warm welcome from the American Welsh who had already settled there.

July:

C. Barkley and his friend from Hirwaun went to seek work at Resolven colliery. On their walk there, they met someone who warned them against going to Resolven on account of the poor wages to be had in that village. They went back home to Hirwaun, but it soon dawned on them that they had been lied to. On returning to Resolven, they were warmly greeted by some of the colliers there who confirmed that they had indeed been deceived. They were writing to the press to warn others not to be taken in by old-wives’ tales. (“Gan hyny, yr ydym yn hysbysu pawb trwy gyfrwng y wasg ein bod wedi gwneud cam mawr a hwy wrth wrando a dweyd ar ol eraill.”)

August:

A licence to sell alcoholic beverages was granted to Evan Rees of the New Inn, Resolven.

Workers at the Upper Resolven Colliery contributed the sum of £7 12s 6d towards the collection in aid of those colliers who were on strike at Aberdare and Mountain Ash. It was the largest amount so far received.

The following advertisement was placed: “Wanted, a good General Servant to attend to horse and cart, assist occasionally behind the counter, and make himself generally useful. Apply to T.  M. Jones, Grocer, Resolven.”

September:

Evan Rees, landlord of the New Inn, Resolven was fined forty shillings and costs for allowing a number of men “(…) to become in a state of disgusting drunkenness on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of a new row of cottages in the neighbourhood.” The defendants who were found drunk were also summoned, and fined five shillings each with costs.

In a published article, a member of Sardis Chapel railed against the stranglehold that the Tories and landed- gentry had over the village. He maintained that, until fairly recently, no land in the village had been made available to build upon and that not until W. Thomas of Bridgend had given some land to the Baptists of the village that the process of building houses had begun in earnest. Cory and Company were now about to build thirty more houses and the village was gradually increasing in size. (“Felly mae y lle yn gynyddol, a daw yr Ynysfach yn Ynysfawr yn y man.”)

A concert was held at Seion Chapel on 25 September under the direction of Silas Evans (Cynon). Taking part were: Gwilym Cynon, John Rosser and John Morgan. Some musical items were also sung by the chapel tonic sol-fa class and conducted by Silas Evans. The president for the evening was Thomas Rees, mining agent.

Month Unknown:

The colliery enterprises at Cwmclydach, Resolven, were taken over this year by Cory, Yeo and Company from Sir Ralph Howard, Bart.

 

 

 

1872

February:

Upper Resolven Colliery was one of the collieries involved in an inquiry into the disparity of wages being paid in the mining industry. Wages paid for cutting, hauling, screening and all the various operations connected with the collieries would be compared, with a view to establishing an equitable rate for all the workers in the south Wales collieries.

March:

On Saturday 16 March, an eisteddfod was held in Seion Chapel under the auspices of the Calvinistic Methodists. (They claimed that it was the   first- ever village eisteddfod, ignoring the fact that such an event had previously been organised by the Church and held in January 1869).  The President of the eisteddfod was the Rev. E. Edmunds, Swansea. The adjudicator of the essay competition, poetry and recitation was the Rev. P. J. Walters, Aberdulais, and the adjudicator of the musical items John Watkins of Swansea. The winners of the main events were as follows: William Davies and David Evans, both from Swansea, shared a prize of five shillings (for an essay entitled: “Hanes Nebuchodonosor”). John Bright (for the best poem written in praise of Cory, Yeo and Company). Seion chapel choir, Resolven, won the prize of three pounds (for the best rendition of “Canys bachgen a aned i ni”); and it also won the prize of one pound (for singing “Ardudwy”). Among other winners were: M. Rees (for singing “The Blind Orphan girl”). Ioan Nedd and Party (for singing “Dyna’r dyn a aiff a hi”). William Herbert, solo bass, (for singing “Teyrnasoedd y Ddaear”). Daniel Herbert and his sister (for their rendition of the duet, “Hywel a Gweno”); and Daniel Evans, Swansea, (for an impromptu speech entitled “Natur Trydan”).

April:

At Sardis Baptist Chapel, members of the church presented their pastor, Rev. D .R. Davies, with a purse containing 12 sovereigns as a small token of their appreciation of his ministry.  “His faithfulness in the administration of public services, the honesty of his preaching, his great regard for the young of the congregation, and his untiring exertions to remove the heavy debt on the chapel were among the chief traits dwelt upon (…).”

June:

James Herbert, builder, and George Wilcox, ganger, were charged at the police court with stealing at Resolven a quantity of railway transome timber, valued at 28 shillings, the property of the Great Western Railway. A remand was granted, Herbert being admitted to bail.

A letter dated 24 April addressed to the Clerk of Resolven Vestry was sent by the Local Government Board Medical Department at Whitehall, London. In the letter it was stated that in the Parish of Resolven, contrary to the Sanitation Act of 1868, the closets (toilets) in Lyon’s Row were in a filthy condition; that, in Jenkins Row, there were eight houses without any closets at all; and lastly that the inhabitants of Resolven had to walk a half-mile from the village to procure drinking water. The Board enquired what steps Resolven Vestry proposed to take to rectify this matter. In his reply of 2 May, the Vicar, Rev. David Griffiths, as Chairman of Resolven Vestry, assured the Medical Department that new closets were currently being built, that the existing closets were being thoroughly cleaned and that “ (…) the Landowner , Major Vaughan H. Lee, had liberally at his own cost, arranged to supply drinking water to the  village from a well by means of pipes which would extend right to the centre of the village, while there is sufficient supply of river water close by for domestic purposes.”

July:

Another similar offence took place in which James Davies, a labourer, was indicted for stealing at Resolven sixteen fence rails, valued at five shillings and eight pence, the property of the Great Western Railway. Davies was caught by Sergeant Markham carrying away the fence rails which were tied up in three bundles. The solicitor for the defence maintained that Davies had mistaken new rails for old ones; that he had only borrowed them, and had intended to return them later. The jury, however, was not convinced by this argument and delivered a verdict of guilty; its spokesman stating with irony; “Well gentlemen, I hope you will take care of your own goods and chattels, and not let anybody ‘borrow’ them.”

John Jones, a farmer of Resolven, together with his son, were enjoying a day out swimming at Nash Point, near Bridgend. The son had stood on a rock in the sea to wash his feet before putting his clothes back on, when he somehow slipped into the water. His father rushed to help him, but such was the force of the waves, they both tragically drowned and sank to the bottom. 

Resolven colliers were present at an open-air meeting to discuss the feasibility of adopting the eight hours’ system of work. A resolution in favour of the eight hours’ system was put to the meeting and this was duly carried by a large majority. “A volley of cheers from the young men who were in the majority brought forth a remark from one of the minority, namely that nearly all the old colliers present were in favour of the old system.” 

September:

At a public meeting to discuss the future of the port of Swansea, Mr Lambert, traffic manager of the Great Western Railway at Swansea, said he would do all in his power to see that traffic in the port was operated more satisfactorily. He said that “(…) on the day when the Vale of Neath railway line was transferred to the Great Western Company, a great blow was struck at the prosperity of Swansea.”  He had, however, ensured that a sufficient number of trucks had been obtained to serve Resolven colliery so that trade could be carried on without interruption. He agreed that the Great Western Railway had not taken sufficient interest in the welfare of the port.

The fifth District Meeting of the Calvinistic Methodists was held at Seion Chapel, Resolven, on 15 and 16 September. Taking part were the Revs. W. Thomas and Ebenezer Jones, both from Neath; P. J. Walters, from Aberdulais; T. H .Jones, from Llansamlet; along with Seion’s minister Rev. Moses Thomas. The sum of £22- 10s was collected over the two-day period, with 25 shillings being received from Morgan Evans and John Rees who lived in Coalburgh, in the United States of America. The cost of building the chapel had been £500, and the amount left to be paid was £247-17s-3p. “Fe wel y darllenydd ein bod wedi lleihau y ddyled yn ystod y pum’ mlynedd diwetha ar gyfartaledd o £50-8s-6c y flwyddyn.”

October:

An eisteddfod was held on 7 October in the National School under the presidency of Rev. D. Griffiths, vicar of the parish. The adjudicator was J. Arnold, Neath. Among the winners were: R. Herbert (solo bass); D. Herbert (recitation: “Y Meddwyn”); J. Duncan and friend (duet: “All’s well”), J. and D. Duncan, joint-winners, (solo tenor: “Mi fynaf wraig fy hun”); and Ioan Nedd and party (Glee: “Soon thou shall sleep”).

November:

Mrs. Evans of Resolven, wife of T. Evans, a farmer, set out on the morning of 16 November to travel by train to Neath. While walking along the turnpike-road towards Resolven railway station, she failed to notice that she had dropped her purse which contained five sovereigns and one half-sovereign. She did, however, see three local men, John James, Thomas Thomas and Edward Edwards following her. When she discovered that her purse was missing, she immediately suspected the three men of finding, but not returning, the purse, and she reported the matter to the police. Police Constable Markham eventually traced the men to Neath where they were discovered in a clothier’s shop, each of them holding a bundle of clothes which they had bought there. They denied all knowledge of the purse, but later one of them confessed to having found the money and to sharing it between the three of them, and it was with this money that they had bought the clothing found in their possession. They were committed for trial at the Quarter Sessions.

December:

Daniel Lewis of Resolven, was charged with drunkeness. Police Constable Markham stated that the defendant was so drunk that he had to scramble along by the side of the road to keep his footing. He was fined ten shillings and costs, or ten days in prison.

 

1873

January:

 A lodge of ‘The Independent Order of Good Templars’ was opened at Resolven, and some thirty candidates took part in the Initiation ceremony. Rev, Moses Thomas, elected as the Presiding Officer of the lodge, stated: “There is every prospect of this branch of the Order becoming useful and influential in this increasingly important neighbourhood.”

David Bevan, Mayor of Neath, wrote to the Swansea Town Council to express his dismay at the latter’s proposal to discontinue passenger train services at Swansea’s Wind Street railway station. He said that it would cause serious inconvenience to passengers travelling on the Great Western line to, and from, Resolven and other places, as they would have to change trains at Landore.

March:

The total amount of contributions received to help support those Resolven colliers who were currently on strike was £1-17s-9d. This included ten shillings from J. Lewis, of Railway Terrace; one shilling from James Herbert, a mason; five shillings from Thomas Davies, a cobbler; and two shillings and sixpence from J. Evans, a miller.

April:

The monthly tonnage of coal transported so far this year by Great Western Railway from Resolven to London was: January: 1,439 tons; February: 763 tons; and March: 1,071 tons.

At the Vaughan Arms, Resolven, Mrs Sims presented George Wilcox with a purse containing £22 on the occasion of his retirement as a ‘ganger’ on the Great Western Railway. She complimented him “(…) upon his conduct being so praiseworthy as to merit the esteem of so many friends around him.”

 

May:

 A local correspondent wrote that Resolven was currently undergoing a radical transformation with its rows of new houses, but this was just the beginning of expansion, however, as the coal companies were about to build even more houses on both sides of the river. The work of the Good Templars, he said, was also very effective in improving standards in the village, rehabilitating drunkards and helping them to be restored to the comforts of hearth and home: “Y mae wedi yn foddlon i adferyd llawer un ag oedd yn ‘bractical drunkard’ i werthu eu ‘seats’ yn y tafarndai, ac ail gymmeryd fyfyrio cysur y wraig, y plant a hwy eu hunain.” The village chapels were also, he said, going from strength to strength, with a new Welsh Baptist chapel to be built in the very near future.

Tenders from contractors were invited by the Ynysarwed Resolven Colliery Company (Limited) to construct a branch railway and bridge at Ynynsarwed colliery.

The Cardiff and Swansea Smokeless Steam Coal Company, whose directors included John Cory, Cardiff and F. A. Yeo, Swansea, was formed with a view to purchasing and developing the Resolven collieries, along with Pentre and Church collieries in the Rhondda valley. Together, these constituted “(…) one of the largest and richest portions of the south Wales coal basin, and comprised no less an area than 4,700 acres.” The Resolven properties were held on lease for an unexpired term of 98 years, with the exceptionally low royalties of six pence per ton on large coal and four pence per ton on small coal. The coal was of the finest quality of smokeless steam coal, and was already used for shipping and railway purposes.

The following notice appeared in the press: “Lost on May 22 1873, from Heolhir Farm, a   strong working mare, heavy in colt, chestnut colour, nine year old, 15 hands high, unable to see with the right eye, has a blister mark on the right foreleg above the hoof, and her tail and mane of lightish colour. A reward of £1 will be given for such information as will lead to her discovery by the owner, Mr. Howell Rees, Resolven.”

On 23 May, about 150 members and friends of the Swansea Royal and South Wales Friendly Society sat down to tea in Sardis Baptist chapel. A public meeting was subsequently held, under the presidency of Mr. D. R. Jones, Resolven.

June:

James Davies, a collier of Resolven, was summoned to show cause why he should not be made to financially maintain his father who was unfit for manual labour because of his asthma, and was currently receiving outdoor relief of one shilling and sixpence per week from the Merthyr Poor Law Union. The defendant had nothing to say against being made to contribute, and was ordered to pay the weekly amount claimed.

About one hundred members of the Blodeuyn Dyffryn Nedd Lodge of the Good Templars held a tea party at the National Schools, by kind permission of Rev. D. Griffiths, the vicar, and Mr. Morgan, the schoolmaster. Afterwards, a public meeting was held under the presidency of Mr. William Herbert.

The Resolven Fire-Brick and Clay Works were advertised for sale once again. The specifications were almost identical to those included when the concern was advertised for sale in August 1869, with the difference being that the works now had three kilns instead of two, capable of making 1,500,000 bricks per year.

John Cory, Cardiff, and F.A. Yeo, Swansea, were appointed managing directors of the Cardiff and Swansea Steam Coal Company (Limited), which owned the Resolven collieries.

Tenders from builders and contractors were invited for the erection of ten workmen’s cottages on Llwyncoedwr Farm, Resolven.

July:

In a geological survey, it was noted that the anthracite coal from Resolven possessed, in the highest degree, those qualities needed for use in steamships: it burned with an intense heat, and it had a high evaporative power which was almost smokeless. The survey also noted that the Vale of Neath in general had a total of 32 thousand million tons of available coal in it. “There are twenty-five workable seams, with an aggregate thickness of eighty feet. Taking all the seams (…) the total thickness is over 120 feet. Except for the coalfields of Nova Scotia and Saarbruck in Germany, there are none which can compare with these figures.”

The following vacancy was advertised: “Wanted immediately, an Assistant in Grocery and Drapery, (Welsh), stating age etc; Address, M. Thomas, Resolven.”

August:

The annual picnic of the choir members of St. James’s Church, Swansea, took place at Resolven. Having arrived in Resolven, the party of thirty “(…) found it necessary to dismount in order that their horses and brakes might ford the river, there being only a small footbridge for foot passengers at that point. (…) When the time arrived for the return journey some consternation was caused upon it becoming known that the water in the river had risen to such a height that the brakes could not re-cross.  After a consultation with some of the inhabitants, it was however ascertained that there was a back road to Neath, which was eventually used and proved to be a very rough one.”

September:

Drehir Farm, Resolven was advertised for sale by public auction on the retirement from business of its owner John Woodward. The livestock comprised “(…)15 milch cows, in full profit, being carefully selected specimens of the Hereford, Devon and Castlemartin breeds, all young and in good season; a pure short-horn yearling bull; 13 two-year old in-calf heifers;  8 two-year old steers ; 15 yearling heifers; (…) a very handsome Durham heifer calf, 8months old; 14 fat cows; a very good bull stag; a very well-bred cob mare, dark bay, 3 years old, thoroughly good in harness and saddle, and easily managed by a lady; and 3 store pigs In very forward condition.” The farm’s implements, utensils and furniture consisted of : “ a spring trap with lamps; a set of colt-breaking tackle; 2 broad-wheel carts; a prize scuffler, by Thomas; a Howard’s two-wheel plough; a pair of harrows; a 6 feet chain harrow; a 6 feet roller; a  seed pail and corn shovel; a Corbett’s patent oil- cake crusher; 3 sheep racks; 3 dozen hurdles; 4 pairs of sheep shears; 2 grindstones, cross-cut and hand saws ;2 pairs of steelyards; a pair of beam scales; a butter scale;  butter tubs; revolving and upright churns; large cheese tubs and stands; a patent cheese crusher; Carson and Toon’s and Bartlett’s patent cheese presses; 18 cheese vats; whey tubs; milk warmers; 40 milk pans, cream cans and pots; milk pails and milking buckets; a  complete set of brewing utensils and casks; ladders; tools for garden, stable, yard and beasts-house ; a large mahogany sofa, upholstered in hair; a settle; a large kitchen table with drawer; 2 corner-cupboards; an eight-day spring dial clock in rosewood case;  a bedstead, flock bed, and bedding. Also a lot of new milk cheese, which will be sold in lots to suit purchasers.”

At the first meeting of the directors and shareholders of the Cardiff and Swansea Smokeless Steam Coal Company (Limited) held at the City Terminus Hotel, London, under the presidency of Alderman Sir Robert W. Carden, the Chairman stated that the development of the Resolven mines would include “(…) the opening-out, on a more extended scale, of the upper workings at Resolven, the extension of siding accommodation, and the erection of additional workmen’s cottages.” Jules Mason, a shareholder and coal exporter, said that he had been to the office of Messrs. Cory and Yeo in Swansea, to obtain coal from the company to load two large steamers, but was told that this would not be possible because the daily output from Resolven  would not be sufficient. He was told, however, that more colliers were being taken on at Resolven and more houses being built, “but, of course, they could not be built as if by magic.”

Some 240 children from the National Schools of Resolven, Blaengwrach, and Neath Higher were “(…) regaled on three consecutive days with an abundance of tea and cake through the liberality of Admiral and Mrs Oliver Jones of Rheola. (…) The gallant admiral and his kind lady attended every time, and entered fully into the sports and pastimes of the children.”

At a recent meeting of the Cardiff and Smokeless Steam Coal Company, Mr. Russell Evans, a shareholder, stated that, at the Resolven collieries, “with regard to the coal-cutting machines, he did not know how they would turn out, but it was an experiment of the greatest interest, not only to this county, but to the country at large. He believed the great success of collieries depended on the employment of machinery instead of manual labour.”

October:

The following advertisement was placed: “Masons and Quarrymen. Wanted immediately, 8 good Masons and 4 Quarrymen. Constant work, wet and dry weather. Wages, 6 shillings per day and overtime. None but good men need apply. Address Mr. J. C. Rees, Resolven.”

November:

William Adams, a mining engineer from Cardiff, before consenting to join the proposed Swansea and Neath Colliery Company (Limited), submitted a report on the mineral wealth of the Llettyrafel estate. This estate, he said, covered some 700 acres, of which 350 acres containing the celebrated Resolven vein of coal were currently being worked by Messrs Cory and Yeo. Levels on this property could be “(…) immediately commenced, and the quantity of coal produced from them would be gradually increased month by month, so that within two years, an output of 300 tons or more per day could be obtained. The remainder of the coal could be won by pits of moderate depth from the surface, and would produce a quantity (after making the usual allowances) of 4,900,000 tons. This, at an output of 600 tons per day and allowing 260 days in the year, will last for a period of 31 years.” The purchase price for the whole of the property was £79,000, of which £59,000 was to be paid in cash and the remainder by fully paid-up shares of the Company.

 

1874

February:

An eisteddfod was scheduled to take place on 30 March at Seion Chapel, Resolven. The first prize of five pounds would be awarded to the best choir, of less than thirty in number, singing “O! Gymru Anwylaf” from the “Cerddor Cymreig.” One pound would be awarded to the best choir singing “Aeron” from the “Ychwanegiad Llyfr Tonau Ieaun Gwyllt”, and ten shillings would be awarded for the winning essay on the subject: “Ddarllenfa”, (and which should also contain the best suggestions for the future success of the village reading-room). Further details of this event could be obtained from Simon Davies, 5 Davies Street, Resolven.

David Evans, who would become one of Resolven’s three doctors of music, was born at Pant-y-Ffynnon, Cardiganshire, to Morgan Evans, a collier from Crynant, and to his wife, Sarah. (The 1881 Census  shows David living with his widowed father, his elder brother, Thomas, and  a general domestic servant, at 4 Davies Row (Davies Terrace), Resolven. The 1891 Census shows him as living with his father, his step-mother, Mary Jane, and his three brothers at 15 Railway Terrace, Resolven).

Resolven firemen were among those who attended a meeting of firemen in Aberdare, at which it was agreed that they all continue to contribute towards the fine for negligence imposed on one of their colleagues when a fire had broken out at the Wo’ster colliery outside Swansea and in which four colliers had died. They also expressed their discontent with their monthly wage of ten pounds, and with the need to give three months’ notice before leaving the service.

March:

Through the good offices of the vicar, Rev. David Griffiths, a much-needed savings bank and postal order service was to be set up at Resolven Post Office.

William Williams, Resolven, was charged at Neath Petty Sessions with scalding a cat belonging to Mrs.Sims of the Vaughan Arms. “It appears that, while the servant girl was washing the clothes  belonging to the family, the defendant took the cat from before the fire where it was lying, and threw it into a pan of scalding water, the wretched creature dying shortly after it was taken out. The defendant said he did not intend to injure the animal, but only to have a lark with the washerwomen. He was fined 40 shillings and costs, or 21 days’ hard labour”.

June:

The Welsh Steam Coal Company Limited advertised for tenders for the erection of a number of cottages at Clyne.

The collieries belonging to Cory, Yeo and Co; ceased working on the first Monday of this month. All the pits in the valley, excepting the “half-time” collieries were therefore closed. “The chief point of difference is the question of 10 per cent reduction on the price per ton as now paid, or a full reduction on the gross earnings.”

John Thomas, of Resolven, was summoned for spearing a salmon in the River Neath. He was fined £5 and costs, or two months in prison.

‘Edmond’s Monster Menagerie’ was to visit Resolven on 29 June. Its advertisement stated that: “(…) only here can be seen the Great Indian Rhinoceros or Unicorn, the baby Lions, the Baby Tigers, the young Hyenas, the Camel calf, a few days old, the cleverest performing Elephants in Europe and the astonishing performance of the great American Lion Hunter.”

July:

The first annual meeting of the Welsh Steam Coal Collieries Limited took place at the City Terminus Hotel, London at which the report of the directors stated that: “At Clyne the sinking of a pair of pits to the Resolven and Lower veins had been proceeded with. The pits were intended to be 16 feet diameter in the walling, and are placed 100 feet apart. The top lift of each pit has been sunk, thoroughly timbered, and secured. The sinking engines and machinery for tending pumps have been set on very substantial masonry foundations between the pits. To supply these engines with steam, three of Galloway’s patent tubular boilers have been erected in their permanent position, and the foundations laid for two others. (…). They have not got on quite as fast as might have been expected, on account partly of the disordered state of the labour market in Wales, and also from the fact that the diamond rock-boring process has not as yet proved as efficient as might have been expected.”

August:

W. Thomas, of the Resolven collieries, placed the following newspaper advertisement for the attention of engine makers: “Wanted immediately, one 10 h.p. Locomotive Engine for a 2 feet 10 inch guage; one pair of 14 inch cylinders Hauling Engines, with four drums attached; two 2-tube Boilers, 7 feet diameter, 28 feet long, with Galloway tubes and with fittings complete; one 10 h.p. Portable Engine and Boiler; one 7 feet Pan Mortar Mill, and one Circular Saw Bench to take a 42-inch saw.”

Tenders were invited from builders for the erection of a Baptist chapel at Resolven. The plans and specifications could be viewed on application to Thomas Rees, colliery manager, Woodland House, Resolven, and tenders were to be delivered to him on, or before, 15 August.

Richard Howells, an engine-driver, was charged with stealing a horse valued at £30, the property of the Ynysarwed Resolven Colliery Company. Howells said that “(…) seeing so many horses together in a field he thought one would not be missed. He spent most of the money in purchasing clothing and jewellery, including a gold wedding-ring, and intended marrying a young woman named Cassidy.” He was eventually sentenced to twelve months in prison.

September:

Richard Jones and Henry Goss, two Resolven colliers, were accused of using an illegal net for the purpose of fishing salmon. “From the evidence it appears that two police constables were lying in wait by the riverside not far from Resolven on 26 August. At about 4 a.m. they saw two men approaching, and, when they came near, they espied the enemy, and made off as fast as they could run. The officers gave chase and, as they were going along, picked up a net having very small meshes, and in it a fish about two inches long. They afterwards went to the houses of the defendants, which they searched, and discovered another small fish, which the officer said was a trout, and which the defendant Jones said he had caught with a fly the previous evening. Trousers belonging to both defendants were found, wet up to the waist, their stockings and boots being also wet. They positively denied being out that morning. Mr. Leyson, for the defence, contended that the fish produced was not a species of salmon, and, supposing the defendants to be the parties seen by the police, they were not guilty of the charge. (…) Mr Leyson considered the officers had shown an excess of zeal in searching he houses of the defendants without a warrant which had rendered them liable to an action for trespass and he served notice of action accordingly.”

Sardis Chapel held their annual meeting on 31 August and 1 September, and services were conducted by Rev. J. Rufus Williams, Ystrad; Mr. Kingdom, Neath; Mr Tucker; Rev. J. Evans, Glynneath; Rev D. Morgans, Cross Hands; and Rev. B. Evans, Neath. At the meeting a substantial sum was collected by the members for their proposed new Welsh Baptist chapel which would be built in Railway Terrace. “Da genym allu dweyd ein bod wedi casglu yn dda hefyd ar gyfer ein capel newydd. Cyn y daw amser ein cyfarfod blynyddol nesaf bydd ein capel newydd yn barod. Mae gwir angen amdano, am fod y gymmydogaeth yn cynyddu mor gyflym.”

November: 

On 6 November, at the Vaughan Arms, Mr. George Jenkins, manager of Cory, Yeo and Co; was presented by Mrs. Sims with a purse of money to the value of £25, on the occasion of his leaving the neighbourhood. “Upwards of thirty sat down to supper which was served in good style by the worthy hostess Mrs. Sims. The meeting concluded by singing the National Anthem.”

At the preliminary examination of the Incorporated Law Society, held at Bristol on 26 and 27 October, Mr. William Sims, youngest son of the late Mr. Samuel Sims, Vaughan Arms, Resolven, was one of the successful candidates.

December:

About two or three hundred people attended a meeting of the Miners’ Union held at the National School, Resolven on 5 December to hear speeches from Mr. Halliday and Mr. S. Davies. The newspaper correspondent who attended this meeting urged Union members to fight hard for their cause against their enemy, the colliery proprietors: “Wel fy nghydweithwyr yn Resolven, (…) ymdrechwch hyd y mae ynoch i ail-ymfyddino yn un fyddin gref, fel y galloch wynebu y gelyn yn hyf a chalonog.”         

 

1875

January:

Resolven colliers, along with many other colliers  in the south Wales coalfield, were still out on strike against the reduction in their wages, although many of them had found employment elsewhere.

February:

Samuel Davies and Edward Williams of the Aberdare branch of the Miners’ Union visited Resolven to show their solidarity with the colliers who were out on strike in Resolven and to offer what support they could to those who were suffering as a result. Membership of the Union in the village was increasing and its influence gaining strength. “Yr ydym o’r farn y bydd yr Undeb yn y lle hwn yn uwch nag y bu erioed yn fuan iawn.”

March:

A Resolven newspaper correspondent wrote that, because so many colliers had managed to find other work, no one in the village was suffering the same degree of hardship as elsewhere. However, he warned those who were in work not to squander the money they earned in drink and so bring suffering on their families. “Y mae yn ofidus iawn gweled dyn sydd wedi gweithio  yn galed trwy y dydd, yn myned mewn I’r dafarn, a gwario ei arian yno ‘am yr hyn nid yw fara’.”

On Thursday 11 March, the foundation stone of the new Bethania Welsh Baptist chapel in Railway Terrace was laid. Sardis, the existing Baptist Chapel, was now crowded to excess and the erection of a new Chapel was considered necessary. The new chapel was designated for Welsh-speaking Baptists. Members had set to work and a fund of about £200 had been raised so far, although the final cost would be upwards of £1,140. Land near the railway station was placed at their disposal by Major Vaughan Lee at the nominal rent of one shilling a year on a lease of 99 years, while the builder was to be J.C. Rees. The foundation stone was laid by David Bevan, ex-Mayor of Neath, and about 200 people were present at the ceremony, including Dr.Price, Dr.L.Thomas, the Rev. A.F.Mills, and Mr. Thomas, colliery proprietor. “A silver mallet and trowel were presented by Mr.Thomas of Resolven to Mr. Bevan who, after laying the foundation stone, placed upon it the handsome sum of £50. At a meeting held that evening, stirring addresses were given by Mr. Foley, of the Temperance Hotel, Neath, P. Tucker, Rev. A. F .Mills, Dr. Price, Aberdare, and the service was conducted by Dr. Levi Thomas.”

In the Court of Chancery in London, before Vice-Chancellor Bacon, the case of the Neath Canal Navigation (plaintiffs) versus Ynysarwed Resolven Colliery Company (defendants) was heard. It was a motion to prevent the defendants’ company from laying tramways on Ynysarwed Bridge.  “Since 1794, when the canal bridge was constructed, the plaintiffs had kept it in repair, and until recently the defendants (the owners or lessees of the Ynysarwed colliery) had used the canal for the conveyance of coal and minerals obtained in the colliery. In 1871, however, they gave notice of their intention to build a tramway from the colliery, along the approaches to the bridge, and across it, for the purpose of conveying coal and minerals to the Vale of Neath Railway. Despite several warnings from the plaintiffs, the defendants built, in January 1875, a tramway across the bridge. An injunction was granted by the Court, until a full hearing of the case, to restrain the defendants from permitting the tramway to remain on the bridge.”

May:

In Sardis Chapel and in Seion Chapel, a series of services was held in connection with the appointment of the Rev. Daniel Thomas to the pastorate of the new Welsh Baptist Chapel. The newly appointed pastor had recently left Llanerchynedd, in north Wales, having accepted the call from the church at Resolven, “(…) which has now become quite a flourishing and rapidly increasing locality. In the morning at half-past ten, the service was opened by Mr. Jenkins, a student from Llangollen; sermons being afterwards preached by the Rev. Evans, Hirwaun, and Dr. Levi Thomas, Glynneath. In the afternoon, the service was begun by the Rev. D. Thomas, Independent minister, late of America, followed by  an English sermon given by the Rev. A.F. Mills, Neath, and a Welsh discourse by the Rev. W. Harries, Mill Street, Aberdare. In the evening, the service was held in the Seion Calvinistic MethodistChapel, which was placed at the service of the Baptists in consequence of the limited accommodation in Sardis. The service was opened by the Rev. E. Evans, Hirwaun, and a Welsh sermon was preached by the Rev. G. Griffiths, Skewen, and the Rev. W .Harries, respectively.” Mr. Thomas would continue to be pastor of Bethania until 1887. It was he who, when discussing the merits of the respective names of their chapels with his colleague at Jerusalem, asserted: “Ond cofiwch hyn, gelynion yr Iesu oedd yn Jerusalem, ym Methania yr oedd ei ffrindiau.”(“But remember this: Jesus was among enemies in Jerusalem, but in Bethania he was among friends”.) Faithful members of his congregation were to include: John B. Davies, Thomas Rees, William S. Thomas, William Bryant, William D. Davies, William Bowen, Mary Reynolds, Maggie Reynolds, Watkin Morgan, John and Jane Harris, and Samuel and Ann Thomas. Mr. Thomas was paid six pounds a month for his work as minister. Meanwhile, at Sardis, in the period from 1875 (when the Welsh-speaking Baptists moved to their own place of worship) until 1904 (when a large new chapel was built), visiting preachers included: J. Wignall of the Tontine Street Mission, Swansea; J. P. Edwards (in 1890); W. Rosser (1889-90); and D.R.S. Davies, a former student of Spurgeon’s college and an authority on telepathy (1891-95). There were nine members in 1876, sixteen in 1882, and thirty-five in 1894.

The Sanitary Board, meeting in Neath, agreed unanimously to the supply of water which was urgently required in Resolven.

An Inquest was held at Resolven relating to the death of a two-year old child, Thomas Mills, the son of Elizabeth Mills, a widow, whose husband had been killed some months previously. “She had been staying in Neath for a fortnight, lodging at one place then at another. She had been to the relieving officer for assistance, but he had told her to tramp it back to Merthyr, where she came from. On Sunday night, she slept on the floor of a house at Resolven on her way home to her parish. The child was ill and weak, and, during the night, it died. Ann Phillips, the person at whose house the woman was staying for the night, stated that that the child was groaning all night and twisting its arms about as if in pain. It died at five o’clock in the morning. The body was put behind the door with all its clothes on. It was neither washed nor ‘laid-out,’ and the vermin might be seen crawling over its face and clothes and body. A verdict was returned of death from natural causes, accelerated by neglect and destitution.”

June:

The foundation stone of Jerusalem, the new Congregational Chapel, was laid by Albert Barnes Rees, surgeon, of Resolven. “A sealed bottle was placed in a cavity in the stone, containing a few silver and copper coins, a written history of the church, and a copy of the ‘South Wales Daily News’ of June 10 1875. After the ceremony, friends were invited to lay their contributions on the stone, and the handsome sum of £85 was contributed. Prayers were offered, and addresses delivered by the Revs. T. Rees, D.D., of Swansea; J. Matthews, of Neath; W. Morgan, of Maesteg; and O. Jones of Hirwaun. The event was also attended by two ministers from Resolven: Revs. D.Thomas, (Baptist) and D.Thomas, (Calvinistic Methodist). The meeting was presided over by the Rev. D. G. Morgan, late of Stockton-on-Tees, who had just commenced his ministry in the congregation under very encouraging circumstances.”

At a meeting of the Cardiff and Swansea Smokeless Steam Coal Company, fears were expressed that the original estimate of £75,000 to complete the shafts at Resolven, the extension of siding accommodation, and the erection of workmen’s cottages etc; would be insufficient. “These fears were based on the fact that, at its sister colliery in Pentre, four times the estimated amount had already been expended. Any substantial additional outlay could result in debentures not being met, a foreclosure taking place, and the whole of the shareholders’ capital being sacrificed.”

August:

There was a large increase in the amount of coal transported from the Resolven collieries to London by the Great Western Railway. The amount for the month of June 1875 was 299 tons; while that for July was 904 tons.

This month witnessed a terrific storm in Glamorganshire. “The water at Resolven extended for four miles over the lower parts of the valley, nearly every house being partially submerged, the families of each taking refuge in the upper rooms. Between Resolven and Glynneath, the destruction of property, more especially that belonging to cottages, was painful to witness. Whole gardens had been swept away, cattle and pigs drowned, and the neatly-kept gardens levelled or torn up by the roots. The railway wire- fences were blocked with potato haulms, entire fields of this vegetable having been washed complete off the land. (…) The railway appeared to have suffered most considerably: all the way the line bore the traces of the storm. (…) Several thousand tons of earth, stone and shale had been washed from the mountain on to the down-line, partly also across the up-line. An immense number of men , under the direction of Mr. Lean;  were promptly set to work, and the up-line cleared sufficiently to allow the traffic to be worked by single line. The water from the mountain streams accumulated at the rear of the houses on the main road, finally breaking its way over the garden wall of the Misses Penrose, the ladies in night- attire being compelled to call loudly for assistance.”

October:

A crowded meeting of miners was held at the National School, Resolven, to hear addresses from several delegates, including William Abraham, Mabon. (William Abraham was born in Cwmafan in 1842; in 1875, he declared his support for the sliding-scale agreement for determining miners’ wages; in 1877, he became full-time officer of the Rhondda’s Cambrian Miners’ Association; in 1885, he was elected M.P. for the Rhondda; in 1892, he secured an agreement which gave the miners a holiday on the first Monday of every month, ‘ Mabon’s day’; and, in 1898, he became the first president of the South Wales Miners’ Federation.) In Mabon’s speech at Resolven, which was delivered in Welsh, he said “(…) a good feeling and a good understanding ought always exist between employers and employed. He dissented from the view of employers generally that workmen should be remunerated according to the position of the labour market. Colliers ought to be remunerated according to the rate of what the commodity fetched in the market. There was a time when they, the colliers, worked long hours in a mine for three shillings a day, but the wheel had been given a turn, and would require a still further revolution before they attained the position they ought to occupy with regard to wages.” Unionism, he said, had brought a degree of parity in wages in the different collieries: “Let the men of Resolven, therefore, consider the desirability of combination. Miners had recently begun to acquire the negotiating skill of “(…) regulating and explaining the why and wherefore of future scales of wages without fighting.(…) Divided, they would fall, and be compelled to accept just what the employer thought fit to give; but being united in the principles of true unionism, they would receive what was their due.” He concluded his speech by declaiming the following verse: “Sons of labour, keep ye moving onward with the march of time, every step your path improving, leaving olden tracks behind. Every soul-enslaving fetter cut and break and cast away, that the world may be the better of your deeds some other day.” At the end of the meeting the following resolution was carried unanimously; “(…) that we be at once united with the National Union of Miners, feeling an interest in its establishment and welfare.” Subsequently, about 408 colliers entered their names as members of the new Lodge.

The Order of the Good Templars in the village had witnessed a substantial increase in its membership of late, with many signing the pledge to remain sober.

The Rev. D.G. Morgan, recently appointed as minister of Jerusalem Chapel, set up a school at Melin-y-Cwrt Chapel, whilst Mr. Thomas, engineer, had kindly loaned a property in Cory Street for the use of those members of the Sunday school of that chapel, some 110 in number, who found it difficult and inconvenient to get to Melin-y-cwrt.

December:

The body of a Resolven collier named Richard Bennett was found hanging from a tree in Crugau wood. The deceased had been missing for four weeks and was a member of Sardis English Baptist Chapel. “The sad affair has created a most painful sensation in the neighbourhood, where the deceased’s relatives are much respected.”

Mr. S. Davies addressed a meeting of colliers at Resolven, and explained the nature of the agreement drawn up by the Board of Conciliation. A motion in favour of signing the same was carried. “Between 500 and 600 men in the Neath valley, who belong to Lodges connected with the Aberdare district, have resolved to pay into the Miners’ National Union without delay. These Lodges had not contributed to the funds hitherto.”

Bethania Welsh Baptist Chapel in Railway Terrace had now been built and opened. Described as beautiful and comfortable, ‘hardd a chyfleus’, it could seat some 500 people. Meanwhile Jerusalem Chapel, capable of seating some 700 people, was to be opened in the spring of 1876. Melin -y -cwrt Chapel seemed to have had something of a revival of late, ‘wedi cael ymweliad neillduol o’r Arglwydd’: seventy people having been added to its congregation.

 

1876

January:

A workers’ shop, ‘siop y gweithwyr’, had recently been set up in the village. A newspaper correspondent remarked that this had all the signs of becoming a boon to the village and a blessing to all the workers of the community and to others.

A meeting was to be held in Resolven to discuss the pressing need to set up a colliery ‘Sick Fund’, because many did not consider the present system of providing for the sick as being either fair or just. The most equitable way to correct this would be set up a ‘fund’ so that all who contributed, married or single, rich or poor, could experience the benefits. “Wel, y ffordd yw trwy gael ‘fund’, fel y caiff pawb yr un chwaereu teg, gwr priod neu ddyn ieuanc, gadewch iddo fod yn gyfoethog neu yn dlawd, os bydd yn cyfranu, teg yw iddo gael cyfran.”

March:

A dispute arose at the Resolven collieries of the Cardiff and Swansea Steam Coal Company between the employers and the workmen. W. Thomas, the engineer of the company, met a deputation of the workmen, and after three hours’ discussion, they found it impossible to come to any settlement. It was hoped, however, that the matter would soon be resolved without entailing any stoppage at the collieries.

Miss E. A. Davies, assistant mistress at Resolven National School, was successful in the recent examinations which she had sat; she was placed in the second division of the successful candidates and received a Government certificate. “This school is doing, and has done, much in educating the working classes, having a staff of efficient teachers, supported by Mrs. Oliver Jones, of Rheola, and Major Vaughan Lee M.P.”

April:

“A brutal outrage on a little girl 14 years of age, daughter of Mr. Lewis, was committed near Resolven, on Sunday evening. A man named Duncan persuaded the child to go into the woods with him to gather flowers. On her refusing to proceed further, he seized her and, notwithstanding her screams, violated her in a most inhuman manner. The fellow decamped and has not been heard of since.”

May:

Clyne colliery and the Lower Resolven colliery at Melincwrt were to be sold by auction. The machinery, fixed plant and utensils which were to be sold included 20 tons of mining gear, 128 tons of cast-iron pipes, 104 tons of tram rails, 6,240 timber sleepers, a 20 ton railway waggon weighbridge, 97 coal trams, 100 loads of useful timber, 13,000 fire bricks, 340 tons of small coal, and 2 useful horses.

August:

At a recent meeting of the Cardiff Smokeless Steam Coal Company, it was reported that Resolven colliery was running at a loss, while Pentre, its sister colliery within the company, had made a profit of £10,000. “The demand for coal has been so limited that Resolven colliery has worked only three days a week during the first nine months, and during the last three months of the year it has only worked about two days per week; and everyone must be aware of the immense cost of working a colliery in this manner.”

The following property was advertised for sale: “A Leasehold Messuage and Dwelling house, Shop, Barn, Stables, Yards, Gardens and Premises situate at Resolven, known as the Ton, in the occupation of A. B. Rees, Esq; and others, held under a lease for 99 years from 25  March 1874, at a ground rent of £13 per annum. “

 

September:

A ‘court’ of ‘The Robin Hood Benefit Society’ was opened at the Gored Hotel, and fifty-three members were enrolled. “The representatives, James and Brown, attended with the dispensation to establish the court (…), and this will now afford the working men of the district an opportunity of joining a society so useful to them during illness.”

October:

The following newspaper advertisement was placed: “Wanted, by a Young Man, a situation as Groom; no objection to a cow or small garden. Address L. C. Thomas, Post Office, Resolven, Neath.”

Jerusalem, the new Congregational Chapel, was opened on Sunday, 1 October and Monday, 2 October 1876. “This locality, until within the last few years, had only a small population comprising a few farmers and farm labourers. Of late, owing to the opening of the collieries in the neighbourhood, the population has rapidly increased, and now amounts to about 2000. The old Melin-y-cwrt Chapel, which was built in 1799, had become inconvenient on account of inaccessibility through its distance from the centre of population and the badness of roads, especially in winter. The new chapel, which is now completed, is within easy access of every house in the place, and it is thus calculated to meet every requirement of this increasing village for some time. It measures 55 feet by 43 feet; will seat, including galleries, 700 people, and has cost £2000. It is one of the best designed chapels of the well-known architect, the Rev. T. Thomas, of Swansea. The execution of the whole work reflects great credit on the builders, Messrs. Herbert Brothers, of Resolven. The opening services were taken by the following ministers: T. Rees, D.D; of Swansea; D. Price, of Aberdare; J. Matthews, of Neath; T. Davies, of Llanelli; R. W. Roberts, of Ystradgynlais; W. Nicholson, of Groeswen;  B. Davies, of Treorchy; D. G. Davies, of Glynneath;  D. Morgan, of Onllwyn; D. G. Rees, of Whitchurch; M.Hopkins, of Aberafan; J. Miles, of Aberystwyth; J. G. Griffiths of Fochriw; T. H. Thomas, of Taibach; O. Jones, of Hirwaun;  R. W. Watkins , of Avon Vale and D. Thomas, of Resolven.  At two o’clock on Monday afternoon the installation of the Rev. D. G. Morgan as pastor of the church took place. The Rev. Dr. Rees presided, and the whole service was very interesting and edifying. The congregations were large, the preaching effective, and the contributions liberal. It was stated at the close of the services that £500 had been subscribed.”

As a result of the recent floods, damage in the Vale of Neath was extensive with large quantities of valuable timber seen floating down the river. “The brick yards at Resolven were nearly washed down, and the roads were rendered quite impassable.”

On Sunday 22 October, a childrens’s ‘cymanfa’ was held in the newly-opened Jerusalem Chapel. The children recited the first six verses of part two of ‘Fam a’r Plentyn’, gave excellent answers to the questions put by the minister, and sung some hymns by Sankey.

December:

The first of a series of ‘Popular Readings’ took place on 11 December at Resolven Working Men’s Club (Reading Room). The admission charge was three pence per person, but this was later reduced to two pence for adults and one pence for children under fourteen.

A man named Richard Giles was found on the down- line of the Great Western Railway outside Resolven “(…) with his right arm severed from his body across the shoulder, and having sustained other fearful injuries. He appears to have left a public house at 10 o’clock on Sunday evening, the night being extremely dark. He then crossed the line to his own residence, but was knocked down by the 10.20 p.m. train. He remained stunned and helpless till six o’clock on Monday morning when his terrible state was discovered, and he was conveyed to the Gored Hotel, where he now lies, but with little hopes of recovery. Some idea of the extent of his injuries may be formed from the fact that portions of his arm and shoulder were found on the line for a long distance up.”

The managers of Resolven National School planned ‘a grand musical entertainment’ to be held during Christmas week in aid of school funds “(…) the gratuitous services of the Neath Amateur Dramatic Society having been secured for the occasion.”

Members of the Ynysarwed Resolven Colliery Company Limited had agreed to the voluntary liquidation of the Company. A liquidator was appointed and creditors were asked to prove their claims.

 

1877

January:

The Rev. Moses Thomas was inducted as minister of Seion chapel and would retain this position until 1895. Thomas was originally from Tregaron, but he had moved to Resolven to keep a shop and the post office in the Ton. At the end of this year, his first as minister, membership of the chapel numbered 77, and the attendance at Sunday school was 100. It was during his period as minister that some of Wales’s greatest preachers came to take services at Seion.

The first in a series of Penny Readings was held at Resolven Reading Room. This was a popular form of entertainment which included, for example, impromptu speaking on a set subject or sight- reading a musical tune. “These Readings were in the style of an eisteddfod, but less formal with the emphasis on individual competition (…) and were excellent training grounds for young people in particular, to nurture and develop what gifts and abilities they had.” 

The following advertisement was placed in the newspapers: “Servant. Wanted, a good General Servant in a hotel, who understands plain cooking. Apply personally, or by letter, to Mrs. Sims. Resolven.”

At Jerusalem Chapel, on the first Sunday morning of the New Year, the minister, the Rev. D. G. Morgan, welcomed seventeen new members to the Sunday School. The chapel now had four Sunday Schools. At two o’clock on this Sunday afternoon, Rev. Morgan tested members of the Sunday Schools at Melin-y- cwrt and Clyne  on their recitation of verses from Chapter 7 of the ‘Acts of the Apostles’ and, at 6 o’clock,  he did the same at the  Sunday Schools of the Stag and of Jerusalem.

A concert was held on Monday 8 January at Jerusalem Chapel to raise money for the building fund. The performers taking part were supported by the chapel’s choir and Glee Party. The chapel was filled to capacity.

February:

Since the previous summer, many colliers had left the village because of the shortage of work, with the result that many houses were now left empty, despite the fact that, during the last month, the colliery house-owners had reduced the monthly rent for their houses from fifteen shillings to twelve shillings.

The Rev. J. Ossian Davies gave an address at Jerusalem Chapel entitled: ‘Y Bwystfil Rhufeinig’, ‘The Beast of Rome’. (A reference to the beast mentioned in ‘Revelation‘, chapters 13 and 17, symbolising the anti-Christian Roman Empire and, by extension, all ungodly political institutions and systems, and also, in some Christian denominations, the Church of Rome. ) The number in the audience was small, no doubt because of the current depression in trade.

Several Resolven inhabitants showed considerable generosity to those of their fellow-villagers who were suffering the most from the general state of poverty:  Mrs. Sims, landlady of the Vaughan Arms, for example, gave five or ten shillings to help some families. In addition, many families were in receipt of weekly ‘relief tickets’ from the parish, that is, from the Neath Poor Law Union.

March:

Tenders were invited by the Neath Merthyr Colliery Company “(…) for the construction of a Surface Incline Plane near Resolven, about one mile in length.” Plans and application form could be obtained from the Manager, H .G. Thomas, Gored House, Resolven.

May:

Despite experiencing considerable poverty themselves, many in the village contributed towards the Troedyrhiw relief fund. Contributions were received from workmen at Resolven collieries (£10-5s-9d); from the public outside the colliery (£1-19s- 0d); from workmen at Neath-Merthyr Colliery, Melincwrt (9s-6d), and from its manager, G. Thomas, (£1-0s-0d). 

On 21 May, Sunday School members of Seion, Jerusalem and St. David’s held their Whit Monday teas and ‘bara brith’. W. Thomas, of Clun-y-castell/Glyncastle, lent one of his fields for the use of the Seion Sunday School, whilst Jerusalem Sunday School went to a field in Melin-y -cwrt, and the Church Sunday School went to Ynysarwed. 

June:

A performance of ‘Joseph’s Cantata’ took place at Bethania Baptist Chapel, with the following taking part: W. C. Davies, W. Bryant, W. Thomas, T. Davies, T. M. Jones, B. Davies, L. Bowen, T. J. Morgan, D. Roberts, J. B. Davies, J. W. Morgan and J. Edwards. The choir was led by John Duncan.

A Quoit Club had been recently formed in the village. J. D. Jones was the Secretary; D. Sims, the Treasurer; D. Rosser, the Captain; and A. B. Rees, the Vice-Captain. The club practised twice a week in a field belonging to the Vaughan Arms, and a pair of quoits had been presented to the club by D. Sims.

A village Fife-and-Drum Band had also recently been formed. On a Saturday this month, they had played their instruments as they processed through the village and, at Clun-y-castell/Glyncastle, they played several tunes, and were presented with a gift of £4 by W. Thomas, its owner.

July:

An eisteddfod was held in the village on 7 July. John Duncan, Resolven, won the competition for singing ‘Mae’n Gymro byth.’ D. Evans and Gwilym Meurig shared the first prize for reciting ‘Myn’d i garu’; Resolven choir won first prize for singing ‘Marseillaise’; James Thomas won first prize, out of nine competitors, for his rendition of ‘Merch y melinydd’. The main event on the programme for the prize of £4 and eisteddfod chair was for singing ‘Let the hills resound’.

At a meeting of the Cardiff and Swansea Smokeless Steam Company Limited held in London, the Chairman, Colonel J. D. Shakespeare, made the following statement: “(…) It was remarkable that, notwithstanding the fact that Resolven Colliery had paid them a dividend of ten percent during its first year of operation and that it had really made a profit of £21,000 as against £19,000 made at Pentre, there had always been an undercurrent of thought that the Resolven coal was not quite right. It had been proved that the coal was of such a nature that half of the contents of a tram from the colliery could, on arrival at the Thames docks, be reduced to powder. Consequently, the market for that coal had become exceedingly limited. After the last meeting of the board, it appeared that if a large market could be found for the coal, they would be able to work the coal for a cheaper rate, and Messrs Cory Brothers of Swansea, paying the costs themselves, had consequently advertised the coal in every direction. The Chairman was inclined to think that, to some extent, this had achieved a successful outcome. Still, the Resolven difficulty had not disappeared.”

At a two- day event held on 16 and 17 July at Jerusalem Chapel, the main item was a lecture given by Dr. Rees, of Swansea, entitled “Y Diwygiadau Crefyddol yng Nghymru” (“Religious revivals in Wales”). “Cafwyd cynulliad lluosog, ac werth ei bodd yn gwrando, fel y cododd hwyl grefyddol ar bawb”

August:

A storm and incessant rain had led to floods in the Vale of Neath. A farm bridge at Resolven was washed away; hayricks had been irretrievably damaged, while various farming implements were washed from the fields and left lying on the bed of the River Neath. “Cattle, sheep and horses were vainly endeavouring to swim to the higher banks, while a miscellaneous lot of furniture floated rapidly by, washed from the cottages. (…) It is impossible to form anything like an estimate of the extent of damage done in the district, so widespread and disastrous has it been.”

William Thomas, colliery manager, Resolven, was awarded the Albert Medal (second class) for his assistance in the Tynewydd Colliery disaster. This disaster, which occurred on 11 April 1877, captivated the public’s attention for ten days with its suspense, with the rescue methods employed, and with the incredible courage shown by those who kept digging in the face of great danger. Fourteen colliers were trapped underground; one was killed by the force of air rushing out through the escape route, and four colliers were drowned.

September:

Potato crops in Resolven seemed to be thinner and smaller than in former years, but not much infected with disease. The heavy rains and flood had done considerable damage in the hay fields.

A newspaper correspondent wrote of the price of bread in Resolven: “(…) as far as I can ascertain, the current price of a 4lb loaf is ten pence; before the declaration of war in the East it was from seven to eight pence.” (The war referred to was the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-79, between the Russian and Ottoman empires, and waged in the Balkans and Caucasus).

William Abraham, (Mabon), paid a second visit to Resolven and gave an address entitled: ‘Yr angenrheidrwydd am undeb a chydweithrediad yn ein plith fel glowyr.’ (‘The necessity of joining a Union and of co-operation among us as colliers’.)

October:

The Resolven Quoit Club held their end-of- season supper at the Vaughan Arms. About thirty members attended under the presidency of their captain, David Rosser. The Resolven Fife-and –Drum band played a selection of tunes for the occasion.

Preaching meetings, “cyfarfodydd pregethu”, were held at Jerusalem on Sunday and Monday, 28 and 29 October. Ministers who preached, beside the chapel’s own minister, were the Rev. Morgan, of Maesteg; Rev. Griffiths, of Cwmdare; Rev. Rees, of Merthyr; and Rev. Williams, of Mynydd Islwyn.. Collections at the meetings went towards the reduction of the amount owed for the chapel building.

November:

A hundred yards foot- race took place at Resolven on a field belonging to D. Sims, Vaughan Arms “(…) between two colliers named Gomer Lewis and Robert Lisles or, as he was called, the ‘Sais’, he being an Englishman and the other a Welshman, for £5 a side. Lewis had a five-yard start, but Lisles passed him before they had covered fifty yards, winning easily with five yards to spare. The betting on the race was very heavy, 2 to 1 being laid against Lewis.”

On 21 November, at the Tyrrau colliery, Resolven, a collier named David Evans was injured by a fall of coal, resulting in a broken arm and other injuries. On the following day, at the same colliery, two other colliers, R. Leach and D. Hopkins, were hurt: Leach injuring his back and Hopkins breaking his hip. Both men had to be carried home.

Colliers in Resolven were at this time scarcely working half-time, and even when they were working, they earned barely enough to keep body and soul together. The situation had become so bad that that it was impossible for a family with five or six children to get sufficient to eat. ‘Gobethiwn fod gwawr ar dori pan y byddom yn gallu ennill digon o ymborth i ni ac i’n plant’.

Again, despite experiencing considerable poverty themselves, people in Resolven formed a committee to help support those who were suffering as a result of the famine in India. A house-to-house collection in the village was made and the sum of £10-14s-6d was raised towards this cause.

On Monday, 26 November, at Seion Chapel, an address was given by the minister, Rev. Moses Thomas, entitled “Hynodion y Tadau” (‘Distinguishing Marks of the Methodist Fathers’). Proceeds from the evening went towards the collection for Trefecca College. A large crowd attended despite it being a wet and stormy night.

 

1878

January:

On 16 January, at Jerusalem Chapel, the Rev. J. Ossian Davies gave a talk entitled ‘Deg Anathemaaidd’ in which he railed against the Papacy, its deceit, cruelty and danger. “Nid oes hanner ein gwlad wedi meddwl bod y fath dwyll, a chreulondeb, a pherygl yn y ‘Bwystfil Rhufeinig’.”

February:

Great distress prevailed in the village, and a committee was formed to administer a relief fund to help those who were in the most urgent need of support. Some contributions had already been received for this fund: £25 had been received from H. Richard M.P; £25 from Lord Aberdare; and £1 from H. H. Vivian, M. P. The committee met three times a week in the National School to distribute money as well as vouchers for amounts varying from a shilling to three shillings and sixpence which could be exchanged at one of the village shops for food.

Work at the Ynysarwed Colliery was on stop, and colliers there had not even been paid for the work they had already carried out. This situation added to the level of hardship already being experienced in the village.

John Morgan, a teacher at Resolven National School, was appointed a School Attendance Officer for the Neath District.

W. Sims, of the Vaughan Arms, was successful in his second law examination, and was currently on a pupillage with H. P. Charles, Solicitor, Neath.

March:

David Morgan, minister of Jerusalem Chapel, expressed his thanks for all the contributions he had received to help pay off the cost incurred in building the chapel. A total amount of £76- 13s-0d had been received in the previous two years, with the largest amount, £46-6s-6d, coming from contributors living in England.

A cultural evening, ‘cyfarfod llenyddol,’was held at Bethania Chapel on 20 March. Among the items on the programme were ‘Pussy a’i rhai bychain’ recited by W. Thomas; ‘Y Glowr a’r Chwarelwr’ sung by John Duncan; ‘Rhanu y caws’ recited by B .Davies; and a solo performance of ‘The Soldier’s Boy’ sung by four-year- old D. J. Jones.

May:

On Easter Monday, a ‘Cymanfa Ganu Cynulleidfaol ’was held at Jerusalem Chapel with some 700 singers from Resolven, Rhigos, Hirwaun and Glynneath taking part. The programme, from the ‘Stephens and Jones’ collection, included : ‘Bethesda’,’ Brunswick’, ‘Dyffryn Baca’, ‘Geneva’, ‘Ramah’, ‘Iorddonen’, ‘Oldenburg’, ‘St John’, ‘Trefor’, ‘Alun’,’ Erfyniad’ and ‘Lichfield’. These items were followed by: ‘Croesaw I bawb a ddel’, ‘Nac ildia I demtasiwn’ and ‘Eden sydd fry’, all taken from the collection ‘Swn y Juwbili.’ The anthem ‘Pebyll yr Argwlydd’, by Dr. Parry, concluded the event.

An inquest was held at Resolven into the suspicious death of John Davies. The latter’s son-in-law, Joseph Clarke, stated that, on Monday 29 April, the deceased had complained to him of a pain in his head. Two days later his speech was affected and he was rambling and incoherent. Samuel Rees, a collier, testified that he was in the Vaughan Arms at 9 a.m. on Saturday 27 April and that he had seen the deceased there in the company of a lot of other people and that a quarrel had broken out between the deceased and Daniel Davies: “(…) they both caught hold of one another in the kitchen, and both fell to the floor. Daniel Davies was pulling at the deceased’s hair with both hands; they were kicking each other. Daniel Davies would not let go of the deceased’s hair and George Griffiths tried unsuccessfully to release his hands by applying a lighted cigar. Police Constable Markham, however, succeeded by striking him on the hands with his staff. The result of the inquest was adjourned.”

June:

The Glamorganshire Congregational Association held its annual meeting at Jerusalem Chapel, Resolven.  Representatives from 207 Congregational churches in the county of Glamorgan attended the event and, among the resolutions, the following was unanimously passed: “That this conference, believing that no real cause has existed to justify war between this country and Russia, rejoices that a Congress of the European Powers has been agreed upon, to be held on 13 June at Berlin, and very earnestly and respectfully urges that the influence of Great Britain, through its honourable representatives at the said Congress, will be exercised in favour of a just Government of the Christian provinces in Turkey, and that the entire Eastern difficulty be settled on such a  basis as to secure permanent peace in Europe.”

July:

Sarah Smith, a servant of Mrs Lloyd, of Clun-y-castell/Glyncastle, was indicted for obtaining goods by false pretences from David Jones, a grocer at Resolven. Smith first ordered “(…) three yards of lustre and sundry other articles” which were put on Mrs. Lloyd’s account. Then, on 21 May, Smith bought some boots, and on 24 May, some Welsh flannel and a fancy jacket, all of which were also put on Mrs. Lloyd’s account. When the grocer contacted Mrs. Lloyd, the latter said that Sarah Smith had no authority from her to buy the goods and that she had told a pack of lies. Further enquiries revealed that other shopkeepers had been tricked in the same manner. Smith was charged by Police Constable Markham and committed for trial at the next court sessions.

A copy of a published letter from Cory, Yeo and Company to Paget Moseley, Chairman of the Cardiff and Swansea and Steam Coal Company revealed that Cory and Yeo had offered to re-purchase Resolven colliery rather than seeing the Company surrendering it to the landlord. “We feel sure that when this extraordinary crisis is past, Resolven Colliery will prove to be of great value to the shareholders. (…) The vast depreciation which colliery properties have undergone of course prevents our renewal to you of the offer which we then made; but having still great faith in the future of Resolven Colliery, we beg to suggest the selling, as far preferable to any giving up, of the colliery.”

August:

Members of the Iestyn ap Gwrgant Lodge held their thirty-eighth annual dinner at the Vaughan Arms on 3 August. Instead of meeting before the dinner in one of the chapels to listen to a sermon as was the custom, it was decided instead that they should march through the village with the Resolven Fife and Drum Band at the head of the procession.  After their dinner, which had been prepared by Mrs. Sims, songs were sung by John Duncan, Rees Herbert, D. Herbert, John Davies, D. Parker and William Sims, and an impromptu public speaking competition was held, with D. Duncan winning first prize and William Herbert second prize.

September:

Morgan Williams was summoned by Police Constable Markham for being drunk at Resolven. “When requested to ‘move on’, Williams became vituperative and threatened the officer.” He was subsequently fined ten shillings and costs. Another Resolven man, Llewellyn Morgan, was summoned for £13 in unpaid rates, but his case was adjourned for a week to enable him to pay the claims.

Margaret Thomas, mistress of Resolven Infants’ School, recorded that “(…) on 30 August, a child named Lewis Evans had played truant from school. Night came on and the child was still lost. Searches were made by neighbours and on Saturday the child’s body was found dead in a pit at Banc y Felin, Melincwrt. The funeral took place on 3 September to which many of the schoolchildren had marched in procession.”

October:

All the stock of mountain sheep held at Glyncastle Farm was to be put up for sale at an auction held at the farm on 17 October. The stock consisted of 273 breeding ewes; 20 fat ewes; 100 fat wethers; 69 one and two-year- old wethers; 173 lambs; 6 rams; some fat cows; and a variety of ploughs and other farming implements.

November:

At Jerusalem Chapel, a presentation was made to Dr. A. B. Rees, Resolven’s former medical practitioner, who had recently left the village to take up a similar position in Swansea. Eight local ministers gave addresses of thanks, and speeches were also made by H. Rees and J. K. Jones. A case of surgical instruments was presented to the Doctor, and a tea and coffee service with a silver tray was presented to his wife. “The speakers bore abundant testimony to the ability of Dr. Rees, while his invariable kindness to the poor and his usefulness in the sanctuary were specially mentioned. It was stated that during the late distress among the people Mrs. Rees had endeared herself to all.”

Daniel Williams was charged by Police Sergeant Markham with begging at Resolven. “The defendant admitted he had not done a ‘stroke’ since the Bridgend flood eighteen months ago, and the appearance of his hands bore out this statement. In his defence he alleged that ‘hobbles’ were scarce.” The magistrates committed him to prison for seven days.

In the middle of this month, torrential rain and floods were again witnessed in south Wales. At Resolven “(…) the rain that poured down on Saturday night produced a sensation on Sunday. By ten o’clock in the morning there was almost nothing to be seen but a vast expanse of water covering and surrounding nearly all the farms and fields in the vicinity of the river, and, very early indeed, people could be seen rushing here and there, on foot and on horseback, to ascertain if their horses, cattle, and other property were safe. Some horses on the fields of the Cardiff and Swansea Colliery Company had a very narrow escape, being completely surrounded by water, but they were rescued by a man rushing in on horseback and driving them out.”

The annual dinner of the Ancient Order of Foresters for the district of Resolven was held at the Gored Hotel. “There was a large gathering, and a pleasant reunion of the members took place. The lodge is increasing in membership and, to meet its requirements, a room of 35 feet by 23 feet has been provided, which will also be suitable for holding concerts, penny readings, and other public meetings, and a private entrance has been arranged for such occasions.”

On 13 November, a ‘Cyfarfod Llenyddol’ was held at Jerusalem Chapel. There were twenty-three items on the programme in both recitation and singing. R. Jones won the competition for reciting ‘Pwsi fach’; D. Evans won for reciting ‘Gwraig y ty’, and D. Duncan won the competition for an impromptu speech on ‘Bytaten’.

On Wednesday, 20 November, the Rev. W. Thomas, Bangor, gave a speech at Seion Chapel on the subject of temperance. He had been involved with the temperance movement for over forty years and his evident seriousness and earnestness inspired many to the thought of re-convening the Order of Good Templars in the village. Some five years previously, the Order had ben flourishing in the village with two Lodges to its credit, and with temperance banners flying at the top of each street. “(…) ond hyder un yw fod dyfodiad Mr. Thomas i’n plith yn foddion i ‘unfurlio’ y faner wen eto.”

On Friday, 22 November, at Seion Chapel, the second in a series of ‘Popular Readings’ was held. The chair was taken by Evan Phillips, a Resolven grocer, and the event included items of readings, songs and poetry, all of which included a temperance theme.

December:

On Christmas Day, at Jerusalem Chapel, a ‘Cyfarfod Cystadleuol’ was held in two sessions: one at two o’clock in the afternoon and one at six o’clock in the evening. In the afternoon session, William Hopkins won the prize for those under the age of fifteen for reciting ‘Cadnaw heb gynffon’; Daniel Herbert and party won for singing any ‘catch’ of their choice, and E. Phillips and friends won the prize, limited to glee parties of eight in number, for singing the ‘Sleighing Glee’. In the evening session, there were ten items on the programme among which Gweno Williams and Mary Williams shared the prize for reciting ‘Ei hyd ei hun i’r hanes’; ten-year old William Herbert won the prize for playing the tune ‘St. Nicholas’ on the harmonium, and T. Peregrine and S. Davies won for singing ‘Annwyl yw Gwalia fy ngwlad’.

On 12 December Resolven School was closed until 6 July 1879 in order for work to be carried out to enlarge the premises. The dimensions of the enlarged school were: “main room: 34 feet long x 24 feet wide x 11 feet high; classroom: 24 feet long x 16 feet wide x 11 feet high; a second classroom: 20 feet long x 18 feet wide x 11 feet high; cloak room: 18 feet long x 12 feet wide x 11 feet wide; and hall: 71 feet long x 30 feet wide and 16 feet high.”

 

1879

January:

A quarterly meeting of the four Sunday Schools attached to Jerusalem Chapel was held. “The ‘pwnc’ was Matthew chapter 25, and the chapel’s minister, Rev. D Morgan, catechised. In addition, chapters from the Bible were recited by Gwen Mary Williams and by Mary Edwards.”

A lodge of ‘Good Templars’ was re-convened in the village, with meetings to be held once a week in Seion Chapel. The reporter of this event wrote: “Notwithstanding the depression of trade and other things, there is a certain class of people that will have drink, not in moderation, but to excess.”

March:

The Aberaman Glee Party, assisted by M. A. James, D. Howells, and R. Herbert, gave a concert at Jerusalem Chapel. “The gathering was large, and a good programme was very well rendered. W. Sims presided. The proceeds are for a charitable cause.”

Tom Hopkin Evans, who would become one of Resolven‘s three doctors of music, was born on 6 March at 35 Cory Street to David Evans, a coalminer from Crynant, and to his wife Ann. Tom had three older siblings: Morgan, Joanna and Mary Ann.

May:

Dr. J. W. Wilson, Resolven’s new medical practitioner, submitted the following letter to a newspaper editor: “Some time since I noticed in the columns of the Western Mail a letter, written by a person styling himself ‘Procrastination is the thief of time,’ on the subject of the water supply at Resolven. In all my experience I have never met a place so devoid of the essential. Indeed, during the last summer, I had in Resolven no less than 28 cases of English cholera under my treatment which was caused, I have not the least doubt, by the impurity of the water. At that time, by means of microscopical examination of the water for human consumption in this place, I found that that it was contaminated with decomposed vegetable and animal matter. I trust that the authorities will at once see the great importance of taking this matter up, and thus help to avoid a repetition of this disease, or any other, which might prove fatal to this rapidly increasing place.” (The Public Health Acts of 1845 and 1875 to deal with the problem of sanitation were permissive rather than compulsory so that local authorities were not obliged to implement them and the problems of industrial pollution, inadequate housing, overcrowding, poor sanitation and nutrition still remained breeding grounds for several diseases. There were, for example, outbreaks of water-borne cholera in Neath in 1832, 1849, 1854 and 1866, of smallpox and scarlet fever in 1864, and of typhus in 1870. The cholera problem was not effectively remedied until 1914 when clean water was supplied from the Ysradfellte reservoir.)

Jenkin Lewis, a grocer living near the railway station at Resolven, went into liquidation and was forced to sell by auction the whole of his stock-in-trade, together with a pony- trap and harness. The stock comprised “(…) a quantity of teas and general groceries, flour scales with weights, canisters, a counter, and other fixtures.”

June:

Resolven Cricket Club was formed under the direction of W. Sims, solicitor, with Joseph Markham acting as Secretary. A field for the use of the Club had been generously lent by W. Thomas, the colliery manager. There was, however, considerable opposition to the formation of the Club from some in the village, despite reassurances from its supporters. “Y mae llawer o siarad yn ei erbyn yn y lle, ac mae hynny yn ddiddadl yn rhwystr ar ffordd ambell un i ymuno ag ef.” (In context: Swansea Cricket Club was formed in 1785, Neath Cricket Club in 1845, and Glamorgan County Cricket Club in 1888.)

The first match to be played by the newly-formed Resolven Cricket Club was against Aberdulais. Resolven won with a total of 70 runs, as against a total of 61 by the Aberdulais team. The break-down for Resolven was as follows: W. Sims 8; D. Duncan 1; S. Rees 0; D. Thomas 8; John Evans 10; J. Rosser 12; J. Markham 4; F. Hopkins 1; J. Griffiths 0; D. Bryant 0; F. Beaman 4; extras 12.

Jenkin Jones, the son of a Resolven farmer, was summoned for being drunk while being in charge of a horse- and- cart. The defendant was drunk when he was caught by Police Constable Dando driving the horse at a fast trot down Neath Road towards Neath; he asked the policeman where Lewis and Jones’ office was and the policeman said he would show him, but instead took him to the police-station. He was fined twenty shillings or ten days in prison.

At the end of the financial year 1878-79, Resolven Industrial Co-operative Society had a membership of 76; the amount taken from the sale of goods was £5,181; the value of the stock-in trade was £971; and the profit balance for the year was £550.

July:

The Prince Llewellyn Lodge of the Order of True Ivorites held its annual dinner at the club-room in the New Inn, Resolven. “At three o’clock, a procession was formed by the Resolven Fife and Drum Band and the principal streets of the village were paraded, after which the procession returned to partake of dinner provided by the host and hostess, Mr. and Mrs. Rees. After dinner, a literary meeting was held, the Chairman being Lewis Jones, president of the Lodge. Addresses were delivered by J. Lewis, Elias Rees and G. Palmer. Prizes were won by M. Evans, P. Evans and D. Herbert. The band played excellent selections.”

On Monday 7 July, at 8.42 a.m., an excursion train left Resolven bound for London to visit a fete being held at Crystal Palace. The event was organised by The Good Templars and Temperance League.

A meeting of the Resolven colliers employed by the Cardiff and Swansea Coal Company was held in the Vaughan Arms, at which it was agreed to re-start work the following day, despite the ten- per- cent reduction in wages demanded by the employers. ”Their action was, however, thwarted by the refusal of the hauliers to agree to the masters’ terms. About 400 men are now forced to remain idle through the action of about 20 hauliers.” A week later, however, it was announced that the hauliers, as well as the colliers, had resumed work at the reduced rate of pay.

On Thursday 17 July, a public auction was held at Ynysarwed farm where a crop of hay was to be sold. “Growing on 120 acres, (…) the greater portion of this crop is rich in herbage and of superior quality, and is conveniently situated for removal.”

Richard Aston, of Pantygeifr, Resolven “(…) went for his wages to Mr. Morgan, surveyor, Pentwyn, he being a woodcutter on the Rheola Estate, and returned home. He had only just returned home and reckoned his money when he staggered, exclaiming ‘Oh dear!’ and fell dead on the floor.”

At a Board meeting of the Cardiff and Swansea Smokeless Steam Company, it was reported that the quantity of Resolven coal sold during the previous year was 68,201 tons, a decrease of 8,201 tons. Despite this, it was still planned to sink two new pits, the cost of which, together with new tramways, would be about £10,000. The Board also proposed to re-start the Brick Works for the purpose of making bricks for sale, as well to line the new colliery shafts. At this meeting it was also decided not to accept the offer made by Cory, Yeo and Company to re-purchase the Resolven collieries. (Some ten days after this meeting it was reported that work had already restarted in the Brick Works “(…) a batch of girls having been brought from Hirwaun to work there.”)

The annual dinner of The True Briton Benefit Society was held at the Vaughan Arms. Prior to the dinner, members of the Society walked in procession to Jerusalem Chapel to hear a sermon by the minister. After dinner, addresses were delivered by D. C. Lewis and others.

August:

An advertisement, aimed at grocers and drapers, was placed in the newspapers by the Trustees of the estate of Jenkin Lewis, grocer, of Resolven. It invited tenders for the purchase of his Book Debts which amounted to £262-5s-8d. (Book Debts were those monies owed by customers and which had been registered in a ledger or book of accounts).

Mary Ann Aston, a three-year old Resolven girl, “(…) got on the incline of the Cardiff and Swansea collieries, and a number of trams passed over her, causing instant death. Her head was nearly severed from her body, her breast was torn open, and all her limbs were cut to pieces.”

The quarterly meeting of Bethania Chapel’s Sunday School included a statement from Jenkin Lewis, the Secretary, showing that the Sunday School was in a flourishing state with the average attendance over the last quarter being more than a hundred for each Sunday. The event included other addresses as well as  various songs and  recitations.

Late in this month, on a Wednesday, there was heavy and continuous rain, followed by a tremendous flood. “The loss of life and dead farming- stock between Resolven and Neath is beyond calculation, many carcases of sheep and pigs, farming implements, and immense quantities of hay, timber and furniture having passed under the Neath river bridge during the early part of Wednesday morning. No accident to life has been reported, but many narrow escapes from drowning have occurred in the neighbourhood. Aberdulais and district resembled an immense lake: the roads, the river, and the canal being completely hidden, the roofs of many of the houses alone showing where the roads stand.”

The Ynysarwed branch of Bethania Welsh Baptist Chapel held its quarterly meeting on 17 August. Members of the branch walked to Resolven to arrive at the chapel by six o’clock, “(…) its small choir singing along the way under the direction of the young and talented Benjamin Davies.” At the meeting, a decision was made to continue with the branch at Ynysarwed, despite the depression in trade and despite the fact that both Ynysarwed and Abergarwed collieries were on stop and that many colliers had moved away from the area.

Major Lee, M. P. and his family paid a visit to Resolven. Major Lee was, in fact, the owner of the land on which the village stood, as well as being the landlord of the collieries. In addition, it was under his auspices that Resolven Reading Room had been built. “Gobeithio y gwelwn rhagor eto o’i law haelionus tuag at wahanol angenion y gymydogaeth.”

September:

At eleven p.m. on Saturday 13 September, the hay stored in a barn at Blaentwrch Farm near Resolven caught fire. Twenty tons of hay were completely destroyed. The owner of the farm, Morgan Rees, had only recently moved into the property and had not insured its contents. The cause of the fire was unknown.

On 15 September, Bethania Chapel held a ‘Cyfarfod Llenyddol’ under the chairmanship of William Herbert, a mason. Prizes were awarded to William Hopkins for answering questions on a specific theme; to William Bryant for impromptu reading, and to D. C. Davies for impromptu public speaking.

Work on the much-discussed sinking of pits at Resolven had now begun in Cwm Clydach. The contractor, Evan Thomas of Tredegar, had started sinking the number 1 pit, and the number 2 pit would be started soon. The pits were to be fifteen feet in diameter, and the number 2 seam was supposed to be at a depth of 80 yards. So far, attempts to reach the number 2 seam had been unsuccessful, but “ (…) notwithstanding this, it is to be hoped that the present enterprise of the Cardiff and Swansea Smokeless Steam Coal Company  will be rewarded by a speedy finding of coal, as the future of Resolven depends greatly on its success.”

October:

Edward Franklin, Resolven, was fined five shillings and costs at the County Police Sessions for neglecting to send his children to school. The Bench remarked “on the pernicious influence on children by parents neglecting their education.”

A meeting of the Debating Class was held at the Reading Room, the subject for discussion being: ‘Is early rising conducive to health?’ T. W. James opened the debate in the affirmative, and was opposed by W. Sims. Several other members addressed the meeting and the majority voted in favour of the motion.

At Seion Chapel, in front of a large audience, a lecture was given by the Rev. J. R. Williams, Hirwaun, entitled: ‘The life of John Knox.’

The Mistress of Resolven Infants’School recorded the progress of the three current School Monitors. “Sarah Ann Jones is progressing very well as a disciplinarian; she is also fair in imparting instruction. Margaret Pickerel is careless in writing as a rule, but is persevering in her other studies. Margaret Pickerel gave an oral lesson on the cat and the leopard, Catherine Stephens spoke to the second class on the goat and the cat, while Sarah Ann Jones spoke on the lion, tiger and elephant.”

November:

At a meeting of the Neath Board of Guardians, which was responsible for administering the Workhouse and for providing financial relief to those in need, it was decided to discharge Thomas Morgan, the relieving officer for Resolven, from his post: “(Morgan), whose irregularities have been for some time the subject of comment by the Board, had brought in his books to the office, left them there and gone away. On an examination of the books, defalcations (thefts) were discovered to the extent of £69-14s. He (the clerk) had reason for supposing that Morgan had immediately, after leaving his office, absconded, as he was not present today.”  

A detachment of Salvation Army members visited Resolven after having spent the previous month camping in Cwmafan and neighbourhood. Their first meeting was at Seion Chapel which was full to capacity and at which appeals were made by Miss Webb and Miss Davies on behalf of the Army. A similar meeting was held the following evening at Jerusalem Chapel.

At the Neath County Petty-Sessions, Evan Thomas, a colliery contractor from Resolven, was charged with “(…) keeping 90 lbs of gunpowder and 15 lbs of dynamite in a place which he had not registered under the Explosives Act.” His defence urged the bench for leniency as the gunpowder was kept in a place of perfect safety at least a quarter of a mile from any house. The bench informed Thomas that he was liable for a heavy penalty, but he would, on this occasion, be fined twenty shillings and costs.

Thomas Rees, of Resolven, was charged with not sending his children to school. His wife said “(…) she could not pay even the school fees, being wretchedly poor.” The Court recommended the Guardians of the Poor to pay the school fees and the case was adjourned.

December:

At a meeting of the Debating Class held at the Reading Room, the subject for discussion was: ‘Are Trade Unions conducive to the general welfare of the Working Class?’ “J. Evans opened the debate by reading a well-written paper in the affirmative, and was opposed by T. W. James. Several other members addressed the meeting ‘pro et con’, and a motion in the affirmative was carried.”

The Baptist cause in Resolven had been in financial trouble for several years with a debt of £1000 still to be cleared. The situation was now made worse by the current depression, as many members were moving away from the locality leaving only a remnant of the poorer members and the minister to carry the burden. Sardis English Baptist Chapel was eventually forced to close its doors, leaving only Bethania Welsh Baptist Chapel to carry on “i ddwyn y baich eu hunain heb rwgnach.”With the support of its sister chapel in Aberdulais, a public collection was made on 14 December and the princely sum of £2-3s-2d was raised.

The second ‘Cyfarfod Llenyddol’ was held at Jerusalem Chapel on 20 December, with William Thomas, Pentwyn, presiding. The following won prizes: Ann Evans and Ann Rees (for reciting a psalm); David Hopkins and Jenkin Rees (for impromptu reading); John Llewellyn (for his ‘penillion’ entitled ‘Pyllau Glo Newydd, Resolven’); and William Herbert and D. Evans (for impromptu public speaking). The accompanist on the harmonium was twelve-year old William Herbert.

The Vale of Neath Tinplate Company Limited was registered, with its works to be constructed near Resolven. The capital investment was not to exceed £20,000, in shares of £250 each.

In his report of 12 December, the Government Inspector of Schools wrote that Resolven Infants’ School had been enlarged and placed under the direction of Margaret Thomas, a well-qualified Mistress; “(…) the school is now in good order and the instruction is very quickly carried out. Some of the boys in the first class however are backward in Reading, and the Writing of the younger scholars may improve. The Singing, Needlework and lessons on form and colour are also satisfactory and the rudiments of Arithmetic have been carefully taught. A separate set of out-houses for the children of this school is highly necessary.”