Timeline 1896 -1899

 

1896

January:

Mr. L. Stone of White House, Resolven, provided one of the 14,000 allegedly genuine testimonials to the efficacy of the treatment being sold by a ‘Prof.’ Kelly “(…) for the cure of all disease to which the human frame is subject.” ‘Prof.’ Kelly was a licensed herbalist whose advice to all sufferers was: “(…) Test me and know for yourself, but beware of so-called Specialists who delude the public.”

February:

At the Queen’s Bench Division of the Glamorgan Assizes, Emma Jenkins of Resolven took action against R. W. Miller for breach of covenant on a lease that she held. She won the case and was awarded £ 250, which she would use to make improvements to the fabric of the Vaughan Arms, Resolven. She also obtained £20 in damages with costs.

 

March:

The original rules and code of conduct of Resolven Reading Room were revised at a meeting held this month: the minimum age for admittance was to be fifteen; no alcohol was to be consumed on the premises; no gambling, cards or dice was to be permitted, and there were to be no games played at all on Sundays. It was also at this meeting that Resolven Reading Room was adopted as the official name, displacing that of Resolven Working Men’s Club.

The following advertisement appeared in the newspapers: “Wanted two Engine drivers at once. Also Foreman Annealer and Helpers. Apply personally, Clyne Tinplate Works, Resolven.”

The Technical Instruction Committee of the Glamorgan County Council approved the following to be members of its local sub-committee in Resolven: John Edwards Vaughan, Rheola; George Smith, Llety Dafydd, Resolven; David Williams, Glanclydach House, Resolven; Temple Stroud, Woodlands, Resolven; and Edward Williams, Glyncastle, Resolven. The committee also resolved that a special meeting be held on 10 April to consider what additional financial outlay would be required for the new County Intermediate Schools, including the one at Neath.

At the Neath County Court, John Bowen, of Resolven, sued Thomas Davies, of Pontypridd, for the recovery of £9, which was the price of a horse and cart that Davies had sold him. After hearing all the evidence, the Judge said “(…) that he could not believe either the plaintiff or the defendant, and that his only course was to ‘non-suit’ the plaintiff, impound the documents, and allow no costs.”

April:

Thirteen candidates contested eleven seats on Resolven Parish Council. The following, with the number of votes obtained, were elected: Edward Williams, 194; John Harries, 171; David Duncan, 170; John Evans, 160; James Jones, 149; Edward Jones, 146; John Barclay, 130; John D. Davies, 120; David T. Evans, 120; Thomas Jones, 112; James Herbert, 108.

Mendelsohn Parry’s Concert Party gave a Tuesday- evening Grand Concert at Jerusalem Chapel. J. Edwards Vaughan presided, supported by A. S. Gardner. The performers included Esther Pallisser, Hannah Jones, Dyfed Lewis, Whitney Tew, and Clara Asher. Dezso Kordy played the violincello and the accompanist was S. K. Kordy.

May:

John Hughes, a collier of Resolven, was sentenced to two weeks of hard labour for the theft of a cup, a handkerchief, and two reels of cotton. He had been looking for work in the Tumble area, but was unsuccessful as the colliers there were on strike. He managed to find a bed for the night on the schooner ‘Dorothea’ which was harboured at Carmarthen Quay, and whilst there committed the crime for which he was charged.

Members of Jerusalem Chapel were one of seven groups of Welsh Independents who attended an annual singing festival at the Gwyn Hall, Neath. The conductor was S. T. Evans, M. P. and events were held in the morning, afternoon and night. “The vast concourse thoroughly enjoyed the singing, notable features of which were: ‘Cefnygwyndon’ and ‘Maesteg’, both composed by S. T. Evans.

A public meeting was held at Resolven schoolroom, under the presidency of Rev. D. G. Morgan, minister of Jerusalem chapel, to consider the implications of the recent Education Bill. The meeting was unanimous that the Bill was radically wrong in principle and unworkable in practice. (The Education Bill of 1896 was never enacted, but it was a precursor of the 1902 Education Act.)

Aberdare Stars Cricket Club played their return match against Resolven on Whit Monday. “Aberdare were minus two of their best men: E. Evans and J. Allen, but, nevertheless, they managed to give the Resolvenites an easy beating. Williams, Caldicott and Beynon batted well for the ‘Stars’, and Vaughan for Resolven.”

June:

At a meeting held on 5 June, Resolven Parish Council resolved to write to the Highways Board pointing out that urgent repairs were needed on Glynneath Road, and that safety guards should be placed at all dangerous points on the road, which was in a very unsatisfactory state. It was also resolved to draw the attention of Neath Rural District Council to two serious and long-standing leaks in the village water pipes, one in the main pipe opposite the New Inn and the other in the pipe at the bottom of Cory Street. It was also suggested to the District Council that someone should be appointed to monitor all taps and water pipes in the village.

The Parish Council on 26 June resolved to write to the Inspector of Nuisance calling his attention to the filthy state of Resolven Brook; it also resolved to request that Neath Rural District Council appeal to Glamorgan County Council to erect a suitable police station at Resolven.

July:

Neath Rural District Council invited tenders for “(…) the Painting of the Ironwork (…) of Resolven Bridge, also of Resolven Canal Bridge, and for constructing unclimbable Iron Fencing on the approaches thereto.”

David Evans, Resolven, was one of the music adjudicators at the first annual eisteddfod held at Pont-nedd-fechan, in a marquee erected in a field opposite the Angel Hotel. Another Resolven man attending the event and assisting the eisteddfod president was W. Rhys Herbert, who had recently returned home from the United States.

At the Neath County Police Court, charges were brought against Thomas Lewis and Edward Davies, both colliers, for trespassing on land belonging to J. E. Vaughan, with the intention of poaching game. “They were met in the evening on the highway at Resolven by Police Constable Martin, who searched a handkerchief carried by Lewis, and found a hare therein. It was quite warm. They said that they had bought it from a man at the Vaughan Arms, Resolven.” The Bench, however, was not convinced by this argument, and they were each fined ten shillings and costs, or, in default, seven days in prison.

August:

John Thomas, son of Mrs. Thomas, New Inn, Resolven, was the victim of theft while he was driving home from Neath to Resolven. During his journey he overtook “(…) a smart and prepossessing young woman” who asked him for a lift; he agreed, and subsequently dropped her off on the main road in the village. “ On returning home, he found that his purse had been rifled of £7. He gave all the requisite information to Police Constable Martin who soon arrested the suspect, Sarah Phillips, at Resolven railway station. In her possession was found six pounds and ten shillings in gold, a crown piece, an old coin, and other money totalling in all £7. The officer conveyed his prisoner to Neath.”

Bethania Chapel, Resolven, received, for the third time, a loan of £75 from the Baptist Union.

At the annual general licensing meeting held at the Neath County Police Court, an application was received from Samuel Rees, of Brookland Villa, Resolven for ‘an off beer licence’. The application was refused, with H. P. Charles opposing on behalf of the Temperance Party, and a Mr. Spickett, from Pontypridd, opposing on behalf of the lessee of the Vaughan Arms, Resolven.

At the Neath County Police Court, Annie Morgan, of Yeo Street, Resolven, accused her lodger, Edward Wallace, a brickmaker, with wounding her and with intending to do her grievous bodily harm. The accused had assaulted her with the blunt end of a hatchet and had struck her between the shoulders, fracturing a rib and damaging a lung. Wallace was found guilty and sentenced to twelve months in prison.

September:

A cricket match was played on a wet Saturday between Neath Y.M.C A and Resolven; the Neath team winning by 71 runs and five wickets. The Resolven team, with their scores, were: C. Vaughan, 1; C. Rees 3; T. W. Herbert, 1; M. Williams, 1; D. J. Jones, 0; W. Rees, 0; John Jones, not out, 11; James Herbert, 0; W. G. Williams, 0; D. R. Williams, 0; D. Griffiths, 0. Byes: 0; Total: 17.

In a competition at a local eisteddfod, Resolven Drum and Fife Band was unplaced out of the nine bands taking part. The first prize (£12) was awarded to the Horeb Band, Skewen; the second prize (£6) to the Zion Band, Skewen; and the third prize (£2) to Birchgrove Band.

The following advertisement regarding Resolven School appeared in the press: “Wanted, an Assistant Mistress for Mixed School, and an Assistant Mistress, competent to teach Kindergarten and Musical Drill in Infant Department. Salaries £41. State when convenient to commence duties. Applications, with testimonials and references, on, or before, October 1^st to Rev. D. G. Morgan.” (A Mixed and Infants School for 500 children was built in 1898, with Edwin Roberts, Master and Miss Sarah A. Jones, Mistress.)

On a Thursday night at the end of this month, there was a severe gale over parts of Glamorgan with heavy floods and severe damage to property. A Morriston tin-plate worker was making his way to Resolven on the Thursday morning to seek work, when it was thought that the violence of the gale and the rain had fatally exhausted him and that he had died as a result of exposure to the elements.

October:

In the Welsh championships held at the Cardiff Exhibition, Rees Williams, of Grove Villa, Resolven, won third prize in the ‘Hand-Boring in Remnant Stone’ competition.

At a meeting of the standing joint committee of Glamorgan County Council, the Clerk read out a petition from Neath Rural District Council requesting that a police station be erected at Resolven. The petition pointed out that the population of Resolven was increasing rapidly and that the nearest police-station was about six miles away. The chief constable, Captain Lindsay, however, was of the opinion that other places were more in need of such a facility, and that the matter should be left in abeyance for the time being.

In his report of 12 October, the Government Inspector of Schools wrote of Resolven Infants’ School: “The premises, especially the walls, should be kept a little cleaner and the floor near the door needs repair. The use of a classroom is much wanted, there being about 150 children in four classes in one room. (…) A school museum is necessary.”

November:

The executor of the will of Mary Davies, grocer and draper, late of Manchester House, Resolven, requested that anyone who had a claim on her estate should write to him by 23 November.

David Evans, Resolven, was one of the five candidates appointed, at a salary of £150 a year, as peripatetic music teachers, whose duties were to visit and teach music in the new County Schools which had recently been set up in Glamorgan. (County, or Intermediate, schools were established in Wales under the provisions of the Welsh Intermediate Act 1889. In Neath, a mixed Intermediate and Technical School had opened in 1894 costing £3,500 and accommodating 200 pupils. A separate school for boys would open in 1928.)

On Monday evening, 23 November, at Jerusalem chapel, ‘Penar’ gave a talk entitled ‘Hen Emynwyr Cymru’, (‘Welsh hymn writers’). He spoke for two hours and the audience was reluctant for him to finish. “Er siarad am ddwy awr, ni fynai y bobl iddo orphen.”

December:

At the second annual eisteddfod held on ‘Mabon’s day’ at the Albert Hall, Swansea, the test-piece for the chief choral competition was a composition by David Evans, of Resolven, entitled ‘Ac Wele Lef o’r Nefoedd’, (‘And lo! A voice from heaven’). Eight choirs competed, and the prize of £30, and a gold watch for the conductor, was awarded to Brynamman choir.

William O’Brien, aged 64, a flagman at Resolven railway station, where renovation work on the nearby railway bridge was currently being carried out, “(…) was in the act of signalling an ‘up train’ when he was knocked down by another train and killed instantaneously. He had formerly been a platelayer in the employ of the same company.”

A Mr. Davies of Manchester House, Resolven, sent in the following advertisement: “Bakers: Business and Bakehouse to Let at Resolven, immediately; no opposition 4 miles round.”

On a Saturday evening, in the middle of this month, a well-attended meeting of colliers took place at the schoolroom in Resolven. The principal speaker was Alderman Isaac Evans, and a resolution was unanimously passed on the need for a minimum wage in the mining industry.

The following newspaper advertisement was published: “Wanted. Man to Attend Horse and Cart and Make Himself Generally Useful. State wages required. Owen, Pentwyn, Resolven.”

Month unknown:

This year the Cwm Pits and Levels enterprise were re-named and listed separately as ‘Glyncastle’ and ‘Rheola’, although operating under the same manager. Anthracite coal was mined at Glyncastle, while Rheola produced steam and house coal.

 

1897

January:

The brickworks, fireclay levels and coal levels belonging to the Melincourt Brick and Tile Company (Limited) went into liquidation, and were put up for sale by public auction on 13 January 1897 at the Castle Hotel, Neath. “The works are fitted with the usual machinery and plant, most of which have been replaced during the last three or four years. There are three Beehive Kilns and one Square Kiln. Mr. J. T. Lewis, the manager, will be pleased to allow any intending purchaser to inspect the works and give any information.”

On Monday 4 January, a united Cymanfa Ganu was held at Glynneath, under the leadership of David Evans of Resolven. Also present at the event was Rev. D. G. Morgan, minister of Jerusalem chapel, Resolven, who gave a talk entitled “Gynnydd canu cynnulleidfaol yn ystod y deng mlynedd ar hugain diweddaf.”   

At Neath County Police Court, Charles L. Barfoot, the liquidator of the brickworks at Melincwrt, was summoned for the sum of £4 13s 4d in unpaid rates. The court made an order for the immediate issue of a distress warrant in order to recover the monies involved.

On 29 January, the election took place for five members to sit on the first School Board to be established in Resolven. “Much interest was manifested by the inhabitants, and there was a heavy poll.” The names of the successful candidates, with the number of votes received, their employment, and their religious affiliation, were as follows: J. Edwards Vaughan, (church), 533; D. G. Morgan, (minister, nonconformist), 325; William Waplington, (colliery manger, church), 323; R. D. Pritchard, (surgeon, nonconformist), 261; David Williams, (colliery cashier, nonconformist), 186.

February:

At a meeting of the Parish Council on 12 February it was decided to respectfully draw the attention of Mr. William Jones of Ty’n- yr- heol, owner of Resolven Post Office, to the very unsatisfactory state of the building, especially to the front door which was causing great inconvenience to the public.

A concert organised by Resolven Reading Room to raise money for its funds was held on Monday 22 February at the schoolroom. The charge for admission was one shilling and sixpence per person. Peter Breman and his young female assistant were the main performers, but local people also participated.

March:

At Neath County Police Court, Alice Thomas accused Jane Morgan of committing wilful damage to her property, estimated to cost twelve shillings to repair. They were next-door neighbours living in Glynneath Road, Resolven, and on 4 March they had had a quarrel, during which Jane Morgan got her clothes caught in the barbed wire separating the two houses, causing her to lose her temper and to cut down part of the wire with a hatchet, this sequence of events being corroborated by Lizzy Roberts and Catherine Roberts.  The Court ordered that Alice Thomas be paid the sum of six shillings and costs towards the damages involved.

April:

Rev. W. Towy Rees, of Ystradgynlais, was inducted this month as the second minister of Seion Chapel after the departure of Rev. Moses Thomas. The new minister would be paid £30 a year for his services, and £1-10-0 for each sermon delivered. He would remain in this post until 1911. Membership of the chapel now numbered 117, and in 1898 the chapel would be registered for conducting marriages. David Evans had been organist here since 1892, but in 1899 he moved to London and was replaced as organist by his cousin, Tom Hopkin Evans.

J. C. Rees, of Neath, was appointed architect and surveyor to the Resolven School Board.

It was announced that J. Edwards Vaughan intended to invite all the school children in Resolven to a day’s entertainment which would be held at Rheola House on 22 June 1897 to celebrate the sixty- year reign of Queen Victoria on Diamond Jubilee Day.

An inquiry was held at the Guildhall, Swansea into a recent explosion, seriously injuring two men, aboard the sailing ship ‘Kilmeny,’ which was anchored at Swansea Docks. Just prior to the explosion, the ship had been loaded with anthracite coal supplied by Cory Brothers Company of Resolven. One of the questions posed at the inquiry was whether gas from the anthracite coal from Resolven could have been a cause of the explosion. The first witness called was William Uppington, manager of Glyncastle Colliery, Resolven. He had made an analysis of the constituents of the anthracite coal extracted at his colliery, which was as follows: carbon (91.07 per cent), hydrogen (3.93 per cent), oxygen (1.87 per cent), nitrogen (0.44 per cent), sulphur (0.77 per cent), and ash (1.32 per cent). He said: “The anthracite coal was worked by a shaft 549 yards deep. The seam was known as the four-foot seam. Anthracite contained more marsh gas than steam coal, but owing to its dense structure it was not so gaseous as steam. He did not think that wet weather would have much effect on it. We are still working a steam coal vein only some 65 yards deep, as well as the new anthracite seam which is much deeper.” It was later accepted that the Resolven coal on board ship had not contributed to the explosion.

May:

At a Parish Council meeting held on 5 May, the main topic of discussion was the possible provision of electric lighting for the village. Councillor William Waplington, on behalf of Cory Brothers Colliery Company, stipulated the Company’s terms in supplying electricity and the estimated cost of £2-10-0 for each electric lamp, in comparison with the present oil lamps in use in the village, which each cost £2-16-3. The Council recommended the adoption of electric lighting for the village, as put forward by Cory Brothers, and resolved to ask Neath Rural District Council for assistance in making the necessary arrangements.

On a train journey to stay with her sister in Cardiff, Margaret Shea, aged 23, of Lyons Row, Resolven, fell ill and tragically died. “Her two infant children, one aged three years and the other three months, were with their mother at the time. On arrival at Cardiff, the body was removed by railway officials and police and taken to the sister’s residence.”

Griffith Thomas, a collier from Resolven, was accused by Cory Brothers Company Limited of having committed a breach of colliery regulations endangering life. Thomas had tried to extract a shot which had missed fire. The prosecutor commented: “Had the defendant touched the detonator, he would probably have now been standing before another tribunal!” and he pointed out that his own father had been nearly been blown to pieces some years previously when trying to save labour by extracting a shot. The Bench imposed a fine of 20 shillings and told Thomas that, if he were again guilty of such an offence, he would be sent to prison.`

David Jones, aged two years old, the son of Morgan Jones, a collier, of Jerusalem Road, Resolven, was climbing a faulty gate in a field near his home when the gate fell on him and fractured his skull. He tragically died as a result of his injuries.

The chairman of the Neath Rural District Council reported that the proprietors of Cory Brothers Company Limited had offered to install electric street lighting in Resolven at a cost of £2 10s per light, which was 9s 6d cheaper than the present cost of each lamp. The committee of the District Council accordingly resolved to enter into a contract with Cory Brothers to “(…) supply electric light to illuminate the village.”

Resolven cricket team played away against Pont-nedd-fechan, the match resulting in a win for Resolven by 13 runs. D. Jones bowled well for Resolven, taking six wickets for twelve runs.

Two advertisements relating to Resolven were placed in the newspapers this month. The first was: “A Lady requires Two Girls as Servants to go Abroad with Her; good references given to applicants. For particulars write to Waterloo House, Resolven.” The second was: “To be let from June 24th, a most convenient and comfortable Small House in the Vale of Neath 1½ miles from either Glynneath or Resolven Station, on Vale of Neath Railway, containing three sitting and eight bed and dressing rooms, good offices, stabling for three horses, coach house, laundry, good garden and water supply; rent £36. Apply to Osborne Sheppard, Neath.”

In an eisteddfod held at Brecon, Resolven Male Voice Party, conducted by W. T. Davies, won first prize in the competition for choirs consisting of between 40 and 50 voices. The unaccompanied test-pieces were ‘The Beleaguered’ (Sullivan) and ‘Bedd y dyn tlawd’ (Emlyn Evans). There were two other choirs competing: Cyfarthfa Male Voice Party and Blaina Glee Party. The adjudicator said that “(...) the voices of the Resolven choir were in sympathy, and were more skilfully blended than in the renderings of the other choirs, although none of the choirs was all that they might be.”

July:

John Jones, a collier living at Resolven, was charged with assaulting his stepson, a boy twelve years old. The boy had come home late one evening, as a consequence of which the stepfather ordered him to strip and proceeded to beat him mercilessly with a leather strap. When taken to the doctor, the boy was found to have wounds on various parts of his body. The defendant said that “(…) he had only meant to chastise the child, and had no intention of injuring him. He was very sorry that he had done so, his only object being to bring him to obedience.” The Bench ordered him to pay costs, but no fine was imposed and the boy was placed in the care of his grandmother.

A mass meeting of colliers from Glyncastle Colliery, Resolven was held in the village, at which Isaac Evans, the district colliery agent, spoke on several topics including the Compensation Bill, the Output Scheme, and the need for unity amongst colliers in general. Resolutions were passed in favour of the Compensation Bill. (Later this year, the Compensation Bill became law as the Workmen’s Compensation Act 1897. It was enacted by Prime Minister Salisbury’s Government and operated until 1947. It involved no cost to the government, since employers were required to take out insurance to pay for the medical costs of injuries sustained at work, and employees were burdened with providing proof of injury. It replaced the Employers’ Liability Act of 1880, which allowed the employee to sue the employer.)

Resolven cricket club played at home to Neath Y.M.C.A. “The match resulted in an easy win for Resolven by 17 runs and 2 wickets. Jones and Herbert bowled well for Resolven, and J. Jones batted well for 15 runs, not out.” Resolven: 47; Y.M.C.A: 30.

August:

At two Resolven shops, kept by M. Davies and Son and by W. E. Evans, it was possible to buy ‘Dr. Tibbles’ ‘Vi-Cocoa.’ This product was advertised as follows: “Where there is brain-fag and utter limpness, what is to be done? This is the time when Dr. Tibbles’ ‘Vi-Cocoa’ plays an important part. It not only revives the exhausted nervous system, but it gives tone to what we may call the fountain of life and vigour. The tired student, the exhausted professional man, the teacher, are revived, restored, and strengthened by Dr. Tibbles’ ‘Vi-Cocoa’, which brightens the eye, and stores up reserve power to the nervous system.”

On 1 March, David Richards, a collier at Glyncastle Colliery, Resolven, sustained serious injuries while at work and from which he subsequently died at the age of 51, leaving a widow and several children. Prior to his death, he had been receiving the weekly allowance to which contributors to the Permanent Relief Fund were entitled. Doubts, however, were now entertained by officials of this fund as to whether the accident at work was the real cause of death. A post-mortem examination had been ordered and an inquest would be held. The officials of the fund were of the opinion that death was due, not to an accident at work, but to phthisis (tuberculosis of the lungs.)

Resolven cricket club played away against Pont-nedd-fechan, the match resulting in a win for Resolven by 9 runs. The Resolven players, with their scores, were: J. Stephens, 2; M. Williams, 1; T. W. Herbert, 10; D. Rees, 0; W. Jenkins 0; E. Vaughan, 7; D. Jones, 4; J. Jones, 4; W. J. Williams, 0; J. Herbert, 0; D. Griffiths (not out), 2. Extras: 4; Total: 24.

September:

Tenders were invited for the “(…) erection of Mixed Schools at Resolven, having accommodation for 528 children, for the Resolven School Board.” Tenders were to be received by Cuthbertson and Powell, clerks to the board, 58 Water Street, Neath, no later than 20 September.

The late Archdeacon Griffiths donated an early medieval Celtic cross, originally located at Melincwrt, to the archaeology collection at Cardiff Museum, the forerunner of the National Museum of Wales.

Members of Neath Town Council agreed to contact the joint police committee with a view to presenting its case for providing a police station at Resolven.

At a meeting of the Neath Rural District Council, it was reported that “(…) in reference to the lighting of Resolven by electricity, (…) Messrs Cory must first obtain the sanction of the Board of Trade. It was decided to continue to light the village with oil lamps until such sanction had been obtained.”

The result of a ballot to decide whether to continue, or not, with the ‘Sliding-Scale Agreement’, showed that the colliers of Glyncastle colliery, Resolven, had decided to give six months’ notice on 1 October to terminate the agreement. The object was to see whether a more satisfactory arrangement could be secured. In the Midlands, for example, colliers were working only 48 hours a week, while those in south Wales were averaging 54 hours. Only about 800 colliers in the Neath district had participated in the ballot because the majority of them had not subscribed to the maintenance of the sliding-scale since 1893.

October:

A party of coal-mining students from Ystrad, Rhondda, visited Resolven. They were met at Resolven railway station by W. D. Wight, colliery agent, and by Mr. Wapplington, colliery manager. They then proceeded to Glyncastle colliery “(…) to see the excellent plant erected. They were shown over the whole arrangement of machinery, which consists of a patent tippler, coal breakers, vibromotor, Klein screen, picking belts, and washing arrangements which are so compact that they leave nothing to be desired. Coal picking and cleaning here have almost reached perfection. The whole machinery was set in motion, and each item was lucidly explained by Mr. Wight and Mr. Wapplington to the entire satisfaction of the students.”

Morgan Williams, a colliery fireman of Greenfield Villas, Resolven, was awarded an open scholarship by the Technical Instruction Committee of Glamorgan County Council to continue his studies at University College, Cardiff.

The Resolven School Board advertised for a Clerk of Works in connection with the building of a new school in the village. Applications, which included the salary to be expected, were to be sent to the architect of the project, J. C. Rees, by 23 October. The Board also advertised for a certificated Assistant Master for the Resolven School, with a salary of £70 per year, rising by annual increments of £2 10s 0d to a maximum of £80 per year.

At Neath County Police Court, John Conyers and Evan Hopkins, colliers of Resolven, were charged with being the ‘principals’ in a prize- fight held at Resolven; and M. L. Williams and George Beddoe, also colliers, were charged with being the ‘seconds’. All the men pleaded guilty. Police Constable Martin stated that at 6.30 a.m. on the previous Wednesday he had seen the men fighting at Ynysarwed. “They were stripped to the waist and surrounded by a crowd of some forty people, and he had been told that they had £1 each down. They had fought nearly five rounds when he had come on the scene. They then decamped. Conyers was cut a good deal about the face, but the other man was not marked.” The Bench bound the men over to keep the peace for six months and ordered each to find two sureties for £10.

On 22 October the two Overseers and Assistant Overseer of Resolven reported in a memorandum to the Chairman of the Parish Council that in the last half-yearly period the amount of rates collected by them in Resolven was £969-8-0, of which £480 was earmarked for poor relief, £100 for general sanitation. £180-15-0 for highways, and £200 for the School Board. The three Overseers at this time were Thomas Davies of Daisy Cottage, T. W. James of Bristol House, and E. J. Jones of Waterloo House.

November:

On a Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning this month, the Post Office at Resolven was broken into and stamps to the value of £8, in addition to about one shilling in money, were stolen. “A pane of glass was taken out over the top of the back door, which enabled the bolt and lock underneath to be handled. The cash desk was forced open, but the thief did not take away the postal orders which were there. The thief was evidently hungry, for he consumed a whole plate of tart which he found on the premises.”

The Government Inspector of Schools in his report of 10 November on Resolven Infants’ School wrote: “The instruction is very satisfactorily carried out, though sickness and want of classroom accommodation have adversely affected progress. There is a large proportion of children over 7 years of age in the first class. It is hoped that the new premises will be completed with as little delay as possible. The Mixed School accommodation is at present insufficient for the average attendance. This should be at once attended to, or the grant next year will be endangered”.

December:

Glamorgan Joint Police Committee, on the recommendation of its sub-committee, resolved that a new police station be built at Resolven.

Morgan Williams, aged 25, employed as a colliery fireman at Resolven, was appointed a ‘county student’ with a maintenance scholarship of £40 a year for a period of three years, by the Technical Instruction Committee of the Glamorgan County Council.

Month unknown:

At a meeting held at Bridgend between Colonel John Edwards Vaughan and Sir Clifford Cory, the latter read out a statement regarding Resolven Colliery‘s annual output in tons of coal during the period 1891 to 1896, along with the annual losses which it had sustained during that same period. (The first figure in the following refers to the colliery’s total annual output in tons and the second figure the losses it sustained that year:  1891: 46,394 tons; £6,057 losses. 1892: 54,303 tons; £3,251 losses. 1893: 6,299 tons; £3,807 losses. 1894: 66,206 tons; £7,745 losses. 1895: 104,002 tons; £3,689 losses. 1896: 138,081 tons; £1,616 losses. The total output for the period 1891-1896 was 415, 285 tons, and the total amount of losses was £26,157. The figures startlingly reveal the very precarious nature of both the colliery’s current situation and its future prospects.)

 

1898

January:

The Rev J. H. Searle, a young minister from Resolven, was invited to take the Sunday service at the Paraclete Chapel, Mumbles, in place of its pastor who had recently resigned. The service had already begun when in walked the Rev. Thomas Pinch, minister of Tabernacle Chapel, Castleton, and “(…) advanced to the dais and said that he desired to give notice that, as the properly appointed pastor of the church, he was ready to preach to them if they would hear him. Cries of ‘No’ were loudly raised and he walked back to his seat.” It appeared that Mr. Pinch claimed succession to the pastorate by reason of a call which he had supposedly received some nine years previously, but which had been repudiated by members of the church.

The half-yearly meeting of the Neath District of Ivorites was held at the New Inn, Resolven on Saturday 5 January.  Brother W. Herbert of Resolven was one of the delegates at the meeting which included an interesting discussion on the principles of Friendly Societies. “Hostess Thomas provided a splendid repast which was done full justice to by the delegates.”

At the County Court, “(…) a broken-down, dissipated-looking person named Arthur Roberts (37), described as a ‘vocalist’, and Frederick Thomas O’Neil (31), a hawker,” pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of having broken into Resolven Post Office, the home of the Postmaster, John Davies, between 16 and 17 November 1897 and stealing postage stamps to the value of £5 13s as well as a penholder. Roberts and O’Neil had sold quantities of the stamps at various public houses and, when arrested, O’Neil had over a hundred stamps still in his possession in addition to the penholder, which was identified by Mrs Davies, the Resolven Postmistress. Despite protests of innocence, the jury found them guilty and they were each sentenced to six months in prison.

Resolven School Board advertised for “(…) a Certificated Assistant Mistress, qualified to teach Sewing. Salary £80 per annum.” Applications, stating age, qualifications, past experience and three testimonials, were to be sent to the Clerks of the Board by 12 February 1898.

A public collection was made at Resolven for the widow and younger children of the late Isaac Evans, a miners’ agent, of Skewen “(…) whose early death at the age of 49 has recently occurred; he leaves a widow and eleven children, six of whom are unprovided for.” The amount collected at Resolven was £1- 14s- 3d.

February:

At a Parish Council meeting held on 4 February, it was reported that Neath Rural District Council had mistakenly sent by train to Resolven three of the old-style oil lamps instead of the new electric lamps which had been requested.

David Evans, of Resolven, was the music adjudicator at the ‘Eisteddfod Jewin’ held in London at Shoreditch Town Hall on 10 February. The test-pieces were: Duet: ‘Y Bardd a’r Cerddor’; Soprano: ‘The Heavenly Dream’; Tenor: Yr Hen Gerddor’; Bass: ‘The Village Blacksmith.’

David Francis and William Howells, two Resolven colliers, were both charged with “(…) unlawfully disturbing salmon in the river near Rheola on 15 January.” They were each found guilty and fined £1 and costs.

March:

At the Eisteddfod Gadeiriol to be held in Resolven on Saturday 28 May, the test-piece for the main competition was ‘Buddugoliaeth Calfari’ composed by David Evans of Resolven. The first prize for the winner of this event would be £20, with a gold medal awarded to the conductor.

The most recent musical composition of David Evans, of Resolven, was published. It was entitled ‘Fy Ngweno Fwyn,’ and it cost one shilling per copy.

The following were nominated for election on the Resolven Parish Council: John Barclay, carpenter; Thomas Davies, boot manufacturer; John Evans, railway foreman; E. J. Jones, grocer; James Jones, collier; Edward Jones, farmer; R. D. Richards, physician and surgeon; William Thomas, grocer; William Waplington, colliery manager; Edward Williams, colliery overman.  

Thomas Dowling of Resolven acted as president of the monthly meeting of The Western District Association of Miners held at Swansea. At the meeting, there was considerable discussion on the Sliding Scale as a regulator of wages, and it was announced that the colliers’ representatives, in their negotiations with the colliery owners, had not yet come to any definite agreement.

April:

Colliers at Glyncastle Colliery, Resolven were now on strike. The colliery was one of twenty- one pits and levels in south Wales where work was at a complete stop or which were only partially working.

The Liberal candidate, W. Rice Evans, was successful in the election for membership of Glamorgan County Council representing the Resolven Division. He won 1,257 votes, a majority of 867.

On 2 April, a well-attended meeting was held at the Resolven Board School where Mr. and Mrs. Jenkin Thomas and their son-in-law Daniel Griffiths, were presented with portraits of themselves as a farewell gift on the occasion of their leaving Resolven to live in Caerau, Maesteg. Rev. D. G. Morgan, Dr. Pritchard and several others gave farewell addresses, and Resolven Male Voice Party together with members of Jerusalem Chapel choir provided the musical entertainment. Daniel Griffiths, an official at Glyncastle Colliery for eight years, had now been appointed Marketing Officer in Caerau, having worked his way up from the bottom of the ladder: “Y mae y cyfaill hwn wedi dringo o dan anfantais fawr, ond da gennym ddeall nad yw yn meddwl ildio nes cyrhaedd ban anrhydedd.”

John Jones of Resolven acted as president of the monthly meeting of The Western District Association of Miners held at Swansea, at which the main subject of discussion was unskilled labour in mines and the urgent need to amend the Mines’ Regulations Act on this matter.

May:

Resolven Tin-plate Company was one of several companies in the Neath area to appeal to the Neath Assessment Committee against the level of rates which they which they were obliged to pay.

David Evans, Resolven, was the conductor at a Cymanfa Ganu held at Trinity Chapel, Swansea on 4 and 5 May. He was described by one of the newspaper correspondents at the event as possessing, despite his comparative young age, a superior and cultivated taste (‘yn berchen chwaeth uchel, wrthteithiedig’), as exuding an air of respectful dignity (‘urddas teilwng’), and as able to successfully blend spiritual emotion with musical understanding ( “Cafodd yr ‘ysbryd’ yn ogystal a’r ‘deall’ berffaith ar ei law”.)

Seven members of Bethania Welsh Baptist Chapel, Resolven passed the Grade 1 Sunday Schools examination set by the Baptist Union.

At the monthly meeting of Resolven School Board, held under the presidency of W. Wapplington, a discussion took place on the subject of lighting the proposed new schools at Resolven by electricity. J. C. Rees, the architect, stated that the cost of installation would be £92, and it was agreed that the architect be asked to submit a statement showing the comparative cost of electricity and oil, there being no gas in Resolven, at any rate, no gas lamps.

Some 600 colliers in the Resolven area voted in favour of granting full powers to their representatives in their discussion with the employers regarding the present coal trade crisis. Out of 130,000 colliers employed in the south Wales coalfield, some 77,000 had agreed to this proposal.

A ‘Pride of Neath Lodge of Shepherds’ was formed in Resolven.

On a Wednesday morning this month, during this period of strike at the collieries, nearly 100 Resolven school children were given free breakfasts at the school room, and this arrangement would continue every morning as long as the strike lasted. A committee had been set up to make the necessary arrangements, the officers of which were Benjamin Morgan, chairman; T. M. Lewis, secretary; W. C. Davies, Tanyrhiw, treasurer.

D. Herbert, Resolven, placed the following advertisement in the newspapers: “Carpenter. Wanted, a good Bench Hand; must be sober.”

June:

A complaint by Mr. T. D. Bowen of Drehir Farm was made to the Parish Council about the “(…) filthy water from Cory, Yeo and Company Streets” which flowed through his land as it made its way to the River Neath, and which  was “seriously dangerous for cattle and to drink.” Seven members of the Parish Council, along with its Chairman, had gone to inspect the water and were all of the opinion that “nothing serious could be done by this water”.

Resolven played a cricket match at home against Briton Ferry Seconds. “The wicket was a perfect quagmire. Scores: Briton Ferry 16, Resolven 39.” In a return match played at Briton Ferry the following month, the scores were: Briton Ferry Seconds, 34 (with four wickets to fall); Resolven, 17 (all out). The individual Resolven scores were as follows: J. Stephens, run out, 5 runs; F. Thorne, run out, 0 runs; T. W. Herbert, 2 runs; C. Vaughan , 0 runs; D. Rees, 1 run; D. J. Jones 0 runs; M. Williams, 0 runs; J. Jones, 0 runs; W. Williams, 7 runs; J. Davies, 1 run;  J. Herbert, not out, 1 run.  Extras, 1.

July:

At an eisteddfod held at Pont-nedd-fechan, Resolven Male Voice choir, conducted by F. Davies, won the prize of £10 for its rendition of the set-piece, ‘Annabel Lee’.

The death occurred early this month of Rev. D. G. Morgan, minister of Jerusalem Chapel, Resolven at the age of 59. A native of Ystradgynlais, he had trained for the ministry at Brecon Memorial College, was ordained in 1870 and, after a period as pastor of the Welsh Congregational Churches in the north of England, became minister of Jerusalem Chapel where he stayed for 23 years.  He had been the first chairman of Resolven Parish Council, a member of Resolven and Clyne School Boards, and had published three volumes of sermons, as well as being a frequent contributor to ‘Y Diwygiwr’ and ‘Y Dysgedydd’.

Members of Resolven School Board, with others from the Neath area, attended a conference held at the Gwyn Hall, Neath, to discuss the possibility of “(…) establishing central classes for the instruction of pupil teachers,” an initiative which had been proposed by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools. Discussions also took place about the desirability of combination, particularly in relation to expenditure.

At a meeting of the Clyne School Board, it was agreed to apply to the Department of Education for an additional grant of £14 under the provisions of the Agricultural Ratings Act. The report of the School Attendance Officer showed that the average attendance at Clyne School for the preceding month had been 105 “(…) yielding an average of 88, the best since the school opened.”

On 4 July, at Jerusalem Chapel, the Rev R. E. Williams, of Cilfynydd, was invited to take the services in the place of the late Rev. D. G. Morgan. He was a young man on his first visit to Resolven and proved to be a powerful preacher. “Cafwyd pregethu grymus a nerthol.”

W. D. Wright, a chief engineer employed by Cory Brothers at their Resolven and Rhondda collieries, joined other members of the South Wales Institute of Engineers on a visit of inspection to Rhayader and to the new Birmingham Water Works.

August:

At a Parish Council meeting on 5 August it was resolved to ask the Neath Rural District Council if, in their opinion, the Electric Plant at Resolven was in a satisfactory state, “(…) as the time to light the village is approaching.”

At a meeting of the South Wales Colliery Officials’ Association held at Pontypridd, W. Wapplington, the colliery manager at Resolven, read out a paper entitled: ‘ Endless Rope Haulage,’ which was followed by a very interesting discussion.

At a meeting of the Neath Board of Poor Law Guardians, a letter was read out from Dr. Pritchard of Resolven, pointing out “(…) that the alteration made in his salary was inequitable, as it would bring about a decrease while there would be an increase of the work.” The Chairman suggested that Dr. Pritchard was wrong in his assumption, and that his salary would actually be raised. Dr. Pritchard would be invited to the next meeting of the Board when the matter would be fully explained to him.

The distribution of strike pay to Resolven Colliery employees took place on 20 August from 10.30a.m.to 12.30p.m. It was stated that there would be no back- payments made in future. The amount received would be between 2s 1d and 3s for men, and between 1s 6d and 1s 11d for boys.

On 19 August, John R. Williams, a former manager at Glyncastle Colliery, died at Algoma, West Virginia. After leaving Resolven, he had emigrated to the United States and settled in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, later working for a young colliery proprietor in West Virginia, whose parents hailed from Rhandirmwyn, Carmarthenshire. “He suited this position and his employer held him in great respect.”

September:

Readers of Seren Cymru were asked by the diaconate of Bethania Welsh Baptist Chapel, Resolven, if they knew where they could purchase, at a sufficiently low price, second-hand benches for their Sunday school house at Melincwrt sufficient to seat between 90 and 100 children and adults. “Y mae y brodyr wedi bod yn llafurio am ddyddiau lawer wrth yr adeilad, a hyny yn rhad ac am ddim er arbed traul I’r eglwys.”

This month saw the end of the colliers’ strike with some with some five hundred men returning to work at Glyncastle Colliery, after it was reported that rates of pay for both day-men and hauliers would be actively looked into.

October:

At a meeting on 7 October the Parish Council approved a motion to have three electric lamps in the village: one opposite the church, one opposite Rose Cottage, and the third half- way between the two. The old oil lamps were to be put in storage.

November:

On 7 November, colliers at Resolven took a day off work to observe Mabon’s Day, a vote having been taken earlier in the month on whether or not to retain Mabon’s Day as an annual holiday. Two hundred and forty colliers had voted for the motion and forty five voted against. Unfortunately, on 10 November, summonses were issued to each of the 193 colliers who had missed work to observe Mabon’s Day “(…) contrary to the spirit and letter of the agreement entered into at the end of the strike;” and on 18 November, at Neath County Police Court, 183 of the colliers were each ordered to pay damages, costs and five shillings, while the remaining ten were able to provide proof that they had been ill on the day in question.

Management of the Clyne Tin-plate Works placed the following advertisement: “Picklers wanted. Experienced Pickler, Black and White, for Millbrook Machine. Apply personally at Clyne Works, Resolven.”

December:

W. D. Wight, head manager of the six collieries owned by the Cory Brothers, (Resolven, Pentre, Gelli, Tynybedw, Tydraw and Aber), was presented on the occasion of his retirement with a magnificent picture “(…) containing photographs in well-arranged groups of the staff of each colliery, and also of the various large pits.” Wight had been Head Manager since 1889 and was much esteemed by officials and workmen.

Mary Jane Morris, of Swansea, was charged with stealing a half-sovereign from William Thomas, of Resolven, at the Blue Boar public house, Neath. Police Constable Davies arrested Morris and found the half-sovereign in her mouth. She was sentenced to twenty -eight days hard labour.

 

1899

January:

On 6 January, members of the Parish Council met for the first time in the Board Room of the newly-designated Resolven Board School.

In the new register of those rate-payers eligible to vote in the Glamorganshire County Council elections, it was shown that Resolven had 447 potential voters, compared with 442 in 1898. The total number for the whole of the county was 68,758, compared with 67,818 the previous year.

At the Neath County Police Court, Arthur Godfrey Thomas, a young boy living in Cory Street, Resolven, accused Frank Thorne, a labourer, of an alleged assault which took place on 3 January. The boy’s complaint was that when he went for a haircut at a barber’s shop belonging to Trevor Davies, his hair had been cut, not by the barber, but by Thorne who had cut his hair too close to the head, with the result that the boy “(…) was greatly disturbed thereby, and, consequently, was afraid to go home to his mother.” It appears that Trevor Davies had allowed Thorne to practice hair- cutting on the boy’s head with the result that the boy was almost completely bald. There was much laughter in the Court especially when the Clerk sarcastically commented: “So they allow labourers to cut hair at Resolven, do they?” The Bench imposed a fine of two shillings and sixpence and costs.

February:

At Resolven, Dr. Griffiths, the medical practitioner for Glynneath, was found unconscious and with severe injuries after falling from his horse on his way home. His companion, W. E. Davies, who was also on horseback, summoned help and the doctor was carried to a nearby house where he gradually regained consciousness.

At the monthly meeting of the Resolven School Board, held under the presidency of J. E. Vaughan, the following resolutions were passed: that the  floor of the school room be covered at a cost not exceeding £3 17s; that David Williams be appointed as the Board’s representative at the next annual conference of the Association of School Boards; that the Board’s financial accounts be published in the Daily Post; that the resignation of Miss S. Evans,  school-mistress, be accepted ; and that the new Inspector of Schools be invited to meet members of the Board on his next visit to Resolven.

At the Neath County Police Court, Elizabeth Flynn, of Yeo Street, Resolven, accused her husband, Thomas Flynn, of deserting her on 5 February this year. The defendant, however, stated: “I did not desert her, for I left my wife 35 shillings in money and thirty shillings’ worth of food in the house”. He then added that his wife was “(…) one of the dearest and tenderest women that had ever entered a house, but when she got a drop of drink she was nasty.” On 5 February he had left the house to let her get over her temper, but was now willing to live with her again. The case was withdrawn, it being understood that the parties involved intended to be reconciled.

March:

For sale by public auction on 1 March at the Castle Hotel, Neath were “(…) 10 and a half acres of well-grown, oak, larch, alder, and other useful timber and underwood, very suitable for pitwood, copper poles, clog-wood etc; all standing on Pen-craig-nedd Farm, Resolven, about a mile distant from Resolven Station on the Great Western Railway.”

According to a newspaper correspondent from Jerusalem Chapel, domestic and working conditions in Resolven were gradually beginning to improve, (“Y mae pethau amgylchiadol y lle yn gwisgo agwedd ddymunol iawn.”) Workers were, at long last, able to enjoy the comforts of their own homes, something which hadn’t been experienced for a considerable time.

An inquest was held at Resolven into the death of Edward Jones, a Resolven farmer. “The deceased was in the company of a friend, proceeding homeward at 10 o’clock after attending a parish meeting. On reaching the bridge over the Clydach Brook, he sat down on the parapet, and, overbalancing, fell a distance of ten feet into the water.” Dr. Pritchard said that the fall had caused injuries to the spinal column from which he died, and a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned.

The following, with the number of votes they secured, were elected to the Resolven Parish Council: David Jones, 203; E. Roberts, 9 Railway Terrace, 167; T. Davies, Bristol House, 156; J. Davies, Llwyncoedwr, 155; T. Price, Tai Canol, 153; J. Barclay,147; J. Davies, Post Office, 146; T. W. James, Daisy Cottage,142; William Wapplington., Glyncastle, 131; John Jones, Railway Terrace, 128; T. M. Lewis, Railway Terrace, 123.

April:

Under the auspices of Resolven Reading Room, a lecture with slides (‘magic lantern’) was held at Bethania Chapel on Monday 17 April. The speaker was Rev. J. L. Thomas, Vicar of Aberpergwm, and the lecture was entitled ‘Tour through Egypt and the Holy Land’.

The following advertisement appeared: “To Let. Shop. Main thoroughfare Resolven; suit grocer; reasonable terms. Willcox, Resolven.”

A certicated Assistant Mistress was required for Resolven Board School. The salary offered was £70 per year, rising by annual increments of £2 10s to a maximum of £100 per year. Also required was an Assistant Master with a salary of £65 per year. Knowledge of Welsh was stated to be desirable in both posts.

At Sardis English Baptist Chapel, Resolven, on a Monday evening this month, Rev. S. Beckingham, one of the pastors, had just finished baptising two candidates “(…) when a young man in the congregation jumped up and said he desired to follow Christ by baptism. Like Philip and the Eunuch, the two went down to the pool, and the young fellow was duly immersed. The preacher was leaving the water, when one of the deacons cried out ‘Stop, here’s another coming.’ The meeting closed amidst great rejoicing.”

Liverpool Victoria Legal Friendly Society, with an accumulated capital of more than £1,407,283, advertised for a representative to work in Resolven. “Men who know how to canvas given the preference.”

May:

T. Snowsell of 22 Railway Terrace, Resolven, placed the following advertisement “Wanted. Situation. Horse and Garden preferred; good character.”

At the monthly meeting of the Neath Rural District Council, its Surveyor reported that several meetings had been held in connection with the proposed drainage scheme at Resolven; but it was now thought appropriate to establish a comprehensive drainage scheme embracing the whole district. At the same meeting, the Council’s Medical Officer reported that there had been thirteen case of diphtheria in the district during the last month, fifty- nine births and twenty- nine deaths.

Resolven Tin-plate Company (Limited) required “(…) a Tin-house fitter, Capable of Fitting- Up Player’s Machines and Superintending the Working of Same;” Clyne Tin-plate works required “(…) Labourers accustomed to Bar-cutting and general work at tin-plate mills;” and Thomas D. Bowen of Drehir Farm, Resolven, wanted “(…) a strong Haulier at once. Accustomed to farm work and general hauling; good references needed, wages ten shillings per week, board and lodging.”

 

 

 

June:

At a special meeting of the Parish Council held on 9 June, under the chairmanship of Councillor T. W. James, a statement was made by Mr. E. L. C. Thomas, Engineer of the Neath Rural District Council, about the proposed sewerage scheme for Resolven. He explained that the scheme would cost about £3000 which could be repaid in instalments of £100 a year for thirty years. He also indicated that the area of land required for the scheme would be half an acre for a population of one thousand.

J. T. Williams, Resolven, was one of the promoters of an event to be held at Llandrindod Wells between 21 and 25 August for the young people of Wales, Cymanfa i Bobl Ieuainc Cymru; it would be non-denominational and its aim was described as being ‘the deepening of the spiritual life’.

July:

At the Neath County Police Court, two young Resolven colliers were each fined ten shillings and costs for damaging the canal lock at Resolven, the property of the Neath Canal Navigation Company.

On the night of Thursday 13 July, the three-year old child of George Jenkins accidentally fell from the upstairs window of the family home at Lyons Place, Resolven, and sustained a compound fracture of the thigh bone.

The Parish Council, having consulted parishioners, resolved to reject the sewerage scheme as proposed by Neath Rural District Council because the parish at present was “so heavily burdened with loans for Water and School Board purposes.”

August:

Members of Resolven Parish Council, at a meeting held on 11 August, resolved to petition the Great Western Railway Company to revise the train service at Resolven. They recommended that “the new morning ‘up’ Vale train should leave Neath not earlier than 9.30 a.m. and stop at Resolven; that the 5.10p.m. ‘down’ train from Merthyr should stop at Resolven, and that the 11p.m. train from Swansea should run up to Resolven and Glynneath on Saturday nights.”

On a Friday early this month, at about nine o’clock in the morning, a train was brought to a standstill near Resolven railway station. Apparently  the ‘eccentric strap’ of the train’s engine had snapped but “(…) the passengers, who were naturally much alarmed, suffered no inconvenience except a delay of  about an hour before another engine could be procured to proceed with the train.”

At the beginning of this month, S. L. Jones, manager of the Gored Merthyr Colliery, Melincwrt, met the colliery’s owner, John Williams, with a view to settling the strike which had been going on there for the previous five weeks. The colliers were demanding payment of two shillings and eight pence for each ton extracted, whilst the employer’s offer was two shillings and six pence per ton. As a result of this meeting, the colliers’ demand was accepted, the strike was ended and work resumed.

D. Herbert, of Resolven, advertised in the newspapers for a plasterer; whilst Mr. Davies, Bristol House, Resolven, advertised for a boot repairer (“Boot Trade. Wanted immediately, Repairer, able to do stitchwork; steady”), and the British Homes Assurance Corporation Limited advertised for an ‘energetic man’ as its representative in Resolven.

At Neath County Police Court, Edward Davies, a haulier of Resolven, was charged with a breach of special rule 161 of the Coal Mines’ Regulation Act by sleeping underground at Glyncastle Colliery, Resolven, with a lighted safety lamp in his possession. He was also charged with not having a horse and tram under proper control underground. Davies was fined twenty shillings and costs in the first case, and one shilling and costs in the other. In another case, Zechariah Thomas and Fred Jenkins, also hauliers working at the same Resolven pit, were charged with fighting underground. A fine of one shilling and costs was imposed in each case.

J. T. Williams, Resolven and David Evans, Resolven, attended the Welsh Evangelical Convention held at Llandrindod which ended on 25 August. Williams attended the event as secretary of the Convention, and Evans as a musical director.

September:

At the Resolven Board School on a Wednesday evening this month, a presentation was made to Mr. and Mrs. David Williams, Is-y-Coed, Resolven, on the occasion of Mr. Williams’s retirement from the post of cashier at Glyncastle Colliery, a post he had held for twenty- four years. The presentation consisted of life-sized portraits of the couple and an illuminated address. Speeches of appreciation were delivered, followed by a programme of musical events.

Mrs. Jones, Waterloo House, Resolven, placed the following advertisement: “Wanted immediately, thorough General ( general domestic servant); liberal wages; about 18”; whilst Mr. Lewis of Railway Terrace, Resolven, wanted a “Working Housekeeper, 3 children, comfortable home for suitable person; Welsh preferred.”

October:

The following letter, written by George May of Penarth, appeared in the press: “Dear Sir. Mr. Sheppard, the trooper wounded at Mafeking, is one of the sons of the late Mr. Osborne Sheppard,   J. P. of Resolven. I met him at Kimberley where he was engaged under the De Beers Company. He is a mining engineer but, full of life and pluck, has taken his stand beside his English comrades. Only a few days ago I mentioned to a friend that the only thing I feared was that Sheppard would be too headstrong. I very recently received a letter from him saying that he was in D troop under Colonel Baden-Powell and that he had a comrade and that they were very anxious to have a go at the Boers. They have now had their wish gratified. I hope his wound is only slight.”

John Olliman, of Resolven, sued Cory Brothers Company Limited, the owners of Glyncastle Colliery, for compensation for injuries he had sustained while at work. He was a timber-man who had been working on a platform underground when some rubbish fell upon him from a cavity. “He was thrown face forwards on to the tram-rails, and sustained a rupture of the abdomen.” Dr. Pritchard gave evidence of the injuries and stated that in future Olliman would be only able to do light work. The Court ordered that a payment of fifteen shillings a week be paid to the claimant, but the manager of the colliery promised to find the claimant light work and to pay him eighteen shillings a week. 

At a Parish Council Meeting held on 6 October, it was resolved to draw the attention of Neath Rural District Council to “(…) the bad state of repair of the parish road from Tan-y- rhiw to a point where the Resolven Colliery tramway crosses the same, a total length of 2/3rds of a mile. The road is in a wretched state for people to walk on and in places dangerous, through being inadequately fenced. Considering the amount of traffic on the road, some 3,000 persons passing per week, the Council recommends the necessary repairs be undertaken forthwith.”

In his report of 10 October, the Government School Inspector described Resolven Infants’ School as “(…) very well conducted. The teaching is industrious, careful and sympathetic. The discipline is maintained pleasantly, and the children appear happy and interested in their work.” The total grant awarded the school, based on an average attendance figure of 127 pupils, was £107-19s-0. The staff, at the beginning of the school year 1899-1900, comprised: Sarah Ann Jones, a trained certificated Mistress; three Assistant Mistresses: Elizabeth Kinsey, Elizabeth Evans and Harriet Evans, and Jane Davies, a second-year Pupil Teacher.

November:

The first electric light was installed in Resolven Reading Room this month.

An ex-pupil teacher was required at Resolven Board School to work in the Infants’ Department. “Salary, £45 per annum. Drill, Kindergarten and Piano. Knowledge of Welsh a recommendation.”

Dai St. John, born David Jones in Yeo Street Resolven and famous in boxing circles, died at the Battle of Belmont on 23 November 1899 at the age of 28. He had joined the Grenadier Guards in 1896, served in Gibraltar and the Sudan and was sent to South Africa at the outbreak of the Second Boer War. He was one of about 8,000 men who had assaulted a Boer position on Mount Belmont on that day and was one of the 200 British casualties. The following are the concluding sentences of a letter he wrote to his sister, Mary Jenkins, 2 Yeo Street, Resolven, five days before he was killed: “We are on the banks of the Orange River, and are waiting for the Coldstreams to come and join us. We are expecting orders for a night attack, perhaps tonight, and then for a fight on Monday or Tuesday. I hope I shall be allowed to come out of it safe.”

Mr. Tancred, Brynawel, Resolven, advertised for “A General Servant. Wanted middle December; small family; not much washing; good wage”; whilst the landlady of the Vaughan Arms, Resolven wanted “A Young Lady Pianist at once.”

December:

The Medical Officer of the Neath Rural District Council reported that there had been cases of scarlet fever at Resolven, measles at Onllwyn, and diphtheria at Cwmafan. He had consequently ordered the schools at Resolven and Onllwyn to be closed.