Cymdeithas Hanes Resolfen History Society

Swansea University Lecture

2012-01-23T10:13:00.001Z

Many apologies for the late posting of this flyer for a very interesting lecture which takes place this coming Thursday, 28th January at 6pm at the Wallace Building, Swansea University. Titled "The Four Nations: Wales and the British Empire in Context", the lecturer is Professor J M Mackenzie of Edinburgh University. It should be noted that admission is free.

Donation

2012-01-14T11:56:00.001Z

Many thanks to Mr Doug Davies of Llandefaelog (formerly of Y Deri, Glynneath Road) for donating an original copy of D.Rhys Phillips's " The History of the Vale of Neath" for the use of the Society. A facsimile version of the book was produced by Neath Borough Council in 1994 to coincide with the National Eisteddfod in the area, but this is the version produced in 1925 and sub-titled " A Romantic Valley in Wales". We will have a chance to thank Mr Davies formally in March since he will be the guest speaker.

January Meeting

2012-01-13T09:45:00.001Z

Another gem from Phylip Jones

As has beenstated many times before, Resolven has a history society as against a local history society, in that our aimis to promote the study of history in all its forms. However, one meeting whichis ever popular is the lecture given by our President, Mr Phylip Jones looselydescribed as a local theme. If ever the term “expert” was given to any localhistorian then Phylip must fully deserve that title and his talk is always eagerlyawaited by members.

This year,Phylip strayed slightly out of the confines of the lower Clydach, in that he tookthe community of Clyne as his focus. The name “Clyne” is an Anglicisation ofthe word “clun” in Welsh, which refers to a field or meadow. Sometimes, theword clun is lost or subsumed in local place names e.g. Glyncastle (Glyn wouldrefer to a valley) was originally “Clun y Castell”.

The hamletof Clyne according to Phylip extends from the upper Clydach (known locally asthe Melincourt brook today) to the river Twrch, up-valley of Cyd Terrace (whichwould put the terrace technically in Tonna). The word twrch itself was a matterof curiosity since many Welsh place names especially rivers refer to animals.Twrch takes its name from the wild boar ( it also refers to the cutting down ofthe river “tyrchu” Ed.), other local place names such as Blaen-nant-yr hebogand Llettybella (pine marten) show the same propensity.

In 1841,Clyne was an extremely rural society composed of farms such as Cefngelli,Ystradowen,Tynewydd,TyDu, Ynysdyfnant,Henllan, Glyngwilym, Llettydafydd,Blaencwmffrwd and Balentwrch.The “Bottle and Glass” was a tavern situated in the hamlet which was owned byGruffudd Griffiths. Only ten residents were described as colliers in the cesus. By 1861, twonew houses had been built Canal House and Penrhiw House, the latter being the homeof celebrated historian D. Rhys Phillips. In 1871, Moses row was built and theurban development of Clyne began especially around Clyne Tinworks. Many of theincoming residents came from the upper Swansea valley and the communityremained a totally monoglot Welsh speaking one.

Clyne Tinworks

Phylip thenturned his attention to Education in Clyne. There was no record of a circulatingschool in Clyne (though a mistake may have been made regarding Clun beingmistaken for Glyncastle in one record). Resolfen had a National school in 1854,but Clyne would have to wait for its Board school until 1996. The Reverend D.G.Morgan was the Chairman of Governors and the headmaster was Mr R J Martin. Interestingly,Mrs Martin was also a member of staff despite the practice at the time of womendesisting from being teachers on getting married. The school opened with atotal of 104 pupils.

Phylip thenconcluded his talk by looking at the log book of the school and pointing outsome notable events. The school roll had declined slightly when Resolven BoardSchool opened in 1899, since it was obviously easier for children fromMelincourt and Moses Row to attend that school. The funeral of D.G.Morgan meantthat the school was closed for the day. This was also the case following the relief of Mafeking and the return of Colonel Vaughan (Rheola) at the end of theGreat War. In 1904, a holiday was given for the children to visit Buffalo Bill’sWild West Show in Neath. Interestingly, HermonChapel was described as a vestry, since it did not become a fully-fledgedchapel until the 1920s. This was due to the fact that buildings were used asnearby vantage points for the holding of a Sunday school, saving the members along walk back following morning chapel. The pensioner’s hall known as the “Ganu”in Resolfen performed a similar service for Bethania Chapel in the village. The“Ganu” is a corruption o “Y Gangen” – the branch, and was also known as EinonChapel.

Mr GwynThomas thanked Mr Phylip Jones for a most memorable talk.

Annual Dinner:

Members and friends should note thatthe annual dinner has been arranged for Friday March 3^rd at theFarmers Arms. The cost is £13.50 and the menu will be available at the nextmeeting. Contact any member of the committee to add your name.

Why,oh why?

2012-01-09T10:09:00.003Z

During our recent meeting featuring the Resolven War Memorial one of the late Dai Blaina's poems on the futility of war was on display. The inspiration for the poem was a visit by Cor Meibion De Cymru to the battlefields of Northern France and Flanders including the Welsh memorial at Mametz Wood. The poem is reproduced in full below:

Why, oh why ?

On the twenty seventh year of June

Côr Meibion De Cymru in full tune

Set out to commemorate

The Greatest loss of life to date .

More than a million gave their livesaway

For all the world to sing today.

As we remember their greatest sacrifice

Thoughtless pens treat men like lice.

Generals with Haig behind the lines,

Intelligence vague,confused minds.

Attack! Attack! The signals flashed

Attack! Attack! The lives they smashed.

Battered by shot and shell

Shattered by this man-made hell.

A million and more of varied tongue

With supreme courage, but so young

Their silent graves throughout France

Hide the brave smiles of these lads

Why, oh why? did they have to die

Why, oh why? we still reason why.

As tears drop from those who mourn

The fields of those ‘neath granitestone

Surely as the huge mounds

All this land is sacred ground.

As we stood on the Dragon’s Hill

Facing Mametz Wood, all standing still.

Many thoughts cloud my heart and brain

Were all those tears dropped in vain.

Thoughts of the Somme, for moments lost

As I count again, another cost.

Still sacred beneath this sacred shrine

My thoughts steal back to thirty nine.

Six long years, two more than four,

The tears of Somme dry on the floor.

So confused I look to the sky

And ask again, oh why, oh why?

Still standing at the Mametz Wood

My prayer was answered as we stood.

The brutal chambers of the gas

The Burma roads that soil the maps .

Perhaps, a fool, I could not see

A child from school knows that we arefree.

David Davies

(Dai Blaina)

A very historical jug

2012-01-05T10:52:00.002Z

Mr T. Monaghan of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear has recently contacted the Society regarding a jug in his possession which features Dai St John of Resolven. The history of Dai,"bac y Vaughns", the mountain fighter and British boxing champion has been featured several times on our blog, therefore Mr Monaghan's letter is reproduced in full:

19/12/2011

Dear Trefor,

Hello I hope this might be of interest to you, it is a couple of pictures of a jug which I have with the picture of Dai St John on it. It has taken quite a while to find out about this person and where he came from. It seems he was very famous when he was alive and the history about him is very interesting and i have found out even more with the help of Mrs Mair Hambly from the local library in Resolven whom I contacted via e.mail. This jug was mentioned a few times but I do not think anyone knew that it still existed. These pictures confirm that it does. The jug stands about 7" tall and is still in good condition.

Thanks.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Monaghan

The History Society is extremely grateful to Mr Monaghan for his valuable contribution.

January meeting

2012-01-03T16:04:00.000Z

CYMDEITHAS HANES RESOLFEN HISTORY SOCIETY

January MEETING:

MrPhylip Jones–

“ALOCAL THEME”

Meeting beginsat 7:00 in the Church hall on Monday 9th January.

Membership: £8 (including refreshments)

Visitors: £3.

Croeso cynnes ibawb

Trevor Davies

2011-12-28T13:04:00.000Z

The photographs which are used on this blog come from several sources. However the greatest contributor by far is from Trevor Davies ( also known as Trevor the barber) , whose name is often seen on post cards featuring the village. His grandson, Glyn, a well known photographer himself and known by everyone as Glyn " Taxi " has given us a photograph of his grandfather on a motorbike in the Brecon Beacons. Notice the open fly wheel and the absence of protective headgear.

An engineering marvel

2011-12-18T16:56:00.000Z

Visit to the Newport TransporterBridge and Tredegar House

Mrs Josie Duke at the Transporter Bridge

Normally,the Society winds down for a few weeks at this festive time of year, howeverthis Christmas time proved rather different. Mrs Josie Duke, one of our longestserving members and committee member has always asked why we have not visited Newport’s celebrated Transporter Bridge (a more detailed account on the bridge willfollow). Therefore it was decided that we would visit this engineering marvelin conjunction with an excursion to the Morgan family seat at Tredegar House.

Some twenty five members and friends came on the visit and as the coach approached the City of Newport the magnificence of the Transporter Bridge was evident as the structure dominated the skyline. The Bridge is among only six surviving examples of this type of “dry” ferry in the world today. Its main advantage being that it speeded up transport between both sides of town and also allowed maritime traffic to pass unimpeded along the Usk to the docks at Newport. Built in 1906, the bridge is still in daily use and costs only a £1 to cross in a car and is free to foot passengers. Though only a short journey the Edwardian style of the bridge gives it an ageless quality. Alongside the Transporter Bridge was a small visitor centre and it was communicated to the members that the “Friends of the Transporter Bridge”, were seeking World Heritage Status.

Theafternoon was spent in a very cordial fashion in a festively decked TredegarHouse which is shortly to be taken over by the National Trust.

A very goodtime was had by all.

Too much mulled wine - it seems to be snowing heavily in Tredegar House

Many thanks to Gwyn Thomas for the photos

Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda i holl aelodau affrindiau’r Gymdeithas Hanes/ A Merry Christmas and prosperous new year to all themembers and friends of the History Society

December Meeting

2011-12-13T17:26:00.001Z

December Meeting: A Night of Remembrance

The normal pattern of our December meetings in recent years has been a member’s night when some serious history is usually intermixed with some seasonal jollity. However, this year’s meeting proved rather different since it was the culmination of months of correspondence between ourselves and Mr Jonathan Skidmore on the topic of Resolven war memorial. Mr Skidmore, though a native of Bryncoch is now resident in Vienna with a young family where he works for the UN. The committee decided that since he was able to meet us on that particular night a change was needed in the nature of the meeting. Firstly, Mr Skidmore was invited to address the Society and also the meeting was made an "open" one in order to attract the maximum attendance form the locality. It was very pleasing therefore to have a full hall, when the weather had thrown all four seasons in one go on the evening.

Opening of War Memorial November 1925

Mr Skidmore began his talk by taking a general view of Wales in 1914. Recruitment to the army from Wales was traditionally low (2.6% of total), this was largely attributable to the social and economic conditions of the time. Most Welshmen were nonconformists and the army contained no non- Church of England padres, in addition the turbulent nature of the period between 1910-14 including riots and industrial unrest meant that there were socialist suspicions of the army. Many Welshmen were also monoglot Welsh speakers and the parade ground was rather a trying prospect for them. However there was a sea change in the level of recruitment in 1914 mainly attributable to the rhetoric of David Lloyd George who portrayed the fight as one between the “5 foot five nations” and their much bigger foes. Lloyd George appealed to a semi-mythical Celtic past of Welsh bowmen at Crecy and even issued Welsh soldiers with replica medieval swords. Recruitment rocketed and some 273,000 men volunteered representing 13.6% of the total Welsh population. It should be noted that there were no reserved occupations at this stage to stop colliers and steelworkers flooding to the carnage of the Western Front. Welsh regiments proved rather a problem to their officers; the linguistic barrier has already been alluded to, however there was a further problem in that the officers were often their own former managers or over men from work. This led to a great deal of insubordination with the Welsh considered “Bolshie” by their English counterparts

Mr Parsons of Sardis Chapel lays wreath

Mr Skidmore then turned his attention to the Resolven war memorial. He explained that he was researching the memorials at Resolven, Seven Sisters and Neath with a view of producing a volume to coincide with the centenary of the Great War in 2014. He stated that Resolven was a very fertile and enthusiastic recruitment area for the British Army with over 400 villagers enlisted by 1915, not all of which with Welsh regiments of which some 20% were later casualties. He then used Google Earth to show where the casualties had come from in the village with John St., being a particular hot spot.
The memorial at Resolven had been opened by Colonel J.N. Vaughan in 1925 whose own nephew Captain Mark Haggard (nephew of the author Rider Haggard) featuring on the monument. The memorial had opened later than either Neath or Seven Sisters, though the reason for this was financial or otherwise was not clear. One of the wreath bearers at the ceremony was named by the audience as being Mr Parsons, the oldest member of Sardis English Baptist chapel at the time. Individual photos and case studies were also discussed, including the double nationality of the Funnings (Founing) who fought on the French side gaining the Croix de Guerre.
The talk concluded with the various avenues that Mr Skidmore was pursuing regarding gaining information. Photos and newspaper cuttings were an obvious source though the availability was often tortuous, as was the “Burnt Record Series” of soldier’s papers which had been rescued from the bombed Somerset House in 1941. This incomplete record meant that many records were simply lost for ever. The last source of course being that of the collective memory of the host community, which was why he had come to speak to the Society. This was followed by a lengthy question and answer session which lasted well after the formal meeting.
Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Skidmore for a most memorable talk and hoped that he would be successful in completing his study.

December Meeting

2011-11-28T13:53:00.003Z

Our normal members night has been postponed since Mr Jonathan Skidmore is able to join us on the 12th of December to explain his research on the war memorials of Neath. Mr Skidmore works for the UN in Vienna though he is a native of Neath. Please note that this is an open meeting and members should try and encourage their neighbours/friends/family to come along with any photographs or other evidence which might help this project. I'm sure it will be a very interesting evening. Hopefully, the usual members night will be scheduled for later in the year.

P.S. If anyone is interested in joining the trip to the Transporter bridge at Newport and Tredegar House Christmas Fair please contact any member of the committee. The visit will cost £10 to members and £15 to non-members.

November meeting - a hands on experience.

2011-11-15T20:25:00.007Z

Margaret under the tutelage of Alun Evans

It is not often that our meetings are noisy. Indeed speakers are usually given the best of order, however since Mr Alun Evans of Blaendulais had lost his short address in any case, it was a matter of looking and learning since the members were treated to a master class in ancient carving and masonry techniques by Mr Evans and his able assistants including his wife.

A selection of tools and the church hall floor

Mr Evans is a qualified Master Craftsman and tutor and indeed was a finalist in the Welsh Artist of the Year competition in 2005. His day work includes working with people with learning disabilities in both one to one and group situations. His belief is that using the tools to carve, hone, chisel and smooth have a therapeutic and indeed spiritually uplifting effect on practitioners. This was certainly true of the members who quite happily used adzes, chisels and various wood carving tools for well over an hour. The scene in itself was timeless and explained graphically how many of our grand buildings and statues came into being.

Carvings from the Mabinogion

Another notable feature of a very enjoyable evening was the exh

ibition of stone carvings from the Mabinogion with Branwen and Blodeugedd featuring among others.

Mr David Woosnam is shown how to carve a stone block

Normally, the evening concludes with a cup of tea and a biscuit but this time the added dimension was sweeping up the splinters of wood and stone dust which were the result of the evening's activities - nobody tell the vicar !!!

Many thanks once more to Gwyn for the photographs of the night.

November Meeting

2011-11-07T18:59:00.002Z

Scenes from Maes-yr-Onnen

2011-11-03T21:44:00.003Z

Phylip's oration.

Notice the stone floor and original pews
Part of the timeline of ministers
Maes-yr-Onnen, Glasbury

Many thanks to Mr Gwyn Thomas for the photographs

Maes yr Onnen

2011-10-31T10:50:00.001Z

Visit to Maes -yr – Onnen, Glasbury.

Some twenty members and friends made the pleasant journey to Maes-yr –Onnen chapel near Glasbury in Powys on Saturday the 20th of October. The building ,which is a converted farm building has been a place of worship for nonconformists in Wales since 1695, making it the oldest building of its kind.

Mr Phylip Jones gave a detailed talk on the origin of the building and how it had come to be used in the days when nonconformity was persecuted following the Restoration. Meetings were controlled and numbers restricted which meant that licences were taken out on farm building, inns and individual houses. The members were then given time to peruse the chapel which included an invaluable time line of its various minisers since 1695. The chapel is still in use by the United Reformed Church and even on a pleasant autumn day, one was reminded how cold such buildings can become and it was easy to empathise with the worshippers of some three hundred years ago since the only modern intrusion was electric light.

There were some links to Resolfen, since Maes-yr-Onnen is very similar in style to Melincwrt Chapel which is some century younger, notably the pulpit is central to the chapel. Melincwrt also had a minister at one point who had started his ministry in Maesyr Onnen, followed by a stint at Llansantffraid ym Mechain and latterly at Soar in Neath, the mother church of Melincwrt.

The visit ended with a very pleasant afternoon visiting the second hand bookshops of Y Gelli Ganddryll ( Hay on Wye).

( Photographs of visit to follow)

Maes yr Onnen, Glasbury

2011-10-11T20:55:00.002Z

The Society will be making a visit to the historic Maes yr Onnen chapel in Glasbury on Saturday, October 22. The visit is free to members and children and costs only £5 to friends of the History Society. Anyone who is interested in coming on the visit, which will also spend some time in Hay on Wye should contact Mrs Brenda Oakes or any other member of the committee. Alternatively, leave a comment on the website to indicate whether you wish to come.

Best wishes

2011-10-11T20:52:00.002Z

Two of our most loyal members were absent from the October meeting, namely Mr John Rees our esteemed poster maker and committee member and Mrs Julie Hicks our Treasurer. Both John and Julie have been in hospital and we all wish them a speedy recovery.

The Titanic's Welsh links

2011-10-11T20:46:00.002Z

This month’s speaker, Mr Tony Waters of Burry Port personified a very special enthusiasm for his subject, the ill-fated Titanic. He explained that we are now only one year shy of the centenary of the fate of the “unsinkable” ship which has starred in so many films and plays and become a feature of even the most casual of historical acquaintances. He explained that his interest had been started when he viewed “A Night to Remember”, the second feature film of the sinking of Titanic in the 1950s.
The main features of the story of the Titanic are fairly well known, however Mr Waters’ talk was to concentrate on the Welsh links to the ship. The first link was an industrial one, since Britain in 1912 was in the grip of a coal strike. One third of the maritime coal at the time came from south Wales, notably the steam coal of the Ocean Coal Company (Ed.) As Titanic was preparing to leave Southampton for Cherbourg on the 10th April 1912 it did not have enough coal, however the White Star Line was determined that the ship would sail. His was as much to do with the Line’s rivalry with Cunard as a concern for the passengers and by filching steam coal from other ships in dock, the Titanic was able to sail.
Mr Waters then looked at those of the 2,207 passengers who had Welsh links. These included a crew member O W Samuel (a relative of the Astleys of Samuel Leeder fame), and another crew member from Swansea, Wilfred Foley who survived in lifeboat number 13. Mr William J Rogers of Ynysymond near Pontardawe was a fugitive of justice as he had abandoned his wife for a rather nastier fate. There were at least three miners who were looking for new opportunities in the USA, two of these (DJ Bowen and Leslie Williams) were professional boxers who were to fight in the states and travelled first class. Among the professionals on board were Mr A W Leyson, a solicitor of Swansea and William T Stead a social campaigner who had interviewed Evan Roberts during the religious revival of 1904. Ironically Stead had also written articles on maritime safety!!
Probably the most well-known Welsh character on the Titanic was Harold Lowe, fourth officer on the ship who was famously played by Ioan Gruffudd in the most recent film Titanic. Lowe had inspected the lifeboats during the Titanic’s curt sea trials lasting one day, and played a heroic part in the marshalling of the lifeboats during the sinking. The Birkenhead rules meant that men famously did not get into many of the lifeboats, since the rule had been wrongly prosecuted as women and children only as against first. Lowe survived the travails of the sinking (and his pay was stopped by the company since his ship had sunk) and went on to become a commander in the naval reserve in the First World War. He is buried in Llandrillo yn Rhos, though his tombstone bears no mention of his heroics on Titanic. Only 712 passengers and crew survived the sinking of the Titanic and the fact that it reached this number was mostly down to Lowe.
Mr Waters also showed a number of genuine articles from Titanic which are worth many thousands of pounds.
Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Waters for an excellent talk.

Good news!! Dai St John is a champion once again

2011-10-10T21:16:00.005Z

The Society has received an e.mail from Mr Lawrence Davies who has been writing a book on the bareknuckle fighters of Wales "Mountain Men". He has decided to put our very own Dai "bac y Vaughans" on its cover. A must as a Christmas present!! I reproduce his kind words from two e.mails below.

Dear Trefor,

apologies for the long delay, been a busy and slightly crazy time, the book on welsh boxing is finished, and is something of a monster, being 356 pages and with 60+ pictures and illustrations. I just wanted to let you know that I felt that it was important to acknowledge your invaluable assistance as well as that of the Resolven Historical Society, and so decided to feature Dai St John on the cover of the book, and your help within it.

In the course of writing this book I tracked down some interesting information and have sent you some pictures that I located of Dai, which I have also posted to the Debretts people for his relations.

I can't thank you enough for your assistance in the early days of researching this book, which gave me enough hope to start trawling through the microfilm in the libraries here there and everywhere.All being well, it should be available as of November.

Thank you so much for sharing this picture with me, what a thing to see, St. John must have been quite a man in his prime, I hope that on my next visit home I might be able to drop by and say hello, it would be nice to be able to visit the memorial to St. John. Strangely he stands alone in that he was remembered at all, most of the men I have been tracking have long been forgotten. It says a lot about the people of Resolven that they remembered what all of us forgot, that some of the greatest fighting men have come from Wales. I wonder if you know whether the graves at Belmont are still marked/maintained ? I did wonder throughout writing Dai's tale.

I hope in the future some enterprising Resolven landlord chooses to call his pub 'The Resolven Giant' and these remarkable pictures can be seen by all, hopefully he can now take his place alongside Jimmy Driscoll, Jimmy Wilde and all the rest, although I know as long as there is a Resolven Historical Society his fate is in safe hands.

Thank you for everything

Lawrence

Public lecture

2011-10-05T09:49:00.003Z

Swansea University's series of public lectures begins on Monday 17th October. I remember ploughing through "The Rainbow" and "Sons and Lovers" for my English A Level many aeons ago, getting rather lost in the complicated emotional tangles of Lawrence's characters. However, I rather enjoyed the parts where D.H.Lawrence gave a vivid description of the development of the Nottingham coalfield, which may explain why I've spent most of my professional life teaching geography and history.

(Ed.)

Titanic

2011-10-03T19:50:00.003Z

This month's speaker on Monday 1oth October will be Mr Tony Waters who will speak on the Welsh connections with the ill fated Titanic.

The War Memorial

2011-09-29T10:37:00.002Z

Members night on December 12th will be rather different this year,since Mr Jonathan Skidmore of Neath ( though now a resident of mainland Europe) will be coming to speak to us on his research on Resolven War Memorial. He is very anxious to gain first hand or anecdotal information regarding the names on the memorial and is hoping that much will be forthcoming on the evening. Flyers have been posted around the village and hopefully many non-members will be able to join us on the night. If everyone spreads the word I'm sure we will have a very full hall.

AGM

2011-09-13T15:16:00.004Z

Some fourteen members braved the wind to attend the Annual General Meeting. This gave little scope to change the committee and officials, though Mrs Jean Thomas has agreed to join the general committee.

President: Mr Phylip Jones

Chairman: Mr Gwyn Thomas

Vice Chair: Vacant ( Once again)

Treasurer: Mrs Julie Hicks.

Secretary: Mr Trefor Jones

Transport Officers: Mrs Val Davies and Mrs Brenda Oakes

Committee: Mr John Rees, Mrs Margaret Evans, Mrs Jean Thomas, Mrs Josie Duke, (one vacancy).

Notices of motion: 1. That the deposit account be closed owing to the negligible interest rate.

It should be noted that owing to the gaining of a grant from the Ffynnon Oer Fund it will be possible to assist with visits this year. It was also noted that there were two typos on the lecture list ( to appear shortly on the blog) namely 2012-13 was noted instead of 2011-12 and that that the April meeting would be moved owing to its clashing with Easter Monday.

Following the formal proceedings of the AGM a series of slides from the Society Archive was shown and a lively discussion ensued regarding their contents.

AGM

2011-09-01T19:31:00.002Z

The Society will be starting activity again with the Annual General Meeting on Monday September 12th at 7:00 in the church hall. Please make every effort to attend since the History Society needs volunteers to keep things going. The membership fee has been frozen for another year and there will also be some IMPORTANT announcements on our visits that have been planned for the coming year and the new lecture list.

CROESO CYNNES I BAWB!!

Tom Hopkin Evans

2011-08-25T14:39:00.003Z

Our old friend Jeff Childs has sent us some documentary material on the life of Thomas Hopkin Evans one of the famous "Three Doctors of Music". Included is a picture of Dr Evans, and details of his memorial service in 1940. The materials are to be sent to the National library of Wales in Aberystwyth.

10,000 Hits

2011-06-30T14:42:00.003Z

We have reached a milestone in this website's history with the number of hits exceeding 10,000 for the first time. There were 932 visitors last month!! Let's hope it continues, there will be regular postings over the summer even though the Society is having a short break.

St. David's Church Restoration Fund

2011-06-23T19:28:00.013Z

As I'm sure many readers are aware, Resolven's parish church, St.David's has been the centre of a feverish campaign to raise money in order to restore the building to its former good state of repair. The good news is that a "Gift Day" raised over £10,000 which is a fantastic effort for both the Steering Committe and the inhabitants of Resolven. However, there is still a long way to go in order to ensure that all the necessary work is carried out.
St.David's Church

The Church is one of the older buildings in the village and our publication "Resolfen Recalled" contained a condensed history of St.David's a precis of which is reproduced below:

"Before 1850 the communities of Resolven, Melincwrt and Clyne were part of the ancient parish of LLantwit juxta Neath and any house on the other side of the river which included Ynysarwed, Abergarwed and Rheola were part of the parish of Cadoxton juxta Neath. There was no church building but there is evidence of a Christian settlement in the village of Resolven. Glyncastle House was originally a monastic grange used by the monks of Margam Abbey. A 14th Century map shows the site of a chapel of ease at Melincwrt though whether it belonged to Neath or Margam Abbey is uncertain.

The separate ecclesiastical parish of Resolven was created in 1850, when St. David's Church was built and consecrated. It is interesting that the first bible and service books , given by Bruce Pryse Esq. are embossed Melincourt Church. At that time Resolven was a tiny hamlet with a greater population inhabiting Clyne and Melincourt.

The Church received its first renovation and repair during the incumbency of the Reverend William LLoyd ( 1892-1905). The work entailed tiling of the aisle and chancel floor, repairs to the windows and doors and the installing of elctric light. the seating capacity of the building was increased to 270 by removing the old coal stove and installing a new heating system. The cost of this work was estimated at £347. In 1905, a Mission Hall was added at a cost of £400. In 1965, a church hall was built in the village of Resolfen which is still known as the Canon Lewis Memorial Hall.

In recent years, much work has been carried out in restoration of the building and in December 1998, the Bishop of Llandaff, the Rt. Reverend Roy Davies attended a service of thanksgiving for his work and dedicated new seating in the form of chairs. each chair was given in memory of worshippers and former worshippers of St. David's. "

Anyone wishing to contribute to the restoration fund can contact :

Mrs Ruth Jones,
The Post Office,Commercial Road,Resolven,Neath. SA11 4HF

Cheques should be made payable to: "St.David's Church Building Fund".

Recess

2011-06-18T11:45:00.002Z

The History Society will be taking a short break until September. Our next meeting will be the AGM on Monday 12th September. Enjoy the summer, if this drought stops raining on us!!

Who are they?

2011-05-30T13:21:00.004Z

Before starting onthis post, apologies for the long delay. The system has been rather playing up and has locked us out for around a week. It keeps telling me to de-cache my cookies, the only thing I know about cookies is that they are only cooked once as against a biscuit which is cooked twice ( bis - cuit - twice cooked in French). If it persists I will have to call in the hi-tech cavalry since there is no way I will be playing with any electronic delicacy.

Mr Ioan Davies a former resident of Resolfen and a nephew of the recently deceased Mrs Eunice Lewis has sent the Society a picture of the Evans family. He knows who is in the picture but cannot place every face to a name. He writes:

"The photo shows my grandfather, Morgan Evans (extreme left) and his brother Tom Hopkin, the musician, on the other end.I presume that the two other men are their brothers Watkin and David John and that the women are their sisters , Gwen (mother of Annie Hopkins and Gildas who lost his life in WW1), Joanna , Mary (mother of Dorothy Palmer, Phyllis et al), Maggie and Elizabeth. So although (I think) I have the names, I cannot correctly put them to the faces."

The photo has been passed to Mr Phylip Jones and several members of the United Churches choir has had a look. Could anyone else shed some light?

Cadw Passes update

2011-05-12T10:53:00.000Z

Our intrepid artist, Mr John Rees has recently visited Caerphilly/Caerffili Castle and used his Cadw pass is anticipation that he would be denied free entry. To John's delight, he was informed that anyone who currently holds a Cadw pass will still have free entry until 2019 ( presumably because they were intended to last for a decade). However the scheme will be closed to new passes from June this year. Good news for once.

Editors note: Apologies for not posting the report for the May meeting, which by all accounts was a very interesting one from Glyn Williams. Unfortunately, I was ill and will glean the information from those who were there for a late posting. Many thanks to Glyn once again.

Treasure Hunt

2011-05-04T14:12:00.005Z

The winners: Mr and Mrs Gwyn Thomas

The first Treasure Hunt on foot around the village went off very well. The numbers both attending and taking part in the event was a little disappointing considering the amount of organisation that the event entailed, however the nineteen friends and members enjoyed themselves and that is the main thing. The clue which caused the most trouble. Can you work out the connection with "King Solomon's Mines"

The five teams were given a route around Resolfen having to solve some thirty clues, which ranged from detection to pure knowledge. The scores were very high ranging from 23 - 28 out of thirty. The winning team ( and also the longest out on course) were Mr and Mrs Gwyn Thomas. When was Sardis built? 1864!

Following the treasure hunt, the members were given the chance to view a selection of old photographs and a powerpoint display from the Society's archive was shown. It appears that quite a few of the photographs were incorrectly labelled and dates rather obscure, however it was possible with a little discussion to put these matters right for future reference. This is most definitely an exercise which we will have to do again since local knowledge is a valuable and ephemeral source of historical accuracy. Mr Phylip Jones gives an expert explanation of some of the old photos

(Many thanks to Gwyn Thomas for the photos)

Should any local organisation wish to use the treasure hunt clues they are welcome to have a copy ( and answers ) by contacting the Society on : trefjon@btinternet.com

Treasure Hunt: May Day bank holiday

2011-04-19T15:17:00.005Z

On May Day bank holiday, Monday 2nd May, the Society has arranged a history themed treasure hunt by foot around the village of Resolfen. The activities will commence at 2pm and the aim is to have a bit of fun,it will not be too strenuous taking about an hour to complete. Following the treasure hunt a selection of old photographs from the Society's archive will be shown. Lets hope that the good weather will last until then.

Mrs J Blake

2011-04-12T15:58:00.003Z

Following this month's meeting, Mrs Jacqueline Blake asked if she would be able to give a short address to the Society. Mrs Blake who now lives in Trecynon, grew up in South London however her family once lived in the village. Her grandfather, Elkinhorn James Beezer, had been born in Antigua however he had moved to Resolfen in the 1890s, and despite being the only non white in the community had become totally assimilated. Mrs Blake felt that despite the fact that the family had moved to Cardiff and then London the legacy of life in Resolfen stayed with her father, especially with regards to appreciating the countryside. She felt that the contribution of the Welsh valleys to world civilization needed to be recognised and Resolfen needed to be thanked formally. Some of the members remembered Mrs Blake's grandfather and remarked how integral a part of the community he became.

Henry ( Harry) Brown

2011-04-12T15:49:00.004Z

Sir Charles Morgan

Henry Brown of Tredegar House

This month’s speaker was Mr Martin Culliford, now a resident of Machynlleth. Mr Culliford has spoken to the Society on a number of occasions in the past, when he lived in Newport, and the Society was very grateful that he was willing to come a great distance to speak to us once again. Despite being an economist by training, Mr Culliford has become a noted writer and editor of books on the history of the County of Gwent. His talk this year was centred on the agent of the Tredegar Estate (1797-1806), Henry Brown.

Tredegar House

The talk started by introducing the main character of the lecture, Henry Brown. Mr Culliford had researched the letters of the chandler’s son who had risen to high places, to his master Sir Charles Morgan of Tredegar House. Apparently, the Morgan family were away from the estate for up to eleven months of the year and the everyday running of the estate fell to the agent. It was obviously an arduous task, because Henry Brown suffered from the strain of controlling the affairs of the 50,000 acre estate and suffered from a combination of stress and depression. However, this was not passed on to his patron, who seemed unaware of the everyday travails and had total confidence in his agent. Henry himself had been christened Harry, had amassed a personal fortune and an illegitimate child before his early death at the age of only forty eight. The Morgan family themselves were not true nobility, but the family were related to Ifor Hael and had amassed land across both Wales and England by a combination of good fortune and marriage. The parcels of land which they gained were not always particularly valuable, however since they also gained the mineral rights, the eighteenth and ninetieth centuries proved very lucrative to the family even if they were ultimately absentee landlords. Sir Charles Morgan was not even a true Morgan since he had agreed to change his original name of Gould to maintain the family name. The family also controlled a “golden mile” of track on the railway from which they levied a charge on every ton of coal passing near Tredegar House. Sir Charles’s portrait reveals a severe figure, though it is known from the letters that he suffered from gout. The family itself became more and more eccentric in the twentieth century and Tredegar House later became a school and was then bought by Newport Council.

Mr Culliford then took the sizable audience to the letters themselves. This was UN usual in itself, in that the Society was given an insight into the way historians evaluate source material, rather than accepting the finished product. Among the episodes shown in the letters were that horses were more important than servants, food was poor and adulterated, that the tax on hair powder was unpopular and that life was generally uncertain and dangerous compared to the relative safety of the health and safety culture of today.

Anecdotes included the story of a barber who died owing to excessive drinking and eating, including a binge of twenty four glasses of liquor from which even the two local apothecaries could save him. The strange case of a pig being carried on a scaffold while the bridge at Newport was being rebuilt in stone on a fair’s day.

Famine was also a notable feature of life on the estate with both livestock and tenants suffering in equal measure. Despite being a rather harsh master, Sir Charles Morgan did give £80 (£10,000) today in poor relief in 1800. Likewise, tenants who toed the line were treated well and others who did not were treated harshly.

A militia of some 500 men was also maintained by the estate, after all this was during the Napoleonic wars. Brown in his “wisdom” gave the militia beer to keep them happy, with the inevitable result of unrest and the firing of muskets around the town. Other letters refer to the produce of the estate including venison for the Bishop of Llandaff from the deer park and other victuals from the walled garden for days out in Cardiff Races. Grouse shooting occurred at Cwmbran (Mynydd Maen). Vandals are also referred to rustling wool from the backs of sheep.

As the letters became more infrequent it was obvious that Henry Brown was nearing the end of his days, though he never appeared to shirk from his responsibilities.

Following a lengthy question and answer session, Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Culliford for a very interesting lecture.

This month's speaker

2011-04-01T10:36:00.002Z

A reminder that this month's speaker on Monday 11th April will be Mr Martin Culliford, who will speak on Tredegar House.

Croeso cynnes i bawb!!

Cadw free passes to be scrapped

2011-03-31T16:13:00.005Z

It was announced today that the Cadw scheme that has allowed under 16s and over 60s free into ancient monunent sites, is to be scrapped. It is obvious that in an age of economic austerity there will be casualties, however this is a very unwelcome one as far as the History Society is concerned. Many members have taken advantage of the pass and it has also been a factor when choosing historical visits. Ironically, the scheme seems to have been a victim of a lack of use, which raises the question as to how hard it has been advertised. One wonders how long free entrance to museums will be maintained after this development.

Here is a full transcript from the BBC news site.

Cadw: Heritage Minister scraps free age group entry Cadw will look at new ways of attracting visitors to attractions such as Rhuddlan Castle, Denbighshire Continue reading the main story People over 60 and under 16 will no longer be allowed to visit many of Wales' historic sites for free.

Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said the policy had failed to attract lower-waged families and site operator Cadw would now consider other methods. The scheme, which began in 2008 and will end on 1 June, costs the Welsh Assembly Government around £130,000 a year. Age Concern Cymru said it was "a shame" the decision had been made. Since its launch two and a half years ago, some 30,000 free entry passes have been issued under the scheme, said the assembly government. Of these 84% were for people aged 60 and over, while 16% were for children aged 16 or under. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote We see very little indication that the initiative has attracted many lower-waged families” End Quote Alun Ffred Jones Heritage Minister Although more than 39,000 visits were made using these passes, this amounted to just 1.5% of the 1.2m people a year visiting Cadw sites where there is an admission charge. Of Cadw's 127 sites in Wales, 97 are not staffed and charge no admission fee. The assembly government confirmed that passes already issued under the existing scheme would be honoured until their expiry date. Mr Jones said Cadw officials had reviewed the policy's effectiveness and the findings had shown that the scheme had not attracted groups under-represented as visitors. "We see very little indication that the initiative has attracted many lower waged families - a key issue that the policy was introduced to address." Mr Jones said research had shown that free-of-charge open days and programmes of special events with an admission charge had greater appeal to a wider audience. Continue reading the main story CADW'S NEW ADMISSIONS PRIORITIES Retain free admission policy for education and learning visits, visitors with disabilities and other targeted incentives Develop and expand community events and learning festivals, targeting key areas of deprivation close to Cadw sites Offer more community projects at monuments where there is a lack of community involvement or problematic behaviour Introduce and promote free "Open Days" for all, supported by special events at key monuments.

Blog hits: new heights

2011-03-22T14:34:00.002Z

According to the blogger statistics some 801 visitors have made it to our website during the last month alone - this is a remarkable figure and brings our total to over 7,000 since it started.

The Final Curtain

2011-03-16T15:50:00.008Z

JEFF CHILDS: GOOD FRIEND OF THE HISTORY SOCIETY
The Chairman, Mr Gwyn Thomas described this month’s speaker as a “good friend of the Society”. This is an apt description of Jeff’s contribution to the work of the Society over the last fifteen (or is it sixteen) years. Indeed, his detailed talks on the development of mainly the Gower hundred have been a fixture which everyone has looked forward to. Unfortunately, we have now exhausted Mr Childs’ collection of lectures, though he promises to return should we like to hear some or all again!
Location of Llangyfelach

The focus of this month’s lecture was the Penllergare Estate. Mr Childs insisted that the anglicised spelling was correct since it was how the various families that had run the estate for centuries had referred to it.

Using tithe maps of the parish of Llangyfelach ( the second largest parish after Cadoxton juxta Neath with 23,000 acres), Jeff showed how it was divided between the various landed gentry families – Price, Llewelyn, Popkin and Morris ( of Morriston fame). The Penllergare estate, which still exists, at its height covered some 15-16,000 acres though not all of this was in Llangyfelach since the estate had holdings in other parts of Glamorgn and present day Powys. Llangyfelach parish is divided into four units – Parsel Mawr, Rhyndwyclydach, Clase and Penderry. Most of the land held by the Penllergare Estate was in the Penderry section.

The first family to own the estate were the Prices who gained the estate during the 16th century. The Prices were a local yeoman gentry family who had been “ap Rhys” until they adopted the name Price. Griffith Price (1687-1753) had built up the estate and the family had become very influential locally. Indeed he is commemorated by a marble tomb in Llangyfelach church. However, he was the last of the Prices since he was predeceased by his first wife and children and the estate was left to distant cousins, one of whom was J.llewelyn of Ynys-y-Gerwn. He eventually gained the whole estate owing to the gambling debts encrued by the other beneficiary.

The polymath L.W. Dilwyn, a relative of Fox Talbot of Margam ( and also an early photographer) married John Llewelyn’s daughter,Emma, and the Dilwyn-Llewelyn dynasty was established ( there is a Dilwyn Llewelyn secondary school in Swansea today). The family grew rich on various enterprises including metal working though the family had a famous interest in horticulture.
Penllergare House -1854

John Talbot Dilwyn Llewelyn who died in 1927, was the last Steward of the Penllergare Estate. A formidable figure, he had been a founder member of the Welsh Rugby Union, Swansea Cricket Club and had also served as an MP. Indeed, the touring Australian Cricket team had once stayed at Penllergare.

After the first world war, Penllergare as was the case with many estates in the area went into decline, indeed a sale of the assets of the estate was held in 1936. In 1940, Swansea Bible College moved to Penllergare House and they were followed in 1943 by the American military, which did very little good to the fabric of the building. In the 1960s the building was in ruins and it was finally demolished as target practice by the sappers of the Royal Artillery in 1961. Other parts of the estate were curtailed by the building of the M4 and A48.

Following local government reform in 1974, the Headquarters of the Lliw Valley District Council was built on the site of Penllergare House. Other parts of the estate have been built on for extensive housing developments e.g. Tircoed. However, the Penllergare Estate as a body still exists, and owns a fair bit of property. The Penllergare Trust is also very active in trying to restore the glory of what remains of the estate.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Jeff Childs once again for his talk and hoped that he would keep in touch with the Society. In reply, Mr Childs thanked the Society for putting up with him for so many years.

Next month’s speaker is Mr Martin Culliford of Machynlleth.

Spooked

2011-03-07T14:41:00.002Z

Blog Hits

2011-02-18T21:25:00.003Z

Congratulations/Llongyfarchiadau to everyone involved with the Society since we have over 6,000 hits (viewings) since the website started in 2007. Incidentally, this figure does not include the occasions that the editor has used the site for postings etc. The audience is mostly from the British Isles, however substantial traffic is coming from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and even Argentina. There is obviously a sizable Resolven/Resolfen diaspora out there in the blogosphere.

Well done everyone!! Da iawn bawb!!!!

CANAL FESTIVAL

2011-02-18T13:05:00.003Z

Brenda Oakes has found this article on a forthcoming canal festival in the Resolven area.

Welsh Waterways Festival28.01.2011
The Neath Valley is to play host to this year's prestigious Welsh Waterways Festival.

The annual festival, which takes place over the Whitsun Bank Holiday (28th-30th May), will be held on the restored section of the Neath Canal at Ynysarwed Farm near Resolven.
It is supported this year by the Valleys Regional Park with funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Welsh Assembly Government's Western Valleys Regeneration Programme. It forms part of the wider Valleys, Hearts and Soul campaign.
The nine kilometre length of canal is the first phase of a long term project to completely restore the Neath Canal from Glynneath to Briton Ferry and also into the Tennant Canal to Swansea Dockside and forms part of the wider regeneration plans for Neath.
The £5.2 million restoration included four locks and the building of the longest single span aqueduct (34 metres) in the UK taking the canal across the River Neath.
"The popular event is an opportunity for visitors to enjoy a beautiful rural location and to see the restoration of the canal between the villages of Aberdulais and Resolven," says Council Leader, Ali Thomas.
"Boaters will be able to travel downstream from the festival site across the aqueduct and through the locks into Neath town centre," added Councillor Thomas.
A caravan and camping site is situated nearby providing parking and temporary washing facilities for visiting caravanners and campers. There are also picnic areas along the canal bank.
"Neath Port Talbot Council is committed to working with the Neath and Tennant Canal Trust and the Neath Canal Company to encourage tourists to explore the waterways and visit the many historical attractions the Neath Valley has to offer," said Councillor Thomas.

Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration Jocelyn Davies AM said: "The Welsh Waterways Festival will provide an ideal opportunity for the Neath Valley to show what it has to offer both in terms of showing the local community what is on their doorstep and in encouraging visitors to the area.
"I am delighted that the Western Valleys Regeneration area and the Valleys Regional Park initiative funding has contributed to such a popular and successful event and to showcasing the improved facilities that will bring long term benefits the local community and economy."
Peter Ricketts from the Neath and Tennant Canal Trust added, "The Canals Trust formed in 1974, when the Neath and Tennant canals were only watercourses supplying water to local industry and un-navigable.
"The Trust has campaigned for their restoration to navigation to provide a recreational facility for all. We have worked closely with the canal companies and Local Authorities to achieve the amount of restoration carried out so far and to mark the achievements we applied to host the Inland Waterways Association National Trailboat Festival for 2011.
"The Trust is indebted to Neath Port Talbot Council, the Welsh Assembly and the IWA who have supported us in ensuring the forthcoming Festival is a great success."
Bob Minty of the Neath Canal Company added, "The Neath canal company who own and operate the canal are delighted to be involved in supporting this prestigious National Waterways Festival, which will enable visitors to appreciate the award winning sections of the canal below Ynysarwed and help to promote tourism through the entire Neath Valley.
"The Festival could not have proceeded without the tremendous work undertaken by Neath Port Talbot Council and the Neath and Tennant Canals Trust who both also helped to secure the funding required."

Phylip Jones rides to the rescue (once again)

2011-02-14T21:13:00.008Z

Chapel House- Tan-y Rhiw Road

T.S.Eliot once wrote that "April was the cruellest month", it would seem that February would assume that title for the History Society. For the second year in succession the advertised speaker could not make it, this time owing to a bad case of flu and laryngitis. We are extremely lucky as a Society that we have members who can, at the drop of a hat, give talks of quality and interest. Once again it was Phylip Jones who metaphorically rode to our collective rescue.

Phylip took the development of Resolven as his topic, using the national censuses from 1831 to 1891 as his guide. Prior to 1831, the area now known as Resolfen/Resolven was largely uninhabited and the derivation of the name of the village has been well discussed on this site in the past. Possibly the first settlement as such was on the north side of the Clydach Uchaf ( brook) at a spot called Capel Resolfen ( Soflan) . The area had been under the auspices of both Neath and Margam Abbey during the Middle Ages and the fields names "Cae'r Capel" ( Chapel Field ) and "Maes yr Eglwys" ( Church field ) at Ty'n y Cwm farm lend support to this claim. The farms included Ynysfach ( which originally gave its name to the settlement).The Ton in Neath Road today ( rebuilt in 1801) had an orchard on which the present Church hall now stands. Other farms included Pen-y-Gelli, Pentwyn, Glyncastle, Blaencamgoed, Drehir , Gwaun Gogofan Uchaf ac Isaf; and Aberclydach ( sometimes known locally as Tonmaen after the family that lived there). A tithe map of 1843, relates to the Manor of Resolven which stretched from the river Gwrach to the Clydach Isaf at Melincourt.

Melincourt developed earlier that present day Resolven owing to its ironworks (1716-1800) and both St.David's Church and Melincwrt Chapel were built in order to be nearer the main population centre. The settlement which today we would recognize as Resolven began with the building of Lyon's Place (after D.Whytton Lyon a local colliery owner),which was known as Lyon's Row/ Y Rhestr Fawr around 1840. The dram road ( tramway )from Whytton Lyon's level ( begun in 1835) stretched down to the river Neath and the Neath canal. The wooden piles can still be seen when the river Neath is low and the road was still known as the dram road until the completion of the A465 extension in 1995. Two of the houses in Lyons Place are still in their original style and the road we see today is the back of the houses which explains the steps down to the road. The original Sion Chapel was built in 1821 (rebuilt in 1868).A tavern, the Ynysfach Inn, stood where the library stands today.

By 1841, there was a recognisable settlement and indeed many of the families which are a feature of the village today were well established. Most were very local and nearly all were monoglot Welsh speakers.

In 1850, the railway arrived and the 1851 Census shows the population at 360 people. The Ynysfach Inn had closed and another hostelry then known as the Edwards Arms had been built ( the Edwards family who were not landed gentry had bought Rheola House and later changed their name to Vaughan ) this is now known as the Vaughan Arms. A schoolhouse had also been built where the new Tabernacl now stands.An Aberclydach Row had been built ( probably now Tan-y-Rhiw Road)and five houses had been built at Pencwar now known as Pentwyn.Three houses known as "Tai Mwclyd" ( thatched and probably made of whitewashed mud) stood where Woodlands stands today.

By 1861, a Shop Row was named instead of Aberclydach, and it is known that this included a cobblers. Shoemakers Row ( now Davies Terrace) was the home of Dafis y Crydd ( cobbler ) and his son built what is now Marcia's sweetshop and Ardwyn Terrace.New Inn Place had also been built by this time, though it did not contain 11 houses until the 1870s. Bethania Chapel which stood in Railway Tce - now the site of a sheltered home LLys Bethania

The 1870's heralded some new housing and names in that Shop Row was now Chapel Row;Pentwyn now had five houses including Brynhyfryd and Bryngolwg and a Sims Place and Court ( named after the publican of the now defunct Ynysfach Inn). The famous boxer Dai St. John had been born in Sims Ct. that was known locally in Welsh as "Bac y Vaughans". Railway Terrace was in the process of being built with its first six houses, "Tai'r Clwb" presumably funded by a local friendly society.

However, the 1880s spawned rapid urban development with the building of stone terraces for workers of the local collieries. Cory,Company and Yeo street added 130 houses to the village at a cost of £65 each. Jerusalem Road now had two houses ( nearest the present library) and Neath Rd would eventually grow from the direction of Melincourt in the 1890s. In fact the biggest difference with the advent of a new decade was the fact the census noted more non Welsh speakers,though they did learn the language quite quickly (especially if they wanted a wife). The population itself fluctuated since workers had no social security and moved with the opportunity of finding work.

The new century saw the building of the longest road in Resolfen, John St. It is noted for having a number 106 even though the terraces include only 105 houses. Neath road, in contrast was a road of well to do private residences. Phylip made the point that with some exceptions these were not wealthy people, but many were members of the Temperance Movement and presumably spent less of their expendable income and could afford the £150 to raise the houses. Rugby Road ( after the then location of the rugby ground ), Vaughan Avenue, Rheola Avenue and Cross St took their bows at this point. The back lanes were put in later and the chore of taking coal through the house was the bane of everyone's lives.

Following the second world war, work began on the building of council housing on the north bank of the Clydach brook, beginning with Clydach avenue. It is strange that half a century later the "new" houses are still referred to locally as "the site".

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Phylip Jones for his memorable talk. This was seconded by Mr Trefor Jones who said that it was remarkable that anyone could produce a lecture of such quality at such short notice.

Noel Thomas Memorial Lecture

2011-01-11T19:37:00.011Z

Andrew Marr and David Dimbleby

The Annual Noel Thomas Memorial Lecture was given by the President of Resolfen History Society, Phylip Jones. It was a pleasure once again to have members of the family of the late Noel Thomas in the large audience

As long as anyone can remember, Phylip Jones has spoken on "a local theme", which has given him a free hand to range as far as he needs on the history of Resolfen. However, this year, Phylip gave notice that he would stray form the confines of the village in his latest address. It is reasonable to suppose that he has also taken to watching the series "Grumpy Old Men" on the television, since they have been known to remark that a sign of growing older is to to be seen to rail against whatever happens to be on the box (which does not concur with your views). Whatever the reason, Phylip's approbrium was trained on Messrs Marr and Dimbleby of the BBC.

David Dimbleby's careless remark on his recent "History of Britain" series stating that St. Columba had brought Christianity to these shores was dismissed as sheer ignorance of the facts, even though he may well have brought Christianity to the Saxons. Phylip showed by a skilful use of the chronology of the spread of Christianity from the middle east to the shores of Britain, that this was certainly untrue. Christians had been martyred in Britain during the Roman occupation and also St. Patrick had been born in Wales in the 5th Century and had returned to evangelise Ireland in 436. Phylip's serious point was that the media often confuse British history with that of England. The fact that this goes largely unchallenged is a matter of great concern.

Phylip then turned his attack on Andrew Marr, a commentator whom he normally admires . Apparently, Mr Marr had described the Education Act of 1870 as the attempt to make the English and Welsh literate when the Scots were already so. This was obviously not so, since the Welsh people were already among the most literate in Europe at the time. Why the confusion? The answer is quite simple, the Welsh people were able to read Welsh but not English. Phylip Jones then gave a detailed account of the circulating schools of Griffith Jones, Llanddowror in the 18th century. Peripatetic teachers would serve a community for a period of three months which was considered sufficient by Griffith Jones for a person to be able to read. The phonetic nature of the Welsh language made this a viable option and periodicals in Welsh sold in their thousands e.g. Thomas Gee's Y Gwyddoniadur ( Encyclopedia). At least 5 of these circulating schools took place in Resolfen during the period. Interestingly, people were able to read printed work but could not write and would struggle with reading handwriting. Following the demise of the circulating schools in the 1760s the work was taken over by the Sunday School movement spearheaded by such famous Welshmen as Thomas Charles. However, the gloss was taken from this happy state of affairs by the "Treason of the Blue Books"in 1844 when the Welsh people were dismissed as tardy and sluttish by inspectors who were about as knowledgable of Welsh history as the forementioned Andrew Marr.

Mr Jones finished his talk with a familiar theme. One of his pet hates is when someone asks if RESOLVEN is a Welsh name. Once again he pointed out that the name of the village ( though really Ynysfach in any case) come from "Mynydd Soflan" ( literally stubble mountain ) combined with the familiar "Rhos" ( heathland) to give us, over the years, the slightly diluted present day version of anglicised Resolven. Apparently the historian Arthur Griffiths had found over twenty different versions of the name of Resolven in various documents. One possible explanation of the confusion is that "u" was pronounced "v" so that the spelling gave a rather French sounding "Resoulven" in some versions

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Phylip Jones once again for his memorable address.

New Year: New Activities

2011-01-10T10:53:00.004Z

Street party Company Street

Some important dates for members and supporters:

1. St David's Day Annual Dinner - owing to rising transport costs it was decided to hold the annual dinner this year at the Farmers Arms, Resolfen on Friday, March 11th . Members should note that numbers will be more limited this year and a £5 deposit will be needed. Rest assured, this year there is no clash with rugby internationals or the Women's Day of Prayer.

UPDATE:

Cost - £ 12.95 Three Courses including coffee.

Give your names to Brenda Oakes .

2. May Day - some members have asked that we use the society's archive more effectively. Therefore we will be holding a historical "treasure hunt" on the bank holiday, followed by a presentation of old Resolfen in photographs, such as the one above.

Any additional material welcome.

3. Visit to the Somme - following the November meeting, it has been suggested that the Society should organise a trip to see the battlefieds of Belgium. The viability of the visit will depend on the level of interest from members.

4. Summer trip - details are to be finalised, however a vist to Clyro under the guidance of
Mr Phylip Jones has been suggested.

Members Night

2010-12-14T21:16:00.004Z

In these days of supposed global warming/ climate change/ extreme weather it came as no surprise to the twenty or so brave members who attended the evening that this month's weather is extremely cold !!. Indeed, one commentator pointed out that the first week of December with its plunging temperatures was the coldest since 1894 in the British Isles and the second coldest since records began in the UK around 1650. Yet neither the arctic-like weather or seasonal coughs or colds could spoil what was a highly successful meeting.

The evening began with a contribution from keen photographer John Watson. John had taken a series of pictures of the Society's trip to Acton Scott on a balmy June day this year. It was wonderful to be reminded of a visit to a location which is now the subject of a number of historic documentary series currently being shown on television.

The second contributor was Mr Colin Evans who took "The Brig Resolven" as his topic. The tale of the ship is rather a mystery, and she is sometimes called the "Marie Celeste" of Wales, since the ship was found abandoned off Newfoundland with the fire still alight in the grate and no sign of a crew. Mr Evans described solving the mystery of the fate of the Resolven as being rather like trying to piece a detective story together. Following on from the work undertaken by John Mc Mahon and the late Alun Evans some twenty years ago, Mr Evans has followed some new leads and he intends to present the story in full on our website in the near future.

The third contibutor was our Secretary, Trefor Jones. Mr Jones took the nearly forgotten and epic tale of the 1925 Anthracite Strike which was centered on the town of Ammanford. The nature of the anthracite coalfield, the causes of the strike, the dramatic events and its results were discussed. Once again, Mr Jones intends to develop his contibution into an article on this blog.

The evening concluded with festive fare including mulled wine and the now "traditional" Christmas Quiz. This year, our new projector was used to give the quiz a digital aspect, since historical figures had to be recognised with powerpoint providing the clues. This did not diminish the intellectual acumen of the members since the sweets and crackers were won with comparative ease.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked the contributors for their efforts and wished all members present and those absent a happy Christmas and a prosperous new year.

NADOLIG LLAWEN A BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA

Festive Events

2010-11-19T10:42:00.003Z

Our next meeting on Monday, December 13th will be our annual Members Night. The meeting will include some proper history from members and some frivolity in the form of the annual Christmas Quiz. Hopefully, Santa will also provide us with some festive mulled wine and minced pies.

Cefncoed Museum are having a Family Day before our next meeting, therefore it was opportune to place their poster for the day on our site.

A Week to Remember

2010-11-10T09:17:00.013Z

The Chairman opened the meeting by stating that the topic of this month's lecture, the Battle of the Somme, was very appropriate since it fell in the same week as the annual commemoration of the Armistice at the end of the First World War. He welcomed the speaker Mr Nev Anthony of Garnant, an amateur historian who has spent a great deal of time researching the contribution of the 38th Welsh Division to the "Great War".

Mr Phylip Jones, Mr Nev Anthony and Mr Gwyn Thomas.

Mr Anthony began his lecture by explaining why the 38th Welsh division had been established in the first place. David Lloyd George, the only Welsh speaking prime minister, had called for the establishment of a Welsh Corps for the conflict, however despite the fact that over 50,000 Welshmen either volunteered or were conscripted, a corps was too large a target and thus the 38th was formed. The division was made up of "pals" regiments where friends were allowed to serve together from various towns and cities in Wales. Howver the "pals" concept had the obvious downside that the friends also died together. Some 85% of the soldiers were aged between 15 and 25 years and 90% were Welsh speaking ( a third of whom were monoglot and caused great problems for the drill sergeants!!).

The Division trained at Winchester in 1915. Mr Anthony told the audience that some of the more comic episodes of this period involved a detachment of policemen. Rhondda miners who had been involved in the infamous Cambrian dispute of 1910 ( which is also being celebrated this week) were jeered by the police. Recognising them,the soldiers, remembering the riots at Tonypandy, laid siege to their barracks for over twenty four hours to enact revenge in a way reminiscent of a "western brawl". Another incident involved some 50 women who arrived at the camp to find the men who had promised to marry them, they received short shrift from the men who gave false signatures to their enquiries.

On December 1st 1915, the 38th embarked for the western front. Despite being very well trained and drilled, the command of the Division was rather lacking since Lloyd George had installed a highly inexperienced band of his cronies to lead the campaign, a factor which was to cost very dear. Within a fortnight they were in the trenches and later were ordered to the Somme. The inexperienced officers were quite quickly replaced since they were so obviously ineffective, and when arriving at the Somme on July 1st 1916 the 38th came under the command of General Henry Sinclair Horne. Mr Anthony described Horne as a very ruthless and callous man who had little regard for his soldiers and indeed held contempt for the 38th Welsh Division.

On the 8th July, the 38th were ordered to attack Mametz wood " a 220 acre stretch of oaks and birches which the Germans had made into a masterpiece of defensive strength with underground refuges, gun emplacements and barbed wire". Initial reconnaissance had indicated that the wood was empty but when the 38th attacked they met very stiff resistance and received four hundred casualties within the first hour before reaching the wood itself. Horne ordered the attack to be resumed in the afternoon, however while waiting the troops sang the hymn tune "Aberystwyth" prior to the attack, an incident dramatically captured in the diary of a German soldier who listened to the "eerie, beautiful sound". The carnage which followed was described by Mr Anthony as a scene from Dante's inferno: total war. Everything which could be used to fight from picks to bayonets was thrown into the fray. Eventually the Welsh drove out the crack Prussian troops from Mametz wood, but 4,000 of the division lay dead in its branches.

Horne's official report, to put it mildly, did not credit the 38th with their achievement. Casualties were described as "light" and the Welshmen accused of running away.After all, this was a general who measured success in the comparative thousands of troops killed on both sides by his "creeping barrage" strategy. ( This travesty has been put to rest by later historians who described the 38th as being only slightly below an elite, and interestingly Baron Horne's wife burned much of his personal letters following his death in 1929 at the age of 68. Ed.) Mametz wood today is the location of a striking memorial with a dragon holding barbed wire found from the battle in its claw.

The Division was taken from the Somme and sent to rest at Ypres. The area was comparatively quiet compared to the Somme since casualties were only 109 per day!! The most memorable engagement in 1917 was that of Pilcken Ridge in the Third Battle of Ypres when the 38th defeated a crack German regiment who had never been beaten in the past. The Australian commander accompanying the offensive described the 38th as " tough little buggers with whom it was an honour to serve". In 1918, the 38th were sent to Armetieres where they took part in the final offensive on the Somme.

Following the Armistice on November the 11th 1918. The Welsh troops fomed a rugby team which beat both the Franch national side and one composed of New Zealand troops. The 38th was finally disabanded in 1924.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Anthony for a most memorable evening, made more poignant by the week in which it had taken place.

The Battle of the Somme

2010-11-01T17:49:00.005Z

This month's lecture will be by Mr Nev Anthony of Glanaman, who will speak on the role of the Welsh Division in the Battle of the Somme. The meeting will commence at 7:00 in the Church Hall on Monday, 8th November. Hopefully, all members will be able to attend.

John Nash and Rheola House

2010-10-19T14:05:00.008Z

The Agent's House - now Brynawel,

Last May, the Society had a very successful visit to Rheola House. At the time, a more definitive history of the House was promised but was not forthcoming. However, a chance conversation with Mrs Joan Lewis who lives at Brynawel, the agent's cottage built and designed by Nash, led to this account by Richard Suggett in his book on John Nash. The book in itself is of interest since it was found in London and is written in a bilingual format.

John Edwards and Rheola ( It may be advantageous to look at the archive photos on the website to make more sense of the article. Ed.)

John Edwards returns us to Nash's family and Glamorgan. Despite their age difference, there were close ties of friendship and business between the cousins. They shared of course the same artisan family background in Lambeth; both were successful self-made professional men with political ambitions. The house which Nash designed for Edwards at Rheola has a special significance and helps us to understand the nuances which the picturesque held for the middle classes.

Nash's uncle, John Edwards senr., was a successful engineer and had bought Rheola in the Vale of Neath, presumably because of the family links with Neath. His son John Edwards jnr., prospered as a family solicitor, made two advantageous marriages and decided to improve Rheola which then became his principal home. There seems no reason to doubt the family tradition that Edwards asked Nash to enlarge the farmhouse at Rheola, but "impressed upon Nash that ---------- it was his special desire that it should preserve its cottage -like appearance".

The improvements at Rheola were contemporary with those proposed for Nanteos ( near Aberystwyth) and George Repton made a significant contribution to both designs. A payment in September 1814 of "Mr Repton's expenses at Rheola" recorded in the Nanteos accounts provides documentary evidence of his involvement at both sites. The designs for Rheola and Nanteos seem to have proceeded together and in some ways each provides a commmentary on the other. Drawings for two farmhouses and a "steward's house", (now Brynawel) at Rheola are preserved in one of Repton's surviving notebooks and have the picturesque features familiar from the Nanteos designs; tall chanfered chimneys, dormers, projecting porches and windows, and sheltered seats.

Rheola House seems to have developed from a design for a famhouse with a verandahed front and canted end and was built in several stages at a reputed cost of £25,000. The distinctive elevation was repeated at both the garden and entrance fronts, giving an L shaped range. A further range with a canted bay was soon added, making the plan U-shaped ( infilled with service rooms), and the building was completed by a crested conservatory which could be entered from the morning-room. When finished Rheola contained a full range of principal rooms, which included a dining-room in which were to hang portraits of Nash and George IV.

Rheola was in fact a large country house, however it is quite clear from the contemporary visual record that Rheola was presented as a cottage, albeit of a rather Continental kind. From the roadside, the compact garden front was visible but the extensive wings of the house were hidden. Early drawings show how Rheola was approached by gated path rather than a grand drive; the loggia'd entrance front with its rustic columns was withheld from view until the garden front had been passed.

Thomas Horner's well-known drawings of Rheola brilliantly convey the charm and the informality of the "cottage". Horner was the inventor of an "improved mode of delineating estates". Edwards commissioned from him a huge map and panorama which showed Rheola in its landscape setting ( a copy of which is on view in the Miner's Welfare hall in Resolfen, the original having been sold to the Borough Council - Ed.) The Neath Canal occupies the foreground and Rheola is set in the middle distance where it appears as a dwelling not greatly different is scale to the adjoinng farms and cottages. A large stable block and laundry ( see visit to Rheola pictures Ed.) was set at some distance before the house so as not to spoil this prospect. Alongside the house ran Rheola Brook which was crossed by an Alpine bridge. Behind the house ran a wooded dingle with unregimented walks and a rustic thatched and verandahed "bachelors hall" provided for visitors. Beyond lay the unenclosed high common land. The attractions of Rheola according to Horner lay not in the number of acres on the estate but by rather by its included beauties.

Rheola was a mansion but its successful presentation as a cottage and the romantization of the cottage orne may have begun with the gentry but had a growing appeal for the middle classes and was increrasingly appropriated by them as the precursor of innumerable suburban houses based on the idealisation of the cottage. This embodied the significant vitues of the middle class; independence, seclusion, snug domesticity, and the idea that happiness need not be supported by great wealth.

Eisteddfod Historical Map

2010-10-13T21:00:00.006Z

An illustrated plate produced by the Resolfen Fund raising Committe for the Eisteddfod

The National Eisteddfod visited the Vale of Neath in 1994. Each community in the area established fund raising committees to raise money for the event. Among the items produced for sale centrally by the Eisteddfod was an illustrated historical map of the area. These were quite expensive to buy at the time and were also very attractive. Sadly, Eleanor Harries the well known local soprano and voice coach died recently, and her family have decided to donate one of these maps which was in her possession to the Society. It was decided to place the illustrated historical map in the Community Centre.

Celts and Romans

2010-10-12T11:02:00.007Z

A modern re-enactment of a Roman v Brythonic battle - no chariots?

This month's speaker was Mr Glyn Rees of Bridgend, who originally hails from Glynneath. he explained that he had served as a JP on the Neath bench and had also worked on basic skills with the students at the old reformatory in the town known colloquially as the "Farm School". He took as his subject the vast field of the "Celts and Romans", and he explained that the study of ancient history lacked fundamental facts and figureswith much given over to conjecture.

He started his talk by discussing the origins of the Celts, who were known as Keltoi by the Greeks and Galli by the Romans. The multitude of tribes which were known as Celts started in modern day upper Austria and Switzerland between Hallstadt and La-Tene. Indeed the prefix "Hal" as in the city of Hallein refers to the salt mined in the area ( Halen is modern Welsh for salt). They spread across Europe including Iberia, the Balkans,Gaul and even Asia Minor - Galatia. Eventually the tall, blonde Celtic tribes arrived in Britain ( beaker people) where they integrated with the indigenous population and became the Ancient Britons or Brythoniaid. Trading links with Gaul were maintained and it was this meddling in a Gaulish revolt against the Romans which first brought them to Britain in 55BC. Today, the Welsh, Breton and Cornish languages are echoes of the existence of these ancient Britons as are names such as Cumbria ( similar to Cymru),Cornwall/Cernyw/Cornouaille and Bro Breizh/ Bretagne/Brittany in modern day NW France. The Celts of western and northern Britain spoke a Goildelic version of Celtic today represented by Scots Gaelic, Erse and Manx. The Irish were known as Fenni by the Romans, a name reprised by the Fennians of more recent Irish history. The Celts had a great artistic legacy, a druidic religion based on the worship of nature particularly rivers and oak trees.They were not the uncouth barbarians of uncertain morals and alliegences as described by the Roman historian, Tacitus ( history is always the version of the victorious), but were conversely highly skilled in metalwork and even devised the chariot before the Romans. Mr Rees also pointed out that the Celts had actually sacked Rome in 300 BC when the city state was in its infancy.

Mr Rees then turned his attention to the Romans. He stated that they had first arrived in Britain under Julius Caesar ( then Governor of Gaul) in 55BC and had to return in 54 BC owing to the fact that the Britons had reneged on a deal to stop supplying the rebellious Gauls. The Romans later returned under the Emperor Claudius in 43 AD and occupied the islands for nearly four hundred years. Tacitus, rather condescendingly concludes that the easy success of the Romans over the disparate and mesmerised Brythonic tribes was caused by the improvements introduced by newcomers in terms of roads, housing, civil society and villa farming methods. This was evidently rather propagandist since, since the uprising of Boudicca/Buddug in AD60/61( buddigoliaeth means victory in Welsh) and the sacking of Romanised Londinium shows that it was hardly that easy. Much of what is now Wales was a militarized zone througout the Roman occupation and Hibernia ( the land of winter) was never conquered by the legions. Indeed, the Antonine and later Hadrian's Wall were literally a fortified edge of empire, despised by their mainly Hispanic defenders. In the year 410 AD a cash strapped Roman Empire withdrew the defensive legions and the Roman-British inhabitants were exposed to the ravages of marauders from Norse, Jute, Angle and Saxon raiders. However, the legacy of the Romans remains not only in the archaeology of modern Britain, but also in the form of settlements such as Chester,Colchester, Bath ( Aquae Sulis), Winchester and even Nidum ( Neath - town of the Celtic god Nudd). There are over 700 Latinate words in modern day Welsh and Roman Law also forms some of the bedrock of our legal systems.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Rees for his talk and remarked that it was a mammoth and highly complicated topic.

Next month's speaker is Mr Neville Anthony of Glanaman who will speak on the Battle of the Somme.

Start of Lecture Season

2010-10-08T15:14:00.003Z

Our series of lectures will begin Monday 11th October when the speaker will be Mr Glyn Rees of Pencoed. His subject will be "Celts and Romans". Later in the year there will be a talk by Mr Richard Keen on landscape change and some may be interested that a lecture on the effect of mining will be held in Swansea University at the end of the month - details below:

Mair and Bob: Life Members

2010-10-03T13:16:00.003Z

As was reported in a previous posting, Mair and Bob Norton were made life members of the History Society in the AGM. Many thanks to the Chairman, Mr Gwyn Thomas for these photos of the happy event.

Mair and Bob

Julie Hicks presents Mrs Mair Norton with a bouquet of flowers.

Mr Phylip Jones presents Mr Bob Norton with a gift in recognition of his contribution to the Society.

AGM

2010-09-14T13:19:00.006Z

Despite the inclement weather,some twenty members attended the Annual General Meeting on Monday 13th September. There were no major changes in the ranks of the officers however we are still short of a transport officer,vice chair and a committee member. Any volunteers?

President: Mr Phylip Jones

Chairman: Mr Gwyn Thomas

Vice-Chair: Vacant

Treasurer:Mrs Julie Hicks

Secretary: Mr Trefor Jones.

Transport Officers: Mrs Val Davies ( one vacancy)

Committee: Josie Duke,Margaret Evans, Daphne Gadd, John Rees (one vacancy)

Both Gwyn Thomas and Phylip Jones spoke of the busy year that the Society had experienced during the last session and that they looked forward to an equally industrious year in 2010-11.

There was only one notice of motion which came from the Committee - "That Mair and Bob Norton become Life members". The motion was accepted without need of a vote.

Mair and Bob Norton - Life Members of the Society

Mair and Bob have been members of the History Society since its inception in 1983 and meetings have been held at their home for well over twenty years. Mair was also Treasurer of the Society for a decade. The Nortons were presented with a gift from the members ( picture to follow).

A full list of the lecture programme will be posted after our next meeting on Monday October 11th when our speaker will be Mr Glyn Rees of Pencoed and his subject will be "Celts and Romans".

First World war Exhibition in Swansea, 25th September.

2010-09-13T10:05:00.003Z

Mr Gethin Matthews has contacted the Society regarding a new archive on Welsh people during the First World War. If any member would like to contribute to the archive Mr Matthews would be very grateful if you would contact him directly - matthewsGH@cardiff.ac.uk , alternatively the archive can be viewed online at http://www.rhyfelmawr.com/ or www.welshvoices.com . The xhibition will take place at the Waterfornt Museum on Saturday 25th September between 10am and 4 pm.

Taith Ddiwylliannol

2010-09-08T11:48:00.004Z

Mae Menter Iaith Castell-nedd Port Talbot wedi trefnu taith ddiwylliannol drwy'r cwm er mwyn hyrwyddo ymwybyddiaeth siaradwyr Cymraeg lleol o'u diwylliant a'u hetifeddiaeth hanesyddol . Mae bws wedi ei logi ar gost o £4 ond rhaid archebu seddd ar y bws ar : 01792 - 864949. Tywysydd y daith yw ein Llywydd Anrhydeddus, Mr Phylip Jones.

( For English translation see Trefor - the visit will be entirely through the medium of Welsh. This is not a History Society trip but one organised by the local Welsh language Enterprise Group - Menter Iaith)

AGM

2010-09-05T22:27:00.003Z

The Annual General Meeting of the Society will take place on Monday September 13th at 7:00pm in the Church Hall.

Hopefully, we will have as good a turnout as last year when over twenty members attended. Owing to the fact that Bob and Mair Norton are stepping down from the Committee we will need some new members to help steer our thriving history society over the next year.

Croeso cynnes i bawb!!

Henry D'Esterre Darby

2010-07-05T14:27:00.007Z

Captain Henry D'Esterre Darby

Professor Christopher Page has kindly sent us some further details on his distant relative, Captain Henry Darby who was captain of HMS Bellerophon. David Cordingly's book " Billy Ruffian - The Bellerophon and the Downfall of Napoleon", describes him as follows.

" The Bellerophon's fourth captain was Henry D'Esterre Darby a 47 year old Irishman. An engraved portrait ( see above) shows a handsome man with a sardonic expression. He was not an aristocrat but came from the landed gentry. His father was a barrister whose family owned Leap Castle in King's County, some fifty miles west of Dublin. His uncle George was a vice-admiral. Henry joined the navy as a midshipman at the age of thirteen and spent several years serving in frigates. His progress through the ranks was slow compared to the meteoric careers of some of his contemporaries. He was twenty seven when he became a lieutenant and, although he spent two years on the Britannia, the flagship of his uncle who was then in command of the Channel Fleet, it was not until 1783 that he was appointed captain at the comparatively advanced age of thirty four".

Leap Castle, Ireland.

The Bellerophon saw action under Darby's command off Ireland and more famously in Aboukir Bay at the battle of the Nile in 1798. Darby was obviously a gifted organiser since the Bellerophon was battle ready and shipshape in a few hours prior to the battle. However, Nelson was anxious to spring a surprise on the French and almost immediately attacked the French fleet which was at anchor at 3 pm. Despite having a stolen French chart of the Nile delta, the depth of water was unknown which meant that Bellerophon through a series of manoeveres ended up parallel to the enormous French flagship L'Orient with her three gun decks to the Bellerophon's two. A battle at point blank range ensued with the two ships almost touching ( presses touches) and the carnage was awful with massive casualties on both sides. Captain Darby received a head wound though he survived the battle. In all, the Bellerophon lost 3 lieutenants, 1 master's mate, 32 seamen and 13 marines killed with 143 wounded. Remarkably, the Bellerophon was patched up within the week and went on to serve in the the Royal Navy for a further forty years.

Captain Henry D'Esterre Darby ended his career with the rank of Admiral, he also like his descendant, Sir Henry Clifford Darby received a knighthood.

The Billy Ruffian : HMS Bellerophon

2010-06-30T12:48:00.005Z

HMS Bellerophon

Last Monday, Channel 4 ( England ) broadcast a documentary titled

“ The Untold Battle of Trafalgar”. The programme told the story in docudrama format of the warship HMS Bellerophon and its role in the Battle of Trafalgar. The naval battle, which as every schoolboy or girl used to know, took place on October 21st 1805. Bellerophon was one of 33 warships in Nelson’s fleet with a multinational crew of 500 sailors. The burden of the programme revolved around the fact that far from the popular image of the battle, the crew included at least 12 nationalities which varied from a white slave Dane , black escaped slaves from the Americas, press ganged Englishmen and convicts. The incentive to the crew of “prize money”, which entailed getting a share of the pillage following the engagement explained in large part the motivation of the crew in fighting so robustly on the day. The Captain who was named Cooke, was killed during the battle and the programme centred on the role of Lieutenant Pryce-Cumby who deftly organised the crew to glorious victory. Unfortunately, most of the combined Spanish and French fleet was destroyed not by battle, but ironically by the ferociousness of a Biscay gale in the following days, which devalued the prize money to a few pound each for the 18,000 sailors who had fought on the winning side. The sailors themselves had christened the ship, Billy Ruffian.

One might ask why this article is appearing on the Resolfen History Society website ? Unbelievably, there is a connection with this historic event and our community. Prior to the programme, Betty Wyman contacted the Society to inform us that Professor Christopher Page had unearthed a nugget of information providing a link with our own esteemed Sir Clifford Darby. He also contacted the Society with further geneaological information

Clifford Darby it appears was a very distant if direct descendant of Lovett Darby ( 1754-1818 ). One of nine siblings, his brother Henry Darby (1749- 1823) was Captain of the Bellerophon in 1798 at the Battle of the Nile. Unfortunately he was injured during the battle and subsequently had been relieved of command by the time of the Battle of Trafalgar. Interestingly, the Darbys were then an Irish family and Professor Page suspects that they moved to Ireland during the outrages of the Cromwellian Era in the17th Century.

The Bellerophon made one other famous voyage, since it was she who took Napoleon Bonaparte to his second exile and ultimate demise on the Island of Saint Helena following the battle of Waterloo. The full biographical history of the ship ( 1782-1836 ) is retold in the book “Billy Ruffian – the Bellerophon and the Downfall of Napoleon”, by David Cordingley.

Many thanks to Betty and Professor Page for bringing this fascinating twist to our attention. The programme may be watched again using the 40D facility on the Channel 4 website http://www.channel4.com/programmes/4od

More scenes from Acton Scott

2010-06-25T10:41:00.006Z

Our Chairman, Mr Gwyn Thomas has given the website a series of images of our outing to Acton Scott.

A woodpile for the firing of the brick kiln.

The brick kiln

The members eye the schoolroom ( also the tea room ).

The pig sty.

The cider press with Home Farm in background.

Shire Horses

At last!! the Tearoom - sorry the schoolroom!!!

Some people are easily amused - its not a real cow Jean !!

An exhibition of butter making.

Each pat of butter is done to a shape peculiar to the area of production. In Wales, butter is traditionally made in a circular shape.

Many thanks to Gwyn for happy memeories of a wonderful day.

Victorian Farm

2010-06-14T10:06:00.006Z

Summer Visit: Acton Scott Historic Farm – Shropshire.

This year’s summer excursion took the Society over Offa’s Dyke to Acton Scott near Church Stretton in Shropshire. Some twenty seven members and friends of the Society made the trip and the weather was luckily very favourable since most of what the historic working farm at Acton Scott has to offer is out of doors.

The scholroom ( constructed 1860s)

Home Farm ( built in 1730s)

Acton Scott, or “Victorian Farm” is best known as the subject of a BBC2 series filmed for around twelve months in 2007. It was evident immediately that this type of series ( including our own Coal House series) involves a great deal of ingenuity on behalf of the film crew since the various scenes were shot at a variety of locations both on the Historic Working farm ( Home Farm) and the wider Acton Scott estate. Activities that the film crew took included cheese and butter making, timber sawing, threshing in the rick yard, the work of the wheelwright, bodging, haymaking, brick manufacture, stock husbandry and general kitchen activities. The television crew returned in 2009 to film a Christmas special which was aired in the December of that year. Unfortunately, the number of activities that were on display during our visit were rather limited since most of the craftsmen are employed by Shropshire County Council and did not work weekends ( see video clips at bottom of post).

A brick built hay barn adjoining the Bailiff's Cottage

The visit began with a guided tour of the estate and it was explained that Home Farm was situated on higher ground and therefore it was used to experiment with the growing of crops under the assumption that if they grew there then they would be suitable for introduction on the rest of the estate. The farmhouse itself was out of bounds to visitors as was the walled garden since they remained within the private part of the estate. However a visit to the Bailiff’s cottage and schoolroom (which doubled as the café and was very popular with our group) gave an idea of the relative harshness of life during Victorian times. The rooms of the bailiff’s cottage also contained cookery and butter making demonstrations. The rest of the visit involved a very pleasant and leisurely stroll around the farm and its attractions.

The Farrier's area

On the way home the group stopped at a flag festooned Leominster. However, many of the shops appeared to have closed early since apparently there was a certain football match happening that evening in South Africa.

The History Society will now take a short break until September 13th when the AGM will take place . However articles will continue to appear on our blog and lets all hope for a glorious summer.

Elliot's Colliery engine.

2010-05-20T15:21:00.006Z

Last year's summer trip included a visit to Elliot's Colliery winding house in New Tredegar. Mrs Brenda Oakes has recently given the Society some photographs and video clips of the day. Brenda points out that the video clips were taken on her ordinary camera, however they do give an impression of the might of the winding engine which worked for some eighty years non stop at the colliery.

More photos of Rheola Visit

2010-05-17T18:44:00.006Z

Our Chairman, Gwyn Thomas has compiled a series of photographs of our visit to Rheola. Here follows a selection of some of the photos

Arriving at Rheola

Outside the stables

The building which is presumed to have been the mill on the estate.

Inside the courtyard of the stables.

Inside the stables - the blocks were tiled and spacious with brass fittings

Rheola brook ( Nant Clwyd) - the waterway has been straightened and its banks artificially raised from its original course. The debris in the channel indicate that it can be quite a powerful stream when in spate and the estate contains several erratic boulders from a severe flood in the 19th century.

Rheola Pond - the lake is stocked with carp, includes a heronry and has exotic visitors including an annual avian visitor from Egypt!.

The path was rather boggy at this point, some of the members had not heeded the advice to wear suitable footwear!!

The Ice House.

Rheola House

The walled gardens

I Dreamed A Dream Of Times Gone By: Rheola

2010-05-11T10:15:00.024Z

RHEOLA HOUSE AND OWNER HOWARD REES

This month’s meeting was rather unusual in that it happened al fresco at the Rheola Estate. Mr Howard Rees, who is in the process of restoring the estate to its former glory through a series of highly exciting ventures, extended an invitation to the Society to undertake a guided tour of the Vale of Neath estate. Even though every member is used to passing the former aluminium works site with its Saturday market on an almost daily basis, the sheer scale of the features of the estate was truly wonderful.

Mr Rees began the visit by welcoming the thirty plus contingent of members and supporters to Rheola and explained his plans for its 150 acres. It appears that both Howard and his late father Ron had a shared dream of restoring Rheola to its Georgian/Victorian splendour as one of the best Nash designed properties in the UK ( A short history of Rheola will follow in a later posting). This has involved a major project in partnership with the local authority and the Welsh Assembly. The aim is to re-develop Rheola as a working estate and also to incorporate tourist facilities in an ecologically sensitive way. It was quite obvious from Howard's enthusiasm that this was very much a labour of love and also that the project, in its several guises, will take many years to complete fully.

The members were then taken on a two hour hike around the estate terminating at Rheola House itself where the substantial walled gardens are in the process of being carefully restored by a permanent team of historians and archaeologists.

Some photos of the visit with footnotes appear below:

Mr Howard Rees welcomes the History Society.

The stable block at Rheola.

The remains of workers cottages

The original stagecoach road which ran through the Vale of Neath. The road ran past the Farmers Arms ( Ynisbipan) and Abergarwed to Neath.

The ice house with Rheola pond in background. In the colder winters of the nineteenth century blocks of ice from the pond were cut, stored and insulated in an ice house which would be used when needed to chill food and wine in the summer.

Californian Redwoods. It was usual for Victorians to gather exotic plants from their travels and the Vaughans developed a famous pinery. However another less exotic import from this practice still inhabits the estate, Japanese knotweed.

A recently discovered granite bottomed cold bath, those Victorians were tough!!

An unusual view of Rheola House showing the extent of the building. The dome in the middle of the mansion is a signature of Nash's designs

The walled garden with a hypercaust system supplied by coal from the estate.This enabled Rheola to produce tropical fruits such as pineapples, a giant example was presented to Queen Victoria by the Vaughan family.

Both Mr Phylip Jones and Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Rees for a memorable visit and congratulated him on his forthcoming wedding.

Editor's note: Mrs Ceri Watkins who was due to speak this month will come to visit us next year.

More photos of Darby unveiling

2010-05-11T08:58:00.006Z

The plaque to Sir Cliff Darby alongside the plaque to the Three Doctors.

Anyone for a cup of tea? Margaret, Julie and Jean ready to oblige.

Professor Christopher Page of Birmingham University a distant relative of Sir Cliff Darby.

Mr Phylip Jones gives an address on Sir Cliff Darby.

Mr Gwyn Thomas acts as MC

The large contingent of members in the Hall

Photos: Mr Gwyn Thomas , Trefor Jones and Brenda Oakes.

Sir Cliff Darby Memorial Plaque

2010-05-05T08:53:00.008Z

From left to right: Mr Gwyn Thomas, Professor Christopher Page and Mr Gwyn Bishop.

This week may well be an historic one in more ways than one, however Monday May 3rd proved the culmination of a long awaited wish of the History Society to mark the contribution of Resolven’s Sir Cliff Darby to his subject, historical geography.

Once again a large contingent of members, councillors and supporters came together to unveil the plaque on Y Ganolfan. The plaque was unveiled by Mr Gwyn Thomas ( Chairman), Professor Christopher Page and Mr Gwyn Thomas ( Chairman of the Community Council).

Following the unveiling, a short address was given by Mr Phylip Jones who told the remarkable story of Clifford Darby, who had entered Cambridge University at the tender age of sixteen and had an academic career of utter brilliance in his field. The second speaker was Professor Chiristopher Page of Birmingham University, a distant relative of Cliff Darby who through sheer chance had been in conversation with Betty Whyman and had decided to attend the unveiling with his wife. It is known that Cliff Darby had two daughters however both the History Society and the Page family have drawn a blank at tracing them.

The formal part of the proceedings was drawn to a close by Mr Gwyn Bishop who responded on behalf of the Community Council. In conclusion, Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Resolven Community Council for their financial support and to Mr Nick Thomas of Vale Memorials for his craftsmanship.

The achievements of Cliff Darby have been recounted elsewhere on this website and it is fitting at this juncture to recount extracts from the “Journal of Historical Geography”, who produced a special edition in his honour to note the occasion of Darby’s 80th birthday ( supplied by Professor Page).

Editorial - “Journal of Historical Geography Vol 15.1 (1989)

On 7th February, 1989 Sir Clifford Darby, C.B.E., F.B.A., will enjoy his 80th birthday and this number of the Journal of Historical Geography celebrates that occasion. It also marks, albeit inadequately, the debt which the international community of historical geographers owes to the spirit of improvement – to the impulse to experiment with new problems, new sources and new methodologies – with which Clifford Darby has imbued his writing on historical geography since 1928 when he published his first paper ( at the age of 19 (Ed)). Darby’s sixty years of research and publication in historical geography wight appropriately be called “the age of the improver”, an appellation which he chose for an essay on a remarkable period of innovation and progress in English agriculture.

(More photos to follow)

Cliff Darby unveiling

2010-04-20T15:32:00.005Z

A reminder to all members that the plaque erected in memory of the late Sir Cliff Darby will be unveiled at the Community Centre/Y Ganolfan, on Monday May 3rd - May Day Bank Holiday. The event is a joint effort between the History Society and Resolven Community Council who are funding the plaque itself. All members, councillors and anyone with an interest in the event are welcome to attend the unveiling. Following the short ceremony a light finger buffet will be served.

Members who are interested in coming on the visit to Acton Scott "Victorian Farm" should give their names to Margaret Evans.

April Meeting

2010-04-14T07:48:00.001Z

Archive Cine Show

Mal Brake is an old friend of the History Society and we were very grateful to him for coming to entertain us once again following the untimely death of the original speaker, Mr Phillip Whitehead. Mr Brake has a passion with old cine footage particularly that containing scenes of the steam age. The members were this time treated to five short vintage films.

The first was titled “Valleys of Steam” and concentrated on the industrial legacy of the south Wales valleys. It was noticeable, that even though the film, shot by train enthusiasts, was only completed in 1968 it revealed a world not much changed from the 1920s. The mispronounciation of Welsh place names provoked much hilarity.

The second film showed the “Romney,Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway”. This railway with its diminutive locomotives is still running as a tourist attraction in Kent, but started its life as a working passenger service. During the war it was used to carry munitions and the trains were armoured as protection. Once again the film revealed a summer holiday scene which has somehow passed everyone by.

The third film focussed on a steam railway in New Zealand, where an American type loco provided a summer service for tourists. The members were then taken on a tour of the narrow gauge railways and tramlines of the Isle of Man, remarkably the island had also lost much of its narrow gauge railway network during the 1960s even though it was not subject to the “Beeching cuts”, which had scythed their way through the network on the mainland. Finally, Mr Brake brought the evening to a halt with a visit to the Vale of Rheidol Light Railway in Mid Wales. This remains the only steam driven service which was maintained by the then privatised British Rail. To emphasise this the carriages and locomotive in the film had been painted in the BR blu livery, an aspect which caused much amusement at the time.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Brake for a very informative and entertaining evening.

Members should note that next month’s meeting has been changed, and a visit to view the excavations at Rheola House will now take place on May 10th . Members should meet at 5:30 outside the Church Hall so that cars will be able to ferry members to Rheola by 6:00. Any volunteers to drive cars would be much appreciated.

A Tribute at Easter

2010-04-02T11:47:00.008Z

The work of the Resolven Operatic Society has been chronicled elsewhere on this blog. However a lesser known aspect of the Society’s activities was to produce an Easter concert of religious pieces to mark Holy Week. The Programme shown above was printed for such a concert, featuring the work of Resolfen's celebrated "Three Doctors"in April, 1990. The concert marked the culmination of months of winter preparation under the able baton of the late Glyn Davies BA.

Part One featured the cantata “Bethany” by William Rhys Herbert. The soloists ( some of whom are still actively involved in the musical scene of the village) were:

Mary Elinor Harries,Soprano.

Martha Arlene Price, Contralto.

Lazarus Lyn Maddocks ,Tenor.

Jesus John Harries. Baritone.

Disciple Ken Lewis, Baritone.

Messenger Bernard Davies, Baritone.

The choir was drawn from the augmented chorus of the Resolven and District Operatic Society.

Part Two featured a selection of works by the Three Doctors performed by both soloists and choir. The pieces included “Gwynach Na’r Eira” and “O Na Wyddwn Pa le Y Cawn Ef” by David Evans and “Dwy Aden Colomen Pe cawn” by Tom Hopkin Evans.

In an advert on the last page the next production of the Operatic Society is shown as the “The Merry Widow”, by Franz Lehar. It is rather a sobering thought that a vibrant, village based society has disappeared in such a short period of time.

In search of the "Saint"

2010-03-22T12:02:00.006Z

The story of Dai“St”John, the famous boxer has been covered before in this blog. However, recently Mr Lawrence Davies has contacted the Society regarding a book he is compiling on the history of Welsh boxing. Mr Phylip Jones and Glyn “taxi” Davies have both spoken to Mr Lawrence on the subject and he is very grateful for the information. However, another more local history story has been unearthed since Mr Lindsay Harris has loaned the Society a box file showing the campaign which he had mounted in the 1990s to get Dai “St” John’s grave re-dedicated in St David’s churchyard.

I am informed that one of the Grenadier Guardsmen pictured above had carried the coffin of Princess Diana a week earlier (Editor)

The campaign entailed a long negotiation with Neath Borough Council and the Grenadier Guards Association and resulted in religious service on the 30th of September,1997.

The story is recalled in the two newspaper articles shown below.

Click on articles to enlarge.

Blog hits!

2010-03-15T14:01:00.003Z

Mr Richard Hopkins who was instrumental in the setting up of our site, has informed the Society that the weblog received some 417 hits during the past month. The hits were around half directly to the site and the other half were from random searches. A simple multiplication shows that on a yearly basis this site is gaining some five thousand visitors, and shows how popular local history is becoming. Long may the interest in the history of Resolfen and its locality continue.

Valleys Voices

2010-03-15T13:52:00.004Z

Mr Cliff Harris has also given us a snippet from Valleys Voices featuring a long lost football team. The photograph shows the Clyne Junior Football team 1933-34, who played their fixtures on a field behind Heol Nant, Clyne. L. Harris went on to play for Wales and Fred Richards is the only member of the team still alive. If anyone has any further information regarding the photograph,please let us know.

Entertainers of Neath Port Talbot

2010-03-09T11:03:00.009Z

March has thus far been another busy month for the Society. On the 5th, the annual St David’s Day Dinner was held at the Whittington in Tonna. This was followed on the 8th by our monthly meeting. The speaker, Mr Ian Parsons of Neath was new to the History Society.

The gutted Gwyn Hall, 2007.

Mr Parsons, who has been researching the history of the Grand Theatre in Swansea for the last four years, took “The Entertainers of Neath Port Talbot”, as his subject. There followed an eclectic mix of old, new, familiar and forgotten “stars” of the area. The talk was also interspersed with archive footage of the entertainers and the many venues where they had performed.

Adelina Patti

The talk began by showing the Gwyn Hall in Neath, which opened in 1887. Adelina Patti, who had also opened the Grand Theatre in 1897, had appeared there when she was a world super star. Sadly, the Gwyn Hall was gutted by a fire in 2007 prior to re-opening following a multi-million refurbishment. Hopefully, the work to reopen the hall will be completed soon.

From a historical perspective, the early days of the entertainment story proved most interesting. “Buffalo Bill” Cody had appeared in Neath in 1903 and William Haggan had filmed some of his early films near Resolfen. Ray Milland had been born in Dalton Rd. Neath in 1906. The tragic story of Peg Entwistle proved that celebrity culture is nothing new. She was born in Baglan in 1908, had achieved success in LA, but had committed suicide by jumping from the “H” of the Hollywood sign in 1932 following a poor review of her latest film.

A cartoon of Peg Entwistle

Henry Parr Davies (1914-1955) of Briton Ferry and Arthur Street in Neath is also a local luminary whose achievements are largely forgotten. He wrote the song “Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye”, made famous by Gracie Fields.

The first scene from Coronation Street featuring Maudie Edwards

The advent of the small screen in everyone’s homes gave rise to another tranche of stars. William Squire (1917- 1989) was a familiar face in the spy series “Callan” and he had been born in the same Neath Street as the celebrated actress Maudie Edwards ( 1906-91) who spoke the first lines on “Coronation Street”. Bernard Fox of Port Talbot is the only surviving member of the cast of the 1960s comedy, “Bewitched”. Dai Francis of Glynneath was also a permanent feature of Saturday night entertainment in the highly popular, “Black and White Minstrel Show”. The story of Ivor Emanuel and Richard Burton of Ponthrhydyfen hardly needs repeating.

The list of stars still working in the entertainment industry with local links was truly impressive. Ranging from the established galaxy of Ruth Madoc, Sian Phillips, Max Boyce, Anthony Hopkins, Bonny Tyler and Rebecca Evans to the present rising stars of Katherine Jenkins, Eve Myles, Siwan Morris, Rob Brydon and Anthony Sheen shows that the conveyor belt of talent shows no sign of slowing.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Parsons for a very “entertaining” evening.

Clyne Tinworks

2010-03-05T16:26:00.004Z

Mr Cliff Harris has lent the Society a number of pictures of Clyne. This one refers to the Clyne Tinworks which closed during the 1930s. The photograph shows the final shift, and Mr Harris's grandfather, Mr W.Watkins is second from the right, middle row. Details regarding Clyne Tinworks are rather scanty, however this "Glamorgan Snippet" by Brian Wagstaffe gives us some details:

Clyne Tinplate Works
It was known as the Clyne (or Clun) Tinplate Works and was in the village of the same name. It operated from the 1880`s until the 1930`s. My wife`s grandmother worked there in the 1920`s. She would walk from the village of Abergarwed on the other side of the valley, crossing the River Neath at the old canal aqueduct. Nothing now remains of the works; the area has now been returned to fields.
If you go to this site http://www.multimap.com/maps/ then enter the postcode SA11 4ES .This is the postcode for the row of houses known as Cyd Terrace, which was built to house the Tinplate workers.
The road between Tonna and Resolven and the Neath Canal runs immediately in front of these houses (towards the River) and the Neath Valley railway line runs behind them. The Tinplate Works was located next to the railway line and to the South of it in one of those fields shown (not sure exactly where),
[Brian Wagstaffe 23 Feb 2002 G]

Editor's note: My own great grandfather, John Harris ( a relative of Cliff Harris ) also worked at Clyne Tinworks, though I do not know if he features in the photograph. From memory, he went to work in BP Llandarcy after the closure of Clyne Tinplate Works.

February Meeting:Jeff Childs

2010-02-11T16:10:00.002Z

Ever since 1995 (this was the agreed date) Jeff has made yearly visits to Resolfen to indulge us in his love of local history. Pontardawe born Jeff, has given talks on an eclectic range of topics ranging from the “Brecon Beacons” to the “Churches of the Glamorgan coast”. His detailed knowledge of his subject is remarkable, and all given without notes or aids apart from thousands of slides. Last year, Jeff told the Society that we had all but exhausted his range of talks, however he was yet to give us his illustrated talk on “Pontardawe Families. A large audience gathered to hear what turned out to be probably his penultimate appearance in Resolfen.

Carn Llechart

The illustrated talk began at Carn Llechart, a five thousand year old burial site on the mountainside above the town of Pontardawe. This marked the location of the earliest Pontardawe families who lived on higher land than today because the climate was warmer at that time. However, most of Pontardawe’s history can be gleaned from its heavy industry since the town has smelted iron and steel, produced chemicals, pottery and even soft drinks. These industries were associated with a handful of families over centuries: Lloyd, Herbert, Gwyn, Parsons and Gilbertson. These in their turn had built many of the grand houses in the area, a few of which are still standing, including Gelli Gron, Plas Cil-y-bebyll and Alltycham.

St. Peter's Church

Jeff spent the bulk of his talk speaking on the role of William Parsons and William Gilbertson who had started the metal smelting industry in the nineteenth century a tradition which lasted for over a century when the steelworks eventually closed in 1960. The Parsons family were responsible fro the building of St Peter’s Church in Pontardawe with its 197 foot steeple. The Gilbertson’s themselves had a mixed reputation locally, since Arthur Gilbertson was a benefactor in many ways but was also a great opponent of unionism and syndicalism which was rife among the industrial workers in the 1890s.

Gilbertson's steelworks

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Jeff Childs for the time that he has given the Society over the years, and presented a book token to him in appreciation of his efforts. However, this was not the end of the road since Jeff has one last talk on the “Growth of the Penlle’r gare Estate”. We look forward to hearing him again next year.

Home News 1941 Edition

2010-01-16T11:58:00.002Z

Diolch i Phylip Jones am y copi yma o Home News/ Many thanks to Phylip for this copy of Home News - Click on the screen for a better look on this fascinating record of Resolfen history.

Home News January 1945

2010-01-14T15:25:00.007Z

Click on the images

Many thanks to Mr Cliff Harris of Clyne for the editions which will feature on this blog in the future.

Home News

2010-01-12T11:36:00.005Z

Resolven Home Guard

The weather recently has been rather austere and it was great to see the large attendance at this year’s Noel Thomas Memorial Lecture. As it happens, Mr Phylip Jones who once again gave the annual lecture took austerity as his topic in reviewing the role of Resolfen’s own bi-monthly war time newspaper “Home News”. It is unclear whether this was a development unique to Resolfen during the dark days between 1939-45, but its role was certainly influential and a valuable record of everyday life in the 1940s.

The paper had several editors however the main work was undertaken by David Dan Herbert and Ieuan Davies. Both were local schoolteachers and deacons in local chapels. David Dan Herbert was also a local historian who had written an unpublished Welsh language history of Resolfen which is deposited at the National Library of Wales. Ieuan Davies was a very talented scriptwriter; however he was “called up” after the first ten episodes. Mr Jones also pointed out that local ministers of religion were also prominent in producing the publication and this was evident in the general ethos of Home News which reflected general life in the village in those days. A biblical message was included in each edition.

Even though Home News represented a comprehensive view of life, there were some obvious omissions. Notably, a serviceman's death was not mentioned for obvious reasons since the purpose of the newspaper was to maintain morale not undermine it. However its content was well received by servicemen in the four corners of the world.

Mr Jones now turned to some of the notable items in the paper. In October 1940, some 200 evacuees arrived in the village alongside the grandchildren of Resolfen residents who had left the village during the 20s and 30s. The Welfare Hall hosted the Old Vic, with a Shakespearian production featuring Sybil Thorndike and Lewis Carson. Wilfred Pickles also brought his show to the village. Resolfen also featured in many musical broadcasts on the World Service, of both congregational singing and performances by Resolven Choral Society.

Both the role of the Home Guard and the Auxiliary Fire Service was covered by the paper. Sometimes irreverent, it nevertheless made innocent fun of ill fitting uniforms, lonely guard duties and the antics of Frank Gardner and Arthur Morris being reminiscent of “Dad’s Army”. The individualistic nature of the content was also evident in personalised jokes on well known characters in the village:-

Question: Why did Ted Steele?
Answer: Because Reg Snook!

Organised sport such as rugby, cricket or association football came to a halt during the war. However, the bowling green remained open and proved a welcome distraction to many. Indeed, Home News states in 1942 that the members of the bowling fraternity were “Like Drake, impervious to the world without”. This must have been of comfort to the many Resolfen men and women who met during the war in very far flung corners of the globe.

Home News also concentrated on the activities of the Home Comforts Fund which raised money and gifts for the troops via knitting societies, whist drives, concerts, galas and dances. In addition social events such as Cyrddau Mawr, Cymanfaoedd Canu, academic lectures, the formation of a branch of the Communist party and the opening of the Boys Club were all featured.

The final editions of Home News relate to the ending of the war in Europe. Street tea parties were held and a bonfire was built at tweedle tip. In addition, a Roll of Honour was published revealing that twenty four Resolfen residents had been killed. Others had been incarcerated as POWs and many had been decorated for bravery. Incidentally, no bombs had fallen directly on the village but several had fallen within a radius of three miles.

Mr Jones concluded his memorable talk by stating that Home News was a remarkable résumé of how life had transpired in the village during the war years and that a full set of Home News now resided in the National Library of Wales.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Phylip Jones for his lecture and made the comment that this fitted well with the earlier lecture by the residents of the “Coal House at War”.

P.S. Phylip has promised to lend us a copy of Home News so that we can scan its content on our weblog.

Merry time had by all!!

2009-12-15T08:49:00.005Z

December Meeting - Members Night

A few years ago the Committee took the decision to move our members night from the September to the December meeting. The reasoning behind this was that our numbers were dropping during the Christmas period because members had other things to do. However, this trend has very much reversed in the last two years with very good attendances and contributions from members.

John Watson leads a discussion on Resolfen photograph archive.

This year, John Watson came up to the plate. He showed an eclectic series of slides on Resolfen which showed quite clearly how much the village has changed over the years. Rather than give a formal commentary, it was very much a conversation between the members and himself with each one adding a little nugget of information. On a more current note, regarding the current conference at Copenhagen, the photos of the demolition of the centuries old Ynysbwllog aqueduct by a flood in the 1970s showed clearly that massive floods are hardly new and that the answer lies in flood defences which have saved the valley from serious flooding in recent decades.

Flooding in Resolfen in the 1920s

The benefit of having a historical perspective should be visited on the thousands in Copenhagen with the message that people react to situations and usually do cope well with difficult situations.

The members at Butetown, June 2009.

Maggs Jones then showed a cd.Rom, compiled by Gwyn Thomas of the Society excursion to the Rhymney valley in June. Unfortunately, a glitch had affected a previous showing of the pictures in September and it was very pleasant reminder of a very nice day. This was followed by the now "traditional" Christmas quiz, and it was quite evident that Julie Hicks and Brenda Oakes have put themselves forward for a future "Eggheads", team.

The evening concluded with mince pies and mulled wine, produced as usual by the very capable kitchen of Mrs Mair Norton.

The Chairman thanked everyone who had contributed to a very successful evening. He also wished everyone a happy Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Hot off the press

2009-12-04T10:20:00.003Z

Last night the Community Council decided to place a memorial plaque in memory of Sir Cliff Darby. They also charged the History Society with the task of completing the work. It should be noted that neither Gwyn Thomas or Trefor Jones took part in the discussion on funding or the decision which was initiated by Councillor Ken Evans and passed unanimously. However, it was very pleasing to see that it was a page from our website which was being passed around the meeting! The decision will have to be confirmed in January and hopefully we will then be able to proceed with the task of completing this work to note the contribution of a truly great son of this community. A quote from the current edition of Geography: An International Journal, needs no explanation as to the prominence of Clifford Darby within his chosen discipline.

" For a number of years, the magazine included a feature entitled 'Late Great Geographers'. Although a small number of those included were Geographers - Halford Mackinder, Dudley Stamp and Chauncy Harris - and a few others are generally accepted as such- Humboldt for example - the great majority had no connection whatsoever to the academic discipline. Most were explorers,cartographers or scientists whose work had a major influence on Geography ( such as Darwin and Kant) , but one looks in vain for other disciplinary luminaries- Isaiah Bowman and William Morris Davies, for example; Henry Clifford Darby and Sidney Wooldridge; Paul Vidal de la Blache and Torsten Hagerstrand".

Professor R.J. Johnnston, University of Bristol (2009)

To have someone from Resolfen quoted in the same paragraph as Charles Darwin, Kant and Humboldt (of the current fame), says it all.

O! Ganu Bendigedig

2009-11-23T16:10:00.005Z

Bu’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn yr ardal hon ddwywaith yn ystod y ganrif ddiwethaf, sef yng Nghastell-nedd yn 1934 ac ym Mhentreclwyda yn 1994. Un o’r atgofion melysaf sydd gen i o’r wythnos ddifyr honno yn 1994, oedd y Gymanfa Ganu dan arweinyddiaeth Alun Tregelles Williams. Erys yr atgofion am ganu grymus y noswaith honno ( Nos Sul olaf yr Eisteddfod, nid y cyntaf fel heddiw) yn y cof am byth. Mae copi o glawr rhaglen 1994 uchod, ond beth sydd o ddiddordeb i ni fel cymdeithas hanes ydy’r rhagair a ysgrifennwyd gan ein Llywydd, Mr Phylip Jones, sef Cadeirydd Pwyllor Cerdd yr Eisteddfod honno.

RHAGAIR

Ffrwyth llafur caled mudiad y tonic sol-ffa a’r ysgol gân yw’r canu cynulleidfaol pedwar llais a gysylltir â Chymru. Dysgwyd gwerin i ddarllen cerddoriaeth lleisiol, a daeth canu mewn cynghanedd yn beth digon naturiol.

Magwyd cerddorion a gyfrannodd yn fawr i ganiadaeth y cysegr yn yr ardal hon. Ystyrid David Evans a T.Hopkin Evans ymhlith arweinyddion mwyaf y gymanfa ganu yng Nghymru yn eu dydd.

Ysywaeth daeth tro ar fyd. Peidiodd y llafur mewn ysgol gân, a’r gweithgarwch i berffeithio moliant Seion. Daeth dirywiad yn y canu pedwar llais yn ein capeli. Yr ydym yn gollwng gafael ar un o drysorau ein cendl heb wneud dim. Oherwydd hyn, rhaid oedd hepgor tonau da gan gerddorion lleol o gymanfa fel hon.

Serch hynny i gyd, y mae arlwy dda wedi ei pharatoi ac mae gan y rhan fwyaf o’r emynau neu tonau gysylltiadau lleol.

Hyderaf y bydd arddeliad yn y canu, a bendith i’r sawl “ a ganant â ysbryd ac a’r deall hefyd”.

Cyflwynwn y gymanfa i’r Hwn biau’r mawl.

PHYLIP JONES

Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Cerdd.

Da felly yw nodi bod y rhaglen deledu, Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol, a ddarlledwyd ar y 15fed o Dachwedd eleni o Gapel Jerusalem, yn meddu ar lawer o’r rinweddau a nodwyd gan Phylip yn ei rhagair. Y gwahaniaeth amlycaf y tro hwn ydoedd bod bron yr holl eitemau â chysylltiad cryf naill ai gyda’r ardal neu’r tri doethur enwog. Efallai nad oedd pawb yn gwybod eu rhannau’n berffaith neu’n gyfarwydd iawn a’r emynau , hyd yn oed yn y galeri lle’n draddodiadol dylai pawb bod yn sicr o’r gwaith ( fe wnaeth Phylip nodi hyn yn gwrtais yn ystod yr “egwyl”answyddogol a gafwyd oherwydd tostrwydd i un o’r gynulleidfa). Er hyn roedd y canu o safon uchel, wedi bodloni Aled Madog yr arweinydd ac yn sicr mewn pedwar llais.

Hyderaf fod cyfraniad Cymdeithas Hanes Resolfen, ac yn enwedig ymdrechion diflino Phylip Jones wrth hyrwyddo hanes a chadw gwaith y tri doethur yn fyw, wedi chwarae rhan yn llwyddiant y rhaglen.

Trefor Jones

(For translation of article see Trefor Jones)

Mel de Lloyd

2009-11-20T15:27:00.003Z

Mel de Lloyd (bottom right)

The saying “going north”, would probably mean little to the current generation of rugby union players. However, prior to the professionalization of the game in 1995, it was a sad and depressing sight to see the cream of the national side and even good club players disappearing to the north of England to play an alien game. Often these players would achieve fame and fortune yet this would go largely unnoticed in their home communities, and league players were even banned from attending rugby union clubhouses. Resolven is not unusual in this regard and has produced a pantheon of famous rugby league players including Reg Lloyd, Mel deLloyd and more recently Mel James. However in the 1930s it was often a case of an economic necessity to “Go North” in order to avoid the desperate privations of the time

Mr Gwyn Bishop recently brought the story of Mel de Lloyd to the notice of the History Society when he chanced upon this notice on the Keighley Cougars Rugby League Hall of fame.

Mel De Lloyd – Warrington R.L

Debut 26th September 1936
Last Game 11th October 1947

Starts: 176

Tries: 24

Drop goals: 7

Goals: 27

Points: 140

It states “Another notable player who “guested” with Keighley from Warrington during the war and who later signed for the club was stand off Mel De Lloyd. In 86 war time appearances with Keighley, he kicked 95 goals and scored 13 tries (229 points). From 1947 to 1952 he played in a further 100 games and added another 30 goals and 15 tries to his scoring record.

He had one particularly memorable game during the war years on the 13th of November 1943. In the first leg of the Yorkshire Cup semi final at Lawkholm Lane against Huddersfield, Mel De Lloyd dropped three goals, added another three goals from place kicks and scored a try – a tally of fifteen points, Keighley won 21-0.

He also suffered at the other end of the scale. On January 7th 1942, the Disciplinary committee suspended him sine die. In the game against Hull, four days earlier, Mel was ordered from the field after disputing a decision by the referee, Mr L Dolby, who alleged that De Lloyd had later “struck him”. However the suspension was lifted in October 1942 and De Lloyd resumed playing having only missed 14 games.

The History Society contacted Mr David de Lloyd, Mel’s nephew for some more information and this is his report on the life of his uncle.

Melville De Lloyd was born on April 2nd 1917 at 12, Commercial Road, Resolven. He was one of seven children, four sons and three daughters, however only two sisters now survive.

In those days Resolven RFC would often field three of the de Lloyd brothers in the first team. Mel went on to play for Llanelli at the age of 17. He was spotted by the rugby league scout Mr Eddie Waring and went on to play for Warrington Rugby League Club.

Eddie Waring was a good friend to Mel during his playing days and of course went on to become the “voice of rugby league” on BBC Grandstand. He always gave Resolven a mention in his commentary when there was an ex Resolven player on the field, the last one famously being Mel James.

There were of players from Resolven playing up “North” for Keighley, before, during and after the Second World War.

Iory Herbert (Keighley) of 1 Heol Herbert

Mel de Lloyd (Warrington and Keighley) of 12 Commercial Road.

Reg (Wolla) Lloyd of railway Terrace

Llew Bevan ( Keighley) of Cory Street.

Following many successful seasons for Warrington, Mel transferred back to Keighley, finishing his playing days with that club in the 1951-52 seasons.

Mel made a number of friends in both codes. Bill Clement, the long serving WRU Secretary was his inside half when he played for Llanelli. I remember Bill and Mel meeting at the Angel Hotel on an International day, in those days the two codes did not mix! I met one of his friends the great Jim Sullivan, at his home on one of our many visits with my family. He lived in a small terraced house, the front room of which was a bar, the smallest pub I have ever seen!

Another good friend was Fred Higginbotham who played in the centre with Mel at Warrington and Keighley. Last year, by sheer coincidence my wife and I met a man in Barcelona at a bus stop; I got talking to him and asked where he came from. He answered that he came from Warrington. I told him that my uncle had played for Warrington, and on saying his name, his mouth dropped and he told me that he was a friend and former team mate and even lived next door to Mel’s former wife. I met up with Mr Higginbotham again as we were on the same cruise ship. He told me a number of tales about Mel’s playing days. In one anecdote Warrington were playing Wigan and Fred was marking a famous welsh player. Mel told Fred before the game the game started to “hit the Welsh bas++++ as hard as he could”, he would laugh at this because he knew how proud a Welshman Mel was.

Melville de Lloyd died aged 68years in 1985. He is buried alongside his wife May in St. David’s Cemetery, Resolfen.

Behind the Coal House

2009-11-10T12:00:00.004Z

The November meeting was rather unusual in that it featured Hywel and Rose Griffiths, one of the families in the BBC living history series “The Coal House at War”. Rather than being a lecture, the nature of the evening was an interactive session of questions from members regarding their experiences in the programme, which is now being re-shown on BBC 2 Wales.

Hywel and Rose Griffiths with Mr Gwyn Thomas

Hywel explained that the family had initially applied to be in the series following the imploring of their grandson after the initial “Coal House” series in Stack Square, Blaenafon. The process of getting accepted was rather drawn out and involved aptitude tests and interviews including a session at Cwrt y Collen Army Camp. The Griffiths’s did not expect to be successful since Hywel was already a trained collier, however they were eventually chosen.

Sharing the speaking duties, Rose explained that the experience was a total immersion in the life of the 1940s and the privations of war. What you saw was largely as it was during the series, though they were a little disappointed that certain sections had been omitted especially the family singing in the evenings. Some conditions had been contrived especially electricity cuts and air raid which meant that they had slept overnight in a very cold and draughty hall. The rations were also authentic and even the occasional resort to the black market happened during the series. Life was genuinely hard and the Bevin Boys in particular had found it tough going , relying on her for cooking , cleaning and washing.

The scenes in the colliery were real and conditions were certainly very bad. Hywel explained that despite his bad cough he had been deliberately kept on the surface in order that he had not made it easier for the other “colliers”. His altercations with Mr Blandford ( who apparently in real life was not qualified to work on the coalface) were also contrived for the camera on occasion. It was also rather hectic with Hywel having to go to the Home Guard practice immediately after returning from a long shift in the pit.

Some of the more amusing ( but unseen) experiences during the filming involved chamber pots leaking through floorboards, a reprieve for the house rabbits, soap rationing and the unpleasant routine of visiting the “ty bach” in the middle of the night. However, the experience had been life changing and the family still felt emotional regarding their time in Stack Square. Following the talk the members were able to see a scrapbook of the material used by the BBC in producing the programme. The attention to detail was extremely impressive.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Hywel and Rose Griffiths for a most pleasant and memorable evening.

Post Script:

1. Prior to the beginning of the meeting, Mr James Williams of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council addressed the Society on a new source of funding under the Fforwm Wledig scheme. This will allow organizations to access funds for projects of up to £8,000 and is certainly to be considered in our future activities.
2. Mr Gwyn Thomas presented a framed photograph donated to the Society by Mr Howard Rees featuring the Blaengwrach and Resolfen joint Burial cemetery ( see previous posting - plus ca change). The plaque featured his grandfather Dick Geary. An invitation had also been given to the Society to visit the excavations at Rheola House.

Phillip Whitehead (1938 -2009)

2009-11-04T10:30:00.001Z

Phil Whitehead was due to speak to the Society in our April meeting , unfortunately he lost his battle with cancer a fortnight ago. He spoke to us on two previous occasions and was due to come to speak on “Bloody Sunday” in this year’s lecture season.

His life was a history lesson in itself. Born in Hackney Workhouse in 1938 he was adopted by a couple from Oldham, Lancashire where he grew up. He had an interesting career which included National Service in the Royal Navy, a time in Northern Ireland and as a Nursing Officer. It was nursing that brought Phil and his family to Wales, first to Penarth and latterly to Pontypridd. Following retirement, he followed his son to the Neath area where he could indulge his passion for History and in writing historical novels. In 2003, he moved once again to Foelgastell, Carmarthenshire. Phil threw himself into his adopted society and he will be sadly missed by all his friends, and our sympathies are extended to his wife Gillian on her sad loss.

Gwyn Alf and Gramsci

2009-10-30T09:45:00.003Z

Undergraduate studies in History included a range of topics and skills most of which I have either forgotten or if pressured could be dredged out from the depths of memory while watching University Challenge. However, one period of study which has never left me is the teaching of Gwyn Alf Williams during my third year in 1978, and in particular the role of Italian Marxist, Antonio Gramsci. Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937)

Professor Gwyn Williams was a marvellous figure who was an unique cross of a Welsh revivalist preacher, revolutionary communist, brilliant intellectual, expert on Goya and an approachable ordinary bloke. I enrolled in his course on International Socialism during my third year and was struck immediately that I was in a different world, an academic Everest confronted me. Professor Williams, diminutive even for a Welshman, distinctive with his shock of flowing white hair and obvious stutter would have stood out today, not only for his oratorical brilliance but by his habit of lighting a Gitane at the beginning of a seminar. His room stank of Disque Bleu, rather like a French café and he would immediately have been suspended in these politically correct days. This had its downside however since “Gwyn Alf” as he was universally known, was often a victim of bronchitis. Professor Gwyn A Williams

I will never forget the dread when I read the set essay title given out at the beginning of the course, “Marxism is a fusion of English Economics, French literature and German Philosophy”, discuss. Where on earth did you start, already struggling with Hegel, Feuerbach, Kant, Montesquieu, Mill and Smith, I was then confronted with dialectic, thesis, antithesis and synthesis! Somehow or other I finished the essay in my awful handwriting which Professor Williams described as “impenetrable as the Hegelian dialectic”, and it was marked with a figure of a haloed saint and a number, which approximated to its status in terms of degree. Seeing the number three I asked what it meant. First Class was the answer. Suddenly I was hooked on an approach of the study of history which has stayed with me all my life.

Towards the end of the course Gwyn Alf made the seminar group study the Italian communist Antonio Gramsci. Without wanting to bore the reader, (you can find the details easily on Wikipedia) Gramsci had been jailed by Mussolini in the 1930s as leader of the Italian Communist Party. The prosecutor stated that you needed to imprison Gramsci’s mind for twenty years since his ideas were so radical and brilliant. Central to his political philosophy was the concept of the Cultural Hegemony of a ruling class. In essence, Gramsci believed that social normality was set by the ruling class/elite of whatever period and he took the dominance of the medieval Roman Catholic Church as his prime example. The normality of heaven and earth, hell and purgatory, indulgences and penances were all used by the Church to instil into the general population as to what was “normal” to expect in life . To be burnt at the stake for disagreeing on a point of theology was thought perfectly normal and deserving by the general population. He also introduced the concept of the Historic Bloc, by which change would only happen if the social and economic conditions allowed it. For example, the Bastille was stormed in 1789 during the French Revolution when bread prices were at their height. Karl Marx himself had used the concept, but it had been enhanced by Gramsci in order to explain why the Communist revolution had not been successful beyond Russia in the 1920s. Bourgeois, capitalist values as now, were seen as what is normal to aspire to in general life and the scientific socialism of Lenin had failed to shake this cultural hegemony in most countries. The fall of the Warsaw Pact countries in 1989, was described rather prematurely as the “End of History”, which of course it was not, but it did signal the “triumph” of globalised capitalism and consumerism (bourgeois, capitalist values) over those of soviet style socialism and a command economy. Recently, globalised capitalism has experienced a rather bad hangover following its victory party with the present economic meltdown which started in 2008. I do not know if Antonio Gramsci had a sense of humour but I’m sure he would have uttered a chuckle if he was still here.

An exposure to Gramsci’s ideas, fortunately or unfortunately makes you sceptical of any new cultural hegemony. The current global warming/ climate change debate has certainly become the grand narrative of the current decade. In Gramscian terms, the population is bombarded with a new orthodoxy by the modern ruling elite namely the political ruling class, environmental pressure groups portraying the most extreme apocalyptic cases and a ravenous 24 hour media anxious for scare stories which sell papers and fill schedules. The subtle change of the UK Department of Energy to that of Energy and Climate Change, betrays a revision that Antonio Gramsci, Karl Popper and George Orwell would certainly have recognised (Ministry of Truth, Peace etc). This is all despite the fact that global temperatures have been static for the past eleven years, there are no more extreme events than in the past and fewer people are killed by them, world standards of living are rising and are expected to double over the next fifty years. The certainty of the priest preaching purgatory and hell is replaced by dodgy computer models cited as scientific consensus, discredited hockey stick graphs based on cherry picked data and assorted politicians, including failed presidential candidates forecasting doom and destruction for all while they fly around the world amassing fortunes. Carbon offsets are modern day indulgences and the use of the word “denier” and “heretic” in describing those who mildly or fundamentally disagree with the consensus is reminiscent of a religious order. However, as Antonio Gramsci would have foreseen this new cultural hegemony is beginning to fail, since the general population do not wish to give up their lifestyles in more than a token way. I wonder how this will pan out over the next few months and years as we lurch towards Copenhagen and a successor to the eminently unsuccessful Kyoto Protocol.

Gwyn Alf Williams went on to become a media personality himself in several high profile television documentaries including “The Dragon has Two Tongues” with Wynford Vaughan Thomas. He also published a new and very readable history of Wales – “When was Wales”.

Despite being a life long communist Professor Williams joined Plaid Cymru in his later years since presumably he saw a new political hegemony developing in Wales, and not to forget Gramsci, a new ruling class as well. He memorably coined the description Plaid “Gwerin” Cymru to describe his late political switch.

Gwyn Alf Williams died in 1995. Even in death, he remains one of Wales’s greatest and most influential historians.

Trefor Jones

Silver Jubilee Dinner

2009-10-24T09:09:00.003Z

On Friday the 23rd of October, the Society celebrated the end of its Jubilee Year with a very convivial dinner at the Glancynon Inn in Hirwaun, which was attended by thirty members . This has been a very busy period for the History Society with events ranging from a Jubilee Concert to the unveiling of a plaque to the Three Doctors of Music.

Alun makes sure he can see his talk!

The guest speaker was Mr Alun Wyn Bevan. Mr Bevan is well known both as a previous Headmaster at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmnedd, but also as a first class rugby referee, commentator and presenter. Mr Bevan, took the story of Frank Lloyd Wright as the basis for his talk and described how this American of Welsh extraction had become the greatest architect of his period (by his own admission), most notably exemplified in the building of the Gugenheim Museum in New York. Hopefully, Mr Bevan will come and give a fuller version of the story at a lecture meeting in the near future.

Alun speaks without notes!

Mr Phylip Jones, responded on behalf of the Society. He described how the History Society had grown from a public meeting in 1983 to its present healthy position. Only three of the original members were present at the dinner, Bob and Mair Norton and himself. He noted how the nature of the membership had broadened and he complemented newcomers to the village for taking an interest in their adopted community and its history. Mr Jones finished on a very positive note in stating that he would only be 97 years old when the Golden Anniverary of the Society would be celebrated in 2033!

Mr Gwyn Thomas concluded the evening by thanking the speakers and officials for all their efforts during a momentous year.

Thomas Alfred Oaten

2009-10-19T10:36:00.005Z

Thomas Alfred Oaten

Thomas Alfred Oaten, was born in Taunton and came to Wales in 1897 when 17 years old. He was apprenticed to his uncle, who was the Head Gardener at the Hendrefoilan Estate in Swansea. A few years later he joined the Glamorgan County Constabulary and became the first police constable to join a sergeant in the newly built Police Station in Neath Road in 1901. The previous Police House was at 13, Railway Terrace. More recent incumbents.

My father related many tales of his policing career. One tale told of when he dived into the River Taff at Merthyr to re-capture an escaping prisoner. He was a strong swimmer so the prisoner did not get away. There was an area of Merthyr called China Town, an infamously rough area, so the policemen had to patrol the district in pairs. When a policeman in Merthyr; on off duty weekends (usually on a Sunday) Dad would cycle to Cardiff Railway Station in order to meet his sister who would travel from Taunton for the day. There they would catch up with family news. This was quite an effort on a basic bicycle with a solid saddle. Ouch!!

Another interesting tale included an episode when he was one of the mounted escorts of a Bristol judge from Cardiff to the Swansea Crown Court and back. One of the changing posts for the horses was the Yniscollen Arms, now better known as the Rock and Fountain on the old road to Neath.

I wish I had recorded so many of his tales, alas regrettably I did not,now they are lost for ever.

Josie Duke

Editor’s note:

This article gives insight into the social state of Wales at the turn of the twentieth century covered by Dai Smith in his history of Wales, “A People and a Proletariat”. It was a society growing and also changing in nature through mass immigration to the burgeoning industries of the period. However it was also a period of industrial unrest with large police stations built throughout the south Wales coalfield in order to suppress industrial unrest and keep general order over what was a volatile social mix of largely incomers . This came to a head famously in the Cambrian dispute of 1910, which led to the riots at Tonypandy.

“China”, in Merthyr Tydfil, would today be described as a shanty town .It was an admixture of various nationalities and languages,including notably Italians. This was a real melting pot in what was one of the earliest truly industrial towns. Merthyr had passed its economic height at this point with many of six ironworks closed or relocated but China with its reputed 3,000 public houses retained its notoriety.

The reference to the Crown Court Judge is also interesting. As mentioned, there was a railway between Cardiff and Swansea, yet the judge was paraded with a mounted escort. This would seem to point to a demonstration of power by the authorities, nervous as to the social changes and showing who was really in charge in turbulent times. Was the judge on his way to the Rhondda, who knows, the dates are not specific.

Two and a half tunnels

2009-10-13T10:43:00.004Z

TWO AND A HALF TUNNELS

The title of this month’s lecture has raised some puzzlement from members, not least from our master artist John Rees who has been defeated as to how to illustrate “half a tunnel” on his poster. However, speaker Glyn William kept the mystery of the talk’s title to the very end.

Most of us have heard of Brunel, on which Glyn is very well read, however, how many know that there were actually three distinguished engineers in the Brunel family?

Sir Marc Isambard Brunel (1769 – 1849)

Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 – 1859)

Henri Marc Brunel (1842 – 1903)

Mr Williams then gave a talk on three projects including two complete tunnels which the Brunel’s had achieved.

Brunel senior was born in France, and preferred to be known as Isambard but is usually referred to as Mark in order to avoid confusion with his more illustrious son. His greatest achievement was the building of the Thames Tunnel which opened in 1843. A detailed account of the tortuous history of the building of the tunnel can be found at the following link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Isambard_Brunel.
He was knighted in 1841 shortly before his death.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel , can rightly be described as a genius, though his life was cut short by an unfortunate encounter with a coin. Mr Williams explained that while recuperating from an injury while helping his father build the Thames Tunnel he arrived in Bristol in 1829. He then entered a competition to design the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Remarkably, Telford who was judging the competition, controversially gave himself the prize. Following a circuitous route Brunel’s designs were eventually accepted and are partially represented in the current bridge which was completed nine years after his death. However, during his time in Bristol, Brunel was offered the post of Chief Engineer of the fledgling Great Western Railway and set about building the railway from Temple Meads to Paddington. The building of the Box Tunnel in Wiltshire was a major achievement in the completion of the line and formed the second tunnel in Glyn Williams’ talk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_Tunnel
The least known of the Brunel family is Henry Marc Brunel. However, his achievements are no less illustrious or recognisable today. He alongside his business partner Sir John Wolfe Barry built Tower Bridge in London. Remarkably the stone used in the construction is merely cladding on an iron bridge designed by Horace Jones. The pair were also responsible for the construction of Barry Docks in south Wales.

So where was the half tunnel? The mystery was solved by the fact that the Brunels had been involved in various attempts at building the Channel Tunnel which eventually opened in 1994. The original attempt under Brunel Senior began in 1802 , however the various attempts were dogged by either lack of capital or a lack of entente cordiale at various junctures. However, the most successful attempt was begun by Henry Marc Brunel in 1870 reaching some five miles under the English channel, but was never completed hence “HALF a TUNNEL”.

Mr Gwyn Thomas , thanked Mr Glyn Williams for a very interesting topic.

POST SCRIPT:

1. Prior to the beginning of the meeting Mr Ken Young gave a short address on the future of the Welfare Hall in Resolfen. Ambitious plans are being set in train to revitalise the building which will include a heritage centre and a revamped auditorium.
2. Lorraine Surringer has been a great friend to the Society over many years in publicising our activities in the Evening Post and Neath Guardian. However, owing to the demise of the Courier and the Guardian recently this avenue will no longer be open to us. Many thanks to Lorraine for all her assistance.

Plus ca change

2009-10-02T13:55:00.002Z

Plus ça change: Minutes of Resolven Parish Council 1932

For those of us who double as Society officials and Community Councillors this record of the deliberations of the then Parish Council is very illuminating and shows that very little changes from decade to decade. Our ever present and admirable Clerk to the Council, Mr Ninian Williams will happily revert to copperplate if given the chance, however the state of the minutes mean that they need to be reproduced in full (without correction unless illegible) in order that members can understand them. Apologies for any typos since it is difficult typing with one finger.

RESOLVEN PARISH COUNCIL

A meeting of above Council was held at the Park Pavilion, Monday July 4th 1932, 7pm.

Present Councillors: I. D. Rees (Chairman), D. Davies (Vice Chairman) , E J Alyeo (?) , Ben Jones, T.J. Roberts, J.E. Jones, W Evans, D.J. Evans, R D Howells, J Burley (?),D.C.D.J Evans(?) and Clerk.

1. The minutes of last meeting was read, confirmed and signed.

2. Tipping land at top of Waungoch:

Resolved: That Councillor Ben Jones see tenant of Drehir farm re allowing young men of Resolven to play soccer games on above.

3. National Eisteddfod 1934 Neath

Copy of resolution supporting Neath application for the Eisteddfod in 1934 sent by Clerk.

Resolution: I am requested by my Council that they heartily support your application for the 1934 Eisteddfod to be held in Neath. My Council feel that in supporting your application they express the feelings of the population of the Central part of the Vale of Neath.

Resolved: That the Clerk’s action be confirmed.

4. Bridge over Gwrach Brook, Cwmgwrach

The necessity of painting the bridge was brought forward.

Resolved: That the matter be referred to joint meeting of Blaengwrach and Resolven Councils.

5. Application for 4 pairs of woods and slips(?) Also use of rink on our green.
Resolved. That application be granted.

6. Re – Mr Joshua Jones conduct on Park.

Resolved- that he be asked to refrain from using bad language on Park and not to interfere with players and informer’s letter be acknowledged.

7. Bowling Green

Resolved : That we invite Captain Mason to inspect the Green and to report thereon, and that the invitation be left in the hands of Coun. W Evans and that the following persons viz – J L Rees ( Chairman), B Jones, W Evans. District Councillor D J Evans and Clerk be appointed as a deputation to meet Cpt Mason and put the Council’s wishes to him.

8. Resolved – that the Council’s meetings during summer months be held at the park pavilion.

9. Resolved – that the attention of the County Council be called to the complaints received from farmers residing in the Parish that Parish roads are not being maintained in proper condition. The roads complained of are Glyncastle Road leading from Tan-y-Rhiw, Resolven to Rhigos via Ty’n y Cwm and Troedrhiwwrach; and Pentwyn Road leading from Resolven via Pentwyn, Heolhir and Garn cae cae.

10. Resolved that the following bills be paid viz: J Jones 22/6; Fire Brigade 32/- ; T Lewis 2/9; A Wilcox 6/3; D P Williams 6/4; J Jones 18/-;J Harris 18/-; Barry Chemical Co £14.15.0

Resolved: That the Groundsman be instructed to get two different sections of the bowling green analyzed by Briton Ferry Chemical Co or their representatives next visit.

Modern day community councillors (still meeting occasionally in the present park pavilion)would easily recognise the general structure of the report and some of the problems are still current. However there are some clues as to how things have changed in eighty years.

Firstly, prior to local government reform in the 1970s the council was a parish as against a community council. The Parish of Resolfen is very extensive and includes what is currently the community of Cwmgwrach. Phylip Jones has explained several times to the Society that the very name Resolfen refers to “parsel soflan”, literally a parcel of land above Cwmgwrach. This is evident in that matters which pertain to Cwmgwrach including the painting of a bridge over the Gwrach brook and roads to Rhigos are being discussed here. However, it is also evident that Resolfen and Cwmgwrach met separately though cooperated on certain matters e.g. cemeteries (this will feature in a future article). Also the claim of Cwmgwrach to be “the valley of the witch” is also in doubt here since the name clearly refers to the river (downcutting at this point)-gwrach is also Welsh for hook. If it referred to a witch it would logically be “Cwm –y- Wrach” – but why spoil a good story.

Secondly, the extract comes from a minute book. The entry is written in note form and presumably councillors would not have had sight of it prior to the meeting as they would today. This explains the rather individualistic nature of the entries with the expectation that no one without an intimate knowledge of the community would ever be expected to read it. Who was Joshua Jones, who betrays the fact that antisocial behaviour is hardly a new phenomenon? Similarly, why was soccer at Drehir worthy of mention? Was it due to the fact that Resolfen RFC ( with a grandstand) already played on that site causing friction– who knows, the record as today does not always tell the whole story.

Thirdly, the formal ( and successful) support for the visit of the National Eisteddfod to Neath in 1934 receives enthusiastic support, with reference to the population of the Central part of the Vale of Neaht implies that the Parish council assumed a far more representative role than the current community council which centres on Resolfen alone. Ironically, in 1934 the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol came to the Vale of Neath but not to the Parish of Resolfen.

Expenditure is comparatively low at around £20 for the month. However it would chime true with modern councillors that 60% of the expenditure is levelled at the bowling green with turf being analyzed and fertilizers being purchased for a problematic surface.

Finally, the county of Glamorgan was also within its historic borders at this point and reference is made to roads going east as far as Glyncorrwg. However a certain amount of Bowdlerism is present in the minutes since Carn Caca ( literally referring to the faecal colour of the leaching iron oxide) is replaced by a gentler “cae cae” which makes no sense at all.

As a councillor on Resolfen Community Council for eighteen years this fascinating record merely shows that although times change intractable problems seem to stay the same.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

Trefor Jones

AGM and Lecture Programme 2009-10

2009-09-21T17:37:00.002Z

It was very pleasing to see so many members attending this year's AGM on Monday September 14th , since twenty four of our growing membership dared risk a visit and be roped on to the Committee. However, no one should have worried since the officials and general committee were re-elected en bloc for the coming year.

President: Phylip Jones

Chairman: Gwyn Thomas Vice Chair: Vacant

Secretary: Trefor Jones

Treasurer: Julie Hicks

Transport & Events Officers: Val Davies and Margaret Evans.

General Committee: Josie Duke, Mair Norton, Bob Norton and John Rees.

Chairman’s Address: Mr Thomas began his oration by stating that the previous year had been a very long and highly successful one. The Celebration Concert, the unveiling of the Plaque to the Three Doctors and the summer trip had all been highlights. He drew attention to the fact that the unveiling in May had pleased him in that it had included the participation of the community in the Society’s activities. The lecture meetings had all been enjoyable with good speakers throughout the year, especially Phylip Jones’s unscheduled talk during the snows of February. He did however make an appeal that our activities should not clash with rugby internationals over the coming year!

President’s Address: Mr Phylip Jones thanked all the officers and committee for their hard work during the year. He also stated that the official recognition of the works of the Three Doctors was a personal delight to him. He also stated his disappointment that Radio Cymru had not shown any interest in the event, though this would be hopefully rectified in a future recording of Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol in October.

Cymdeithas Hanes Resolfen History Society
Rhaglen / programme 2009-10

1. September 14/ Medi 14 – AGM
2. *October 12/ Hydref 12 – Mr Glyn Williams "Two and a Half ( Brunel ) Tunnels".
3. *November 9/ Tachwedd 9 – The Griffiths Family- "Behind the Coal House at War"
4. December 14 / Rhagfyr 14 – Members Night.
5. January 11/ Ionawr 11 – Phylip Jones -Noel Thomas Annual Lecture – “a local theme”
6. February 8/ Chwefror 8 – Jeff Childs – “Pontardawe Families”..
7. March 8/ Mawrth 8 – Mr Ian Parsons ” The Entertainers of Neath Port Talbot ”
8. April 12 – Ebrill 12 – Mr Philip Whitehead –“ Bloody Sunday”.
9. May 11 / Mai 11 – Mrs Ceri Watkins-“A History of Welsh fashion”.

* - These dates have had to be rearranged since the AGM since the Griffiths's were unavailable in October as stated on the original lecture list..

A Night At The Pictures

2009-09-10T16:42:00.006Z

A Night at the Pictures

Ever since its founding in 1927 the Miners Welfare Hall has played a major role in then social life of the village as in a myriad others. To many its main recent use would have been as a cinema. Josie Duke has found this paper programme which has miraculously survived in mint condition since January 1973. It describes the allure of a night at the cinema in glowing terms which may betray the fact that the cinema as a medium was under a bit of pressure owing to the recent advent of colour TV and other social changes.

Click on picture for a detailed view

“Give yourself a “Break”. Come to the “Pictures”. Still the cheapest evening’s entertainment you can get. TODAY’s films in Glorious COLOUR on the best screen in the area.”

Several features of the programme are worthy of note and show how times have changed rapidly in Resolfen. Firstly, prices are an eclectic mix of decimal and pre-decimal money since the UK had only experienced our present coinage for a few years at this time. Prices are also very reasonable even taking inflation into account.

Secondly, the traditional Welsh Sunday is clinging on since the auditorium was used for the pictures five nights a week with Wednesday given over to a presumably packed Bingo session since the Snowball was £25 with entrance only 10p. No films were shown on a Sunday.

A third notable feature was that a night at the pictures was certainly a longer affair than you would receive today at your present day multiplex. The main feature was supplemented by a shorter usually inferior film to pad out the evening and the audience would be given the chance to stock up on ice cream, sweets or Kia Ora Orange drink in the interval. The nature of the films was also various with historic sagas such as “Anne of the Thousand Days” juxtaposed with the notorious “Straw Dogs” X film starring Susan George and Dustin Hoffman which is still banned from showing on British TV owing to its violent rape scene. How many present day Resolfen marriages began by “snogging” in the semi darkness of the back row on a Saturday night?

Finally, the Manager was also described as the Secretary. After all, this was a service provided by the Committee of the Welfare Hall and not a commercial enterprise. This arrangement still survives successfully in a few villages in the South Wales coalfield notably Brynaman Welfare Hall and Cinema.

Sadly, the future of Resolfen Miners Welfare Hall as a cinema is fading into memory. How quickly an everyday aspect of our daily lives has become an object of history.

( Apologies - the post appears underlined in plces for some reason)

Annual General Meeting

2009-09-08T13:04:00.002Z

The AGM will be held at the Canon Lewis Memorial Hall on Monday, September 14th at 7:00 pm.

A full list of our lecture programme will appear after the AGM.

Apologies for not posting this reminder sooner, unfortunately I have been hospitalised with a badly broken wrist. Many thanks to Morriston Hospital, Ward G for their professionalism and TLC.

Trefor

Summer Trip 2009

2009-07-16T19:39:00.004Z

Summer trip 2009

In many ways this has been one of our most successful years as a History Society, however in one particular sense there has been a distinct lack of communication. Once again, the rugby union authorities have failed to give us advanced warning that the last Lions test in South Africa would clash with our annual history trip. Despite this, some twenty six members ventured on a mini tour of the Rhymni valley. Photo: Gwyn Thomas

Our first visit was the model housing at Butetown, Rhymni. This three row terraced settlement was built around the 1830s to service the local ironworks. The Rhymni valley had not developed as quickly as others nearby owing to the fact that a ready source of limestone was not easily accessible. However, the Marquis of Bute saw fit to build these model swellings (which were built around the same time as Robert Owen’s model town at New Lanark) even though he was not noted for his philanthropy. The dwellings are rather more substantial than is first apparent, since they are four or five stories tall, with the cellar used originally for a separate family of lodgers. Originally, y Drenewydd (literally “New Town”) also housed a museum and the Society is very grateful to Mr Steve Richards for opening up the old museum for our viewing. Y Drenewydd also contains an Anglican church and a public house. Eliott Colliery in its heyday.

The second stage of the visit included the highly impressive Elliot Colliery Winding House museum at New Tredegar. George Eliot, T.E Forster and William Armstrong had established the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company in 1884 (later nicknamed Poverty and Dole by their long suffering workers). They began their business venture by purchasing a number of pits from the Thomas Powell business empire. Amongst the pits purchased were the New Tredegar colliery and the White Rose Level. The company then went from strength to strength and sank other pits in the area including Bargoed, Britannia and Penallta Collieries.

The Elliot Colliery was sunk in 1883 (1320 ft) and a second shaft was sunk in 1888 (1590 ft). Following problems with underground flooding in 1891, a new winding engine was installed at the East shaft in order save the colliery and the company's investment. The colliery was very productive and by 1912 ( when the south Wales coalfield was near its peak in terms of production ) over a million tons of steam coal was being produced annually much of it for use by the Royal Navy. Following the First World War, production declined gradually and the Elliot colliery finally closed in 1967. In its final year the colliery produced only 50,000 tons yet still employed some 1200 men. However, the winding engine and winding house were saved and now form the main attraction of the museum. The newly refurbished Winding House Museum

The engine is now serviced by a group of enthusiasts who have restored it to its gleaming glory. The History Society were lucky enough to have the engine set in motion and its awesome power was obvious to all present. The driver, was essential to the running of the colliery and the winding house was often locked and a toilet installed so that he did not have to leave his post ferrying men and materials to the surface.

Following a refreshing cup of tea the members made their way to the ancient castle at Caerffili. It was gratifying to see that almost all the members now possess a Cadw pass which makes future excursions more economical to the Society. The elements were rather against us at this point and the local hostelries and Glanmor’s tea shop had a rather busy afternoon.

D Day

2009-06-21T13:18:00.006Z

A Reminder from the past Staff Sergeant Reg Duke

Recently the Normandy beaches were celebrating the 65th anniversary of the D Day landings. It was therefore very fitting that long serving committe member Josie Duke brought a note to the committee written by her late husband Reg on D.Day. Reg was a glider pilot and Josie remarked that the contribution of these men in landing behind enemy lines and carrying supplies ( including tanks) to carry on the assault is largely ignored in the news headlines.

The note reads as follows:

From Glider Pilot Sgt. Reg Duke ( written on June 5th 1944).

“Well the moment we have all been waiting for has arrived. All these months of training have come to an end and we are bout to be off. I feel very different from how I thought I’d feel . The orgnaisation and preparations are simply terrific and make for 100% confidence. The news of the invasion will be history by the time you’ll receive this letter. I would’nt miss all this for anything. Judging by the lads behaviour you’d think we were off on a Sunday Achool trip. They’re the finest bunch of fellows one could wish to go into action with. These last few days and the next few will live too long in my memory. We have been given permission to write, but the letters will not be posted until the invasion is oficially announced. Keep smiling and don’t worry. Everything in the garden is lovely.

[ Reg landed 12 miles behind the Atlantic Wall and when his task was done he dodged his way back to the coast and then across to England. He has been home for twenty four hours leave since]

What a fascinating historical cameo!

Early Tourists to Resolfen

2009-05-14T20:56:00.005Z

A REPORT ON THE MAY MEETING OF RESOLFEN HISTORY SOCIETY

The History Society brought down the curtain on a very successful lecture season with the visit of Mr Martyn Griffiths of Neath. He took “Early Tourists in Neath 1770 -1861” as his topic, and was accompanied by local actor Mr Peter Loaring who gave a dramatic illustration to the voices of some eleven notable visitors to the Neath area.

Michael Faraday

Mr Griffiths began his talk to the large audience by explaining how tourism began in the area. Following the English Civil War the nobility and wealthy would undertake “The Grand Tour” of Europe, a practice which was popular well into the 19th Century. Local notables including the Williams’s of Aberpergwm, Mansel Talbot and Howel Gwyn had all undergone the tour. However, during the 18th Century this practice went less popular as the exploration of Wales, Scotland and the Lake District gained in popularity. Rev.William Gilpin

One of the reasons for this was the 1705 Turnpike Act, which gave Wales its first modern roads. Prior to this, residents of the Neath area were obliged to give three days a year free to the upkeep of the roads, with the inevitable result that they remained rutted and muddy tracks. One of the first metalled roads in Glamorgan ran from Melincwrt to Aberdulais to carry the iron from the works. Consequent to the Second Turnpike Act of 1740, when Glamorgan gained its first turnpike roads and also notoriously tollgates at 2d per mile. Farmhouses consequently became inns to service the passing trade and locally Ynysgollen Farm ( now the Rock and Fountain) and the Ynysbipan ( the Farmers Arms today) became hostelries. They were not always very wholesome places and visitors referred to them being infested with fleas and vermin. Since roads lacked signposts and milestones the visitors would often need a guide to show them the delights of the local area including the waterfalls, mountains and heavy industry. This in itself caused some problems since the guides would have been monoglot Welsh speakers and one vistor, Samuel Carter Hall deemed this to be a sign of unfriendliness. Samuel Carter Hall

Mr Griffiths and Mr Loaring then gave a detailed account of the exploits of the tourists who had written of their vist to Neath. They came by stagecoach and mail coach, on horseback at two shillings a fortnight and famously George Borrow came briefly and breathlessly on foot. The Rev. Richard Warner took in the Neath area as part of an epic journey between Bath and Caernarfon in which he covered 462 miles in fifteen days. The scientist Michael Faraday also visited Melincwrt waterfall ( Sgwd Rhyd yr Hesg) in 1819 and befriended a young and highly attractive female guide. The Rev. William Gilpin who was recently featured on televison by Nicholas Crane was a famous traveller who is best remembered for inventing the word “picturesque” to descibe the beauties of the Neath Valley. Benjamin Melkin described St.Mary’s Church in Briton Ferry as a most beautiful building ( before Brunel built the Docks) and noted the Welsh tradition of placing flowers on graves. Other visitors described the customs and dress of the local inhabitants including the traditional Welsh costume, the custom of riding horses in pairs and the rich tradition of folk dancing in villages such as Pontneddfechan. Despite being filled with industrial slag Neath Abbey was also a powerful draw for vistors,as was the spleandour of the Gnoll House and grounds. However, Neath itself was described in rather less glorious terms “ Dirty narrow streets blackened by smoke”.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Griffiths and Mr Loaring for a most interesting talk and remarked that we had heard the voices of eleven speakers as against one.

The History Society will now take a break until September.However, the Summer trip will take place on Saturday,July 4th when the Society will visit the Rhymney Valley.

More photos from the Unveiling

2009-05-07T20:06:00.007Z

As promised, here are some more photos of the unveiling. Many thanks to Gwyn Thomas for the pictures. The blogger is playing up and will not allow me to place them in chronological order, hopefully this will be rectified later.

Phylip discusses the finer points of the music of the Three Doctors with the Chairman of the Community Council, Mr Conway Gillard.

The large audience awaits the ceremony.

Y Ganolfan -The Community Centre, has a direct connection with two of the Three Doctors since it was formerly Sion Chapel.

Setting up - Julie, Jean and Margaret prepare for the big day.

Momentous Day For History Society - Three Doctors Plaque Unveiled

2009-05-05T21:03:00.007Z

Mr Gwyn Thomas making his official speech.

On Monday, the 4th of May the official unveiling of the Three Doctors plaque ( Y TRI DOETHUR CERDD) took place at the Community Centre ( formerly Sion Chapel). Some sixty members and supporters were present to see the unveiling. This was the culmination of many months of planning and will now be a fitting tribute to these famous sons of Resolfen.

The Plaque unveiled by Gwyn Thomas and Phylip Jones

The plaque was unveiled by Mr Gwyn Thomas ( Chairman) who decided to share the honour with our President Mr Phylip Jones, who without doubt has been the motive force in keeping the memory of David Evans, Tom Hopcyn Evans and William Rees Herbert alive and hopefully kindle the interest of future generations. In his address Mr Thomas said,

" Today, the History Society continues its Silver Jubilee with the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the Three Doctors of Music from Resolven. We recently held a concert with Cantorion Bro Nedd and the Resolven Council of Churches Choir who sang the music of these celebrated composers. It was a great honour to be asked to unveil this plaque, but I would like to ask our President, Mr Phylip Jones to assist me".

Owing to rather inclement weather the remainder of the ceremony took place inside the hall. Mr Phylip Jones gave a "short" oration on the history of the Three Doctors and the Council of Churches Choir gave a performance of three pieces of music, one from each Doctor.

The ceremony ended with a light finger buffet, which was enjoyed by all present.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to such a successful day.

(More pictures to follow)

Radio Broadcast

2009-05-01T06:55:00.003Z

An item featuring the unveiling of the Three Doctors' Plaque will be featured on the Roy Noble Programme on Monday May 4th. The United Chapels Choir have already recorded three items for the item which will be broadcast at 2.05 pm. If you miss the programme you can listen to it again on the web, either on "play it again" on Roy's BBC web page or on the radio facility of the BBC iplayer.

Trefor Jones

Unveiling of the Three Doctors' Plaque

2009-04-21T09:19:00.004Z

It was decided that as part of our Silver Jubilee a dedicated plaque to the Three Doctors would be erected in the village. Dr Alwyn Humphreys in the recent highly successful Morriston Orpheus Concert in Jerusalem, stated that Resolfen was almost unique in having three musical doctors of that period in Wales.

It is therefore pleasing to announce that the plaque will be unveiled by our Chairman, Mr Gwyn Thomas on Monday, May 4th at 3:30pm. It was also decided that the best way to note the occasion was by a rendition of some of the work of the composers and therefore the United Chapels Choir will be on hand to perform some items. The short ceremony will be followed by a light buffet in the Community Centre.

Members will note that we normally have our Spring excursion on May Day, however it was felt that the unveiling would be an apt substitute to mark a notable year in our own history. Our final speaker for this season will be on Monday May 11th when Mr Martyn Griffiths will speak on "Early Tourists in Neath".

Trefor Jones

April Meeting: Ynysmeudwy Pottery

2009-04-09T13:29:00.006Z

Ynysmeudwy Pottery

This month’s speaker needed no introduction since it was none other than Mr Clive Reed of Pontardawe who took an illustrated history of Ynysmeudwy Pottery as his topic. Mr Reed has recently retired from his post at the Cefncoed Colliery Museum and has been regular feature for many years speaking to various groups on the history of the Neath Port Talbot area. It is therefore rather sad to report that his successor will not be providing the same service in the locality.

Mr Reed began his talk by stating that the present village of Ynysmeudwy owes its very existence to the pottery factory which commenced production in 1848. The Swansea Canal served as the main vehicle of transportation of Cornish China clay ( Kaolin) as the raw material for the production of porcelain in the area which was of course rich in that other essential ram material, coal. At the time there were over 400 pottery works in England and Wales and 32 working in Wales alone e.g. the Cambrian Pottery in Melincryddan, Neath.

The first family to own and build the works were the Williams family who bought the original site of the Ynysmeudwy farm ( variously Ynismudw, Ynysmudw or coloquially “ Y Smutw” – the field of the hermit) which is is now the Ynysmeudwy Arms. They also built Ynysmeudwy House which later became the now defunct Glanafon Hotel and a string of workers cottages adjacent to the works. Later a terrace of workers housing ( Ynysmeudwy Road/Curtis Row) and chapel was built a fair distance from the works owing to the riotous behavious of many of the workers.

A very rare Christening implement in Ynysneudwy porcelain

The Williams brothers in various combinations ran the works until 1861, when it was bought by local entrepreneurs Lewis and Morgan who also owned the Primrose Colliery in Alltwen. In 1871 the works was bought by the Llanelli Pottery and it ceased production in 1877. At its height Ynysmeudwy was producing 20,000 items of porcelain per week.

Mr Reed explained that he had written a thesis on Ynysmeudwy Pottery and showed how he had had to piece together the history from various sources including salvaging some 30,000 fragments of pottery from the site of the works. In the process he had accounted for many examples of the pottery which now sold for considerable sums at auction or eBay. He used some real examples to illustrate his talk and also showed how examples of the pottery's production had been used in the local architecture.

Following the closure of the site most of the pottery factory was demolished to make way the opening of the Bryn tin works which worked intil 1941. Now little remains of the original site following salvaging works by the local authority in the 1980s. However one of the bridges on the canal which once brought in the raw materials and shipped out the finished products is now nicknamed the Potters' Bridge.

Mr Gwyn Thomas thanked Mr Reed for a most memorable evening.

Resolven's Railwaymen 1910

2009-04-02T21:21:00.003Z

Mr Ken Evans has very kindly given the Society these interesting images of the employees of the Great Western Railway in Resolfen. I wonder if anyone can name any of these men?