92-491: Aberaman is a village near Aberdare in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf , south Wales . It was heavily dependent on the coal industry and the population, as a result, grew rapidly in the late nineteenth century. Most of the industry has now disappeared and a substantial proportion of the working population travel to work in Cardiff and the M4 corridor. Many residents also work in
184-467: A Lecture Hall. Its crowning glory was the main auditorium with seating for 1,800 people with a first floor offering additional capacity. Throughout the twentieth century the hall was the social and cultural centre for Aberaman. It was eventually destroyed by fire in November 1994. Aberaman was formerly home to Blaengwawr Comprehensive School , a secondary school in the heart of the community. This school
276-455: A Public Hall and Institute at Aberaman dated from 1892 when a public meeting was held in Saron Chapel . Until that point the chapels had been dominant in public life and the development of a secular hall, in hindsight, could be seen as the beginning of their long decline. Many years elapsed before sufficient funds were raised to begin the building work and the ceremony to lay the foundation stone
368-730: A buyer. Following Bailey's retirement the works were eventually taken over by the Powell Duffryn Company but were never worked again following their closure in 1866. Crawshay Bailey was also the pioneer of the coal industry at Aberaman, opening the Aberaman Colliery in 1845. This passed for the Powell DuffrynCompany in 1866 after their purchase of the Aberaman Estate. In 1909 the first Mines Rescue Station in South Wales
460-663: A concern. Later, the formation of the Glamorgan County Council (upon which Aberdare had five elected members) in 1889, followed by the Aberdare Urban District Council , which replaced the Local Board in 1894, transformed the local politics of the Aberdare valley. At the 1889 Glamorgan County Council Elections most of the elected representatives were coalowners and industrialists, and the only exception in
552-526: A leading critic of the vicar's evidence and, by implication, a defender of both the Welsh language and the morality of the local population. It is still contended that Griffiths was made vicar of Merthyr in the neighbouring valley to escape local anger, even though it was over ten years before he left Aberdare. The reports and subsequent defence would maintain the perceptions of Aberdare, the Cynon Valley and even
644-497: A mechanics’ institute, a reading room and lending-library. He also inaugurated a series of public lectures. Griffith's move to Merthyr Tydfil saw him take over a much larger and more established parish than Aberdare. In 1859, Merthyr was affected by the Religious Revival which affected much of Wales, and Griffith supported the movement although it was primarily associated with nonconformity. He became less than popular with
736-460: A modern electrical, two-manual and pedal board pipe organ, that is still used in services. John Griffith, vicar of Aberdare, who built St Elvan's, transformed the role of the Anglican church in the valley by building a number of other churches, including St Fagan's , Trecynon . Other churches in the parish are St Luke's ( Cwmdare ), St James's ( Llwydcoed ) and St Matthew's (1891) ( Abernant ). In
828-579: A monastic chapter of 1203 concerning grazing right on Hirwaun Common. It was originally a small village in an agricultural district, centred around the Church of St John the Baptist , said to date from at least 1189. By the middle of the 15th century, Aberdare contained a water mill in addition to a number of thatched cottages, of which no evidence remains. Aberdare grew rapidly in the early 19th century through two major industries: first iron, then coal. A branch of
920-587: A number of industrial disputes, some of which were local and others which affected the wider coalfield. Trade unionism began to appear in the Aberdare Valley at intervals from the 1830s onwards but the first significant manifestation occurred during the Aberdare Strike of 1857–8 . The dispute was initiated by the depression in trade which followed the Crimean War and saw the local coal owners successfully impose
1012-420: A pit at Cwmbach , and during the next few years he opened another four pits. In the next few years, other local entrepreneurs now became involved in the expansion of the coal trade, including David Williams at Ynysgynon and David Davis at Blaengwawr, as well as the latter's son David Davis, Maesyffynnon . They were joined by newcomers such as Crawshay Bailey at Aberaman and, in due course, George Elliot in
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#17328581171521104-569: A prominent role in this new politics and, at Aberdare, they found an effective spokesman in the Rev Thomas Price minister of Calfaria, Aberdare . Following the granting of a second parliamentary seat to the borough of Merthyr Tydfil in 1867, the Liberals of Aberdare sought to ensure that a candidate from their part of the constituency was returned alongside the sitting member, Henry Austen Bruce . Their choice fell upon Richard Fothergill , owner of
1196-471: A reduction in wages. The dispute did, however, witness an early manifestation of mass trade unionism amongst the miners of the valley and although unsuccessful the dispute saw the emergence of a stronger sense of solidarity amongst the miners. Steam coal was subsequently found in the Rhondda and further west, but many of the great companies of the Welsh coal industry's Gilded Age started operation in Aberdare and
1288-611: A report for the General Board of Health on the sanitary condition of the parish, which recommended that a local board of health be established. The whole parish of Aberdare was formally declared a local board district on 31 July 1854, to be governed by the Aberdare Local Board of Health . Its first chairman was Richard Fothergill and the members included David Davis, Blaengwawr , David Williams ( Alaw Goch ) , Rees Hopkin Rhys and
1380-544: A significant way around 1818 when the Crawshay family of Merthyr purchased the Hirwaun ironworks and placed them under independent management. In the following year, Rowland Fothergill took over the ironworks at Abernant and a few years later did the same at Llwydcoed . Both concerns later fell into the hands of his nephew Richard Fothergill . The Gadlys Ironworks was established in 1827 by Matthew Wayne, who had previously managed
1472-413: A stronghold of Nonconformity from the mid-nineteenth century until the inter-war years. In the aftermath of the 1847 Education Reports nonconformists became increasingly active in the political and educational life of Wales and in few places was this as prevalent as at Aberdare. The leading figure was Thomas Price , minister of Calfaria, Aberdare. John Griffith (Anglican priest) John Griffith
1564-477: A year. Fifty carpenters and eighty masons were reported to be employed in the building of industrial housing. Two contemporary accounts give a vivid description of the conditions prevailing in Aberdare as the area struggled to cope with the population explosion. On 1 December 2016, following The Rhondda Cynon Taf (Communities) Order 2016 , the community of Aberaman was split into two new communities, Aberaman North and Aberaman South , which are coterminous with
1656-402: Is 4 miles (6 km) south-west of Merthyr Tydfil , 20 miles (32 km) north-west of Cardiff and 22 miles (35 km) east-north-east of Swansea . During the 19th century it became a thriving industrial settlement, which was also notable for the vitality of its cultural life and as an important publishing centre. The name Aberdare means "mouth/confluence of the river Dare", as the town
1748-457: Is a two-manual and pedal board electric organ, with speakers at the front and sides of the church. In 1910 there were 34 Anglican churches in the Urban District of Aberdare. A survey of the attendance at places of worship on a particular Sunday in that year recorded that 17.8% of worshippers attended church services, with the remainder attending nonconformist chapels. The Aberdare Valley was
1840-563: Is located where the Dare river ( Welsh : Afon Dâr ) meets the Cynon ( Welsh : Afon Cynon ). While the town's Welsh spelling uses formal conventions, the English spelling of the name reflects the town's pronunciation in the local Gwenhwyseg dialect of South East Wales. Dâr is an archaic Welsh word for oaks ( derwen is the singulative ), and the valley was noted for its large and fine oaks as late as
1932-475: The Cyfarthfa ironworks at Merthyr. The Gadlys works, now considered an important archaeological site, originally comprised four blast furnaces, inner forges, rowing mills and puddling furnaces. The development of these works provided impetus to the growth of Aberdare as a nucleated town. The iron industry was gradually superseded by coal and all the five iron works had closed by 1875, as the local supply of iron ore
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#17328581171522024-475: The Glamorganshire Canal (1811) was opened to transport these products; then the railway became the main means of transport to the South Wales coast. From the 1870s onwards, the economy of the town was dominated by the coal mining industry, with only a small tinplate works. There were also several brickworks and breweries. During the latter half of the 19th century, considerable improvements were made to
2116-500: The Labour Party since 2012. Aberdare, during its boom years, was considered a centre of Welsh culture : it hosted the first National Eisteddfod in 1861, with which David Williams (Alaw Goch) was closely associated. The town erected a monument in the local park to commemorate the occasion. A number of local eisteddfodau had long been held in the locality, associated with figures such as William Williams (Carw Coch) The Eisteddfod
2208-485: The Norman Robert Fitzhamon and Iestyn ap Gwrgant , the last Welsh prince of Glamorgan , defeated Rhys ap Tewdwr , prince of Dyfed . The battle is thought to have started at Aberdare, with the areas now known as Upper and Lower Gadlys (The battle Court(s)), traditionally given as each armies' headquarters. The settlement of Aberdare dates from at least this period, with the first known reference being in
2300-592: The Rev. Thomas Price . It was followed by the Aberdare School Board in 1871. By 1889, the Local Board of Health had initiated a number of developments: these included the purchase of local reservoirs from the Aberdare Waterworks Company for £97,000, a sewerage scheme costing £35,000, as well as the opening of Aberdare Public Park and a local fever hospital. The lack of a Free Library, however, remained
2392-464: The Royal Navy , and this decision boosted the reputation of Aberdare's product and launched a huge international export market. Coal mined in Aberdare parish rose from 177,000 long tons (180,000 t) in 1844 to 477,000 long tons (485,000 t) in 1850, and the coal trade, which after 1875 was the chief support of the town, soon reached huge dimensions. The growth of the coal trade inevitably led to
2484-576: The UK miners' strike . Griffith Rhys Jones − or Caradog as he was commonly known − was the conductor of the famous 'Côr Mawr' ("great choir") of some 460 voices (the South Wales Choral Union), which twice won first prize at Crystal Palace choral competitions in London in the 1870s. He is depicted in the town's most prominent statue by sculptor Goscombe John , unveiled on Victoria Square in 1920. Aberdare
2576-403: The electoral wards of the same names. Aberaman Ironworks was the last ironworks to be opened in the Aberdare Valley. It was established in 1845 by Crawshay Bailey and the first iron was produced in 1847. However the works were not successful. They closed temporarily in 1854 but re-opened the following year. In 1862 it appears that Bailey sought to sell the works for £250,000 but failed to find
2668-402: The wider area as proudly nonconformist and defiantly Welsh speaking throughout its industrialised history. By 1901, the census recorded that 71.5% of the population of Aberdare Urban District spoke Welsh, but this fell to 65.2% in 1911. The 1911 data shows that Welsh was more widely spoken among the older generation compared to the young, and amongst women compared to men. A shift in language
2760-636: The 1830s. Amongst the lands he acquired was the Aberaman estate, which he bought from the executors of Anthony Bacon II , together with its mansion, by indenture dated 17 February 1837. It was several years before he began speculating for coal. By 1845, Crawshay Bailey had, in partnership with Josiah John Guest , built the Aberdare Railway and, around this time, the Aberaman Ironworks and a number of collieries associated with it were opened. Bailey remained
2852-408: The 1874 General Election, both Richard and Fothergill were again returned, although the former was criticised for his apparent lack of sympathy towards the miners during the industrial disputes of the early 1870s. This led to the emergence of Thomas Halliday as the first labour or working-class candidate to contest a Welsh constituency. Although he polled well, Halliday fell short of being elected. For
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2944-411: The 1950s with Idwal Rees as head teacher. According to the 2011 Census , 11.6% of Aberdare residents aged three years and over could speak Welsh, with 24.8% of 3- to 15-year-olds stating that they could speak it. Ironworks were established at Llwydcoed and Abernant in 1799 and 1800 respectively, followed by others at Gadlys and Aberaman in 1827 and 1847. The iron industry began to expand in
3036-461: The 19th century. In ancient times, the river may have been associated with Daron , an ancient Celtic goddess of oak. As such, the town would share an etymology with Aberdaron and the Daron river. As with many Welsh toponyms , it is likely that the locality was known by this name long before the development of the town. There are several cairns and the remains of a circular British encampment on
3128-551: The Aberdare communities. Cynon Valley Borough Council and Mid Glamorgan County Council were both abolished in 1996, since when Aberdare has been governed by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council . The town lies mainly in the Aberdare East ward, represented by two county councillors. Nearby Cwmdare , Llwydcoed and Trecynon are represented by the Aberdare West/Llwydcoed ward. Both wards have been represented by
3220-422: The Anglican journal, Yr Haul. This provoked fury form local nonconformist ministers led by the Rev Thomas Price and it has been argued that this episode enabled Price to assume the leadership of political nonconformity in Aberdare and further afield. However, he soon proved to be a more complex figure than the caricature attacked by Price. In late 1848 he criticised his own church's apparent indifference towards
3312-465: The Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, using the pseudonym, Cambro Sacerdos , and in these articles drew attention to deficiencies that still existed within the church despite reforms undertaken in the 1830s. The articles came to the attention of the owner of the newspaper, the Marquis of Bute. Bute was not only an evangelical and supporter of church reform but also, as Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan, concerned about
3404-514: The Welsh-speaking population, most clearly seen in the appointment of monoglot Englishmen to ecclesiastical posts in Wales. While at Aberdare he sought to expand the activities of the established church in the parish Aberdare, commencing services at Hirwaun and building St Fagan's Church , Trecynon . He also sought to improve the conditions of the working classes in the town, and sought to establish
3496-507: The ancient office of High Constable continued in ceremonial form until relatively recent times. In 1832, Aberdare was removed from the Glamorgan county constituency and became part of the parliamentary borough (constituency) of Merthyr Tydfil . For much of the nineteenth century, the representation was initially controlled by the ironmasters of Merthyr, notably the Guest family. From 1852 until 1868
3588-522: The church authorities, however, as a result of his support for disestablishment. In July 1883, he stated that ‘I have been for years convinced that nothing but Disestablishment, the separation of the Church from the State, can ever reform the Church in Wales.’ Griffith's funeral was said to have been attended by between 12,000 and 15,000 people 'I venture to declare', wrote one correspondent, ' no man in this part of
3680-552: The coal worked in the parish was coking coal, and was consumed locally, chiefly in the ironworks . Although the Gadlys works was small in comparison with the other ironworks it became significant as the Waynes also became involved in the production of sale coal. In 1836, this activity led to the exploitation of the "Four-foot Seam" of high- calorific value steam coal began, and pits were sunk in rapid succession. In 1840, Thomas Powell sank
3772-403: The collieries, including Incline Row and Bell Place near Aberaman Colliery, and Blaengwawr Row and Blaengwawr Cottages adjacent to Blaengwawr Colliery. John Griffith , in his evidence to the inspectors compiling the 1847 Education Reports reported that Aberaman had only been in existence for eighteen months, yet its population stood at 1200. This figure was expected to increase to 4,800 within
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3864-405: The decline of both iron and coal, Aberdare has become reliant on commercial businesses as a major source of employment. Its industries include cable manufacture, smokeless fuels, and tourism. As a small village in the upland valleys of Glamorgan, Aberdare did not play any significant part in political life until its development as an industrial settlement. It was part of the lordship of Miskin, and
3956-552: The earlier period was the miners' agent David Morgan (Dai o'r Nant), elected in 1892 as a labour representative. From the early 1900s, however, Labour candidates began to gain ground and dominated local government from the 1920s onwards. The same pattern was seen on the Aberdare UDC. Aberdare Urban District was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . The area became part of the borough of Cynon Valley within
4048-614: The early decades of the 19th century the ironmasters gradually imposed their influence over local affairs, and this remained the case following the formation of the Merthyr Board of Guardians in 1836. During the 1850s and early 1860s, however, as coal displaced iron as the main industry in the valley, the ironmasters were displaced as the dominant group in local government and administration by an alliance between mostly indigenous coal owners, shopkeepers and tradesmen, professional men and dissenting ministers. A central figure in this development
4140-505: The early migrant population were Welsh speaking, and in 1851 only ten per cent of the population had been born outside of Wales. In his controversial evidence to the 1847 Inquiry into the State of Education in Wales (the report of which is known in Wales as the Brad y Llyfrau Gleision , Treason of the Blue Books ), the Anglican vicar of Aberdare, John Griffith , stated that the English language
4232-487: The early years of the twentieth century the area known as Godreaman became built up, meaning that there was unbroken development between Aberaman and neighbouring Cwmaman , which was a settlement dependent almost wholly on the coal industry. By this time, Lewis Street at the heart of Aberaman village had developed into a small urban and commercial core around the Aberaman Hall and Institute (see below). It can be seen that
4324-423: The entire Cyfarthfa estate, which he alone had inherited, to Richard Crawshay . For the rest of his life he used the Aberaman estate as a summer residence. He died there on 11 August 1827. After his death, it passed to Crawshay Bailey , who owned the ironworks at Nantyglo and Beaufort . Bailey recognised the potential of the rich coal seams of the Aberdare and Rhondda valleys and bought up land in these areas in
4416-612: The estate was broken up after two centuries and divided between his three daughters and their husbands. In 1806, Anthony Bushby Bacon , an illegitimate son of Anthony Bacon, a prominent iron master at Merthyr Tydfil, bought Aberaman House. He shared the Hirwaun ironworks with his brother but proceeded to sell his share to his brother and with the proceeds from the sale, he purchased the Matthews estate at Aberaman, including Aberaman House. Bacon, also known as Anthony Bacon II, did not aspire to be an iron master like his father and, in 1814, sold
4508-492: The family served as High Sheriff of Glamorgan . In 1788 the Aberaman Estate passed to three sisters, Eleanor, Rebecca and Maria Eleanora. Eleanor Mathew is remembered as a great philanthropist who endowed the almshouses of Aberdare to accommodate four poor persons. The family seat was at Aberaman Isha, later known as Aberaman House (which is still extant but much altered). The last of the Mathew family, Edward Mathew, died in 1788 and
4600-416: The industrial developments of the mid-1840s were the catalyst for the growth of Aberaman as an industrial settlement. The earliest housing in the 1840s took the form of a ribbon development southwards from Aberdare along Cardiff Road. In the 1850s, the settlement grew out from Cardiff Road as, amongst others, Curre Street, Holford Street, Gwawr Street and Lewis Street were built. There were also settlements near
4692-562: The ironworks at Abernant, who was enthusiastically supported by the Rev Thomas Price. Shortly before the election, however, Henry Richard intervened as a radical Liberal candidate, invited by the radicals of Merthyr. To many people's surprise, Price was lukewarm about his candidature and continued to support Fothergill. Ultimately, Henry Richard won a celebrated victory with Fothergill in second place and Bruce losing his seat. Richard thus became one of the-first radical MPs from Wales. At
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#17328581171524784-464: The loss of most of the heavy industry. The Aberdare population at the 2001 census was 31,705 (ranked 13th largest in Wales). By 2011 it was 29,748, though the figure includes the surrounding populations of Aberaman , Abercwmboi , Cwmbach and Llwydcoed . Welsh was the prominent language until the mid 20th century and Aberdare was an important centre of Welsh language publishing. A large proportion of
4876-418: The lower Cynon Valley, including those of Samuel Thomas , David Davies and Sons , Nixon's Navigation and Powell Duffryn . During the early years of the twentieth century, the Aberdare valley became the focus of increased militancy among the mining workforce and an unofficial strike by 11,000 miners in the district from 20 October 1910 until 2 February 1911 attracted much attention at the time, although it
4968-511: The lower part of the valley. This coal was valuable for steam railways and steam ships , and an export trade began, via the Taff Vale Railway and the port of Cardiff . The population of the parish rose from 6,471 in 1841 to 14,999 in 1851 and 32,299 in 1861 and John Davies described it as "the most dynamic place in Wales". In 1851, the Admiralty decided to use Welsh steam coal in ships of
5060-461: The mountain between Aberdare and Merthyr . This may have led to the mountain itself being named Bryn-y-Beddau (hill of graves) although other local traditions associate the name with the Battle of Hirwaun Wrgant. Aberdare lies within the commote ( cwmwd ) of Meisgyn, in the cantref of Penychen . The area is traditionally given as the scene of the battle of Hirwaun Wrgant , where the allied forces of
5152-435: The nearby towns of Aberdare and Pontypridd . Located to the south of Aberdare, the area that would become Aberaman was predominantly agricultural land until the early nineteenth century. From at least 1524 Aberaman was the home of the Mathew family, who owned land throughout Glamorgan and who came to prominence in the seventeenth century. In 1637, William Mathew presented the bell to St. John's Church and three members of
5244-526: The new county of Mid Glamorgan . The area of the former urban district was made a community , later being subdivided in 1982 into five communities: Aberaman , Cwmbach , Llwydcoed , Penywaun , and a smaller Aberdare community. The Aberdare community was further divided in 2017 into two communities called Aberdare East and Aberdare West . Aberdare East includes Aberdare town centre and the village of Abernant . Aberdare West includes Cwmdare , Cwm Sian and Trecynon . No community council exists for either of
5336-468: The newspaper, which was also aligned with radical nonconformist liberalism. The rise of the political labour movement and the subsequent decline of the Welsh language in the valleys, ultimately led to its decline and closure in 1934. The Coliseum Theatre is Aberdare's main arts venue, containing a 600-seat auditorium and cinema. It is situated in nearby Trecynon and was built in 1938 using miners ' subscriptions. The Second World War poet Alun Lewis
5428-538: The owner of the Aberaman Estate but despite the profitability of his colliery activities, the depression in the iron trade (see below) meant that the enterprise did not prove as successful as Bailey had hoped so he decided to sell the Aberaman estate and return to Monmouthshire. He disposed of the entire Aberaman estate including its collieries, ironworks, brickworks and private railway, to the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co. by indenture dated 2 February 1867 for
5520-586: The parish did not attract a positive response. Soon after his arrival at Aberdare , Griffith became embroiled in the controversy over the 1847 Education Reports following evidence he gave to the commissioners about the alleged immorality of the local population. He later elaborated upon or repeated his claims in letters to the press, such as that published in the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian in February 1848. On that occasion, Griffith argued that he merely repeated what had been said for many years by David Owen (Brutus) in
5612-505: The parish of Aberaman and Cwmaman is St Margaret's Church, with a beautiful old pipe organ with two manuals and a pedal board. Also in this parish is St Joseph's Church, Cwmaman. St Joseph's has recently undergone much recreational work, almost converting the church into a community centre, surrounded by a beautiful floral garden and leading to the Cwmaman Sculpture Trail. However, regular church services still take place. Here, there
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#17328581171525704-514: The parish. It was only towards the end of his ministry at Aberdare that St John's Church became suitable for regular worship once again after a restoration costing £900. By that time however, Griffith had instigated the building of St Elvan's Church , commonly known as the Cathedral of the Valleys, which revitalised the influence of the Church in this industrial community. However, his initial impact on
5796-427: The population of the parish of Aberdare was just 1,486, but the early 19th century saw rapid industrial growth, first through the ironworks, and later through the iron and steam coal industries. By the 1840s the parish population was increasing by 1,000 people every year, almost exclusively migrant workers from west Wales, which was suffering from an agricultural depression. This growth was increasingly concentrated in
5888-401: The preservation of law and order within the developing industrial communities in the upland parts of the county. Under these circumstances, Griffith emerged as a candidate for the vacant parish of Aberdare which was endowed by the Marquis. The parish of Aberdare was established in 1846 when it ceased to be part of the pre-industrial parish of Llantrisant, many miles to the south. The new parish
5980-536: The previously agricultural areas of Blaengwawr and Cefnpennar to the south of the town. The population of the Aberdare District (centred on the town) was 9,322 in 1841, 18,774 in 1851, and 37,487 in 1861. Despite a small decline in the 1870s, population levels continued to increase, with the first decade of the 20th century seeing a notably sharp increase, largely as a result of the steam coal trade, reaching 53,779 in 1911. The population has since declined owing to
6072-454: The proportion speaking Welsh had fallen to 9.2%. Nonconformist chapels in Aberaman included Gwawr (Baptist), Saron (Independent) and Libanus (Calvinistic Methodist), all of which dated from the growth of the village in the late 1840s. All have now closed. Much of the social life of Aberaman was centred on the imposing Aberaman Hall and Institute in Lewis Street. A campaign to develop
6164-407: The purposes of electing members to the unitary Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council . Aberaman has formed an electoral ward since the formation of Glamorgan County Council in 1889 and Aberdare Urban District Council in 1894. At the start of the twentieth century the vast majority of the inhabitants of Aberaman, many of whom were migrants from rural Welsh counties, were Welsh-speaking. By 2011
6256-400: The rapid growth of nonconformity from the 1830s onwards. Eventually, John Griffith , the rector of Aberdare, undertook to raise funds to build a new church, leading to the rapid construction of St Elvan's Church in the town centre between 1851 and 1852. This Church in Wales church still stands the heart of the parish of Aberdare and has had extensive work since it was built. The church has
6348-501: The religious practices of the Nonconformists. This evidence helped inform the findings of the report which would go on to stigmatise Welsh people as "ignorant", "lazy" and "immoral" and found the reason for this was the continued use of the Welsh language, which it described as "evil". The controversial reports allowed the local nonconformist minister Thomas Price of Calfaria to arrange public meetings, from which he would emerge as
6440-514: The remainder of the nineteenth century, the constituency was represented by industrialists, most notably David Alfred Thomas . In 1900, however, Thomas was joined by Keir Hardie , the ILP candidate, who became the first labour representative to be returned for a Welsh constituency independent of the Liberal Party. The Aberdare constituency came into being at the 1918 election. The first representative
6532-548: The seat was held by Henry Austen Bruce whose main industrial interests lay in the Aberdare valley. Bruce was a Liberal but was viewed with suspicion by the more radical faction which became increasingly influential within Welsh Liberalism in the 1860s. The radicals supported such policies as the disestablishment of the Church of England and were closely allied to the Liberation Society . Nonconformist ministers played
6624-555: The site of a cell attached to Penrhys monastery ; and at one time there were over 50 Nonconformist chapels (including those in surrounding settlements such as Cwmaman and Llwydcoed ). The services in the majority of the chapels were in Welsh . Most of these chapels have now closed, with many converted to other uses. The former urban district included what were once the separate villages of Aberaman , Abernant , Cwmaman , Cwmbach , Cwmdare , Llwydcoed , Penywaun and Trecynon . In 1801,
6716-499: The sum of £123,500. Bailey retired to Abergavenny. Around 1843, the valuable steam-coal seams on the Blaengwawr estate began to be exploited by David Davis, Blaengwawr . Davis was a self-made man whose family firm later became one of the most important in the South Wales coal trade, with interests in both the Aberdare and Rhondda valleys. During the second half of the nineteenth century, Aberaman continued to grow southwards. During
6808-466: The town, which became a pleasant place to live, despite the nearby collieries. A postgraduate theological college opened in connection with the Church of England in 1892, but in 1907 it moved to Llandaff . With the ecclesiastical parishes of St Fagan's (Trecynon) and Aberaman carved out of the ancient parish, Aberdare had 12 Anglican churches and one Catholic church, built in 1866 in Monk Street near
6900-546: The way in which he gradually abandoned the strong Tory principles that he espoused at the beginning of his career at Aberdare. He died on 24 April 1885. Griffith was born in 1818 or 1819 in Llanbadarn Fawr , Cardiganshire, the son of Thomas Griffith. He commenced his education at Ystradmeurig School, which was a popular choice amongst the gentlemen farmers of Cardiganshire for educating their sons. He proceeded to Swansea Grammar School and Christ's College, Cambridge, he
6992-433: Was Charles Butt Stanton , who had been elected at a by-election following Hardie's death in 1915. However, in 1922, Stanton was defeated by a Labour candidate, and Labour has held the seat ever since. The only significant challenge came from Plaid Cymru at the 1970 and February 1974 General Elections, but these performances have not since been repeated. From 1984 until 2019 the parliamentary seat, now known as Cynon Valley ,
7084-456: Was "generally understood" and referred to the arrival of people from anglicised areas such as Radnorshire and south Pembrokeshire. Griffith also made allegations about the Welsh-speaking population and what he considered to be the degraded character of the women of Aberdare, alleging sexual promiscuity was an accepted social convention, that drunkenness and improvidence amongst the miners was common and attacking what he saw as exaggerated emotion in
7176-518: Was a large one, extending from Hirwaun in the north to Mountain Ash in the south, an area of some fifty square miles centred on the town of Aberdare. The whole area was expanding rapidly due to the opening of ironworks and collieries, with the population increasing by approximately 1,000 people each year. The only Anglican place of worship was the small and ancient St John's Church, while there were already at least fourteen substantial nonconformist chapels in
7268-537: Was again held in Aberdare in 1885, and also in 1956 at Aberdare Park , where the Gorsedd standing stones still exist. At the last National Eisteddfod held in Aberdare in 1956 Mathonwy Hughes won the chair. From the mid 19th century, Aberdare was an important publishing centre where a large number of books and journals were produced, the majority of which were in the Welsh language. A newspaper entitled Y Gwladgarwr (the Patriot)
7360-401: Was among the most prominent clergymen in industrial south Wales during the second half of the nineteenth century. He was rector of Aberdare from 1846 until 1859. From 1859 until his death in 1885 he was vicar of Merthyr Tydfil where he proved a strong supporter of workers' rights and, by the end of his life a supporter of the disestablishment of the Church of England in Wales. This reflected
7452-426: Was born near Aberdare in the village of Cwmaman ; there is a plaque commemorating him, including a quotation from his poem The Mountain over Aberdare . The founding members of the rock band Stereophonics originated from Cwmaman. It is also the hometown of guitarist Mark Parry of Vancouver rock band The Manvils . Famed anarchist-punk band Crass played their last live show for striking miners in Aberdare during
7544-479: Was closed, however, at the end of the 2014 school year due to the establishment of Aberdare Community School . Aberdare Aberdare ( / ˌ æ b ər ˈ d ɛər / ab-ər- DAIR ; Welsh : Aberdâr ) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf , Wales , at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and Cynon . Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare
7636-493: Was culturally twinned with the German town of Ravensburg . The original parish church of St John the Baptist was originally built in 1189. Some of its original architecture is still intact. With the development of Aberdare as an industrial centre in the nineteenth century it became increasingly apparent that the ancient church was far too small to service the perceived spiritual needs of an urban community, particularly in view of
7728-578: Was expedited with the loss of men during the First World War and the resulting economic turmoil. English gradually began to replace Welsh as the community language, as shown by the decline of the Welsh language press in the town. This pattern continued after the Second World War despite the advent of Welsh medium education. Ysgol Gymraeg Aberdâr , the Welsh-medium primary school, was established in
7820-621: Was held by Ann Clwyd of Labour. Aberdare was an ancient parish within Glamorgan. Until the mid-19th century the local government of Aberdare and its locality remained in the hands of traditional structures such as the parish vestry and the High Constable, who was chosen annually. However, with the rapid industrial development of the parish, these traditional bodies could not cope with the realities of an urbanised, industrial community which had developed without any planning or facilities. During
7912-481: Was held on 2 October 1907, on the site previously occupied by the Aberaman Reading Institute. The hall was officially opened by Keir Hardie MP on 14 June 1909. Designed by an Aberdare architect, Thomas Roderick, and built by John Morgan and Son, the hall's facilities included two billiards rooms, two games rooms, a swimming pool in the basement, Committee Room, a Lending Library and Reference Room, and
8004-403: Was inadequate to meet the ever-increasing demand created by the invention of steel, and as a result the importing of ore proved more profitable. The iron industry had a relatively small impact upon the economy of Aberdare and in 1831 only 1.2% of the population was employed in manufacturing, as opposed to 19.8% in neighbouring Merthyr Tydfil. In the early years of Aberdare's development, most of
8096-538: Was opened at the Aberaman Colliery and at this time over a thousand men were employed there. The manager of the colliery at this time was E.M. Hann who was a powerful figure in the South Wales coal trade for many years. Powell Duffryn continued to own the colliery until nationalisation in 1947 when it was taken over by the National Coal Board . Aberaman Colliery closed in 1965. Aberaman currently comprises two electoral wards, Aberaman North and Aberaman South, for
8188-453: Was ordained a priest in 1843. After a short period as curate of Astbury in Cheshire, Griffith benefitted from the patronage of Sir Stephen Glynne , brother-in-law of W.E. Gladstone, and for a short time became family chaplain at Hawarden. However, a collapse in the family finances in 1846 made it necessary for Griffith to seek alternative employment. At this time, Griffith had been writing to
8280-465: Was published at Aberdare from 1856 until 1882 and was circulated widely throughout the South Wales valleys. From 1875 a more successful newspaper, Tarian y Gweithiwr (the Workman's Shield) was published at Aberdare by John Mills. Y Darian , as it was known, strongly supported the trade union movements among the miners and ironworkers of the valleys. The miners' leader, William Abraham , derived support from
8372-401: Was the Rev Thomas Price . The growth of this alliance was rooted in the reaction to the 1847 Education Reports and the subsequent efforts to establish a British School at Aberdare. In the 1840s there were no adequate sanitary facilities or water supply, and mortality rates were high. Outbreaks of cholera and typhus were commonplace. Against this background, Thomas Webster Rammell prepared
8464-562: Was ultimately overshadowed by the Cambrian dispute in the neighbouring Rhondda valley which became synonymous with the so-called Tonypandy Riots. In common with the rest of the South Wales coalfield, Aberdare's coal industry commenced a long decline after World War I , and the last two deep mines still in operation in the 1960s were the small Aberaman and Fforchaman collieries, which closed in 1962 and 1965 respectively. On 11 May 1919, an extensive fire broke out on Cardiff Street, Aberdare. With
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