Study

During his four years stay in London, he took advantage of the opportunities afforded him to study at the Dr. Birbeck’s Mechanics Institute, and to take part in the religious activities of both Welsh and English Baptists churches. He entered the Pontypool Baptist College with a view to entering the ministry in 1842, after three and half years there under Dr. Thos. Thomas as principal he accepted a call to Aberdare Welsh Baptist Chapel, then worshipping at Carmel Chapel, Monk St but better known as “Penpound”, he commenced here by the end of1845 and was ordained on the 1st Jan 1846 and remained here as his only pastorate for 42 years until his death on the 29th Feb 1888 at the age of 67 years.

The number of members on his ordination was 91, including those in the Mountain Ash Branch of the church. Thomas Price arrived as a time were about to take place in the Cynon Valley. Up to this time Aberdare had depend upon its iron history but from now on the famous Aberdare Steam Coal came into is stride. Colliery after colliery was opened and the population was about 16,000 as his ordination increased to about 40,000 during his life time, while the production of coal went up from 400,000 tons to nearly 3,000,000 ton. The year after his arrival of the T.V.R. was opened to carry coal and iron to Cardiff, and a few years later the Vale of Neath Railway connected Aberdare to Swansea, while of his arrival had to depend on its Canal and tramways.

His abounding energy and skill organiser, Thomas Price was able to increase the numbers of Baptists in the Valley through opening Sunday schools and later erecting chapels in the surrounding villages as a great ratio than the increase in population. After releasing 121 members to form a church at Aberaman (Gwawr), 58 to form the English Church as Carmel, while the Welsh members entered their new chapel as Calfaria, and 69 to form the church as Mountain Ash, (Rhos), there still remained as Calfaria 1031

members.  Then 163 members were transferred to form the new church at Abernant, 131 to Ynsyslwyd, 49 to Gadlys, together with others to form Heolyfelin. He also assisted the daughter churches to form at Cwmaman, Abercwmboi, Blaenllechau, Cwmdare, Llwydcoed and Glyn-Neath.

1848 he was appointed Secretary of the Baptist Sustentation Fund, and for a time was very busy in addressing meetings and correspondence for this purpose. He soon became well known in his denomination as a preacher as their important conferences “Cymanfaoedd” and was elected to important offices, especially son in Glamorgan.

In 1863 he was elected to the chair of “Cymanfa Bedyddwyr Morgannwg”, while in 1865 he filled the chair of the “Welsh Baptist Union” and for many years was a member of the Committee of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland, the Baptist Foreign Missionary Society and the Home Missionary Society and the Ireland Missionary Society, the Baptist Education Board, the committee of the Baptist Colleges Pontypool, Haverfordwest and Llangollen. He often spoke from platforms at Exeter Hall, London and the big English towns, Liverpool, Plymouth, Manchester, Birmingham. In addition Rev. Price became very popular as a lecturer throughout North and South Wales, on such subjects as:- The Crimean War, Indian Mutiny, The Collier and his Dangers, The Literary History of the Bible, Garibaldi, it is said that a sum of £4000 was paid off the debt of chapels through his lectures which often took 2.1/2 to 3 hours to deliver with illustrations from maps.

Publisher

As a writer he publishes as answer to the Rev: Wm Edwards book “Bapto a Baptiso in 1857” Juwbili Eglwys Calfaria Aberdar 1862” and Trem 1885-1886, together with addresses etc. He was better known as the co-editor of “Y Gwron” 1885-1860 and “Y Gweithiwr” 1859-1860 and “Seren Cymru” 1860-76, he also served a Finance Secretary to “Seren Gomer”1853-1859 and edited “Y Medelwr Ieuane” and “Y Gwyliedydd”.

No minister in Wales took so such a prominent part as he did in furthering the work of the Friendly Societies, particularly those of the Independent Order of Oddfellows “Odyddion” and the “Ivorites”, after filling the important posts of the I.O.O. in the Aberdare Valley and in Wales, he was elected in June 1865 at Worcester as Grand Master of the largest Friendly Society in the World, and was entertained to dinner and received numerous addresses in beautiful frames, costly presents , gold watches, tea services, a magnificent ‘centrepiece and candelabra’ etc, being the first Welshman to receive such signal honour. In the same was he or his daughter received numerous presents from the Ivorites for the great services he/she had rendered them. He also helped other societies such as “Alfred’s” and the “Foresters”.

Rev. Thomas Price again took a most prominent part in political activities as a liberal both on the platform as through the press, particularly through the “Gwron” and “Seren Cymru” and “Seren Gomer”. His attack on the”Blue Books on Education” in 1847, and on the Rev. John Griffith Vicar of Aberdare are well known. He also fought the same gentleman on the question of the “Church Rates” and gave such rates the death blow in Aberdare. He took a prominent part in the struggle for “Vote by Ballot”, “Disestablishment” etc and even issued as election address as a candidate for Brecon, but withdrew when another candidate altered his own address to incorporate the reforms advocated by himself. He took a most active part in the local government of Aberdare and in various public movements in the town. He was elected on Merthyr Board of Guardians in 1852 on the Aberdare Local Board of Health 1854-71, was Vice-Chairman of the Aberdare School Board 1870- on the Aberdare Burial Board 1858 was secretary of the Aberdare Reading Society August 1848, Treasurer of the Aberaman Building Society which wound up its activities without a penny out in its accounts in August 1848. He also took an active part in forming the Aberdare Gas Co. In 1848 and again in building the New Aberdare Market Hall in 1851/2 and was director of the “Glandare Woollen Manufactory Ltd” Aberdare Nov 1871 of which is stepson, Mr Edwards Gilbert Price was the Secretary.

Eisteddfods

He often presided or conducted eisteddfodau and was Vice-chairman of the Aberdare National Eisteddfod, General and Literary Committee. He was the first secretary of the Aberdare British School Committee which established the first British School in the Aberdare Valley in 1848 “Park School” better known as “Ysgol y Comin”. He was Treasurer of the famous “Coe Mawr” with its headquarters as Aberdare under Caradog as its conductor in 1872 and 1873.

Missionary

He visited the United States and Canada on behalf of the Baptist Missionary Society in 1869, after spending three weeks in Ireland he had a wonderful reception in America and on his return to Wales.

He married on the 16th March 1847 to Mrs Ann Gilbert the youngest daughter of Thomas David of Abernant-y-Groes, Cwmbach, from whom he had a son who died in infancy and a daughter Emily, his wife died on September 1st 1849, but his daughter survived, they are all buried in Calfaria graveyard.

Note:

Dr Price baptized his congregation in the River Cynon at the bottom of Commercial St in Aberdare by the iron bridge that once spanned the river.

Poem on Dr. Thomas Price (Carw Coch)