A Celtic cross was un-earthed in 1925 Pwll-gwellt above Mountain Ash indicating Christian worship/ burial in the 7th - 9th century which is now in the Museum in Cardiff.
Picture of Celtic Cross (Curetesy of Naltional Museum of Wales Cardiff)
Aberdare Mountains and Lord Aberdare
Joseph Thomson named the mountain range after the Society's President in 1884, Lord Aberdare. Aberdare's first session in the (Presidential) chair at a Society lecture evening (November 1880) had been on the occasion of Joseph Thompson's Paper on the the Society's East African Expedition. The 'scramble for Africa' continued as a major theme throughout his Presidency (1880-1887).
When Thomson later gave his account 'Through the Masai country to Victoria Nyanza' (evening meeting of 3 November 1884 - reported in the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography, New Monthly Series, Vol. 6, No. 12, Dec. 1884, pp. 690-712)he described encountering "a magnificent range of mountains. As this range had no name I have taken the liberty to give it that of our respected President" (page 704). In fact, of course, the range already had a name 'Nyandarura' the word for a traditional rack for drying animals skins and hides, which the range resembles.
Duffryn House & Estate
A Welsh poet (1640-80) Ieuan Dafydd Ddu and Ieuan Dafydd ab Owain, resided at this estate not much of him is known except the first line of his poems are given in Moses William's “Repertorium Poeticum”, London 1726.
John Jones was High Sheriff of Glamorgan in 1717 and had two poems quoted in 2Gardd Aberdar”. The Jones family then sold Dyffryn Estate to William Bruce Pryse in 1749.
His relatives Mr H.A. Bruce took over the estate and in 1873 later he became Baron of Aberdare. On his recommendations a Welsh Education Act was introduced for Wales in1899 and this law led to the first university being established in Wales. H.A. Bruce was the first chancellor of the University of Wales in Aberystwyth. Mountain Ash Comprehensive School now stands on the site of Dyffryn House.
First Lord Aberdare was the son of Mr John Bruce Pryce Bruce, of Duffryn, St Nicholas, Cardiff Glamorgan, In his youth he spent six years in France, and returning to England in 1827, he entered Swansea Grammar School. In 1837 he was called to the bar, and from 1847 to 1852 he was police magistrate at Merthyr Tydfil and from 1852-1868 he represented Merthyr in Parliament 1869 he was elected for Renfrewshire, and later was under-secretary at the Home Office from 1862-1864, subsequently, until July, 1866, was vice-president of the Committee of Council on Education.
In 1868 he took office under Mr Gladstone as Home Secretary, and in 1873, when he was appointed Lord President of the Council; he was raised to the peerage. In Wales he will always be remembered for the interest he took in the promotion of higher education, and it was he who presided over the Royal Commission, whose report led to the foundation of the University Colleges of North and South He also took a deep interest in the welfare of the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, and filled the office of President of the Board of Governors.
He wrote a "Life of General Napier" (1864), "National Education" (1866), and published his "Speech on the Education of the Poor Bill" in 1867.
St Margaret’s Church
The church was completed in 1862; it was partly financed by John Bruce Pryse of Dyffryn House Mountain Ash. In 1895, after the death of the Henry Austin Bruce the 1st Lord of Aberdare who hada distinguished career as a politician at one time he was Gladstone’s Home Secretary and he was a pioneer in the education for the Welsh People, which included secondary schools. They decided in extending the church with a chancel, sanctuary, vestry and a tower with a peal of bells all this was completed by 1898 at a cost of £3500.
The Font
The original font of the church was rumoured to have been moved to St John’s Church Miskin Mountain Ash.
Plaque to Guto Nyth Bran
The Pavilion
The pavilion was renowned in its heydey of holding many major boxing tournaments. Here is a list of the great fighters who fought at the Pavilion, which held 15,000 people more than Albert Hall.
1909
Fred Hall Thomas (Freddie Welsh) from Pontypridd fought Henri Young Piet for the first European Lightweight Contest: Freddie Welsh won the contest in 9 rounds.
1919: Jim Driscoll fought Francis Rossi, which ended in a draw.
1935: Tommy Farr lost on points to Eddie Phillips for the British light heavy weight title.
Boyo Rees "Born Abercwmboi in 1912" Welsh lightweight champion fought against George Daly (London).
Grave of Boyo Rees
Noted Singers
Other famous people who were also appeared at the Pavilion were Paul Robeson the singer from America also Arthur Horner and Gracie Fields. Sir Malcolm Sargent the famous conductor played concerts here plus other famous singers of the day sang at this magnificent place.
Deep Duffryn Pit Owners
David Williams (Alaw Goch) was the first man to sink a coal mine in a village in 1855. David Williams had been warned that Deep Duffryn Pit was unsafe due to poor ventilation he sold it to John Nixon for £42,000. John Nixon then started to buy newmachinery such as winding machinery and due to new patented draught ventilation output of coal increased from 150 tons in 1862 to 1000 tons a day in 1864.
John Nixon
His success was due not only to his business accruements (he was associated with John Cory in opening up foreign markets) but also to his personal inventive genius as a mine engineer.
- Patented ventilation system for deep coalmines.
- Introduced “Long Wall” system instead of previous wasteful pillar and stall system.
Unlike his great contemporaries in Aberdare John Nixon never aspired to Political honours nor was he active in social and cultural life of the town. In 1874 he left the valley to live in London and Brighton but kept control of the collieries until 1894, when he was succeed by his nephew H.E. Gray as he had no son. He was a major coal proprietor in South Wales, owning mines at Navigation, Mountain Ash, Merthyr Vale and Deep Duffryn.
When he died he left a million pounds but nothing to charity.
John Nixon Gravestone Mountain Ash
Welsh Harp
Thomas Dafydd Llewelyn (Llewelyn Alaw)
Thomas Dafydd Llewelyn was born in The Mount Pleasant Public House in Trecynon; Thomas was a great poet, harpist and writer. In the National Eisteddfod of 1858 he won ten pounds for a collection of unpublished melodies “Maes Hen Wlad Fy Nhadiau” the melody of the Welsh National Anthem. Thomas with Thomas Lewis (Welsh Harp Inn Trecynon) they were harpists to the Williams of Aberpergwm (Jane Williams) and the Bruce family of the Dyffryn.
In later years he became landlord of the Welsh Harp in Mountain Ash where he died in 1851. He was also a member of the congregation of Yr Hen Dy Cwrdd Chapel in Trecynon where he is buried.
Daniel James “Gwyrosydd” 1840-1920
Daniel James wrote the words “Calon Lan” he was originally from Treboeth, Swansea where he worked at the steelworks and at the tinplate works and then as a gravedigger in Mountain Ash. It is said that he wrote the words to his poem when is grandson came home and asked him to help with his homework the boys task was to write a verse on the Pure Heart “Calon Lan”. His friend John Hughes “Glandwr”composed the music within a few hours.