The earliest item found was a Gold coin (Half noble) of Edward 111, the coin can be dated 1357 to 1377. It could have belonged to a Welsh Longbow man who lived in Aberaman who fought with the Black Prince at the Battle of Poitiers.
Note
It is said that the king and prince had accepted the principle of pre-payment of the troops before setting sail to France, the men refused to set sail with out an advance. Some of these men hid part of their money in wallets or leather purses under trees or walls until their return. As many of the archers did not come back the money would remain there unless discovered by others, as time went on the wallets and pouches would decay just leaving the money.
Mathews Family (Aberaman House & Estate)
The Mathew family of Aberaman were descended from Morgan Mathew (a nephew of Sir David Mathew of Llandaff) who was the standard bearer to Edward IV at the battle of Towton)
The Mathew family of Aberaman were the most important family who lived and owned land in Aberaman and surrounding area, it registered that they acquired Abergwawr Farm and Blaengwawr Farm which was mentioned in 1654. The family were Royalists and Edward Mathew commanded the Cardiff Garrison and Myles his son commanded the King’s Lifeguard at the Battle of Edghill, he was later captured at the Battle of St Fagan’s, but after the restoration he became Sheriff of Glamorgan in 1666 and became Myles Mathew of “Llankayach” and one of four Sheriffs that came from Aberaman.
Miles Mathew whose family lived at Aberaman House, Miles who was in command of the Lifeguards and fought alongside Charles 1 in 1642 at the battle of Edghill in 1643. Miles Mathew fought alongside Charles 1 and then became the Cromwellian Governor of the castle and town in Cardiff.
The Mathew family was split in 1788 due to the fact there were no male heirs and the land was split between the three daughters. In matter of years the land was sold to Anthony Bacon 11 and who then sold it to Crawshay Bailey.
The first colliery mentioned in the Cynon Valley was recorded in the Mathew’s family records that they owned a coalmine which is mentioned in 1637 and 1691.
Mathew Charity of the Cynon Valley.
March 1724 she recited that she had purchased an annual rent of £5 from Richard Thomas Lewis charged upon is 380 acres farm know as Penrhiw Caradoc in the parish of Llanwynno, to provide money to assist the maintenance of four poor persons to be settled in the Almshouses. These consisted of four separate dwellings each containing one room.
Mathews Family Crest
Their crest a Heath Cock, and their motto “A fynno Duw a fydd” (What God wills will be) and “Si Deus pro nobis quis contra nos” (If God be for us, who shall be against us). There was a public house called the Heathcock Inn, which, once stood, opposite St John’s Church which demolished in 1966.
Crawshay Bailey
On the 17th February 1837 the Mathew family Estate of 1538 acres was transferred to the ownership of Crawshay Bailey from Nant-y-Glo. Crawshay moved into Aberaman House in 1845 where he started work on the new engine house and colliery in Aberaman.
In 1841 he secured the second 1/3rd of Mineral Rights in the Aberaman Estate from William Curre (Currie St) of Ithon Court.
In 1845 he secured the lease of the remaining 1/3rd from J.P. Gwynne Holford (Holford St) and then in 1847 he leased part of the estate to Alaw Goch to work 3 seams of coal in a pit that became known as Williams Pit. In 1846 he became Chairman of the Gas Company, and three year later St John the Baptist Church in Aberdare was lit by gas in 1849. He patronized Aberaman Brass Band, which met at the company shop where the Band Institute is now. He was one of the twelve original members of the First Board of Health in Aberdare. He became High Sheriff of Breconshire in 1837 and 13 years after in 1850 High Sheriff of Monmouth and from 1852 to 1868.
CRAWSHAY BAILEY ESQ (by Alaw Goch)
A thousand welcomes to the great Crawshay - our Bailey
Live happily, and illustriously;
He made a tiller from the colossus in the ground,
To the multitude, his goodness is immense.
He brought his secrets to light - unfailingly
From the depths far below;
Ore ripped from the abyss
O fine gentleman, coal from the heart.
His renowned machines - built
For his mighty mills;
By releasing their whirling wheels,
Coarse iron bolts will be woven.
A man for all the Cynon Valley - is Bailey,
A living vision and spirit;
His is an angel in his Lord's lap
Enhancing the welfare of men.
His talents and his `gold' attract them - thousands
Praise him for sure,
Hear heaven from Glo-Nant
The hero, adored by all.
Aberaman, with its fair contracts - will
Rise up in mighty wonder;
Ore of the valley, in demand and praised
In the primed melting pot.
Let his children be blessed, - and his grandsons
Forever successful be;
He shall belong to his men for many years,
And his smiles a bastion of glory.
St Margaret’s Church
St Margaret’s Church was built in 1883 by Sir George Elliot, Bt, MP for his employees in the Powell Dyffryn Mines and as a memorial to his wife, Lady Margaret and his daughter Elizabeth at his own personnel cost. It was designed by E.H. Lingen Barker of Hereford in the early decorated style cruciform in plan, consisting of chancel with semi-circular apsidal end. The sloping character of the site utilized so as to provide three useful rooms beneath the chancel and transepts, the floors being supported on iron girders and white brick arches. The main walling of the church was built of local Pennant sandstone from the Aberaman quarries. The copings , quoins and other dressed stone came from “Mr Pictor’s” Westwood Quarry, the imitation of natural foliage and fruit , executed by George Frederick Herridge, a sculptor from Cardiff. It was consecrated on the 29th September 1883, the church cost £5,000 to build.
David Bevan Jones (Dewi Elfred) 1807-1863
First Minister Gwawr Chapel, Regent St Aberaman
David Bevan was born in 1807 to John and Hannah Jones of Gellifaharen, Llandysul Cardigan and was baptized on the 30th June 1807.He came Gwawr Chapel Aberaman from around the beginning of 1849, the chapel was incorporated in June 1848. Dewi altered the chapel lease deleting the name of the Rev. Dr. Thomas Price of Calfaria Church Aberdare and a friend of his and adding his own name and that of a supporter. It is not certain how or when Dewi came under the influence of Mormonism, but even before he left Rhymney it was rumoured that he fostered unorthodox ideas, leaning towards Unitarianism, an investigation was held by the Glamorgan Baptist Association at Aberdare in November 1850, and he and the congregation of Gwawr Chapel were excommunicated from the Association.
In 1851 Dewi went to William Phillips who was president of the All Saints in Wales and received with four others Mormon baptism on the River Cynon on the 27th April 1851 in the sight of 2000 people before returning to the chapel where he was inducted as a priest of the church of Latter Day Saints. This was a climax of the Mormon Mission in Wales, leaving them a chapel, a baptized minister and wide publicity. A legal controversy ensued between the Saints and the Baptists and in summer of 1851 a session of the Glamorgan assizes a verdict was reached in favour of the Baptists, in November 1851 the Baptists organised a march of 2000 supporters under the leadership of Rev Dr. Price to repossess Gwawr chapel because Dewi Elfed had refused to surrender the building to them despite the court decision. Dr. Price, together with 2000 supporters and the law officer, marched to the chapel in an attempt to take possession.
Seeing their approach, David Jones locked himself inside the Chapel, together with one supporter. The court official declared that he had no authority to break down the door. That being the case, Dr. Price and one of his deacons gained access through a window. After 'a wild and exciting chase around the chapel galleries', the Baptist minister turned Mormon was caught, and forcibly ejected from the Chapel, Dr. Price kicking him out of the front door. Dewi was sent by the Saints as an eloquent and well known missionary through Glamorgan and Gwent to spread the faith in October 1852, He was married by 1833 and had five children, in may 1860 he emigrated with his wife and the 2 youngest on the William Tapscott from Liverpool to New York, where they stayed for two years before travelling for four months across the prairie with other pioneer Mormons, arriving at Great Salt Lake Valley in October 1862, he settled in Logan, about 100 miles north of Salt Lake City, he died in 1863 of tuberculosis in May/June 1863.
The Linton Brothers of Aberaman
During 1880’s and 1890,s folowing the invention of the chain driven cycle the sport of cycling became very popular. The sport was popular very where amnd in 1884 Aberdare Bicycle Club was formed and in 1890 it had developed into a racing team.
The Linton Family moved from Langport in Somerset and moved to Aberaman around 1871, the four brothers were to become famed cyclists throught out the world. Arthur was three when he moved to Aberaman but he became the mosted noted cyclist of the family. During the 1893 season he began to establish himself nationally and he was signed as a profesional rider to ‘Gladiator’ cycle under the tutealge of the trainer ‘Choppy’ Warburton. Also in this year In he broke the world record for riding the bike unpaced for 23 miles in Cardiff this was the start of his amazing life but cut short. Arthur held many British records up to 200 miles and reached celebrity status here and abroad In 1894 Arthur defeated ‘Dubois’ the French Champion in Paris and was narrowly beatten by the Italian Champion ‘Bonnic’ who after that refused to race him again. In 1894 he broke four world records, and became world champion for 1895/96. When he came back to Aberaman in December he was given a hero’s welcome with a public banquet which was held in the Lamb and Flag publc house and was presented with an illuminated address. In 1896 during Bordeaux to Paris race “The Blue Riband Event”on professional cycling and the controversion on tying for first place Arthur died of Typhoid fever, but rumours spread that he due to illegal drugs given to him by his trainer. Whatever the shock to the local community was bad and his funeral was one of the largest everseen in Aberdare his cycle was drapped in crepe and being pushed behind the cortege by one of French rival.
Jimmy Michael followed much the same route becoming the first Welsh and British to win a world championship in Cologne in 1895. In 1896 he beacme the World Middle Distance at Cologne. After the death of his brother Jimmy split from ‘Choppy’ Warburton and decided to move to America, he enjoyed a successful career breaking many records and amassing fortune. Jimmy retired from cycling and became a jockey and racing horse trianer this venture failed and Jimmy returned to cycling in 1902 which he was not the same after he came back he died in November 1904 on the liner ‘Savoie’ whilst traveling back to New York at the age on 29.
(There is a field in Aberaman called Michael’s field “Mike’s field”)
Tom Linton had a less successful career as a cyclist as is brothres Arthur and Jimmy and never enjoyed the recognition; he died in 1914 of Typhoid fever the same disease that killed his brother Arthur.
The fourth brother Samual had returned to work as a miner in the local mines and died in 1935
Watkin William Price 1873-1967 Schoolmaster, researcher.
He was born on the 4th September 1873 in 261 Cardiff Rd Aberaman Aberdare; his father was Watkin and Sarah Price of a Welsh speaking family from Breconshire. His father was a collier they moved to Aberdare by around 1866. William was educated at Blaengwawr elementary school until 1886 when he went to work in the office of Tarian y Gweithiwr in Aberdare, he beacme a pupil teacher in two local schools until 1895. He then entered Cardiff University College as a ‘normal student’, In 1900 he returned to the Cynon Valley as a teacher in Dan Issacs Davies’s old school Ysgol-y-Comin (Park School) Trecynon which was founded in 1848 in reaction to the vilification of the district in the Blue Books, sunsequently he was headmaster of Llwydcoed 1912. Cap Coch 1921 and Blaengwawr 1924 school until he retired in 1933.
He spent almost all his life researching his local and county history and biography, he began in response to a competition set in the national eisteddfod in 1920 on the history and folklore af any Welsh parish. He never completed the work; but he collected and interpreted widely the history on one of the most important areas in Wales in the 19th Century. His labours resulted in valuable essays, recordsm and transcripts in fields varying from monastic to mining. One can marvel at his feat in copying during 1941-43, in his old age, many hundreds of detailed pages from the complicated mining deeds of the district. He rescued an unique 1827-28 volume of drawings by the nieces of Anthony Bacon which depicted the rural live of East Glamorgan before it was despoiled by industry.
His index of some 40,000 cards on persons past and present, in Wales continues to be of use to researchers (Copies at NLW and Aberdare Library). R.T. Jenkins invited him to contribute 30 articles to the Dicionary of Welsh Biography, several of them on some of the most important persons of Old Industrial Wales. He was also a socialist pioneer; secretary of the Independent Labout Party as Aberdare 1900-08, and consequently one of the chief supporters of Keir Hardie when he was M.P. in 1906. There is a tradition that he was one of the fervent members pressing for the nomination of Hardie in the Bethel Chapel Abernant in 1900 to contest the general election in October of that year. Eventually, however he turned to Plaid Cymru, supporting Gwynfor Evans in the Aberdare by-election in 1954. The luke -warm support of some of the chapels for Labour, ‘W.W’ left Saron Chapel, Aberaman and joined the Welsh Unitarians meeting in Yr Hendy Cwrdd Trecynon.
Peculiar Burial of David William Watkins
David William Watkins of Aberaman who died in 1789, who at his request ”was buried perpendicularly beneath the tablet” in St John’s the Baptist Church at Aberdare. It has been long accepted that this meant he was so buried within the wall of the church. A story has grown up regarding the plaque and the burial. It his told that his servant “Shoni Mawr” who was taller than him had him buried below him so in his death that he could look down on his servant instead of looking up at him when they were alive.
It is thought, however, that Watkins was granted the perpendicular burial that he was, as a Quaker, entitled to request. Sadly, the lettering of the tablet is disintegrating rapidly, and unless restitution is possible, the story of this strange burial, will live on in written history only.
Easter Monday Whit Sunday and Dydd Hen Wyl Ifan (Old St John’s Feast)
In the parish of Aberdare, three special taplasau haf took place annually, on traditionally appointed dates. These were normally held in the open air, and continued in existence until near the end of the century.
These festivities were famous in the parish in times past for taplasau haf, which was singing and dancing with the musician playing his musical instrument for them; the four districts had appointed three days of every year to meet together, namely Easter Monday, Whit Monday and Old St John’s day; furthermore, the for districts met each other at four different places, the Dar district holding the taplas on Ton-y-glwyd-fawr, Llwydcoed on bank of Rhyd-y-gored, Aman district meeting was held by the gateway of Bedwlyn, and Pennor on Ton-ty-pel, the place where the last taplas was held in the Aberdare Parish in 1789.
Amman festival was held in the vicinity of Fforchaman in Cwmaman.
Eisteddfods
It has been traced that local eisteddfods began around 1820 in the Swan Hotel in Aberaman, with poets, musicians and authors of essays.
In 1850 the Rees family moved into the valley and two of their were called Jonathon and Evan. Evan started work in Blaengwawr Colliery, he late became “Dyfed” Archdruid of Wales his brother Jonathon became a poet of the first rank as a bard his name was “Nathan Wyn” a household name in Wales in the 19th and early 20th century.
Folklore
There is a dispute of where the Welsh Anthem was actually written but most people in Aberdare say it was in the Swan Inn, other people state it was written in Pontypridd and the music was written in the Swan Inn in Aberaman. James James was landlord of the Swan for a few years and retired to Hawthorn Terrace Aberdare where he died in 1902. The fact of the matter is that the grandson told the story where it was written.
1869
An Eisteddfod, which held at the Temperance Hall (Palladium) in Aberdare between seven choirs, who were competing for a prize of £20. A test piece the Hallelujah Chorus was won by Saron Chapel Aberaman.