Earliest item found

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

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.

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.

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.