Earliest item found
The earliest item found was a Gold coin (Half noble) of Edward III, the coin can be dated from 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 in 1356.
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 without 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 “Llankach” 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.
Mathew Charity for 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 known 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
Crawshay Bailey bought lands at agricultural value in Rhondda, Aberaman and Mountain Ash valleys, he then bought the estate that once belonged to the Mathews family for generations in Aberaman with its mansion which had been bought from Anthony Bacon II “it was used as a summer house” which Crawshay bought from him in 1836. He sat on this for around 9 years until the railways took off and then with Josiah Guest he obtained a parliamentary act in 1845 for the Aberdare Railway to connect with the Taff Railway at Abercynon.
In 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 the mineral rights of the Aberaman Estate from William Curre (Currie St Aberaman) 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.
Aberaman Iron Works
May 1847 a quantity of iron was puddled at Aberaman Iron Works, it had a working blast furnace, and three engines a forge rolling and boring mills, brickworks and kilns. The iron works was not successful and was up for sale in the 1860’s.
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 following the invention of the chain driven cycle the sport of cycling became very popular. The sport was popular very where and 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 throughout the world. Arthur was three when he moved to Aberaman but he became the most noted cyclist of the family. During the 1893 season he began to establish himself nationally and he was signed as a professional rider to ‘Gladiator’ cycle under the tutelage of the trainer ‘Choppy’ Warburton. Also in this year In he broke the world record for riding the bike un-paced 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 beaten 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 Public house and was presented with an illuminated address. In 1896 during Bordeaux to Paris race “The Blue Ribbon Event” on professional cycling and the controversial 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 ever seen in Aberdare his cycle was draped 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 became 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 trainer 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 brothers 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 Samuel had returned to work as a miner in the local mines and died in 1935.
Aberamanofficial number 72516
Aberaman ShipRegister tonnage net 1090
Iron / cemented
2 decks
Built by Richardson, Duck & Co - Stockton, 1875.
Master S Chapmen
Owners: J. Shepherd & C.
Length 206.5
Breadth 35.1
Depth 21.8
Register tonnage net 1090
Register tonnage gross 1126
Under deck 1062
Forecastle 30 feet long
Port of register Cardiff
Surveyed in Dublin
Register tonnage gross 1126
Under deck 1062
Forecastle 30 feet long
Port of register Cardiff
Surveyed in Dublin
At last, in January 1883, the British ship Aberaman delivered the replacement statue and the bronze plates, but it was now four years after the centennial celebration of Cook’s discovery of Hawai‘i. Gibson had been appointed King Kalakaua’s prime minister. It seemed a good idea to unveil the replica at Ali‘iolani Hale in honor of the belated coronation of King Kalakaua. On February 14, 1883, the king pulled a wire to lift the Royal Standard and a Hawaiian flag from the impressive statue, while the Royal Hawaiian Band played Hawai‘i Ponoi.
Fate: not heard of her since she sailed 20 May 1883 from San Francisco for Falmouth with wheat, 20 in crew.