Trehafod

The village of Trehafod lies on the border between the Rhondda and Taff Ely, or as the 1926 Kelly's
Industrial Directory describes it as being ‘partly in the Parish of Pontypridd and partly Ystradyfodwg'
The 1847 tithe map of the area shows a number of farms on the area that was to become Trehafod, these were named, Hafod Uchaf, Hafod Genol and Hafod Fawr. It was from these farms that Trehafod was to take its name. Hafod is a Welsh word that can mean both, a summer dwelling or upland farm. The mineral rights of these lands were first leased as early as 1809. In addition to these farms the 1847 tithe map also shows a single cottage in the area and a tramroad and railway.

It was this accessibility to this lower part of the Valley that provided the impetus for the earliest mining exploration in this area. As such, pre-1850 a number of small levels and shallow pits were sunk here to the bituminous coal levels for the small, but expanding ‘sale coal' markets. Thus in 1809 Jeremiah Homfrey opened the first Hafod Level, and in 1835 William Crawshay opened the Gwaun Yr Eirw level nearby. The first workers were predominantly ex agricultural labourers from the surrounding countryside. Then in 1850 Edward Mills sank the Coedcae Colliery and two brothers David and John Thomas sank the Hafod Colliery

However these were small concerns, and the Coedcae and Hafod Collieries suffered major problems. It was with the subsequent purchase of these concerns by W.T. Lewis, later Lord Merthyr, and the sinking of the Trefor and Bertie pits across the river that Trehafod as a major coal producer really came into being. Although Lewis continued to mine bituminous coal from the Coedcae Pit, under the name of Coad Cae Coal Company, it was the sinking of the Hafod, Trefor and Bertie pits to the rich steam coal measures that made Trehafod. These three steam coal pits became, ‘the nucleus of one of the greatest mining concerns in Britain', employing at its peak nearly 5,000 men and producing nearly one million tons of coal annually

Hafod and Coedcae Collieries

In common with most mining villages Trehafod boasted its own church, Saint Barnabus' originally Bryn Eirw Mission, chapels including Welsh Baptist, Calvinistic, Welsh Congregational and Wesleyan.
As well as it own thriving shopping centre, its proximity to the ‘metropolis' that was Pontypridd meant that residents of Trehafod were well served in terms of cultural, educational, religious and other opportunities.
In July 1889 Trehafod became the terminus of the newly laid ‘Barry railway and Docks' railway line that connected The Rhondda Valley to new docks at Barry, an attempt by the Rhondda Coal owners to break the monopoly of The Taff Vale Railway and Bute's Cardiff Docks on the transportation of Rhondda Coal.

Bryn Eirw Mission/Church

Pontypridd

The background of the town of Pontypridd is quite difficult to unravel but it appears that prior to the building of the bridge by William Edwards in 1756 the area was very sparsely populated consisting of just scattered farms and was in fact a rural backwater. It wasn't until some 50 years later that the population started to expand with the establishment of Treforest Tin Works circa 1800 and the canal transportation system that carried the raw materials from the Cynon and Merthyr Valleys. The real population explosion however, didn't occur until the exploitation of the rich coal seams that started to be extracted in the mid 1800's. This steam coal produced more power and less clinker that any other steam coal known at the time and was the only coal used by the Royal Navy an many other steam driven marine/industrial enterprises.

An engraving of Pontypridd circa 1850

It is an unfortunate fact that towns like Pontypridd grew because of the coal industry were therefore completely dependent on it. The decline of the coalfields started in the first decade of the 20th century when the rich seams that were easier to mine had been more or less depleted. That is not to say that mining stopped at that period but was never again at the level it had attained in the period 1870 to 1895. With this decline went unemployment and poverty which led to some huge public demonstrations such as the one in January 1935 against the 'Means Test'. Money was eventually found by the government to fund projects such as Treforest Trading Estate to provide alternative employment in the area. This continues today with the help of the Welsh Development Agency.

Left: an illustration of Pontypridd circa 1900

Pontypridd Bridge

Pontypridd as a town name did not exist prior to 1856. The old name for Pontypridd was Newbridge which relates to the bridge built by William Edwards in 1756. The name implies that there was previously a bridge crossing the river Taff in the area and in John Leland's Itinerary (1536-42) listing bridges over the river Taff, we find evidence for this. He refers to a wooden bridge at Pont Rhehesk. In those days they tended to spell as they heard, so we can assume the site was near present day Craig-yr-Hesg, a short distance upstream from Edwards Bridge. Reasons for the siting of that bridge may well have been for the use by pilgrims travelling to Saint Mary's Monastery at Penrhys. When Henry VIII closed the monastery in 1538 the local population would have had no need for a bridge, which would have fallen into decay without the pilgrims. It would be more than 200 years before the need for a crossing would encourage the building of another bridge.

Above: An illustration of William Edwards Bridge shows the rural nature of the surrounding area shortly after the construction of the bridge.

The builder of the new bridge, William Edwards was born at Ty Canol, Groeswen and was baptised on the 8th February 1719. When William was 7 years old his father was drowned fording the river Taff while returning from Llantrisant Fair on horseback. Was this the catalyst for his later obsession with the bridge at Pontypridd?
The family moved to Bryntail, which was sited just south of Eglwysilan Church overlooking the site of the present day Treforest Trading Estate.
As a youngster William worked diligently on the farm and soon showed an interest in dry stonewalling and building work in general. When builders visited the area he would learn from them the techniques that were to stand him in good stead in later life. He started building himself and one of his many projects was a mill at Craig y Fedw just east of Abertridwr. During the period when he lived in Cardiff he also built a furnace at Cardiff Castle .
In 1746 William Edwards was commissioned to build a bridge over the river Taff at Pontypridd for the sum of £500 on condition that the bridge stood for 7 years.

The first attempt was a three arch structure, which stood for 26 months before being washed away by debris carried by the river Taff in flood. The second attempt was to span the Taff without any supporting pillars midstream. Staging collapse caused the failure of this attempt when the structure that was used to support the heavy bridge during the building phase gave way.

The next attempt was also to end in failure when the centre section collapsed because it could not support the weight of the large side haunches. This gave Edwards the idea for his fourth attempt. He would modify the design and create large tunnels through the haunches on each side to reduce the weight transfer to the centre section. These tunnels measuring 9 feet for the bottom, 6 feet for the middle and 3 feet for the top were to prove successful and the bridge was finally completed in 1756.

Above: The Old and the New. This photograph clearly shows the both bridges in the early 1900's, The tunnels through the haunches can be seen which allowed William Edwards to complete the structure of his bridge successfully.

The bridge has a very steep entry and exit that was acceptable for livestock but heavily loaded horse drawn wagons often found it difficult and would use a heavy chain to slow them on the downhill side. This caused continual wear to the road surface of the bridge.
Because of the increase in traffic over the river Taff a second bridge was constructed alongside in 1857. Later, circa 1900, the use of the William Edwards Bridge was restricted to pedestrians after the road surface was repaired and steps added.
The structure still stands to this day as a monument to William Edward's ingenuity and perseverance.

Left: An engraving of the Old Bridge

Evan James and James James - the joint composers of 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau'

It was Evan James who composed the words and his son James James that composed the music for what we now know as the Welsh 'National Anthem'. Evan James was born in 1809 in the parish of Eglwysilan near Caerphilly as one of a family of eleven children. The family moved many times during his early years, first to a public house the 'Ancient Druid' near Holybush, Argoed. From there they relocated to 'Ffos-yr-Hebog', a smallholding northwest of Deri in the parish of Gelli-gaer. Circa 1847, his father, who was a weaver by trade, purchased premises in Mill Street, Newbridge (later to be renamed Pontypridd in 1856) where the family moved and Evan was to remain for the rest of his life. He was a natural poet, producing numerous works over many years.

Right: Evan James, 'Ieuan Ap Iago' (1809 - 1878)

James James was the musician of the family and an excellent harpist but there appears to be no evidence that he had any formal musical training so we can only presume he was self-taught with help from his friend John Crockett. During the period from 1849 to 1863 James kept a book containing musical scores which is kept at the National Library and it is in this book that we find the score of 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' The story of the words and music is best told by his son Taliesin in a letter to John Crockett dated 4th December 1910:
'I have often heard my father say that on a Sunday afternoon in that month and year (January 1856), he went for a walk up the Rhondda Road and that the melody came to his mind. Returning to my grandfather's house, but a few doors from his own, he said to him, "Father, I have composed a melody which is in my opinion a very fitting one for a Welsh patriotic song. Will you write some verses for it?" "Let me hear it" said grandfather, who added, "Fetch your harp, James." My father brought the harp to the Factory House and played the air on that instrument. My grandfather was greatly struck by it, and at once took down the slate, which I dare say you know, always hung aside of his armchair by the fireplace, and in a few minutes the words of the first verse were written ...The second and third verses were written the next day'

Left: James James 'Iago Ap Ieuan' (1832-1902)

Whether the story is completely correct we will never know but the fact is that the father and son collaborated in producing what is probably the best-known song in Wales along with 'Cwm Rhondda'. Over the years it has been suggested that James James's melody may not be completely his own work and may have been derived from an old Irish dance tune 'Rosin the Beau (Bow)' which was quite well known at the time. Candid comments from people like Phyllis Kinney, circa 1989 tend to dispel this. She states: 'On the whole there is only one musical phrase which is identical in both tunes, the phrase on the words 'Tros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed', which is repeated at the end on the words 'O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau'. There is a similarity but in my opinion 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' is not a variant of 'Rosin the Beau (Bow)'. It is more probable that the musical phrases of 'Rosin the Beau (Bow)' were familiar generally, because of the popularity of Irish airs in the last century and that James James was familiar with them. However, there is a great difference between saying that a composer was influenced unknowingly by a piece of music and saying that one composition was a copy of another.'

Above: The original manuscript of 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' by James James kept at the National Library

After James James died in 1902 it was suggested that a memorial should be erected to both the father and son. It took almost 30 years to see this completed when the memorial designed by Sir William Goscombe John sited in Ynysangharad Park was unveiled on the 23rd of July 1930. The beautiful memorial consisting of two life size figures of bronze representing poetry and music fixed in Blue Pennant stone. The inscription reads:

In memory of Evan James and James James father and son, of Pontypridd, who, inspired by a deep and tender love of their native land united poetry to song and gave Wales her National Anthem, 'Hen Wlad fy Nhdau'

Left: The unveiling of the memorial in Ynysangharad Park

Philip Thomas

A gravestone marking Philip Thomas's place of burial today stands in Glyntaff Cemetery. However, a gravestone intended for him also stands on Pontypridd Common. The story behind the stone that overlooks his workplace on the common has become part of the folklore history of Pontypridd.

Right: This photograph shows the stone located on Pontypridd Common

The stone reads:

STRANGER HALT
I am placed here to commemorate
the virtue and abilities of

who after managin the chain work
on my right hand side for the space of
21 years much to the benefit of all
mankind died and was buried herein
1840
Aged 69

Brown Lenox Chainworks

Known locally as "The Chainworks", Brown Lenox and Co. Ltd enjoyed a long association with Pontypridd and played a significant part in the town's history. The company's origins date back to the beginning of the nineteenth century when Samuel Brown, then a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, designed and patented the wrought iron chain that was to replace the hempen rope cables that were then used to hold a ship's anchor. Unable to finance the project to completion he enlisted the aid of relatives and friends. This led to the formation in 1806 of a partnership between Brown and his cousin, Mr Samuel Lenox that was, in effect, the beginning of the Brown Lenox company.

To demonstrate the superiority of iron chains, Brown installed iron rigging and marine cables on a vessel called the Penelope and sailed to the West Indies. The Admiralty were so impressed on his return in 1808 that they immediately ordered four vessels of war to be fitted with chain cables. It was to mark the beginnings of an unbroken series of annual contracts that lasted for over a century between 1808 and 1916. Unsurprisingly, larger works were constructed in 1812 at Millwall on the river Thames to meet the demand. However the manufacture of chains continued to increase at such a rate that an additional site was required.

Right: Chain links fron the SS Mauretania before testing (left) and after testing (right) under a load of 370 tons

Pontypridd was chosen as the site of the chainworks because of the proximity to supplies of iron and coal. The works, constructed in 1816, were located at Ynysangharad beside the Glamorgan Canal. Two canal basins were constructed, one for the receipt of fuel and iron and the other for the despatch of the finished product. The 20 feet difference between both canal basins was responsible for a large fast moving volume of water sufficient enough to provide all the power required through water wheels and then turbines.

The manufacture of chain cables was facilitated by the introduction of a machine for bending and scarfing links in preparation for making them into chains. This machine was invented Samuel Brown with the assistance of Philip Thomas, the chainworks first manager. As the coal industry developed and the demand for winding and haulage engines increased, the company broadened its activities and produced different kinds of equipment. The company continued to develop rapidly and further extensions were made including the introduction of steam hammers for forging heavy anchors. During the nineteenth century the censuses show how the people of the district depended almost entirely on the works. Indeed the Ordnance Survey map of 1875 and the 1881 census show the row of houses on the opposite side of the canal to the works to be known as Chainworkers Row.

Left: Isambard Kingdom Brunell standing alongside chains made by Brown Lenox for the SS Great Eastern

Porth & Cymmer

Porth known as 'The gateway to the Rhondda' derives its name from its position at the entrance to the two Rhondda Valleys, the Rhondda Fach and The Rhondda Fawr. Similarly Cymmer, which is now seen as a 'suburb' of Porth, derives its name from the old Welsh word that describes a spot where two rivers of the same name converge. Early sources show that originally the positions were reversed and that the district was more commonly known as Cymmer. It was only with the development of the mining operations on the Porth Estate, and the coming of the Taff Vale Railway to Porth, that the name Porth for the area came to prominence.

In common with most of the Rhondda, prior to the emergence of coal mining Porth was very much a 'rural idyll', sparsely populated and of great natural beauty. Porth however was one of the first districts within the Rhondda to see industrialisation on a large scale, changing its nature from one of pastoral tranquillity to one that that 'assumed the dreary, God-forsaken aspects of colliery districts in general'. Prior to its development in Porth mining on any scale, in the Rhondda, had only been undertaken at Dinas. However major development really began with the penetration of the Taff Vale Railway into the area alongside an upsurge in demand for coal leading to a shortage in supplies.

General view of Porth circa 1900

This coupled with improved mining techniques meant that conditions were ripe for the development of the industry within the Rhondda Valleys. This attracted mining speculators to the area, and the one of most significance to the development of Porth was George Insole.
Insole was the owner of a shipping company in Cardiff that had specialised in coal. Seeing an increasing demand for bituminous coal he decided to become a producer rather than just a supplier. To this end he opened Maesmawr Colliery, but production was lower than he had hoped. Also the coal produced was of inferior quality to 'Coffin's Coal' as that produced at Dinas had become known.

Cymmer Bridge

Thus in 1844 he leased the mineral rights to 375 acres of land at Cymmer from Evan Morgan of Tyn-Y-Cymmer Farm, opening the South Cymmer Level in the December of the year. At first progress was slow and output, from the No.2 Rhondda seam, disappointing. Thus Insole decided in 1847 to sink a pit, the No.1 Pit or Old Cymmer Pit, to the No.3 Rhondda. Seam. This was struck some eighty yards below the No.2 seam and quickly gained a reputation as a coking coal, an in 1848 36 coke ovens were constructed at Cymmer. To meet ever increasing demand the operations at Cymmer were extended and in 1851 the Upper Cymmer Colliery was sunk. Also in 1855 the New Cymmer Colliery was opened near the Cymmer Old Pit.
Thus began the mining industry in the Rhondda, which was to dominate the landscape and lives of the people of the Valley for the next hundred and fifty years.

THE CYMMER COLLIERY EXPLOSION 1856

On the morning of Tuesday 15th July 1856 at the 'Old Pit' in Cymmer, there occurred as stated in the Mines Inspector's report, 'The most fearful and destructive explosion, resulting in a sacrifice of human life unparalleled in the history of Britain at that time'. At 6.00 a.m. one hundred and sixty men and boys descended the shaft to begin their shift and were on their way to their working places when the explosion took place. The ferocity of the explosion led rescuers to believe that all lives below ground would be lost. However some miners had only descended a short way into the pit and were able to make their way back to the shaft and safety. Rescuers took measures to clear the mine of afterdamp, and descended into the mine some three hours after the initial explosion took place. By that Tuesday evening some 112 bodies had been brought to the surface of the mine, another was recovered on the Wednesday and one severe burns victim died on the Thursday.
At the pithead relatives and friends searched to identify victims, few of whom were not badly burnt, dying instead of suffocation caused by the afterdamp. Temporary mortuaries were set up in the Colliery's carpenters shop and also Cymmer Independent Chapel.
The scale of the disaster devastated the small communities of Cymmer and surrounding areas, with no household left untouched and virtually all working age men and boys having perished. One household alone saw a father and his three sons aged 10, 13, and 16 all perish. Thirty graves were opened at Cymmer Independent Chapel's graveyard, and a mass internment of victims took place on Thursday 17th July.
The first inquest into the disaster was held at the Ty Newydd Hotel, Porth on the 16th July, which was subsequently adjourned until Monday 27th July at the Butchers Arms in Pontypridd. The inquest lasted 13 days and twenty-nine witnesses were called. At the inquest it became clear that safety precautions at the colliery were woefully inadequate, and mines safety regulations were ignored. It was seen that the mine was poorly ventilated, and that pockets of gas were an everyday feature of life below ground, additionally the carrying of naked flames in the mine was commonplace. The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter on the colliery manager, Jabez Thomas, and four senior officials at the mine. This verdict was overturned at the Glamorgan assizes at Swansea, the following March, leading to a great deal of resentment among colliery workers.

DISASTER AT TYNEWYDD COLLIERY PORTH APRIL 1877

On the 11th April 1877, at about 4p.m.., the Tynewydd pit of the Troedyrhiw colliery became inundated with water. At the time of the disaster the pit employed about 100 men, but when the accident occurred only 14 men were underground. The accident was caused by a breakthrough from the mine's workings through to the abandoned, and flooded, workings of the old Cymmer Pit. Immediately rescue attempts were begun to find the fourteen missing miners. Five survivors were found when a knocking was heard, and rescuers cutting through a 12 yards thick pillar of coal reached them the following morning. Unfortunately the force of compressed air released when the first small hole was cut to the pocket where the man were, led to one of the survivors (William Morgan) being crushed to death. It was assumed that the remaining nine men had been drowned in the flooded mine. However further knocking was heard coming from the stall of Thomas Morgan, which was below the level of the floodwater, leading rescuers to assume that some survivors had been trapped in an air pocket. An unusual rescue attempt using two divers from London was attempted, but the amount of debris in the mine made it impossible. As such the only means of reaching the trapped miners was to cut through over 38 yards of coal. Working day and night it took the rescuers ten days to reach the five trapped men, during which time the plight of the miners captured the attention of the world's press with even Queen Victoria sending telegrams asking for the latest news. At 2.30 p.m. on Friday April 20th the rescue team finally reached the five trapped men, who had been without food and had only the filthy flood waters to drink for ten days. The miners were all found to be suffering from 'the bends' due to rapid decompression and spent eighteen days in hospital, but otherwise made full recoveries from their ordeal. Four other miners missing after the flooding had drowned in the workings. Afterwards Queen Victoria awarded twenty-four first and second class Albert medals to the rescuers.

The beginings of education in Porth

Education, alongside religion, has traditionally, played a major role in the lives of the people of the Rhondda. Among working people it was seen as a 'way out of the pit' and the route to a better life for your children than the life yourself had. However to keep your children in school was a sacrifice, in times when money and work was scarce another breadwinner was often essential, and when work was plentiful the lure of another wage to large working class households was similarly tempting. Despite this the Rhondda became famed for its attitude to education and self-improvement.

However up until 1859 the only educational facilities in the Porth area, in the main, belonged to the Sunday Schools. Then in 1859 the National Society opened the Cymmer National School for the purposes of, 'inculcating Church of England doctrines in addition to the usual secular subjects'. Soon after a 'British School' was opened at Porth for those whose parents objected to Church of England doctrines. This was held for many years at Bethlehem Chapel, eventually becoming Porth Boys School. Changes in the law meant that attendance at school became compulsory and School Boards came into existence in order to raise money from local rates and supply school accommodation. Thus in the late 1870's Cymmer National school was transferred to the Llantrisant School Board, and Porth British School to that of Llanwonno. However the rapid growth of the area meant that more new schools were needed, thus a new school was built at Cymmer and opened in 1881. Eventually in the 1890's all schools in the Porth area came under the newly formed Ystradyfodwg School Board. The old National School at Cymmer became a Pupil Teacher's Centre for the training of aspiring student teachers in 1893, operating on a part time basis.

This itself was incorporated into the new secondary school buildings. Following the Welsh Intermediate Schools Act of 1889, The Rhondda Intermediate School was built at Porth, where both boys and girls received advanced education 'fitting them to take degree courses at any university'. This was built on three acres of land above Mount Pleasant given free by Colonel Picton Turberville and was opened on September 22nd 1896, later evolving into Porth County School. In 1913 the Girl's County School was opened. Later on the School Board established a Higher Elementary School at Mount Pleasant, which was raised to the status of a Secondary school in the late 1920s. The Higher Grade schools were limited in function, being seen as providing for the son of the miner vocationally oriented training. However the Intermediate School was expected to cater for the fee paying middle class minority as well as those gifted enough to receive scholarships, and had a more varied classically based syllabus. Also within Porth were two private schools that flourished for a number of years in the early twentieth century, the Cambrian Mining School and the Commercial School both based in Cemetery Road. Finally in the Tynycymmer Hall was set up The South Wales Bible Institute where men and women were trained 'in Bible knowledge...for all kinds of Christian work at home and abroad'.

Early religious history of Porth

Religion in general and non-conformity in particular is synonymous with the Rhondda, and the religious and social importance of 'the chapel' cannot be overstated. The development of the villages of the Rhondda followed a familiar pattern upon the opening of a local mine, and the influx of workers to an area. Invariably the religious needs of this burgeoning community were one of the first to be met. Thus in Porth at the end of the nineteenth century, the residents had a large number of options in terms of sects and places of worship, some of which are detailed below:

The Primitive Methodists
Records show that Porth was 'missioned' by the Aberdare Primitive Methodist circuit in 1867 and in 1868 a Sunday school was formed with the 'infant church' then assembling at 9 Mary Street. By 1870 the Porth Church had a membership of fifteen and was part of the Pontypridd circuit. By 1877 Porth became a separate 'station' with the Rev. C.T. Harris as its first superintendent, a chapel was erected in 1879.

The English Congregationalists.
The history of the English Congregationalists at Porth dates back to 1881, when services were held at the 'Old Chapel' Cymmer. In 1882 the Church was incorporated and in 1883 a Vestry was built at Pontypridd Road where worship was carried out for some years. In 1885 a new chapel was built, with a large hall and classrooms added later, and in 1912 the chapel was extended and a pipe organ installed.

The Welsh Wesleyans
The early 1880's witnessed a depression in the slate industry in North Wales, and the lead mining industry in Cardiganshire resulting in a number of workers from these areas migrating towards the industrial areas of South Wales. As there was no established Wesleyan Church at Porth for them to worship at, permission was sought to erect a vestry here. This was erected in 1882, but with the continued influx of population a larger building was needed to accommodate worshippers, thus 'Ebenezer' was erected in 1903 at a cost of £2,000.

The Welsh Baptists
The beginnings of the cause at Salem can be traced back to 1852, when the Rev. W. Lewis from Zoar Ffrwdamos preached to the residents of Porth. The few Baptists were at that time members of Zoar, later associating themselves with Carmel (renamed Tabernacle) Pontypridd. However in 1853, 22 members of Carmel were released to form a branch church at Porth, the members meeting in a house at 'America Fach'. In 1855 the first chapel was formally opened and the church incorporated, this was subsequently replaced by a larger building, opened in 1879. In the latter years of the nineteenth century the Baptist cause flourished in Porth leading to new chapels being built at Ainon, Ynyshir, Pisgah, Cymmer, and Seion, Birchgrove Porth.

The Tabernacle, Porth - English Baptist
In 1872 the few English Baptists at Porth attended Wesleyan services, the language barrier making it impossible for them to join the Welsh Baptist services. By 1874, with the increase in their numbers they were able to form their own English Baptist Church that met at the Llanwonno Board schoolroom. A vestry was built later in Hannah Street and formally opened in July 1875,a new chapel later being opened in 1877. In the 1890's new churches were inaugurated at Bethany, Ynyshir and Penuel, Trehafod. The chapel was enlarged, and a new wing added in 1903 at a cost of £1,800.

The Welsh Congregationalists
The Welsh Congregational Church at Cymmer was founded in the year 1738 and can therefore claim to be the parent church of Nonconformity in the Rhondda. In 1740 there was an enrolled membership of 63, and in 1743 the old Cymmer Chapel was erected. This was rebuilt on its current site in 1834, with branch churches erected at Ynyshir and Porth in 1879. In 1855 Cymmer Chapel was extended with space for a thousand worshippers. Nine branches were formed from Cymmer Church at Castellau, Dinas, Gilfach, Porth, Sardis in Pontypridd, Tonyrefail, Saron in Williamstown, Bethel in Hafod, and Saron in Ynyshir.

Pugh Memorial Church
The Pugh Memorial Church belonged to a section of the Welsh Presbyterians known as The Forward Movement, founded in 1891 by the Revs. Dr. John Pugh and Seth Joshua. A number of members were released from the mother church at Bethlehem, Pontypridd Road in 1892 to inaugurate the cause and met at Wilke's hall on the corner of Cymmer Road. Dr. Pugh sent the first pastor to the church in 1893. A permanent site for the church was acquired and a hall built to cater for 700 people near 'The Old Pit' in Pontypridd Road. During its erection the Church worshipped at the Old Town Hall. Subsequently in 1908 a new building was erected and opened, and officially named 'The Pugh Memorial Church'.

The English Wesleyan Church
The original building appears to have been opened in 1867, the certificate of its registration as a place of worship bearing that date. It was further enlarged in 1880 with land being acquired from Messrs. Idris Williams and others.

The Church in Wales
Originally Cymmer was in the Parish of Llantrisant and Porth in the Parish of Llanwonno. When the National Schools were built at Cymmer in 1857 the Rev. Morgan, the Vicar of Llantrisant began to hold services in the schoolroom. This served as a place of worship for the districts of Ynyshir, Dinas and Trehafod as well as Cymmer and Porth. In 1874 a committee was founded to look into building a Church at Cymmer, however a number of prospective sites had to be abandoned leading to considerable delay in the church's building. However in 1886 the Rev. Moses Lewis, the then vicar of Llanwonno, succeeded in having built and consecrated St. Paul's Church at Porth. Later in 1887 the difficulties involved in the site for a church in Cymmer were finally solved. A piece of land on the Bedw Estate was gifted to the Church, and St. John's Church was built and consecrated in 1889. In 1894 Cymmer and Porth were made a separate parish with the Rev. William Thomas appointed as its first incumbent.

Thomas and Evans

The name Thomas and Evans and the Welsh Hill Works, and subsequently Corona pop are synonymous with the town of Porth. This business was primarily the driving force of one man, William Evans businessman and philanthropist. He was born near Fishguard in 1864, one of fourteen children. After successfully completing his apprenticeship to a grocer in Haverfordwest, he worked for Alderman William Thomas as a junior in his grocery stores. Then at the age of nineteen, in 1883, he became manager of the Porth branch of Peglar's Stores. Two years later William Evans, with the financial assistance of Alderman Thomas set up his first provision store named Thomas and Evans in Hannah Street Porth

In 1888 at the age of twenty-four, William Evans had paid back, with profits, Alderman Thomas' investment, and was in business for himself for the first time. By 1895 he had expanded, owning four grocery stores and had been joined in the enterprise by his brother Frank. It was when from his factory in Porth, under the name of Welsh Hill Mineral Waters, he began to manufacture his hop bitters, ginger beer and lemonade his fortune and fame really took off. These proved so popular that William Evans was forced to open factories all over South Wales to cater for the demand. In the early 1920's the brand was changed to that of Corona, and the business saw an expansion that saw Corona pop 'exported' all over Britain. Eventually eighty-seven factories and depots were opened throughout England and Wales, including in 1934 one in Willesden, London.

Porth Square with the Corona factory in the background

After Williams' death in 1934, his brother Frank continued this expansion opening up a number of overseas markets. After periods of being owned by both Beechams and Britvic, the company finally closed the doors of its Porth factory for the last time in September 1987. The legacy of William Evans is still to be seen today in Porth, chiefly in Bronwydd Park, and also the Public Library both of which he gave to the people of Porth.