Carmel Aberavon

By Allen Blethyn
Translated by Peter Williams

INRODUCTION

THE OLD DYFFRYN

Here at the very start of my story, I would like to make it clear that this book could not possibly have been written, without the excellent work of the translating from the Welsh text of that excellent book by Mr John Nicholas, entitled YR HEN DDYFFRYN, by my good friend Mr. Peter Williams of Sandfields, Aberavon. Who`s ancestors lived opposite the Old Duffryn Barn near Duffryn Road Taibach. PHOTO 1?
I am using Mr Nicholas`s fine work as a foundation for my article here, of course this effort by myself will not compare in quality of what has come before. But it may prove interesting to some, as it will contain facts which perhaps have been overlooked by others before me.
By that I mean that I will include information on the people and places concerned in the story, and I will be putting my family history skills to the test.
Today when we look back over two hundred years to the opening of Carmel Chapel  Aberavon in 1810 it seems to have been  such a long time ago, especially when one considers that  St. Mary`s Church Aberavon was demolished and rebuilt some fifty years later on in time, with the new church reopening in 1859.

The Nonconformist religious history of our Port Talbot district has been well documented by people much more capable than me, and so I will only repeat here a little to set the scene for the purpose of our story here.
The Baptist`s were the first Nonconformist group formed at Aberavon, they were established at Aberavon by 1650, following the founding of the first Welsh Baptist Church by John Miles at Ilston, Gower the year before.
Some early nonconformists from our district at that time were linked with John Miles at Ilston.
Lewis Thomas who later farmed the Mawr in Nottage, and John Thomas, both were baptised by Miles at Ilston in 1650, they together with Evan Llewellyn another Margam man were to become preachers.
When Miles was forced to leave for America in 1663, it was Lewis Thomas who carried on his work here, until his death in 1704.

[A Note - Lewis Thomas, became the leader of the Calvinistic Baptists in Swansea. Later he moved to the Mwr, in Moor Lane, Nottage, Porthcawl.
Today near opposite Pwll y Mur in a field is a barn, built on the ruined remains of a Longhouse, where Lewis Thomas resided and held services, and farmed there.
His devoted band of followers became known as `the brothers of the Mwr`.]

Many other Margam people were also baptised at Ilston between 1651 and 1665.

With regard to the beginnings of Calvinistic Methodism in our district, there is the story of Howell Harris paying a visit to the place as early as the year 1739, preaching on that occasion under an old walnut tree on the Aberafon side of the river Afan.
At that time the Portreeve of Aberavon [being the same title as later Mayor of the town] was a man by the name of Thomas Pullard. He must have been a man well thought of by the townspeople because he held that same title for seven connective years, [1735-1741], he also had family members living at the nearby Globe Inn.
Nothing more is known of that meeting, but it is understood that there was much preaching by many brothers after that in the Globe. However, in the year 1743, we have the story of another visit to the neighbourhood by Howell Harris, when a society was established by him at the Hafod farmhouse, Hafod-y-Porth which stood on the mountainside overlooking the Dyffryn Valley. The number at that meeting was twelve, the same number as the first Christian church, and it was placed in the care of one John Richards, Llansamlet.

At this time the Hafod farm, which belonged to the Margam Estate was farmed by Joseph Thomas and his wife Mary, maiden name unknown. Together they brought up their family of five boys at the Havod farm during the years 1720 to 1731.They were Evan 1720-1780. William 1733-1811. Jenkin 1825-1790. Joseph 1728-? and Rees 1731-?. 
[A Note -.I have more notes on the above Joseph Thomas and his family at the Hafod farm, maybe a little booklet to follow.]

We hear that Howell Harris preached from time to time in the Hafod, Dyffryn Uchaf, Hole-in-the-Wall, Margam, and by the Plough near Aberafon. It is said that the owner of the Plough was not willing for him to preach near his house. But the wife insisted that he did, and brought a stool out for him to stand on, but the husband snatched the stool back to the house, and the wife brought it out again, and so on many times, the wife bringing the stool out, and the husband taking it back. In the end, the husband yielded, and Harris preached with great power and influence. Another time when Harris visited Aberafon, a number of rascals decided to upset the meeting by bringing a cat with them, and releasing it into the middle of the crowd to be chased by the dogs, and cause a disturbance, but the persecutors were disappointed, because by some unexplained means, the innocent creature escaped and peace was had. The testimony of the crowd was that this time, despite the conspiracies of the devil, a door had been opened for them to heaven, and that God through His messenger was calling them up. Further, the story relates that the above agitators, after the meeting, rushed upon Harris and followed him as far as Pentyla, and that he shook the dust from his feet as witness against them according to the word of Jesus. It is possible that the cause that had begun so strongly in the Hafod and in the district continued thus for some time ; but it is a sad fact that a deterioration, or rather a coolness, set in later, and for about twenty years hardly anything is heard of its story. It is known that a sorrowful schism had taken place between Howell Harris and the other revivalists, and perhaps the cause in the area was neglected as a result, so for years religion was very weak and disheartened. When the curtain rises next, time has rolled on a little, and we find ourselves in about the year 1765. Doubtless new life had taken hold of the family of Seion through the area, because we have the story of Evan Thomas of Dyffryn Uchaf having applied to have a Church established in his house, this application being approved. About the same period we have it that Richard Thomas of Y Farteg made a similar application. Y Farteg stands in the Dyffryn Valley between Dyffryn Uchaf and the Bryn. It is said also that about this period that is in the year 1766 the cause was begun in Gyfylchi, which today is in ruins as the cause moved to Pontrhydyfen. A man of excellent character was Evan Thomas of Dyffryn Uchaf, who committed all his energy to the service of religion. Services would be held during the time he was in this farmhouse, in the granary. So it will seem that the house and this family are closely connected with the story of the start of Methodism in the place. The brother of Evan Thomas of Dyffryn was the famous William Thomas of Pyle, and he was born in Dyffryn. We will have the opportunity later on to give the story of this wonderful man as we go over the story of the old characters of Dyffryn Church. But to return to the history of the little Church in Dyffryn Uchaf granary; it was here for fifteen years, that is, up to the time of the death of Evan Thomas, at the time (as will be seen later on) that his brother William was living in Ty Draw in Pyle, but continued despite that to take a great interest in the cause of Dyffryn.
When his brother Evan died about the year 1780, William went to visit Mali Shôn of Dyffryn Isaf, and told her that if she would promise to put up and provide for preachers, he would give his barn over to holding religious services. The old woman promised to do this, and the bargain was struck at once. She had the privilege of hosting the leading preachers of the Union of the day, and among them, the following men: John Elias, Williams Pantycelyn, Robert Roberts of Glynog, and other giants of those days. About twenty five years ago, Dyffryn Isaf went on fire and was burned down, and it is said that the owner at that time was greatly afflicted to see the destruction of the old house. Seeing the flames reach different parts of the house, he shouted – that’s the room that John Elias slept in – falling! One of the generous people of the land was Mali Shôn, and she did much for the cause of religion apart from hosting preachers. . At the end of her life she left £106 11s 9d to support Ministers of the Gospel belonging to the Union of Calvinistic Methodists, in Dyffryn Church and Carmel, Aberafon. A Tablet was placed in the wall of Dyffryn Chapel, Taibach, in her memory. And that wall and the Tablet are now part of the vestry of the above chapel. The script upon it reads as follows:-

1831
Mrs Mary John of Dyffryn, in the Parish of Margam
Bequeathed the Interest of £106 11s 9d per cent. Consols to the Ministers of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists of the Chapels of Dyffryn and Aberavon

After the death of William Thomas of Pyle,
[A Note - 1751. Margam Rentals.]
Havod y Porth.
Nant y Glo.  Up to Lady Day 1751.  Edward Jenkin.
                  After Lady Day 1751.  William Thomas.

8033. Margam estate.
29 Aug. AD 1757
COUNTERPART of a chattel lease to William Thomas for two lives of Nant y Glo in 
Havod y Porth.
Signature and seal.
Vellum.
English.

Nant y Glo a very isolated small farm croft situated high up above todays Goytre Res.

MI. Grave.D175. Margam.
Here lieth the body of Thomas the son of William Thomas who departed this life the 25th. day of Oct.1764.aged.7.years and 5.months.
Here also lieth the body of Catherine the wife of the foresaid William Thomas who departed this life the 30th.day of Jan.1798.aged 82.years.
Here also lieth the body of the foresaid William Thomas late of Ty Draw, Pyle who departed this life the 22nd.day of Aug.1811.aged 88.years.
Here also lieth the body of Joseph Thomas the son of the aforesaid William Thomas who departed this life on the 7th.day of April.1820.aged 69.years.
Here also lieth the body of Jane the wife of the afore said Joseph Thomas who departed this life the 27th.day of May 1823. aged 76.years.]

And so the old barn came into the possession of Philip Jones, Esq., manager and owner of Taibach Copper works, and he put it to the service of the cause. It seems that he was a kind man to the cause, and he would come occasionally to the meetings. When he died, his son gave the place again for free to the saints, and there they were until they moved to the present location in the year 1841.
So it is seen that the old Dyffryn Church worshipped together in the old barn for sixty one years. Powerful people were raised for the Lord in this place, a large host of old brothers and sisters who worshipped God in song and praise as a crowd observing a holy day. Five preachers were produced here, namely William Thomas of Pyle, Jenkin Thomas, Penhydd, Evan Williams, Taibach, William Jones, Ynisygwas and David Hughes.
Behold the names of some of the other members belonging to the society in the old Dyffryn :- Nel Wmffra, that is Ellen Jenkins of Cwmgweina, William Rees of Margam, William Owen the weaver, Dafydd from the Hafod, Thomas Jenkins of Constant (he who used to announce in the old Dyffryn), William Jenkins  from the Hafod, George Heycock, John Heycock, Dafydd Harris, Edward Wilks the swimmer (who in order to escape from the grasp of the Navy, swam from the Mumbles to Margam beach), Jenkin Joseph, Llettyharry, John Dummer, Lletty’r Piod, Evan James, Thomas Llewellyn, Dafydd Llewellyn, Thomas Edwards, Richard a Janet Thomas, Ynisygwas, Mr Robert Smith and his wife from Craigafon, William Dafydd from Dyffryn Isaf, Richard Cound, Thomas Robert, Ed. Daniel (Manager of the Coal works in the area), Samuel Francis, James Singleton the elder, Rees Morgan and a host of others. Some of those last named were among others who had moved from the old Dyffryn to the new. We have named some of the old brothers who were prominent amongst their brothers, like Evan Griffith, George Heycock and others – we will give their story in another chapter.
These old brothers and sisters received wonderful manifestations of the Divine presence in the old barn and they experienced many of the influences of the Spirit of Divine Anointing, and they were many times exalted up to heaven, and they saw abundant and glorious scenes within the unadorned walls. The old barn formed a destination for the whole district, and people would come regularly from Margam, Taibach and Aberafon, not to mention others from further and more remote places. They would receive the finest ministry in Wales, as the great ones arrived in turn. Other preachers of the county and region came there regularly, and in addition to them, they would have their own councillors. Some of them have already been noted, such as William Thomas of Pyle, Siencyn Penhydd, and another who was very prominent was Daniel Daniel from Constant. These would announce the great ministry of the Reconciliation with unrivalled power. Although they were ordinary men from the world’s viewpoint, who had not been refined by education as would be understood today, yet through the power of God’s grace and a pure life, and strong and influential characters, they did work the extent of which is difficult to comprehend. Only the last day will show how God used these earthen vessels for His own glory. Before finishing this chapter of the history of old Dyffryn, it can be noted that a day School was held in the old barn from the year 1805 up till 1810.
PHOTO 3 & 4

SOME OF THE CHARACTERS OF OLD DYFFRYN

WILLIAM THOMAS OF PYLE

As was suggested in the previous chapter, it was in Dyffryn Uchaf that this excellent character was born in the year 1723, and therefore was a twelve-year old youth when Howell Harris began to thunder from Trefecca, shaking the land at the beginning of the Methodist Revival. It is said that he was convinced when 16-years old by listening to Howell Harris preaching in Margam when he first visited these districts in the year 1739 as was mentioned, but within four years of that, listening to the same man at the time the society was established in the Hafod, he had the strength to give himself to the Lord and to His service. After marrying, he stayed in Dyffryn Uchaf for some time, and then moved to a smallholding near the old barn that was later converted into a Chapel. It is likely that that smallholding was part of Tonygroes farm, and that the barn belonged to it. He had a lease on it for life. In the year 1760 when he was 37 years old, he moved to Ty Draw in Pyle; but as is noted already, he still retained his interest in the cause in the old Dyffryn, and he used to attend the meetings for many years. He and his wife were noted for their generosity and their kindness towards the poor in general. They had realised the words of the Lord Jesus ‘that it is blessed to give rather than to receive.’ It is said that a loaf and cheese were always on the table as would be convenient to break for whoever would call for charity. Needless to say, many would call, because by mystical means, those that live on charity come to know quickly who are their friends. When the need arose for a Chapel in Pyle, there was felt a difficulty in obtaining land, but the serried stars were this time fighting in favour of religion. A strip of land and three or four houses went on sale in the Pyle area. W. Thomas bought possession, and a Chapel was built upon it, namely Cornelly Chapel, which, after having been renovated and extended, stands to this day. Within a short time, Wm. Thomas built two or three additional houses on the strip, and presented them as a gift to the service of the cause in the place. A Tablet was placed behind the pulpit in Pyle chapel in respect of his memory, but despite that, there is no word of mention of his generosity in the above references. He merits this without doubt, and perhaps the relevant authorities will some day see the way clear to add this to the remembrance. An Elegy to him was composed by his old friend Daniel from Constant. We give it here.

ELEGY

The elegy comprises 16 verses of eight lines each, mostly praising the good character of William Thomas and his works. It mentions that he lived 72 years in the Lord’s vineyard – perhaps this is counted from his conversion by Howell Harris as he is said to have lived a long life. It is said that he travelled to north and south in announcing the gospel, but was confined to his home patch in later life and to have suffered from poor hearing. He was neither witty nor talkative, but spoke carefully every time. He gave not only food to the needy, but hay, oats, flour, grazing land and even money.

DANIEL DANIEL OF CONSTANT

Perhaps the construction of the elegy does not come up to the standard of scholarly criticism of the present day; despite that it must be recognized that it declares genuine feelings. Also, it is valuable for another reason. In the face of the lack of material regarding the early history of the Old Church, it is rare to come across something like this, because the elegy gives a concise picture of one who was a powerful instrument for the cause of religion in his day. Daniel from Constant was one of the old councillors of Dyffryn. He was a miner by calling, and so his circumstances did not allow him to go far from home on preaching trips, like William Thomas of Pyle and Siencyn Penhydd. But despite that, he accomplished excellent work at home. It is said that he possessed great mental ability, and his elegy shows that that he was one of the sons of the muse. It is likely that he composed many other pieces of poetry which today have gone to perdition.
He was a very keen and careful man in all his activities, and a strong, pious character, and the influence of his life was strongly behind everything he would do and say. The motto of his life was that whatever he put his hand to he would do it with all his energy. He used to eagerly search from house to house for men to come to the means of grace. He would induce everybody to come to the house of God and to the gateway to heaven in the old barn. He began preaching in the year 1805, and died in the year 1813. His daughter was Bopa Lizza from the Dyffryn, who used to keep Carmel Chapel House, Aberafan, twenty-eight years ago. Another interesting fact is that the name of Daniel Daniel, Miner, is on the first lease of Carmel, as one of the Trustees on behalf of the Church.

JENKIN THOMAS, PENHYDD

This is another of the councillors of old Dyffryn, and perhaps the most original of them all. He has been immortalized in the colourful and funny biography by the late Rev. Edward Matthews. As his story has been written fully, and that the most important facts of his life are quite well-known to the majority, we shall run quickly over the main strands. Siencyn was born on the 16th of September, 1746, in a farmhouse called Penhydd. This place stands between Pontrhydyfen and Bryntroedgam, on top of the mountain. It is said that a godly old councillor called Evan Ty-Clai was the means by which God convinced and awoke the uncontrolled youth from Penhydd on the matter of his soul.

After marrying, Siencyn went to live in Aberafon. It is not known in which house he lived there, although that would be a very interesting fact to know. Before long, however, he moved to Goetre, to a farmhouse in the Dyffryn Valley, and it was as Siencyn from the Goetre that he was known for the last part of his life. A great-grand-daughter of his is a member of Carmel, namely Mrs Kent. We will relate one striking story about him to show his peculiarities and his influence. There was once a dispute between the owners of the Taibach copper works and their workers. The workers were asking for extra pay, and the Masters were refusing to give it. As a result the workers walked out. Some of them were arrested by the Masters in order to punish them, as an example to others, for neglecting the furnaces, and thereby causing a great loss to the owners. One young man was jailed, and later he was handed over to the Press Gang to be sent out of the country. The whole area was agitated and many requests were made to Mr Jones the manager to persuade him to release the boy, but it was all in vain. As a last resort it was decided to ask Siencyn Thomas to go to the gentleman. He accepted, and one morning went to Mr Jones’ house with a wild appearance, his hair dishevelled like goat’s hair, and in his hand he was carrying a shepherd’s crook three yards long. He went into the house without greeting anyone, and he struck the crook against the floor, and said to the gentleman – a fine job you have done, sending a local boy from the land of his birth. What are you thinking of? The sword shall never leave this house. As you have done, so shall be done unto you – and struck the crook against the floor a second time. As he was finishing his sermon, somebody upstairs fell, and the maid screamed that one of the children had broken his neck. A fright went through the house. The old Patriarch said that was only the start of their sorrows unless they send the boy home, and with that he went away. The gentleman ran after him in terror, shouting – Siencyn Thomas, the boy may come home, whatever it costs. It is plain that such a thing could not be allowed except through the intervention of someone remarkable, with a pure character underlying all his peculiarities.

The little story above gives a little glimpse into the sort of character Siencyn was. Although he was a strong man, he died comparatively young. He was buried in Cwmafon church cemetery, and above his grave which is in a good state of preservation, the following words are carved on his monument.
In memory of Jenkin Thomas of Goetre, Margam Parish, who left this world on December 26th, 1807, aged 61 years.
Death to me was a gift – it was marked
That my departure
To a profitable inheritance
Was as a flow of milk and honey.
An elegy to him exists by the Rev Hopkin Bevan, one of that number who were ordained as ministers by the Calvinistic Methodists in the year 1811, in Llandilofawr.

ELEGY

The elegy comprises nine verses of four lines each, describing the heroic work of the deceased, with reference to a story in the Old Testament, and the rewards that await him in heaven, but asks - who will take his place?

Hopkin Bevan PHOTO 5

EVAN GRIFFITH OF MARGAM

Here is another character as notable and original as those others named. He was known by different names at different times. At first he was Evan from y Firi, as it was from y Firi that he hailed, a place between Llansamlet and Neath. Another name was Evan the Pais (petticoat, or smock), as he would wear such a garment while working. Later he was called Evan the turner, as that was his occupation, and he was also called Evan the good. Evan was a very hard worker, and it might be thought, seeing him work with the flail evening and morning, with all his energy, that he had a large family depending on him ; but we understand that that was not so, and it is likely that he had no close relatives in this area. He was a very diligent man, and thrifty in his ways. But despite that, he was noted for his generosity to the cause of religion. He would be in his full glory when there was a collection taking place. He would usually say – come along now boys, let us sow abundantly on this piece of land, so that very likely you will get a good crop on it – you will see. But he would also do, not only say. He always led in the collection. 
There is a story about him in the monthly meeting where Jones Llangan was complaining about a heavy debt on the part of some weak cause. Having spoken at length on the matter, it was decided to raise a collection there and then, and Jones himself began by giving a gold guinea, which was considered quite a big sum at that time. He was followed by some of the gentlemen, who were present, each one putting in his guinea. After speaking a little more, Jones asked if there were others who would like to give, and said that he would accept less than a guinea from anyone who could not come up to that. Evan went forward and threw five guineas onto the table to everyone’s surprise. Jones asked him ‘Ianto, Ianto, aren’t you giving too much?’ ‘I gave that which I gave, Mr Jones, this is how I pay my debt’ said Evan. 
Another story is told of a collection made in the old Dyffryn towards helping an aged woman who was in need. A hat was taken around, and much was thrown into it, because they were very generous people in the old Dyffryn. In counting the money, a gold guinea was found, and it was thought that it was a lost sheep. It was held up and its owner was sought. Evan was thought of, and he was asked had he thrown a guinea in the hat instead of a shilling. He answered abruptly as usual ‘what I have given, I have given’. It seems that he was a man of short stature and that he loved everything as himself.
So he would be with the ‘means of grace’. He used to like a short sermon, a short prayer and a short fellowship. He wouldn’t have anything overlong. It is said that one preacher called Evan Rees from Cardiganshire was preaching in the old Barn. He kept going tediously, according to the story, and after going into the house, Evan said to him unceremoniously, ‘ Wel, Evan Rees, it happened that you preached quite well, but if you had cut it in half it would have been very much better.’ He didn’t like to hear anyone speak for long. 
In a meeting once, Dafydd from the Hafod was conversing with some woman. This he did for quite a time and in a rather doctorly fashion. After being restless for some time, Evan rose to his feet and shouted out, ‘Dafydd, leave your refinement, leave your refinement, you are saying much too much my boy. A short lesson for the children, they will remember it much better.’ 
Evan tried to preach once. A stranger from the North was expected to preach in the Old Dyffryn, but there was a disappointment. Evan rose to his feet and said, ‘Well, as the stranger did not come, I will preach. The subject I have in mind to say a little about is ‘You have a demon.’ Now, every one of us here in this meeting tonight has his demon, and it is enough work for every one to find his own demon. There,’ he said, ‘short and sweet for you.’
When Evan was dying, he began like every wise man to organize his house, and he decided to share his small wealth among his spiritual relatives. He gave his Bible to Dyffryn Church, the one which was used there until the time of the move to the new building in 1841. He gave his £80 of money towards getting books for the Sunday school. His clothes were shared among his brothers in the Church, but it isn’t known who got his smock. It appears that there was a bit of a fuss as regards the red cap.
When his hour of death came, he raised his hand up to the heavens and shouted out ‘take me up, take me up, great Jesus, the way is sound, the way is open to glory.’ It is likely that he had been living at Margam because he was known as Evan Griffith of Margam.
He lived a long time near the old Chapel, but during the final years he was lodging on the Constant, from where he was taken to be buried. His mortal remains were laid to rest in Aberafon cemetery, in the year 1815, and as long as Margaret Rees (Macws the weaver), mother of Samuel Rees, one of the deacons of Carmel, was alive, she would care for his grave. Her children would often ask her, ‘Mam, why do you clean this grave, who lies here?’ She would answer that ‘it was the grave of a godly old man from the Dyffryn who is now in heaven.’ She used to feel that it was a privilege to do something in memory of godly people.
We referred to his act of donating a sum of money towards getting books for the Sunday school in Dyffryn and other places. There was a tablet in his memory placed in the wall of Dyffryn vestry, Taibach. It read as follows:-

1813
Evan Griffith of Margam bequeathed £80 toward maintaining the Welsh Sunday School in Dyffryn and elsewhere in the Parish of Margam.

There is no doubt that the old man meant the gift for our Union, and so it was shared out until lately. About forty years ago the trustee died without presenting the trusteeship to anyone else, and the money was not shared out for some years, and when the authorities went to look into it, it was seen that the word elsewhere gave a claim to all the schools of the parish, and thus is the money shared out at present. PHOTO 6 & 7
CARMEL, ABERAFON

About the beginning of the last century, the old brothers felt a strong urge to start a branch in Aberafon. Meetings were held around the houses for some years, and the story is told of one called Miles Edwards keeping a Sunday School in the Plough about 1806 – 1810. It was decided at last to build a Chapel, and an agreement was made with the Burgesses of Aberafon for land, and the building began. The builder was one called Dafydd Rees from y Pandy, Pontrhydyfen, and it was finished in the year 1810. We do not have the history of the inaugural meetings, and so we do not know who preached. Very likely the Rev Hopkin Bevan and the Patriarch Richard James, Pontrhydyfen, were there. Whatever, both names are on the first lease, with others.
This was obtained on August 19th, 1811, from the Portreeve and the Burgesses of the town and the Borough of Afan. It will be of interest to give here the names of the Trustees –

TRUSTEES:
        Rev. Howell Howells, Curate of St.Lythan’s
        Rev. William Leyshon, Llangattwg
        Rev. Hopkin Bevan, Llangyfelach
        Rev.  Richard James, Pontrhydyfen
        Rev. William Howell, Penllin Clerk

DEACONS:
        Daniel Daniel, Collier, that is, Daniel of Constant
        David Thomas, that is, Dafydd from the Hafod
        Joseph Thomas, the son of William Thomas of Pyle

FOR THE OWNERS:
        Thomas Jones, Portreeve
        Thomas William Howell, Alderman 
        David Thomas, Alderman

        Evan John David,        Thomas Thomas,
        David Evans,            Edward Jones,
        Thomas Jones,            Thomas John, Sadler          Burgesses
        Thos. Williams        Edward John,
            (the deacon)            Evan Williams,

THE ACTIVITIES

The lease was for 99 years, and the rate for the land was £1 a year. This lease would expire in the year 1909 were it not for another act carried out as will be seen below. In the year 1824, a Gallery was placed in the Chapel. Also, this is when the Chapel House was built. In the year 1844, Carmel was rebuilt, and at that time the ownership was handed over from the Trustees to the Union. The name on this act on the part of the Trustees was Ann Howells, widow of Howell Howells, the curate whose name is on the first lease. The person to whom the ownership was handed over on behalf of the Union was the Rev David Howells, Swansea. We place here again the Trustees on behalf of the Union in this new act.

    Ann Howells
    Rev. David Howell, Swansea
    Rev. William Evans, Tonyrefail
    Rev. David Roberts, Cowbridge
    Rev. John James, Bridgend
    Rev. Edward Mathews, Ewenny
    Rev. Evan Williams, Taibach
    Rev. William Jones, Ynysygwas

    Elias Basset, Llanilltyd
    John Howell, Bryngwti, father of Llawdden
    Wm. Jones, Llansannor                                                        Deacons
    Emanuel Griffiths, Aberafon

On the 17th of September, 1849, the owners of the land allowed more favourable terms than were on the first lease. Instead of being for a hundred years less one, to being for a thousand years less one, and instead of the Rate being a pound a year, to being a shilling a year, upon the condition of paying £60 for the favour. The name of the Portreeve, Evan Jones, is on the lease, on behalf of the Burgesses, and the name of Emanuel Griffiths on behalf of the Union. This was the second lease, or the second application for terms, but as we say three tries for a Welshman, there was one try left. That is where we shall go now. On the 24th of June, 1861, the owners sold the land to the Union as a freehold in perpetuity for the sum of £5. The terms of the second lease had been an improvement upon the first, but this application cast the two previous in the shade. This act was signed on behalf of the owners by the following:

    Jenkin Thomas, Portreeve.
    Morgan William, Alderman.
    William Williams, Alderman.
    Griffith Thomas, Accountant (Witness).
    Evan Thomas, Recorder (Witness).
TRUSTEES ON BEHALF OF THE UNION:
    Rev. David Howell, Swansea.
    Rev. William Williams, Penllin (Argyle).
    Rev. Richard Lumley, Swansea.
    Rev. John James, Bridgend
    Rev. Evan Williams, Taibach.
    Rev. William Jones, Ynisygwas.

DEACONS:
    Thomas Phillips, Shopkeeper, Swansea.
    Samuel Rees, Aberafon.
    John Jones, Aberafon.
    Thomas Jones, Aberafon.
    John Howells, Bryncwti.

WITNESSES TO THE TRUSTEES’ MANUSCRIPT:
    Evan Thomas, Tea Merchant, Aberafon.
    William Howell, Coalminer, Penycae, Aberafon.

NEW TRUSTEES:
    Rev. Thomas Edwards, Cwmafon.
    Rev. Moses Thomas, Port Talbot.
    Rev. William Richards, Briton Ferry.
    Rev. John Rhys Davies, Port Talbot.
    Rev. Edward Owen, Glyncorrwg.

DEACONS:
    Mr. Richard Richards, Aberafon.
    Mr. John Edwards, Aberafon.
    Mr. Edward Howe, Port Talbot.
    Mr. John Nicholas, Port Talbot.
    Mr. John Davies, Aberafon.
The way that the Land is described in the lease is very interesting. It is likely that it was a garden, and that a House had been there, and that some woman called Faith Brown had been living in it for some time, and the name on the piece of land that Carmel was built on was Faith Brown’s House. The name Faith was given quite commonly to girls in days gone by. We remember hearing of a husband and wife going home once, and they had to go through a river that had risen quite high. As they crossed, the situation became critical. The wife gripped the husband’s clothes, and he said to her, ‘keep your hold Faith’, and they reached the bank safely.

It is a noted fact that Carmel was the first nonconformist Chapel ever built in the district. Within eleven years of that, Moriah was built by the Baptists. In the year 1824, Tabernacl was built by the Independents. In 1838, the Methodists’ Beulah Chapel was built in Groes, Margam. In 1841, Dyffryn Chapel, Taibach, was built, and in 1849 Wern Chapel belonging to the Independents was built. The first Carmel was a small building, and included seating for about 200. There were about ten yards between it and the river. The back wall of the Chapel was where the back of the big seat is now. There was a garden between it and the river, and a well (Winch) within two yards of the Chapel. The well is there now, but it was filled up when the Chapel was renovated eight years ago. The face of the Chapel was about five yards nearer towards the direction of the Vestry than the present Chapel.

In the year 1824, a House was built near the Chapel. The lower part of the house was used as a stable, because the preachers and many of the congregation used to travel on horses and in vehicles. The entrance to the Gallery was over stone steps on both sides of the Chapel. The steps on the lower side would lead to the Chapel House as well as to the Gallery. The congregation would go over the steps on the higher side of the Chapel, and the preacher would go from the Chapel House to the Gallery and from there to the Pulpit. It is an interesting fact that the wall of the lower side of the first old Chapel forms part of the present Chapel and of the Chapel House. Aberafon was a very small town at that time and consisted of only about forty houses. At first, some deacons of the Old Dyffryn were appointed to look after the cause in Carmel, namely Dafydd o’r Hafod, Thomas Robert, and William Jenkins o’r Hafod.

It is likely that Dafydd o’r Hafod was the chief instrument in starting the cause and building the Chapel.

In the year 1836 it was decided that the Dyffryn people were to stay with the Dyffryn seiat, and that people from the Aberafon district were to take their place in the Carmel seiat. The Revs Ebenezer Richards, Tregaron and Dr Lewis Edwards, Bala and others were in that meeting. The Revs Ebenezer Morris and William Griffith Brower were there on behalf of the Monthly Meeting.

Two brothers were earmarked to be deacons, namely Robert Smith and Jno Jones (the father of J Jones bach). In the year 1841 two others were chosen, namely Thomas Williams and Emanuel Griffith. After that four others were chosen, namely William Williams, Blaencynaeron, Samuel Rees, John Jones, and John Jones from Velindre. The next generation of deacons was Thomas Jones, William Howells, Edward Jones (Chandler), and Evan Thomas. In the year 1881 another five were chosen, namely Thomas Griffiths, Thomas Lewis, John Davies, John Edwards, and Edward Howe. In 1892 four more were chosen, namely Daniel Gregory the elder, Richard Richards, Brynhyfryd, Thomas Morgan and John Nicholas. In 1903, David Davies, John Gwyn, Thomas Robert Meyrick and David Hopkins were chosen. PHOTO 8

OLD DEACONS:
We will try to relate here the little that can be gleaned about the above, although we must recognize that the relevant material is rather scarce.

ROBERT SMITH.

This man was a native of Carmarthen. He came to Aberafon about the year 1823 to build Margam Tin works. He was a man of wide knowledge and of uncommon intellectual attainments. He was zealous and hard-working with the cause in the Old Dyffryn and in Carmel, and he strove energetically with the Sunday School. He composed rhymes upon the observation of the Sabbath, and they were taught to be recited by the School. It is likely that he was converted by listening to John Elias preaching in London upon those words, ‘The fool says in his heart that there is no God.’ He resided in Craigafon. He became a very prominent man in the Monthly Meeting and in the Cymanfa. He was chosen as one of the nine to sign the constitutional act of the Union for Glamorgan. We give their names here –

    Hopkin Bevan, Llangyfelach
    David Howells, Swansea.
    Benjamin Williams, Cardiff.
    William Bonville, Neath.
    Robert Smith, Margam.
    Thomas Williams, Merthyr.
    John Edwards, Merthyr.
    Edward Williams, Merthyr.
    Evan Jones, Merthyr.

In the year 1836, Mr Smith undertook to build a Chapel for Carmel Church, namely Ebenezer, and the church moved to the new Chapel, and worshipped there for two years. But unfortunately a dispute arose between Mr Smith and the Monthly Meeting about handing over the Chapel to the ownership of the Union. It is likely that he had terms in connection with the handing over that the Monthly Meeting could not accept. He had to give it in its entirety or it would all fall. Anyway the gentleman was hurt somehow in the argument, and as he knew that the Baptists had need of a Chapel he offered it to them for five hundred pounds. They accepted the offer, and Carmel Church had to return to the little chapel a second time. But despite that, he continued to be hard-working and faithful to the cause in Carmel to the end of his life. He died on March 20th, 1841 at 59 years of age, and he was buried in Margam cemetery. The Rev Wm. Evans, Tonyrefail preached on the day of his funeral upon the words, ‘Worthy in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.’

JOHN JONES THE ELDER

We have not succeeded in getting more than a little of the history of this old saint. He must have been an excellent character and of undoubted godliness in order to have been chosen as a fellow official to his master Mr Smith.

THOMAS WILLIAMS

He was a carpenter by vocation. We have heard much talk of him from the old people. He was notable for his zeal and his faithfulness and his diligence with all the work, and especially the Sunday school that he always looked after. He was the secretary of the two-monthly Class Meeting for thirty years. He could read brilliantly in public. Mr Charles of Bala used to say that a good reader explains through reading. He used to advise the young people to learn to read correctly and appropriately, so that they would be qualified to read publicly in services. He possessed a strong nature, and he was without doubt above his contemporaries. He was extremely able and wise in his leadership of the Church. He would be very severe to those who would now and then slip into some transgression. When they returned to the Seiat, he would call them forward and he would examine them strictly, and rebuke them very severely. He said once to a brother who had slipped and because of that had stayed away from the Meetings for some time, ‘Where have you been this long time? Is there no shame upon you? Do you know what sort of house you are living in? Well I will tell you. A House without one door to it, and the dogs, and the pigs, and the chickens, and the ducks, and the geese are coming in to it, and it is a very uncommon place! Keep a door to your house, bachan, and don’t let everything come into it.’ 
He said to another who was slipping quite frequently, ‘what is wrong with you, bachan? Every day you have scars on the end of your nose, keep from those rough places, bachan, and cease falling like that all the time, leave those old scars heal once and for all!’
But although he would rebuke severely, he would be the readiest with those would encounter storms and the tribulations of life. He would comfort and console those weak of thought and with little experience. We find that he lived first in the Chapel House, and it was there that his son Benjamin was born in the year 1825. He died on April 28th, 1858 at the age of 72 years. His departure was a great loss to Carmel Church, and hiraeth and deep grief was felt for him throughout the entire district.

EMANUEL GRIFFITHS

He also was an excellent character, faithful and hard-working with every aspect of the work. He was a manager in the coal-mine by calling. He used to lead the singing occasionally in the service. He raised a talented family that was of service with the cause in Carmel and other places. One of his sons was the late William Griffiths (Ivander), who was one of the chief Welsh Choral conductors in his day. He moved from Carmel when he was quite young to Pontardawe, and he formed a United Choir in that area, and did a lot of good in connection with music through teaching and reciting works and other books of the works of the great Masters. After many years of labour and service in those districts, he moved to Workington, and was of great service there and in the district through forming Choirs and organizing Eisteddfods, and societies to stimulate the workers into striving with literature and music which was a benefit in a social and religious benefit context in those parts. Ivander was chosen as a music adjudicator in the National Eisteddfod that was held in Merthyr years ago. Thus, Carmel Church and the town of Aberafon can feel proud that it was there that Ivander was raised. 
Another son of Emanuel’s was Griffith. We may say a word about him when we mention Carmel’s singing conductors. Another son of his was Thomas Griffiths, who was a builder. It was he who built the first Chapel of Gibeon, Taibach. Another son of his was Benjamin Griffiths, who was also very talented. Many times we saw him take prizes in Eisteddfods in this district. He won a prize of £7 7s.in the Workmen’s Hall Eisteddfod, Taibach, in 1873 for an essay on Nationhood. He used to be known by the nom-de-plume Index. Another son of his was an able and skilled doctor. Carmel Church can pride itself that it was there that this family was nurtured, especially the first two, namely William and Griffith.
We now come to the next four deacons that were chosen, namely, William Williams, Samuel Rees, John Jones, and John Thomas.

WILLIAM WILLIAMS, BLAENCYNAERON

He was a man of great influence, full of zeal and enthusiasm. He was looked upon as one of the saints of God the Most High. He was not able to read, but despite that, he knew a great deal of the Bible, and was learned in spiritual things. We find that he came to religion in the year 1802. He was rescued from his errant ways through the ministry of one Watkin Williams from the North who used to preach on Saturday nights in Penhydd. That was the time that he began to pray, and he did not give up the work until the day he died. He was notable in prayer, impressive, warm and very original. He would often tell the young people to labour in the Word, and to be fervent at the throne of grace, and to behave in a manner befitting Christ’s Gospel. Very suitable advice for the young people of the present day. He was remarkably faithful in the Meetings. He travelled often to the old Dyffryn Barn, to Gyfylchi Chapel, and the Graig Fach near Llangynwyd, singing and praising his Saviour as he went and as he returned from those places. Sometimes in the dead of night, people would ask one another, what is that? and some one would reply ‘O, it is Wil praising his Saviour!’ He continued to praise Him unto his grave. It can be said of him – ‘he went to heavenly peace.’ He died in Jesus on June 10th, 1864, at 84 years of age. He was honourably buried in Margam cemetery by his Master John Richards, of Cwrt Isaf, the Emperor of Aberafon as he was called.

The Rev Wm. Jones, Ynisygwas, preached remarkably effectively at his funeral, on John 16, 22. ‘And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, &c.’
We believe that Jesus has fulfilled His promise to Carmel many times through His gracious visits. The hymn, There shall be a myriad wonders, &c., was sung at the graveside, upon the Tune Nebo.

SAMUEL REES

Samuel Rees was one of the most hard-working and useful deacons that was ever in Carmel. He was the son of the dear and godly Dafydd Rees the Weaver. By vocation he was a manager in the Tin works. He was brought up in the Chapel House. He was a zealous abstainer, and a man of abilities far above the ordinary, and of influence in the whole district. He was an important member of the Monthly Meeting and the Cymanfa. The main aim of his life was caring for the cause in all of its aspects. It was he who would look after and organize just about everything to do with the cause, and he possessed a particular suitability to carry out the lot. But that is not how it should be in God’s Church. We believe that Carmel Church was to be greatly blamed for leaving the lot to him, and pushing the lot upon him, and that for so many years. This without doubt was the cause of the misunderstanding and the grievous bad feeling that happened in his story that caused him to leave Carmel, and to join the State Church. But it was in Carmel that his heart remained to his grave. It is hoped that the Churches of our land will heed a lesson from that situation, in order to avoid something similar, as when there is a need of some changes that it can be done without anyone being wounded or offended. And it is hoped also that the deacons of our Churches will heed the lesson, and refrain from pushing themselves to do virtually everything, when there are others among their fellow officials as worthy and qualified as they themselves to do the work. We do not refer to that which befell Samuel Rees out of any disrespect to him, but we feel that our duty as a Church is to thank God for giving to Carmel one who was of so much service and usefulness with the cause, and who dedicated so much of his time upon the altar of religion, and that for so many years. He died in Jesus, April 8th, 1878, at 63 years of age, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery. ‘Peace unto his dust until the fanfare of the trumpet.’

JOHN JONES

The next we look at is John Jones (Cold Rolls) as he was called, as he was a worker in the Tin works. He was one of the most dear and godly men that the Lord gave to Carmel from the beginning of the cause to the present. He was a pure character, and of a shy and very godly spirit, a man of strong abilities, and an excellent speaker. It seems that at one time he thought of going into the ministry, and if he had taken that step, without doubt he would have a prominent and brilliant star amongst the preachers of Wales in his day. He drew heaven down many times in the Seiat and the prayer Meeting many times. We remember him once in a two-monthly Meeting of the Sunday School in Penycae, about the year 1864, and although so much time has passed since then, we remember the meeting well. He spoke for half an hour, surprising and enchanting everyone, and we felt that the presence and the influence of the Spirit of God was plainly in the place. Another time, not long after that, in Carmel on the morning of the Sabbath, he rose to say a few words after the sermon. It was an extremely good meeting, and the preacher was obviously under the influence of the Spirit. The subject of the sermon was ‘The Lord is a refuge and a fortress for His own.’ John Jones made a few comments, and referred to the excellent sermon that we had heard, and related a small story, very appropriate to the subject of the sermon. He said that a farmer was once out walking on the field, and suddenly he saw a small bird being pursued by a hawk, and when things became critical for the little bird, it flew to the farmer’s bosom, and escaped from clutches of the hawk, and its life was saved. And, said John Jones, as the hawk pursues the small bird, so the Devil walks around seeking those it can devour. ‘Dear people,’ he said, ‘flee to the refuge, to safety, to God’s bosom, and you will be safe for ever from the grasp of every enemy.’ ‘Flee to the fortress, you hopeful prisoners, while it is a day of grace and a season of salvation.’ He spoke very characteristically in the Seiat one evening. His subject was, the love of Christ for His own, and His commandment to his disciples to love one another. He quoted very many verses to prove the thesis, such as, ‘He loving His own, those who were in the world, and He loved them to the end.’ He did not turn back, he said, however rough the journey, however many the frustrations and the difficulties, but went on, setting his face like flint against it all. And he referred to Jesus’ love for the family of Bethania – ‘and Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus were favoured by Jesus.’ And when Jesus wept at the grave, the Jews came to the conclusion that Jesus loved Lazarus greatly, and they said, ‘Behold, how he loved him.’
We remember well the last time he was in Carmel. There was a prayer meeting that night, and he took a part in bringing the meeting to an end. He was praying very impressively although he was very weak, and it was plain that he took strength from God’s Spirit. Within a few weeks of that, he was taken away to the eternal home. He died on the 10th of April, 1891, aged 78 years. On the day of his funeral, his body was taken to Carmel, to the big seat, and a very effective service was held. A number of our leading ministers took part, and all felt that a great man in Israel had fallen. The old anthem ‘the just shall dwell in heaven’ was sung by the Singing Class, out of respect to his memory. The idea that we would never see his face again in Carmel caused all of us to weep copiously. He was buried in Aberafon cemetery. Peace to his dust until that glorious morning – When the gates of the graveyards of the world
Shall open upon a word.

THOMAS JONES

Thomas Jones was the brother of John Jones. He also used to work in the Tin works. He had his own peculiarities, his personal characteristics that placed on his own among his brothers. He was very dissimilar to his brother. He was not so much of a theologian or thinker, but he was an excellent worker, and was of great service and influence with the cause, especially so with the Sunday school. He was a faithful teacher of a class of young and middle-aged men, in the place where Mr Edwards’ class is at present. It is the same class, and there are some there now that there were there at that time. He succeeded brilliantly in causing his pupils to be faithful in the School. When one of them was absent one Sabbath, the old man would greet them at the first opportunity by greeting them quite abruptly with some question such as, ‘Where were you last Sabbath, is there no shame upon you boy? Remember, your place is in the School, I will be expecting to see you in the next Sunday School.’ and thus would members of his class take care to be in the School very regularly, for one thing to avoid the sharp rebukes of the old teacher. The care that he had for his class won their love for him. One of his pupils used to say that he called in his house for a whole year to urge him to go to the School, and he continuing to refuse, and the old man continuing to call every Sabbath. Within a year he yielded, and he went with him, and continued faithfully in the School for the rest of his life. It would be good for the teachers of Carmel School to take a leaf from the book of the old faithful teacher, Thomas Jones. He was an old, simple, honest, upright and unassuming brother, and he did valuable service in his own way with the cause in Carmel for many years. He died in Jesus, June 22nd, 1887, aged 77 years, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery. Peace to his dust, until the final great morning.

JOHN JONES OF VELINDRE

John Jones was a remarkable character on many counts. He was a Tinman by calling. He used to read very widely, and he made use of what he had read. His favourite books were the Expositions of Matthew Henry, Dr. Gill, Charles’ Dictionary, the Catechism, and Gurnal’s book. We heard him many times observing that Gurnal says that a new man’s breath is prayer, and it can be said that the old brother John Thomas had been blessed generously with that breath. The cause in Carmel was very close to his heart. He was remarkably faithful in all the Meetings, and he took a great interest in every part of the work. His memory was almost limitless, and he would remember and recite extensive parts of sermons that he had heard. It is likely that he had some kind of short-hand and his own method of recording sermons, &c., that is, certain symbols and lines to signify words and phrases. It is unlikely that anyone else could understand them, but it seems that they were of some help to him. His ability to speak was very fine. We remember him once in particular. He had been in the Society, and had had very good meetings it seems. He came to the Seiat, and stood up himself to begin the meeting by reading and praying, and then he called upon the children to recite their verses, and having accomplished that task, went on to relate what he had heard in the Society, and we had satisfaction that evening. The time went on without the old brother being aware. He raised his eyes to the clock and saw that it was half past eight, and he said, ‘Well, well, the time has gone very strangely tonight,’ and he asked some brother to close the Meeting shortly. One evening, while going from the Prayer Meeting, he said to some young brother who was walking along with him, that such and such had been far too long with the prayer. The young answered by saying, ‘He was nowhere near as long as you used to be,’ but the old man did not believe that was how it was.
We remember him well coming to Margam on Sabbath mornings to the two-monthly meetings of the Sunday School. At that time he was representing Corlanau School. He presented a very heartening report on the whole about the School. He said that many children were coming to the School, faithfully and regularly, and learning very well, but what was causing a great worry to the old saint was that the children, after growing up to a particular age, were going with their parents to the Independents’ Chapel, and were being lost to Methodism, and the old man looked upon that as a dire misfortune. That proves that his zeal for the old dear union that he belonged to was very great. We will say a word about him again when we mention the cause in Corlanau. He died on July the 9th, 1884, at 70 years old, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.

EDWARD JONES THE CHANDLER

Edward Jones was also a faithful and hard-working old brother in Carmel all his life. We hear that at one time he thought of going to preach, and that he worked towards that end, and he retained the air of a preacher. But it seems that the endeavour was a failure. Every time he spoke in the Seiat and other public meetings, he would be remarkably orderly in his sayings, and quite doctorly as regards his style. When he and the other three were chosen as deacons, the Rev. David Howells, Swansea, was one of the two there for the Monthly Meeting representing the Church. And as in those days they used to examine them quite severely on Justification, Sanctification, Election, Rebirth and Adoption, &c. Mr. Howells said to Edward Jones, ‘We are expecting you to answer well, you are quite a bit of a doctor!’ and it seems that he was not disappointed in the answers he had from Edward Jones, and the other brothers. It is good that the tough questioning of those days has ceased by now, or it would look quite gloomy for many of us to come through the examination successfully.

EVAN THOMAS

He was generally known as Evan the Tea. It can be said of him that he was faithful, hardworking and useful with the cause in Carmel. He was a very capable man, a great reader, and he possessed particular qualifications as a teacher in the Sunday school. We can say unhesitatingly that there was never a better teacher in Carmel than Evan Thomas. His class was held in the corner of the big seat, on the higher side, where Mr T Meyrick’s class was until lately. In the last years of his life he was in very poor health. He was greatly vexed by a shortage of breath, and so he was unable to be as useful and hardworking with the cause as he used to be when he was healthy. When he was chosen as a deacon, the Rev David Howells, Swansea, examined him, and it is said that he was greatly pleased by the answers that he had from Evan Thomas. He died in September, 1889, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.

WILLIAM HOWELL

We can say about him that everyone had a good word for him, and that is the truth. He was faithful in all circles, a blameless worker in his Lord’s vineyard. He was of a gentle temper, modest and serious, he did not make much sound, but used to work silently. There was one remarkable thing about him, that is, when a brother would be praying aloud in a prayer meeting, or some other meeting, he also would pray at the same time. Not praying in his mind do we mean, but whispering words of prayer while the public prayer was at it. He was very keen on propriety in the service, and that those who profess religion should be pure and blameless as regards the conduct of their lives. We heard him in the Seiat many times reciting that worthy promise – ‘In rejoicing shall you draw water from the wells of Salvation.’ He was taken away from his work to his reward in September, 1886, aged 72 years. We may say a word of him again when we mention the Conductors of Singing in Carmel.

THOMAS GRIFFITH, CORLANAU

This old brother was an excellent character, of undoubted godliness, and notably serious and deliberate. Matters of religion had the uppermost place in his mind. He was a great prayer, and like many of the old brothers at times forgetting themselves, would pray at great length. He was about 60 years old when he was chosen as a deacon, and so he had only about two years to give service to his Lord in that important position. He died on March 24th, 1883, at 63 years old, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.

THOMAS LEWIS, PENYCAE

Thomas Lewis was a very dear brother, faithful in the means, a quiet, inoffensive worker, and a pure character. Within a few years of being chosen as a deacon in Carmel, he joined Saron Church, Penycae, as it was more convenient for him to attend the meetings. He had lost his wife, and the children were members in Penycae, and he himself lived near the Chapel, and he was very soon chosen again as a deacon there, and he was faithful and hardworking with the cause to the end of his life. He died on March 12th, 1904.

The three others who were chosen the same time, and the last two named have stayed with us to this day, namely, Mr. John Davies, Mr. John Edwards, and Mr. Edward Howe, and hopefully we shall keep them for years yet, and that they will have the strength to be faithful and hardworking with the cause in the future as in the past.

In the year 1892, four others were chosen, namely Daniel Gregory the elder, Richard Richards, Thos, Morgan, and John Nicholas. The first three have gone the way of the whole earth. Only one remains now, for some similar purpose.

DANIEL GREGORY

He was a mason by his calling. When he was chosen as a deacon, he had reached very old age. He was a pure and spotless character, faithful in the meetings, and keen with the cause in all its aspects. He was not as prominent in the public work of the Church as some others of the old brothers. But in the last few years of his life, he had a wonderful revival, and came to take part more frequently in the Seiat and the prayer Meeting &c. It was easy to perceive that he was graduating to a better land. It was a means of grace to hear him relating his warm and tender experience, when he was nearly at the end of the journey. He died on December 1st, 1894, aged 75 years, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.

RICHARD RICHARDS

Mr. Richards was a man of ability far above the ordinary, a great reader, and had been of use and service with the cause all his life. He was a member of Tabernacl Church, Cwmafon, most of his life. He had taken a great interest in the post of teacher in the Sunday school, and it is a fact worth stating that four of those who were in his class in Cwmafon had become ministers of the Word, namely, William, Lewis, and John Hughes, and Hugh James. The last of the three brothers, that is, the Rev John Hughes, M.A., Liverpool, had risen to a high position in the Union. He was President of the Northern Society in 1909, and he was the elected President of the general Cymanfa. He is considered to be one of the giants of the Union. In the year 1877, Mr. Richards moved to the Vale of Glamorgan, to a farmhouse near St. Fagan’s. He joined the Church there, and was of great help to the cause that was comparatively weak; and it was not long before he was chosen as a deacon. In the year 1899 he moved to Aberafon. We remember well the warm letter given by St. Fagan’s Church when losing him. It was obvious from that letter that he was very dear to them, and that they missed him greatly. We ourselves can say that their loss was a great gain for Carmel. He was a very complete man. He would examine the children in the Seiat when the Minister was not present, and he was very qualified for the work. As was said, he possessed remarkable qualities as a teacher. He was a teacher until he died of the reading class which was held on Sabbath mornings after the meeting, and it was a very successful class.
We remember two particular occasions in the history of Mr. Richards which made a deep impression upon our minds, and which will stay long in the memory. The first was on the occasion of the sudden death of Rev. Rees Phillips which took place in Cilfrew. (We will give the story of that occasion when giving the story of Mr. Phillips.) The news of his sudden death had taken everyone by surprise. A prayer Meeting was held in Carmel that Monday night as usual, but the news had cast a cloud of sadness and grief over the Church and the neighbourhood – everyone in tears for losing one so dear, and that so abruptly. Mr. Richards gave out the following hymn to sing: My friends are going home, &c. but he failed to read it through because of the intensity of his feelings, and all of us felt that it was easier to weep than to sing, and when Mr. Richards went on his knees, the tears were more frequent than the words. It was a strange sight to see Mr. Richards, who as a rule was so self-possessed, being overcome so completely by his feelings.
The other time was in a prayer Meeting on Christmas morning. We remember many sweet meetings in Carmel at Christmas, but the one we refer to was special, and the thing which has stayed fresh in our memory is the excellent hymn that Mr. Richards gave out to sing, that is Wele fi yn dyfod, llefa’r Meichiau mawr, &c. He read the verses remarkably effectively, and with notable conviction. It was easy to see that he had had some new vision to include this fine hymn, which was so suitable and purposeful for the day. All of us who were in the Meeting viewed the glory of the Person of the Saviour, and the greatness of His love, through the greatness of His humiliation. ‘And He in the form of God, we did not imagine to be as high as God: but He devalued Himself, taking upon Himself the aspect of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and was found in the form of a man. He humiliated Himself by being obedient unto death, yes, death on the Cross.’ Mr. Richards suffered greatly in his last years from a shortage of breath. His final illness was short. He died on October 20th, 1898, aged 61 years, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.
A brother who was a close friend of his composed a Hymn, and a new Tune out of respect to his memory, and they were sung the following Sabbath when the Funereal Sermon was delivered in Carmel by the Minister, the Rev. Wm. Davies. 
We place the Hymn and the Tune here.

BRYN HYFRYD
(In memory of the late Mr. Richard Richards, Brynhyfryd, one of the deacons of Carmel, Aberafon).

In a tangled wilderness / On perilous paths,
I expect before long / To go to my Dear one;
O, come, my blessed Jesus / To guide me through the valley,
And take me to the hill of Zion / In the land of bliss.

If I come to the end of my journey,/ Into the midst of the multitude,
My work will be to praise / In a pure Hosanna;
To remember the dust of the lowly / And come when the hour arrives,
To pay the great debt / Upon Calvary.

(A literal translation)

NICHOLAS RODERICK (page 144)

It can be said of the old brother Nicholas that he was remarkably faithful to the cause in every aspect through all his life. He possessed an excellent voice, and he would take part heartily in the singing, and would sometimes begin the tune when the Conductor was absent, and his sweet voice was of benefit to him, especially when the gathering was small in number. He was not very sure of the metres; he would often sing a tune that was of a different metre to the hymn that was given out, but the old brother used to make it work. We heard him at times begin a hymn that neither he himself nor the congregation knew the tune to, and the old brother would advance through it himself; but when he sang the first two lines a second time, as would be done in those days, he would have a completely different tune. He did valuable service to the cause by conveying the preachers in his vehicle from Taibach on a Sunday afternoon, and also from Port Talbot on Saturday night, and back on Monday mornings. Whatever he could, he would do. He died in 1870, aged 75 years, and he was buried in Margam Cemetery.
[A note on Nicholas Roderick by a close relative of his Allen Blethyn] -

[This Nicholas Roderick is of old Margam family stock found at first Pyle Bridge Granery home of one Ryderch David in 1670. And then of Fron y Rhiw [Troed y Rhiw East Margam]. The original river bridge at Pyle was named by Mr A Leslie Evans as Pont Rytherch.

Margam Rentals 1778-79. Troed yr Rhiw David Rhyddarch £15.

Below I show the family grave inscription at Margam Abbey Churchyard.
MI. D157. Slab laying flat on grass.

David Rhoderich late of Fron y Rhiw in this parish
Who departed this life
The 12 of  September 1781 aged 80 years
Here also lieth the body of
Catherine the wife of the above named David Rhoderich
who died ye ijth of 7ber 1788 aged 72 years 
Also Nicholas David son of the above named David Rhoderich
Who died the 13 of –ber 1791 aged 55
Here lie the remains of Margaret
The wife of George Lewis of the parish of Pyle
Who departed this life the 7th of May 1825 aged 83 years
Also Thomas son of ------- George ---- his wife
Died April 9th.1827 aged 54.

Nicholas Roderick married Jennet Joseph at Margam Abbey Church on the 8th of May 1813, and by 1815 he was living in Maesdyfan House next to the Brombil Pit Margam where his children Ann and David were born. By 1841 Maesdyfan House had been converted into a few cottages to house miners at the more busy Brombil Pit.
And so in 1841 we find him aged 48 as a farm labourer with his wife Jennet also aged 48 living at Tyisha a large cottage in the lane between Brombil Farm and the Round Chapel Groes. Also there was his 25 year old unmarried son David who was a grocer.
Also his daughter Ann who had married Llewellyn David of Tylagigfran the small farm above.
By 1851 he was still at Tyshia where he had established his grocery business, and had his Grandson David Roderick David with him. Also a grocers shopman named Rees Thomas aged 35.
By 1861 at Tyshia his grocery business was doing well, with sales to all the bigger households to who he delivered, including the Talbots at the castle. His grandson D R David taking a very active part.
The Cambrian newspaper of Swansea reported that Mr. Roderick of the firm Roderick and David Grocers of Margam had died on Jan.2.1870.aged 81.
His Grave stone at Margam reads as-
Ann Roderick daughter of Nicholas and Jennet died 8-7-1815 aged 1.
Also Jennet Roderick died 20-1-1863.aged 70.
Also Nicholas Roderick died 2-1-1870.aged 80.
This stone was made by my great great grandfather Rees Roderick 1821.-1881 of Eagle House Port Talbot Station.

Y DYFFRYN, TAIBACH PHOTO 9

At the start of the book, the history of the Old Dyffryn was given up to the time of the move from the Old Barn to the new Chapel in Taibach, between the time that the cause was begun in Carmel in 1810, and the year 1840. The Church in the Old Dyffryn had increased greatly until the place was too small to contain it, and it was decided to build a new Chapel. Land was obtained from C. M. Talbot, Esquire, for 99 years for the rate of 2/6 a year. The Designer of the Chapel was the Rev. Evan Harries of Merthyr. The Builder was John Rees, Groeswen, and Taibach. The size of the Chapel was 55 feet by 50 feet. It cost £1,300; the House £150; and the Stable £30. On an evening in November, in the year 1841, a few days before the Inaugural Meeting of the new Chapel, a large crowd assembled in and around the old consecrated Barn for the last time since moving the Ark of God to the new Temple. It is much easier to imagine than to describe the feelings that were felt in the hearts of the family as they left the old consecrated meeting-place where they received more blessings than the numbers of the straws that roofed the Old Barn.

SONG FOR THE OLD DYFFRYN CHAPEL

This poem pays tribute to the many that worshipped in the Old Barn near the Ffrwdwyllt and fondly remembers how the presence of God was felt by all. But the old Chapel is now too small and a joyful crowd makes its way to the new Dyffryn.

RHYS NICHOLAS (RHYS AP RHYS), Gibeon.

The crowd moved off towards seven o’clock in the evening, and Thomas Dafydd, Dyffryn’s songster, lead the singing, and they sang the whole way to Taibach. Having entered the new Chapel, the old deacon Thomas Robert announced the following verse:
     Ffordd newydd wnaed gan Iesu Grist,
     I basio heibio uffern drist,
     Wedi’i phalmantu ganddo Ef,
     O ganol hyd i ganol nef.
There they sang and wept alternately, out of joy for the new Temple, and hiraeth for the old; and the heavens rained its blessings down unsparingly. A heavenly hour or two were spent there singing and praying. The Inaugural Meetings were held on Thursday November the 4th, 1841: the first Meeting in the morning at ten. The Rev. Benjamin Williams began by reading and praying, and the Rev. William Evan, Tonyrefail, preached from Corinthians chapter 2, verses 4-5: and the Rev, Wm. Dodd in English from Revelations 3; 20, and the Rev. Morgan Howell from Hebrews 2, verse 3. At two, the Rev. David Davies, Neath, read and prayed, and the Rev. Jonah Phillips preached from Philippians 1; 2, and the Rev. Dd. Howells, Swansea, from Matthew 11 and the three last verses. In the evening the Rev. David Hughes began with a reading and prayer, and the Rev. John Walters preached from Hebrews 4; 14, and the Rev. Morgan Howell from Deut. 32; 29. They were wonderful Meetings, and the Divine influences were felt very strongly. The Lord gave clear signs that He thought of giving more glory to the second Temple than to the first. The number of members was 90 when they moved to the new Chapel. The cause increased quickly from then onwards, because we well remember that the congregation was close to filling the Chapel on a Sabbath evening in about the year 1850. There has been a special conviction associated with the ministry in the Dyffryn from the beginning up till now. One thing characterizes this Church which places it on its own among the Churches of the country; that is, its enthusiasm and its religious fervour. It was a common thing to see the old brothers and the old sisters breaking out into praising the Lord in His House. In the year 1854, a beautiful Schoolhouse was built near the Chapel, 50 feet long and 20 wide, which is a great advantage to the cause. In this was held the weekly Meetings and the Sunday school, and a few classes in the Chapel. In the year 1893, the expansive, beautiful, present Chapel was built, which, together with the Organ, cost about £4000.

THE OLD DEACONS OF DYFFRYN

We give here the names of those who were deacons when we moved from the old Dyffryn, as follows:- Thomas Robert, George Heycock, John Heycock, William Jenkins from the Hafod ; Richard Cound. Those who were chosen after that: Evan James, Rees Morgan, John Gray, Edward Lewis. Those who were chosen next were: John Jones the Chandler; Dd. Singleton, Philip Jones son of Pegan; Henry Francis, Wm. Griffith. Those who were chosen after that; Rees Rees, Edward Davies, Evan Llewellyn. Those who were chosen after that: John Merchant, Richard Thomas, Dyffryn; John Vintin, Thomas Thomas. After that were chosen James Thomas, Evan Merchant, Evan David, John Dummer. Those who were chosen last: John H. Davies, Thos. Williams.

THOMAS ROBERT

This old saint was one of main deacons of the Old Dyffryn, and as was noted, very involved with the moving of the Ark from the old Barn to the new Chapel in 1841. He was a stone mason by calling and he used to work in the Copper works. It was he who had the privilege of announcing the first verse to be sung in the new Dyffryn. We are told that the cause in Carmel was placed in his hands, and Dafydd from the Hafod, and Wm. Jenkins from the Hafod, from the start of the cause in 1810 until1836 when the Church was established there; and we understand that he took a great interest in Carmel until the end of his life. He died in the year 1849, at the time of the Cholera.

WILLIAM JENKINS OF THE HAFOD

William Jenkins was one of the deacons of the old Dyffryn. As was said, he had care of the cause in Carmel in union with the two other brothers up till the year 1836, and he used to attend the Meetings there for years after that. His daughter was Mrs. Ann Jenkins, Pentyla, who did so many kindnesses for the Saviour’s cause in Carmel and Bethany. It seems that some misunderstanding took place between him and his brothers, which caused him to leave Dyffryn and join the State Church in Margam.

RICHARD COUND

He was one of the deacons of the old Dyffryn and was very faithful with the cause in all its aspects. He did valuable service in connection with sacred singing. It seems that he had an excellent voice. He would be heard from afar in funerals leading the singing on the way to the burials in Margam, Tonygroes, and other places.  

We come now to the deacons that we remember.

GEORGE HEYCOCK

The name of George Heycock is well-known in every part of Wales through the book of his life that was published by the Rev E Matthews. He was an uncle to Betsan, her father’s cousin. He was converted in 1832 by listening to Rev. Rees Phillips the elder, preaching in the old Dyffryn one evening. It seems that a very ungodly old woman had died of the Cholera that day, and was being buried at about seven o’clock in October, and that George went from the funeral to the above Meeting. It is said that it had been a very powerful meeting, and that George shouted out, ‘turn me out of the army for I am wounded.’ As is known, he decided to introduce himself to the work of the ministry, but his efforts failed. He was examined by the Rev. R. Lumley, but failed to come up to his standard. Despite that, he used to preach occasionally. About the year 1860, we remember him coming to Penycae at times to preach in the evenings. One of his subjects was Malachi 4, 2. But the Sun of Justice shall rise for you, &c.’ His subject another time was that verse, ‘And Mary chose the good way, that which shall not be taken from.’ After the meeting, he used to call in our house, and we heard many entertaining stories about the old days in the old Dyffryn. He said one time that the old brothers were very fond of reciting Hymns when they met after the service. There were only a few books to be had, and few were able to read them; so they used to learn the Hymns by hearing others reading and reciting them. The Hymns of Williams, Pantycelyn, were the favourites. George wished to compose a verse. One evening the old brothers had met each other, and were talking of the old verses very keenly. Shortly, George said, ‘I have composed a verse, what do you think of it?’ and recited it; but very little notice was taken of it, and they went on again to recite verses of Williams and others, and George was quite disappointed; but he went at it a second time to compose another, hoping that that would get a better reception than the first. One evening, when they had met and were talking fervently about old verses, George said that he had composed another verse. He was asked to recite it. He recited the verse, but to his disappointment, it had a very cool reception again like the first; and the old brothers went on to recite Williams’ Hymns, and to praise them greatly as usual. Some evening after that, when they were together savouring Williams’ Hymns, and praising them highly, and George in turn reciting and joining in the praising of Williams, asked, ‘did you hear this verse of Williams?’ ‘Which verse?’ and he recited it, and they were greatly enchanted by the verse, and he had to repeat it over and over for them to learn it. After they had heaped praise upon it, George straightened up and said, ‘the Williams who composed that verse is sitting in this chair.’ When they understood that George was its Author, the verse immediately became worthless. The above story proves that which Jesus said, ‘A prophet has no honour in his own land.’ There is another very amusing story about him, and is known as the story of the Old Mari Ann. After the Rev. R. Lumley had examined George with a view to him going into the Ministry, and failed to come to Lumley’s standards, there was no great friendship between them. Afterwards, George saw a chance to pay him back. One Sabbath, Mr. Lumley was preaching in Dyffryn, Taibach. After the evening meeting, some of the old deacons met in the Chapel house with the preacher, and after some conversation, George said to Mr. Lumley, ‘The old Lady went very well tonight!’ Mr. Lumley answered, ‘what do you mean George?’ ‘O! That’s an old Lady that we have heard many times before!’ ‘What are you talking about, man?’ said Mr. Lumley, ‘it is a new sermon, you never heard it previously.’ ‘Yes, I did,’ said George, ‘it is the old Mari Ann.’ Mr. Lumley lost his temper a little and said, ‘I do not understand what you are thinking, man, by calling my sermon an old Mari Ann.’ ‘Well,’ said George, ‘I will tell you. We used to have two old brothers who spent a lot of their time on the Slag Tips opposite the channel to the sea. They knew every ship that came into this port. One fine afternoon in the summer, the two brothers were on the Tip, and looking out over the bar, and one said to the other, ‘There’s a pretty little ship, bachan;’ and the other said, ‘Where do you see her?’ ‘There she is coming along towards the bar,’ said the first. ‘A pretty little ship indeed, the old Mari Ann it is.’ ‘No,’ said the other, ‘it is a brand new ship; don’t you see how dazzling it all is?’ ‘No, no,’ said the other, ‘the old Mari Ann it is, having been painted, and its sails washed;’ and they argued hotly, and the ship came ever nearer. At last it came alongside and passed them, and they saw at the stern of the ship in clear letters, Mary Ann of Looe; and said George, the old Mari Ann was that sermon we had tonight, except that a bit of shine had been put on it.’ We believe that if George had had the benefit of education he would have made a splendid preacher.

JOHN HEYCOCK

He was also one of the deacons of the old Dyffryn, and he was considered to be strong in the Scriptures, and an excellent character. He was a cousin of G. Heycock. He was converted in a very strange way. One afternoon when he was washing in the tub, the news came that his brother Rees had met with an accident in the colliery, and had lost his life. That verse came to him in all its power, ‘Except that you repent, you shall destroy all in the same manner.’ As was said in giving the history of Penycae, he was one of the founders of the cause there. He moved to Pontrhydyfen when he was comparatively young, and he was chosen as a deacon there, and was of great service to the cause there until the end of his life. He was born in the year 1809, and he died in 1864 aged 55 years, and he was buried in Tonygroes Cemetery.

EVAN JAMES

Evan Siams, as he was called, was looked upon as one of the most saintly and godly of characters. He took a great interest in the cause, and was noted as a prayer, and was one of the most faithful and hard-working in Dyffryn Church in his day.

JOHN GREY

Another excellent character, he was a sensible and careful man, remarkably shy, unassuming and lacking in boastfulness, very faithful in every area. He was a foreman with Messrs. Vivian and Sons.

REES MORGAN

Our feeling about this old deacon was that he was the most godly of all the old deacons belonging to Dyffryn. He was a saintly and pure character, and his life and his conduct were an influence for good in the places that he frequented.

EDWARD LEWIS

This was another excellent character, and his name resounds, and everyone who remembers him has sweet memories of him. The earliest memory we have of him is that he lived in one of the houses that are called the Ty Cwrdd houses, by the old Barn, and that he served under Dr. Prichard. It is likely that it was in Dyffryn that he was chosen as a deacon. In 1873, he moved to Saron, Penycae, and before long he was chosen as a deacon there. His arrival in Saron was a great acquisition to the cause as he was so spiritual and of great maturity.

JOHN JONES THE CHANDLER

The godly old deacon John Jones used to work in the Copper works. For many of his later years he was a foreman in some part of the work. He was an excellent character and one of the most respected deacons in Dyffryn Church in his day. He worked energetically on behalf of the Saviour’s kingdom, and his pure and blameless life was a good influence in the places he went. There was an Irish youth working in the Copper works and he had high and respectful view of John Jones as a godly man. It seems that the Irishman went occasionally to Dyffryn. He told his parents once, ‘You talk a lot about your religion, but John Jones is such a godly man. He is the same during the week as he is on the Sabbath and the same in work as he is in Chapel.’ Everywhere and always he talked about religious matters. He was often heard going and coming from work, reciting verses from the Bible, and humming hymn tunes to himself.

DAVID SINGLETON

This was another of the respected deacons of Dyffryn at the same time as John Jones, and working, like him, in the Copper works. He was a pure character, pious and with a strong medical ability, having read widely, and very loyal in the service of the Master in connection with every part of the work. He was very learned in the Bible. We remember him well in the School Assemblies with some of the other old brothers reciting the Guide and answering general questions, and when the enquirer would disagree with them on some matter, David Singleton would answer in a big voice, ‘this is what Mr. Charles says.’ We remember him and other brothers from Dyffryn coming to Groes sometimes in the first week of the year, when Meetings would be held every night. They were very kind in helping the little Church, and the impression we had was that he chiefly lived in Communion with his God, and that his love and his mind were on higher things than this world and this life.

PHILLIP JONES

The name by which he was known was Phil, the son of Pegan the Brickman. She was the daughter of Nancy the Brickman who had the contract to make bricks for the Copper works when it was built, and for scores of years after that, and her children after her. Phillip Jones was a careful and thoughtful man, of mature judgement and of pure character. He was an official in the Copper Mill. He was very faithful with the cause in the Dyffryn for many years, at the same time as John Jones and David Singleton.

EVAN LLEWELYN

He belonged to the generation of deacons after the last ones that we referred to. He was remarkably faithful and zealous with the cause in Dyffryn until the end of his life. It seems that he spent the first part of his life without direction. Dafydd Singleton was the instrument that first drew him to the Sunday school; he had long been urging him to come to the School, and Evan promising to come, but still keeping away despite every effort. One Sunday afternoon, Singleton decided to go and search for him, and came across him with some others near the Copper Works playing Pitch and Toss. Evan came to the School and was a faithful member of the Sunday school from then on. That first Sabbath there was a collection in the School; he knew that there were three pennies in one pocket, and three half crowns in the other. He put his hand in his pocket to give the three pennies as he assumed, but to his disappointment he realised that he had given the three half crowns, but he did not regret it. Thus he began to be generous to the cause of religion, and his generosity towards religion and other considerations throughout his life was remarkable. He raised a number of orphaned children. He was very warm-spirited and always listened affectionately and thoughtfully. It is said that he once paid a visit to Aberystwyth, and on the Sabbath went to one of the Chapels belonging to our Union, and the Revd. John Lewis, Carmarthen, was preaching there. It seems that the old brother was warming up as the meeting progressed, and at the end of the service, having enjoyed singing, began to sing again, with people all around looking at him. When leaving, he told the Minister he was surprised that he could lead the singing so coolly, and Mr. Lewis answered that not every place was as fervent as the Dyffryn.

RICH. THOMAS, FROM UPPER DYFFRYN

Richard Thomas was a godly old deacon and a very original character. He hailed from a famous family in connection with the history of religion in this area. His forebears were Evan Thomas from upper Dyffryn, who gave the invitation to the Ark of God to come to his house in the year 1765 as has been described, and William Thomas from Pyle, who gave the Old Barn free of charge to hold religious services; where God was worshipped for sixty-one years. Richard Thomas was very faithful to the cause from his cradle to his grave. We will say more about him when we mention Goitre School.

WILLIAM GRIFFITHS

He was a very faithful and zealous deacon in Dyffryn Church, and a man of great influence in the district. He was the main manager for Messrs. Vivian and Sons in the Taibach works. He was brought up in the homely Groes Church. He was a brother of Howell Griffith, Margam, of blessed memory. He was of great service in the Dyffryn for many years. He was buried in Margam Cemetery.

JOHN VINTIN

He was a very faithful and zealous deacon in Dyffryn Church. He tended to have a slightly wild temper, and because of that was quite ready to take offence, which was a bitter tribulation to him many times. Because of some such happening in his history, he once left Dyffryn and joined the Baptists; and within a few years had returned. Another time he was offended and became a member of Gibeon, the Independents’ Church; but at the end of the day he could only be a Methodist, and he came back from there again. It can be said of him that he was a pure and honest character, always acting according to the conviction of his conscience.

THOMAS THOMAS

He was another excellent character. He was a great reader, very learned in the Word and its Testimony. He was, like George Heycock, intent upon going into the Ministry, but he also failed. It seems that the Revd. R. Lumley, Swansea, examined him, and that he went into some completely different land that Thomas had been grazing upon, and that his answers were unsuccessful, and the result was that he failed to pass. When he met George, he said that Mr. Lumley had examined him unfairly, and that instead of asking him about the standard subjects of religion, such as Fulfilment through faith, Sanctification, Rebirth, &c, he was asking questions about unfamiliar stories in the Old Testament that he knew hardly anything about, and he was examined very severely. ‘O’ said George, ‘the Swansea Eagle, is it? He was lucky the Grasshopper wasn’t there, I have been ready for him ever since he examined me.’ This anecdote throws some light upon the Story of the old Mari Ann.
EDWARD DAVIES, J.P.

Mr. Davies was born in Margam in the year 1834. He lost his father when about 15 years old. He was raised in the homely Church of Groes, and he was a faithful and hard-working member there until 1864, when he moved to Taibach and joined Dyffryn. He was a stone mason by calling, and he used to work for Messrs. Vivian and Sons. About the year 1862 he began to undertake contracts together with Thomas Rees the Mason, Aberafon, but before long he struck out on his own. He built many houses in Taibach and district, and some Chapels for our denomination and for other denominations, namely :- the Methodist Chapel in Porthcawl ; Saron, Penycae ; Smyrna, Taibach ; the Independents’ Chapel in Briton Ferry ; and the Workingmen’s Hall, Taibach. After that he went into the Timber trade, in Capt. Powell’s yard, Taibach, which turned out to be extremely successful. About the year 1866, he built the Tin Works, the Avon Vale, for a new company that had been formed, and having finished it, joined the company, and the venture turned out to be very successful. About the year 1880, he raised that which was his from the property there, and built a new Tin Works for himself in Taibach, and things progressed happily and comfortably for years. Around the year 1900 he joined a company connected with a Colliery near Neath. This venture was very unsuccessful; the work came to an end, and Mr. Davies suffered a great loss, which eventually caused him to get into difficulties concerning the trade in the Ffrwdwyllt works. Despite that, he had the strength to trust and take comfort in the Lord his God, and in the fortress of His power throughout. He filled very important posts in these districts. He was a member of Margam District Council from the start until the end of his life. He was also a member on the School Board when that existed, and one of the managers of the County School in the area, and also on the Committee of the Intermediate School. He was a man of shining talents, and of intellectual ability far above the ordinary, and was notably genial and affectionate. He did valuable service for religion and society in these parts in his day. Although he moved to live in Aberafon in his final years, he made a great effort to attend the Meetings in Dyffryn up to the end. The Church looked upon him as one of the main pillars of the cause, and he was greatly respected by every class. He died in November 1908, and he was buried in Tonygroes Cemetery. There was much respect shown to his remembrance. A great number of the prominent gentlemen of the area came to escort him to his final home. Peace to his dust.

REES REES

Without doubt he was one of the most capable deacons in Dyffryn at the same time as him. He was also a supervisor in the Copper Works. He had a store of general knowledge. He read the Bible extensively, and he treasured much of it in his memory. If he was asked where such and such a verse was, and had a Bible with him, he would find it extremely quickly. He was blessed with a fluent and natural talent for speaking, and his memory was almost boundless. He was very learned in the geography of the land of Canaan. One time when the School was being examined in a chapter of the Guide, the enquirer asked, ‘Was the mountain of Calvary a large mountain or a small mountain?’ Rees answered, ‘it wasn’t a mountain at all, but Commentators and Poets have made a mountain of it.’ The enquirer said that ‘Mr. Charles says that it is a mountain.’ Rees said that ‘Robinson, in the book called The Land and the Book says that it was not a mountain, and that he had been in the country.’ The preacher answered that he did not believe men who had only been there for about three months. Rees answered that ‘Mr. Charles had not been there for three hours.’ We remember him one time coming to Carmel to visit the Meeting with a minister of the class, and we were greatly struck by his ability to speak on different matters. We heard him many times talking of the old deacons who were in Dyffryn when the move was made from the old Barn to the new Chapel.

JAMES THOMAS

Mr. Thomas was born and raised in Swansea. When he was very young he joined Cruglas Church, and was an Organist there for some time. About the year 1860, he moved to Taibach, and looked after the Storehouse in the Felin, under Messrs. Vivian and Sons; he joined Dyffryn Church and in the course of time was chosen to be a deacon. He filled the post of Church Secretary until the end of his life, and he would occasionally lead the Singing. He was, as is said, a very reserved man: he was not of a friendly or sociable nature. He did not enquire or trouble himself with anything or anyone except that which was relevant to himself. He died in September 1910, and he was buried in Tonygroes Cemetery.

OTHER OLD BROTHERS

There are very many old brothers apart from those who were chosen as deacons, who have been with the cause in Dyffryn from the beginning to the present, who were excellent characters, and who gave great service to the cause in their day. Thomas Dafydd, the Dyffryn songster; Thomas Walters, Edward Daniel, Inspector of coal mines under Messrs. Vivian and Sons, and Secretary of the Church for a long time (he refused to be made a deacon); James Singleton the elder; Robert Williams, Bethuel Heycock the elder; Job Heycock, Thomas Heycock, William Jenkins from the Constant; Dafydd Jenkins, Thomas Jenkins, the blacksmith from the Morfa; John Dummer, Lletty’r Piod; William Prosser, Phineas Lewis, Edward Dafydd, Groeswen; Dafydd Mansel, Thomas Beddoe, Evan Jones, Wm. Jones, Dafydd Peters, Dafydd Rees, Dafydd Llewelyn, Evan Merchant the elder; Samuel Francis the elder; Samuel Francis, his son; Richard Hopkins, Dafydd Hopkins, John Singleton, James Singleton, Philip Heycock, Edward Rees, Richard Griffiths, John Rees, Evan Rees, Lewis Dafydd.

OLD SISTERS

There is a host of old sisters also who have been prominent in connection with the cause in the Dyffryn, and they were very godly, and spiritually fervent; those who will be long remembered by everyone who had the privilege of knowing them. They would break out into praising in the service very often. The first we shall refer to is Mari Leyshon or Mari from Wernderi as she used to be called.

MARI LEYSHON

The first thing I remember in connection with Dyffryn when going there as a child with my grandfather is that there were old wives whom I supposed to be out of control in a bad temper, and disturbing the service; but I came to know later that the godly old sisters were praising their Saviour. The most prominent among them at that time was Mari from Wernderi. She and some of the other godly mothers would be exhilarated by the ministry of the old giants, Morgan Howell and others, so that they completely lost control of themselves. This godly old mother had a very remarkable style, different to everyone else we ever saw praising. She would utter few words; her first words were ‘Thank you,’ until her voice was resounding through the Chapel, and after thus shouting her thanks a number of times, she then would shout ‘Halleluiah’ some half a dozen times. After that she would jump for a time without saying a word; and what still astounds us was how the old woman, and rather feeble with it, was able to continue for such a time to jump over a foot off the ground without rest. The only way to explain it is that she felt the influence of God’s Spirit so powerfully that she forgot herself entirely, and that under that influence she was able to do what she could not at any other time. There were some other sisters who would break out into rejoicing in the service, and some of the old brothers would also do that. We shall say a word about another who was well-known as being fervent-spirited, namely Betsan.

ELIZ. NICHOLAS (Betsan, as she was called). PHOTO 10

Like the previous godly old mother, she frequently used to break out into praising in the service, as is known to all who knew her. As was noted in giving the history of Saron, Penycae, it was there at the time of the 59 revival that she began the work of publicly praising her Saviour, and to speak in the Seiat, work which she continued to do to the end of her days, and work which she shall be doing more for ages that are as numberless as the dew. Betsan became well-known far and wide as one who praised in public. She would attend the Cymanfa, and would often make herself audible. As is known to many, she had a very high opinion of the Rev E Matthews. She believed that he was the greatest preacher in the world, and Mr Matthews would give her high praise too. She would often be in her best form under his ministry. In the Association that was held in Taibach in 1884, at the end of the Meeting on the afternoon of the last day, Mr Matthews, on behalf of the Association, was giving thanks to those who had been very kind in connection with the Association; to the different denominations for their readiness to put up and take care of the outsiders; to Dr Davies for lending the Field, and to others for lending wood to make the platform; and after he had thus thanked everyone for their kindness, he said ‘It is thanks to men that you see me. Betsan has thanked God.’ As is known, a testimony was given to Mr. Matthews towards the end of his life, and a public Meeting was held in Hermon, Bridgend, to present it to him. A large crowd assembled for the occasion and among them some of the chief Ministers and Officials of the Union, and Betsan was there. The speakers, as they would usually do in such circumstances, were saying excellent things about Mr. Matthews, one after the other, and the old sister was greatly pleased to hear them. Near to the end of the Meeting, Dr. Cynddylan Jones was called upon to say a word, and as he generally does, exceeded them all. He praised and exalted Mr. Matthews very highly, and after saying very much of the excellence of the hero of the meeting with numerous references, he said that he had had the privilege of listening to many of the main preachers of England, Scotland and Wales, and that he considered Mr Matthews to be the greatest of them all, and he looked in the direction of the old sister on the floor of the chapel and said ‘isn’t that so, Betsan,?’ and she said, ‘Yes, yes, he is your master, each one of you. He is greater than all of you together;’ and so Betsan went further than the Dr. and everyone in elevating the hero of the Meeting. Mr Matthews decided to have, if possible, a photograph of her, and he persuaded her to have her picture taken, and to remember to raise her hand as she would usually do when she was praising in the meeting. She was fairly reluctant to agree to this, but as it was Mr. Matthews who was asking, she decided to do it; and as we believe the picture will be of interest to many, we include it. Apart from being prominent in public services, those who knew her best testify that she was very godly. She would talk about matters of religion everywhere and all the time. We heard a brother lately saying that he once spoke to her on the road regarding his state, and she advised him very earnestly to receive Jesus Christ as the Saviour of his soul; and his testimony was that her words had more influence upon him than all the sermons that he had ever heard. That brother came afterwards to profess the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is by now a faithful member of Carmel Church, Aberafon. Betsan would see the hand of God very plainly in all the happenings of Providence and in all circumstances of life: and like Paul the Apostle, she learned to be satisfied in whichever condition she would be. She did not possess the things of this world in abundance, but she was noted for her generosity and her kindness. Despite her shortage she would give to every beggar who called at her door, and many did call because her house was near the main road; and if they were coming on in years, and the weather cold, she would invite them in to the fireplace, and would give them a cup of tea; and in giving natural bread to them would talk to them of Jesus Christ, the bread of life that came down from heaven which gives life to the world. She had realised the words of the Lord Jesus ‘That it is blessed to give rather than to receive,’ 
She died very joyfully on the 17th of April, 1894, aged 73 years, and she was buried in Tonygroes Cemetery. A few seconds before her death, the light of dawn broke across her face, as from the eternal world, something similar (we would think) to the transfiguration of Jesus on the mount long ago. We shall never forget the scene. Her last words were ‘Jesus is calling me to come.’
She ascended into light
Above each pain and wound,
And for evermore will Betsan
Be sweetly praising Jesus.

OTHER OLD SISTERS

Margaret Price, Pantymoch; Janet Daniel of the Felin; Mrs. Benjamin Daniel, Margaret Cound, Mari Williams from the Constant; Bopa Caty Wellington, wife of Mike; Mari Thomas, Modryb Madlin, Mari Dafydd, Goeswen; Macws Singleton, Betty Dummer, Shan Dafydd, Tyfintir; Caty Heycock, Bety Heycock, Shan Williams, Mari Dafydd the wife of Ed. Dafydd; Mari Dafydd the wife of Thos. Dafydd; Jane Merchant, Nani Jones, Nani Jenkins, Nani Dafydd, Gwen Rees the wife of R. Rees; Nani Henry, Citty Leyshon, Mari Rees, Shwned Dafydd, Gweny Cound, Mari Davies. The last five named would often break out into praising in the service. The last, Mari Davies, when in her element, would very effectively say the last part of the old verse: The pleasant dawn which breaks yonder says that there is a fine morning at hand. Marced Llewelyn, Mari Heycock. The last was in the Annual Meeting in Carmel when the preacher was talking of the unsearchable Wealth of Christ, and the provision of the Gospel, shouting ‘Thanks to Him, this will suffice for ever.’ Catws Walters, Sarah Prosser, Mari Harding, Ann Dafydd, Kate Jones, Catws Buckingham, Shwned Mansel, Catws Beddoe.            

PASTORS OF DYFFRYN

REV EVAN WILLIAMS, TAIBACH

Mr. Williams was a native of Anglesey, North Wales. He came to Taibach as a young man, and began to preach in the Old Dyffryn. He married the daughter of Mr. Ed. Daniel, who kept a Shop near Taibach Market for many years. He was not established as minister in Dyffryn Church, but despite that, he did great service to the cause there, through service in the seiat, visiting the sick, and preaching in funerals, &c. for decades. Around the year 1865 he moved to live in Tymaen near Pyle. He moved after that to Llysyfronydd in the Vale. After that he went to live in Briton Ferry, and he went from there to Cornelly, near Pyle. He was an excellent character, a very acceptable speaker, and held in great respect near and far. In his time, it was the custom on the occasion of a death to preach in the House before starting out for the burial. We heard him preach on such occasions in our house and in other houses in the district; and the preaching was remarkably effective and influential, and we believed that the Lord had blessed his service many times in those circumstances. He died in Cornelly on the 7th December, 1894, aged 85 years, and he was buried in Llysyfronydd, Vale of Glamorgan.

REV MOSES THOMAS

Tregaron was the home of the Revd. Moses Thomas. It was there that he began preaching. He went to Bala College to receive his training to qualify him for the great work of his life, namely, to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom that is not of this world. We remember listening to him preach in Trinity, Swansea, on Whit Sunday about the year 1868, as a young, brave and strong man. His topic that morning was Job 42, 9, about ‘Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.’ The first Church that called him to be pastor was Landore. After that he moved to Resolven, and he cared for Seion Church, Ynisfach, for twenty years. After that, providence lead him to Port Talbot and he joined Dyffryn. In 1895, he was established as Pastor of the Church. Within some years he joined Grove Place; as referred to, this was the cause that he was chiefly instrumental in starting, and the cause that he felt a great interest in. He was a very powerful and influential preacher. He was famous as a questioner in the School Assemblies; he would not examine very hard, but he succeeded wonderfully in his simple and happy way to bring the Schools out, and as a rule there were easy and influential Meetings when he was questioning. As was suggested, he was a very strong and solid man as regards body and constitution, but his strength weakened before he was much past middle age. Despite that, his ministry continued very acceptably to the end of his life. He died on the 14th January, 1906, aged 67 years, and he was buried in Fforest Chapel Cemetery, Aberdulais.

REV DAVID JOHN, B.A.

Mr. John was born in the district of Llantwit Fardre in the Vale of Glamorgan, and he was raised in the respectable church of Bryntirion. He received his early education like that of workers’ children generally. He lost his father early, and he was compelled to start life’s battles to ensure the maintenance of the family. But in spite of that he succeeded in cultivating himself until he passed the examination for Trefecca with honours without being in one preparatory School. He went first to Cardiff University where he had a brilliant career, and he graduated as a B.A. in the year 1904, with honours in the Celtic languages, and a Special in the Semitic languages. Then he went to Trefecca where he was from 1904 to 1906. He received fervent calls from a number of important Welsh and English language Churches. But from these he chose Dyffryn, Taibach. In the year 1910 he married, and he was very fortunate to have a talented and hard-working life partner who is of substantial assistance to him, namely, Miss Kate Daniels, the daughter of Mr. E. Daniels, one of the pillars of the cause in Gibeon, Taibach. Mrs. John does valuable service in union with her husband with the children and other parts of the work. We wish a long life to Mr. John to work in the vineyard, and to be an instrument in God’s hand to turn many who stray to the ways of the Lord, and to bring many sinners to the feet of the Saviour.

PREACHERS WHO WERE RAISED IN DYFFRYN

Two preachers were raised in Dyffryn, Taibach, apart from those who were raised in the old Dyffryn, namely, the Rev Phillip Jones and the Rev Phineas Marchant Lewis. The Rev Phillip Jones has climbed to a high position among the giants of the ministry. He was pastor of Fishguard Church for years, after that Llandeilo, now the new Chapel in Llanelli, and he is held in great respect there. The Rev Phineas M. Lewis has also been a pastor of the Church at Llantwit Major for years, and at the moment is Pastor of Blaengarw English Church. We wish them success in the Master’s vineyard.

SINGING CONDUCTORS AND THE WORK OF THE MUSIC SCHOOL

As was noted, Thomas Dafydd, Dyffryn’s songster, led the singing when the move was made from the old Dyffryn to the new. Richard Cound also used to start the singing on occasions. Evan Henry was conductor from 1854 until his death in 1874. In those years, Thomas Dafydd (Ap Japheth) led the choir, and competed in some Eisteddfods; and Thos. Jenkins the Mason after that for a term. About the year 1874, Leyshon David was placed to lead the Music School, and Edward Hopkin to conduct the Congregational singing. After that, James Thomas was conductor for some time. Then Leyshon David was put in charge of the Congregational singing as well as the Music School, and he was faithful and hard-working with the School in preparing for the Classes’ Annual Musical Assemblies. Dyffryn Choir was very faithful in connection with the Temperance Assemblies of Gwent and Glamorgan, those that were held in Cardiff and other places, half a century ago. It was generally recognised that Dyffryn’s sopranos were peerless. Apart from the Conductors named, a Union Choir was formed in Dyffryn from time to time. At the time of the opening of Taibach Workmen’s Hall, Silas Evans led the Choir, and they snatched the main prize for singing Thanks be to God. In 1879, little Prosser took the Choir to the Cardiff National Eisteddfod, and the main prize was won with high praise from the judges. After that, the Choir was successful under the leadership of Ap Mawrth. In 1892, James Singleton was made conductor, and he has been painstaking and hard-working from then to now. The Choir has won prizes in important Eisteddfods under his leadership. They have also learned and recited the following works with great   success: (1) Ruth, the Gleanor; (2) The Haymakers; (3) Judas Maccabeus; (4) Samson; (5) The Messiah. Mr. Singleton has striven and worked hard to pass examinations in connection with the Tonic Solfa College, and has attained a high position as a musician. At the start of last year, 1910, he was made a Fellow of the College; and Dyffryn Church, together with various other friends in the district, revealed their appreciation of his service on that occasion by presenting a Testimonial to him, including the College Cap and Gown, his picture in that outfit, and a Gold Watch, the whole being worth about £35. Mr. Singleton has led Musical Assemblies here for some years, and in other places, and there are frequent calls for his services to judge in Eisteddfods, and he has composed some musical pieces. It is hoped Mr. Singleton will have a long life to work in connection with Holy singing and elsewhere.

CONDUCTORS OF THE BAND OF HOPE

The first that we remember conducting the Band of Hope in Dyffryn was the late William Richards, and he was one of the best that we ever saw leading the children. There were close to 200 under his care, and it was a pleasure to hear them sing. After that, Thomas James conducted, and he possessed singular qualifications for the work. Mr. Leyshon David and Mr. James Singleton conducted the children as well as conducting the Choir. Mr. Richard Dyer has also been leading the children with success for over ten years. The minister, the Rev D John, B.A., and his wife are currently working with the children, and they are doing excellent work.

GOYTRE

A Sunday school was begun in Goytre under the patronage of Dyffryn Church, Taibach, about the year 1850. Chiefly instrumental in starting it was the godly old father Dafydd Llewelyn, and it was in his house, which was near to the Goytre Farmhouse, that it was held. His grand-daughter, Mrs. Lewis, is living there now. His zeal and his effort regarding the School were very great. He would go around the houses to collect the children for the School; and his house was enlarged to have more room for the School. For some years during the last part of his life, the old saint was unable to rise from his bed; despite that, he used to oversee and organize the School to the end of his life. There were various people who were faithful with the School, namely, Edward Lewis, the deacon, and his family ; William and Humphrey Prosser, John Howell, Llety’r Piod, and his children ; the four brothers from upper Dyffryn, namely, Thomas, William, Lewis and Richard Thomas ; Evan and Richard Henry, and Thomas Meyrick, Tonygroes ; the last three striving to teach the children to sing. Richard Thomas of Dyffryn was one of the main pillars of Goytre School to end of his life. He and some young brother would represent the School every time in the bi-monthly Meetings of the Class. The Schoolhouse was built in 1881, which has been of great assistance to the cause. Dafydd William, Tynyframe, Bethuel Heycock and others, and their families, were faithful with the School in their day; and James Davies and his family, Thomas Rees, Llety’r Piod, and his family, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Thomas, Heatherside (formerly of the Dyffryn), Mr J O Jones of the Melin, Phillip Williams, the sons of Mrs. Lewis, the sons of James Davies, and other young brothers were of valuable service in Goytre School through the years. This little school has made a name for itself regarding the School Assemblies of the Class. It is always full of zeal and enthusiasm, and works with the Guide, Mother’s Gift, &c. The late Rev Rees Phillips used to believe that there was no School like it for reciting the Guide, and responding, and the little School would believe that there was no questioner like him. Apart from the Sunday school, Prayer meetings have been held there through the years, with brothers from Dyffryn going there to assist. During the last three years, provision has been made for the English people who live in the area, and Mr. John, Pastor of Dyffryn, takes a great interest in the work, and is assisted by Councillor E.B. Rees, Taibach. Also, a number of brothers from Bethany and Carmel occasionally go up to help them. Recently, they have been frequently addressed on a Sabbath evening by the Mayor of Aberafon, Councillor Rhys Davies, and Councillor E.B. Rees, and others. The prospects for the cause at the moment are very promising, as coal mines are likely to be opened soon in the neighbourhood. It is hoped that the cause will succeed, and that there will be a call to establish a Church there before long. PHOTO 11 scan025
THE WHARF

In the year 1868, four brothers, namely Edward Howe, David Rees (the son of Samuel Rees), Thomas Williams (the son of Wm.  Williams, Blaencynaeron), and Charles Sutton, were appointed by Carmel Church to start a Sunday school on the Wharf. The efforts bore considerable success, and very soon, weekly prayer Meetings were held there, and a Band of Hope was established which became very numerous and successful under the leadership of Mr Howe, with the assistance of the other brothers, and after a time as arranged to have occasional sermons in the week. The Rev Wm. Jenkins, minister of Carmel, preached there monthly for some years. The venerable Wm. Prytherch preached there once. John Davies also helped with the Meetings there for some years; and Capt. Thomas Ace and his family were faithful with the cause. Many of the tunes from Sankey, and others, were learned by the children, and from time to time, many Meetings were held in order to recite and sing, and some small books were taught (similar to Services of Song), and very fine and beneficial Meetings were held. When Bethany was    ,
School presented the gift of a Clock to be set in the front of the gallery. The efforts at the Wharf were the means to lead many of those living there to become faithful members in Carmel. There was one old brother at the Wharf called Evan Jenkins who was very faithful with the School and the prayer Meetings there, and although he was a Church man, he used to take a great interest in the School, &c. Mr. Jackson, another Church man, also gave every support. When the cause was begun in Bethany, the majority of them went there, as there were more English people than Welsh. After that, Sunday school and prayer Meetings and preaching there were-held by Bethany Church, until t e new Docks were built, and the houses were pulled down. It can be said that many were won for Cannel and Bethany through the endeavours at the Wharf. 'Cast thy bread upon the face of the waters, for thou wilt receive after many days.'
PHOTO 12

Beulah Groes Margam

ANNIE’S SAD STORY

Most people who pass through Margam will notice the ruined Chapel on the hill, but they cannot see the farm named Crugwallt nestled safely tucked away behind the mountain. It was at this farm where Annie Jones was born on the 24th. Of June.1880, Annie was the last born child of Rees and Margaret Jones, [nee Morgan of Crugwallt], who already had a family of four boys and four girls. Margaret had a difficult time giving birth to Annie, and faught hard to stay with her new child and family, but her fight was lost and she died that very evening of the birth. 
Of course Annie Jones just like us all remembers nothing of her life before the age of about three years old, but, every woman and child in Margam talked of her birth for years to follow, owing to the event being such a sad story.
Annie herself seems to confirm that, when at the aged of over ninety years, in her own words she said “they took me - a baby ten days old you see. Yes."
So mother Margaret Jones died at Grugwallt, in the same old four poster bed, in which she herself had been born in forty two years earlier. A few days later after all the Necessary arrangements had been made, Margaret`s coffin was placed in postion on the best Grugwallt farm cart, ready to proceed in procession down the very steep, side wooded track, At the bottom of which it passed the ornamental castle lake and on past the top western lodge. They proceeded on down the more gentle wooded track until they met the main road to Port Talbot at the Groes lodge. From here only two hundred yards remained before they were at the round chapel of Beulah Groes. That last part of her journey was thickly lined by most of the people of the village, and the Margam District.
The chapel was filled to overflowing, as the coffin and its accompanying party entered to take up its position in the front few rows.
Annie being only ten days old was carried by her eldest sister Margaret who in turn was supported by her husband Rhys Nicholas and their father John Jones.
Mr. Rhys Phillips a minister at Carmel Aberavon had come to conduct the funeral service of Annie`s mother, after he had completed that sad task, he walked forward to collect little Annie from her sisters arms, and returned carrying the little child to besides her mother`s coffin where he baptized her head with the holy water.

"Christening" is a name-giving service; "Baptism" the actual "pouring" of water, not sprinkled.

Baptized on her mother’s coffin in1881at Beulah Round Chapel, Groes.

ANNIE MAINWARING EDWARDIAN INTERVIEW 1971 WHEN SHE WAS 90 YEARS OLD

They took me - a baby ten days old you see. Yes.

You went to live with your sister?

Only ten. And then there were more children then you see, the - another one or two were coming then you see. Yes. Although mind - when John Morgan, of course after John Morgan came - but that was after - after my time of course, my brother-in-law as I told you - had made another part, well now - John Morgan of course he was - he was so marked, John Morgan Nicholas and Miss Talbot took an interest in him you see, and she wanted to know now - of course when he was - she put him in Eton College. Yes, she sent him to Eton, well now - she wanted -

How did she get interested in him?

Well I'll tell you love, Je - John - do you remember John, he loves his choir, you've heard of it but perhaps you don't remember John Graves' male voice choir, and John Morgan - was a - very small, he was very - he own the National when he was twelve you see, and he became a marked boy, he was a prodigy that - he was called that you see. Well now then - of course he went - they went up to the Castle to give a concert in the Castle every year, same as we used to in Gores of course. And - and they'd - and he would play - John Phillips would play. And - he was a pianist, and then they took him - and of course she went to ask about him and where he'd come from and his - family tree and all the rest of it, and of course she found it was of the old family from - from Lligart. And she took a great interest in. Well of course after that she asked my father twice to let me go to her. She wanted to educate me you see. For my mother's sake she said. Yes, I could have gone. But my father didn't feel inclined to you know. No, to let me go to London.

What did you think about it?

Well I didn't know you see, I was - didn't tell me then. No. No, he didn't like the idea because - the Castle life was very different from ours. But she came up twice they said to ask him. Yes. Yes, she said, well - I could do more for her, she said, than either you can do, can't expect you to - educate her but I suppose - I was marked when I was in Groes school you see because everybody - all the chief parts. And helped the schoolmaster to teach the children - to sing. Well I was only twelve then you see. And he was - very keen for me to go in - for teaching, I could have gone in for teaching then. But there you are. Other things came, my sister wanted me to come to her - to - the Rhondda, she went to keep a shop there, and she wanted me to come to her and I went up there and - I've had a varied life. Very. Varied life, different. Until I was - seventeen or eighteen and - my sister got married and then I - I stayed at home and then - put all my work into Groes chapel. Yes. Yes.

What time would he go out?

Oh go down by six in the morning. Yes.

Was he working in the sawmills?

In the sawmills.

Quite near wasn't it?

Well it was down the road you see, down by the - down the steep hill there. You know where Pistyll Tydraw is. Well now then - their house was on the top then. And he would run down. And from there I used to carry water. Carry every drop of water from there. There was no tap or anything anywhere near. Carry water for everything. Except for washing and then they had - everybody had a cask outside their back. Big cask in the back you see.

Tell me about it?

Yes. Now then outside - the back there was a big black cask. Everybody had - I think they're finished with them, I think they were there. With the houses. Everybody had a big cask, and there you had water for washing, and for doing - household then you had to carry water, from Pistyll Tydraw then. Well there you are.

You had it just straight from the mountain stream?

Carry two - two pitchers of - it's a wonder to me that I've got hands or a back. The - all the nursing and all the carrying water I did. And even after going home to Margam, we had to carry water for - a mile, more than a mile, every drop of water the - except water - well - you know, we couldn't wash in the water we had, a big old well - in the garden, there was a big pond on the side of the road, but of course that would do all right for - washing anything. We could wash the potatoes or taking them down from the field or - something like that, but - you couldn't use it for anything but the animals could drink it. It was clean. Otherwise we had to take them down the Roman Bath to get clean water. And we had to carry water for more than a mile. Over the fields. I - I'm sure I carried tons and tons. Hundreds of tons I'm sure. So it's a wonder I'm very very economical. And the same now from when I was in Pen-y-Cae, from Tydraw, you had to - carry all the water. But - as I say, you know I can see the old - the old cask now, at the back door.

You'd have enough from that from the rainwater?

Oh the rainwater you see, but we had to be very sparing, with that. When - when the dry weather came you see it was very awkward. But Pistyll Tydraw never failed. Used to go a little less sometimes. And then when - when the worst came to the worst - of course they had to go to the river. The river was coming down you see at the side of the road. The river was beside us when we were going to school.

Carry two - two pitchers of - it's a wonder to me that I've got hands or a back. The - all the nursing and all the carrying water I did. And even after going home to Margam, we had to carry water for - a mile, more than a mile, every drop of water the - except water - well - you know, we couldn't wash in the water we had, a big old well - in the garden, there was a big pond on the side of the road, but of course that would do all right for - washing anything. We could wash the potatoes or taking them down from the field or - something like that, but - you couldn't use it for anything but the animals could drink it. It was clean. Otherwise we had to take them down the Roman Bath to get clean water. And we had to carry water for more than a mile. Over the fields. I - I'm sure I carried tons and tons. Hundreds of tons I'm sure. So it's a wonder I'm very very economical. And the same now from when I was in Pen-y-Cae, from Tydraw, you had to - carry all the water. But - as I say, you know I can see the old - the old cask now, at the back door.

Did they keep any livestock?

Yes - in Pen-y-Cae? Oh no. Oh no, nothing. No, nothing, only a bird. We had a bird in the house. Yes. Yes.

Easit a canary?

A little canary. I remember the bird very well.

Did they say you should hit back or not if another child hurt you?

Oh no. No. No, they never believed that. They never said that, nor I have never said it. No. Although I may be wrong, but I never told the children. Somebody would do something to them, do - give it back, I - I don't know how it is but - I tell them never mind, they'll be hurt more than you in some other way. You see the first time - that I - recited a chapter - in the gymanfa bwnc, of course the gymanfa bwnc used to be a great thing then, it was more, I think people thought more of it than the gymanfa garni then, which was of more importance, and I remember the gymanfa bwnc was in Carmel. And I was being taught, my brother-in-law taught me - to recite - the fifth chapter of Romans.

How old were you?

Three years old. I would have been four in June, and this was on Good Friday. And - I hadn't been well. And I can remember him carrying me on his back, down - we had to go down the field you know, down to got to Carmel down to the road, and I couldn't walk all down that field of course, and I had a black velvet frock, and had two streamers, remember that very well, and - and my brother-in-law carrying me on his back down until we were on the road, and then taking me down to Carmel. And I remember going in the seat and into the big seat, and the old minister in Carmel then was Rhys Phillips, and it was he had buried my mother I suppose. When she died. He was a minister there and - so I remember - the priest taking me in to the big seat and putting me to sit there. And there was a - I think they've got one in - Duffryn now, as tell to put the Bible on, in the big seat, have they got it in there? They had it in Carmel then. And I was so small - that of course I had to be put up to stand up there, he put me up there. But however when - I can remember John Nicholas was standing on the gallery, the front of the gallery meeting the people you know, with his back towards - me, and I was afraid he was going to come down on his back towards - me, and I was afraid he was going to come down on his back all the time, I was terribly frightened I can remember very well, and I was telling Rhys you know, of course he was Rhys' brother Uncle John is going to fall. No, no, he's all right. And he was leading the singing. But however - they started after this, all sat down, I was quiet then. And now Rhys Phillips said, well now, he said Annie Jones is going to recite the chapter. And I turned round, I didn't know my name was Annie Jones you see. And I turned round to Rhys, I said, I am saying the chapter. And everybody heard me I suppose. So that - they had quite a bit of fun over it, oh I heard that story many times. So now I was too small to stand on the big seat you see, so Rhys had to put me to stand on a - on a rostrum. But anyway - Bible, and there he held me up - to recite the chapter. And then of course Rhys Phillips I suppose was - explaining to them about me, why did I say that I was going to - because I thought I was Annie Nicholas.

How did you feel about that, when did you realize that you were Annie Jones?

Oh - it was - oh yes, then you see, I had to - yes. Oh dear, dear, dear, well I remember that very well but - then - I - I did recite the chapter when I was four in some gamanfa, but when I was five - there were big meetings in Penycae, in Saron, and it was - he was preaching. And I had learnt the first chapter of John, it's a big one you know. Of course I was - I've heard of this since then because I wouldn't remember that you know. At that time, but I remember it distinctly. I remember granny twell yn y Ware calling, granny that used to call Betsan, was granny twell yn y Ware, calling in my sister's, and she come on - on the Monday to the two o'clock - service, Monday afternoon. And my sister had a cloak and a little bonnet - then. And she was quite young. And granny had her shawl, touching the ground at the back you see, a three cornered, and I - and she was catching my hand going up to chapel, to Penycae and - and - and you know - I can feel the fringes on the fringe of the shawl now on my hand, she was holding my hand, and into the chapel and there by the door Rhys was meeting us, and took me upstairs. And I'd never been up the steps, the stairs up to the gallery, never been there. I didn't know where I was going. So up to this gallery I went. And there put to sit by the clock. And there's a - a little shelf by the clock, you know the clock doesn't come up one with the gallery, there's a little shelf behind it, where the clock is. I was put to sit there. Had to look round, saw this big man - in the pulpit, the big eyes you know. Well - I was terrified. And I said to Rhys, I am afraid of that old man. And - he is a nice man. Say the chapter now loudly, everyone wants to hear you. But however my name was called to say - to recite the chapter. And Rhys putting me to stand - on this little ledge behind the clock you see. And I started. And off I went of course, I knew - well - when I learnt a chapter I learnt it and I knew every word. Went through. And he put - and as - as I finished you see the old man shouted - wonderful. And I didn't know what ardderchog was. I'd no idea of course. I thought I'd done it all wrong. I began to cry. I suppose I screamed. They had to take me home. They had to. And when I was going out and the old man was saying it I suppose, it went to - and when I was going out granny was beginning to shout you know, she used to be noticed for - she used to get up then you see and come on, and I could hear granny's voice shouting, when Rhys was taking me down to the - he had to take me home. I was terrified.

How much do you know off by heart?

Oh I could say - yes, I could say many many chapters. Many. And the fifth chapter of Matthew, the first one, Always, well I could recite that now, every word. And most of well - of course after - after that you see I learnt the old - new testament through, recited it through, in Sunday school there, recited many - I recited that chapter many times, first chapter of John and - and - oh many of them, dear, yes I - Psalms, I learnt them - by heart. Yes. I remember that very well. But oh that was when I was going to Groes. But then that's in Groes, that's not in Penycae. I remember going there. We used to go down if there was a - anything important on. I don't know who was preaching there, but I was - I was seven then. Yes, I was seven. And in Penycae then the - Sun - the singing school used to learn - a book like they used to do in dyffryn to learn a book in Dyffryn didn't they. And Joshua and all those, St Paul and all those - so however, they had learnt the book of Johan, in Penycae. And - whenever they'd learn a book I always had to do the reciting, it was coming in between you know. Yes. Parts of chapters, and I'd learnt the book of John and there's three or four - four chapters I think. I think there are four. Three or four, I'm not quite sure now. And I'd learnt the book of Jonah of course ready for the concert. And then this was on the Sunday morning. I don't remember who the preacher was, I was told about it many times after that. And - he said that - a little girl is going to start the meeting by reciting a chapter. The bennod he said you see, I didn't know it was one bennod, I thought - I didn't know there were many, I thought it was only one of course. Down I went, Rhys taking me down, putting me to stand in - Groes in the front seat there. And I started. And I went through the book of Jonah. I went through, and - and some how I felt after I had said the first chapter - I felt - I wonder if something is wrong, but off I went, I gather after and off I went. And I said it through. And then I was taken down, taken back to the seat. The seats were up there then in Groes, do you remember the seats up there, going up steps in Groes? No. Flat you see, it is. They used to go up to the window sill. Yes, and they - and I remember one of the - and that's what he said, I don't remember who he was, I was told then, you think that child is taking the service. Plenty of welcome for me, he said. I heard that story many times. Well - well I didn't know you see. I thought it was all one, and off I went.

You must have had a prodigious memory?

Oh yes, yes, yes, I was given a - memory, well there we are. And - Morgan has been very good in that way. Very good memory, yes. Oh well, well, well, I said that Jonah.

Did they bring you up to consider certain things important in life?

Did you have any musical instruments in the house?

Well now a piano came there. When I was - seven - a piano came there. But before that - we had been down to my brother, my brother had gone to Bwlgh, he had gone from college - and he'd gone to Bwlgh, Breconshire. To - as a minister, and we went down there, I went down there for a month, and he had a little harmonium, and this harmonium was - oh I was - I aimed the ahrmonium very much, so after hearing my sister-in-law playing and she - she had a school there, she had a little private school, my sister-in-law, she was a schoolmistress in Taibach before she married my brother, John, Miss Jenkins she was, your mother would have remembered hoer of course And -

You fancied this harmonium?

And this little harmonium I fancied so - I went and put my hand there of course and to try and - and see if I could play on it you see, and upon my word I began to see - and do you know the first tune I played on it? Sandown - Lead Kindly Light. With one finger. On that little harmonium, oh I thought it was wonderful. Then I wanted to play another one, and another one and - anything I could do with the one finger you know, get the - once I had the note I was right. So then - after we went home we had a piano. And of course - I was at the piano. I - well I don't know, it seemed to be in me somehow, I couldn't - I just couldn't help it you see. And then -

Who else played?

And little Rhys - Rhys the next to me of course, Rhys was next to me and he - Rhys was a - made a brilliant musician too. He would. But however -

Did your sister or brother-in-law play?

No, they didn't play because they had never - but - of course they knew whether we were right or wrong or whether we made a mistake, oh yes, quick to - so - began to play and then - there was a - a lady living in Pentyla, Miss Brew she was, so - we went there to her lessons to her. We went quarter - so much a quarter it was then you know and - and I remember we went, little Rhys and I went. And the first time we went down - Paws Road, they were building the first house next to Bethany, where that shop is now. They were cutting the - because all the way down there to - to the Porth school you see, it was - fields, they hadn't started building anything - where we are now, it was all fields. Wheat fields. And the boys used to go up on top of the - hedges and collect the wheat you see and - and the old farmer would see them and they had to go quick. But - there was - they were - cut down the hedge, and they were building. And that's where they were starting, and they had a big old lamp and I remember them starting that. And when we were coming home from Pentyla, used to go - wandering in and out these houses as they were building you know. Can remember that very well. Yes. So - 
In that one room. Coffin was there - covered over with a shawl. Yes. And then - and the flowers I can remember them - putting flowers, I remember that very well. And - muslin over her face. Oh she was - oh she was very pretty, and she had long ringlets you know. That's what I remember about her. She was a beauty I suppose. And especially children. If a child had died all the children of the place would come. Oh yes. Oh yes. Yes. And I remember the afternoon the funeral and me sitting down - on that stone step, that was my perch always, I was sitting there, Rhys and I - very well and little Lizzie we called her - going out, I can remember that very well. Very well. That was the - and that was the funeral. Oh when we were children, if there'd be any child that we knew, you know. Yes, yes. Oh it was the thing you see, it was the thing then. Yes. And it was the thing to go and see - as people go and see them now, to - sympathise with them don't they. Well we do now, but - they used to go then. Well just to say well - have a last look you see. See her for the last time, they used to say then you see. And one old lady told me - that - I - I've forgot - well I've heard it from several too, that - of course if there was a new baby the baby would be - would be christened - on its mother's coffin. They used to put the christening basin on the mother's coffin. And they told me - but not one of the family, not one of our - one of our family. And yet I have an idea - that one of my sister's told me too. My eldest sister did and I don't know whether the other one did or no, but I remember an old lady telling me - what a sight it was. To see me - christened - on my mother's coffin. That the - the basin on the coffin and they christened me on the coffin, and of course they had long gowns, and I had black tie ups. I can remember that old lady telling me that. Oh until - old Aunt Eliza Groes. Old Aunt Eliza Llewellyn. It was the custom. Of course I remember babies, I always had tie ups on the babies - baby's gown a - a bow of ribbon or - each side there.

That was the custom to christen the baby if the mother had died?

And they used to christen the baby - if the mother had died then, when the baby was small, to - to christen the baby on the - it was done you see. So probably they did the same to me you see. Yes. So I don't know - but - I was told that, yes, and that they said - that everybody felt it - so much and to see me, says - so tiny, I suppose I was a very tiny baby they were afraid to handle me. I was very very small I heard my father saying that. But - so that was - it was the custom you see and they - the probability is that they - they did the same to me. Yes.

Could you remember anyone in the district then who was called a real gentleman?

That you could call a real gentleman. Well I don't know. I would have called old Doctor Davis a real gentleman. And sit down. And look at his paper and put it in his hat and put his hat on the table. And perhaps dad used to speak Welsh to him you see. Why do you speak Welsh to me? And there he'd go and talk about the old - the old families. And he knew - he was with my mother you see. When she died. And she was one of his first patients. Yes. Was one of his first patients. And coming up all that way. You don't know the way up to Crugwallt Farm. And now then you turn up - yes, you go up past the pond, you know where the pond is. Well you go up right to - up through the woods, right up to the top. A mile up. And coming up there in the night - at half past twelve in the morning. He was - he was a real - Christian gentleman. Yes. Yes, I remember it. And I'll never forget him when our children went to the - went to the hospital. The four of them went together. And he was coming every day to see if I was, and that was only - a month - before - I think it was a month - yes, a month before Ifan was born. Yes, and the four went. They all had diphtheria and scarlet. And Gwyn was - he was three - he was three days and unconscious, and they never thought that he was - never thought. I remember the night they came home, they were sitting with the children on each knee. Morgan saying, mummy - I'm sure God has something to do for our Gwyn. Because they all thought he was dead. And Gwyn said, yes, he was saying the other day, I was reminding them the other day when I was there, yes, he must have had something for him to do. Gwyn is the comic of the family you know. Yes, he's good old boy though. Yes indeed.

What difference did it make to the family where your brother-in-law was ill or out of work?

Oh well it made a big difference. Yes, yes. I remember him having his finger - cut off in the machine, in the sawmills, had his finger cut off. And it was buried in the chapel of ease. The finger has been buried in the chapel of ease, I don't know - whether it has been buried - with Betsan or beside the grave. Yes. It was buried just about there somewhere, beside - just about his mother's grave somewhere.

Who buried it?

I don't know, he buried it I expect. It was put in a little box. In the little box of wadding. Yes. And buried. Yes, his finger will be there. He conducted enough with it. Conducted. Yes.

Do you remember any outings with your parents?

Oh well I remem - the only outings we had was Sunday school outings you see. And the outings as I used to have would go from - Penycae up to Margam. Those were my outings. Up to the old home. Yes.

How often would you go?

Oh we'd go - two or three times a year. And - the baby would be in the - we used to have a - she used to have a pram you know, carriage, whicker carriages then, maybe one walking and one or two on the pram, in this carriage, and we used to go up from - walk all the way of course, and go up from Port Talbot, calling Twell yn y Ware with granny first. And then we'd go - after having bread and butter or whatever would be there, bread and jam or - a biscuit or something, and then we'd go up to - up past Brombil. Brombil Farm. And I was afraid in my heart of the dogs at Brombil Farm. Or any - or the turkeys, I was terrified of the turkeys. And then we'd go to the - little - that little house at the bottom of the wood. You know, the first house there, and - she used to leave the pram there. â??Cos - and then up through the woods up home. Walk up through the wood. She'd carry the baby. And then get to -

You couldn't take the pram right up?

No. Not further. And then leave the pram there. That was our outing.

Would you go back the same day?

Oh yes. Yes. I remember the day - remember when my father died, we went up on a Saturday afternoon. And I had - Gwynn, Gwynn was a small baby then, I had him in this - little pram. That's how I used to take the children up. From Port Talbot all the way. And - I remember going up - and my father had been taken ill and I didn't know. And I met one of my cousins by Brombill gate, from the house, and he said, did you know your father was ill. I said, no I didn't. Well he is - very ill. Oh dear. I couldn't get up quick enough, dragging the children up through the wood, and - of course he was in bed. He'd been taken ill the day before. He'd fallen outside in the yard. And he was in bed. In the four poster. Four poster we had you see, with curtains all round. Little white ones inside, I had made them. I'd made little lace curtains inside, and then the old - the out - the old brown ones outside, they were brown, sort of alpaca stuff. It was very - it was two - they were two hundred years old whatever, and they were edged with reds. Have a think now. But I didn't care for them - to sleep under, so I had put - lace curtains for my father right around the bed. And he was like a king there of course then. But however he was ill. He was very ill. Oh dear dear dear. Well I thought I - and I couldn't stay because the baby was only - May, June, July, August, he was only four months old. I had to go take the baby back that night, and - well I was asking him, oh you're going to get better. You are going to get better. Well, my dear, you have kept your father a long time. And here he was eighty six you see. You have kept your father a long time my dear. You must be willing Annie. Those were the words he said to me. You must be willing. Oh dear dear, I was breaking - broken hearted. Well I went home. I took the baby home and - took the - and the others, and then daddy came home from work. Because he had to work on that night and I was on my own. So he took the children and looked after them, I put everything, put the baby right, and I - my Brother Dan's little girl Margaret came back with me. I can remember, I can see the cornfields now. We put everything right for the night. And I started to walk back. Because I knew he wasn't going to be long. And - she was - this little girl was with me, she was - about eleven I think, Margaret was about eleven I think, back we went, and it was moonlight. We were starting from our house at half past twelve. And I got home between half past one and two. And I can see the corn now - and the - and the moon shining on it you know, and both of us going through the corn. And - but I didn't - he didn't talk to me after, he died next day. Yes. Oh I shall never forget.

People had to walk then everywhere?

Walk, all those miles. And that - through that place now. Right through that wood, the Margam wood, â??cos every tree was there then. Only of course I knew every stump of a tree. Of old, and going up through the - through the fields, I can see them now. And he died that night, yes. Wonderful man. Wonderful, and he never married. Brought up the nine without - and people are telling him that - why didn't he marry again because we had a good housekeeper, a lady from Margam. Oh no, no, no, no. He couldn't put my mother's memory off like that. He was wonderful, yes. But I remember him saying, you must be willing Annie Fach he said. Yes. Yes, he was - wonderful. Yes, that was Margam then.

Moved from Crugwellt Farm too 60 Tan y Groes Street when she got married in 1911.
And that's where I am now. Been there 60 years. [SIC]

DUPLICATED FROM HERE TO THE END!

INRODUCTION

THE OLD DYFFRYN

Here at the very start of my story, I would like to make it clear that this article could not possibly have been written, without the excellent work of the translating from the Welsh text of that excellent book by Mr John Nicholas, entitled YR HEN DDYFFRYN, by my good friend Mr. Peter Williams of Sandfields, Aberavon. Who`s ancesters lived opposite the Old  Duffryn Barn near Duffryn Road Taibach.
I am using Mr Nicholas`s fine work as a foundation for my article here, of course this effort by myself will not compare in quality of what has come before. But it may prove interesting to some, as it will contain facts which perhaps have been overlooked by others before me.
By that I mean that I will include information on the people and places concerned in the story, and I will be putting my family history skills to the test.
Today when we look back over two hundred years to the opening of Carmel Chapel  Aberavon in 1810 it seems to have been  such a long time ago, especially when one considers that  St. Mary`s Church Aberavon was demolished and rebuilt some fifty years later on in time,with the new church reopening in 1859.

The Nonconformist religious history of our Port Talbot district has been well documented by people much more capable than myself, and so I will only repeat here a little to set the scene for the purpose of our story here.
The Baptist`s were the first Nonconformist group formed at Aberavon, they were established at Aberavon by 1650, following the the founding of the first Welsh Baptist Church by John Miles at Ilston, Gower the year before.
Some early nonconformists from our district at that time were linked with John Miles at Ilston.
Lewis Thomas who later farmed the Mawr in Nottage, and John Thomas, both were baptised by Miles at Ilston in 1650, they together with Evan Llewellyn another Margam man were to become preachers..
When Miles was forced to leave for America in 1663, it was Lewis Thomas who carried on his work here, until his death in 1704.

[ A Note.- Lewis Thomas,became the leader of the Calvinistic Baptists in Swansea.Later he moved to the Mwr,in Moor Lane,Nottage,Porthcawl.
Today near opposite Pwll y Mur in a field is a barn,built on the ruined remains of a Longhouse,where Lewis Thomas resided and held services,and farmed there.
His devoted band of followers became known as `the brothers of the Mwr`.].

Many other Margam people were also baptised at Ilston between 1651 and 1665.

With regard to the beginnings of Calvinistic Methodism in our district, there is the story of Howell Harris paying a visit to the place as early as the year 1739, preaching on that occasion under an old walnut tree on the Aberafon side of the river Afan.
At that time the Portreeve of Aberavon [  being the same title as later Mayor of the town] was a man by the name of Thomas Pullard.He must have been a man well thought of by the townspeople because he held that same title for seven conectitive years, [ 1735-1741 ],he also had family members living at the nearbye Globe Inn.
Nothing more is known of that meeting, but it is understood that there was much preaching by many brothers after that in the Globe. However, in the year 1743, we have the story of another visit to the neighbourhood by Howell Harris, when a society was established by him at the Hafod farmhouse, Hafod-y-Porth which stood on the mountainside overlooking the Dyffryn Valley. The number at that meeting was twelve, the same number as the first Christian church, and it was placed in the care of one John Richards, Llansamlet.

At this time the Hafod farm,which belonged to the Margam Estate was farmed by Joseph Thomas and his wife Mary,maiden name unknown.Together they brought up their family of five boys at the Havod farm during the years 1720 to 1731.They were Evan 1720-1780. William 1733-1811. Jenkin 1825-1790. Joseph 1728-?.and Rees 1731-?. 
[ A Note. -.I have more notes on the above Joseph Thomas and his family at the Hafod farm,maybe a little booklet to follow.]

We hear that Howell Harris preached from time to time in the Hafod, Dyffryn Uchaf, Hole-in-the-Wall, Margam, and by the Plough near Aberafon. It is said that the owner of the Plough was not willing for him to preach near his house. But the wife insisted that he did, and brought a stool out for him to stand on, but the husband snatched the stool back to the house, and the wife brought it out again, and so on many times, the wife bringing the stool out, and the husband taking it back. In the end, the husband yielded, and Harris preached with great power and influence. Another time when Harris visited Aberafon, a number of rascals decided to upset the meeting by bringing a cat with them, and releasing it into the middle of the crowd to be chased by the dogs, and cause a disturbance, but the persecutors were disappointed, because by some unexplained means, the innocent creature escaped and peace was had. The testimony of the crowd was that this time, despite the conspiracies of the devil, a door had been opened for them to heaven, and that God through His messenger was calling them up. Further, the story relates that the above agitators, after the meeting, rushed upon Harris and followed him as far as Pentyla, and that he shook the dust from his feet as witness against them according to the word of Jesus. It is possible that the cause that had begun so strongly in the Hafod and in the district continued thus for some time ; but it is a sad fact that a deterioration, or rather a coolness, set in later, and for about twenty years hardly anything is heard of its story. It is known that a sorrowful schism had taken place between Howell Harris and the other revivalists, and perhaps the cause in the area was neglected as a result, so for years religion was very weak and disheartened. When the curtain rises next, time has rolled on a little, and we find ourselves in about the year 1765. Doubtless new life had taken hold of the family of Seion through the area, because we have the story of Evan Thomas of Dyffryn Uchaf having applied to have a Church established in his house, this application being approved. About the same period we have it that Richard Thomas of Y Farteg made a similar application. Y Farteg stands in the Dyffryn Valley between Dyffryn Uchaf  and the Bryn. It is said also that about this period, that is in the year 1766, the cause was begun in Gyfylchi, which today is in ruins as the cause moved to Pontrhydyfen. A man of excellent character was Evan Thomas of Dyffryn Uchaf, who committed all his energy to the service of religion. Services would be held during the time he was in this farmhouse, in the granary. So it will seen that the house and this family are closely connected with the story of the start of Methodism in the place. The brother of Evan Thomas of Dyffryn was the famous William Thomas of Pyle, and he was born in Dyffryn. We will have the opportunity later on to give the story of this wonderful man as we go over the story of the old characters of Dyffryn Church. But to return to the history of the little Church in Dyffryn Uchaf granary ; it was here for fifteen years, that is, up to the time of the death of Evan Thomas, at the time (as will be seen later on) that his brother William was living in Ty Draw in Pyle, but continued despite that to take a great interest in the cause of Dyffryn.
When his brother Evan died  about the year 1780,  William went to visit Mali Shôn of Dyffryn Isaf, and told her that if she would promise to put up and provide for preachers, he would give his barn over to holding religious services. The old woman promised to do this, and the bargain was struck at once. She had the privilege of hosting the leading preachers of the Union of the day, and among them, the following men : John Elias, Williams Pantycelyn, Robert Roberts of Glynog, and other giants of those days. About twenty five years ago, Dyffryn Isaf went on fire and was burned down, and it is said that the owner at that time was greatly afflicted to see the destruction of the old house. Seeing the flames reach different parts of the house, he shouted – that’s the room that John Elias slept in – falling! One of the generous people of the land was Mali Shôn, and she did much for the cause of religion apart from hosting preachers. . At the end of her life she left £106 11s 9d to support Ministers of the Gospel belonging to the Union of Calvinistic Methodists, in Dyffryn Church and Carmel, Aberafon. A Tablet was placed in the wall of Dyffryn Chapel, Taibach, in her memory. And that wall and the Tablet are now part of the vestry of the above chapel. The script upon it reads as follows :-

1831
Mrs.Mary John of Dyffryn, in the Parish of Margam
Bequeathed the Interest of £106 11s 9d per cent. Consols to the Ministers of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists of the Chapels of Dyffryn and Aberavon

After the death of William Thomas of Pyle,
[ A Note.-. 1751.Margam Rentals.
Havod y Porth.
nant y glo.  Up to Lady Day 1751.  Edward Jenkin.
                  After Lady Day 1751.  William Thomas.

8033. margam estate.
29 Aug. AD 1757
COUNTERPART of a chattel lease to William Thomas for two lives of Nantyglo in 
Havod y Porth.
Signature and seal.
Vellum.
English.

Nantygloe a very isolated small farm croft,situated high up above todays Goytre Res.

MI. Grave.D175. Margam.
Her lieth the body of Thomas the son of William Thomas who departed this life the 25th. day of Oct.1764.aged.7.years and 5.months.
Here also lieth the body of Catherine the wife of the foresaid William Thomas who departed this life the 30th.day of Jan.1798.aged 82.years.
Here also lieth the body of the foresaid William Thomas late of Ty Draw, Pyle who departed this life the 22nd.day of Aug.1811.aged 88.years.
Here also lieth the body of Joseph Thomas the son of the aforesaid William Thomas who departed this life on the 7th.day of April.1820.aged 69.years.
Here also lieth the body of Jane the wife of the afore said Joseph Thomas who departed this life the 27th.day of May 1823. aged 76.years.]

And so the old barn came into the possession of Philip Jones, Esq., manager and owner of Taibach Copper works, and he put it to the service of the cause. It seems that he was a kind man to the cause, and he would come occasionally to the meetings. When he died, his son gave the place again for free to the saints, and there they were until they moved to the present location in the year 1841.
So it is seen that the old Dyffryn Church  worshipped together in the old barn for sixty one years. Powerful people were raised for the Lord in this place, a large host of old brothers and sisters who worshipped God in song and praise as a crowd observing a holy day. Five preachers were produced here, namely William Thomas of Pyle, Jenkin Thomas, Penhydd, Evan Williams, Taibach, William Jones, Ynisygwas and David Hughes.
Behold the names of some of the other members belonging to the society in the old Dyffryn :- Nel Wmffra, that is Ellen Jenkins of Cwmgweina, William Rees of Margam, William Owen the weaver, Dafydd from the Hafod, Thomas Jenkins of Constant (he who used to announce in the old Dyffryn), William Jenkins  from the Hafod, George Heycock, John Heycock, Dafydd Harris, Edward Wilks the swimmer (who in order to escape from the grasp of the Navy, swam from the Mumbles to Margam beach), Jenkin Joseph, Llettyharry, John Dummer, Lletty’r Piod, Evan James, Thomas Llewellyn, Dafydd Llewellyn, Thomas Edwards, Richard a Janet Thomas, Ynisygwas, Mr.Robert Smith and his wife from Craigafon, William Dafydd from Dyffryn Isaf, Richard Cound, Thomas Robert, Ed.Daniel (Manager of the Coal works in the area), Samuel Francis, James Singleton the elder, Rees Morgan and a host of others. Some of those last named were among others who had moved  from the old Dyffryn to the new. We have named some of the old brothers who were prominent amongst their brothers, like Evan Griffith, George Heycock and others – we will give their story in another chapter.
These old brothers and sisters received wonderful manifestations of the Divine presence in the old barn and they experienced many of the influences of the Spirit of Divine Anointing, and they were many times exalted  up to heaven, and they saw abundant and glorious scenes within the unadorned walls. The old barn formed a destination for the whole district, and people would come regularly from Margam, Taibach and Aberafon, not to mention others from further and more remote places. They would receive the finest ministry in Wales, as the great ones arived in turn. Other preachers of the county and region came there regularly, and in addition to them, they would have their own councillors. Some of them have already been noted, such as William Thomas of Pyle, Siencyn Penhydd, and another who was very prominent was Daniel Daniel from Constant. These would announce the great ministry of the Reconciliation with unrivalled power. Although they were ordinary men from the world’s viewpoint, who had not been refined by education as would be understood today, yet through the power of God’s grace and a pure life, and strong and influential characters, they did work the extent of which is difficult to comprehend. Only the last day will show how God used these earthen vessels for His own glory. Before finishing this chapter of the history of old Dyffryn, it can be noted that a day School was held in the old barn from the year 1805 up till 1810.

SOME OF THE CHARACTERS OF OLD DYFFRYN

WILLIAM THOMAS OF PYLE

As was suggested in the previous chapter, it was in Dyffryn Uchaf that this excellent character was born in the year 1723, and therefore was a twelve-year old youth when Howell Harris began to thunder from Trefecca, shaking the land at the beginning of the Methodist Revival. It is said that he was convinced when 16-years old by listening to Howell Harris preaching in Margam when he first visited these districts in the year 1739 as was mentioned, but within four years of that, listening to the same man at the time the society was was established in the Hafod, he had the strength to give himself to the Lord and to His service. After marrying, he stayed in Dyffryn Uchaf for some time, and then moved to a smallholding near the the old barn that was later converted into a Chapel. It is likely that that smallholding was part of Tonygroes farm, and that the barn belonged to it. He had a lease on it for life. In the year 1760 when he was 37 years old, he moved to Ty Draw in Pyle ; but as is noted already, he still retained his interest in the cause in the old Dyffryn, and he used to attend the meetings for many years. He and his wife were noted for their generosity and their kindness towards the poor in general. They had realised the words of the Lord Jesus ‘that it is blessed to give rather than to receive.’ It is said that a loaf and cheese were always on the table as would be convenient to break for whoever would call for charity. Needless to say, many would call, because by mystical means, those that live on charity come to know quickly who are their friends. When the need arose for a Chapel in Pyle, there was felt a difficulty in obtaining land, but the serried stars were this time fighting in favour of religion. A strip of land and three or four houses went on sale in the Pyle area. W.Thomas bought possession, and a Chapel was built upon it, namely Cornelly Chapel, which, after having been renovated and extended, stands to this day. Within a short time, Wm.Thomas built two or three additional houses on the strip, and presented them as a gift to the service of the cause in the place. A Tablet was placed behind the pulpit in Pyle chapel in respect of his memory, but despite that, there is no word of mention of his generosity in the above references. He merits this without doubt, and perhaps the relevant authorities will some day see the way clear to add this to the remembrance. An Elegy to him was composed by his old friend Daniel from Constant. We give it here.

ELEGY

The elegy comprises 16 verses of eight lines each, mostly praising the good character of William Thomas and his works. It mentions that he lived 72 years in the Lord’s vineyard – perhaps this is counted from his conversion by Howell Harris as he is said to have lived a long life. It is said that he travelled to north and south in announcing the gospel, but was confined to his home patch in later life and to have suffered from poor hearing. He was neither witty nor talkative, but spoke carefully every time. He gave not only food to the needy, but hay, oats, flour, grazing land and even money.

Daniel Daniel of Constant

Perhaps the construction of the elegy does not come up to the standard of scholarly criticism of the present day ; despite that it must be recognized that it declares genuine feelings. Also, it is valuable for another reason. In the face of the lack of material regarding the early history of the Old Church, it is rare to to come across something like this, because the elegy gives a concise picture of one who was a powerful instrument for the cause of religion in his day. Daniel from Constant was one of the old councillors of Dyffryn. He was a miner by calling, and so his circumstances did not allow him to go far from home on preaching trips, like William Thomas of Pyle and Siencyn Penhydd. But despite that, he accomplished excellent work at home. It is said that he possessed great mental ability, and his elegy shows that that he was one of the sons of the muse. It is likely that he composed many other pieces of poetry which today have gone to perdition.
He was a very keen and careful man in all his activities, and a strong, pious character, and the influence of his life was strongly behind everything he would do and say. The motto of his life was that whatever he put his hand to, he would do it with all his energy. He used to eagerly search from house to house for men to come to the means of grace. He would induce everybody to come to the house of God and to the gateway to heaven in the old barn. He began preaching in the year 1805, and died in the year 1813. His daughter was Bopa Lizza from the Dyffryn, who used to keep Carmel Chapel House, Aberafan, twenty-eight years ago. Another intersting fact is that the name of Daniel Daniel, Miner, is on the first lease of Carmel, as one of the Trustees on behalf of the Church.

JENKIN THOMAS, PENHYDD

This is another of the councillors of old Dyffryn, and perhaps the most original of them all. He has been immortalized in the colourful and funny biography by the late Rev.Edward Matthews. As his story has been written fully, and that the most important facts of his life are quite well-known to the majority, we shall run quickly over the main strands. Siencyn was born on the 16th of September, 1746, in a farmhouse called Penhydd. This place stands between Pontrhydyfen and Bryntroedgam, on top of the mountain. It is said that a godly old councillor called Evan Ty-Clai was the means by which God convinced and awoke the uncontrolled youth from Penhydd on the matter of his soul.

After marrying, Siencyn went to live in Aberafon. It is not known in which house he lived there, although that would be a very interesting fact to know. Before long, however, he moved to Goetre, to a farmhouse in the Dyffryn Valley, and it was as Siencyn from the Goetre that he was known for the last part of his life. A great-grand-daughter of his is a member of Carmel, namely Mrs.Kent. We will relate one striking story about him to show his peculiarities and his influence. There was once a dispute between the owners of the Taibach copper works and their workers. The workers were asking for extra pay, and the Masters were refusing to give it. As a result the workers walked out. Some of them were arrested by the Masters in order to punish them, as an example to others, for neglecting the furnaces, and thereby causing a great loss to the owners. One young man was jailed, and later he was handed over to the Press Gang to be sent out of the country. The whole area was agitated and many requests were made to Mr.Jones the manager to persuade him to release the boy, but it was all in vain. As a last resort it was decided to ask Siencyn Thomas to go to the gentleman. He accepted, and one morning went to Mr.Jones’ house with a wild appearance, his hair dishevelled like goat’s hair, and in his hand he was carrying a shepherd’s crook three yards long. He went into the house without greeting anyone, and he struck the crook against the floor, and said to the gentleman – a fine job you have done, sending a local boy from the land of his birth. What are you thinking of? The sword shall never leave this house. As you have done, so shall be done unto you – and struck the crook against the floor a second time. As he was finishing his sermon, somebody upstairs fell, and the maid screamed that one of the children had broken his neck. A fright went through the house. The old Patriarch said that was only the start of their sorrows unless they send the boy home, and with that he went away. The gentleman ran after him in terror, shouting – Siencyn Thomas, the boy may come home, whatever it costs. It is plain that such a thing could not be allowed except through the intervention of someone remarkable, with a pure character underlying all his peculiarities.

The little story above gives a little glimpse into the sort of character Siencyn was. Although he was a strong man, he died comparatively young. He was buried in Cwmafon church cemetery, and above his grave which is in a good state of preservation, the following words are carved on his monument.
In memory of Jenkin Thomas of Goetre, Margam Parish, who left this world on December 26th, 1807, aged 61 years.
Death to me was a gift – it was marked
That my departure
To a profitable inheritance
Was as a flow of milk and honey.
An elegy to him exists by the Rev.Hopkin Bevan, one of that number who were ordained as ministers by the Calvinistic Methodists in the year 1811, in Llandilofawr.

ELEGY

The elegy comprises nine verses of four lines each, describing the heroic work of the deceased, with reference to a story in the Old Testament, and the rewards that await him in heaven, but asks - who will take his place?

Hopkin Bevan

EVAN GRIFFITH OF MARGAM

Here is another character as notable and original as those others named. He was known by different names at different times. At first he was Evan from y Firi, as it was from y Firi that he hailed, a place between Llansamlet and Neath. Another name was Evan the Pais (petticoat, or smock), as he would wear such a garment while working. Later he was called Evan the turner, as that was his occupation, and he was also called Evan the good. Evan was a very hard worker, and it might be thought, seeing him work with the flail evening and morning, with all his energy, that he had a large family depending on him ; but we understand that that was not so, and it is likely that he had no close relatives in this area. He was a very diligent man, and thrifty in his ways. But despite that, he was noted for his generosity to the cause of religion. He would be in his full glory when there was a collection taking place. He would usually say – come along now boys, let us sow abundantly on this piece of land, so that very likely you will get a good crop on it – you will see. But he would also do, not only say. He always led in the collection. 
There is a story about him in the monthly meeting where Jones Llangan was complaining about a heavy debt on the part of some weak cause. Having spoken at length on the matter, it was decided to raise a collection there and then, and Jones himself began by giving a gold guinea, which was considered quite a big sum at that time. He was followed by some of the gentlemen who were present, each one putting in his guinea. After speaking a little more, Jones asked if there were others who would like to give, and said that he would accept less than a guinea from anyone who could not come up to that. Evan went forward and threw five guineas onto the table to everyone’s surprise. Jones asked him ‘Ianto, Ianto, aren’t you giving too much?’ ‘I gave that which I gave, Mr.Jones, this is how I pay my debt’ said Evan. 
Another story is told of a collection made in the old Dyffryn towards helping an aged woman who was in need. A hat was taken around, and much was thrown into it, because they were very generous people in the old Dyffryn. In counting the money, a gold guinea was found, and it was thought that it was a lost sheep. It was held up and its owner was sought. Evan was thought of, and he was asked had he thrown a guinea in the hat instead of a shilling. He answered abruptly as usual ‘what I have given, I have given’. It seems that he was a man of short stature and that he loved everything as himself.
So he would be with the ‘means of grace’. He used to like a short sermon, a short prayer and a short fellowship. He wouldn’t have anything overlong. It is said that one preacher called Evan Rees from Cardiganshire was preaching in the old Barn. He kept going tediously, according to the story, and after going into the house, Evan said to him unceremoniously, ‘ Wel, Evan Rees, it happened that you preached quite well, but if you had cut it in half it would have been very much better.’ He didn’t like to hear anyone speak for long. 
In a meeting once, Dafydd from the Hafod was conversing with some woman. This he did for quite a time and in a rather doctorly fashion. After being restless for some time, Evan rose to his feet and shouted out, ‘Dafydd, leave your refinement, leave your refinement, you are saying much too much my boy. A short lesson for the children, they will remember it much better.’ 
Evan tried to preach once. A stranger from the North was expected to preach in the Old Dyffryn, but there was a disappointment. Evan rose to his feet and said, ‘Well, as the stranger did not come, I will preach. The subject I have in mind to say a little about is ‘You have a demon.’ Now, every one of us here in this meeting tonight has his demon, and it is enough work for every one to find his own demon. There,’ he said, ‘short and sweet for you.’
When Evan was dying, he began like every wise man to organize his house, and he decided to share his small wealth among his spiritual relatives. He gave his Bible to Dyffryn Church, the one which was used there until the time of the move to the new building in 1841. He gave his £80 of money towards getting books for the Sunday School. His clothes were shared among his brothers in the Church, but it isn’t known who got his smock. It appears that there was a bit of a fuss as regards the red cap.

When his hour of death came, he raised his hand up to the heavens and shouted out ‘take me up, take me up, great Jesus, the way is sound, the way is open to glory.’ It is likely that he had been living at Margam because he was known as Evan Griffith of Margam.
He lived a long time near the old Chapel, but during the final years he was lodging on the Constant, from where he was taken to be buried. His mortal remains were laid to rest in Aberafon cemetery, in the year 1815, and as long as Margaret Rees (Macws the weaver), mother of Samuel Rees, one of the deacons of Carmel, was alive, she would care for his grave. Her children would often ask her, ‘Mam, why do you clean this grave, who lies here?’ She would answer that ‘it was the grave of a godly old man from the Dyffryn who is now in heaven.’ She used to feel that it was a privilege to do something in memory of godly people.
We referred to his act of donating a sum of money towards getting books for the Sunday School in Dyffryn and other places. There was a tablet in his memory placed in the wall of Dyffryn vestry, Taibach. It read as follows :-

1813
Evan Griffith of Margam bequeathed £80 toward maintaining the Welsh Sunday School in Dyffryn and elsewhere in the Parish of Margam.

There is no doubt that the old man meant the gift for our Union, and so it was shared out until lately. About forty years ago the trustee died without presenting the trusteeship to anyone else, and the money was not shared out for some years, and when the authorities went to look into it, it was seen that the word elsewhere gave a claim to all the schools of the parish, and thus is the money shared out at present.

CARMEL, ABERAFON

About the beginning of the last century, the old brothers felt a strong urge to start a branch in Aberafon. Meetings were held around the houses for some years, and the story is told of one called Miles Edwards keeping a Sunday School in the Plough about 1806 – 1810. It was decided at last to build a Chapel, and an agreement was made with the Burgesses of Aberafon for land, and the building began. The builder was one called Dafydd Rees from y Pandy, Pontrhydyfen, and it was finished in the year 1810. We do not have the history of the inaugural meetings, and so we do not know who preached. Very likely the Rev.Hopkin Bevan and the Patriarch Richard James, Pontrhydyfen, were there. Whatever, both names are on the first lease, with others.
This was obtained on August 19th, 1811, from the Portreeve and the Burgesses of the town and the Borough of Afan. It will be of interest to give here the names of the Trustees –

TRUSTEES :
        Rev. Howell Howells, Curate of St.Lythan’s
        Rev. William Leyshon, Llangattwg
        Rev. Hopkin Bevan, Llangyfelach
        Rev.  Richard James, Pontrhydyfen
        Rev. William Howell, Penllin Clerk

DEACONS :
        Daniel Daniel, Collier, that is, Daniel of Constant
        David Thomas, that is, Dafydd from the Hafod
        Joseph Thomas, the son of William Thomas of Pyle

FOR THE OWNERS :
        Thomas Jones, Portreeve
        Thomas William Howell, Alderman 
        David Thomas, Alderman

        Evan John David,        Thomas Thomas,
        David Evans,            Edward Jones,
        Thomas Jones,            Thomas John, Sadler          Burgesses
        Thos. Williams        Edward John,
            (the deacon)            Evan Williams,

THE ACTIVITIES

The lease was for 99 years, and the rate for the land was £1 a year. This lease would expire in the year 1909 were it not for another act carried out as will be seen below. In the year 1824, a Gallery was placed in the Chapel. Also, this is when the Chapel House was built. In the year 1844, Carmel was rebuilt, and at that time the ownership was handed over from the Trustees to the Union. The name on this act on the part of the Trustees was Ann Howells, widow of Howell Howells, the curate whose name is on the first lease. The person to whom the ownership was handed over on behalf of the Union was the Rev.David Howells, Swansea. We place here again the Trustees on behalf of the Union in this new act.

    Ann Howells
    Rev. David Howell, Swansea
    Rev. William Evans, Tonyrefail
    Rev. David Roberts, Cowbridge
    Rev. John James, Bridgend
    Rev. Edward Mathews, Ewenny
    Rev. Evan Williams, Taibach
    Rev. William Jones, Ynysygwas

    Elias Basset, Llanilltyd
    John Howell, Bryngwti, father of Llawdden
    Wm. Jones, Llansannor                                                        Deacons
    Emanuel Griffiths, Aberafon

On the 17th of September, 1849, the owners of the land allowed more favourable terms than were on the first lease. Instead of being for a hundred years less one, to being for a thousand years less one, and instead of the Rate being a pound a year, to being a shilling a year, upon the condition of paying £60 for the favour. The name of the Portreeve, Evan Jones, is on the lease, on behalf of the Burgesses, and the name of Emanuel Griffiths on behalf of the Union. This was the second lease, or the second application for terms, but as we say three tries for a Welshman, there was one try left. That is where we shall go now. On the 24th of June, 1861, the owners sold the land to the Union as a freehold in perpetuity for the sum of £5. The terms of the second lease had been an improvement upon the first, but this application cast the two previous in the shade. This act was signed on behalf of the owners by the following :

    Jenkin Thomas, Portreeve.
    Morgan William, Alderman.
    William Williams, Alderman.
    Griffith Thomas, Accountant (Witness).
    Evan Thomas, Recorder (Witness).

TRUSTEES ON BEHALF OF THE UNION :
    Rev. David Howell, Swansea.
    Rev. William Williams, Penllin (Argyle).
    Rev. Richard Lumley, Swansea.
    Rev. John James, Bridgend
    Rev. Evan Williams, Taibach.
    Rev. William Jones, Ynisygwas.

DEACONS :
    Thomas Phillips, Shopkeeper, Swansea.
    Samuel Rees, Aberafon.
    John Jones, Aberafon.
    Thomas Jones, Aberafon.
    John Howells, Bryncwti.

WITNESSES TO THE TRUSTEES’ MANUSCRIPT :
    Evan Thomas, Tea Merchant, Aberafon.
    William Howell, Coalminer, Penycae, Aberafon.

NEW TRUSTEES :
    Rev. Thomas Edwards, Cwmafon.
    Rev. Moses Thomas, Port Talbot.
    Rev. William Richards, Briton Ferry.
    Rev. John Rhys Davies, Port Talbot.
    Rev. Edward Owen, Glyncorrwg.

DEACONS :
    Mr. Richard Richards, Aberafon.
    Mr. John Edwards, Aberafon.
    Mr. Edward Howe, Port Talbot.
    Mr. John Nicholas, Port Talbot.
    Mr. John Davies, Aberafon.

The way that the Land is described in the lease is very interesting. It is likely that it was a garden, and that a House had been there, and that some woman called Faith Brown had been living in it for some time, and the name on the piece of land that Carmel was built on was Faith Brown’s House. The name Faith was given quite commonly to girls in days gone by. We remember hearing of a husband and wife going home once, and they had to go through a river that had risen quite high. As they crossed, the situation became critical. The wife gripped the husband’s clothes, and he said to her, ‘keep your hold Faith’, and they reached the bank safely.

It is a noted fact that Carmel was the first nonconformist Chapel ever built in the district. Within eleven years of that, Moriah was built by the Baptists. In the year 1824, Tabernacl was built by the Independents. In 1838, the Methodists’ Beulah Chapel was built in Groes, Margam. In 1841, Dyffryn Chapel, Taibach, was built, and in 1849 Wern Chapel belonging to the Independents was built. The first Carmel was a small building, and included seating for about 200. There were about ten yards between it and the river. The back wall of the Chapel was where the back of the big seat is now. There was a garden between it and the river, and a well (Winch) within two yards of the Chapel. The well is there now, but it was filled up when the Chapel was renovated eight years ago. The face of the Chapel was about five yards nearer towards the direction of the Vestry than the present Chapel.

In the year 1824, a House was built near the Chapel. The lower part of the house was used as a stable, because the preachers and many of the congregation used to travel on horses and in vehicles. The entrance to the Gallery was over stone steps on both sides of the Chapel. The steps on the lower side would lead to the Chapel House as well as to the Gallery. The congregation would go over the steps on the higher side of the Chapel, and the preacher would go from the Chapel House to the Gallery and from there to the Pulpit. It is an interesting fact that the wall of the lower side of the first old Chapel forms part of the present Chapel and of the Chapel House. Aberafon was a very small town at that time and consisted of only about forty houses. At first, some  deacons of the Old Dyffryn were appointed to look after the cause in Carmel, namely Dafydd o’r Hafod, Thomas Robert, and William Jenkins o’r Hafod.

It is likely that Dafydd o’r Hafod was the chief instrument in starting the cause and building the Chapel.

In the year 1836 it was decided that the Dyffryn people were to stay with the Dyffryn seiat, and that people from the Aberafon district were to take their place in the Carmel seiat. The Revs.Ebenezer Richards, Tregaron and Dr.Lewis Edwards, Bala and others were in that meeting. The Revs.Ebenezer Morris and William Griffith Brower were there on behalf of the Monthly Meeting.

Two brothers were earmarked to be deacons, namely Robert Smith and Jno.Jones (the father of J.Jones bach). In the year 1841 two others were chosen, namely Thomas Williams and Emanuel Griffith. After that four others were chosen, namely William Williams, Blaencynaeron, Samuel Rees, John Jones, and John Jones from Velindre. The next generation of deacons was Thomas Jones, William Howells, Edward Jones (Chandler), and Evan Thomas. In the year 1881 another five were chosen, namely Thomas Griffiths, Thomas Lewis, John Davies, John Edwards, and Edward Howe. In 1892 four more were chosen, namely Daniel Gregory the elder, Richard Richards, Brynhyfryd, Thomas Morgan and John Nicholas. In 1903, David Davies, John Gwyn, Thomas Robert Meyrick and David Hopkins were chosen.

OLD DEACONS :
We will try to relate here the little that can be gleaned about the above, although we must recognize that the relevant material is rather scarce.

ROBERT SMITH.

This man was a native of Carmarthen. He came to Aberafon about the year 1823 to build Margam Tin works. He was a man of wide knowledge and of uncommon intellectual attainments. He was zealous and hard-working with the cause in the Old Dyffryn and in Carmel, and he strove energetically with the Sunday School. He composed rhymes upon the observation of the Sabbath, and they were taught to be recited by the School. It is likely that he was converted by listening to John Elias preaching in London upon those words, ‘The fool says in his heart that there is no God.’ He resided in Craigafon. He became a very prominent man in the Monthly Meeting and in the Cymanfa. He was chosen as one of the nine to sign the constitutional act of the Union for Glamorgan. We give their names here –

    Hopkin Bevan, Llangyfelach
    David Howells, Swansea.
    Benjamin Williams, Cardiff.
    William Bonville, Neath.
    Robert Smith, Margam.
    Thomas Williams, Merthyr.
    John Edwards, Merthyr.
    Edward Williams, Merthyr.
    Evan Jones, Merthyr.

In the year 1836, Mr.Smith undertook to build a Chapel for Carmel Church, namely Ebenezer, and the church moved to the new Chapel, and worshipped there for two years. But unfortunately a dispute arose between Mr.Smith and the Monthly Meeting about handing over the Chapel to the ownership of the Union. It is likely that he had terms in connection with the handing over that the Monthly Meeting could not accept. He had to give it in its entirety or it would all fall. Anyway the gentleman was hurt somehow in the argument, and as he knew that the Baptists had need of a Chapel he offered it to them for five hundred pounds. They accepted the offer, and Carmel Church had to return to the little chapel a second time. But despite that, he continued to be hard-working and faithful to the cause in Carmel to the end of his life. He died on March 20th, 1841 at 59 years of age, and he was buried in Margam cemetery. The Rev,Wm.Evans, Tonyrefail preached on the day of his funeral upon the words, ‘Worthy in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.’

JOHN JONES THE ELDER

We have not succeeded in getting more than a little of the history of this old saint. He must have been an excellent character and of undoubted godliness in order to have been chosen as a fellow official to his master Mr.Smith.

THOMAS WILLIAMS

He was a carpenter by vocation. We have heard much talk of him from the old people. He was notable for his zeal and his faithfulness and his diligence with all the work, and especially the Sunday School that he always looked after. He was the secretary of the two-monthly Class Meeting for thirty years. He could read brilliantly in public. Mr.Charles of Bala used to say that a good reader explains through reading. He used to advise the young people to learn to read correctly and appropriately, so that they would be qualified to read publicly in services. He possessed a strong nature, and he was without doubt above his contemporaries. He was extremely able and wise in his leadership of the Church. He would be very severe to those who would now and then slip into some transgression. When they returned to the Seiat, he would call them forward and he would examine them strictly, and rebuke them very severely. He said once to a brother who had slipped and because of that had stayed away from the Meetings for some time, ‘Where have you been this long time? Is there no shame upon you? Do you know what sort of house you are living in? Well I will tell you. A House without one door to it, and the dogs, and the pigs, and the chickens, and the ducks, and the geese are coming in to it, and it is a very uncommon place! Keep a door to your house, bachan, and don’t let everything come into it.’ 
He said to another who was slipping quite frequently, ‘what is wrong with you, bachan? Every day you have scars on the end of your nose, keep from those rough places, bachan, and cease falling like that all the time, leave those old scars heal once and for all!’
But although he would rebuke severely, he would be the readiest with those would encounter storms and the tribulations of life. He would comfort and console those weak of thought and with little experience. We find that he lived first in the Chapel House, and it was there that his son Benjamin was born in the year 1825. He died on April 28th, 1858 at the age of 72 years. His departure was a great loss to Carmel Church, and hiraeth and deep grief was felt for him throughout the entire district.

EMANUEL GRIFFITHS

He also was an excellent character, faithful and hard-working with every aspect of the work. He was a manager in the coal-mine by calling. He used to lead the singing occasionally in the service. He raised a talented family that was of service with the cause in Carmel and other places. One of his sons was the late William Griffiths (Ivander), who was one of the chief Welsh Choral conductors in his day. He moved from Carmel when he was quite young to Pontardawe, and he formed a United Choir in that area, and did a lot of good in connection with music through teaching and reciting works and other books of the works of the great Masters. After many years of  labour and service in those districts, he moved to Workington, and was of great service there and in the district through forming Choirs and organizing Eisteddfods, and societies to stimulate the workers into striving with literature and music which was a benefit in a social and religious benefit context in those parts. Ivander was chosen as a music adjudicator in the National Eisteddfod that was held in Merthyr years ago. Thus, Carmel Church and the town of Aberafon can feel proud that it was there that Ivander was raised. 
Another son of Emanuel’s was Griffith. We may say a word about him when we mention Carmel’s singing conductors. Another son of his was Thomas Griffiths, who was a builder. It was he who built the first Chapel of Gibeon, Taibach. Another son of his was Benjamin Griffiths, who was also very talented. Many times we saw him take prizes in Eisteddfods in this district. He won a prize of £7 7s.in the Workmen’s Hall Eisteddfod, Taibach, in 1873 for an essay on Nationhood. He used to be known by the nom-de-plume Index. Another son of his was an able and skilled doctor. Carmel Church can pride itself that it was there that this family was nurtured, especially the first two, namely William and Griffith.
We now come to the next four deacons that were chosen, namely, William Williams, Samuel Rees, John Jones, and John Thomas.

WILLIAM WILLIAMS, BLAENCYNAERON

He was a man of great influence, full of zeal and enthusiasm. He was looked upon as one of the saints of God the Most High. He was not able to read, but despite that, he knew a great deal of the Bible, and was learned in spiritual things. We find that he came to religion in the year 1802. He was rescued from his errant ways through the ministry of one Watkin Williams from the North who used to preach on Saturday nights in Penhydd. That was the time that he began to pray, and he did not give up the work until the day he died. He was notable in prayer, impressive, warm and very original. He would often tell the young people to labour in the Word, and to be fervent at the throne of grace, and to behave in a manner befitting Christ’s Gospel. Very suitable advice for the young people of the present day. He was remarkably faithful in the Meetings. He travelled often to the old Dyffryn Barn, to Gyfylchi Chapel, and the Graig Fach near Llangynwyd, singing and praising his Saviour as he went and as he returned from those places. Sometimes in the dead of night, people would ask one another, what is that? and some one would reply ‘O, it is Wil praising his Saviour!’ He continued to praise Him unto his grave. It can be said of him – ‘he went to heavenly peace.’ He died in Jesus on June 10th, 1864, at 84 years of age. He was honourably buried in Margam cemetery by his Master John Richards, of Cwrt Isaf, the Emperor of Aberafon as he was called.

The Rev.Wm.Jones, Ynisygwas, preached remarkably effectively at his funeral, on John 16, 22. ‘And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, &c.’
We believe that Jesus has fulfilled His promise to Carmel many times through His gracious visits. The hymn, There shall be a myriad wonders, &c., was sung at the graveside, upon the Tune Nebo.

SAMUEL REES

Samuel Rees was one of the most hard-working and useful deacons that was ever in Carmel. He was the son of the dear and godly Dafydd Rees the Weaver. By vocation he was a manager in the Tin works. He was brought up in the Chapel House. He was a zealous abstainer, and a man of abilities far above the ordinary, and of influence in the whole district. He was an important member of the Monthly Meeting and the Cymanfa. The main aim of his life was caring for the cause in all of its aspects. It was he who would look after and organize just about everything to do with the cause, and he possessed a particular suitability to carry out the lot. But that is not how it should be in God’s Church. We believe that Carmel Church was to be greatly blamed for leaving the lot to him, and pushing the lot upon him, and that for so many years. This without doubt was the cause of the misunderstanding and the grievous bad feeling that happened in his story, that caused him to leave Carmel, and to join the State Church. But it was in Carmel that his heart remained to his grave. It is hoped that the Churches of our land will heed a lesson from that situation, in order to avoid something similar, as when there is a need of some changes, that it can be done without anyone being wounded or offended. And it is hoped also that the deacons of our Churches will heed the lesson, and refrain from pushing themselves to do virtually everything, when there are others among their fellow officials as worthy and qualified as they themselves to do the work. We do not refer to that which befell Samuel Rees out of any disrespect to him, but we feel that our duty as a Church is to thank God for giving to Carmel one who was of so much service and usefulness with the cause, and who dedicated so much of his time upon the altar of religion, and that for so many years. He died in Jesus, April 8th, 1878, at 63 years of age, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery. ‘Peace unto his dust until the fanfare of the trumpet.’

JOHN JONES

The next we look at is John Jones (Cold Rolls) as he was called, as he was a worker in the Tin works. He was one of the most dear and godly men that the Lord gave to Carmel from the beginning of the cause to the present. He was a pure character, and of a shy and very godly spirit, a man of strong abilities, and an excellent speaker. It seems that at one time he thought of going into the ministry, and if he had taken that step, without doubt he would have a prominent and brilliant star amongst the  the preachers of Wales in his day. He drew heaven down many times in the Seiat and the prayer Meeting many times. We remember him once in a two-monthly Meeting of the Sunday School in Penycae, about the year 1864, and although so much time time has passed since then, we remember the meeting well. He spoke for half an hour, surprising and enchanting everyone, and we felt that the presence and the influence of the Spirit of God was plainly in the place. Another time, not long after that, in Carmel on the morning of the Sabbath, he rose to say a few words after the sermon. It was an extremely good meeting, and the preacher was obviously under the influence of the Spirit. The subject of the sermon was ‘The Lord is a refuge, and a fortress for His own.’ John Jones made a few comments, and referred to the excellent sermon that we had heard, and related a small story, very appropriate to the subject of the sermon. He said that a farmer was once out walking on the field, and suddenly he saw a small bird being pursued by a hawk, and when things became critical for the little bird, it flew to the farmer’s bosom, and escaped from clutches of the hawk, and its life was saved. And, said John Jones, as the hawk pursues the small bird, so the Devil walks around seeking those it can devour. ‘Dear people,’ he said, ‘flee to the refuge, to safety, to God’s bosom, and you will be safe for ever from the grasp of every enemy.’ ‘Flee to the fortress, you hopeful prisoners, while it is a day of grace and a season of salvation.’ He spoke very characteristically in the Seiat one evening. His subject was , The love of Christ for His own, and His commandment to his disciples to love one another. He quoted very many verses to prove the thesis, such as, ‘He loving His own, those who were in the world, and He loved them to the end.’ He did not turn back, he said, however rough the journey, however many the frustrations and the difficulties, but went on, setting his face like flint against it all. And he referred to Jesus’ love for the family of Bethania – ‘and Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus were favoured by Jesus.’ And when Jesus wept at the grave, the Jews came to the conclusion that Jesus loved Lazarus greatly, and they said, ‘Behold, how he loved him.’
We remember well the last time he was in Carmel. There was a prayer meeting that night, and he took a part in bringing the meeting to an end. He was praying very impressively although he was very weak, and it was plain that he took strength from God’s Spirit. Within a few weeks of that, he was taken away to the eternal home. He died on the 10th of April, 1891, aged 78 years. On the day of his funeral, his body was taken to Carmel, to the big seat, and a very effective service was held. A number of our leading ministers took part, and all felt that a great man in Israel had fallen. The old anthem ‘The just shall dwell in heaven’ was sung by the Singing Class, out of respect to his memory. The idea that we would never see his face again in Carmel caused all of us to weep copiously. He was was buried in Aberafon cemetery. Peace to his dust until that glorious morning – When the gates of the graveyards of the world
Shall open upon a word.

THOMAS JONES

Thomas Jones was the brother of John Jones. He also used to work in the Tin works. He had his own peculiarities, his personal characteristics, that placed on his own among his brothers. He was very dissimilar to his brother. He was not so much of a theologian or thinker, but he was an excellent worker, and was of great service and influence with the cause, especially so with the Sunday School. He was a faithful teacher of a class of young and middle-aged men, in the place where Mr.Edwards’ class is at present. It is the same class, and there are some there now that there were there at that time. He succeeded brilliantly in causing his pupils to be faithful in the School. When one of them was absent one Sabbath, the old man would greet them at the first opportunity by greeting them quite abruptly with some question such as, ‘Where were you last Sabbath, is there no shame upon you boy? Remember, your place is in the School, I will be expecting to see you in the next Sunday School.’ and thus would members of his class take care to be in the School very regularly, for one thing to avoid the sharp rebukes of the old teacher. The care that he had for his class won their love for him. One of his pupils used to say that he called in his house for a whole year to urge him to go to the School, and he continuing to refuse, and the old man continuing to call every Sabbath. Within a year he yielded, and he went with him, and continued faithfully in the School for the rest of his life. It would be good for the teachers of Carmel School to take a leaf from the book of the old faithful teacher, Thomas Jones. He was an old, simple, honest, upright and unassuming brother, and he did valuable service in his own way with the cause in Carmel for many years. He died in Jesus, June 22nd, 1887, aged 77 years, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery. Peace to his dust, until the final great morning.

JOHN JONES OF VELINDRE

John Jones was a remarkable character on many counts. He was a Tinman by calling. He used to read very widely, and he made use of what he had read. His favourite books were the Expositions of Matthew Henry, Dr. Gill, Charles’ Dictionary, the Catechism, and Gurnal’s book. We heard him many times observing that Gurnal says that a new man’s breath is prayer, and it can be said that the old brother John Thomas had been blessed generously with that breath. The cause in Carmel was very close to his heart. He was remarkably faithful in all the Meetings, and he took a great interest in every part of the work. His memory was almost limitless, and he would remember and recite extensive parts of sermons that he had heard. It is likely that he had some kind of short-hand and his own method of recording sermons, &c., that is, certain symbols and lines to signify words and phrases. It is unlikely that anyone else could understand them, but it seems that they were of some help to him. His ability to speak was very fine. We remember him once in particular. He had been in the Society, and had had very good meetings it seems. He came to the Seiat, and stood up himself to begin the meeting by reading and praying, and then he called upon the children to recite their verses, and having accomplished that task, went on to relate what he had heard in the Society, and we had satisfaction that evening. The time went on without the old brother being aware. He raised his eyes to the clock and saw that it was half past eight, and he said, ‘Well, well, the time has gone very strangely tonight,’ and he asked some brother to close the Meeting shortly. One evening, while going from the Prayer Meeting, he said to some young brother who was walking along with him, that such and such had been far too long with the prayer. The young answered by saying, ‘He was nowhere near as long as you used to be,’ but the old man did not believe that was how it was.
We remember him well coming to Margam on Sabbath mornings to the two-monthly meetings of the Sunday School. At that time he was representing Corlanau School. He presented a very heartening report on the whole about the School. He said that many children were coming to the School, faithfully and regularly, and learning very well, but what was causing a great worry to the old saint was that the children, after growing up to a particular age, were going with their parents to the Independents’ Chapel, and were being lost to Methodism, and the old man looked upon that as a dire misfortune. That proves that his zeal for the old dear union that he belonged to was very great. We will say a word about him again when we mention the cause in Corlanau. He died on July the 9th, 1884, at 70 years old, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.

EDWARD JONES THE CHANDLER

Edward Jones was also a faithful and hard-working old brother in Carmel all his life. We hear that at one time he thought of going to preach, and that he worked towards that end, and he retained the air of a preacher. But it seems that the endeavour was a failure. Every time he spoke in the seiat and other public meetings, he would be remarkably orderly in his sayings, and quite doctorly as regards his style. When he and the other three were chosen as deacons, the Rev. David Howells, Swansea, was one of the two there for the Monthly Meeting representing the Church. And as in those days they used to examine them quite severely on Justification, Sanctification, Election, Rebirth and Adoption, &c. Mr. Howells said to Edward Jones, ‘We are expecting you to answer well, you are quite a bit of a doctor!’ and it seems that he was not disappointed in the answers he had from Edward Jones, and the other brothers. It is good that the tough questioning of those days has ceased by now, or it would look quite gloomy for many of us to come through the examination successfully.

EVAN THOMAS

He was generally known as Evan the Tea. It can be said of him that he was faithful, hardworking and useful with the cause in Carmel. He was a very capable man, a great reader, and he possessed particular qualifications as a teacher in the Sunday School. We can say unhesitatingly that there was never a better teacher in Carmel than Evan Thomas. His class was held in the corner of the big seat, on the higher side, where Mr.T.Meyrick’s class was until lately. In the last years of his life he was in very poor health. He was greatly vexed by a shortage of breath, and so he was unable to be as useful and hardworking with the cause as he used to be when he was healthy. When he was chosen as a deacon, the Rev.David Howells, Swansea, examined him, and it is said that he was greatly pleased by the answers that he had from Evan Thomas. He died in September, 1889, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.

WILLIAM HOWELL

We can say about him that everyone had a good word for him, and that is the truth. He was faithful in all circles, a blameless worker in his Lord’s vineyard. He was of a gentle temper, modest and serious, he did not make much sound, but used to work silently. There was one remarkable thing about him, that is, when a brother would be praying aloud in a prayer meeting, or some other meeting, he also would pray at the same time. Not praying in his mind do we mean, but whispering words of prayer while the public prayer was at it. He was very keen on propriety in the service, and that those who profess religion should be pure and blameless as regards the conduct of their lives. We heard him in the Seiat many times reciting that worthy promise – ‘In rejoicing shall you draw water from the wells of Salvation.’ He was taken away from his work to his reward in September, 1886, aged 72 years. We may say a word of him again when we mention the Conductors of Singing in Carmel.

THOMAS GRIFFITH, CORLANAU

This old brother was an excellent character, of undoubted godliness, and notably serious and deliberate. Matters of religion had the uppermost place in his mind. He was a great prayer, and like many of the old brothers at times forgetting themselves, would pray at great length. He was about 60 years old when he was chosen as a deacon, and so he had only about two years to give service to his Lord in that important position. He died on March 24th, 1883, at 63 years old, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.

THOMAS LEWIS, PENYCAE

Thomas Lewis was a very dear brother, faithful in the means, a quiet, inoffensive worker, and a pure character. Within a few years of being chosen as a deacon in Carmel, he joined Saron Church, Penycae, as it was more convenient for him to attend the meetings. He had lost his wife, and the children were members in Penycae, and he himself lived near the Chapel, and he was very soon chosen again as a deacon there, and he was faithful and hardworking with the cause to the end of his life. He died on March 12th, 1904.

The three others who were chosen the same time, and the last two named have stayed with us to this day, namely, Mr. John Davies, Mr. John Edwards, and Mr. Edward Howe, and hopefully we shall keep them for years yet, and that they will have the strength to be faithful and hardworking with the cause in the future as in the past.

In the year 1892, four others were chosen, namely Daniel Gregory the elder, Richard Richards, Thos, Morgan, and John Nicholas. The first three have gone the way of the whole earth. Only one remains now, for some similar purpose.

DANIEL GREGORY

He was a mason by his calling. When he was chosen as a deacon, he had reached very old age. He was a pure and spotless character, faithful in the meetings, and keen with the cause in all its aspects. He was not as prominent in the public work of the Church as some others of the old brothers. But in the last few years of his life, he had a wonderful revival, and came to take part more frequently in the Seiat and the prayer Meeting &c. It was easy to perceive that he was graduating to a better land. It was a means of grace to hear him relating his warm and tender experience, when he was nearly at the end of the journey. He died on December 1st, 1894, aged 75 years, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.

RICHARD RICHARDS

Mr. Richards was a man of ability far above the ordinary, a great reader, and had been of use and service with the cause all his life. He was a member of Tabernacl Church, Cwmafon, most of his life. He had taken a great interest in the post of teacher in the Sunday School, and it is a fact worth stating that four of those who were in his class in Cwmafon had become ministers of the Word, namely, William, Lewis, and John Hughes, and Hugh James. The last of the three brothers, that is, the Rev.John Hughes, M.A., Liverpool, had risen to a high position in the Union. He was President of the Northern Society in 1909, and he was the elected President of the general Cymanfa. He is considered to be one of the giants of the Union. In the year 1877, Mr. Richards moved to the Vale of Glamorgan, to a farmhouse near St. Fagan’s. He joined the Church there, and was of great help to the cause that was comparatively weak; and it was not long before he was chosen as a deacon. In the year 1899 he moved to Aberafon. We remember well the warm letter given by St. Fagan’s Church when losing him. It was obvious from that letter that he was very dear to them, and that they missed him greatly. We ourselves can say that their loss was a great gain for Carmel. He was a very complete man. He would examine the children in the Seiat when the Minister was not present, and he was very qualified for the work. As was said, he possessed remarkable qualities as a teacher. He was a teacher until he died of the reading class which was held on Sabbath mornings after the meeting, and it was a very successful class.
We remember two particular occasions in the history of Mr. Richards which made a deep impression upon our minds, and which will stay long in the memory. The first was on the occasion of the sudden death of Rev. Rees Phillips which took place in Cilfrew. (We will give the story of that occasion when giving the story of Mr. Phillips.) The news of his sudden death had taken everyone by surprise. A prayer Meeting was held in Carmel that Monday night as usual, but the news had cast a cloud of sadness and grief over the Church and the neighbourhood – everyone in tears for losing one so dear, and that so abruptly. Mr. Richards gave out the following hymn to sing: My friends are going home, &c. but he failed to read it through because of the intensity of his feelings, and all of us felt that it was easier to weep than to sing, and when Mr. Richards went on his knees, the tears were more frequent than the words. It was a strange sight to see Mr. Richards, who as a rule was so self-possessed, being overcome so completely by his feelings.
The other time was in a prayer Meeting on Christmas morning. We remember many sweet meetings in Carmel at Christmas, but the one we refer to was special, and the thing which has stayed fresh in our memory is the excellent hymn that Mr. Richards gave out to sing, that is Wele fi yn dyfod, llefa’r Meichiau mawr, &c. He read the verses remarkably effectively, and with notable conviction. It was easy to see that he had had some new vision to include this fine hymn, which was so suitable and purposeful for the day. All of us who were in the Meeting viewed the glory of the Person of the Saviour, and the greatness of His love, through the greatness of His humiliation. ‘And He in the form of God, we did not imagine to be as high as God: but He devalued Himself, taking upon Himself the aspect of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and was found in the form of a man. He humiliated Himself by being obedient unto death, yes, death on the Cross.’ Mr. Richards suffered greatly in his last years from a shortage of breath. His final illness was short. He died on October 20th, 1898, aged 61 years, and he was buried in Aberafon cemetery.
A brother who was a close friend of his composed a Hymn, and a new Tune out of respect to his memory, and they were sung the following Sabbath when the Funereal Sermon was delivered in Carmel by the Minister, the Rev. Wm. Davies. 
We place the Hymn and the Tune here.

BRYN HYFRYD
(In memory of the late Mr. Richard Richards, Brynhyfryd, one of the deacons of Carmel, Aberafon).

In a tangled wilderness,/ On perilous paths,
I expect before long/ To go to my Dear one;
O, come, my blessed Jesus,/ To guide me through the valley,
And take me to the hill of Zion,/ In the land of bliss.

If I come to the end of my journey,/ Into the midst of the multitude,
My work will be to praise,/ In a pure Hosanna;
To remember the dust of the lowly,/ And come when the hour arrives,
To pay the great debt/ Upon Calvary.

(A literal translation)

NICHOLAS RODERICK (page 144)

It can be said of the old brother Nicholas that he was remarkably faithful to the cause in every aspect through all his life. He possessed an excellent voice, and he would take part heartily in the singing, and would sometimes begin the tune when the Conductor was absent, and his sweet voice was of benefit to him, especially when the gathering was small in number. He was not very sure of the metres; he would often sing a tune that was of a different metre to the hymn that was given out, but the old brother used to make it work. We heard him at times begin a hymn that neither he himself nor the congregation knew the tune to, and the old brother would advance through it himself; but when he sang the first two lines a second time, as would be done in those days, he would have a completely different tune. He did valuable service to the cause by conveying the preachers in his vehicle from Taibach on a Sunday afternoon, and also from Port Talbot on Saturday night, and back on Monday mornings. Whatever he could, he would do. He died in 1870, aged 75 years, and he was buried in Margam Cemetery.

Y DYFFRYN, TAIBACH

At the start of the book, the history of the Old Dyffryn was given up to the time of the move from the Old Barn to the new Chapel in Taibach, between the time that the cause was begun in Carmel in 1810, and the year 1840. The Church in the Old Dyffryn had increased greatly until the place was too small to contain it, and it was decided to build a new Chapel. Land was obtained from C. M. Talbot, Esquire, for 99 years for the rate of 2/6 a year. The Designer of the Chapel was the Rev. Evan Harries of Merthyr. The Builder was John Rees, Groeswen, Taibach. The size of the Chapel was 55 feet by 50 feet. It cost £1,300 ; the House £150 ; and the Stable £30. On an evening in November, in the year 1841, a few days before the Inaugural Meeting of the new Chapel, a large crowd assembled in and around the old consecrated Barn for the last time since moving the Ark of God to the new Temple. It is much easier to imagine than to describe the feelings that were felt in the hearts of the family as they left the old consecrated meeting-place where they received more blessings than the numbers of the straws that roofed the Old Barn.

SONG FOR THE OLD DYFFRYN CHAPEL

This poem pays tribute to the many that worshipped in the Old Barn near the Ffrwdwyllt and fondly remembers how the presence of God was felt by all. But the old Chapel is now too small and a joyful crowd makes its way to the new Dyffryn.

RHYS NICHOLAS (RHYS AP RHYS), Gibeon.

The crowd moved off towards seven o’clock in the evening, and Thomas Dafydd, Dyffryn’s songster, lead the singing, and they sang the whole way to Taibach. Having entered the new Chapel, the old deacon Thomas Robert announced the following verse :
     Ffordd newydd wnaed gan Iesu Grist,
     I basio heibio uffern drist,
     Wedi’i phalmantu ganddo Ef,
     O ganol hyd i ganol nef.
There they sang and wept alternately, out of joy for the new Temple, and hiraeth for the old; and the heavens rained its blessings down unsparingly. A heavenly hour or two were spent there singing and praying. The Inaugural Meetings were held on Thursday November the 4th, 1841 : the first Meeting in the morning at ten. The Rev. Benjamin Williams began by reading and praying, and the Rev. William Evan, Tonyrefail, preached from Corinthians chapter 2, verses 4-5: and the Rev, Wm. Dodd in English from Revelations 3 ; 20, and the Rev. Morgan Howell from Hebrews 2, verse 3. At two, the Rev. David Davies, Neath, read and prayed, and the Rev. Jonah Phillips preached from Philippians 1 ; 2, and the Rev. Dd. Howells, Swansea, from Matthew 11 and the three last verses. In the evening the Rev. David Hughes began with a reading and prayer, and the Rev. John Walters preached from Hebrews 4 ; 14, and the Rev. Morgan Howell from Deut. 32 ; 29. They were wonderful Meetings, and the Divine influences were felt very strongly. The Lord gave clear signs that He thought of giving more glory to the second Temple than to the first. The number of members was 90 when they moved to the new Chapel. The cause increased quickly from then onwards, because we well remember that the congregation was close to filling the Chapel on a Sabbath evening in about the year 1850. There has been a special conviction associated with the ministry in the Dyffryn from the beginning up till now. One thing characterizes this Church which places it on its own among the Churches of the country ; that is, its enthusiasm and its religious fervour. It was a common thing to see the old brothers and the old sisters breaking out into praising the Lord in His House. In the year 1854, a beautiful Schoolhouse was built near the Chapel, 50 feet long and 20 wide, which is a great advantage to the cause. In this was held the weekly Meetings and the Sunday School, and a few classes in the Chapel. In the year 1893, the expansive, beautiful, present Chapel was built, which, together with the Organ, cost about £4000.

THE OLD DEACONS OF DYFFRYN

We give here the names of those who were deacons when we moved from the old Dyffryn, as follows:- Thomas Robert, George Heycock, John Heycock, William Jenkins from the Hafod ; Richard Cound. Those who were chosen after that: Evan James, Rees Morgan, John Gray, Edward Lewis. Those who were chosen next were: John Jones the Chandler; Dd. Singleton, Philip Jones son of Pegan; Henry Francis, Wm. Griffith. Those who were chosen after that ; Rees Rees, Edward Davies, Evan Llewellyn. Those who were chosen after that: John Merchant, Richard Thomas, Dyffryn; John Vintin, Thomas Thomas. After that were chosen James Thomas, Evan Merchant, Evan David, John Dummer. Those who were chosen last: John H. Davies, Thos. Williams.

THOMAS ROBERT

This old saint was one of main deacons of the Old Dyffryn, and as was noted, very involved with the moving of the Ark from the old Barn to the new Chapel in 1841. He was a stone mason by calling and he used to work in the Copper works. It was he who had the privilege of announcing the first verse to be sung in the new Dyffryn. We are told that the cause in Carmel was placed in his hands, and Dafydd from the Hafod, and Wm. Jenkins from the Hafod, from the start of the cause in 1810 until1836 when the Church was established there; and we understand that he took a great interest in Carmel until the end of his life. He died in the year 1849, at the time of the Cholera.

WILLIAM JENKINS OF THE HAFOD

William Jenkins was one of the deacons of the old Dyffryn. As was said, he had care of the cause in Carmel in union with the two other brothers up till the year 1836, and he used to attend the Meetings there for years after that. His daughter was Mrs. Ann Jenkins, Pentyla, who did so many kindnesses for the Saviour’s cause in Carmel and Bethany. It seems that some misunderstanding took place between him and his brothers, which caused him to leave Dyffryn and join the State Church in Margam.

RICHARD COUND

He was one of the deacons of the old Dyffryn and was very faithful with the cause in all its aspects. He did valuable service in connection with sacred singing. It seems that he had an excellent voice. He would be heard from afar in funerals leading the singing on the way to the burials in Margam, Tonygroes, and other places.  

We come now to the deacons that we remember.

GEORGE HEYCOCK

The name of George Heycock is well-known in every part of Wales through the book of his life that was published by the Rev. E. Matthews. He was an uncle to Betsan, her father’s cousin. He was converted in 1832 by listening to Rev. Rees Phillips the elder, preaching in the old Dyffryn one evening. It seems that a very ungodly old woman had died of the Cholera that day, and was being buried at about seven o’clock in October, and that George went from the funeral to the above Meeting. It is said that it had been a very powerful meeting, and that George shouted out, ‘turn me out of the army for I am wounded.’ As is known, he decided to introduce himself to the work of the ministry, but his efforts failed. He was examined by the Rev. R. Lumley, but failed to come up to his standard. Despite that, he used to preach occasionally. About the year 1860, we remember him coming to Penycae at times to preach in the evenings. One of his subjects was  Malachi 4, 2. ‘But the Sun of Justice shall rise for you, &c.’ His subject another time was that verse, ‘And Mary chose the good way, that which shall not be taken from.’ After the meeting, he used to call in our house, and we heard many entertaining stories about the old days in the old Dyffryn. He said one time that the old brothers were very fond of reciting Hymns when they met after the service. There were only a few books to be had, and few were able to read them; so they used to learn the Hymns by hearing others reading and reciting them. The Hymns of Williams, Pantycelyn, were the favourites. George wished to compose a verse. One evening the old brothers had met each other, and were talking of the old verses very keenly. Shortly, George said, ‘I have composed a verse, what do you think of it?’ and recited it; but very little notice was taken of it, and they went on again to recite verses of Williams and others, and George was quite disappointed; but he went at it a second time to compose another, hoping that that would get a better reception than the first. One evening, when they had met and were talking fervently about old verses, George said that he had composed another verse. He was asked to recite it. He recited the verse, but to his disappointment, it had a very cool reception again like the first; and the old brothers went on to recite Williams’ Hymns, and to praise them greatly as usual. Some evening after that, when they were together savouring Williams’ Hymns, and praising them highly, and George in turn reciting and joining in the praising of Williams, asked, ‘did you hear this verse of Williams?’ ‘Which verse?’ and he recited it, and they were greatly enchanted by the verse, and he had to repeat it over and over for them to learn it. After they had heaped praise upon it, George straightened up and said, ‘the Williams who composed that verse is sitting in this chair.’ When they understood that George was its Author, the verse immediately became worthless. The above story proves that which Jesus said, ‘A prophet has no honour in his own land.’ There is another very amusing story about him, and is known as the story of the Old Mari Ann. After the Rev. R. Lumley had examined George with a view to him going into the Ministry, and failed to come to Lumley’s standards, there was no great friendship between them. Afterwards, George saw a chance to pay him back. One Sabbath, Mr. Lumley was preaching in Dyffryn, Taibach. After the evening meeting, some of the old deacons met in the Chapel house with the preacher, and after some conversation, George said to Mr. Lumley, ‘ The old Lady went very well tonight!’ Mr. Lumley answered, ‘what do you mean George?’ ‘O! that’s an old Lady that we have heard many times before!’ ‘What are you talking about, man?’ said Mr. Lumley, ‘it is a new sermon, you never heard it previously.’ ‘Yes, I did,’ said George, ‘it is the old Mari Ann.’ Mr. Lumley lost his temper a little and said, ‘I do not understand what you are thinking, man, by calling my sermon an old Mari Ann.’ ‘Well,’ said George, ‘I will tell you. We used to have two old brothers who spent a lot of their time on the Slag Tips opposite the channel to the sea. They knew every ship that came into this port. One fine afternoon in the summer, the two brothers were on the Tip, and looking out over the bar, and one said to the other, ‘There’s a pretty little ship, bachan;’ and the other said, ‘Where do you see her?’ ‘There she is coming along towards the bar,’ said the first. ‘A pretty little ship indeed, the old Mari Ann it is.’ ‘No,’ said the other, ‘it is a brand new ship; don’t you see how dazzling it all is?’ ‘No, no,’ said the other, ‘ the old Mari Ann it is, having been painted, and its sails washed;’ and they argued hotly, and the ship came ever nearer. At last it came alongside and passed them, and they saw at the stern of the ship in clear letters, Mary Ann of Looe; and said George, the old Mari Ann was that sermon we had tonight, except that a bit of shine had been put on it.’ We believe that if George had had the benefit of education he would have made a splendid preacher.

JOHN HEYCOCK

He was also one of the deacons of the old Dyffryn, and he was considered to be strong in the Scriptures, and an excellent character. He was a cousin of G. Heycock. He was converted in a very strange way. One afternoon when he was washing in the tub, the news came that his brother Rees had met with an accident in the colliery, and had lost his life. That verse came to him in all its power, ‘Except that you repent, you shall destroy all in the same manner.’ As was said in giving the history of Penycae, he was one of the founders of the cause there. He moved to Pontrhydyfen when he was comparatively young, and he was chosen as a deacon there, and was of great service to the cause there until the end of his life. He was born in the year 1809, and he died in 1864 aged 55 years, and he was buried in Tonygroes Cemetery.

EVAN JAMES

Evan Siams, as he was called, was looked upon as one of the most saintly and godly of characters. He took a great interest in the cause, and was noted as a prayer, and was one of the most faithful and hard-working in Dyffryn Church in his day.

JOHN GREY

Another excellent character, he was a sensible and careful man, remarkably shy, unassuming and lacking in boastfulness, very faithful in every area. He was a foreman with Messrs. Vivian and Sons.

REES MORGAN

Our feeling about this old deacon was that he was the most godly of all the old deacons belonging to Dyffryn. He was a saintly and pure character, and his life and his conduct were an influence for good in the places that he frequented.

EDWARD LEWIS

This was another excellent character, and his name resounds, and everyone who remembers him has sweet memories of him. The earliest memory we have of him is that he lived in one of the houses that are called the Ty Cwrdd houses, by the old Barn, and that he served under Dr. Prichard. It is likely that it was in Dyffryn that he was chosen as a deacon. In 1873, he moved to Saron, Penycae, and before long he was chosen as a deacon there. His arrival in Saron was a great acquisition to the cause as he was so spiritual and of great maturity.

JOHN JONES THE CHANDLER

The godly old deacon John Jones used to work in the Copper works. For many of his later years he was a foreman in some part of the work. He was an excellent character, and one of the most respected deacons in Dyffryn Church in his day. He worked energetically on behalf of the Saviour’s kingdom, and his pure and blameless life was a good influence in the places he went. There was an Irish youth working in the Copper works and he had high and respectful view of John Jones as a godly man. It seems that the Irishman went occasionally to Dyffryn. He told his parents once, ‘You talk a lot about your religion, but John Jones is such a godly man. He is the same during the week as he is on the Sabbath, and the same in work as he is in Chapel.’ Everywhere and always he talked about religious matters. He was often heard going and coming from work, reciting verses from the Bible, and humming hymn tunes to himself.

DAVID SINGLETON

This was another of the respected deacons of Dyffryn at the same time as John Jones, and working, like him, in the Copper works. He was a pure character, pious and with  a strong medical ability, having read widely, and very loyal in the service of the Master in connection with every part of the work. He was very learned in the Bible. We remember him well in the School Assemblies with some of the other old brothers reciting the Guide and answering general questions, and when the enquirer would disagree with them on some matter, David Singleton would answer in a big voice, ‘this is what Mr. Charles says.’ We remember him and other brothers from Dyffryn coming to Groes sometimes in the first week of the year, when Meetings would be held every night. They were very kind in helping the little Church, and the impression we had was that he chiefly lived in Communion with his God, and that his love and his mind were on higher things than this world and this life.

PHILLIP JONES

The name by which he was known was Phil, the son of Pegan the Brickman. She was the daughter of Nancy the Brickman who had the contract to make bricks for the Copper works when it was built, and for scores of years after that, and her children after her. Phillip Jones was a careful and thoughtful man, of mature judgement and of pure character. He was an official in the Copper Mill. He was very faithful with the cause in the Dyffryn for many years, at the same time as John Jones and David Singleton.

EVAN LLEWELYN

He belonged to the generation of deacons after the last ones that we referred to. He was remarkably faithful and zealous with the cause in Dyffryn until the end of his life. It seems that he spent the first part of his life without direction. Dafydd Singleton was the instrument that first drew him to the Sunday School; he had long been urging him to come to the School, and Evan promising to come, but still keeping away despite every effort. One Sunday afternoon, Singleton decided to go and search for him, and came across him with some others near the Copper Works playing Pitch and Toss. Evan came to the School and was a faithful member of the Sunday School from then on. That first Sabbath there was a collection in the School; he knew that there were three pennies in one pocket, and three half crowns in the other. He put his hand in his pocket to give the three pennies as he assumed, but to his disappointment he realised that he had given the three half crowns, but he did not regret it. Thus he began to be generous to the cause of religion, and his generosity towards religion and other considerations throughout his life was remarkable. He raised a number of orphaned children. He was very warm-spirited, and always listened affectionately and thoughtfully. It is said that he once paid a visit to Aberystwyth, and on the Sabbath went to one of the Chapels belonging to our Union, and the Revd. John Lewis, Carmarthen, was preaching there. It seems that the old brother was warming up as the meeting progressed, and at the end of the service, having enjoyed singing, began to sing again, with people all around looking at him. When leaving, he told the Minister he was surprised that he could lead the singing so coolly, and Mr. Lewis answered that not every place was as fervent as the Dyffryn.

RICH. THOMAS, FROM UPPER DYFFRYN

Richard Thomas was a godly old deacon and a very original character. He hailed from a famous family in connection with the history of religion in this area. His forebears were Evan Thomas from upper Dyffryn, who gave the invitation to the Ark of God to come to his house in the year 1765 as has been described, and William Thomas from Pyle, who gave the Old Barn free of charge to hold religious services; where God was worshipped for sixty-one years. Richard Thomas was very faithful to the cause from his cradle to his grave. We will say more about him when we mention Goitre School.

WILLIAM GRIFFITHS

He was a very faithful and zealous deacon in Dyffryn Church, and a man of great influence in the district. He was the main manager for Messrs. Vivian and Sons in the Taibach works. He was brought up in the homely Groes Church. He was a brother of Howell Griffith, Margam, of blessed memory. He was of great service in the Dyffryn for many years. He was buried in Margam Cemetery.

JOHN VINTIN

He was a very faithful and zealous deacon in Dyffryn Church. He tended to have a slightly wild temper, and because of that was quite ready to take offence, which was a bitter tribulation to him many times. Because of some such happening in his history, he once left Dyffryn and joined the Baptists; and within a few years had returned. Another time he was offended and became a member of Gibeon, the Independents’ Church; but at the end of the day he could only be a Methodist, and he came back from there again. It can be said of him that he was a pure and honest character, always acting according to the conviction of his conscience.

THOMAS THOMAS

He was another excellent character. He was a great reader, very learned in the Word and its Testimony. He was, like George Heycock, intent upon going into the Ministry, but he also failed. It seems that the Revd. R. Lumley, Swansea, examined him, and that he went into some completely different land that Thomas had been grazing upon, and that his answers were unsuccessful, and the result was that he failed to pass. When he met George, he said that Mr. Lumley had examined him unfairly, and that instead of asking him about the standard subjects of religion, such as Fulfilment through faith, Sanctification, Rebirth, &c, he was asking questions about unfamiliar stories in the Old Testament that he knew hardly anything about, and he was examined very severely. ‘O’ said George, ‘the Swansea Eagle, is it? He was lucky the Grasshopper wasn’t there, I have been ready for him ever since he examined me.’ This anecdote throws some light upon the Story of the old Mari Ann.

EDWARD DAVIES, J.P.

Mr. Davies was born in Margam in the year 1834. He lost his father when about 15 years old. He was raised in the homely Church of Groes, and he was a faithful and hard-working member there until 1864, when he moved to Taibach and joined Dyffryn. He was a stone mason by calling, and he used to work for Messrs. Vivian and Sons. About the year 1862 he began to undertake contracts together with Thomas Rees the Mason, Aberafon, but before long he struck out on his own. He built many houses in Taibach and district, and some Chapels for our denomination and for other denominations, namely :- the Methodist Chapel in Porthcawl ; Saron, Penycae ; Smyrna, Taibach ; the Independents’ Chapel in Briton Ferry ; and the Workingmen’s Hall, Taibach. After that he went into the Timber trade, in Capt. Powell’s yard, Taibach, which turned out to be extremely successful. About the year 1866, he built the Tin Works, the Avon Vale, for a new company that had been formed, and having finished it, joined the company, and the venture turned out to be very successful. About the year 1880, he raised that which was his from the property there, and built a new Tin Works for himself in Taibach, and things progressed happily and comfortably for years. Around the year 1900 he joined  a company connected with a Colliery near Neath. This venture was very unsuccessful; the work came to an end, and Mr. Davies suffered a great loss, which eventually caused him to get into difficulties concerning the trade in the Ffrwdwyllt works. Despite that, he had the strength to trust and take comfort in the Lord his God, and in the fortress of His power throughout. He filled very important posts in these districts. He was a member of Margam District Council from the start until the end of his life. He was also a member on the School Board when that existed, and one of the managers of the County School in the area, and also on the Committee of the Intermediate School. He was a man of shining talents, and of intellectual ability far above the ordinary, and was notably genial and affectionate. He did valuable service for religion and society in these parts in his day. Although he moved to live in Aberafon in his final years, he made a great effort to attend the Meetings in Dyffryn up to the end. The Church looked upon him as one of the main pillars of the cause, and he was greatly respected by every class. He died in November 1908, and he was buried in Tonygroes Cemetery. There was much respect shown to his remembrance. A great number of the prominent gentlemen of the area came to escort him to his final home. Peace to his dust.

REES REES

Without doubt he was one of the most capable deacons in Dyffryn at the same time as him. He was also a supervisor in the Copper Works. He had a store of general knowledge. He read the Bible extensively, and he treasured much of it in his memory. If he was asked where such and such a verse was, and had a Bible with him, he would find it extremely quickly. He was blessed with a fluent and natural talent for speaking, and his memory was almost boundless. He was very learned in the geography of the land of Canaan. One time when the School was being examined in a chapter of the Guide, the enquirer asked, ‘Was the mountain of Calvary a large mountain or a small mountain?’ Rees answered, ‘it wasn’t a mountain at all, but Commentators and Poets have made a mountain of it.’ The enquirer said that ‘Mr. Charles says that it is a mountain.’ Rees said that ‘Robinson, in the book called The Land and the Book says that it was not a mountain, and that he had been in the country.’ The preacher answered that he did not believe men who had only been there for about three months. Rees answered that ‘Mr. Charles had not been there for three hours.’ We remember him one time coming to Carmel to visit the Meeting with a minister of the class, and we were greatly struck by his ability to speak on different matters. We heard him many times talking of the old deacons who were in Dyffryn when the move was made from the old Barn to the new Chapel.

JAMES THOMAS

Mr. Thomas was born and raised in Swansea. When he was very young he joined Cruglas Church, and was an Organist there for some time. About the year 1860, he moved to Taibach, and looked after the Storehouse in the Felin, under Messrs. Vivian and Sons; he joined Dyffryn Church and in the course of time was chosen to be a deacon. He filled the post of Church Secretary until the end of his life, and he would occasionally lead the Singing. He was, as is said, a very reserved man: he was not of a friendly or sociable nature. He did not enquire or trouble himself with anything or anyone except that which was relevant to himself. He died in September 1910, and he was buried in Tonygroes Cemetery.

OTHER OLD BROTHERS

There are very many old brothers apart from those who were chosen as deacons, who have been with the cause in Dyffryn from the beginning to the present, who were excellent characters, and who gave great service to the cause in their day. Thomas Dafydd, the Dyffryn songster; Thomas Walters, Edward Daniel, Inspector of coal mines under Messrs. Vivian and Sons, and Secretary of the Church for a long time (he refused to be made a deacon); James Singleton the elder; Robert Williams, Bethuel Heycock the elder; Job Heycock, Thomas Heycock, William Jenkins from the Constant; Dafydd Jenkins, Thomas Jenkins, the blacksmith from the Morfa; John Dummer, Lletty’r Piod; William Prosser, Phineas Lewis, Edward Dafydd, Groeswen; Dafydd Mansel, Thomas Beddoe, Evan Jones, Wm. Jones, Dafydd Peters, Dafydd Rees, Dafydd Llewelyn, Evan Merchant the elder; Samuel Francis the elder; Samuel Francis, his son; Richard Hopkins, Dafydd Hopkins, John Singleton, James Singleton, Philip Heycock, Edward Rees, Richard Griffiths, John Rees, Evan Rees, Lewis Dafydd.

OLD SISTERS

There is a host of old sisters also who have been prominent in connection with the cause in the Dyffryn, and they were very godly, and spiritually fervent; those who will be long remembered by everyone who had the privilege of knowing them. They would break out into praising in the service very often. The first we shall refer to is Mari Leyshon, or Mari from Wernderi as she used to be called.

MARI LEYSHON

The first thing I remember in connection with Dyffryn when going there as a child with my grandfather is that there were old wives whom I supposed to be out of control in a bad temper, and disturbing the service; but I came to know later that the godly old sisters were praising their Saviour. The most prominent among them at that time was Mari from Wernderi. She and some of the other godly mothers would be exhilarated by the ministry of the old giants, Morgan Howell and others, so that they completely lost control of themselves. This godly old mother had a very remarkable style, different to everyone else we ever saw praising. She would utter few words; her first words were ‘Thank you,’ until her voice was resounding through the Chapel, and after thus shouting her thanks a number of times, she then would shout ‘Haleliwia’ some half a dozen times. After that she would jump for a time without saying a word; and what still astounds us was how the old woman, and rather feeble with it, was able to continue for such a time to jump over a foot off the ground without rest. The only way to explain it is that she felt the influence of God’s Spirit so powerfully that she forgot herself entirely, and that under that influence she was able to do what she could not at any other time. There were some other sisters who would break out into rejoicing in the service, and some of the old brothers would also do that. We shall say a word about another who was well-known as being fervent-spirited, namely Betsan.

ELIZ. NICHOLAS (Betsan, as she was called).

Like the previous godly old mother, she frequently used to break out into praising in the service, as is known to all who knew her. As was noted in giving the history of Saron, Penycae, it was there at the time of the 59 revival that she began the work of publicly praising her Saviour , and to speak in the Seiat, work which she continued to do to the end of her days, and work which she shall be doing more for ages that are as numberless as the dew. Betsan became well-known far and wide as one who praised in public. She would attend the Cymanfa, and would often make herself audible. As is known to many, she had a very high opinion of the Revd. E. Matthews. She believed that he was the greatest preacher in the world, and Mr. Matthews would give her high praise too. She would often be in her best form under his ministry. In the Association that was held in Taibach in 1884, at the end of the Meeting on the afternoon of the last day, Mr. Matthews, on behalf of the Association, was giving thanks to those who had been very kind in connection with the Association; to the different denominations for their readiness to put up and take care of the outsiders; to Dr.Davies for lending the Field, and to others for lending wood to make the platform; and after he had thus thanked everyone for their kindness, he said ‘It is thanks to men that you see me. Betsan has thanked God.’ As is known, a testimony was given to Mr. Matthews towards the end of his life, and a public Meeting was held in Hermon, Bridgend, to present it to him. A large crowd assembled for the occasion, and among them some of the chief Ministers and Officials of the Union, and Betsan was there. The speakers, as they would usually do in such circumstances, were saying excellent things about Mr. Matthews, one after the other, and the old sister was greatly pleased to hear them. Near to the end of the Meeting, Dr. Cynddylan Jones was called upon to say a word, and as he generally does, exceeded them all. He praised and exalted Mr. Matthews very highly, and after saying very much of the excellence of the hero of the meeting with numerous references, he said that he had had the privilege of listening to many of the main preachers of England, Scotland and Wales, and that he considered Mr. Matthews to be the greatest of them all, and he looked in the direction of the old sister on the floor of the chapel and said ‘isn’t that so, Betsan,?’ and she said, ‘Yes, yes, he is your master, each one of you. He is greater than all of you together;’ and so Betsan went further than the Dr. and everyone in elevating the hero of the Meeting. Mr. Matthews decided to have, if possible, a photograph of her, and he persuaded her to have her picture taken, and to remember to raise her hand as she would usually do when she was praising in the meeting. She was fairly reluctant to agree to this, but as it was Mr. Matthews who was asking, she decided to do it; and as we believe the picture will be of interest to many, we include it. Apart from being prominent in public services, those who knew her best testify that she was very godly. She would talk about matters of religion everywhere and all the time. We heard a brother lately saying that he once spoke to her on the road regarding his state, and she advised him very earnestly to receive Jesus Christ as the Saviour of his soul; and his testimony was that her words had more influence upon him than all the sermons that he had ever heard. That brother came afterwards to profess the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is by now a faithful member of Carmel Church, Aberafon. Betsan would see the hand of God very plainly in all the happenings of Providence and in all circumstances of life: and like Paul the Apostle, she learned to be satisfied in whichever condition she would be. She did not possess the things of this world in abundance, but she was noted for her generosity and her kindness. Despite her shortage she would give to every beggar who called at her door, and many did call because her house was near the main road; and if they were coming on in years, and the weather cold, she would invite them in to the fireplace, and would give them a cup of tea; and in giving natural bread to them would talk to them of Jesus Christ, the bread of life that came down from heaven which gives life to the world. She had realised the words of the Lord Jesus ‘That it is blessed to give rather than to receive,’ 
She died very joyfully on the 17th of April, 1894, aged 73 years, and she was buried in Tonygroes Cemetery. A few seconds before her death, the light of dawn broke across her face, as from the eternal world, something similar (we would think) to the transfiguration of Jesus on the mount long ago. We shall never forget the scene. Her last words were ‘Jesus is calling me to come.’
She ascended into light
Above each pain and wound,
And for evermore will Betsan
Be sweetly praising Jesus.

OTHER OLD SISTERS

Margaret Price, Pantymoch; Janet Daniel of the Felin; Mrs. Benjamin Daniel, Margaret Cound, Mari Williams from the Constant; Bopa Caty Wellington, wife of Mike; Mari Thomas, Modryb Madlin, Mari Dafydd, Goeswen; Macws Singleton, Betty Dummer, Shan Dafydd, Tyfintir; Caty Heycock, Bety Heycock, Shan Williams, Mari Dafydd the wife of Ed. Dafydd; Mari Dafydd the wife of Thos. Dafydd; Jane Merchant, Nani Jones, Nani Jenkins, Nani Dafydd, Gwen Rees the wife of R. Rees; Nani Henry, Citty Leyshon, Mari Rees, Shwned Dafydd, Gweny Cound, Mari Davies. The last five named would often break out into praising in the service. The last, Mari Davies, when in her element, would very effectively say the last part of the old verse: The pleasant dawn which breaks yonder says that there is a fine morning at hand. Marced Llewelyn, Mari Heycock. The last was in the Annual Meeting in Carmel when the preacher was talking of the unsearchable Wealth of Christ, and the provision of the Gospel, shouting ‘Thanks to Him, this will suffice for ever.’ Catws Walters, Sarah Prosser, Mari Harding, Ann Dafydd, Kate Jones, Catws Buckingham, Shwned Mansel, Catws Beddoe.            

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PASTORS OF DYFFRYN

REVD. EVAN WILLIAMS, TAIBACH

Mr. Williams was a native of Anglesey, North Wales. He came to Taibach as a young man, and began to preach in the Old Dyffryn. He married the daughter of Mr. Ed. Daniel, who kept a Shop near Taibach Market for many years. He was not established as minister in Dyffryn Church, but despite that, he did great service to the cause there, through service in the seiat, visiting the sick, and preaching in funerals, &c. for decades. Around the year 1865 he moved to live in Tymaen near Pyle. He moved after that to Llysyfronydd in the Vale. After that he went to live in Briton Ferry, and he went from there to Cornelly, near Pyle. He was an excellent character, a very acceptable speaker, and held in great respect near and far. In his time, it was the custom on the occasion of a death to preach in the House before starting out for the burial. We heard him preach on such occasions in our house and in other houses in the district; and the preaching was remarkably effective and influential, and we believed that the Lord had blessed his service many times in those circumstances. He died in Cornelly on the 7th December, 1894, aged 85 years, and he was buried in Llysyfronydd, Vale of Glamorgan.

REVD. MOSES THOMAS

Tregaron was the home of the Revd. Moses Thomas. It was there that he began preaching. He went to Bala College to receive his training to qualify him for the great work of his life, namely, to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom that is not of this world. We remember listening to him preach in Trinity, Swansea, on Whit Sunday about the year 1868, as a young, brave and strong man. His topic that morning was Job 42, 9, about ‘Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.’ The first Church that called him to be pastor was Landore. After that he moved to Resolven, and he cared for Seion Church, Ynisfach, for twenty years. After that, providence lead him to Port Talbot and he joined Dyffryn. In 1895, he was established as Pastor of the Church. Within some years he joined Grove Place; as referred to, this was the cause that he was chiefly instrumental in starting, and the cause that he felt a great interest in. He was a very powerful and influential preacher. He was famous as a questioner in the School Assemblies ; he would not examine very hard, but he succeeded wonderfully in his simple and happy way to bring the Schools out, and as a rule there were easy and influential Meetings when he was questioning. As was suggested, he was a very strong and solid man as regards body and constitution, but his strength weakened before he was much past middle age. Despite that, his ministry continued very acceptably to the end of his life. He died on the 14th January, 1906, aged 67 years, and he was buried in Fforest Chapel Cemetery, Aberdulais.

REVD. DAVID JOHN, B.A.

Mr. John was born in the district of Llantwit Fardre in the Vale of Glamorgan, and he was raised in the respectable church of Bryntirion. He received his early education like that of workers’ children generally. He lost his father early, and he was compelled to start life’s battles to ensure the maintenance of the family. But in spite of that he succeeded in cultivating himself until he passed the examination for Trefecca with honours without being in one preparatory School. He went first to Cardiff University where he had a brilliant career, and he graduated as a B.A. in the year 1904, with honours in the Celtic languages, and a Special in the Semitic languages. Then he went to Trefecca where he was from 1904 to 1906. He received fervent calls from a number of important Welsh and English language Churches. But from these he chose Dyffryn, Taibach. In the year 1910 he married, and he was very fortunate to have a talented and hard-working life partner who is of substantial assistance to him, namely, Miss Kate Daniels, the daughter of Mr. E. Daniels, one of the pillars of the cause in Gibeon, Taibach. Mrs. John does valuable service in union with her husband with the children and other parts of the work. We wish a long life to Mr. John to work in the vineyard, and to be an instrument in God’s hand to turn many who stray to the ways of the Lord, and to bring many sinners to the feet of the Saviour.

PREACHERS WHO WERE RAISED IN DYFFRYN

Two preachers were raised in Dyffryn, Taibach, apart from those who were raised in the old Dyffryn, namely, the Revd. Phillip Jones, and the Revd. Phineas Marchant Lewis. The Revd. Phillip Jones has climbed to a high position among the giants of the ministry. He was pastor of Fishguard Church for years, after that Llandeilo, now the new Chapel in Llanelli, and he is held in great respect there. The Revd. Phineas M. Lewis has also been a pastor of the Church at Llantwit Major for years, and at the moment is Pastor of Blaengarw English Church. We wish them success in the Master’s vineyard.

SINGING CONDUCTORS AND THE WORK OF THE MUSIC SCHOOL

As was noted, Thomas Dafydd, Dyffryn’s songster, led the singing when the move was made from the old Dyffryn to the new. Richard Cound also used to start the singing on occasions. Evan Henry was conductor from 1854 until his death in 1874. In those years, Thomas Dafydd (Ap Japheth) led the choir, and competed in some Eisteddfods ; and Thos. Jenkins the Mason after that for a term. About the year 1874, Leyshon David was placed to lead the Music School, and Edward Hopkin to conduct the Congregational singing. After that, James Thomas was conductor for some time. Then Leyshon David was put in charge of the Congregational singing as well as the Music School, and he was faithful and hard-working with the School in preparing for the Classes’ Annual Musical Assemblies. Dyffryn Choir was very faithful in connection with the Temperance Assemblies of Gwent and Glamorgan, those that were held in Cardiff and other places, half a century ago. It was generally recognised that Dyffryn’s sopranos were peerless. Apart from the Conductors named, a Union Choir was formed in Dyffryn from time to time. At the time of the opening of Taibach Workmen’s Hall, Silas Evans led the Choir, and they snatched the main prize for singing Thanks be to God. In 1879, little Prosser took the Choir to the Cardiff National Eisteddfod, and the main prize was won with high praise from the judges. After that, the Choir was successful under the leadership of Ap Mawrth. In 1892, James Singleton was made conductor, and he has been painstaking and hard-working from then to now. The Choir has won prizes in important Eisteddfods under his leadership. They have also learned and recited the following works with great   success : (1) Ruth, the Gleanor ; (2) The Haymakers ; (3) Judas Maccabeus ;            (4) Samson ; (5) The Messiah. Mr. Singleton has striven and worked hard to pass examinations in connection with the Tonic Solfa College, and has attained a high position as a musician. At the start of last year, 1910, he was made a Fellow of the College ; and Dyffryn Church, together with various other friends in the district, revealed their appreciation of his service on that occasion by presenting a Testimonial to him, including the College Cap and Gown, his picture in that outfit, and a Gold Watch, the whole being worth about £35. Mr. Singleton has led Musical Assemblies here for some years, and in other places, and there are frequent calls for his services to judge in Eisteddfods, and he has composed some musical pieces. It is hoped Mr. Singleton will have a long life to work in connection with Holy singing and elsewhere.

CONDUCTORS OF THE BAND OF HOPE

The first that we remember conducting the Band of Hope in Dyffryn was the late William Richards, and he was one of the best that we ever saw leading the children. There were close to 200 under his care, and it was a pleasure to hear them sing. After that, Thomas James conducted, and he possessed singular qualifications for the work. Mr. Leyshon David and Mr. James Singleton conducted the children as well as conducting the Choir. Mr. Richard Dyer has also been leading the children with success for over ten years. The minister, the Revd. D. John, B.A., and his wife are currently working with the children, and they are doing excellent work.

                                                  Beulah Groes Margam

Annies sad story.

Most people who pass through Margam will notice the ruined Chapel on the hill, but they cannot see the farm named Crugwallt nestled safely tucked away behind the mountain. It was at this farm where Annie Jones was born on the 24th. of June.1880, Annie was the last born child of Rees and Margaret Jones, [ nee Morgan of Crugwallt ], who already had a family of four boys and four girls. Margaret had a difficult time giving birth to Annie, and faught hard to stay with her new child and family, but her fight was lost and she died that very evening of the birth. 
Of course Annie Jones just like us all, remembers nothing of her life before the age of about three years old, but, every woman and child in Margam talked of her birth for years to follow, owing to the event being such a sad story.
Annie herself, seems to confirm that, when at the aged of over ninety years, in her own words she said  " they took me - a baby ten days old you see. Yes."
So mother Margaret Jones died at Grugwallt, in the same old four poster bed, in which she herself had been born in forty two years earlier. A few days later after all the Necessary arrangements had been made, Margaret`s coffin was placed in postion on the best Grugwallt farm cart, ready to proceed in procession down the very steep, side wooded track, At the bottom of which it passed the ornamental castle lake and on past the top western lodge. They proceeded on down the more gentle wooded track until they met the main road to Port Talbot at the Groes lodge. From here only two hundred yards remained before they were at the round chapel of Beulah Groes. That last part of her journey was thickly lined by most of the people of the village, and the Margam District.
The chapel was filled to overflowing, as the coffin and its accompanying party entered to take up its position in the front few rows.
Annie being only ten days old was carried by her eldest sister Margaret who in turn was supported by her husband Rhys Nicholas and their father John Jones.
Mr. Rhys Phillips a minister at Carmel Aberavon had come to conduct the funeral service of Annie`s mother, after he had completed that sad task, he walked forward to collect little Annie from her sisters arms, and returned carrying the little child to besides her mother`s coffin where he baptized her head with the holy water.

"Christening" is a name-giving service; "Baptism" the actual "pouring" of water, not sprinkled.

Baptized on her mothers coffin,in1881.at Beulah Round Chapel,Groes.

[ANNIE MAINWARING EDWARDIAN INTERVIEW 1971 WHEN SHE WAS 90 YEARS OLD ]

they took me - a baby ten days old you see. Yes.

You went to live with your sister?

Only ten. And then there were more children then you see, the - another one or two were coming then you see. Yes. Although mind - when John Morgan, of course after John Morgan came - but that was after - after my time of course, my brother-in-law as I told you - had made another part, well now - John Morgan of course he was - he was so marked, John Morgan Nicholas and Miss Talbot took an interest in him you see, and she wanted to know now - of course when he was - she put him in Eton College. Yes, she sent him to Eton, well now - she wanted -

How did she get interested in him?

Well I'll tell you love, Je - John - do you remember John, he loves his choir, you've heard of it but perhaps you don't remember John Graves' male voice choir, and John Morgan - was a - very small, he was very - he own the National when he was twelve you see, and he became a marked boy, he was a prodigy that - he was called that you see. Well now then - of course he went - they went up to the Castle to give a concert in the Castle every year, same as we used to in Gores of course. And - and they'd - and he would play - John Phillips would play. And - he was a pianist, and then they took him - and of course she went to ask about him and where he'd come from and his - family tree and all the rest of it, and of course she found it was of the old family from - from Lligart. And she took a great interest in. Well of course after that she asked my father twice to let me go to her. She wanted to educate me you see. For my mother's sake she said. Yes, I could have gone. But my father didn't feel inclined to you know. No, to let me go to London.

What did you think about it?

Well I didn't know you see, I was - didn't tell me then. No. No, he didn't like the idea because - the Castle life was very different from ours. But she came up twice they said to ask him. Yes. Yes, she said, well - I could do more for her, she said, than either you can do, can't expect you to - educate her but I suppose - I was marked when I was in Groes school you see because everybody - all the chief parts. And helped the schoolmaster to teach the children - to sing. Well I was only twelve then you see. And he was - very keen for me to go in - for teaching, I could have gone in for teaching then. But there you are. Other things came, my sister wanted me to come to her - to - the Rhondda, she went to keep a shop there, and she wanted me to come to her and I went up there and - I've had a varied life. Very. Varied life, different. Until I was - seventeen or eighteen and - my sister got married and then I - I stayed at home and then - put all my work into Groes chapel. Yes. Yes.

What time would he go out?

Oh go down by six in the morning. Yes.

Was he working in the sawmills?

In the sawmills.

Quite near wasn't it?

Well it was down the road you see, down by the - down the steep hill there. You know where Pistyll Tydraw is. Well now then - their house was on the top then. And he would run down. And from there I used to carry water. Carry every drop of water from there. There was no tap or anything anywhere near. Carry water for everything. Except for washing and then they had - everybody had a cask outside their back. Big cask in the back you see.

Tell me about it?

Yes. Now then outside - the back there was a big black cask. Everybody had - I think they're finished with them, I think they were there. With the houses. Everybody had a big cask, and there you had water for washing, and for doing - household then you had to carry water, from Pistyll Tydraw then. Well there you are.

You had it just straight from the mountain stream?

Carry two - two pitchers of - it's a wonder to me that I've got hands or a back. The - all the nursing and all the carrying water I did. And even after going home to Margam, we had to carry water for - a mile, more than a mile, every drop of water the - except water - well - you know, we couldn't wash in the water we had, a big old well - in the garden, there was a big pond on the side of the road, but of course that would do all right for - washing anything. We could wash the potatoes or taking them down from the field or - something like that, but - you couldn't use it for anything but the animals could drink it. It was clean. Otherwise we had to take them down the Roman Bath to get clean water. And we had to carry water for more than a mile. Over the fields. I - I'm sure I carried tons and tons. Hundreds of tons I'm sure. So it's a wonder I'm very very economical. And the same now from when I was in Pen-y-Cae, from Tydraw, you had to - carry all the water. But - as I say, you know I can see the old - the old cask now, at the back door.

You'd have enough from that from the rainwater?

Oh the rainwater you see, but we had to be very sparing, with that. When - when the dry weather came you see it was very awkward. But Pistyll Tydraw never failed. Used to go a little less sometimes. And then when - when the worst came to the worst - of course they had to go to the river. The river was coming down you see at the side of the road. The river was beside us when we were going to school.

Carry two - two pitchers of - it's a wonder to me that I've got hands or a back. The - all the nursing and all the carrying water I did. And even after going home to Margam, we had to carry water for - a mile, more than a mile, every drop of water the - except water - well - you know, we couldn't wash in the water we had, a big old well - in the garden, there was a big pond on the side of the road, but of course that would do all right for - washing anything. We could wash the potatoes or taking them down from the field or - something like that, but - you couldn't use it for anything but the animals could drink it. It was clean. Otherwise we had to take them down the Roman Bath to get clean water. And we had to carry water for more than a mile. Over the fields. I - I'm sure I carried tons and tons. Hundreds of tons I'm sure. So it's a wonder I'm very very economical. And the same now from when I was in Pen-y-Cae, from Tydraw, you had to - carry all the water. But - as I say, you know I can see the old - the old cask now, at the back door.

Did they keep any livestock?

Yes - in Pen-y-Cae? Oh no. Oh no, nothing. No, nothing, only a bird. We had a bird in the house. Yes. Yes.

Easit a canary?

A little canary. I remember the bird very well.

Did they say you should hit back or not if another child hurt you?

Oh no. No. No, they never believed that. They never said that, nor I have never said it. No. Although I may be wrong, but I never told the children. Somebody would do something to them, do - give it back, I - I don't know how it is but - I tell them never mind, they'll be hurt more than you in some other way. You see the first time - that I - recited a chapter - in the gymanfa bwnc, of course the gymanfa bwnc used to be a great thing then, it was more, I think people thought more of it than the gymanfa garni then, which was of more importance, and I remember the gymanfa bwnc was in Carmel. And I was being taught, my brother-in-law taught me - to recite - the fifth chapter of Romans.

How old were you?

Three years old. I would have been four in June, and this was on Good Friday. And - I hadn't been well. And I can remember him carrying me on his back, down - we had to go down the field you know, down to got to Carmel down to the road, and I couldn't walk all down that field of course, and I had a black velvet frock, and had two streamers, remember that very well, and - and my brother-in-law carrying me on his back down until we were on the road, and then taking me down to Carmel. And I remember going in the seat and into the big seat, and the old minister in Carmel then was Rhys Phillips, and it was he had buried my mother I suppose. When she died. He was a minister there and - so I remember - the priest taking me in to the big seat and putting me to sit there. And there was a - I think they've got one in - Duffryn now, as tell to put the Bible on, in the big seat, have they got it in there? They had it in Carmel then. And I was so small - that of course I had to be put up to stand up there, he put me up there. But however when - I can remember John Nicholas was standing on the gallery, the front of the gallery meeting the people you know, with his back towards - me, and I was afraid he was going to come down on his back towards - me, and I was afraid he was going to come down on his back all the time, I was terribly frightened I can remember very well, and I was telling Rhys you know, of course he was Rhys' brother Uncle John is going to fall. No, no, he's all right. And he was leading the singing. But however - they started after this, all sat down, I was quiet then. And now Rhys Phillips said, well now, he said Annie Jones is going to recite the chapter. And I turned round, I didn't know my name was Annie Jones you see. And I turned round to Rhys, I said, I am saying the chapter. And everybody heard me I suppose. So that - they had quite a bit of fun over it, oh I heard that story many times. So now I was too small to stand on the big seat you see, so Rhys had to put me to stand on a - on a rostrum. But anyway - Bible, and there he held me up - to recite the chapter. And then of course Rhys Phillips I suppose was - explaining to them about me, why did I say that I was going to - because I thought I was Annie Nicholas.

How did you feel about that, when did you realize that you were Annie Jones?

Oh - it was - oh yes, then you see, I had to - yes. Oh dear, dear, dear, well I remember that very well but - then - I - I did recite the chapter when I was four in some gamanfa, but when I was five - there were big meetings in Penycae, in Saron, and it was - he was preaching. And I had learnt the first chapter of John, it's a big one you know. Of course I was - I've heard of this since then because I wouldn't remember that you know. At that time, but I remember it distinctly. I remember granny twell yn y Ware calling, granny that used to call Betsan, was granny twell yn y Ware, calling in my sister's, and she come on - on the Monday to the two o'clock - service, Monday afternoon. And my sister had a cloak and a little bonnet - then. And she was quite young. And granny had her shawl, touching the ground at the back you see, a three cornered, and I - and she was catching my hand going up to chapel, to Penycae and - and - and you know - I can feel the fringes on the fringe of the shawl now on my hand, she was holding my hand, and into the chapel and there by the door Rhys was meeting us, and took me upstairs. And I'd never been up the steps, the stairs up to the gallery, never been there. I didn't know where I was going. So up to this gallery I went. And there put to sit by the clock. And there's a - a little shelf by the clock, you know the clock doesn't come up one with the gallery, there's a little shelf behind it, where the clock is. I was put to sit there. Had to look round, saw this big man - in the pulpit, the big eyes you know. Well - I was terrified. And I said to Rhys, I am afraid of that old man. And - he is a nice man. Say the chapter now loudly, everyone wants to hear you. But however my name was called to say - to recite the chapter. And Rhys putting me to stand - on this little ledge behind the clock you see. And I started. And off I went of course, I knew - well - when I learnt a chapter I learnt it and I knew every word. Went through. And he put - and as - as I finished you see the old man shouted - wonderful. And I didn't know what ardderchog was. I'd no idea of course. I thought I'd done it all wrong. I began to cry. I suppose I screamed. They had to take me home. They had to. And when I was going out and the old man was saying it I suppose, it went to - and when I was going out granny was beginning to shout you know, she used to be noticed for - she used to get up then you see and come on, and I could hear granny's voice shouting, when Rhys was taking me down to the - he had to take me home. I was terrified.

How much do you know off by heart?

Oh I could say - yes, I could say many many chapters. Many. And the fifth chapter of Matthew, the first one, Always, well I could recite that now, every word. And most of well - of course after - after that you see I learnt the old - new testament through, recited it through, in Sunday school there, recited many - I recited that chapter many times, first chapter of John and - and - oh many of them, dear, yes I - Psalms, I learnt them - by heart. Yes. I remember that very well. But oh that was when I was going to Groes. But then that's in Groes, that's not in Penycae. I remember going there. We used to go down if there was a - anything important on. I don't know who was preaching there, but I was - I was seven then. Yes, I was seven. And in Penycae then the - Sun - the singing school used to learn - a book like they used to do in dyffryn to learn a book in Dyffryn didn't they. And Joshua and all those, St Paul and all those - so however, they had learnt the book of Johan, in Penycae. And - whenever they'd learn a book I always had to do the reciting, it was coming in between you know. Yes. Parts of chapters, and I'd learnt the book of John and there's three or four - four chapters I think. I think there are four. Three or four, I'm not quite sure now. And I'd learnt the book of Jonah of course ready for the concert. And then this was on the Sunday morning. I don't remember who the preacher was, I was told about it many times after that. And - he said that - a little girl is going to start the meeting by reciting a chapter. The bennod he said you see, I didn't know it was one bennod, I thought - I didn't know there were many, I thought it was only one of course. Down I went, Rhys taking me down, putting me to stand in - Groes in the front seat there. And I started. And I went through the book of Jonah. I went through, and - and some how I felt after I had said the first chapter - I felt - I wonder if something is wrong, but off I went, I gather after and off I went. And I said it through. And then I was taken down, taken back to the seat. The seats were up there then in Groes, do you remember the seats up there, going up steps in Groes? No. Flat you see, it is. They used to go up to the window sill. Yes, and they - and I remember one of the - and that's what he said, I don't remember who he was, I was told then, you think that child is taking the service. Plenty of welcome for me, he said. I heard that story many times. Well - well I didn't know you see. I thought it was all one, and off I went.

You must have had a prodigious memory?

Oh yes, yes, yes, I was given a - memory, well there we are. And - Morgan has been very good in that way. Very good memory, yes. Oh well, well, well, I said that Jonah.

Did they bring you up to consider certain things important in life?

Did you have any musical instruments in the house?

Well now a piano came there. When I was - seven - a piano came there. But before that - we had been down to my brother, my brother had gone to Bwlgh, he had gone from college - and he'd gone to Bwlgh, Breconshire. To - as a minister, and we went down there, I went down there for a month, and he had a little harmonium, and this harmonium was - oh I was - I aimed the ahrmonium very much, so after hearing my sister-in-law playing and she - she had a school there, she had a little private school, my sister-in-law, she was a schoolmistress in Taibach before she married my brother, John, Miss Jenkins she was, your mother would have remembered hoer of course And -

You fancied this harmonium?

And this little harmonium I fancied so - I went and put my hand there of course and to try and - and see if I could play on it you see, and upon my word I began to see - and do you know the first tune I played on it? Sandown - Lead Kindly Light. With one finger. On that little harmonium, oh I thought it was wonderful. Then I wanted to play another one, and another one and - anything I could do with the one finger you know, get the - once I had the note I was right. So then - after we went home we had a piano. And of course - I was at the piano. I - well I don't know, it seemed to be in me somehow, I couldn't - I just couldn't help it you see. And then -

Who else played?

And little Rhys - Rhys the next to me of course, Rhys was next to me and he - Rhys was a - made a brilliant musician too. He would. But however -

Did your sister or brother-in-law play?

No, they didn't play because they had never - but - of course they knew whether we were right or wrong or whether we made a mistake, oh yes, quick to - so - began to play and then - there was a - a lady living in Pentyla, Miss Brew she was, so - we went there to her lessons to her. We went quarter - so much a quarter it was then you know and - and I remember we went, little Rhys and I went. And the first time we went down - Paws Road, they were building the first house next to Bethany, where that shop is now. They were cutting the - because all the way down there to - to the Porth school you see, it was - fields, they hadn't started building anything - where we are now, it was all fields. Wheat fields. And the boys used to go up on top of the - hedges and collect the wheat you see and - and the old farmer would see them and they had to go quick. But - there was - they were - cut down the hedge, and they were building. And that's where they were starting, and they had a big old lamp and I remember them starting that. And when we were coming home from Pentyla, used to go - wandering in and out these houses as they were building you know. Can remember that very well. Yes. So -

In that one room. Coffin was there - covered over with a shawl. Yes. And then - and the flowers I can remember them - putting flowers, I remember that very well. And - muslin over her face. Oh she was - oh she was very pretty, and she had long ringlets you know. That's what I remember about her. She was a beauty I suppose. And especially children. If a child had died all the children of the place would come. Oh yes. Oh yes. Yes. And I remember the afternoon the funeral and me sitting down - on that stone step, that was my perch always, I was sitting there, Rhys and I - very well and little Lizzie we called her - going out, I can remember that very well. Very well. That was the - and that was the funeral. Oh when we were children, if there'd be any child that we knew, you know. Yes, yes. Oh it was the thing you see, it was the thing then. Yes. And it was the thing to go and see - as people go and see them now, to - sympathise with them don't they. Well we do now, but - they used to go then. Well just to say well - have a last look you see. See her for the last time, they used to say then you see. And one old lady told me - that - I - I've forgot - well I've heard it from several too, that - of course if there was a new baby the baby would be - would be christened - on its mother's coffin. They used to put the christening basin on the mother's coffin. And they told me - but not one of the family, not one of our - one of our family. And yet I have an idea - that one of my sister's told me too. My eldest sister did and I don't know whether the other one did or no, but I remember an old lady telling me - what a sight it was. To see me - christened - on my mother's coffin. That the - the basin on the coffin and they christened me on the coffin, and of course they had long gowns, and I had black tie ups. I can remember that old lady telling me that. Oh until - old Aunt Eliza Groes. Old Aunt Eliza Llewellyn. It was the custom. Of course I remember babies, I always had tie ups on the babies - baby's gown a - a bow of ribbon or - each side there.

That was the custom to christen the baby if the mother had died?

And they used to christen the baby - if the mother had died then, when the baby was small, to - to christen the baby on the - it was done you see. So probably they did the same to me you see. Yes. So I don't know - but - I was told that, yes, and that they said - that everybody felt it - so much and to see me, says - so tiny, I suppose I was a very tiny baby they were afraid to handle me. I was very very small I heard my father saying that. But - so that was - it was the custom you see and they - the probability is that they - they did the same to me. Yes.

Could you remember anyone in the district then who was called a real gentleman?

That you could call a real gentleman. Well I don't know. I would have called old Doctor Davis a real gentleman. And sit down. And look at his paper and put it in his hat and put his hat on the table. And perhaps dad used to speak Welsh to him you see. Why do you speak Welsh to me? And there he'd go and talk about the old - the old families. And he knew - he was with my mother you see. When she died. And she was one of his first patients. Yes. Was one of his first patients. And coming up all that way. You don't know the way up to Crugwallt Farm. And now then you turn up - yes, you go up past the pond, you know where the pond is. Well you go up right to - up through the woods, right up to the top. A mile up. And coming up there in the night - at half past twelve in the morning. He was - he was a real - Christian gentleman. Yes. Yes, I remember it. And I'll never forget him when our children went to the - went to the hospital. The four of them went together. And he was coming every day to see if I was, and that was only - a month - before - I think it was a month - yes, a month before Ifan was born. Yes, and the four went. They all had diphtheria and scarlet. And Gwyn was - he was three - he was three days and unconscious, and they never thought that he was - never thought. I remember the night they came home, they were sitting with the children on each knee. Morgan saying, mummy - I'm sure God has something to do for our Gwyn. Because they all thought he was dead. And Gwyn said, yes, he was saying the other day, I was reminding them the other day when I was there, yes, he must have had something for him to do. Gwyn is the comic of the family you know. Yes, he's good old boy though. Yes indeed.

What difference did it make to the family where your brother-in-law was ill or out of work?

Oh well it made a big difference. Yes, yes. I remember him having his finger - cut off in the machine, in the sawmills, had his finger cut off. And it was buried in the chapel of ease. The finger has been buried in the chapel of ease, I don't know - whether it has been buried - with Betsan or beside the grave. Yes. It was buried just about there somewhere, beside - just about his mother's grave somewhere.

Who buried it?

I don't know, he buried it I expect. It was put in a little box. In the little box of wadding. Yes. And buried. Yes, his finger will be there. He conducted enough with it. Conducted. Yes.

Do you remember any outings with your parents?

Oh well I remem - the only outings we had was Sunday school outings you see. And the outings as I used to have would go from - Penycae up to Margam. Those were my outings. Up to the old home. Yes.

How often would you go?

Oh we'd go - two or three times a year. And - the baby would be in the - we used to have a - she used to have a pram you know, carriage, whicker carriages then, maybe one walking and one or two on the pram, in this carriage, and we used to go up from - walk all the way of course, and go up from Port Talbot, calling Twell yn y Ware with granny first. And then we'd go - after having bread and butter or whatever would be there, bread and jam or - a biscuit or something, and then we'd go up to - up past Brombil. Brombil Farm. And I was afraid in my heart of the dogs at Brombil Farm. Or any - or the turkeys, I was terrified of the turkeys. And then we'd go to the - little - that little house at the bottom of the wood. You know, the first house there, and - she used to leave the pram there. â??Cos - and then up through the woods up home. Walk up through the wood. She'd carry the baby. And then get to -

You couldn't take the pram right up?

No. Not further. And then leave the pram there. That was our outing.

Would you go back the same day?

Oh yes. Yes. I remember the day - remember when my father died, we went up on a Saturday afternoon. And I had - Gwynn, Gwynn was a small baby then, I had him in this - little pram. That's how I used to take the children up. From Port Talbot all the way. And - I remember going up - and my father had been taken ill and I didn't know. And I met one of my cousins by Brombill gate, from the house, and he said, did you know your father was ill. I said, no I didn't. Well he is - very ill. Oh dear. I couldn't get up quick enough, dragging the children up through the wood, and - of course he was in bed. He'd been taken ill the day before. He'd fallen outside in the yard. And he was in bed. In the four poster. Four poster we had you see, with curtains all round. Little white ones inside, I had made them. I'd made little lace curtains inside, and then the old - the out - the old brown ones outside, they were brown, sort of alpaca stuff. It was very - it was two - they were two hundred years old whatever, and they were edged with reds. Have a think now. But I didn't care for them - to sleep under, so I had put - lace curtains for my father right around the bed. And he was like a king there of course then. But however he was ill. He was very ill. Oh dear dear dear. Well I thought I - and I couldn't stay because the baby was only - May, June, July, August, he was only four months old. I had to go take the baby back that night, and - well I was asking him, oh you're going to get better. You are going to get better. Well, my dear, you have kept your father a long time. And here he was eighty six you see. You have kept your father a long time my dear. You must be willing Annie. Those were the words he said to me. You must be willing. Oh dear dear, I was breaking - broken hearted. Well I went home. I took the baby home and - took the - and the others, and then daddy came home from work. Because he had to work on that night and I was on my own. So he took the children and looked after them, I put everything, put the baby right, and I - my brother Dan's little girl Margaret came back with me. I can remember, I can see the cornfields now. We put everything right for the night. And I started to walk back. Because I knew he wasn't going to be long. And - she was - this little girl was with me, she was - about eleven I think, Margaret was about eleven I think, back we went, and it was moonlight. We were starting from our house at half past twelve. And I got home between half past one and two. And I can see the corn now - and the - and the moon shining on it you know, and both of us going through the corn. And - but I didn't - he didn't talk to me after, he died next day. Yes. Oh I shall never forget.

People had to walk then everywhere?

Walk, all those miles. And that - through that place now. Right through that wood, the Margam wood, â??cos every tree was there then. Only of course I knew every stump of a tree. Of old, and going up through the - through the fields, I can see them now. And he died that night, yes. Wonderful man. Wonderful, and he never married. Brought up the nine without - and people are telling him that - why didn't he marry again because we had a good housekeeper, a lady from Margam. Oh no, no, no, no. He couldn't put my mother's memory off like that. He was wonderful, yes. But I remember him saying, you must be willing Annie fach he said. Yes. Yes, he was - wonderful. Yes, that was Margam then.

Moved from Crugwellt Farm too 60 Tan y groes Street when she got married in 1911.
And that's where I am now. Been there 60 years.

GOYTRE

A Sunday school was begun in Goytre under the patronage of Dyffryn Church, Taibach, about the year 1850. Chiefly instrumental in starting it was the godly old father Dafydd Llewelyn, and it was in his house, which was near to the Goytre Farmhouse, that it was held. His grand-daughter, Mrs. Lewis, is living there now. His zeal and his effort regarding the School were very great. He would go around the houses to collect the children for the School; and his house was enlarged to have more room for the School. For some years during the last part of his life, the old saint was unable to rise from his bed; despite that, he used to oversee and organize the School to the end of his life. There were various people who were faithful with the School, namely, Edward Lewis, the deacon, and his family ; William and Humphrey Prosser, John Howell, Llety’r Piod, and his children ; the four brothers from upper Dyffryn, namely, Thomas, William, Lewis and Richard Thomas ; Evan and Richard Henry, and Thomas Meyrick, Tonygroes ; the last three striving to teach the children to sing. Richard Thomas of Dyffryn was one of the main pillars of Goytre School to end of his life. He and some young brother would represent the School every time in the bi-monthly Meetings of the Class. The Schoolhouse was built in 1881, which has been of great assistance to the cause. Dafydd William, Tynyframe, Bethuel Heycock and others, and their families, were faithful with the School in their day; and James Davies and his family, Thomas Rees, Llety’r Piod, and his family, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Thomas, Heatherside (formerly of the Dyffryn), Mr. J.O.Jones  of the Melin, Phillip Williams, the sons of Mrs. Lewis, the sons of James Davies, and other young brothers were of valuable service in Goytre School through the years. This little school has made a name for itself regarding the School Assemblies of the Class. It is always full of zeal and enthusiasm, and works with the Guide, Mother’s Gift, &c. The late Revd. Rees Phillips used to believe that there was no School like it for reciting the Guide, and responding, and the little School would believe that there was no questioner like him. Apart from the Sunday School, Prayer meetings have been held there through the years, with brothers from Dyffryn going there to assist. During the last three years, provision has been made for the English people who live in the area, and Mr. John, Pastor of Dyffryn, takes a great interest in the work, and is assisted by Councillor E.B. Rees, Taibach. Also, a number of brothers from Bethany and Carmel occasionally go up to help them. Recently, they have been frequently addressed on a Sabbath evening by the Mayor of Aberafon, Councillor Rhys Davies, and Councillor E.B. Rees, and others. The prospects for the cause at the moment are very promising, as coal mines are likely to be opened soon in the neighbourhood. It is hoped that the cause will succeed, and that there will be a call to establish a Church there before long.

THE WHARF
In the year 1868, four brothers, namely Edward Howe, David Rees (the son of Samuel Rees), Thomas Williams (the son of Wm. Williams, Blaencynaeron), and Charles Sutton, were appointed by Carmel Church to start a Sunday School on the Wharf. The efforts bore considerable success, and very soon, weekly prayer Meetings were held there, and a Band of Hope was established which became very numerous and successful under the leadership of Mr. Howe, with the assistance of the other brothers, and after a time as arranged to have occasional sermons in the week. The Rev. Wm. Jenkins, minister o Camnel, preached there monthly for some years. The venerable Wm. Prytherch preached there once. John Davies also helped with the Meetings there for some years ; and Capt. Thomas Ace and his family were faithful with the cause. Many of the tunes from Sankey, and others, were learned by the children, and from time to time, many Meetings were held in order to recite and sing, and some small books were taught (similar to Services of
Song), and very fine and beneficial Meetings were held. When Bethany was    ,
School presented the gift of a Clock to be set in the front of the gallery. The efforts at the Wharf were the means to lead many of those living there to become faithful members in Carmel. There was one old brother at the Wharf called Evan Jenkins who was very faithful with the School and the prayer Meetings there, and although he was a Church man, he used to take a great interest in the School, &c. Mr. Jackson, another Church man, also gave every support. When the cause was begun in Bethany, the majority of them went there, as there were more English people than Welsh. After that, Sunday School and prayer Meetings and preaching there were-held by Bethany Church, until t e new Docks were built, and the houses were pulled down. It can be said that many were won for Cannel and Bethany through the endeavours at the Wharf. 'Cast thy bread upon the face of the waters, for thou wilt receive after many days.'

END.