An English translation of the name Tonypandy is ‘the meadow
of the fulling mill'. E.D. Lewis in his work ‘The Rhondda
Valleys' provides us with an outline history of the mill
that once stood in Tonypandy, and from which the town took
its name. He describes how, ‘The woollen manufactri and the
pandy or fulling mill were situated on Nant Clydach, near
the confluence of the Clydach brook and the River Rhondda
Fawr at Tonypandy'. He further describes how the mill dates
back to 1738 and was established by Harri David, and was
run in the second half of the eighteenth century by David
Martin.
An English translation of the name Tonypandy is ‘the meadow of the fulling mill'.
E.D. Lewis in his work ‘The Rhondda Valleys' provides us with an outline history
of the mill that once stood in Tonypandy, and from which the town took its name.
He describes how, ‘The woollen manufactri and the pandy or fulling mill were
situated on Nant Clydach, near the confluence of the Clydach brook and the River
Rhondda Fawr at Tonypandy'. He further describes how the mill dates back to
1738 and was established by Harri David, and was run in the second half of the
eighteenth century by David Martin.
The 1847 tithe map of the area around Tonypandy shows
how the area, possibly because of importance of the mill
as a centre for local farmers, contained in addition to the
usual scattered farmhouses a number of cottages as well as
a shop. Mines were sunk at Tonypandy, such as Nantgwyn on
the hillside above Tonypandy in 1892, and Gellifaelog sunk
by Walter Coffin in 1845. However Tonypandy's importance
came more from its position as a commercial and cultural
centre for the surrounding villages.
The first free library in the Rhondda was set up in Tonypandy above a furniture
shop in Dunraven Street, and theatres such as the Empire Theatre of Varieties
and the Theatre Royal thrived in the last half of the nineteenth and early part
of the twentieth century. Tonypandy also boasted the substantial Methodist Central
Hall for many years, a substantial and impressive building. Originally known
as the Wesleyan Central Hall it was erected in 1923 at a cost of £27,000
and contained a main hall capable of seating 1,000, as well as suites of rooms
and a lesser hall, which sat 500.
Additionally the town had a secondary school
erected in 1915 which later became its grammar school, a
Roman Catholic church and elementary school, a main police
station which in 1926 had a compliment of three sergeants
and ten constables.
For many years a fountain and water trough, known locally as ‘The Lady with the
Lamp', graced Tonypandy square. This fountain and statue was erected in 1909
with money left over from the memorial statue to Archibald Hood the well-known
Scottish engineer and local mine owner.
Tonypandy is best known as the place of the 1910 Tonypandy Riots, which led to
the Metropolitan Police and military units being stationed in the Rhondda, following
disturbance during the Cambrian Colliery Dispute.
The Cambrian Colliery Dispute (The Tonypandy Riots)
In the early twentieth century the Cambrian
Combine was one of the most powerful entities in the coal
industry in the Rhondda. The clash between this power wielded
by the coal owners in the shape of the Combine and that of
the workers in the form of the Cambrian Lodge of the South
Wales Miners Federation led to one of the bitterest disputes
in South Wales' industrial history. Ultimately this dispute
led to the incident that has become known in popular history
as 'The Tonypandy Riots'.
The dispute originated at the Combines' Ely Pit in Penygraig, owned by the Naval
Colliery Company and centred on the management's decision to open up a new seam,
the Upper Five Foot or Bute seam. Prior to opening a new seam a test period was
mined at the seam to determine its output, and a price was set per ton for the
miners who would work the seam. During the test period at this seam in 1909 management
alleged workers had deliberately worked slower than they were able, in order
to raise the price per ton of the seam when it was actually in production. The
workers on their part alleged that it was a particularly difficult seam to work
with many 'abnormal places'. Finally the management offered 1s.9.d per ton for
workers mining the seam, whereas workers demanded 2s.9.d, arguing that at the
price offered they would not be able to mine enough coal to make a reasonable
wage.
The two sides in the dispute were deadlocked, and on August
1st 1910 the colliery owners posted lockout notices, not
just for the 80 men affected by the dispute over the seam,
but for all 800 men employed at the colliery. The lockout
began on September 1st 1910. On September 5th the workmen
at two other Naval pits came out on strike in sympathy with
the workers at Ely Pit, and the other Cambrian and Glamorgan
Collieries' workers voted on September 7th to follow a week
later. At that time William Abraham MP (Mabon) dissuaded
them from this course of action after promising the men a
coalfield wide conference to address the issues of the dispute.
At an Executive Council of the South Wales Miners Federation held on September
16th it was recommended that; ' the conference tomorrow to agree that the whole
of the workmen employed at the Cambrian Combine be given permission to tender
their notices upon the 1st of October next, to terminate their contracts and
that a weekly levy be made upon all members of the Federation to provide necessary
financial support'.
Democratic Club Distress Committee 1910
The conference was held next day at Cory hall
with 248 delegates representing over 147,000 men and a decision
was made to ballot on whether to accept this recommendation
or if all the members of the Federation should strike in
sympathy with the Cambrian workers. The vote was in favour
of providing support for the Cambrian strikers. All workers
within the Cambrian combine duly gave the period of notice
whilst frantic moves went on to prevent an all out strike.
Mabon himself secured an increased offer of 2s1.3d a ton
but the Cambrian Lodge also rejected this offer. At the same
time D.A Thomas, head of the Combine, attended a meeting
of the powerful Coal Owners association in Cardiff, at which
time the owners pledged an indemnity to owners of affected
pits as well as a promise not to employ striking miners elsewhere
within the coalfield.
Thus with battle lines drawn and a hardening of attitudes on both side the strike
officially began on the 1st November 1910. The coal owners immediately drew up
plans to import labour into the coalfield, and expecting trouble asked the Chief
Constable of Glamorgan, Captain Lionel Arthur Lindsay, for increased police protection.
This request was acceded to and extra police were drafted in from Swansea, Cardiff
and Bristol. On the miners side the Trade Disputes Act of 1906 gave them the
right of 'peaceful picketing' and at a meeting on the 7th November the strikers
declared 'we intend to prevent any officials from Mr.Llewellyn downward from
entering the colliery yards'. Given such an inflammatory mix of thousands of
pickets, the threat of imported labour, and increased police presence in the
community, together with the ill feeling already engendered by the lockout and
strike, trouble was perhaps inevitable.
Indeed that Autumn of 1910 was one of the most volatile
the mining industry had yet seen, strikes had already broken
out in other parts of the coalfield such as Aberdare, and
by November nearly one sixth of all miners in South Wales
were on strike.The miners had decided that at 5a.m. on the 7th November
all striking miners should demonstrate at their respective
pits. At shortly after 5a.m Noah Rees, secretary of the
Cambrian Lodge together with W.H.Mainwaring and a 'trumpeter'
went through the streets calling the miners to action.
In order to prevent anyone from attending work that day,
strikers as well as congregating at the entrances to the
mines also took up station at all the streets and lanes
leading to the mines in order to turn back anyone attempting
to get to work.
Left: Bangor police stationed at Clydach Vale 1910/11
Miners' wives and children joined their husbands
and fathers on this picket duty. The miners' campaign was
successful, with work being prevented at all but one of the
Cambrian Combine pits, namely the Glamorgan Colliery at Llwynypia
which Leonard Llewellyn, its manager, had turned into a 'Fortress'.
In addition to picketing to prevent any access to the collieries,
miners also forced their way into the Cambrian colliery in
order to put out the boiler fires and stop the ventilation
fans, thus preventing anyone working in the colliery.
By 10.30 p.m. that evening the one working pit of the Cambrian Combine, Llwynypia
was surrounded by striking miners, inside was Leonard Llewellyn, and around sixty
officials and draughtsmen of the colliery keeping the machinery of the pit working
and the mine free from water. Rumours outside had it that Llewellyn had imported
stokers from Cardiff who were acting as 'blackleg' labour. In addition to the
workers manning the colliery, the premises also contained Captain Lindsay and
over one hundred policeman. This concentration of manpower at Glamorgan Colliery
is a testament to the importance of the site to both sides of the dispute, containing
as it did the electric generator and pumping station that kept the mines free
from water. It was at this power station that the strikers had their first brush
with the law, and the events that were subsequently known as the Tonypandy Riots
really began. Although the crowd, by now numbering in the thousands on the most
part listened to their leader, Will John, and his appeal for calm. A small percentage
of the crowd lining the embankment above the power station began stoning the
building below and some of the wooden fencing surrounding the colliery was pulled
down. Serious disorder ensued with the police and strikers involved in hand to
hand fighting, finally the police after repeated baton charges succeeded in driving
the crowd away from the colliery site towards Tonypandy just after midnight.
At Tonypandy square, between 1 and 2 a.m., fifty constables from Cardiff used
truncheons to further disperse the crowds that had subsequently gathered there.
Right: Tonypandy Square after the riots 1910
At one o'clock on the morning of the 8th November, Captain
Lindsay fearing the scale of the disorder and the possibility
of losing control of the situation telegraphed for army
reinforcements, Tidworth barracks replied saying that contingents
of cavalry and infantry would arrive at Tonypandy at 9a.m.
that morning. When they didn't arrive he telegraphed Winston
Churchill, the then Home Secretary and stated:
'All the Cambrian collieries menaced last
night. The Llwynypia Colliery savagely attacked by large
crowds of strikers causing many casualties on both sides.
Am expecting two companies of infantry and 200 cavalry today.'
Unbeknownst to him however, Churchill on finding out about
the unapproved troop movements had already stopped the reinforcements
at Swindon, fearing some said a repeat of the incidents of
'Bloody Sunday, when in 1887 at Trafalgar Square troops with
fixed bayonets faced rioters. He sent a telegram to Lindsay
stating, 'infantry should not be used until all other methods
have failed'. Instead of the military he sent 70 mounted
and 200 other constables of the Metropolitan Police Force
as reinforcements to the authorities already in the area.
Cavalry were also offered, to be sent into the district as
a precautionary measure under the control of General MacReady.
Lindsay on hearing of the contingent of Metropolitan Police
being sent to his aid refused the use of the cavalry saying
the police reinforcements should be sufficient, as such the
cavalry were halted at Cardiff.
On Tuesday the 8th November the workmen on strike were
paid off by the companies of the Cambrian Combine and proceeded
to the Tonypandy Athletic Ground for a mass meeting. The
local stipendiary magistrate Lleufer Thomas spoke to the
men and read out a message from the Home Secretary who
maintained his intent to hold back the soldiers and send
only police in to maintain the peace. The tone was conciliatory
and was well received by the strikers, promising as it
did to arrange meetings with the Board of Trade to resolve
the dispute. The miners then formed an orderly procession
and proceeded once again to the Glamorgan Colliery, arriving
about 4p.m. Within the hour however what was described
as 'serious rioting' had once again occurred. Mounted police
attempted to disperse the strikers and hand to hand combat
between strikers and the police took place lasting over
two hours. Finally the police managed to split the strikers
into separate groups, some being driven up the valley towards
Llwynypia and others down the valley towards Tonypandy.
Scores of not hundreds of police and rioters were left
injured. It was what happened next that has gone down in
history as the Tonypandy Riots. Strikers on being driven
to Tonypandy proceeded to smash the shop windows of the
town, and also those of a number of private dwellings.
Contemporary reports state that of all the shopping district
only two shops retained their windows and were not looted
by the rioters, one a jewellers which had roller shutters
and the other a chemist owned by a former Welsh rugby International.
The five constables on duty in Tonypandy at the time, together
with dozen reinforcements from the Colliery finally managed
to clear the streets. Due to the seriousness of this continued
rioting Churchill telegrammed General MacReady stating,
'As the situation appears to have become more serious you
should if the Chief Constable or Local Authority desire
it move all the cavalry into the district without delay'.
Churchill also spoke to Lindsay and MacReady and agreed
to send another contingent of 200 Metropolitan policemen
leaving London on Wednesday 9th November at 3a.m. However
by the time that 150 police arrived at Tonypandy Square
at 11p.m. on the Tuesday 8th November the disturbances
were over. Although no authentic record exists of casualties
of these disturbances, as many of the miners would have
refused treatment in fear of being prosecuted for their
part in the riots, nearly 80 policemen were injured and
over 500 other persons, one Samuel Rhys later dying of
his injuries.
Controversy has dogged the history of the Tonypandy Riots with many on the
miners side blaming the press, who were seen as being sympathetic to the owners
cause, for exaggerating the extent and numbers involved. Indeed Keir Hardy
in a parliamentary debate following the riots claimed that the 'window smashing'
was the work of less than a hundred, of the thousands of striking miners. He
also ascertained that had the police not all been guarding the mine owners'
property the disturbance would very quickly have been stamped out.
In the days that followed the riot, local shopkeepers took to closing early
in case of a repetition of the troubles of that night, and troops in the shape
of the 18th Hussars arrived to take up station at the Llwynypia Colliery. Despite
the numbers involved only thirteen miners from Gilfach Goch were prosecuted
for their part in the events of the 7th and 8th of November 1910. Their trial
was held on the 14th December, for 'intimidating a colliery official,' at Pontypridd.
Fearing a repeat of the rioting, the authorities had reinforced the town with
400 policemen, two troops of infantry and a squadron of the 18th Hussars. For
the six days of the trial up to 10,000 men, including drum and fife bands marched
in procession from the Valley to Pontypridd in support of their colleagues
in the dock. Being prevented from entering the town they held mass meetings
at the Rocking stone on the Common. On the final day of the trial only 600
men marched to Pontypridd for the verdicts and sentencing. Many staying away
to avoid the possibility of being caught up in mass rioting and fighting with
the authorities. Of the accused some were sent to Cardiff Prison via a special
train for periods ranging from two to six weeks, whilst the others were either
fined or discharged.
Although this marked the end of the 'Tonypandy Riots' sporadic violent skirmishes
erupted throughout the remaining period of the strike. Thus in April 1911 The
Rhondda Leader reported 'Blaenclydach Terror' and relates a number of incidents
of strikers intimidating 'blacklegs', stoning the police and the looting of
a number of shops as well as the burning down of a local slaughterhouse. The
strike finally ended which ended in August 1911, with the workers forced to
accept the 2s 1.3d. negotiated by William Abraham MP prior to the strike beginning.
The workers actually returning to work on the first Monday in September.
This has been only a brief outline of the events surrounding what has become
known as 'The Tonypandy riots', for a more detailed description of these events,
recommend reading is 'The Tonypandy riots' by G.Evans and D.Maddox and also
'South Wales Miners, a history of the South Wales Miners federation 1898-1914'
by R.Page Arnot.
TONYPANDY METHODIST CENTRAL HALL
The Methodist Central Hall dominated the lower
end of Tonypandy for over sixty years from its opening in
1923 until its eventual demolition in 1985. Methodist Central
Halls were designed to meet not only the spiritual needs
of the population but also to serve as social and educational
centres for the communities they served.
The Glamorgan Free Press and Rhondda Leader newspaper of Friday June 29th 1923
describes the opening of the new hall, which it calls, ‘The Most Beautiful Hall
in Wales'. It describes how the Hall built by Messrs. Laing and Sons, at a cost
of £30,000, and designed by architect Mr. Arthur Brocklehurst was formally
opened by Lady Nicholas of ‘The Garth', Trealaw accompanied by her husband Sir
Walter Nicholas. Huge crowds attended the event so much so that, ‘The street
was dense with people when the opening ceremony was performed, traffic for the
time having to be suspended'.
The Rev.J.E. Wakerley the President of the Wesleyan ‘connexion', performed the
dedicatory service, and a great public meeting was held in the main hall of the
building presided over by Mr. Joseph Rank of Hull, donor of £10,000 to
the building fund.
Prior to the establishment of the Central Hall the Methodist cause already had
a long history in the area. It began in a large room over ‘Y Siop Fawr' in Dinas
and later moved to Penygraig, where services and Sunday School were held in the
Long Room of the White Hart Hotel. Then in 1866 a plot of land was secured from
Gellifaelog Farm in Tonypandy upon which the first chapel on the site was built.
This chapel was small and could cater for only eighty worshippers and thus was
soon shown to be inadequate for the needs of the local Methodists. Thus a new,
enlarged chapel was erected on the site in 1873, which itself was enlarged in
1899 and in which a gallery was erected in 1910. This chapel was in turn demolished
in 1922 to make way for the new Central Hall, which took a year to build. During
this time the worshippers held services at Judges Hall as well as the vestries
of Seion and Ebenezer Chapels, additionally prayer meetings were held in the
front bedroom of the caretaker's house.
The Central Wesleyan Hall, as it was originally known, consisted of a main hall
capable of seating 1,000 people, a choir platform that accommodated 100 choristers,
and a lesser hall with a capacity for 400 people. It also boasted a ‘primary
department' with accommodation for 150 children and five or six classrooms, as
well as a games room with two billiard tables, a library and a place for reading
and writing.
As stated in the Central Hall's twenty-fifth anniversary booklet , ‘ Within a
few short years [after the completion of the building] the valley was in a grip
of a depression that crippled its life', during this troubled time the Hall,
under the leadership of the Rev.R.J.Barker and later the Rev.C.E.Gwyther, ‘Stood
as a light in the dark'. It became a ‘centre of mutual service' for the unemployed
with woodworking and bootmaking workshops, reading rooms a printing press and
a milk bar, also thousands of toys were made for distribution to local children,
clothing was distributed and the canteen began to serve ‘twopenny meals'. The
Hall also served a valuable function as a rest centre for evacuees during the
Second World War.
In common with many Rhondda Chapels the Hall faced a serious decline in the latter
half of the twentieth century with dwindling congregations eventually forcing
it to close in 1980. As the Rhondda Leader of Friday June 6th 1980 reported, ‘ Final
Hymn sung at Central Hall…Another Rhondda Chapel closed its doors last week.'
As a spokesman for the Hall at the time stated, ‘Up until the last ten years
it was also a leading influence in the community until…a combination of industrial
decline and decreasing interest in religion led to a dwindling membership'. The
remaining eighty strong congregation transferred to other Methodist chapels.
Mr. George Thomas, Speaker of The House of Commons, later Viscount Tonypandy,
a former member and Trustee of the Hall attended the final service. In 1985 the
Hall, which had been left derelict and vandalised for some five years, was eventually
demolished to make way for a new supermarket.
