The background of the town of Pontypridd is quite difficult
to unravel but it appears that prior to the building of
the bridge by William Edwards in 1756 the area was very
sparsely populated consisting of just scattered farms and
was in fact a rural backwater. It wasn't until some 50
years later that the population started to expand with
the establishment of Treforest Tin Works circa 1800 and
the canal transportation system that carried the raw materials
from the Cynon and Merthyr Valleys. The real population
explosion however, didn't occur until the exploitation
of the rich coal seams that started to be extracted in
the mid 1800's. This steam coal produced more power and
less clinker that any other steam coal known at the time
and was the only coal used by the Royal Navy an many other
steam driven marine/industrial enterprises.
An engraving of Pontypridd circa 1850
It is an unfortunate fact that towns like Pontypridd grew
because of the coal industry were therefore completely dependent
on it. The decline of the coalfields started in the first
decade of the 20th century when the rich seams that were
easier to mine had been more or less depleted. That is not
to say that mining stopped at that period but was never again
at the level it had attained in the period 1870 to 1895.
With this decline went unemployment and poverty which led
to some huge public demonstrations such as the one in January
1935 against the 'Means Test'. Money was eventually found
by the government to fund projects such as Treforest Trading
Estate to provide alternative employment in the area. This
continues today with the help of the Welsh Development Agency.
Left: an illustration of Pontypridd circa
1900
Pontypridd Bridge
Pontypridd as a town name did not exist prior
to 1856. The old name for Pontypridd was Newbridge which
relates to the bridge built by William Edwards in 1756. The
name implies that there was previously a bridge crossing
the river Taff in the area and in John Leland's Itinerary
(1536-42) listing bridges over the river Taff, we find evidence
for this. He refers to a wooden bridge at Pont Rhehesk. In
those days they tended to spell as they heard, so we can
assume the site was near present day Craig-yr-Hesg, a short
distance upstream from Edwards Bridge. Reasons for the siting
of that bridge may well have been for the use by pilgrims
travelling to Saint Mary's Monastery at Penrhys. When Henry
VIII closed the monastery in 1538 the local population would
have had no need for a bridge, which would have fallen into
decay without the pilgrims. It would be more than 200 years
before the need for a crossing would encourage the building
of another bridge.
Above: An illustration of William Edwards Bridge shows
the rural nature of the surrounding area shortly after
the construction of the bridge.
The builder of the new bridge, William Edwards was born
at Ty Canol, Groeswen and was baptised on the 8th February
1719. When William was 7 years old his father was drowned
fording the river Taff while returning from Llantrisant
Fair on horseback. Was this the catalyst for his later
obsession with the bridge at Pontypridd?
The family moved to
Bryntail, which was sited just south of Eglwysilan Church
overlooking the site of the present day Treforest Trading
Estate.
As a youngster William worked diligently on the farm and soon showed an interest
in dry stonewalling and building work in general. When builders visited the area
he would learn from them the techniques that were to stand him in good stead
in later life. He started building himself and one of his many projects was a
mill at Craig y Fedw just east of Abertridwr. During the period when he lived
in Cardiff he also built a furnace at Cardiff Castle .
In 1746 William Edwards was commissioned to build a bridge over the river Taff
at Pontypridd for the sum of £500 on condition that the bridge stood for
7 years.
The first attempt was a three arch structure, which stood
for 26 months before being washed away by debris carried
by the river Taff in flood. The second attempt was to span
the Taff without any supporting pillars midstream. Staging
collapse caused the failure of this attempt when the structure
that was used to support the heavy bridge during the building
phase gave way.
The next attempt was also to end in failure
when the centre section collapsed because it could not
support the weight of the large side haunches. This gave
Edwards the idea for his fourth attempt. He would modify
the design and create large tunnels through the haunches
on each side to reduce the weight transfer to the centre
section. These tunnels measuring 9 feet for the bottom,
6 feet for the middle and 3 feet for the top were to prove
successful and the bridge was finally completed in 1756.
Above: The Old and the New. This photograph clearly shows
the both bridges in the early 1900's, The tunnels through
the haunches can be seen which allowed William Edwards
to complete the structure of his bridge successfully.
The bridge has a very steep entry and exit that was acceptable
for livestock but heavily loaded horse drawn wagons often
found it difficult and would use a heavy chain to slow them
on the downhill side. This caused continual wear to the road
surface of the bridge.
Because of the increase in traffic over the river Taff a second bridge was constructed
alongside in 1857. Later, circa 1900, the use of the William Edwards Bridge was
restricted to pedestrians after the road surface was repaired and steps added.
The structure still stands to this day as a monument to William Edward's ingenuity
and perseverance.
Left: An engraving of the Old Bridge
Evan James and James James - the joint composers
of 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau'
It was Evan James who composed the words and his son James
James that composed the music for what we now know as the
Welsh 'National Anthem'. Evan James was born in 1809 in the
parish of Eglwysilan near Caerphilly as one of a family of
eleven children. The family moved many times during his early
years, first to a public house the 'Ancient Druid' near Holybush,
Argoed. From there they relocated to 'Ffos-yr-Hebog', a smallholding
northwest of Deri in the parish of Gelli-gaer. Circa 1847,
his father, who was a weaver by trade, purchased premises
in Mill Street, Newbridge (later to be renamed Pontypridd
in 1856) where the family moved and Evan was to remain for
the rest of his life. He was a natural poet, producing numerous
works over many years.
Right: Evan James, 'Ieuan Ap Iago' (1809
- 1878)
James James was the musician of the family and an excellent
harpist but there appears to be no evidence that he had any
formal musical training so we can only presume he was self-taught
with help from his friend John Crockett. During the period
from 1849 to 1863 James kept a book containing musical scores
which is kept at the National Library and it is in this book
that we find the score of 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' The story
of the words and music is best told by his son Taliesin in
a letter to John Crockett dated 4th December 1910:
'I have often heard my father say that on a Sunday afternoon
in that month and year (January 1856), he went for a walk
up the Rhondda Road and that the melody came to his mind.
Returning to my grandfather's house, but a few doors from
his own, he said to him, "Father, I have composed a melody which is in my opinion
a very fitting one for a Welsh patriotic song. Will you write some verses for
it?" "Let me hear it" said grandfather, who added, "Fetch your harp, James." My
father brought the harp to the Factory House and played the air on that instrument.
My grandfather was greatly struck by it, and at once took down the slate, which
I dare say you know, always hung aside of his armchair by the fireplace, and
in a few minutes the words of the first verse were written ...The second and
third verses were written the next day'
Left: James James 'Iago Ap Ieuan' (1832-1902)
Whether the story is completely correct we will never
know but the fact is that the father and son collaborated
in producing what is probably the best-known song in Wales
along with 'Cwm Rhondda'.
Over the years it has been suggested that James James's melody may not be completely
his own work and may have been derived from an old Irish dance tune 'Rosin the
Beau (Bow)' which was quite well known at the time. Candid comments from people
like Phyllis Kinney, circa 1989 tend to dispel this. She states: 'On the whole
there is only one musical phrase which is identical in both tunes, the phrase
on the words 'Tros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed', which is repeated at the end
on the words 'O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau'. There is a similarity but in my
opinion 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' is not a variant of 'Rosin the Beau (Bow)'. It
is more probable that the musical phrases of 'Rosin the Beau (Bow)' were familiar
generally, because of the popularity of Irish airs in the last century and that
James James was familiar with them. However, there is a great difference between
saying that a composer was influenced unknowingly by a piece of music and saying
that one composition was a copy of another.'
Above: The original manuscript of 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau'
by James James kept at the National Library
After James James died in 1902 it was suggested that a
memorial should be erected to both the father and son. It
took almost 30 years to see this completed when the memorial
designed by Sir William Goscombe John sited in Ynysangharad
Park was unveiled on the 23rd of July 1930. The beautiful
memorial consisting of two life size figures of bronze representing
poetry and music fixed in Blue Pennant stone. The inscription
reads:
In memory of Evan James and James James father and son,
of Pontypridd, who, inspired by a deep and tender love
of their native land united poetry to song and gave Wales
her National Anthem, 'Hen Wlad fy Nhdau'
Left: The unveiling of the memorial in
Ynysangharad Park
Philip Thomas
A gravestone marking Philip Thomas's place of burial today
stands in Glyntaff Cemetery. However, a gravestone intended
for him also stands on Pontypridd Common. The story behind
the stone that overlooks his workplace on the common has
become part of the folklore history of Pontypridd.
Right: This photograph shows the stone
located on Pontypridd Common
The stone reads:
STRANGER HALT
I am placed here to commemorate
the virtue and abilities of
who after managin the chain work
on my right hand side for the space of
21 years much to the benefit of all
mankind died and was buried herein
1840
Aged 69
Brown Lenox Chainworks
Known locally as "The Chainworks", Brown Lenox
and Co. Ltd enjoyed a long association with Pontypridd and
played a significant part in the town's history. The company's
origins date back to the beginning of the nineteenth century
when Samuel Brown, then a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, designed
and patented the wrought iron chain that was to replace the
hempen rope cables that were then used to hold a ship's anchor.
Unable to finance the project to completion he enlisted the
aid of relatives and friends. This led to the formation in
1806 of a partnership between Brown and his cousin, Mr Samuel
Lenox that was, in effect, the beginning of the Brown Lenox
company.
To demonstrate the superiority of iron chains, Brown installed
iron rigging and marine cables on a vessel called the Penelope
and sailed to the West Indies. The Admiralty were so impressed
on his return in 1808 that they immediately ordered four
vessels of war to be fitted with chain cables. It was to
mark the beginnings of an unbroken series of annual contracts
that lasted for over a century between 1808 and 1916. Unsurprisingly,
larger works were constructed in 1812 at Millwall on the
river Thames to meet the demand. However the manufacture
of chains continued to increase at such a rate that an additional
site was required.
Right:
Chain links fron the SS Mauretania before testing (left) and after testing (right)
under a load of 370 tons
Pontypridd was chosen as the site of the chainworks because
of the proximity to supplies of iron and coal. The works,
constructed in 1816, were located at Ynysangharad beside
the Glamorgan Canal. Two canal basins were constructed, one
for the receipt of fuel and iron and the other for the despatch
of the finished product. The 20 feet difference between both
canal basins was responsible for a large fast moving volume
of water sufficient enough to provide all the power required
through water wheels and then turbines.
The manufacture of chain cables was facilitated
by the introduction of a machine for bending and scarfing
links in preparation for making them into chains. This machine
was invented Samuel Brown with the assistance of Philip Thomas,
the chainworks first manager. As the coal industry developed
and the demand for winding and haulage engines increased,
the company broadened its activities and produced different
kinds of equipment. The company continued to develop rapidly
and further extensions were made including the introduction
of steam hammers for forging heavy anchors. During the nineteenth
century the censuses show how the people of the district
depended almost entirely on the works. Indeed the Ordnance
Survey map of 1875 and the 1881 census show the row of houses
on the opposite side of the canal to the works to be known
as Chainworkers Row.
Left: Isambard Kingdom Brunell standing alongside
chains made by Brown Lenox for the SS Great Eastern
