ABERDARE HISTORY

Information from Visitation Returns

Return completed by the Rev Richard Harries June 20th 1763.

Have you a residing Curate? What is his name? What allowance do you allow him?

The Rev John Evans is my residing Curate at Llanwono and Aberdare to whom I pay £25 a year besides surplice fees. NLW Mss. LL-QA-1.

These also show that the vicar of Llantrisant had 3 curates to assist him in his widely scattered Parish. Rev. Thomas Llewellyn, Curate of St. John’s and Talygarn, and Rev. Evan Davies served Ystradyfodwg.

There were certain visitations and Queries and Answers regarding the state of the Established Church in Wales during the 18th century in 1763, for example, but there were no returns for Aberdare.

In 1768 returns for Llanwynno are indicative of the conditions at that the time.

Is your Parish Church or Chapel in Good and Sufficient Repair?

It is not.

Are the roofs well covered with lead, slate tiles or other proper covering?

It is not.

Are the windows well glazed?

They are.

Are the floors kept paved plain and even?

They are not.

Are all things in general so decently ordered and kept as becomes the House of God?

They are not.

Have you in your church or chapel a Bible of the last translation and of the largest volume together with the Common prayer Book of the Same?

We have not.

Have you the Book of Homilies set for and by Authority?

We have not.

Have you a printed table hung up of the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited?

We have not.

Are there any in your Parish who lie under a Fame or vehement suspicion of fornication adultery or incest?

There are fornicators here.

Are there any in your Parish any common swearers or drunkards?

There are.

Are there many who absent themselves from morning or evening services?

There are.

Are there any who behave themselves disorderly in Church?

There are.

Are there any who follow their callings or ordinary labour on the Lord’s Day.

There are none.

Are there any who keep open shop or suffer people to tipple in their houses on the Lord’s Day?

There is one who suffers persons to tipple most shamefully in their houses on the Lord’s Day. Thomas Morgan and Llewellin Thomas, Church Wardens of Llanwynno. NLW Mss LL/Q.A./3.

Returns by the Rev John Evans 1st Perpetual Curate NLW/Mss LL/QA/4 pp233-241 1777 NLW LL/QA/6 ppl81-188 1774.

Divine Service is held once every Lord’s Day at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Prayers and preaching in Welsh. No evensong as he was obliged to go to another church 6 miles distant (Llanwynno).

Divine service held sometimes on weekdays, Holy Days and Festivals. Sacrament 6 times a year including Christmas Easter and Whitsuntide, “and sometimes oftener when occasion required”.

18 Communicants in Parish
20 took communion at Easter

20 Communicants in Parish
24 Communicants at Easter

There are no papists nor Papist Priest, Church or School in the Parish. There are Presbyterians in abundance in this Parish but they have no minister at present. (David Evans left Hen Dŷ Cwrdd in 1770 and Edward Evans Ton Coch came in 1772).

No Anabaptists or Quakers but there are Presbyterians. Edward Evans is the name of their Minister and I believe he is Licensed. Their number is rather less.

My careless parishioners neglect their duty and refuse to send their children to be instructed. My parishioners are against their children to learn the Catechism.

Do you constantly reside upon this cure and in the house belonging to it?

Yes. There is no house here.

By whom and to what uses is the money given at the offertory disposed of?

There is none given.

From all these Questions and Answers, there is no record of any offertory given at the Parish Church of Aberdare.

Returns after 1775 indicate the rise of dissent.

“They do increase of late because they love to be dissenters.”

“Presbyterians, no other sect.”

By this year "Presbyterians, no Independents some Anabaptists.” Presbyterian Minister is Edward Evan and Anabaptist Minister is David Oliver.

May 5th, according to memorial in St. John’s, David William Walker was buried perpendicular at the early age of 56 years.

Theophilus Richards of Blaengwawr the eminent drover buried in 1794 in his 90th year, and above him is erected a massive square tomb near to the east end of the church built by a local stonemason Rhys Howells, (1734–1817). Cost of memorial was £30. Theophilus Richards’ son Richard Richards built Tŷ Mawr, (Now demolished).

A vestry was built onto St. John’s, and the date appears above the entrance, reference Robert Clutterbuck, “Journal of a Summer Excursion to the Iron Works at Merthyr and Aberdare 1799”. He was charmed with the appearance of the church ‘Its peaceful surroundings and the women knitting under the Yew Trees’.

“The churchyard at Aberdare has some venerable but decaying yew trees and some monuments in all the pomp of gilded cherubims and in its profusion of designs in every taste but the good. But the church itself almost a lame and impotent conclusion to this funereal magnificence, though quite as good as almost any others in similar situations.” Benjamin Heath Malkin.

An engraving published in 1813 included in Thomas Rees, ‘Beauties of South Wales’, NLW Map Room AC-p597. An engraving by Woodworth from a drawing by J.P. Neale, published by John Harris, St. Paul’s Churchyard, London, November, 1813; shows three windows only on the North side of the Church as compared with the present five and also shows the village stocks in the Churchyard.

Rev John Evans was succeeded as Perpetual Curate by Rev Thomas Jones 1799–1827. The value of the curacy in 1806 was £34 13s, but although the curacy coincided with the coming of the Industrial Revolution neither curate made any effort to adapt to the changing conditions. Appropriators did so and were quick to take their chance. Advertisements appeared frequently in local papers inserted by the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral: Cambrian July 18 1807, April 10 1813, November 20 1818 announced sale of Glebe and Tithe lands at Aberdare. “Within a very short distance of the church at Aberdare and in the immediate vicinity of the Iron works and from their situation as well as their quality are particularly desirable.”

Change was barely perceptible in Aberdare but it was there e.g. 1st Quarter of 19th-century ‘Pinnock’s County Directory’, History and Topography of South Wales 1823 p72.

What is Aberdare? Aberdare was sometime since a pleasant rural place but it is gradually deteriorating in consequence of the Establishing of Iron Works.

As late as 1833, Samuel Lewis described the “Village” Topographical Dictionary of South Wales Vol 1, (London).

In 1828, the Rev Thomas Jones died and was succeeded by the Rev Wiltshire Stantori Austin who was curate from 1827–31 and he was followed by the Rev Evan Price Thomas who was the last of the Perpetual Curates of Aberdare. Great changes took place during the time of his ministry until 1845. For most of his time, he dwelt at Fedw Hir and during his early years, his income amounted to £89. By 1835, it had risen to £108 (Report of Royal Commission on Ecclesiastical Revenues in England and Wales 1835 pp614–615).

From Samuel Lewis, 1832: “The living is a Perpetual Curacy in the Archdeaconry and Diocese of Llandaff endowed with £600 Royal Bounty and £1800 Parliamentary Grant and in the Patronage of the Vicar of Llantrisant who receives all the vicarial tithes of all three parishes but at present a negotiation is pending between the Marquis of Bute and the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral in whose gift is the vicarage of Llantrisant pursuant to which should the latter accede to his lordship’s proposal for further endowing the incumbency the patronage of Aberdare will be transferred into his Lordship’s hand”.

A further grant was made towards the living by the governors of Queen Anne’s Bounty to meet a private benefaction of £75 per annum by the Marquis of Bute. (It was rent charged for Pontcanna farm in Cardiff), C.A.H., Green ‘Notes on Churches in Diocese of Llandaff’, Part 2 Aberdare 1907.

By the Spiritual Duties Act 2&3 Vic.Ch30 where there were two or more benefices in the same Parish, each benefice was termed a Mediety and the Bishop had the power to apportion the spiritual duties of the Parish between the several incumbents and with the consent of the Patron to constitute the Mediates into separate benefices. The result of this was that the Vicar of Llantrisant ceased to have any authority over the patronage of the Aberdare Living. The deed, which transferred the patronage to the Marquis of Bute, was not signed until January 29th 1846. Cardiff Public Library Bute Mss 41037 Section 9 No 54.

In that year, the Marquis exercised his right of Patronage in favour of the Rev John Griffith who was the first to sign himself Vicar in the Parish Register and was also the first to appoint a curate. The Parish extended from Hirwaun to Mountain Ash. The income from the living was £197 5s 4d inclusive of £20 burial and marriage fees and £10 from Llantrisant. As far as tithes were concerned, in 1847 value of tithes was £9 12s.

In 1846, rent charges were introduced instead of Tithes but the valuation took three years to complete. John Johnes was the Assistant Tithe Commissioner and the Valuer was Evan David. The Gross Rent Charge Payable to the tithe owners in lieu of tithes for the Parish of Aberdare including tithe of Glebe was £352 18s 6d, viz to the Vicar £68 18s 5d. and to the Appropriators £284 0s 1d.

Landowners in Aberdare in 1847 were Crawshay Bailey, the Marquis of Bute, Hon Robert Henry Clive, Aberdare Iron Company, Aberdare Canal Company, Aberdare Railway Company, Sir William Douglas, Executors of Morgan Thomas David, Rees David, David Davies, Richard Edwards, Lady Glyn, Major Gwynne Holford, Mary Kingsbury, George Rowland Morgan, Morgan Morgan, Edward Morgan, John Bruce Pryce, Howell Price, Thomas Rees, Edward Rees, James Roberts, James Roberts and Edward Wood, Charles Kemyss Tynte, William Thomas, Walter de Winton, William Williams, Richard Williams, Rees Williams, Edward Morgan Williams, Matthew Wayne, Dean and Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral.

The total area of the Aberdare Parish was 16,310 acres and 37 poles.

Very soon, the new Vicar began to exercise his authority. In 1849, St. John’s Church was first lit by gas and in the Vestry Minutes of that year April 9th, Martha Llewellyn granted £4 per annum for cleaning the church and in the same year the Vicar claimed and was granted the right to appoint the Sexton. The fabric of the church suffered. By 1859, the old Parish Church had been badly neglected and a movement was on foot to have it demolished and to have a new

church for Welsh parishioners to be erected on the site. In 1859, a new Vicar, the Rev Lewis raised £900 for repairs to the Church. The Churchyard was closed by Order in Council on the 10th of June 1864 except for existing vaults and graves. The last burial was in 1940, when a vault was opened on death of Dr Scale. The shape of the windows was altered. During the 60s, the church was allowed again to fall into a ruinous state due to the coalmining under it and only a few services were held therein.

In 1871, further restorations were carried out, but newspaper reports show that it was closed for all practical purposes for the decade prior to 1876 when windows said to be the exact pattern of the originals were inserted, and a stained glass window in memory of the Wayne family. In 1904, Sir William Thomas Lewis of the Mardy House in Aberdare, in order to perpetuate the memory of his wife Ann, made a capital gift of £1,666 13s 4d to bring in £50 per annum and, in the London Gazette of July 1904, the Church Commissioners awarded a further £80. In 1915, further extensive repairs and improvement costing more than £500 became necessary. A small lancet window space was discovered above the West door for giving light during evensong. The rays of the sun through the window strike directly on to the altar on August 29th the reputed day of the Martyrdom of John the Baptist. The only heating in the church until this time was by a fire below ground level reached by stone steps, and covered over by iron plates. Modern heating was now installed due to the generosity of Mr F.W. Mander. The roof was repaired and Tithes raised by Messrs Lewis and James Solicitors of Narberth.

The roof was recovered at a cost of £2,000.

The Religious Situation in Aberdare in 1851

To provide for 15,000 population there were 16 Welsh Non-Conformist chapels, and one English Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. The Mormons had a large following, and met in the long rooms of various Pubic Houses, as did the Roman Catholics. The only Anglican provision was the Parish Church for 175 worshippers with one English and one Welsh Service every Sunday. The Bishop of Llandaff, Dr. Oliphant, frequently referred to this state of affairs, “There are industrial settlements like Hirwaun with 3,000 inhabitants and no pastor at all, while in the Parishes of Aberdare, Llanwynno and Ystradyfodwg containing 50,000 acres and upwards of 20,000 inhabitants there is hardly church room for 600 souls.”

Charge of 1851 p37. In the Charge of 1866 and 1869 he reverts to the matter, “as far as the Church is concerned the people have been left in many localities without a Pastor. She has made no provision at all for them and, till she does, we thank God that they have made some provision for themselves ... but generally speaking the people are dissenters not so much on the score of principle or desperate conviction as from the necessity of circumstances which have prevented them from being in one fold under one shepherd.” In the early fifties, however, the Established Church awoke to its responsibilities. In May 1846, a letter in a newspaper said that a Church was to be built on a field known as Maes-y-Dre.

In 1851–52 under the energetic Vicar John Griffiths, St. Elvan’s Church was built at a cost of £6,000. The Architect was a Mr Moseley and the builder a Mr. Strawbridge. There were 1,000 worshippers; the steeple was 189 feet in height with accommodation for 6 bells.

The Bells were not installed and consecrated until July 29th, 1858 when they were rung throughout the day by the Paisley Bellringers of Gloucestershire. In 1858, three weeks before the consecration of the Bells, Joseph Hyatt Parfitt, the 1st Organist of St. Elvan’s died, and another unfortunate incident was the theft from the church of valuable silver communion plate, (Valued over £300). In the following year, the Marchioness of Bute presented a handsome new set on the occasion of a two-day Bazaar organized by the Rev John Griffiths in order to complete the defraying of the debt before he left to be Rector of Merthyr.

To meet the needs of the upper part of the district in the early 50s, the district chapelry of St. Fagan’s was built. Dafydd Morgannwg gives the date of 1851. The 2nd Essay in Gardd Aberdâr states, “Lady Harriet Clive has built a church at her own expense and on her own estate to the value of £2,500”.

Service of Consecration on July 31st 1854. (Altar plate 1853). The builders were James and Price of Llandaff, and the architect Tablet Burrey of Welbeck Street. The first baptismal entry was on August 6th 1854: Charles son of Emmanuel and Isabella Kenshole, and the first marriage on August 26th of John Morris and Ann Jones of Llwydcoed, and the first burial that of Jacob Phillips aged 1 year and 1 month of Harriet Street and conducted by David Griffiths, Curate of Aberdare. Rev Isaac D. Jenkins was appointed to the living in July 1855, and on July 28th, it became a separate parish. The Rev Jenkins had been barely six months in the living when the church was gutted by fire on 26th January 1856. Lady Harriet Clive, now Baroness Windsor, signified her intention to rebuild and in the meantime, services were held at Heolyfelin British School.

The new church built by the same builder was opened on 26th August 1856 by the Bishop of Llandaff.

The Bishop was back in September when he received over a hundred for Confirmation at St. Elvan’s.

The School House of St. Fagan’s was ready in 1857 and was officially opened by the Dean of St. David’s in July 1858. £400 was raised in a Bazaar to clear the school debt in Trecynon.

On Christmas Sunday of 1859, the Rev Thomas Evan Lewis, 1818–1901, preached his first sermon at St. Elvan’s as the newly inducted Vicar of Aberdare. His was a very important ministry in the life of the church at Aberdare. There is no evidence that the Revival of 1859 had very much influence on Anglicanism.

In 1862, 155 were confirmed in the new church and, in 1864, there were 500 children attending Sunday School at St. Elvan’s. A new organist was appointed to St. Elvan’s in 1861 who was James Sherbourne and he reported that there were 60 singers in the choir whereas ten years previously there were only 6. The Choirmaster was Mr F. Helmore. The new organist was the most prominent watchmaker and jeweller in the town and he supervised the fitting of the clock.

The incumbency of the Rev T.E. Lewis was to be remembered for substantial additions to the premises of the Church particularly for building Santes Fair Forwyn in Maes-y-Dre. The clerk of works was a G.V. Bates of Stevenage, Herts. The builder was Philip Rees of Graig House who was also the builder of the Temperance Hall; he died in October 1886. The Contract price was £2797 and the Architect was Mr. (later Sir) Arthur W. Blomfield of London. Thomas Hardy was the assistant to Blomfield at the time. It was Hardy who drew up the working drawings and he is said to have lodged in Monk Street during the course of the work. The church accommodated some 680, and the carvings were by Whittingham. The stained glass window on the North Side of the church was in memory of Martha Edwards who had been for 47 years Sexton of the Parish Church. She was known as Martha'r Eglwys, and she claimed to know all the family graves in the old church. It was noted for possessing a Baptistry with steps leading down to the font for baptism of adults by immersion.

On July 2nd 1863, a Foundation Stone was laid by Mrs. Wayne of Glandare. There was a luncheon at The Market House provided by Mr. Dyke of the Boot Hotel. Choir boys had a “Sumptuous entertainment at the Butchers Arms”. In the evening, the workmen were equally well provided for at the Butchers Arms. In a little over a year, the work was completed, and on November 9th 1864, the Church was dedicated by the Reverend Dr Oliphant, Bishop of Llandaff, (Cardiff Times 11/11/1864). The Services in the New Church were in Welsh, and the Vicar was an enthusiastic Welshman. He was also noted for his support for the Tractarian Anglo Catholic Movement of Pusey, Newman and Keble. Rev David Lewis his brother was a Fellow and later Vice-Principal of Jesus College before he went over to the Roman Church with Newman. The Rev Evan Lewis had a reputation as an oarsman. He too had come under the influence of Newman and he introduced Gregorian Chant into St Mair.

The Vicar was appointed Rector of Dolgellau and later Dean of Bangor.

The singing at St Mair was of a very high standard at the time due to choirmaster Lewis Harries and the organist W.R. Protheroe who was followed by his son Gwilym Protheroe and the late Mr. Rees Evans.

The New Vicar 1866–69 was the Rev Thomas Edwards who also later became Dean of Bangor. During his stay, the church continued to flourish. There were great improvements to St Elvan’s in 1868. The old reredos was removed and a new one “of coloured encaustic tiles of very chaste design” was erected. The chancel as used for the first time after the alteration on Christmas Day, 1868. During 1868, services were held in a licensed room at Aberaman and also in the National School in Cwmbach, Dafydd Morgannwg.

The foundations of an Iron Church were laid at Cwmaman through the generosity of Bruce Pryce of Dyffryn who gave the site and a donation of £100 and this was opened for worship in in May 1870. The builders were Messrs Norton & Co Liverpool. The cost was £350. A Mr. William Thomas of the Cwm Colliery gave a Harmonium.

In October 1867, the choirboys of Aberdare visited the “beautiful valley of Crymlin with its far famed viaduct.”

In 1870, the Rev H.T. Edwards was followed by the Rev John David Jenkins surely one of the best loved and respected of all the incumbents in the long history of the Parish. He was born in Llantrisant on January 30th 1828, and received his early education at the Private school of Taliesin ap Iolo at Merthyr and afterwards at Cowbridge. He went to Jesus College where he graduated with Honours in 1851, and was ordained by Bishop Wilberforce (I think this must have been Soapy Sam who was so utterly opposed to the theories of Charles Darwin) and appointed to the Curacy of St. Paul’s Oxford. His stay there was brief, as in 1852 he emigrated as a missionary to the Province of Natal in South Africa. He remained there for 8 years and in due course was appointed to the living in Aberdare. His first task was the restoration of the Parish Church. His completely unsectarian attitude and boundless generosity endeared him to all. The Living was then worth altogether about £700. The Vicar of Aberdare devoted practically all his income "to

alleviate sickness, distress of need and anguish of accidents”. He was especially interested in the welfare of Railwaymen. He died in November 1876, and according to the Gwladgarwr, there were 20,000 at his Funeral - the second biggest concourse at Aberdare. A memorial window at the East end of St. Elvan’s was paid for by the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants.

“Aberdare Gospeller January 1882”. It was a coincidence that the vicars of Aberdare and Trecynon had the same surnames and almost identical initials. J.D. Jenkins and I.D. Jenkins of St Fagan’s and both died in the same year. Before his death I.D. Jenkins had seen further adjustments to his Parish boundaries in 1875, and in this year, he had supervised the erection of a new Vicarage and organ, consecrated in July 1874. “The best and finest toned instrument that it is possible to produce”, Chappell.

The new Vicar of St Fagan’s in 1876 was the Rev Charles Jones who was faced with the immediate task of repairing the edifice of St Fagan’s. Damage due to fire had come to light and final restoration was not completed until 1879; and the Infant Schools were also enlarged in 1879.

In 1878, W.R. Protheroe organist since 1868 left for Troedyrhiw.

A Sunday School was held for the first time in Llwydcoed in an office building belonging to the Scales Foundry. In the early 80s, further expansion became necessary because although the number of Communicants at Easter in 1882 was only 55, the average Sunday School attendance was 150 and, as a result, a Mission School was opened at Bwllfa Road, Cwmdare in 1883.

The New Vicar of Aberdare 1876, the Rev. John William Wyn Jones, was responsible for these projects. When the New Parish was formed in 1854 at St Fagan’s, the hamlets of Cwmdare and Llwydcoed still remained in the Aberdare Parish but it was true to say that it was to St Fagan’s that the praise was due. The new incumbent of Aberdare was somewhat different from his predecessors both by nature and temperament. He came from a long line of ancestry. 1307 Wardrobe Roll of Edward II contains an item of 40/- paid to a certain Mary of Carnarvon. She had been Edward II’s nursemaid and the money was for her to travel to London to see him crowned king, and the Vicar of Aberdare could trace back to her.

In 1878, he married Jessie Bruce daughter of Lord Aberdare, and the Parishioners presented the happy couple with a piano.

Was a period of steady growth though many of the schemes that came to fruition in the time of his successor were initiated by him, (Gospeller January 1883).

Whereas Confirmation Services had been held triennially, they were now being held every year.

140 Confirmed including 2 daughters of Lord Aberdare.

168 almost all from this Parish.

190 Confirmations at St. Elvan’s, 51 at St. Mair from Cwmaman and Dowlais.

Estimated 1450 Scholars follow the Anglican banner.

Sunday School Scholars on books throughout Parish 1580.

Dec 31 1882–Feb 25 1883, average attendance at Sunday School
138 girls and 132 boys.

Rev. J.W. Wyn Jones was Vicar to 1883 in many respects the leanest years of the century in the economic life of Aberdare. Within a year of his coming, there was a serious recession in the coal trade leading to a collapse of the local Industry. Aberdare had to accept charity of country at large in order to survive. Soup kitchens were set up and there was a letter to The Times asking for clothes and so on. Nevertheless, he organized schemes for new church buildings and reconstructions costing £1750. The floor of St Mair was riddled with woodworm

and Services had to be held at St John. The church was re-opened on November 19th 1882. The old Parish Churchyard was also in need of repair and this was completed before the end of the year at a cost of £137..6s..6d.

At Cwmaman, a Welsh Service had been introduced since Easter 1881, and there was now a movement to build a Stone Church. Sir George Elliot gave £50 and, by April 1883, the fund had risen to £232..19s. John Morgan a local builder was engaged and while he was erecting the church, services were held at the local British School. St Lleurwg’s at Hirwaun needed repair and on July 19th 1882, there was a meeting at the Victoria Hall to launch the project. £600 was required. By May of 1883, the Fund stood at £212..0s..6d. The Vicar of Aberdare expressed the hope “that both Hirwaun and Aberaman will be weaned from the Parish”. The Vicarage went on fire and money had to be found for immediate repairs, (Gospeller 1883).

November 1882: there were serious misgivings as to the stability of the Spire. About 12 feet of the top were in a very unsafe condition and during the very strong winds of the first fortnight of November, the upper portion of the spire had been seen to be swaying dangerously. Mr McCarthy from Pontypridd, “An expert in high buildings”, had to be called in and two steeplejacks, Donovan and Drummer, climbed to weathercocks to effect temporary repairs. Vicar and churchwardens were faced with a bill for £50 repairs and £20 for a new lightning conductor. A plea for help on the grounds that the clock was municipal met with a stony silence.

Two major schemes one for Cwmbach and one for Aberaman. At Cwmbach, the expense had to be met by the parishioners themselves. At this time total sum of Sunday Offertories at the five churches in Aberdare amounted to no more than £350 per annum.

St. Mair £33..05s..10d   1880–81 £37..7s..2½d

Cwmaman £41..17s..7½d

St. John £9..16s..0d

St. Elvan
Jan £22..0s..9½d   Feb £14..5s..6d   Mar £13..12s..3d
Apr £29..17s..3d    May £20..10s..0d

At Cwmbach, services had to be held in the National School and in 1881, it was felt that a new church should be built at a cost of £843. The first subscription list amounted to £532..15s. In spite of successive appeals, the remaining amount was very slow in coming. It had been hoped to open the church at Easter but it was on August 18th 1882 that it was consecrated by Dr Oliphant and dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. Even by February, the total of fund had only reached £753..2s..1d and total cost had soared to £1005..10s..2d.

In the same month, February 1883, the Vicar announced that he would be leaving in three months time for Lampeter Velfrey in the Diocese of St David’s. Later, he became Vicar of Caernarfon. Bishop Oliphant had died in the previous December. He had been the first Bishop of Llandaff to reside within the Diocese for many generations and he had seen the building or restoration of 170 churches in the Diocese including 5 at Aberdare.

Aberdare must needs have a new vicar and diocese a new Bishop.