History @ QuakersYard
June 1965 Source: Merthyr Express 25th June 1965
Perhaps one of the most oddly named places within our locality is Quakers Yard, the birthplace of the great Jimmy Wilde and a village familiar to all who travel on the main Merthyr to Cardiff road. Many people are aware that it has some association with the Quakers, but few, even its inhabitants, realise how in fact it derived its name. Quakers' Yard, or Mynwent-y-Crynwyr was originally known as Rhyd-y-Grug or 'Ford of the Rustling Waters' which referred to the two rivers Taff and Cwmbargoed, which converge here. During the seventeenth century the Quakers were very active in Wales and settlements sprang up in many places besides Quakers Yard at Neath, Pontypool, Llantrisant and Merthyr.
Ready to Suffer
Welshmen are ever ready to suffer for an ideal and when the persecution of the Quakers began the Welsh community were not found wanting in courage and determination to hold fast unto the profession of their faith. In Wales their sufferings were intense and continued for many years, probably due to their principles by which they were prepared to suffer the loss of all things 'for the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ'. Their doctrine of non-resistance was cruelly exploited by their persecutors, but the Quakers' bore all indignation with meekness. It is said that a man named Thomas Llewellyn used to visit the village to read portions of the Bible to the villagers and this is thought to be the beginning of Quakerism in the locality. The name Quakers' yard is derived from the acquisition of 1650 by the Society of Friends, of a piece of ground which was intended to serve as a central meeting place for the Quakers of East Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire. The ground was leased for five shillings per annum from Miss Margaret Hammand, owner of the Pantannas Estate for a period of 1000 years to Lewis Beck (carpenter) and David Williams, Jenkin Thomas, John Harries and Harry Thomas (husbandmen) all of Merthyr to be by them 'held to have sole use and end as a place of burial for ye dead especially those who are Quakers…' Beck, harries and Harry Thomas were later jailed for one month at Merthyr for attending a meeting. A portion measuring 50ft by 34ft was enclosed by a wall to be used as a burial ground and the 'yard' as it was known was formally opened by William Howe of Bristol in June 1665.
Village visit
George Fox, a noted Quaker, visited the village and in 1666, en route to Swansea and refers to it in the 1st edition of his Journal. At night Fox rested at a widow's house where they held a prayer meeting. 'The woman of the house could not speak English yet she praised the Lord for sending us over those hills to come and visit them. We travelled over the hills until we came to Swanzey'. He returned the following year accompanied by Sir William Penn, he founder of Pennsylvania. According to one source of information, on the death of Miss Hammand the estate passed to Miss Lydia Fell, Cefn Fforest, Treharris, who in turn gave the ground to the Society of Friends rent free 'for such time as water continued to flow down the two rivers.' Miss Fell was a great friend of the Quakers and she intended to build a meeting house adjoining the building ground, but due to tragic circumstances, however, this was never finalised. Miss Fell had adopted a young girl as her heiress, but the girl mysteriously disappeared and was never found. She was heartbroken and this incident so played on her mind that she sold her estate to the Prichard family and left the district for Llantrisant where she died a few years later on 20th December 1669. ironically she was the first person to be buried in the 'Yard'. The Quakers continued to hold meetings three times a year at the Yard and these were a great attraction. In time however, they met with great antagonism and the last known meeting was in June 1797 and this was broken up by a gang of hooligans -'irreligious people who frequented the place breaking the Sabbath and drinking'. After this meeting many of the crowd began bathing in the deep pools of the two rivers and one of them, a John Roberts of Llechwen was drowned. A tragic occurrence which was regarded as the 'Divine Judgment'.
Grew Despondent
The Quakers normally mild tempered grew despondent and finally decided to leave the village forever, possibly emigrating to Pennsylvania in company with many other Quakers. The death of Fox saw the end of Evangelism in wales, also another likely factor was that their silent form of worship failed to enthrall the Welshmen. Many burials took place in the 'Yard', the last known in February 1891, when the infant son of Thomas Litten of the Cardiff Meeting was buried there. Until about 1950, the 'Yard' was overgrown with grass and brambles giving no indication of its former importance and glory; but now it is being carefully tended. Nearby Treharris was itself named after a Quaker called Edward Harris, a well-known member of the Stoke Newington Meeting, who sank the Ocean Colliery. At Treharris one is reminded of Quaker leaders by certain streets named after them, namely, Fox, Perrot, Pritchard, Webster, Wiliams, Fell and Penn.
History Of Quakers Yard
Source: Afon Taf High School
Quakers' Yard - The early place name for the district was 'Rhyd y Grug' Or 'The Ford of the Rustling Waters'. This Ford was a simple and easy crossing place of the nearby River Taff, close to it's junction with the smaller river Bargoed-Taff. The Ford was replaced in later years by the narrow stone bridge over the River Taff.
THE COMING OF THE QUAKERS
During the early 17th Century those who 'dissented' from the King's Religion were persecuted. This often took the form of imprisonment, or death. By about 1650 a 'dissenting group' of Baptists, independents and Quakers, were worshipping at nearby Berthlwyd Farm PENTWYN (Top of the Hill). The Quakers in turn, soon broke away to establish their own separate community. In the year 1667, these Quakers opened their own burial ground. It was on a piece of land on the pantannas Estate and was owned by Mary Chapman. In her will of 1700, she left the burial ground to the Quakers.
`I give and devise, one plot of ground unto the people of the Lord, called Quakers, to bury their dead in Forever. It is walled about and ready for use.`
A well known Quakeress, Lydia Fell, who lived at nearby Pantannas Farm, was one of the first to be buried within this burial yard.
These local Quakers were visited by George Fox, the burial Founder of the Quaker Movement. Another famous Quaker visitor was William Penn, who later gave his name to Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
At nearby Treharris, such street names as Fell Street, Fox Street and Penn Street retain the links of this district with those 17th Century Quakers.
PRE - INSTRUSTRIAL TIMES
Until the sinking of the large coal pits at Treharris in the 1870's this little village remained a quiet centre of small-scale rural industry. Nearby, on the banks of the Bargoed Taff was located MELINCAIACH (CAIACH MILL). Here, a corn mill and a small woollen factory served the local people. The Quakers Yard Inn and some of the adjoining houses, together with the nearby Glantaff Inn date from this pre-industrial period (probably late 18th Century).
A mile below this village is PENTWYN DEINTYR (Top of the hill Tenterhooks), another link with the early woollen industry in this district. The name originates from another mill, where 'tenterhooks' were used in the process of stretching the wool. Another nearby community is FIDDLERS ELBOW. Located on a sharp bend, it is thought to have been named after the shape of a fiddler playing a violin, Some scholars however, have suggested the original name was 'Bid Las', mutated to 'Y Fidlas', meaning Green or Live Hedge. Because of the bend, the 'elbow' was a natural addition, to what was thought to be 'Fiddler' or 'Y Fidlas'.
THE TRANSPORT REVOLUTION
During the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, the narrow valley at Quakers Yard became very important. Though it passed every ton of iron and coal produced by the iron-works and collieries to the north at Merthyr Tydfil. Within a small area therefore, it is possible to see the successive stages of transport development in South Wales. These include the Glamorgan Canal, Richard Trevethick's Tram road, later rail routes and modern roads. A small community known as Penlocks, existed on the western mountain side. Here, the canal engineers built a staircase of sixteen canal locks down to the canal basin at Abercynon in the early 1790's - a dramatic descent of 200 feet in one mile.
THE TAFF VALE RAILWAY
1841 - This railway line heralded the coming to Wales of 'The Railway Era'. Designed by Isambard K Brunel, the famous engineer, it was completed in 1841. It linked Merthyr Tydfil 'The Iron Capital of the World', to Cardiff and the sea. Brunel's impressive viaduct remains in use on this line at Quakers Yard.
BIRTHPLACE OF JIMMY WIDE (1892 - 1969)
BOXING CHAMPIAN OF THE WORLD
One of the most famous British Boxers of all time, Jimmy Wide was born may 1892 at Pentwyn Deintyr, Quakers Yard. Known as 'The ghost with the Hammer in his hand', he fought 864 contests and lost on 4 occasions only. He was Flyweight Champion of the World from 1916 to 1921.
THE GROWTH OF QUAKERS' YARD IN MODERN TIMES
The village grew in size during the 20th Century. The woodlands Junior School was built alongside the River Taff in 1906. Seventy years later it's building was used for a Welsh Medium Junior Schools - Ysgol Cymraeg Rhyd y Grug, (1796) New housing Developments appeared in the late 70's and 80's on both sides of the river. The new A470 trunk road which bridges the river at Fiddlers Elbow was completed in 1985.
