Rhymney
(A description written in 1891)
Originally a Civil Parish of Bedwellty in the north-western part of the county, and lying in the valley of the Rumney river, which divides it from Glamorganshire, it is 186 miles from London, 3 west from Tredegar and 20 north-west from Pontypool; in 1843 it was formed into an Ecclesiastical Parish from the civil parish of Bedwellty; it is in the Western division of the county, Hundred of Wentloog, Petty Sessional division an Union of Bedwellty, County Court district of Tredegar; Blaenau Gwent division of Abergavenny rural deanery, Monmouth archdeaconry and Llandaff diocese.
Rhymney is lighted with gas by the Rhymney Gas Co. Limited. All the houses are very small, and are occupied chiefly by the workpeople employed in the iron works and coal mines. There are but a few shops, and the only manufacture is that of iron, which gives employment to the whole of the working population. Rhymney has a station on the Brecon & Merthyr line, which puts it in direct communication with the docks at Newport, and a station on the Rhymney line uniting it to Cardiff. The town is governed by a Local Board of 9 members, formed June 19, 1874, the district comprising parts of the parishes of Bedwellty, and Llangunider in Breconshire; it was extended by 41 and 42 Vict.cap.cix.
Rhymney Church is a building of stone in the Doric style, erected in 1842, and consists of chancel and nave and a tower at east end containing 6 bells: there are 750 sittings. The register dates from the year 1843. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value of £300, with residence, in the gift of the directors of the Rhymney Iron Company, and held since 1856 by the Rev. Canon William Evans, of Lampeter College, prebendary of Llandaff, rural dean of Blaenau Gwent and domestic chaplain to the Bishop of Llandaff, Rev. John Alban Davies B.A. & Rev. David Owen, curates.
There is also St. Matthew's Church, Surgery Hill, and the Mission Room, Hill Street: (vicar and curates as above).
Other Places of Worship:
St. John's Catholic Church: Rev. Alphonsus van den Heuvel, priest.
Baptist, Mount Pleasant: Rev. Robert Owens, minister
Baptist (Welsh), Hill Street: Rev. D.P. Griffiths, minister
Baptist (Welsh), Carno: Rev. George Griffiths, minister
Calvinistic (Welsh), Mount Pleasant: ministers various
Calvinistic (Welsh), Carno: Rev. David Oliver, minister
Congregational (Welsh), Goshen St: Rev. Elias Josephs, minister
Congregational (Welsh), Carno: Rev. Richard Evan Peregrine B.D. minister
Congregational (Welsh), Moriah St: Rev. William Charles B.A., minister
Wesleyan, Havard's Row: ministers various
Wesleyan (Welsh), Carno: Rev. Taliesen Jones, minister
The Cemetery for Rhymney, in the parish of Gellygaer, Glamorganshire, and is 7 acres in extent, and has one mortuary chapel, it is under the control of the Local Board.
Schools:
The following Board Schools are under the School Board of the mother parish of Bedwellty:
Board School, Lower Rhymney, Wellington Street, (mixed), built about 1861 for 350 boys & girls & 250 infants; average attendance, 151 boys & girls & 135 infants; John Thomas, master; Miss Kate Harris, infants' mistress.
Board School, Middle Rhymney, (mixed), built about 1860, for 390 boys & girls & 260 infants; average attendance, 220 boys & girls & 87 infants; James Shields, master; Miss Jane Edwards, infants' mistress.
Board School, Upper Rhymney, Cambrian Street, (mixed), built in 1848, for 230 boys & girls & 240 infants; average attendance, 180 boys and girls & 140 infants; Daniel Thomas, master; Mrs Mary Griffiths, infants' mistress.
Catholic School, built about 1861, for 85 children; average attendance, 80; Miss Margaret Donoghue, mistress.
Post, M.O. & T.O. & S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office (Railway Sub-Office. Letters should have R.S.O.Mon added) Thomas Davies, postmaster. Letters through Cardiff arrive at 6.58 a,m, & 1.20 p.m; North mail, 9.10 a.m. & 5.20 p.m; dispatched at 8.55 & 11.20 a.m. & 2.30 & 5.50 p.m; North mail, 4.55 p.m; Sunday, arrive at 9.15 a.m; dispatched, 4.45 p.m. Wall post box, Rhymney Railway station, cleared at 11.20 a.m. & 2.50, 4.40 & 6.15 p.m; Sundays at 4.15 p.m. Wall post box, Hill Street, cleared at 11 a.m. & 4.45 & 6 p.m; Sundays at 4.15 p.m.
Volunteer Corps:
South Wales Borderers (2nd Volunteer Battalion - E Company):
Captain J.A. Shepard; Rev. T. Theophilus, acting chaplain
County Police Station, High Street:
Thomas Stephens, sergeant & 4 men.
Carriers:
London & North Western Railway Company - J. Bishop, agent, Railway Station
Railway Stations:
Rhymney - John Randall, station master
Brecon & Merthyr - John Powell, station master
The works of the Rhymney Iron Company are very extensive, being spread over 116 acres, with nine smelting furnaces, three only of which are now in blast; there are also five rolling mills and the Bessemer plant comprises five converters, with two casting pits. The Company also possess extensive freehold and leasehold estates and work coal and ironstone at Rhymney, Tir-Phil, and in the Bargoed Valley, in the parishes of Bedwellty and Gellygaer, in the counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan respectively, and export coal to all parts of the world; the shipping offices are at Cardiff and Newport.
The area of Rhymney is 1,150 acres; The population in 1881 was 8,663.
(extracts from Kelly's 1891 Directory of Monmouthshire, transcribed by J. Doe)
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