Back to Welsh Literature page >

The Taff Vale Railway strike occurred in August 1900.

The Taff Vale railway workers moved a quarter of the eighteen million tons of coal dug out by South Wales miners.  So they were greatly impacted by the series of coal mining strikes between 1893-98.  Then the Boer war increased the demand for South Wales coal and the miners won pay increases but rail workers did not even though the cost of living increased.

The Chairman and General Manager of the Taff Vale Railway refused to meet with the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (thw workers union), so in 1900 1,327 workers of the Taff Railway Company went on strike, preventing coal trains from running.  The company then brought in strike breakers and ordered strikers and their families to vacate rented company cottages.

The strike lasted eleven days, before a convoluted settlement was agreed.  However in 1901 the Taff Vale Railway Company successfully sued the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants for  losses caused by the strike. This proved to be a landmark decision, as it shattered the belief that unions could not be held responsible for damages as a result of the actions of their members, but it did lead to  the election of the Liberal Party in the general election of 1906, who introduced the Trade Disputes Act 1906, which guaranteed union immunity.  

Ruth Manning Saunders was born in Swansea on 21st August 1886. 

Ruth Manning-Sanders was a prolific poet and author who was perhaps best known for her series of children's books in which she collected and retold fairy tales from all over the world.  

Born this day 1954 and from Kenfig Hill, near Bridgend

Alan Phillips - former Wales and Lions rugby international. Phillips scored 162 tries in 481 appearances for Cardiff RFC, a very impressive total considering that his position was hooker.  He is currently Wales Team Manager and a Selector. 

On 21st August 1883, five miners were killed in a gas explosion at the Gelli Colliery, in the Rhondda Fawr valley.

Welsh Diva Iris Williams Returns to New York Citys Cabaret Scene

Completes Her Romantic Musical Journey

In Performance at Metropolitan Room on October 6 and 20

New York, NY August 20, 2013 International song stylist Iris Williams returns to the New York cabaret scene in two appearances at the popular new Flatiron jazz venue, The Metropolitan Room. The intimate 115-seat space is one of the few remaining cabaret rooms in America. Ms. Williams will transport you on A Romantic Musical Journey as she interprets standards by the likes of Rogers and Hart, Duke Ellington and Jerome Kern on October 6 and October 20 at 9:30 pm. Iris Williams :: Metropolitan Room Manhattan, NYC, music, jazz, jazz .

To quote The New York Times Stephen Holden, This demure Welsh singer has one of the most striking voices in all of cabaret... The vivacious and elegant chanteuse, who always performs with a mischievous twinkle in her eye - Iris Williams - I'm Gonna Live 'Til I Die - YouTube says, Im over the moon excited at coming back to the New York cabaret circuit. The Metropolitan Rooms coziness suits me down to the ground. Itll let me keep the audience where I like them up close in a hug or cwtch as we say in Welsh.

Ms. Williams, a favorite of Presidents and Royalty, was born in Pontypridd, Wales. Her exceptional talent and rich, warm contralto have impelled her far beyond the borders of her beloved Wales. A scholarship student at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, she eventually decided to transition away from opera. Her instincts were rewarded and her classical training helped Iris to thrive when her honest and touching rendition of He Was Beautiful went gold and propelled the already-accomplished singing actress along a different path, launching her international career. You might say shes been on a musical journey all her own.

Now based in New York, the much-loved songstress still performs frequently in Wales. Awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2004 by Queen Elizabeth II for her musical accomplishments and her work with charity, Iris Williams has performed with Bob Hope and Rosemary Clooney, for President Gerald Ford, the British Royal Family and at The Algonquins iconic Oak Room.

Catch Iris Williams at The Metropolitan Room in New York Citys Flatiron District on October 6 or October 20 at 9:30pm. www.themetropolitanroom.com ; 34 West 22 Street; 212 206 0440.

ENDS

In August 1881, The Sunday Closing (Wales) Act prohibited the sale of alcohol on a Sunday in Wales.

This was the first Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom since the 1542 Act of Union whose application was restricted only to Wales . 

William Gladstone's Liberal government passed the act which would change the culture and politics of Wales.  It had been sponsored by the Welsh nonconformists in the Liberal party, such as Lloyd George and was not repealed until 1961.

wsededfwe

wsededfwe

..

Wales suffered its worst railway disaster to date on 20 August 1868  when the fastest train in the country, the Irish Mail, crashed into runaway goods wagons at Abergele. The wagons contained Cambrian oil, a type of paraffin used in miners' lamps, and within a few minutes of the collision the engine and its passenger carriages were consumed with flames; thirty-three people lost their lives

Identification of the charred remains of many of the victims had not been easy and a number of bodies could not be positively identified. A chaotic inquest was followed by a dignified funeral at St Mary's, the parish church of Abergele where a memorial to the victims of the accident now stands. The inquest delivered verdicts of manslaughter against the brakemen who had been shunting the wagons at Llanddulas Station and censured the station master for gross dereliction of duty.

The trial at the spring assizes in Ruthin the following year, however, found the brakeman not guilty and attention focussed on ways in which railway safety might be improved. One result of the Abergele disaster was the passing of the 1862 Petroleum Act that put petroleum products in the same category of danger as gunpowder, plague and diseased cattle.

Hungary's unusual connection with Wales. 

August 20th commemorates the foundation of the Hungarian state. Also called as St. Stephen's Day, in memory of Stephen I, Hungary's first king and founder. 

If you ask any Hungarian about Wales the first thing that is likely to come to their mind will be a poem, that everyone learns by heart at school, entitled "The Bards of Wales", written by one of their most respected writers, Janos Arany in 1857  

Arany was asked to write a poem of praise for the visit of Franz Joseph I of Austria.  Instead, as a metaphor to criticise the tyrannic Habsburg rule over Hungary after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, he wrote a poem about the tale of the 500 Welsh bards sent to the stake by Edward I of England for failing to sing his praises at a banquet in Montgomery Castle in 1277.  

Arany wrote his own preface to the poem: “The historians doubt it, but it strongly stands in legend that Edward I of England sent 500 Welsh bards to the stake after his victory over the Welsh (1277) to prevent them from arousing the country and destroying English rule by telling of the glorious past of their nation.” 

The Welsh composer Karl Jenkins composed a’ symphony based on the poem, which he conducted at its  premier in Budapest’s Palace of Arts in 2001.

Born this day 1972 in Morriston and raised in Llanelli.  

Scott Quinnell -  former Wales rugby union captain and Lions and rugby league international.

Quinnell is currently a commentator and pundit on televised rugby matches.  He was was born dyslexic and now speaks publicly on the issue, representing the Welsh Dyslexia Project.  He has also written an autobiography, which is one of the Accent Press Quick Reads series.

Born on this day 1941 in London (of Welsh descent) 

Dame Anne Elizabeth Jane Evans  - operatic soprano, who is one of Britain’s most internationally successful singers and has appeared in most of the world’s major musical venues. 

wsededfwe

Born this day 1980 in Swansea

Enzo Maccarinelli  - professional boxer, who is a former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) and European cruiserweight champion.

"Cardiff City is not just a club, it's a way of life"

Cardiff City is, in 2013, arguably the biggest and most successful football club in Wales. It was the first to achieve 'Championship' status within the new League structure, boasts a squad peppered with highly rated international players, and is now beginning to live up to its time-honoured 'sleeping giant' tag.

Buy 'From The Ashes' here

Read more...

Visit Bodnant as part of the Welsh Hill Farming Experience

Welcome to Bodnant Welsh Food

Bodnant Welsh Food Centre is located at Furnace Farm, in the stunning surroundings of the Conwy Valley. Originally built in the 18thcentury, the buildings have been lovingly restored to provide an excellent venue for our farm shop , tea room , restaurant , cookery school and farmhouse accommodation . AmeriCymru spoke to managing director Chris Morton.

AmeriCymru: Care to introduce Bodnant Farm for our members and readers? What facilities and amenities does the farm offer?

.

Chris Morton: The Bodnant Welsh Food Centre, opened by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, just over a year ago, is a popular tourist attraction that celebrates the very best in Welsh seasonal produce and local produce.

Located in the stunning Conwy Valley in North Wales, it features a restaurant, tearoom, dairy, farm shop, cookery school and farmhouse accommodation.

The fine food centre, the only one of its kind in Wales, also houses a bakery and a butchery, as well as hosting weddings and conferences, regular wine tasting and wine appreciation courses.

The cookery school, run by renowned chefs and artisan bakers, is proving hugely popular with people from across Wales and the north west of England and is also a hit with budding young chefs.

Situated close to the world-famous Bodnant Garden, the centre is the brainchild of Bodnant estate owners Michael and Caroline McLaren. Their vision was to create an innovative centre for the production, promotion and enjoyment of Welsh Food.

More than 70 per cent of the produce sold at the farm shop comes from across Wales.

The centre is also home to the National Beekeeping Centre for Wales.

.

Bodnant Farm

AmeriCymru: I know that a lot of our readers will be interested in the Hayloft Restaurant. Can you tell us more about the menu? Do you use mainly local produce?

.

Chris Morton: The Hayloft restaurant, converted from a former hay barn, provides dishes made from produce made on the estate and from the surrounding area.

The bread is baked in the bakery and the fish and shellfish caught fresh daily in the nearby Conwy Strait is served throughout the fine food centre. Meat is sourced from local farms and treated at the Bodnant butchery, whilst the cheese, butter and ice cream is produced in the dairy with milk from a herd of Friesian cattle located less than one mile away. In fact, the cows can be seen from the restaurant windows.

An ever-changing menu always features fresh, seasonal dishes, including Welsh cheddar cheese brulee; courgette and Pantysgawen goats cheese terrine; and fresh Conwy crab cocktail. Mouthwatering meals on the menu also include Welsh steak burger, Bodnant bacon (the pigs are free range and have their own meadow and lake) and Bodnant Aberwen cheese.

Diners are entertaining by musicians playing the harp and performing folk music, and the reputation of the restaurant has spread far and wide.

.

Hayloft Restaurant opened by H.R.H Prince of Wales

AmeriCymru: What about accommodation? What's on offer at Bodnant?

.

Chris Morton: Bodnants luxury bed and breakfast accommodation is located within Furnace Farms 18th century farmhouse with most rooms offering stunning views across the Conwy Valley.

A stay in the farmhouse enables visitors to experience at first hand a rural tradition that has been passed down the generations over hundreds of years a way of life where agriculture, livestock and the cycle of the seasons are ingrained and intertwined.

.

AmeriCymru: Can you tell us a little about the history of the farm?

.

Chris Morton: The Bodnant Welsh Food Centre has been developed following the transformation of Furnace Farm, a collection of derelict farm buildings.

Furnace Farm has been part of the Bodnant Estate since the 18 ^th century. The building that is now a tearoom was added sometime between 1821 and 1841.

The farm was given its name due to the blast furnace that was established at the farm in the early 1700s. The furnace fell silent in 1841 after a disaster that ruined the quality of the work it produced. Workers at the time believed this was the work of an evil spirit and refused to continue working.

In 1874 retired chemist and industrialist Henry Davis Pochin bought the estate, including its 25 farms. Pochin made extensive alterations to the farmhouse, adding two bays at the front in order to match Bodnant Hall.

During his very active retirement at Bodnant he strengthened the banks of the dell that the river ran through and planted the great American and Orient conifers that surround the farm today.

After Pochin died in 1895 the farm was let until World War II when the farm was used to house evacuees from Liverpool and Manchester and was requisitioned by the Home Guard.

After the war Furnace Farm became a home farm again and electricity was first connected in 1947. Farming ceased in the 1960s and subsequently the farm and outhouses fell into disrepair.

Henry Pochins grandson Michael now owns the farm with his wife Caroline and it was their idea to develop Furnace Farm into the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre. Restoration began in 2010 and now the food centre employs more than 60 people, 95 per cent of whom live in the area.

.

Farmhouse Hall, Bodnant

AmeriCymru: I believe Bodnant was the first recipient of US tractors during WWII under the lend/lease agreement. Can you tell us more about this?

Chris Morton: After World War II, Furnace Farm was rented to the granddaughter of a Manchester councilor and became home to one of the first tractors to come to the UK as part of the US lend-lease arrangement.

The Lend/Lease Act was Americas way of helping Britain out. Prior to World War I, British agriculture was, for many of the poorer farmers, still dominated by horse-drawn machinery.

Between the wars a large amount of food was imported into Britain, which had driven British agriculture into decline. The dangers of shipping during World War 11 reduced their imports, forcing Britain to start ploughing every possible acre to produce food for a hungry nation.

A shortage of tractors prompted the US to send tractors and implements to Britain to use used by the remaining farm workers and the Womens Land Army, with many now collectorsitems.

AmeriCymru: What is your involvement with the Welsh Hill Farming Experience?

Chris Morton: Theres no better way to savour the Welsh Hill Farming Experience than by resting up in a lovingly restored 18 ^th century farmhouse.

The unique life of a hill farmer is perfectly matched by a stay at the cosy cottage accommodation at Bodnant Welsh Food.

The relaxed accommodation is furnished with soothing Farrow & Ball paints, handcrafted ironwork lights and Welsh-made Elanbach fabrics. Rooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs, WiFi, and powerful showers making them the perfect place to get a taste of rural life.

Guests also have use of the shared kitchen, which will allow for you to cater to your needs.

A visit to Bodnant Welsh Food not only enables visitors to enjoy the Welsh Hill Farming Experience it also helps to sustain the many farmers and food producers in the region who have worked the land for centuries.

On Sunday August 19th, 1274, Edward I of England was crowned at Westminster Abbey.  It marked the beginning of a traumatic period in Welsh history.

Edward had inherited the throne of England when his father Henry III died in November 1272. Edward was, at this time, returning from his crusade in the Holy Land and only heard of his father’s death in January 1273 while in Sicily. Edward  headed home, but was in no rush to get back to England as his right to rule was unquestioned and England and all the nobles had sworn loyalty to him. Edward landed at Dover on August 2nd, 1274 and his coronation was then organised.

In Wales at this time, Llywelyn ap Gruffyd enjoyed an advantageous situation in the aftermath of the Barons' War and had been conferred as Prince of Wales by Edwards father, Henry III, following the Peace of Montgomery in 1267 in which Llywelyn ap Gruffyd had pledged fealty to the English crown.  However Llywelyn's relationship with Edward was not as cordial as it had been with Henry III, and was made worse by continued conflicts with dissatisfied Marcher Lords, Llywelyn's younger brother Dafydd's defection to the English and Llywelyn's planned marriage to Eleanor, daughter of Simon de Montfort, leader of the Barons revolt against Henry III.  Needless to say, Llywelyn did not attend Edward's coronation.

When Edward called Llywelyn to Chester in 1275 to pay homage, Llywelyn refused  Citing ongoing hostilities and the English king's harbouring of his enemies.  . In 1277 King Edward branded Llywelyn  "a rebel and disturber of the peace" and declared his lands forfeit. Edward  launched a massive invasion to re-conquer South Wales.  He defeated Llywelyn and forced him to accept the peace of Aberconwy 1278.  Then, following a further rebellion, Llywelyn was killed by the English in 1282 and his brother Dafydd captured and executed. 

On 19th August 1214, marcher lord Roger de Mortimer of Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire, died. (picture is of a reconstruction of Wigmore Castle when originally built)

After the Norman invasion, the struggle for Rhwng Gwy a Hafren (Between Wye & Severn) the area comprising roughly of modern day Radnoshire was particularly fierce. Welsh forces under leaders such as Cadwallon ap Madog and Rhys ap Gruffydd (the Lord Rhys), were in regular conflict with the Norman marcher lords such as Roger de Mortimer.

Cadwallon ap Madog is known to have had three brothers killed by the Normans and he and his surviving brother, ended up in control of the two principal divisions of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren: Cadwallon ap Madog ruled Maelienydd and his younger brother Einion Clud ruled Elfael.

1175  - Cadwallon and Einion went with Rhys ap Gruffudd to Gloucester where he made a peace treaty with King Henry II, buying recognition from the king for his holding the land of Maelienydd.

1176  - Cadwallon profited from the death of his brother Einion Clud by annexing Elfael and was responsible for building and fortifying several castles in the area. He is reported as bringing destruction to the English Marches of Herefordshire and Shropshire.

1179  - Cadwallon appeared in the royal court to answer charges of waging war against the king and on his return home, he was met by men owing allegiance to Roger de Mortimer and was cut down and killed.  As Cadwallon was under a royal safe conduct, the king was outraged and imprisoned Mortimer in Winchester for two years.

1195  - Roger de Mortimer, with the backing of troops sent by King Richard I invaded Maelienydd.

1196  - Roger de Mortimer fought and lost the battle of New Radnor against Rhys ap Gruffydd, allegedly losing some forty knights and an innumerable number of foot in the fight.

1200  - Roger de Mortimer conquered Maelienydd and issued a new charter of rights to Cwmhir Abbey.

1214  - Roger de Mortimer became gravely ill and died.

Throughout the 13th century the territory was gradually reoccupied by the English Marcher Lords. However the territory was annexed by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1267 under the Treaty of Montgomery. But following his defeat at the hands of Edward I of England in 1282, most of the remaining landowners were dispossessed. Then in the 16th century, the area was to form the county of Radnorshire under the various  Laws in Wales Acts. 

A near disaster on 19th August 1956 marked the beginning of the end of the paddle steamer era.

The period after World War Two, was a boom time for the holiday trade of South Wales, with one of the main attractions being a trip one of the paddle steamers, Cardiff Queen and Bristol Queen, that regularly ploughed up and down the Bristol Channel, calling at places such as Cardiff Pier, Penarth Pier, Mumbles Pier, Barry and Tenby, carrying holiday maker eager for the chance of a trip on one of the new ships.

 Then on 19 August 1956 a bizarre accident occured that had a catastrophic affect on an industry already under pressure from cheaper foreign travel.  The Bristol Queen had just left Ilfracombe Pier  when, suddenly, there was a big bang. It was the noise of one of the paddle wheels sheering and the stricken steamer was being driven by a strong wind and tide towards the cliffs of Illfracombe, with no other form of propulsion, it was drifting helplessly.

Captain George of the Bristol Queen sent an emergency radio message to the Cardiff Queen, who happened to be approaching Illfracombe and arrived just in time to pass a  2,000 feet ropef line to the now  heavily wallowing Bristol Queen and an attemt at a tow began.A paddle steamer being towed by another paddle steamer was an incredibly difficult task, but with  slow and steady progress, both paddle steamers had moored in the Mumbles  just over four hours later, with thankfully no fatalities.  However the consequences were great, as everyone realised that if the Cardiff Queen had not been so close at hand the damaged paddler would have been driven onto the rocks and there would have been considerable loss of life.  Business slumped and eventually both boats were taken out of service and broken up. It was the end of an era, the end of paddle steamer cruising on the Bristol Channel.

On 19th August 1646, Raglan Castle surrendered to Parliamentary forces, during the English Civil War.

Construction of Raglan Castle began in the 1430s by Sir William ap Thomas (the Blue Knight of Gwent) who fought with King Henry V in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt. 

The castle was inherited by Sir William's son (alsoWilliam) in 1445 who was known as Sir William Herbert and who was a supporter of  King Edward IV and the House of York during the Wars of the Roses.  He fought for the king at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461 and was rewarded by being made a Knight of the Garter, and chief justice of North Wales.  The in 1468, Sir William Herbert captured Harlech Castle, Wales's last Lancastrian stronghold and for which he was was made Earl of Pembroke. 

During the English Civil War in 1646, Raglan Castle suffered heavy damage when it was put under siege and finally captured by the parliamentarians, under Sir Thomas Fairfax. 

In 1938, Raglan Castle was placed in the guardianship of the Commissioners of HM Works and an extensive repair programme was carried out following the end of World War II. Today, it is maintained by CADW (Welsh Historic Monuments).

Born this day 1980 in Chepstow

Paul Parry  - former Wales soccer international.  InterestinglyParry suffers from aviophobia (a severe fear of flying), which, has caused problems during his career due to his inability to travel long distances.

edfedf

edfedf

edfedf

edfedf

Part 2! ( for part 1 see my post on 14th Aug ) I often say that mid Wales must have been a little bit like the 'wild west' for the people who came here to work in the mines, this is about them, from one of the old fact sheets written by Peter Lloyd Harvey in the 1970's for the old Llywernog Silver Lead mine Museum. Its in part about people who moved to another country to work in new lands.

The Mining Communities.

The following villages in Cardiganshire traditionally had a high proportion of lead mining families living within them. From north to south these were:- Tre'r-ddol, Tre Taliesin, Talybont, Elerch (Bontgoch), Penrhyncoch, Penbontrhydybeddau, Cwmsymlog, Cwmerfin, Darren, Salem, Goginan, Cwm-brwyno, Llywernog, Ponterwyd, Ystumtuen, Devil's Bridge (Pontarfynach), Aberffrwd, Trisant, Cwmystwyth, Pontrhydygroes, Yspytty Ystwyth, Llanafan, and Pontrhydfendigaid. Certainly in the early years, the Cornish communities kept apart from the local inhabitants. Big concerns, such as the Lisburne Mines Company, actually built acc-ommodation for their own 'key workers' from Cornwall. New Row, between Trisant and Pontrhydygroes, is an example and a gravestone in Goginan village tells of a long forgotten terrace known as 'Cornish Row.' Not only did the Cornish live apart from the Welshmen, but they upheld their own peculiar brand of religion; Wesleyan Methodism. The very first Wesleyan chapel to be built in the Cardiganshire circuit was provided by the Lisburne Mines Company, close to New Row and the giant Fron-goch Mine complex. Later, chapels were also built for the mining communities at Goginan, Cwmystwyth, Pontrhydygroes, Tre'r-ddol, Cwmsymlog and Ystumtuen.

The Mine 'Captains.'

These men were the elite of the mining industry. In the village communities, as in the dark depths of the mine workings, they commanded the utmost respect. Many were Cornish, or of Cornish extraction, but as the industry expanded in the 1850's, their ranks were joined by local men such as John Hughes of Talybont. In an age of illiteracy, the Captains kept the mine ledgers, surveyed the workings and paid the men. Some, such as Absalom Francis & Sampson Trevethan, found time to write numerous letters in the columns of the 'Mining Journal', usually describing the hectic activity in the ore-field and imploring investors to 'venture' a little more capital in the Welsh hills! The captains acted as consultants, inspected mining properties and reported on their merits, and inevitably said the right thing as far as the shareholders were concerned. Apart from this tenancy toward the 'overstatement', they were nevertheless good fundamental engineers who understood the pumps & winding gear, knew perhaps a little less about geology and ore-dressing, and were the absolute 'king-pins' of the entire industry. The names of some of these men have been preserved within the faded pages of the 'Mining Journal' and in other lists of mines & Inspectors Reports. These were some of the better-known mine 'captains' of Cardiganshire:-

Absalom & Mathew Francis (from Perranuthnoe, Cornwall), Henry Tyack, Michael Barbery, George Pearce, Sampson & John Trevethan (from Chacewater, Cornwall), Arthur Waters, Thomas Pascoe, James Sanders, John Trewin, Robert & Richard Northey, James & Henry Boundy, James Lester, Andrew Williams, John Davis, Charles & Richard Williams, James Raw, Richard Harvey, James & John Paull, Richard Clocker, William Michell, Thomas Ball, John Williams, John Hughes, James Corbett, John Kitto, Thomas Kemp, Thomas Hodge, John Tregonning, John Glint, John, James, Peter & Thomas Garland, Richard Rowse, John Owen, Nicholas Bray, John H. Croucher, Jonathan Pell, Joseph B. Rowse, Robert Uren, William Brammell, John Ridge, Thomas & Lyle Glanville, Edward Evans, Richard Claridge, & Robert R. Nancarrow.

The System Of 'Cornish Mining.'

Wherever the Cornish miners went, they carried with them a whole system of mining practice which had evolved in the tin and copper districts of the West Country. This 'standardization' not only involved terminology, but also such things as pumping plant, the 10-fathom interval in-between levels and the method of employment of the labour force. Not all the employees on a mine were miners. There were tributers, tutmen, labourers and ore-dressers, besides specialists such as stone masons, carpenters & blacksmiths, all under the direction of one or more Agents or Captains. The following account, written in 1868, gives a clear description of the differences between the groups of workers:-

'There are three classes of miners - those who work on the surface, dressing ore etc., who are paid a weekly wage; those who work on "tribute", and those who work on "tut-work." Of the first we say nothing, except that they consist chiefly of bal-maidens and children, - the former receiving about I8s. a month, and the latter from 8s. to 20s., according to age and capacity. In regard to "tributers" and "tut-workers", we may remark that the work of both is identical in one respect - namely, that of hewing, picking, boring, and blasting the hard rock. In this matter they share equal toils and dangers, but they are not sub jected to the same remunerative vicissitudes.

Tributers & Tut-workers.

When a man works on "tribute" he receives so many shillings for every twenty shillings' worth of ore that he raises during the month.... If his "pitch" turns out to be rich in ore, his earnings are proportionally high; if it be poor, he remains poor also. Sometimes a part of the mineral lode becomes so poor that it will not pay for working, and has to be abandoned. So as little as a shilling may be the result of a "tributers" work for a month at one time, while at another time he may get a good pitch, and make 100 or 200 in the same period.

The "tut-man" (or piece work man), on the other hand, cuts out the rock at so much per fathom, and obtains wages at the rate of from 2-IOs. to 3 a month. He can never hope to make a fortune, but so long as health and strength last, he may count on steady work and wage. Of course there is a great deal of the work in a mine which is not directly remunerative, such as "sinking" shafts, opening up and "driving" (or lengthening) levels, and sinking "winzes." On such work tutmen are employed. The man who works on tribute is a speculator. He who chooses tut-work is a steady labourer ........'

Home Life.

The Cardiganshire miner, when not crawling around in the damp and dark of a mine level, was often-as-not a small-scale farmer, earning a supplementary living from a patch of marginal land. All around Llywernog, Ponterwyd & Ystumtuen you can see the ruins of these tiny small-holdings which once provided a rudimentary home for the miners and their families. This fact was an advantage to mine owners for it enabled them to keep wages low, but it could also cause high absenteeism during times of potato planting and at harvest time. There was also a great tradition of peat harvesting from the numerous 'turbaries' throughout the mountains; peat providing the main source of heat for the home and for cooking. The most prolonged stoppages in the mines occurred in September when a whole succession of harvests of one sort or another might keep the men occupied for eight weeks or more. The 'Mining Journal' of 1877 stated that in Cardiganshire it was still the general custom for men to combine a 40-hour week at the mines with small-scale farming, and that employment, therefore, tended to pass from father to son. To many of the local men, mining was merely a means of earning enough to pay the rent for the small-holding. This was in complete contrast to the Cornishman, who was a professional 'career' miner and prepared to stake everything on the gambling element of the 'tribute' system.

Barrack Life.

Many of the Cardiganshire lead mines were located high up in the mountains and far away from the village communities. Barrack accommodation was often provided for the miners, who spent the whole working week away from home. The 'barracks' became a traditional part of the working life of the lead miner, a tradition that survived right up till the early part of the 20th century at Bryn-yr-Afr, Cwmystwyth & Bwlch-glas Mines. The men left home before dawn on Monday morning and walked up the little footpaths that led from the villages into the hills, taking with them all their food supplies for the week. At the barracks they slept two or more to a bed, bedclothes were rarely washed and there were few, if any, sanitary arrangements. Where a 3-shift system was being operated, the beds were never empty. It is hardly surprising that tuberculosis was one of the most common complaints amongst lead miners.

EPILOGUE.

After the great slump of the 1880's, migration away from the mining area of Cardiganshire gathered pace. Gradually, the old mining villages became depopulated. Chapels & schools closed down and decaying small-holdings dotted the landscape. As a breed, the Cardiganshire miner is no more, but his memory will continue to haunt the green hills of Mid-Wales for many generations to come.

100. 1981. SPLH.

AmeriCymru will be exhibiting at the prestigious North West book fair, Wordstock again this year. Here we are on the current exhibitors list:- http://www.wordstockfestival.com/festival/2013-exhibitors/

We will be exhibiting at stall 718 ( see floor plan below ). There will also be author signings at ( times to be announced ). If you're in Portland on October 5th or 6th please come along and say hi and show your support. Also, please dont forget the Culture Wars' discussion panel at PSU on Friday October 4th ( more details below ).

This is a superb opportunity to showcase the wealth of literary talent in Wales today. If you are an author or publisher and wish to arrange books or other promotional materials for display at our stand please comment below or contact americymru@gmail.com.

WORDSTOCK

Find AmeriCymru at stall 718 (see floor plan below, click to enlarge ).

.

CULTURE WARS - OTHER VOICES IN BRITISH LITERATURE

Presented by AmeriCymru and the Portland Center for Public Humanities

Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 327/8

Fri Oct 4th 6.30-9.00 pm

.