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"The Merthyr Rising"  

On 1st June 1831, the symbolic red flag was raised for the first time in the UK at "The Merthyr Rising".

The Merthyr Rising, started as a popular rebellion against unjust working and living conditions, but quickly rose into armed insurrection, which has been described as "the most ferocious and bloody event in the history of industrialized Britain."  

The Great Depression of 1829 had led to massive unemployment and when Merthyr ironmaster William Crawshay lowered his employee's wages, the panic in the town, led to a series of local demonstrations.  One led by Thomas Llewelyn, a Cyfartha miner, resulted in goal prisoners being released and another from Hirwaun marched on Merthyr, raiding property and shops to return previously confiscated goods to their owners.

In an attempt to restore order, Scots Highlanders from their Brecon Barracks were sent in and opened fire on a large crowd that had assembled outside the Castle Inn.  Over two dozen of the crowd were killed and hundreds wounded.  However 16 soldiers were also killed and the Highlanders were forced to retreat.  The following day Swansea Yeomanry were sent in, but they were  ambushed and disarmed. 

It took a week for order to be restored to the area and the resulting punishment was severe, with Richard Lewis (Dic Penderyn), being hanged at Cardiff Gaol on the charge of wounding a soldier.  It is recorded that his last words were "O Arglwydd, dyma gamwedd" (Oh Lord, what an injustice).

Born this day 1893 in Llanddulas, Denbighshire. 

Lewis Valentine , politician, author, editor, Baptist pastor and Welsh language activist, who is best remembered for his involvement in the 1936 protest known as 'Tan yn Llyn' (Fire in Llyn)

The UK government had announced its intention to establish a military bombing school at Penyberth on the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd. Despite bitter protestations locally and appeals to parliament, the construction went ahead. On September 8th 1936, the bombing school building was set on fire. Lewis Valentine, along with Saunders Lewis and D J Williams claimed responsibility.

At their trial, the accused men were sentenced to nine months imprisonment, but took full responsibility for the damage adding that in spite of thousands of protests that the placing of such an institution in Llyn would endanger the culture and traditions of one of the most Welsh regions in Wales, the English Government had refused even to receive a Welsh to talk over the matter. They went on to say that as lawful and peaceful methods had failed to secure for Wales even common courtesy at the hands of the Government of England, they felt compelled to draw attention to the immoral violation of the sure and natural rights of the Welsh nation.  

On Monday 1st June 1857, the Crumlin Viaduct was officially opened.   

Crumlin viaduct was hailed as 'one of the most significant examples of technological achievement during the Industrial Revolution'.  It was the highest railway viaduct in Britain and only the Aqueduct of Spoleto in Italy and the Portage Timber Viaduct in the United States were higher anywhere else in the world.  

However, as a result of the report by Dr Reginald Beeching, for British Railways in 1963,  over 2,000 stations and a quarter of Britain's railway lines were closed.  This included the Crumlin Viaduct, which carried its last passenger train on 13th June 1964.  Interestingly, during its demolition, it was used as a location for the film 'Arabesque, starring Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren.

 
 
On 1st June 1939, the submarine HMS Thetis sank during trials in Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey, with the loss of 99 men.  

After the tragedy, she was salvaged and recommissioned as HMS Thunderbolt serving in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theatres until she was lost with all hands on 14 March 1943, making her one of the few military vessels that have been lost twice with her crew in their service history.   

Born this day 1980 in Bridgend

Lee Byrne, Wales and Lions rugby international.  

 
Born this day 1947 in Holywell, Flintshire

Jonathan Pryce, actor and singer.

After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1974, Pryce began a career in theatre, which resulted in an award-winning performance of Hamlet at the Royal Court Theatre.  This led to him appearing in many supporting roles in film and television and he made his breakthrough screen leading role in Terry Gilliam's 1985 cult film Brazil.  Known for his versatility, Pryce has also  appeared in films such as Tomorrow Never Dies, Evita and Pirates of the Caribbean. His career in theatre has been just as prolific, with him winning two Tony Awards.

Cetlicos/Americymru has a two-page spread in this month's issue of "The American" magazine, a magazine for Americans in the UK.

We're in the right column on page 21, here:

http://issuu.com/michaelburland/docs/the_american_magazine_722_jun13

You can see the dragon, we're tiny but we're there! This whole two-page spread is on the Celticos/AmeriCymru tour. The Celticos site, with further details, is also linked from the artcle.

The magazine is pretty interesting, too.

We have a page of audio interviews with people connected with the tour here:

http://americymru.net/profiles/blogs/celticos-americymru-trail-tour-interviews

We'll have further developments on the NEW Celticos/AmeriCymru Farm Trail tour, coming soon!

The Welsh claim to Manhattan

Robert Edwards (1716 - c.1788) was a Welsh buccaneer given 77 acres of largely unsettled Manhattan by Queen Anne of England for his services in disrupting Spanish sea lanes. On June 1st 1778. Edwards leased the land for 99 years to John and George Cruger on the agreement that the land and all improvements thereon were to revert to the descendants of Edwards and his siblings at the expiration of the lease on May 31st 1877.  Apparently, this never happened and the land ended up in the hands of Trinity Church, of which the Crugers were wardens. 

Subsequently, all attempts by Edward's heirs to file a claim to the land have proved fruitless, with the case eventually being defeated by the state's Statute of Limitations.

Born this day 1938 in Prestatyn.

John Prescott - Britain's longest serving Deputy Prime Minister, who is also remembered for his passion for Jaguars and the punch he threw at a farmer during an election campaign.  

Born this day 1875 in Taibach

Daniel "Dan" Jones ,  Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Aberavon. He is notable for being the first player to represent Aberavon at international level.  Jones was a tinplate furnaceman by occupation and lived in Taibach all his life.  

Born this day 1910 in Briton Ferry

Sir Francis Avery Jones - gastroenterologist. 

After graduating in medicine from St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School, Jones specialised in gastroenterology and became a leading authority on the treatment of stomach and bowel ulceration. He was also the editor of the journal Gut, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and president of the Medical Society of London.  

May 31st 1900, saw the installation of The Welsh Hospital at Springfontein, South Africa 

The Welsh Hospital was a private initiative by Professor Alfred W Hughes and a team of surgeons, medical students, nurses and volunteers from Wales, that operated during the Anglo Boer War (1899-1902).  The mobile hospital was employed initially treating the wounded at Springfontein but was later moved to Bloemfontein to help deal with a typhoid epidemic, which was wiping out the British troops.

On this day 1977, Wales defeated England at Wembley at soccer for the only time to date.  The score was 1-0, with Leighton James scoring the goal from the penalty spot  

The Welsh team that day was;

Dai Davies

Rod Thomas

Joey Jones

John Mahoney

Leighton Phillips

Ian Evans

Peter Sayer

Brian Flynn

Terry Yorath

Nick Deacy

Leighton James

Manager: Mike Smith 

And the England team;

Peter Shilton (Stoke City); Phil Neal(Liverpool), Emlyn Hughes (Liverpool),Dave Watson (Man City), Mick Mills(Ipswich); Kevin Keegan (Liverpool, capt), Brian Greenhoff (Man Utd), Trevor Brooking (West Ham; sub: Dennis Tueart), Ray Kennedy (Liverpool); Mick Channon (Southampton), Stuart Pearson (Man Utd).  

The Battle of Jutland, during World War I commenced on 31st May 1916 at which Vice Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas from the Llwynmadoc estate near Beulah, Powys distinguished himself and earned glowing tributes from Admiral John Jellicoe.  Evan Thomas was subsequently knighted for his actions. 

The Battle of Jutland is considered to be the main naval battle of World War One.  Even though the British Navy lost considerably more men and ships than the German Navy and Admiral John Jellicoe's tactics received much criticism, it is considered as a British victory, as the German Navy was never in a position again to put to sea during the war and the British Navy remained a powerful fighting force.

From the Wikipedia Brecknock Museum :- "Brecknock Museum is a museum managed by Powys County Council in Brecon, the historic county town of Brecknockshire or Breconshire in Mid Wales. Built off Captain's Walk, The Watton in 1824 as a shire hall, the building later functioned as an assize courts until its closure in 1971, re-opening in 1974 as a museum. One of Brecon's most significant pieces of architecture, the building has been Grade II listed since 1952."

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Someone had the foresight to record the recent restoration work on the roof of the Brecknock Museum with time lapse photography.

Excellent video of the Aberystwyth Cycle Festival, Constitution Hill Downhill MTB. More about the event, held between May 24th and 26th this year can be be found on the Aber Cycle Festival website.

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In May 1949, Dylan and Caitlin Thomas settled at the Boat House in Laugharne.  

Caitlin Thomas (8 December 1913 – 31 July 1994), née Macnamara, was the wife of Dylan Thomas. Their marriage was a stormy affair, fuelled by alcohol and infidelity, however, the couple remained together until Dylan's death in 1953. 

Caitlin Macnamara was introduced to Dylan Thomas in a pub in London in 1936 by Augustus John.  She and Dylan bonded immediately and that summer Dylan travelled to Laugharne, where Caitlin was staying with John at Castle House. By the end of 1936, Caitlin and Dylan  had begun a relationship through correspondence and in April 1937 were living together in London, marrying on 11th July 1937 in Penzance, Cornwall. 

They then travelled widely, spending time in Chelsea, Oxford, Ireland and Italy before eventually settling in Laugharne in 1938, firstly in a rented cottage, then in the 'Sea View' and finally the Boat House, which was purchased for them by Margaret Taylor, one of Dylan's benefactors. 

Caitlin and Dylan had three children, Llewelyn Edouard, Aeronwy Thomas-Ellis and Colm Garan Hart.   

On this day in 1929 Lady Megan Arfon Lloyd George (1902-1966) became the first female MP in Wales when she won Anglesey for the Liberals

 Megan Lloyd George was not only the first female MP in Wales, she also remains the longest serving.  As the daughter of the former Prime Minister and the dominant figure in Welsh politics, her selection to fight the then safe Liberal seat of Anglesey in 1929 was a matter of some controversy. Megan’s brother Gwilym was already an M.P and it seemed to some that David Lloyd George was intent on creating his own dynastic power base.  Suggestions of nepotism faded as Megan began a parliamentary career that, despite a lengthy interruption in the 1950’s, would span thirty years. Although the declining fortunes of the Liberals would keep her out of high office- the last Liberal government was that of her father- she nevertheless became Deputy Leader of the party and a prominent political personality in her own right.

Welsh issues were never far from the top of her agenda. She was the founding president of the ‘Parliament for Wales’ campaign – an early attempt to secure devolved government. Later she was prominent in the Treweryn Defence Committee – the body formed to resist the controversial flooding of a village near Bala to provide water for English consumers.  Such campaigns led to significant concessions to Welsh interests both in parliament and in the apparatus of government. In 1944, Megan Lloyd George opened the first ever ‘Welsh Day’ debate at Westminster. Later she was also prominent among those who pushed for the creation of the Welsh Office and the post of Secretary of State for Wales in the early 1960’s.  By then however, she had changed political parties. Defeated on Anglesey by Cledwyn Hughes in 1951, she defected to the Labour cause soon afterwards – one of the several prominent figures to do so.  She returned to parliament in 1957 after winning Carmarthen for Labour and remained an MP until her death nine years later.  

Born this day 1912 in Marian Glas, Anglesey 

Hugh Griffith , Oscar-winning actor for his role as Sheik Ilderim in Ben-Hur alongside Charlton Heston, Griffith is also fondly remembered by Welsh rugby fans for his role in television film comedy Grand Slam.     

On 30th May 1842, John Francis, whose father was Welsh, made his second attempt to assassinate Queen Victoria. 

The previous day, Victoria had been riding in a carriage along The Mall, London, when Francis aimed a pistol at her but did not fire.  However the following day, as Victoria drove the same route Francis shot at her and was immediately seized by plain-clothes policemen.  Francis was tried and convicted of high treason, with the expected death sentence commuted to transportation for life.

The Darwins are out!!!!
Yes, it's that magical time of year again when the Darwin Awards are
bestowed, honouring the least evolved among us.


Here is the glorious winner:

1. When his 38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during
a hold-up in Long Beach , California would-be robber James Elliot did
something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried
the trigger again. This time it worked.

And now, the honorable mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting
machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his
insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men
to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger.
The chef's claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a
blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the
space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver
found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from
Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the
driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free
ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the
staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies..
The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head
wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the
injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he
could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter,
and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled
a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly
provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20
bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer... $15.
[If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?]

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly.. He decided that
he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some
booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at
the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the
head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of
Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed
her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able
to give them a detailed description of the snatcher.
Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car
and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and
told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer,
that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger
King in Ypsilanti , Michigan at 5 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash.
The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register
without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they
weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away. [A 5-STAR
STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER]

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a
Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at
the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near
spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to
steal gasoline, but he plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage
tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying
that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

In the interest of bettering mankind, please share these with friends and
family....unless of course one of these individuals by chance is a distant
relative or long lost friend. In that case, be glad they are distant and
hope they remain lost.

*** Remember.... They walk among us!!!***

On 29th May 2006, a concert was held in Pontypridd to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (the Welsh national anthem). 

Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau was, originally known as Glan Rhondda (Banks of the Rhondda) and was written in January 1856 by Evan James from Pontypridd, with the music composed by his son, James.  It was first performed at Capel Tabor, Maesteg  by Elizabeth John also from Pontypridd, later in 1856.

The song became well known nationally, after Thomas Llewelyn of Aberdare included it in his competition winning collection of unpublished Welsh airs at the 1858 Llangollen festival and then allowed the adjudicator John Owen to include it in his publication, Gems of Welsh melody under its now famous title, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.  

In 1905, the touring New Zealand rugby team started to perform the Haka before every match, and as a response, the Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams suggested that the Welsh player Teddy Morgan sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.  When Morgan began to sing, the crowd joined in and this is credited as being the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event.  At the time, the official national anthem was "God Save the Prince of Wales", but from then on, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" was also sung, until 1975, when it was decided that only "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau"  would be sung.  

Versions of Hen Wlad fy Nhadau are also used as anthems in both Cornwall and Brittany.  

The Battle of Cadfan, at which the forces of Henry III of England were roundly defeated, is widely believed to have taken place in the Tywi Valley, Carmarthenshire on 29th May 1257.

Henry's army arrived near Carmarthen before marching up the Towy Valley, towards Dinefwr Castle near Llandeilo, which they intended to take from Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and restore to their ally Rhys Fychan. However unbeknown to the English, Rhys had come to an agreement with Llywelyn, which left them without a guide in hostile and unfamiliar territory.

On the first engagement, the English army drove the Welsh westwards towards the heavily wooded area known as Broad Oak, where many more Welsh were positioned to ambush the unsuspecting English. The fighting continued all day with the Welsh employing continual hit and run tactics, using their knowledge of the area to their advantage, before striking a final blow to the tired and confused English. It is reported that 2000 of Henry's army were killed and many nobles taken hostage.

Many local place names recall the battle, with Cadfan deriving from the Welsh cad meaning battle and ban meaning peak. A local bridge, Pont Steffan is named after the English army's leader and close confidant to Henry III, Stephan Bacon who was killed in the battle and nearby fields carry the names Cae Ochain - field of groans, Cae Tranc - field of death and Cae Ffrainc - field of Normans.  

On 29th May 1953, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to conquer the summit of Everest.  

However, it could easily have been Welshman Charles Evans planting a flag on the highest mountain in the world! He was a senior member of the 1953 expeditionary team and had been nominated as the one to make the final ascent.   Evans, raised in Wales and a fluent Welsh speaker, was only 300 metres short of the summit when he had trouble with his oxygen equipment and had to return to Everest base camp, leaving Hillary and Tenzing to take the glory.  However, this was not to be Evans's last expedition, as 2 years later, on 28th May 1955, he led the expedition that conquered Kanchenjunga in India, the world's third highest mountain.   

Born this day 1933 in Wrexham

Nick Whitehead - Olympic bronze medal athlete, as part of the 4x100m relay team at the Rome Olympics of 1960.  Whitehead later became the first director of the national coaching foundation and coached the Great Britain athletics team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.