Aberdare Local Board of Health

Aberdare Local Board of Health was established in 1854 in response to the 1848 Public Health Act, and a report on the sanitary condition of the town conducted by Thomas Webster Rammell.[1] It was eventually replaced in 1894 by Aberdare Urban District Council.

The challenges facing a rapidly developing urban community were a concern to the relatively small middle class of Aberdare as well as the more communbity-spirited of the industrialists. One of the leading figures in persuading the community to adopt the Health of Town Acts was the nonconformist minister, Thomas Price.[2] The first board, elected in 1854, included David Davis, Blaengwawr, Crawshay Bailey, Thomas Price and Richard Fothergill who became its first chairman. 'We hope', reflected a local newspaper, 'after so much delay, that active measures will now be taken immediately, as a very wide field for exertion is open to the board'. Cholera was the main concern and although, at that stage, there had been no cases at Aberdare, there had been an outbreak at nearby Hirwaun.[3]

The main challenge in the early years was dealing with cholera outbreaks and the rapidly developing industrial community.

At the end of its first year, four members of the Board were to retire and seek re-election and it was proposed by Thomas Price, and agreed by the other members, that they would seek to secure their return.[4] Fothergill was re-elected chairman in August 1855.[5]

In 1866, Thomas Price, after an absence of some years, resumed his membership of the Board, heading the poll ahead of David Davis. William Thomas Lewis, later Lord Merthyr, was also elected to the Board for the first time.[6]

Board of Health Elections

1854 Election

Elected: David Davies; Thomas Joseph; Rev. Thomas Price; John Jones; Richard Fothergill; Rees Hopkin Rhys; J. L. Roberts; Griffith David; David Williams;, Phillip John; Thomas Wayne.; Crawshay Bailey.

1856 Election

Elected: Thomas Wayne* 806; Rees Hopkin Rhys* 747; Griffith Davies 686; Evan Lewis 443. Non-Elected: David Evan Williams 343; John Jones 228; Rev William Edwards 155; Thomas Joseph 105.[7]

1858 Election

Elected: R.E. Partridge 704; Samuel Thomas 577; Thomas Williams 529; Rees Williams 523; William Powell 507. Non-Elected: Jenkin Griffiths 311; William Williams 268; Jenkin Rees 232; Samuel Price 202; David Bevan 145; A.Mason 126; William Griffiths 119.[8]

1863 Election

Elected: W.W. Wayne; J.L. Roberts; David Davis; Gwilym Williams.[9]

1866 Election

Elected: Thomas Price 877; David Davis 863; Griffith Davies 742; William Thomas Lewis 665; Daniel Rees 580. Non-Elected: Arthur Jones 406; Morgan Phillips 334; Mordecai Jones 233; Herbert Simmonds 100.

References

1. Rammell 1853, pp. 28-9. sfn error: no target: CITEREFRammell1853 (help)
2. Jones. "Thomas Price (Part One)": 160–1. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. "Aberdare Board of Health". Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian. 22 September 1854. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
4. "Aberdare. Meeting of the Board of Health". Monmouthshire Merlin. 21 July 1855. p. 5. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
5. "Aberdare. Meeting of the Board of Health". Monmouthshire Merlin. 1 September 1855. p. 2. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
6. "Board of Health Election". Aberdare Times. 1 September 1866. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
7. "Aberdare. Board of Health Election". Merthyr Telegraph. 6 September 1856. p. 3. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
8. "Aberdare. Board of Health Election". Merthyr Telegraph. 4 September 1858. p. 3. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
9. "Local Intelligence". Aberdare Times. 15 August 1863. p. 4. Retrieved 11 August 2017.

Sources

Books and journals

• Jones, Dot (1998). Statistical Evidence relating to the Welsh Language 1801–1911. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 44. ISBN 0708314600.
• Jones, Ieuan Gwynedd (1964). "Dr. Thomas Price and the election of 1868 in Merthyr Tydfil : a study in nonconformist politics (Part One)" (PDF). Welsh History Review. 2 (2): 147–172. Retrieved 7 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Jones, Ieuan Gwynedd (1981). Explorations & Explanations. Essays in the Social History of Victorian Wales. Llandysul: Gomer. ISBN 0 85088 644 9.
• Jones, Ieuan Gwynedd (1987). Communities. Essays in the Social History of Victorian Wales. Llandysul: Gomer. ISBN 0 86383 223 7.
• Parry, Jon (1989). "Labour Leaders and Local Politics 1888–1902: The Example of Aberdare". Welsh History Review. 14 (3): 399–416. Retrieved 24 October 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Rees, D. Ben (1975). Chapels in the Valley. The Ffynnon Press. ISBN 0-902158-08-2.
• Wills, Wilton D. (1969). "The Rev. John Griffith and the revival of the established church in nineteenth century Glamorgan". Morgannwg. 13: 75–102. Retrieved 6 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Online

• Rammell, Thomas Webster (1853). "Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the inhabitants of the parish of Aberdare in the county of Glamorgan". Internet Archive. General Board of Health. Retrieved 13 March 2017.