Aberaman Tabernacle Primitive Methodist chapel

There is an article about the Primitive Methodist chapel on Llanthewi Street, ABERAMAN, on page 2 of the Aberaman Leader, 14th May, 1955. It says that the cause began in 1853, and that Tabernacle, as it was called, was the first English-speaking chapel in the area.

Further information is supplied in “Chapels in the Cynon Valley” by Alan Vernon Jones (Cynon Valley History Society, 2004), including a drawing. In addition, there is a fairly long centenary booklet about this chapel at Englesea Brook.

Additional information (CH December 2020)

Later contributions to this site have filled in the story of Aberaman chapel  that David Young outlines above  and they are brought together here.  It was complicated by changes of name.  Aberaman grew around Tre-Aman colliery so early references are under that name, but spelt in a variety of ways. Thanks to Philip Thornborow for linking them together.

Chapel opening 1855

The Primitive Methodist magazine of May 1854 contains an account by M Harvey of the laying of the foundation stone at Treaman Primitive Methodist chapel in the Tredegar circuit.

The ceremony took place on February 27th 1854.  Contributions at the site and in the nearby Calvinistic Methodist chapel came from D Williams Esq of Ynyscynon, Rev I White, Mr Edwards, Mr E Evans, Rev Harvey and Rev Hibbs. Between 500 and 600 took tea in the Baptist schoolroom.

It took them 18 months before the opening was reported.  Joseph Hibbs described the opening on Sunday August 5th 1855. “Three useful sermons were preached by the Rev. J. Warnes of Swansea, and upwards of £27 was realized by the collections and a tea meeting.

The chapel is 30 feet square in the clear, and 23 feet high to the wallplate. The front is coursed stone, which gives it a neat appearance. It has twelve windows and a boarded floor ; it has twenty-four pews, besides the communion pew, and a neat pulpit. All the wood-work is well painted. The land is on a lease for ninety-nine years.

The chapel stands in a good situation, in a very improving neighbourhood, and is the only English chapel near the place. We have a good society and Sunday school, and a prospect of much good. The whole of the cost is a little above £300, including deeds, etc. New works are opening in this valley in all directions, from Herwain to Cardiff, presenting an inviting field for missionary operations. ”

The list of chapel registrations published in 1867 records the existence of Tabernacle Primitive Methodist chapel  Treamman

Chapel rebuilding 1892

The Primitive Methodist chapel at Tremean in the Aberdare station had become very run down and dilapidated to the extent that it was only just safe.  As a result the 1892 Primitive Methodist magazine reports that they had just laid the foundation stones for a replacement.

Old Ordnance Survey maps show that this was on the same site as the previous chapel, on the southwest corner of the junction between Llanthewi Street and Commerce Place.  It is still labelled as English Methodist chapel in 1958 but has been demolished by 1990.  There is housing on the site on Street View in 2009.

Reference

www.primitivemethodism.com

The Primitive Methodist magazine May 1854 p. 308

The Primitive Methodist magazine October 1855 p. 622-623

Primitive Methodist magazine 1892 September page 572