Rhymney - Notable People and Organisations

Notable People and Organisations

See also Category:People from Rhymney

The celebrated Welsh poet, Idris Davies (1905–1953), was born in Rhymney. After leaving school at the age of 14 he worked as a miner in the nearby Abertysswg and Rhymney Mardy Pits. After participating in the failed General Strike of 1926, Davies moved to London where he worked as a teacher at various schools. Four volumes of his poetry were published during his lifetime: Gwalia Deserta (1938), The Angry Summer: A Poem of 1926 (1943), Tonypandy and other poems (1945), and Selected Poems (1953). He returned to Rhymney in 1947 and died of cancer on 6 April 1953.

The professor, civil servant, administrator, and author, Dr Thomas Jones CH (1870–1955), was also born in Rhymney. After leaving school at 14 he became a clerk at the Rhymney Iron and Steel Works. He was admitted to the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1890 and later migrated to Glasgow University in 1890. Between 1904 to 1905 he lectured in Ireland and upon returning to Wales in 1910 became Secretary of the Welsh National Campaign against Tuberculosis. He was appointed Secretary of the National Health Insurance Commission (Wales) in 1912 and transferred to London in 1916 as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, eventually becoming Deputy Secretary. He suffered a serious fall indoors at his home in Kent in June 1955 and died in a private nursing home on October 15, 1955.

The town is also home to the Rhymney Silurian Male Choir, which was formed in 1951 to renew the tradition of male voice singing in Rhymney. During its history, the choir has won four National Eisteddfod titles and raised money for a number of charities. Other notable people born in Rhymney include the Major League Baseball trainer, John D. Reese, and Wales international rugby union Wing Tom James.

The most prolific writer about the history of Rhymney and its surrounding villages is local historian Marion Evans who has produced five volumes of her series A Portrait of Rhymney with cameos of Pontlottyn, Tafarnaubach, Princetown, Abertysswg and Fochriw. Evans has also written The History of Andrew Buchan's Rhymney Brewery. Further booklets and articles have included The Story of our Village, Rhymney, A Portrait of the Bent Iron, Gelligaer Common, Clay Pipes, and A Portrait of Idris Davies

One of the largest employers in Rhymney is Williams Medical Supplies Ltd.

Thomas Clifford Peters MBE, known as "Cliff" was born in Rhymney in 1919. His autobiographical tales contained in the self published "Taffy, Twist and Tanners" recalls his childhood in the 1920s. Local landmarks, characters and events are recorded in humorous prose. After serving in the RAF during the Second World War, Cliff settled in Bristol becoming a schoolteacher and Chairman of Kingswood Borough Council. He was made an MBE for his services to the community in 1981. Cliff remained in the North Bristol area with his family until his death in 2002.