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The Church
came into being as a School in about the 1850’s.
In 1860 the
Parish of Pentrebach was created with St. John’s Church,
Troedyrhiw, as the Parish Church.
The famous
Iron Master, Anthony Hill provided most of the money for the
erection of St. John’s in1852 and
when he died he was buried in a vault under the altar of the
Church. No one else can be buried in
the Church or in it’s grounds. The building stands as a memorial
to the man who ruled the great
Plymouth Ironworks.
When the
Parish of Pentrebach was created, the first vicar was the Rev.
William Green. This Parish was large
because included the villages of Troedyrhiw, Pentrebach and
Abercanaid. Mr. W. W. Green, who
became the General Manager of the Hills Plymouth Collieries, was
the son of the first vicar.
He was also
the first organist of Saint John’s Church. A pipe organ was put
in, in 1885.The Font in
St. James’s Church was dedicated to master William Green. He may
have been the first baby
to be christened in it by his father who died in 1891, and was
buried in Vaynor Churchyard.
He was succeeded by one of the greatest figures in the history
of the Parish. The Rev. Peter Williams was Vicar of Pentrebach
for 32 years. He was also the Rural Dean of Merthyr. During his
incumbency churches were built in Pentrebach and Abercanaid.
After his death the Large parish of Pentrebach was divided and
the present Parishes of Troedyrhiw and Abercanaid took it’s place. This
was in 1924.
Mr. Glyn
Rosser was a Lay Preacher at St. James’s Church and Mrs Anne
Williams and Mr. William
Jones were Sunday School Superintendents for many years – still
attending in their 80’s.
Sadly, the
last service took place, by the Assistant Bishop of Llandaff,
the Rt. Rev. David Reece, on Wednesday evening, 15th
August 1979. It was a service of Holy Eucharist and there were
33present.
The Church
was then deconsecrated.
Kindly lent and researched by Miss Barbara Downing from Duffryn Fawr,
Pentrebach. |
