Siloa Chapel, Aberdare facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siloa Welsh Independent Chapel |
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| Location | Green Street, Aberdare |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Independent (Congregationalist) |
| History | |
| Founded | 1841 |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Early 19th century |
| Completed | 1844 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 900 |
Siloa Chapel was the biggest Welsh Independent chapel in Aberdare, Wales. It's a type of Congregationalist church. Services here are held in the Welsh language. Siloa Chapel opened in 1844 and is one of the few Welsh-speaking chapels in the area still open today.
Siloa is special because it had only three main ministers for over a century! These were David Price (from 1843 to 1878), D. Silyn Evans (from 1880 to 1930), and R. Ifor Parry (from 1933 to 1964).
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Contents
How Siloa Chapel Started
In 1841, a minister named Thomas Rees from Ebenezer, Trecynon started a Sunday school in Aberdare. He also began preaching in English, hoping to start an English-speaking church.
When Rees moved away in 1842, his plan changed. But a small group from Ebenezer Chapel kept meeting. They decided to hold their services in Welsh instead. The main person leading this group was David Price. He had just moved to Aberdare. Thanks to him, meetings started happening in a room at the Boot Inn in Aberdare.
In 1843, fourteen members from Ebenezer, Trecynon (which was the oldest independent church nearby) asked to leave and start a new church. Even though some older members weren't sure, their request was approved. The new church was named Siloa. This was a nod to their former minister's new church in Llanelli. David Price was one of the first members. He helped a lot with building the first chapel, which cost £600.
David Price's Time as Minister (1843–1878)
Soon after, David Price became the minister at Siloa. He also managed the chapel's money for many years. Price used to be a miner. During the Aberdare Strike of 1857–1858, he spoke to the miners. He translated what Henry Austin Bruce said into Welsh. He also shared his own stories of being a young miner on strike. He tried to convince the miners to go back to work.
Siloa Chapel was built when Aberdare was growing very fast. This was because of the booming coal trade. While Price was minister, many people moved to Aberdare. They came from places like Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. This helped Siloa's membership grow quickly to over 600 people by the 1860s. It became the biggest church in the valley.
The church also grew a lot after the Religious Revival of 1849. Siloa Chapel was rebuilt and made bigger in 1855. This cost £719. After another revival in 1859, even more people joined. By 1860, all the building debts were paid off.
Siloa played a big part in the rise of political ideas in the 1800s. These ideas were often linked to nonconformist churches. In 1848, an important meeting was held at Siloa. It was led by David Williams (Alaw Goch). People met to protest against a report about education from the vicar of Aberdare, John Griffith.
David Price also helped start several new churches from Siloa. These included Bethesda in Abernant and Bryn Seion in Cwmbach. Members from Siloa also helped create churches in Mountain Ash, Aberaman, Cwmaman, and Cwmdare.
In 1866, the church members gave Price £170. This was to thank him for all his hard work. Price passed away in 1878 when he was 68 years old.
Silyn Evans's Time as Minister (1880–1930)
Silyn Evans took over from David Price. He later wrote a book about Price's life.
In 1899, Siloa had 661 members. After the Religious Revival of 1904–1905, the number grew to 761 by 1907.
The chapel was greatly improved in 1890, costing £1,100. In January 1905, they held special services to celebrate paying off these debts. This happened at the same time as the Revival.
In 1918, there was a disagreement. The church decided not to give money to the Bala-Bangor Theological College. This was because of the college principal's views on peace.
By 1923, the number of members had gone down to 645.
Siloa in the 20th Century
When R. Ifor Parry became minister in 1933, Siloa had 501 members. By 1954, this number had dropped to 363. It fell even more sharply by 1961, when Parry left his role.
In August 1969, Reverend Aneurin Owen Roberts became the minister. Services continued in Welsh. For a few years, the number of members stayed steady. Families were welcomed, and children even led one Sunday service each month. Reverend Roberts was a key organizer for the Côr Mawr Caradog Centennial celebrations in 1972.
However, the number of people attending chapels kept falling across Wales. From 1980, services at Siloa were held in the smaller vestry room. This was because fewer people were coming. But unlike other churches in the valley, Siloa kept going as a Welsh-language church. It continued even after Reverend Roberts, Siloa's last full-time minister, retired in 1987.
