Bethania is an
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
chapel in Phillip Street,
Mountain Ash Mountain ash may refer to:
* ''Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia
* Mountain-ashes or rowans, varieties of trees and shrubs in the genus ''Sorbus''
See also
* Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Mountai ...
,
Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. Services at Bethania are conducted in the
Welsh language
Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
.
Early history
The church began in the form of a Sunday school built in 1850, although earlier meetings had been held at the home of one Daniel Rowlands, which later became the Glancynon Inn. The first chapel was built in 1854 at a cost of £320, but became too small as a result of the
religious revival of 1859. A new chapel was therefore built at a cost of £950 with seating for 750. This coincided with the sinking of the Deep Duffryn Colliery in 1855, which led to a large influx of people into the area.
David Edward Coleman (''Eos Hefin''), also known as ''Coleman Bach'' (Little Coleman), was a prominent member of Bethania. For many years he conducted the chapel choir and was one of the conductors of the South Wales Choral Union which won the first prize at a celebrated choral competition at the
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
in London in 1872. Coleman kept a grocery and drapery business at 54 Commercial Street, Mountain Ash.
The chapel was enlarged in 1887 and a new vestry built alongside. Thomas Llewellyn was minister from 1854 until 1888. He was succeeded by Owen Jones, who remained until 1909.
Twentieth century
John Phillips was minister from 1911 until 1945 and Haydn Davies from 1950 until 1960.
The chapel remains beautifully preserved and maintained. There were 20 members in 2004. Mountain Ash and District Choral Society hold their practices and rehearsals at the vestry.
References
Bibliography
*
External links
*
Cadw listing
{{Authority control
Chapels in Rhondda Cynon Taf
Grade II listed churches in Rhondda Cynon Taf
Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf