William Sharp

Uncle Will Sharp said of his visit in 1888:
Back in Taft Valley, at Troedyrhiw, I saw William, father's oldestbrother, a fine man with kindly eyes and patriarchal beard.Postmaster there for 50 years, father to the folk of the place, fatherconfessor, legal adviser, banker, everything, greatly honored andrespected. Once ran for Merthyr Tydfil School Board in 1898. Wrote abooklet called Leaves from my Notebook dated April 9, 1915.

William ran for Merthyr Tydfil School Board in 1898. Muchinformation about Peter and William can be found in the tiny bookletWilliam put together, called:" [IT:Leaves From My Notebook :IT],written by Wm. Sharp and dated April 9, 1915

“I have frequently been asked to write a “History of Troedyrhiw,”having lived here for 64 years. I am the oldest resident of theplace, and have kept a record of many events, but never a regulardiary, except a Sunday diary. I could always tell where I spent mySunday, whom I heard preach, and privately what I thought of thesermon.

“I was born in Whitchurch, Glamorgan. My father was a Scot, born andreared in “The Heart of Midlothian”. He was a currier by trade, andhad worked in a good many towns in England, but finally settled inEly, near Cardiff. My mother was a Welsh woman, born in Ely, nearCardiff. My maternal grandmother was Welsh to the core, a native ofCilcwm, near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire.

“Although trade was reviving, my father found it difficult to bring upa family on a journeyman’s wages as a currier, so he quit the tradeand started business as a grocer and baker in Taff’s Well, which wasthen a small village six miles north of Cardiff. The Taff ValeRailway was being made in 1842, and there were a large number ofnavvies [sic] employed upon it. My mother was an excellent baker, andthe navvies were glad to get good homemade bread, of which they wereable to obtain a large loaf for a shilling. There were no quartern[sic] loaves in those days – at least, not in Wales.

“Mr. Richard Cory…used to drive from Cardiff to Merthyr in a trap,being engaged in the wholesale flour trade. I was a lad at home justa little over 13 years of age, and Mr. Cory told my father [Peter] hecould get me a situation in Merthyr if we wished. We were three milesfrom any school and six miles from any place of worship, so we wereglad to accept the offer. In a few weeks’ time I started for Merthyr,and walked the whole distance of 18 miles, carrying my bundle ofclothes on my back, as trains were few and expensive. That wasJanuary, 1844.

“I lived in a shop near the south end of the Parish Church. It wascalled the “Shop Isha” but the manager came to grief, and I afterwardslived in Victoria Street with Davies and Phillips, and later with Mr.Walter Watkins at the “Canton Tea Warehouse.” The shop stood in theposition now occupied by the Town Hall. Mr. Watkins was a goodtradesman, but hot-tempered. …The position was a good one forbusiness, as the mail coaches for Swansea, Cardiff, Abergavenny andother places started from the Castle Hotel opposite. Prisoners werehandcuffed to the rail of the coach without much ceremony when beingconveyed to Swansea at Cardiff Gaol.

“When I came to Merthyr, I identified myself with the church in MarketSquare, then known as the Scotch Independent Chapel. …I was too young,according to the Scotch ideas, for Church fellowship, but joined theChurch in 1849…I claim to be the oldest member of that church. “Letno man take my crown.” …elected a deacon in 1864. … [names of churchofficials]

“As my family grew up, we found it inconvenient to drive to Merthyr tochapel. I did so for 20 years. But, providentially, the late Mr.Samuel Morley had offered a gift free of £5000 for building Englishchurches in Wales. I seized the opportunity and communicated [withothers] who sympathized with me in the movement and encouraged me toproceed. …That was the beginning of Mount Zion Church in Troedyrhiw….

“I lived in Merthyr for seven years and started business on my ownaccount in 1851. [21 years old] …married in 1853. Fine shops werebeing erected. I was a pioneer in that respect, and carried onbusiness for 40 years. There was no Post Office when I came here. Iwrote to the Authorities on the matter, who sent a surveyor toinvestigate, and appointed me on the spot Postmaster, a position Iheld for 27 years; but I got tired, and wanted a change…..

[William Sharp continues]

“There were no schools here. My attention was drawn to that fact by aMr. Williams, an Inspector of Schools from Llanelly, who asked me totake the matter in hand. We formed a School Committee…we built thefirst British school in the parish of Merthyr. I was secretary foreight years until the School Board was formed... served on the Boardfor three years ...on the Burial Board for 12 years.

“I was a member of the Congregational Union for many years, and madeit a rule to attend the Autumnal meetings…Freemason in a very oldlodge in Merthyr. Secretary of the first Building Society inTroedyrhiw…We built 60 houses on Yew Street, which have always beenwell tenanted, and I don’t remember that we ever lost a shilling.

“I have been a deacon in three different Congregational churches for along period of 51 years. My health has been invariably good, but Itook a holiday every year, visiting Scotland, Ireland, France, Jerseyand Guernsey. I also had a run, accompanied by my daughter, throughthe United States of America, from east to west, thinking to end mydays in California; but old England for me! I feel grateful for thelong life I have lived, now being 85, and hope to end my days inpeace.”