They start them young in Cymru/Wales to sing! LOL

BBC News - Plaque for Tredegar ironworks engineer Rhys Davies

Plaque for Tredegar ironworks engineer Rhys Davies

By Paul Heaney BBC News

The plaque has been placed on a wall of the Cambrian pub in Tredegar  

 

A plaque has been unveiled in Blaenau Gwent in recognition of an engineer from Tredegar who is said to have changed American history. Rhys Davies left south Wales in 1833 to help build Tredegar Ironworks in Richmond, Virginia, which was named in his honour. The works he built extended the American Civil War by giving the Confederate South a huge arsenal. It later provided materials and jobs to rebuild the South after the war. Peter Morgan Jones, chairman of Blaenau Gwent Heritage Forum which funded the plaque, said Mr Davies was not particularly well known in Wales despite "changing American history".

"I'd like the plaque to remind us that the people this town produced went on to have an enormous impact on world history”

End Quote Peter Morgan Jones Chairman of Blaenau Gwent Heritage Forum Mr Davies is said to have lived and trained in Tredegar from 1800 as an engineer and millwright when the town was one of the biggest centres of iron making in the world. Some years later he worked with one of Napoleon's former marshals in France who was building ironworks there. His life story may never have become apparent if it was not for a small article in a Hereford-based newspaper, according to Mr Jones. "I came across a tiny paragraph in the Hereford Times taken from a Richmond newspaper in 1838 which stated that a Rhys Davies from Tredegar in south Wales had died," he said. "It gave his potted history and without that we wouldn't have known exactly what he did here." The American Civil War Centre now stands on the site of the Tredegar Ironworks in Virginia, where Mr Davies is better known. Nathan Madison, a researcher from the centre, said Mr Davies died before the civil war started but the works he designed had a big impact. "Francis Deane, the man who started our ironworks, didn't ask for a man from Wales or Tredegar, he asked specifically for Rhys Davies to design it," Mr Madison said. "Richmond's role in the civil war was drastically changed because of the ironworks that Davies helped found. "After the war the South was struggling to rebuild a lot of the infrastructure lost during the war - it's questionable if it could have been rebuilt if it wasn't for Tredegar being there." Mr Jones said he hoped the plaque that now recognised Mr Davies's achievements would add to the town's legacy. He added: "There was something about this place at that time which inspired the most extraordinary people. "I'd like the plaque to remind us that the people this town produced went on to have an enormous impact on world history."

 Note: It was an Adams family in Mass. that was a major supply line for the Union Army in the Civil War and they too had Welsh background. Also Jeff Davis president of the Confederacy and Lincoln President of the USA both had Welsh background as did many of the generals and soldiers on both sides!
 

BBC - Media Centre - Jamie Barton named BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize winner

Jamie Barton named BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2013 Song Prize winner

Date: 21.06.2013Last updated: 22.06.2013 at 07.22 Category: BBC Four; Radio 3; Wales US mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton has won the 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize. At the final, held on Friday 21 June at St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Jamie Barton performed Music for a while Purcell/Britten; Meine Liebe ist grün Op 63 No 5 Brahms; Unbewegte laue Luft Op 57 No 8 Brahms; Svarta rosor Op 36 No 1 Sibelius; Flickan kom ifrån sin älsklings möte Op 37 No 5 Sibelius; I wait for you Op 14 No 1 Rakhmaninov; Glory to God Rakhmaninov. Following her triumph Barton said: “I'm so happy I cried on stage, I feel very overwhelmed and extremely happy. I'm very much looking forward to performing again for the opera final on Sunday.” The four other finalists were Hungarian soprano Mária Celeng, Ukrainian soprano Olena Tokar, Belarusian tenor Yuri Gorodetski, and English tenor Ben Johnson. The competition’s patron, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, presented The Song Prize winner with a £5,000 prize and a Welsh crystal trophy. The award is given to the best singer of Lieder and art song. The rounds for this competition took place for the first time at the state-of-the-art Dora Stoutzker concert hall at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, with all the singers eligible to take part. The jury for this contest was: chairman, Nicholas Payne, Håkan Hagegård, Adam Gatehouse, Dame Felicity Palmer and Christoph Prégardien. BBC Cardiff Singer of the World is organised by BBC Cymru Wales in association with Welsh National Opera and supported by the City and County of Cardiff. More details about BBC Cardiff Singer of the World can be found at bbc.co.uk/cardiffsinger

BBC - Media Centre - Jamie Barton named BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize winner

Preparing for the arrival of the first settlers….Mimosa in Patagonia-Welsh Settlement

• Preparing for the arrival of the first settlers
  As the 'Mimosa' left Liverpool docks carrying the group of Welsh emigrants who were to pioneer the Welsh Settlement, two men had already travelled to Patagonia to oversee the necessary prepara...tions for their arrival. Edwin Cynrig Roberts and Lewis Jones (accompanied by his wife Ellen) left for Buenos Aires in the steamship 'Córdoba' on 12 March 1865. They had a long and difficult voyage due to bad weather and mechanical problems, and they spent 45 days at sea before finally arriving at their destination on 27 April.
  On their arrival in Buenos Aires, it soon became evident that the Argentine government would not be in a position to assist the Welsh emigrants. The country had become embroiled in a bloody conflict with Paraguay, and had few resources to offer the Welsh. In a letter to Michael D. Jones, Lewis Jones acknowledged that the situation was difficult: 'The major problem is the shortage of time. It is now obvious that I will not be able to carry out my work as I had wished, but I remain confident that I can protect the emigrants from any danger, despite the inconvenience.
  As the situation began to look desperate, a generous offer came from Thomas Duguid, the agent who had acted on behalf of the Welsh in Buenos Aires. J. H. Denby, an Englishman who was a partner in Duguid's company, had secured a ship called 'Juno' to carry Edwin and Lewis to Patagones. A second ship, the 'Mary Helen' (or 'Mary Ellen') was also hired to carry timber and transport the emigrants to the banks of the Chupat River.
  The 'Juno' set sail on the 600-mile journey along the coastline, arriving at Patagones on 24 May. There, Lewis Jones met his old friends, the Harris brothers, and the local military leader, Julián Murga. A cargo of livestock, food and other goods were secured in preparation for the final 300-mile voyage to New Bay, where the emigrants were expected to arrive within a few weeks. Unfortunately, during their stay in Patagones, Ellen (the wife of Lewis Jones) had been thrown by a horse and was not well enough to leave with the others. On 10 June, Edwin, Lewis, and small crew of servants set sail for New Bay with a cargo of livestock and supplies. There was not enough room on the ship for all the cattle, and some 500 were herded across the land. The 'Juno' landed at New Bay on 14 June - the supplies were unloaded and the sheep were penned. Lewis returned to the ship and Edwin spent his first night on Patagonian soil guarding the sheep from any wild animals and possible attacks by the indigenous people. Over the following days, the rest of the animals were unloaded and work began to build pens, a storehouse and a row of houses. Initially, the local 'tosca', a soft white clay, was used to build the houses but when it became apparent that it would take far too long to complete the work, a decision was made to use timber to build the remainder of the constructions. Lewis and Edwin were both very conscious of the fact that the provisions being made for the emigrants were wholly insufficient and that a great deal of work would have to be completed before the arrival of the first contingent. It had also become clear to them exactly how difficult it would be to move everyone from the bay across the barren land to the Chubut valley. They had little time to dwell on such problems, however, as the emigrants were expected to arrive before the end of the month.
  Lewis returned to Patagones on 5 July to collect more livestock and supplies, leaving Edwin and the servants to continue with the construction work. On his arrival in Patagones, Lewis learned that the cattle which had been sent across the land had been stolen by Indians, who had also killed the 'gauchos'. As he prepared to leave for the New Bay on 18 July, he received the news that the emigrants were on their way, on board the 'Mimosa' (rather than the 'Halton Castle') and much later than expected.
  Lewis Jones reached the New Bay on 24 July, where it became evident that Edwin had experienced his own problems during his absence. Following a disagreement with some of the servants, he had spent two nights stranded down a well. His spirits were low as there continued to be no sign of Lewis Jones or the emigrants. With the return of Lewis and the news that the contingent were on their way, Edwin's spirits lifted. Three days later, however, Lewis Jones left for Patatgones on board the 'Juno' to collect another load, leaving Edwin alone with the servants once more. As he looked out towards the Bay around lunchtime that day, he suddenly noticed two ships approaching - the 'Juno' and the 'Mimosa'. The emigrants had arrived. Lewis Jones was to be seen on board the 'Mimosa' embracing the passengers who were shouting and waving their arms. Cannons were fired and Edwin replied by firing a cannon from the shore. He then rowed out to the 'Mimosa' to greet the emigrants and welcome them to their new home.See more
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(2) Earl T. Williams Jr

Welsh Slate Splitters 1910

Splitting of the slate blocks with and chisel to produce roofing slates requires great skill. This process was not mechanized until the second half of the 20th century, and some slate is still produced in this way. These quarrymen are working at the Dinorwic Quarry, Wales, about 1910.

Please note that Welsh did this on both sides of the Atlantic as slate was used as weights on ships and then broken into slates in America. My home church St. John’s Episcopal Church still has Welsh Slate roof in North Haven Cr. (1756)

Michael D. Jones (1822-98),

 

El reverendo Michael D. Jones (1822-98), año 1885.-
Nació en Llanuwchllyn, cerca de Bala. Jones fue un patriota galés y ministro congregacionista. Se lo considera el pionero del movimiento en pro del establecimiento de una colonia galesa e...n la Patagonia. Tras finalizar estudios en Carmarthen y Londres, en 1848 viajó a los Estados Unidos, donde su hermana ya se había establecido en 1837. Fue ordenado en Cincinnati, donde fue testigo de las dificultades por que pasaban tantos emigrantes galeses al llegar a las comunidades de acogida. Creó una sociedad que proveyera ayuda práctica y apoyo económico a los emigrantes galeses; enseguida se abrireron nuevas sucursales por varias ciudades de los Estados Unidos. Jones se quedó dos años en los Estados Unidos, y fue entonces cuando le nació la idea de crear una colonia galesa "independiente", lejos de la influencia inglesa y estadounidense. Poco después de regresar a Gales, Jones fue nombrado director de la Universidad Congregacionalista de Bala. Allí se vio envuelto en una agria crisis. Sin embargo, la idea de establecer una colonia galesa se mantuvo siempre como una prioridad y enseguida empezó a ganar adhesiones para su proyecto. Muchos de sus conciudadanos galeses compartían su visión de que la lengua, la religión y el modo de vida galés estaban siendo oprimidos por la clase dirintente inglesa, de modo que le pidieron más información sobre aquellos planes. A pesar de haber invertido la mayor parte de su tiempo y su dinero en el proyecto de la Patagonia, Jones y su mujer Anne decidieron no emigrar. Jones visitó la Colonia en 1882, pero fue su primera y última visita a la Patagonia. Jones se casó con Anne Lloyd en 1859 y fundaron su hogar en Bodiwan, Bala. Tuvieron cuatro hijos: Llwyd, Mihangel, Myfanwy y Maironwen. Los dos hijos se establecieron en Sudamérica: Llwyd en la Patagonia y Mihangel en Buenos Aires. Llwyd murió trágicamente en 1909 por disparos de unos bandidos. Myfanwy se casó con el profesor Thomas Rhys, de Bala-Bangor College, y la hija menor Mair murió unos meses antes que su padre. Michael D. Jones murió en Bodiwan el 2 de diciembre 1898 y sus restos descansan en el Universidad de Gales, Bangorcementerio de Hen Gapel, Llanuwchllyn.See more

(1) Earl T. Williams Jr

‘Wales can pay its own way’ – Plaid AM

 

‘Wales can pay its own way’ – Plaid AM

www.english.plaidcymru.org

“A key question for the future of Wales is how we can become less dependent and more self-reliant as a society and economy. As a nation, we are actually quite rich, not only in relation to developing countries, but in our natural resources which can underpin a first class economy based on true susta...