ZOAR BAPTIST CHAPEL

The Zoar Baptist Chapel, which is situated in beautiful surroundings near the Castell-y-bwch at Henllys, is soon to be converted into a private dwelling.  The burial ground is to be landscaped as part of this project and is being treated with great respect by the owner.

As a result of this, some interesting facts have emerged, perhaps the most significant being the gravestone of Nathaniel Jones, one of only five bodies to be recovered from the Prince of Wales mining disaster at Abercarn in 1878, when 268 men died, the stone will be removed by Oxford House Society, Risca, and re-erected in that area as a memorial; another miner, John Sadler, killed at Llanbradach Colliery, is also buried here, reflecting an age where the workplace was harsh and fraught with danger.

Edgar Edmunds, who died in action in 1918, is commemorated though his final resting place is Bellicourt, France, and the Roberts family, thought to be descended from Bartholomew Roberts, the pirate, also rest here in this small country graveyard.

We hope to piece together some of the stories which surround these memorials and bring the past to life.  We welcome any contributions you may have on this, or any other item of local interest you feel should be recorded.