Eastern School notes.
Eastern School Taibach. from Taibach Wesley Church 1893-1993 Cled Phillips.
At Taibach, the Primitive Methodists had the Eastern School by 1848 for their services. After the influx of Cornish workers, the Wesleyan cause revived and they used the Boys School from 1873 onwards.
It seems that in the Parish of Margam by 1833 there were five day schools for the children. One would have been the 'Hole in the Wall' cottage at Margam. In 1829, Philip Jones, the work's agent at the copper works, was given permission to build a school. This was the Eastern School; children paid 12d a week to attend. When completed, there was a Boys and a Girls. Department with the Masters' house and garden in between the two buildings. The use by religious bodies show that the building was of quite a reasonable size. The Primitive Methodists had adopted the School by 1848 as their meeting place. The worshippers who were to later build Gibeon in 1861, found a place to worship at Eastern Girls School. Previously they had met in a house on Constant until this proved to be too small for their growing numbers. The present Gibeon was the result of their Church being rebuilt and enlarged in 1909-10. From 1873 onwards the Wesleyan Methodists were given permission to use the Boy's Department at Eastern School. They obviously needed a place to worship where they could use their own language for this purpose. It is quite_,interesting that the Vivians allowed such a full use to be made of their school at the weekends, particularly as they were themselves staunch `Church of England members, unlike many of their workers. As the Wesleyan flock increased by migration of families to Taibach and by marriage, it became obvious by 1887 that their use of Eastern School could not continue for very much longer, as this limitation to their growth obviously would have been the reverse of their aim. They needed their own Church building. The Vivians were very philanthropic - but could only be that way in those areas, like Aberafan, where they were able to own or buy some of the land. At Taibach, where the Wesleyan Society needed to build within their own community they needed to look to Mr C R M Talbot the landowners of much of Margam and this as we have seen 'earlier would include the Taibach area. Some of the Wesleyan worshippers were by now quite influential within the Vivian Works and community. The headmaster at Eastern School, Mr Martin, was also a senior member of the Wesleyan Methodists. Also people like' `J S Bray, J MacCoan, Will Hayes, Will Bendall, to name but a few, carried some weight with the Vivians. The Vivians themselves had come from Cornwall to Swansea in 1806, but they were staunch Anglicans and linked with high society in their own county and in their new location. When Captain Robert Lindsay died in 1853, the Management of the works was taken over by another member of the Vivian family. The third son of J H Vivian took on the Management of the works, this was Sir Arthur Pendarves Vivian who came to live at Glanavon House and was closely linked with the district for some 71 years. Hussey Vivian had been made manager of the Swansea works in 1846 at the age of twenty five. He was on friendly terms with C R M Talbot. This link with their Cornish workers, who now sought a site on which to build a Church - however weak - would certainly not have been a hindrance in negotiations with C R M Talbot. Various sites were suggested until Talbot offered them a site on Incline Row which was nicely placed for the People, of the Constant, as well as the lower rows of houses by the 'Mount' to attend.
With great joy the lease was signed by 1887 and plans had to be drawn up and money raised to enable the building work to commence some time in the future. With great excitement the members were called to a Prayer Meeting at Eastern School.
Eastern School Taibach. from Taibach Wesley Church 1893-1993 Cled Phillips.
At Taibach, the Primitive Methodists had the Eastern School by 1848 for their services. After the influx of Cornish workers, the Wesleyan cause revived and they used the Boys School from 1873 onwards.
It seems that in the Parish of Margam by 1833 there were five day schools for the children. One would have been the 'Hole in the Wall' cottage at Margam. In 1829, Philip Jones, the work's agent at the copper works, was given permission to build a school. This was the Eastern School; children paid 12d a week to attend. When completed, there was a Boys and a Girls. Department with the Masters' house and garden in between the two buildings. The use by religious bodies show that the building was of quite a reasonable size. The Primitive Methodists had adopted the School by 1848 as their meeting place. The worshippers who were to later build Gibeon in 1861, found a place to worship at Eastern Girls School. Previously they had met in a house on Constant until this proved to be too small for their growing numbers. The present Gibeon was the result of their Church being rebuilt and enlarged in 1909-10. From 1873 onwards the Wesleyan Methodists were given permission to use the Boy's Department at Eastern School. They obviously needed a place to worship where they could use their own language for this purpose. It is quite_,interesting that the Vivians allowed such a full use to be made of their school at the weekends, particularly as they were themselves staunch `Church of England members, unlike many of their workers. As the Wesleyan flock increased by migration of families to Taibach and by marriage, it became obvious by 1887 that their use of Eastern School could not continue for very much longer, as this limitation to their growth obviously would have been the reverse of their aim. They needed their own Church building. The Vivians were very philanthropic - but could only be that way in those areas, like Aberafan, where they were able to own or buy some of the land. At Taibach, where the Wesleyan Society needed to build within their own community they needed to look to Mr C R M Talbot the landowners of much of Margam and this as we have seen 'earlier would include the Taibach area. Some of the Wesleyan worshippers were by now quite influential within the Vivian Works and community. The headmaster at Eastern School, Mr Martin, was also a senior member of the Wesleyan Methodists. Also people like' `J S Bray, J MacCoan, Will Hayes, Will Bendall, to name but a few, carried some weight with the Vivians. The Vivians themselves had come from Cornwall to Swansea in 1806, but they were staunch Anglicans and linked with high society in their own county and in their new location. When Captain Robert Lindsay died in 1853, the Management of the works was taken over by another member of the Vivian family. The third son of J H Vivian took on the Management of the works, this was Sir Arthur Pendarves Vivian who came to live at Glanavon House and was closely linked with the district for some 71 years. Hussey Vivian had been made manager of the Swansea works in 1846 at the age of twenty five. He was on friendly terms with C R M Talbot. This link with their Cornish workers, who now sought a site on which to build a Church - however weak - would certainly not have been a hindrance in negotiations with C R M Talbot. Various sites were suggested until Talbot offered them a site on Incline Row which was nicely placed for the People, of the Constant, as well as the lower rows of houses by the 'Mount' to attend.
With great joy the lease was signed by 1887 and plans had to be drawn up and money raised to enable the building work to commence some time in the future. With great excitement the members were called to a Prayer Meeting at Eastern School.