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Religion[edit]

St Tydfil's Church

Merthyr was regarded as a nonconformist stronghold in the nineteenth century but the chapels declined rapidly from the 1920s onwards and most are now closed.

Far less than 10% of the population here attended an Anglican Church. The Church did, however, seek to counterbalance the influence of nonconformity in the nineteenth century and Merthyr had a succession of influential clergymen as parish priests. Among the most notable was John Griffith, b.1818 - d.1885. No man in this part of the kingdom could be more popular in his day and generation than the Rev. John Griffith. Another influential character is Sir John Guest, b. February 1785 – d. November 1852. Who contributed greatly to the building of St. Johns Church, therefore the church was named after its founder and benefactor. Despite the low numbers of people attending Anglican Churches, St. Johns thrived, it held 2 services each Sunday, two services in English and also two in Welsh and so it catered for both languages. This church was significant in the plan to counterbalance the nonconformity in Merthyr. However, there are now plans for its conversion to residential flats which will retain its original fine structure.

The Merthyr Hebrew Congregation

Merthyr Tydfil had the largest Jewish community of Wales in the nineteenth century, at its height there were around 400 Jewish people living in the town. As the Jewish population had increased, the Merthyr Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1848 and a cemetery consecrated a few years later at Cefn-Coed. The Merthyr synagogue was built in 1875. Sadly the Jewish Community has now gone from the town. Religious services stopped when it had a male Jewish population of under 10 men, the quorum needed before the synagogue could be used, which meant that religious prayers could not be taken in the synagogue. In the 1980s the 120 year old synagogue was put up for sale and ironically it became a Christian Centre and then a gym. Recently, (2009) permission has been granted for the former synagogue to be turned into flats.