MERTHYR TYDFIL

Iron Metropolis

Life in a Welsh Industrial Town (by Keith Strange)

The Peopling of Merthyr

Looking at the figures for the Parish of Merthyr, which unfortunately, did not include significant areas of the town such as Cefn Coed and Vaynor, the population was 7,705 in 1801. By 1821 this had risen to 17,404; by 1841 it stood at 34,977; and by 1851 it was 46,382. In overall terms, the half-century saw a six-fold increase. From being a small and insignificant rural hamlet in 1750, Merthyr had easily become the largest town in Wales, over twice the size of its nearest rival, Swansea (with 21,533), and greater than the combined populations of both Swansea and Cardiff (which had a population of 18,351).