‘Roath, Splott and Adamsdown, One Thousand Years of History’ by Jeff Childs.
ISBN: 9780752458649. Publisher: The History Press.
This is an account of three discrete districts of south-east Cardiff and their evolution through 1,000 years of history. From their pre-Norman origins to their emergence as thriving suburbs in the early twentieth century, the volume focuses on manorial society and economy, the growth of population, trade and industrial development, social structure and community leadership and the area’s transformation from a rural setting to a sophisticated, mature urban and commercial environment.
Subjects covered include life in medieval times; seventeenth-century society as viewed through the personal testimonies of inhabitants; nineteenth-century estates; farms and families; urban and industrial development in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; and the growth of religion and education. The origins and changing nature of place-names are also explored and the volume ends with an examination of the nature of the communities today.
‘Roath, Splott and Adamsdown – the Archive Photographs Series’ by Jeff Childs
ISBN: 9780752401997 Publisher: The History Press.
The book contains over 250 photographs, many published for the first time. Scenes of street life, work, worship and leisure are captured in a wide variety of often striking and atmospheric images.
They are amplified by the fascinating historical detail in the captions, providing the reader with a vivid appreciation of the rich significant past of this part of Cardiff.
The two books detailed above were kindly written and compiled by Jeff Childs on behalf of the Roath Local History Society for which the Society is eternally grateful. Jeff is a long-standing member of this Society and many other regional and local history societies. We are fortunate to have Jeff as our Honorary Life President. Jeff is a retired Civil Servant with an MA in Local History and is an accomplished speaker on the topic.
‘Cardiff Churches Through Time’ by Jean Rose.
ISBN: 9781445610924 Publisher: Amberley Publishing; UK
Cardiff has changed from an insignificant little fishing port with a couple of churches became, in industrial times, a boom town, in which churches and chapels of all possible denominations sprang up, to serve the needs of the nineteenth-century population explosion. Jean Rose, a member of our Society, uncovers a variety of places of worship, some grand, some humble, but all with a story to tell. Today, many of these buildings have gone, as religious attendance declined in the late twentieth century. Despite this, they are a valuable part of Cardiff’s rich heritage, and deserve to be marked for present and future generations. Recent years have seen church growth, both traditional and innovative, and this too is part of Cardiff’s ongoing story.
The above publications are available at RLHS meetings and local bookshops in Roath
Also available from Amazon
Roath Local History Society Library
The Society has an extensive Library of historical books and publications, that members can borrow, free of charge.
Download our Catalogue of Resources here.
Other publications:
A new book has been published in Jan 2021 by Matthew Williams that looks at some of the grand houses of Cardiff that are no more. Called Lost Houses of Cardiff it includes some of the houses that were in our area. Available on eBay for £13.99.
St Edwards Church by Amy Stinson, published 2018, ISBN: 978-1979341523.
Within St. Edward’s Church, Roath, there are four war memorials. They are WWI, WWI St Anne’s Panels, WWI Red Cross and WWII. These names on the panels and the people behind them are remembered within the book.
A History of Parish Church of St Denys Lisvane covers the church history from the earliest times setting it against the background local history, its long association with Tewkesbury and lists the clergy and many parishioners. An extensive section on the post-war history addresses how a small parish church met the challenge of new housing estates turning the parish into a suburb of Cardiff. The 100 page book is published by Lisvane Parochial Church Council costs £10 plus £2 p&p and can be purchased by contacting the church at: office@stdenyschurch.org.uk
Rhys David, a member of Roath Local History Society, has written this book, Tell Mum Not To Worry: A Welsh Soldier’s World War One in the Near East. The campaigns of the the 53rd (Welsh) Division in Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine during World War One are described in 12 chapters and brought to life through previously unpublished letters. Sapper Dewi David, from Splott, enlisted on his 17th birthday in 1915, to follow his friends, returning home only after he had reached the age of 21. The correspondence, often humorous, sometimes poignant, and always highly literate throws a colourful light on a theatre of the war that is often overlooked and also tells us much about the life and times, and the pleasures and pre-occupations of an ordinary family living in one of the expanding cities of Britain in the early years of the 20th century.
This book is available to purchase at our monthly meetings for a special price of £10.
John Wake, retired police officer writes about Cardiff’s lawless past, it’s growth, it’s characters, it’s murders, and it’s mean streets – from the viewpoint of Cardiff’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.
John joined the Cardiff City Police in 1965 and posted to Bute Street (Tiger Bay) police station. He was promoted to Detective Constable and worked at police stations in the Roath area.
These books and others John has written are available to purchase from Wordcatcher Publishing
Roath Local History Society 