The Welsh Language in Cardiff: A History of Survival

by Owen John Thomas

"The Welsh Language in Cardiff: A History of Survival" completely demolishes the myth perpetuated by many that Cardiff has always been an English-speaking town.

With the use of sources as varied as personal and field names, cour records, diaries and legal documents, Owen John Thomas shows conclusively that while the Welsh and English languages waxed and waned in the small walled town of Cardiff, both were actually always present.

We learn that Cardiff's labouring classes and prostitutes living out their lives in the slums spoke Welsh, as well as the city's middle class and sober chapel-going Nonconformists.

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[E Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensively demolishes the "no Welsh spoken here" falsehoods

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

History of the evidence for the Welsh language in Cardiff through the centuries, drawn from surviving written documents (and, for the more recent period, statistics). While Cardiff is generally seen as Anglicised, and has been a place known for hostility to Welsh, this redresses the balance, showing how Welsh was in widespread use up to the mid 19th century (the period of population expansion) and was particularly in retreat throughout the 20th century. Field names from the 18th and early 19th centuries indicate the strength of Welsh at the time, and another source is court records of slander cases in which the actual words spoken had to be recorded (often Welsh, and often in the mouths of women!). This is not, needless to say, "chapel Welsh"! (Some research has been done on this material by Gwen Awbery, who was looking for evidence of Glamorgan /Gwent dialect, which she also found on old gravestones, not mentioned here). Owen John's examination of later census records (the question about Welsh was asked from 1891 onwards) is interesting and reflects what I have noticed just through looking at the returns for my street and the surrounding area - many mixed households where one parent spoke Welsh and one didn't, which resulted in monoglot English-speaking children, and families in which both the parents spoke Welsh but did not pass it on to the children. He finishes on a fairly optimistic note with the increase in Welsh speaking which may be due to the employment opportunities which the Senedd has brought, and the growth of Welsh medium education. (The cover is great, too!)

[Michael Cridland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is long overdue, Owen John Thomas epic work on the story of the Welsh language in Cardiff. His meticulous research, use of court cases involving slander, where it was quite clear that the individuals were Welsh speaking. The historical background he gives is also impressive, which gives the subject matter context. For me this book is relevant to my own family history, my mother’s maternal grandparents were both Welsh speakers from the Gower, and Margam respectively, spoke Welsh and English alternatively, However they stopped speaking Welsh, and my grandmother did not know the language. This excellent work illuminates the story of Welsh in Cardiff, and its continued growth. I cannot recommend this book enough, if you want understand the story of the Welsh language in Cardiff, this book is an essential tool. Enjoy.