Dyddiau cynnar a siop y cwmni

Pan agorodd Gwaith Haearn Blaenafon ym 1789, daeth cannoedd o bobl yno i chwilio am waith. Ychydig iawn oedd ym Mlaenafon cyn i'r gwaith haearn gael ei adeiladu felly'r haearn feistri fyddai’n darparu ar gyfer anghenion y gweithwyr a'u teuluoedd. Roedd modd prynu bwyd a dillad o siop y cwmni (a elwir hefyd yn 'siop drwco neu ‘siop 'tomi').

Roedd angen siop y cwmni ym mlynyddoedd cynnar y Chwyldro Diwydiannol, ond fe'i defnyddiwyd hefyd i gadw prisiau'n uchel a chadw pobl mewn dyled i'r cwmni. Ni thalwyd gweithwyr mewn arian parod, felly ni allent wario eu harian mewn mannau eraill. Roedd y system drwco ’yn amhoblogaidd iawn ac roedd yn un o achosion y brotest yn ne Cymru ar ddechrau'r 19eg ganrif. Dros amser, lluniwyd deddfau newydd i gael gwared ar y system drwco a'i hanghyfiawnderau.

O bell, mae'r gwaith yn edrych fel tref fechan, wedi'i hamgylchynu â phentyrrau o fwyn, glo a chalchfaen, ac wedi'u bywiogi â holl fwrlwm a gweithgaredd sefydliad cyfoethog sy'n tyfu ... er mai dim ond ym 1789 y gorffennwyd y gwaith, cyflogir tri chant a hanner o ddynion, ac mae poblogaeth yr ardal yn fwy na mil o eneidiau.

Archddiacon William Coxe (1801)

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  • The establishment of ironworks in 1789 led to a large increase in the local population. This engraving, based on a watercolour by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, shows the ironworks in 1798 (Acknowledgement: Engraving by W. Byrne based on a watercolour by The establishment of ironworks in 1789 led to a large increase in the local population. This engraving, based on a watercolour by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, shows the ironworks in 1798 (Acknowledgement: Engraving by W. Byrne based on a watercolour by Sir Richard Colt Hoare)
  • The cottages at Stack Square and Engine Row were built by the ironmasters to provide housing for the workers and their families (Acknowledgement: N.A. Matthews)
  • The population grew so fast in the Industrial Revolution that there were not enough houses to meet the demand. The ironmasters bricked up the arches of a viaduct to provide shelter for the workers (Acknowledgement: Engraving by W. Byrne)
  • With a growing population, bigger premises were required and the shop was moved to North Street (the present site of Caddick’s workshop) in 1844-45. The new company shop sold everything to cover the needs of the workers and their families
  • In some areas, tokens (or ‘dibs’) were issued instead of cash. This system does not appear to have been used in Blaenavon, with tokens only being issued for change. However, the Blaenavon Company employed the ‘long-pay’ system