5. John Griffith Williams

John Griffith Williams arrived in Blaenavon in 1830 and was dismayed to find “no roads fit for any vehicle…only five chapels, four shops, five public houses and very few cottages [south-east] of the works”. Williams saw the opportunity to improve things and became an important local figure. Williams founded the town’s first covered market in 1840 and was very influential in the establishment of Broad Street, the town’s main shopping street. He also established the first town hall, a gasworks and a brewery, as well as the Red Lion Hotel, arguably the finest in the growing town.

Some of J.G. Williams’s children emigrated from Wales to Pennsylvania in the USA. Their names are on the grave. Indeed, many Blaenavon people travelled around the world, taking their skills and culture with them. Head back to the main church gate and take the path, through the fence, to the right. Follow it down towards the large pink granite monument.