Wonderful is the alteration wrought in the world over which William Menelaus ruled since the days of the early ironmaster and the small furnace. At that time there was more iron left in the waste than was shown in the bar. Ironmaking was only a little advance upon the smithy; but now it is a scientific process, and an ironworks without a good analytical chemist is lop-eared and one-sided. Once ironmaking, like coal working, was easy; the iron mine was to be found in the riverbed, and to be had for the getting, and the coal cropped out at your backdoor. Now ironmaking involves brainwork, as well as muscle, and for coal you go down half a mile into the deep. Still over all operations, as over the ten thousand labourers in a vast field of action, requiring constant attention, keenest knowledge and profoundest thought, laboured William Menelaus, iron in will as if his nature had become oxidised by the material amongst which he moved; and so regulating the great field of industry that it seemed to move like a vast machine.

Thus, it continued, on and on, through good and bad times, evil report and good report; and even as it continued it expanded, until the question was to what height would not Dowlais attain. One may be thankful for all this: that during a long, terrible stagnation of five years the works were retained in operation; and no measure of praise is too high for the man whose wonderful prescience and skill enabled this to be done until the dark night came to an end. This is the greatest of reputations. Mr. Menelaus never acted as justice of the peace, chairman of the board of guardians, chairman of local or school boards. He kept aloof from the social arrangements; and, while other men made local laws, or aided in carrying them out he was content to keep the wheels going, and twenty thousand men, women, and children were thereby saved from the semi-starvation which has befallen many industrial centres.

This is high meed, honourable repute, lasting reputation, and, as such, will be associated unquestionably with his name. It is true, in his bluff way he, would unhesitatingly deny any claim to the distinction of a philanthropist, or question heartily whether he would make a ton of iron in order that the profits went simply to the ironworker, but he has done so notwithstanding, and thus, as a practical philanthropist, he had excelled immeasurably the good old spectacled men who pry about in prisons or in quiet-lanes, just as they would for butterflies or beetles, and feel their delightful old hearts rejoice in the giving away of a blanket or a Bible.

The mortal remains of Mr. William Menelaus, who was for one-half of his life general manager of the Dowlais Ironworks, took place in the quiet churchyard at Penderyn on Tuesday, his remains being interred in the same brick grave as those in which his wife's were consigned in 1852.

The funeral, to all intents and purposes, was a private one, but the gentlemen of high position who attended it fully testified to the great esteem in which the deceased was held in the district. A special train containing the corpse and those of Mr Menelaus's friends who had been with him in his last moments, started from Tenby at half-past nine in the morning, and after one single stoppage at Whitland, arrived at Hirwain Junction at about half past twelve. Here the corpse was transferred from the train to a hearse sent from the Castle Hotel, Merthyr, and was met by a small number of persons from Dowlais and other places.

The body was enclosed in a polished oak coffin, with brass mountings, a brass shield giving simply the name, dates of birth and death, and the age of the deceased.

Amongst those present to receive the body at Hirwain were Mr. W. T. Crawshay (Cyfarthfa Castle), Mr. W. T. Lewis (Mardy, Aberdare), Dr. Cresswell (Dowlais), Mr. E. Williams (Middlesborough). Mr. W. Jenkins (manager of the Consett Works, North of England), Mr. R. H. Rhys, J.P. (deceased's brother-in-law), Mr. Geo. Martin (mineral agent, Dowlais), and Mr. W. Kemp (manager of the tradesmen department, Dowlais).

There also arrived with the body several of Mr. Menelaus's nephews. The remains of the deceased were removed from the railway van to the hearse by six of the Dowlais Company's officials, viz. David Davies, foreman joiners; Joshua Davies, pattern makers; J. Jenkins, pattern makers; David Jones, sawmills John Watkins, tradesmen's department and Evan Davies, joiners' department. It was stated that in addition to the six who acted as bearers, only four gentlemen were invited to the funeral from Dowlais, whose names are given above.

The funeral cortege was headed by the six bearers, followed by the carriages of Mr. W. T. Crawshay, Mr. Menelaus (the deceased), Mr. W. T. Lewis (later Lord Merthyr), Dr. Cresswell, and several hired carriages, supplied by Mr. Thomas Davies, coach proprietor, of Merthyr. There were but few people congregated upon the Hirwain platform to watch the departure of the corpse, the funeral procession starting about one o'clock for Penderyn churchyard, an hour's journey from Hirwain.

Upon arriving at the burial ground attached to the ancient church, which is situated in a somewhat secluded spot on the top of a hill, the funeral cortege was joined by Lord Aberdare (H. A. Bruce), and Mr. G. T. Clark (the joint trustees of the Dowlais Works), as well as Lady Aberdare and Mrs. Clark.

Here also some exceedingly handsome floral wreaths, in addition to those which accompanied the corpse from Tenby, were placed upon the coffin by Lady Aberdare, Mrs. Clark, Mr. W. T. Lewis, and another was sent from the Misses Rhys, Plasnewydd. The funeral service was most impressively read by the Rev. Wm. Winstone, the venerable vicar of Penderyn, and the whole of the solemn rite, which was intended to be of a private nature, passed off in a most quiet manner.

The funeral arrangements were efficiently superintended by Mr. Chas. Beynon, of Tenby. The grave was opened and subsequently re-closed, and the inscription stones and iron railings replaced by Mr. John Morgan, builder, of Aberdare. It may truly be said that the burial of Mr. Menelaus, although attended by several of the most representative gentlemen of the district, was as quiet and unpretentious as his life had always been.

Credit to the People's Collection Wales [048] and Hywel George of Cynon Culture [1299]