Noah Ablett 1883-1935

Born Porth, Rhondda. Worked as a miner until he won a scholarship in 1907 to attend Ruskin College, Oxford. On his return he worked to bring about education for the miners, setting up the Marxist educational classes. Became checkweigher for Mardy colliery in 1911 and later that year joined with others in establishing the Unofficial Reform Committee. It was this group that wrote and published the Miners’ Next Step in 1912 demanding a minimum wage for the miners and for control of the mines to be given to the miners. From 1921 to 1926 he was a member of the executive committee of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain.

FURTHER READING:

Campbell, Alan, Fishman, Nina and Howell, David. (eds) Miners, Unions and Politics 1910-1947 (Aldershot, 1996) 

Morgan, Kenneth O. Modern Wales: politics, places and people (Cardiff, UWP, 1995).

Ablett, Noah Easy outlines of economics (Sheffield: Plebs League, 1919).

All items listed in the further reading are available for consultation in either the South Wales Miners’ Library or the Library and Information Centre, University of Wales Swansea. Click here to link to the library catalogue.