William 'Mabon' Abraham 1842-1922

Born Cwmavon, Port Talbot. Began work in the mines at the age of 10 and continued there until in the mid 1860s he travelled to Chile to work in the copper mines. On his return he worked briefly in the tinplate industry before resuming work in the coal mining industry.

He became closely involved in trade unionism and politics and became M.P. for the Rhondda in 1885. In 1899 he was elected as first president of the South Wales Miners’ Federation. Became known as Mabon in his early adulthood, a Bardic name, and was known as this throughout his career.

FURTHER READING:

Evans, Eric Wyn. Mabon (William Abraham, 1842-1922): a study in trade union leadership (Cardiff, 1959).

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.