Finding aid encoded by Julie Anderson July 2003 with reference to
Ness Edwards was born in Abertillery on 5th April 1897. On his 13th birthday, he began work at the Penybont Pit, and later at the age of 17, he became chairman of Arriel Griffin Lodge. He joined the George Dagger Study group at Tillery Institute and as a result joined the Abertillery Plebs League, with its beliefs of not wearing a military uniform and not fighting. He was a pacifist and against fighting in World War 1; he became a conscientious objector, with the result that he was sent to Dartmoor Prison, Wormwood Scrubs and Bridgend Slate Quarry.
After World War 1, Ness Edwards attended the Central Labour College in London with Aneurin Bevan. He took interest in people such as Marx and Trotsky although he was more concerned with people than ideologies. He became chairman of Arriel Griffin Lodge again, and in September 1927, he became fulltime Lodge Secretary at Penallta Lodge. He was active in the General Strike, being politically opposed to the colliery owners and holding demonstration meetings and arranging for the feeding of starving miners and their families. This helped him to become well thought of.
Ness Edwards became the Miners' Agent for Rhymney Valley, Aber Valley and Bedwas, and became involved in the scab union dispute at Taffly and Bedwas. He became a member of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, and in 1938 helped to evacuate miner refuges and their families from Prague.
On the 4th July 1939, Ness Edwards became MP for Caerphilly, a position he held until his death in May 1968. He became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and in 1947, became a member of the Privy Council. From 1950-1951, he was Postmaster General. He was still very much interested in trade unions, and took part in delegations to the Soviet Union and Spain, which included looking at the democratisation of the Spanish Trade Union movement. From 1966-1968, he was chairman of Parliamentary Trade Union Group of Sponsored Labour MPs, and at the time of his death, he was persuading Harold Wilson on trade union involvement in proposals on wage policy. He was also interested in the issue of pensions, and helped to set up the Welsh Grand Committee.
He died on 3rd May 1968.
Source: Rhys Edwards 'Brief History of Ness Edwards'
Material relating to Ness Edwards' time as Secretary of Penallta Lodge and other items relating to the coal industry.
Divided into 2 subfonds; Ness Edwards and Penallta Lodge, and Miscellaneous items
The collection was closed when it was deposited (1983) until 2002. Parts of the collection are still closed, please contact the repository for further information.
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A paper list is available.
GB 217 SWCC : MNA/NUM/L/63 Penallta Lodge. A description of this collection is available on the Archives Hub.
Includes Penallta Lodge minutes (1927-1937), notes from meeting on closure of Plymouth Collieries (1926), Miners Industrial Union (MIU) papers (1936), papers relating to Penallta Colliery and the case of a miners' claim for accident compensation (1935-1956), papers from Penallta Lodge including financial papers and the result of a ballot on the Owners' offer (1920), article re the arrests at Sudeten German Miners' Lodge (1938-9), South Wales Miners' Federation leaflet (SWMF) asking Bedwas Colliery workmen to join them, copies of the
Also, manuscripts of personal writings of Ness Edwards;
Vols 1-3 of