The Secret Ballot

The Secret Ballot

The secret ballot is something I think we all take for granted nowadays, whatever our political leanings or even if we feel that “whoever we vote for the government gets in”. However, we don’t have to go very far back in time when the secret ballot was but a dream in some people’s vision for a more democratic future.

Troad Allan (Lock out).

This Unitarian chapel became famous in 1876 as the congregation were locked out of the chapel and the graveyard for three years. The landlord, John Lloyd, Alltrodyn was a Tory and he felt that the minister  Gwilym Marles Thomas, who incidentally was Dylan Thomas’ uncle, was formenting rebellian and encouraging his followers to vote against the Conservative landowners. The minister continued to preach outdoors, with his back to the locked and chained chapel, to a congregation of up to 3,000 people. There was national interest in the scandalous “troad allan” and a fundraising campaign saw a new chapel opened. Eventually, after the death of the landlord, this chapel was also returned to the congregation by his sister.

A Slate in Time.

I read the interesting history of this chapel, where incidentally Frank Lloyd wright’s family worshipped, in the local paper. There is an appeal to sponsor a replacement slate for the roof. The slate can be sponsored in your own name, a relative or remembered loved one. A register of all the sponsors will be kept in the renovated chapel. The hope is to complete the work by 2016 which is 140 years since the chapel became famous. It feels like a lovely way to say thank you to those brave people who voted according to their conscience risking hardship and the displeasure of powerful people before the days of the secret ballot.

For more information visit www.welshchapels.org and to donate £10 per slate click here.