A plaque to mark the nearby birthplace of the radical,eccentric and pioneering doctor William Price has finally found a home.
The green plaque was originally unveiled at a ceremony in Rudry Parish Hall in October last year but a location for it could not be found straight away.
It is 22 years since the Rudry Local History Society first mooted the idea of local recognition for Dr Price, who was born in Ty’n-y-coedcae Farm near Waterloo.
On Monday, March 5, guests gathered to watch the unveiling of the plaque, on the wall of the end house of Waterloo Terrace.
A formal ceremony was then held at Rudry Parish Hall.
Caerphilly AM Hefin David opened proceedings followed by Rudy resident Phil Lewis who welcomed the 50-strong audience.
The green plaque was funded by Ruperra Conservation Trust and Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust.
Pat Jones Jenkins, honorary secretary of the Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust, has been the driving force in securing the plaque.
Deputy leader and Cabinet Member Cllr Sean Morgan said: “The Green Plaque Scheme is run by the Museums and Heritage Service based at the Winding House Museum and it is designed to commemorate people, buildings and events which have a strong association with Caerphilly County Borough.
“I am pleased that we have been able to recognise the contribution of Dr William Price – an interesting historical figure.”
Born in 1800 at Ty’n-y-coedcae Farm,in Waterloo,GP Dr Price is best-known for his pioneering work in making cremation an entirely legal practice. He was also a Chartist, heretic, and Archdruid.
As an Archdruid he believed burying the dead polluted the earth,but his spiritual belief had a beneficial impact on public health.
On his 83rd birthday he held a druidic open air marriage with his 22-year-old housekeeper Gwenllian Llewellyn of Cilfynydd.
They had a son named Iesu Grist,the Welsh for Jesus Christ,with Price claiming the boy was the new druidic Messiah. However,Iesu Grist died aged five months in January 1884.
Price’s actions to break a social taboo and cremate the body on a hill in his new hometown of Llantrisant caused widespread notoriety in the international press.
The surgeon was tried at a Cardiff courtroom after police arrested him for what they believed was an illegal corpse disposal. His son’s body was rescued from the pyre before it was engulfed by the flames.
A local doctor performed the post-mortem and concluded the child had died of natural causes – meaning Price would stand trial for performing cremation and not for killing the child.
Price decided to conduct his own defence and argued that cremation was neither legal or illegal. The judge in the case agreed, and Price was set free with his success used as a basis to pass the Cremation Act of 1902.