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Trail Point 4

Saints of the Slums

Uncover the lives of those who shaped Greenhill’s history—individuals whose courage, compassion, and resilience brought light to the community during its most challenging moments.

William & Ivor Bromham: Father and Son Pillars of Compassion

From approximately 1905 to 1985, William and Ivor Bromham, a father-and-son duo, stood as steadfast beacons for Greenhill’s most vulnerable. William began his mission at the turn of the 20th century, working through local mission halls and churches at a time when the area—often referred to as “the slums”—was struggling with overcrowding, deep poverty, poor sanitation, and regular outbreaks of illness.

Without fanfare or institutional backing, William set up soup kitchens, distributed food and clothing parcels, offered emergency shelter, and opened his own home to families in need. He was known for quietly walking the streets after dark, checking on elderly residents, and even feeding pets abandoned during evictions. His work was compassionate, non-judgemental, and rooted in faith and service.

His son Ivor Bromham continued this legacy into the mid-20th century, especially during the hardship years of the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war economic decline of Swansea. Ivor expanded the work, adapting it to urban changes and growing social need.

Together, William and Ivor Bromham:

  • operated daily soup kitchens during the 1930s–1950s, feeding hundreds each week.
  • organised clothing drives—particularly for children—during winter months.
  • provided shelter for people displaced by illness, flooding, or eviction.
  • gave spiritual and emotional care to the sick, the addicted, the bereaved.
  • mobilised youth and church groups into long-term volunteer action.

They were lovingly called the “Saints of the Slums” by locals, not for holding titles or office, but for their tireless, ground-level impact. Their work became a foundation for many of Swansea’s modern social care practices.

Image: South Wales Evening Post Article – June 9 1993 p17

Father Charles Kavanagh: Pastoral Guardian in a Time of Plague

Nearly 60 years earlier, in the cholera epidemic of 1849, another spiritual hero emerged: Father Charles Kavanagh, a Catholic priest newly arrived from Newport. He ministered in one of Swansea’s most vulnerable areas—Greenhill, sometimes called “Little Ireland” due to its high population of Irish immigrants.

According to Jill Forwood’s article in the Evening Post (1991), Kavanagh personally nursed cholera victims, administered last rites, and washed and prepared the dead for burial. Alongside Dr William Harris Long, he helped bury over 170 victims of the outbreak in a mass grave now believed to be located behind Matthew’s House.

Forwood, Jill., ‘Two Heroes in the Face of Death’, Evening Post, 5 December 1991

Article detailing how cholera hit Swansea in 1849 and how densely populated and impoverished Greenhill was adversely affected. A mass cholera burial site is located to the rear of Matthew’s House. The article highlights another significant figure of the Greenhill area; Father Kavanagh, who nursed and buried 170 victims of the outbreak.

“The upper part of Swansea was the worst and of this, the Hafod and Greenhill area – Little Ireland as it was known – was the poorest and most vulnerable…”

“A contemporary noted that he [Father Kavanagh] worked day and night, washing the victims, combing their hair, making their beds and in the end, laying them out in their coffins.”

His legacy was one of dignity in death and comfort in suffering. He showed how faith leaders, even with few resources, could become pillars of public health and compassion

Image: Jill Forwood’s article in the Evening Post (1991)

A Ripple Effect Across Time

The collective efforts of the Bromhams and Father Kavanagh helped reshape Greenhill’s social conscience and community care infrastructure.

  • They strengthened community resilience, offering informal care decades before social welfare systems were introduced.
  • They served without prejudice, helping immigrants, addicts, widows, the homeless, and the unemployed alike.
  • They established multi-generational care, with Ivor extending William’s legacy into the 1980s—helping during post-industrial Swansea’s decline.

Matthew’s House: Continuing the Legacy

Today, Matthew’s House stands on the same site, carrying forward a 150-year legacy of radical hospitality. Through its:

  • Pay-as-you-feel café
  • Shower and laundry services
  • Dignity packs
  • One-to-one advocacy
  • Volunteer-powered community choir

…it honours the values lived out by the saints of Greenhill’s past. These stories remind us that true legacy is not in titles, but in care that echoes across generations.

Why Their Story Matters

  • Shifting the lens of heritage: These figures bring  moral depth to a place often described only by its deprivation.
  • Bridging past and present: Their practical compassion set the standard for grassroots support in Swansea.
  • Inspiring participation: By learning their stories, today’s visitors are invited to become changemakers in their own way.

Watkins, Conrad. Crusaders, Cholera, Copper and Frankenstein – The Hidden History of St. Matthew’s Church. Gower Journal, Vol. 70 2019, pp. 15–23. 1

Watkins, Conrad. Crusaders, Cholera, Copper and Frankenstein – The Hidden History of St. Matthew’s Church. Gower Journal, Vol. 70 2019, pp. 15–23.

Sources & Further Reading

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