Edmund Mills Hann
Edmund Mills Hann | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1850 |
| Died | 1931 |
| Occupation(s) | Industrialist, coal proprietor |
| Years active | Late 19th century–early 20th century |
| Known for | Leading coal proprietor in South Wales, local politician in Aberdare |
Edmund Mills Hann (1850–1931) stood out as a significant Welsh industrialist and a foremost coal proprietor in South Wales amid the industrial conflicts of the 1920s.
His engagement extended into local governance near Aberdare, where he was among the first members elected to the Aberdare Urban District Council when it was established in 1894.
Political career
In the 1889 contest, Hann sought election to the Glamorgan County Council as a Conservative candidate but was defeated by T.P. White, a Liberal tradesman. Following White's elevation to alderman, Hann stood in the resulting by-election but was again overcome by Liberal Thomas Davies. Given Aberaman’s strong Liberal leaning, Hann redirected his efforts toward municipal politics.
On a more local level, Hann achieved greater success. He secured the highest number of votes in the Aberaman ward for the newly created Aberdare Urban District Council in 1894 and maintained his position for over ten years. In 1896, he was appointed High-Constable of Aberdare and became the inaugural president of Aberdare General Hospital.
Business career
Hann commenced his mining profession through an apprenticeship in County Durham and gained election to the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers in 1868, then operating at Hetton Colliery, Fencehouses. His relocation to South Wales was supported by Sir George Elliot, 1st Baronet.
He played a prominent role in South Wales mining circles, joining the South Wales Institute of Engineers in 1878, presiding over it between 1903 and 1905, and earning its Gold Medal in 1908 for his paper A Recent plant for the Utilisation of Small Coal, marking only the second time this honor was bestowed. Additionally, Hann was affiliated with the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Hann held influential directorships at Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co, Rhymney Iron Company, and Taff Merthyr Steam Coal Company. By 1896, he had become general manager of Powell Duffryn Colliery Company and ascended to director status in 1916. In 1914, he assumed chairmanship of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coalowners Association.
Under his leadership, Powell Duffryn's collieries in Aberdare experienced considerable growth. The Aberdare Leader commemorated his 35 years with the firm, emphasizing its evolution into one of South Wales’ leading coal enterprises.
As a major coal proprietor, Hann was regularly engaged in industrial disputes covered by regional press, including prominent conflicts during 1910.
Personal life
According to Welsh heritage records, Hann’s family roots trace back to County Durham, with his mother Caroline hailing from Sunderland, County Durham and his father serving as a Cashier Colliery Agent from Wallsend, Newcastle, Northumberland.
Documentation from the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers reveals Hann’s residential history beginning at "Lofthouse" in Loftus, North Yorkshire (1872), then moving to Brotton near Saltburn-by-the-Sea (1873–1876), followed by Glanmoor Villa, Uplands, Swansea (1877). By 1912 he resided at The Oaklands, Aberaman, Aberdare, later relocating between 1923 and 1928 to The Rise, Llanishen, Cardiff.
Hann wed Mary Ann from Crook, County Durham, and together they had five sons and one daughter. Their children William Reginald M. and Florence were born during their time in Brotton. Several sons pursued careers within South Wales' mining sector. Notably, Frank Percival Hann and Douglas Alfred were born in Aberdare and attended Haileybury College, subsequently becoming mining engineers based in Aberaman. Frank Percival served as colliery manager and joined The South Wales Institute of Engineers in 1905. Edmund L. Hann—presumably Edmund Lawrence Hann—was also a member residing in Aberdare by 1902.
Another son, George G. Hann, entered the coal industry and gained election to the institute in 1898 but predeceased his father in 1918. Several sons shared directorial roles alongside Edmund Mills Hann; for instance, in 1928 both E. L. Hann and E. M. Hann were directors of Rhymney Iron Co., while D. A. Hann held the position of general manager.