Frank Treharne-James was a solicitor and public figure with a keen involvement in public affairs in Merthyr Tydfil. Among many of his public roles, he served as a clerk to the Board of Guardians in Merthyr Tydfil for over 40 years and was one of the key figures responsible for establishing a museum and art gallery at Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil. Joseph Edwards was a sculptor from Merthyr Tydfil. His father was a stone cutter and Joseph began carving ornamental work on gravestones as a boy. He entered the Royal Academy in 1837, where he exhibited 69 works between 1878 and 1879. He twice won a silver medal from the Academy for 'best model from the antique'.