Kristnalal Datta

Krishtnalal Datta

Ferndale, Wales

Kristnalal Datta was born in Bengal, India in 1865. He migrated to Glasgow, although the date of his arrival is unknown. In 1888 he received his Bachelor of Medicine and Master of Surgery from the University of Glasgow. From late 1899 to early 1900, Dr Datta worked as an assistant to Dr T. Hall in Rhymney, Caerphilly, south Wales. Dr Datta stated that he had arrived in Rhymney as a stranger and left having made close friends; upon leaving he was thanked with an address which was well attended and was gifted a gold watch, a gold medal and a silver walking stick.

The nineteenth century saw a significant expansion of the coal industry in Wales, and as the population of the Rhondda grew, doctors were needed to deliver healthcare to those working in the collieries. In 1900 Datta began his work as Chief Medical Officer of Ferndale Workmen's Hospital. In an article for the Rhondda Leader, a journalist reported that there was a positive reaction to Dr Datta’s employment from the local community. Datta worked with an assistant named Dr Scott, as well as nurses who were locally employed.

Datta worked to improve the healthcare of those in his community as well as their overall quality of life. He was an outspoken social reformer who gave lectures on topics such as the economic conditions of miners, famines in India, housing conditions, unions and sanitation. Whilst living in Ferndale, he was regularly featured in local newspapers. A lecture that received repeated coverage, titled ‘The Economic Condition of the Collier’s Life’, was first delivered in 1903. This lecture had a positive reception, with the local newspaper, the Aberdare Leader, stating that Dr Datta was ‘well qualified to speak on the subject’.

In 1905 Datta spoke on a similar subject for the Society for the Attainment of General Knowledge. His lecture was titled ‘Unionism, Housing and Sanitation’, and he strongly criticized government policies that resulted in a poorer quality of life for local people. For example, he highlighted the effects of the Boer War on the living conditions of ordinary Britons, poor-quality housing and the high price of gas. He introduced ideas such as the opening of cooperative coal mines and supporting young men who wanted to attend university.

At times Datta was criticized for his opinions, such as in 1905 when he was accused of being too utopian. In an article published by the Aberdare Leader in response to his lecture ‘Unionism, Housing and Sanitation’, the journalist suggested that whilst Dr Datta was a ‘genuine reformer’, his proposals were rash and lacking in specificity, such as the opening of cooperative coal mines, which the journalist argued would be practically difficult to execute. In a letter to the newspaper’s editor following the publication of the article, a local named J. Harry Evans stated that Dr Datta’s supposedly ‘rash’ ideas would improve the lives of working-class people and future generations.

Datta was also involved in local politics. In 1902 he chaired a public meeting for the Labour Party and the following year he spoke in favour of better housing accommodation at a public meeting, where a resolution was passed that protested the Rhondda Council for their inactivity in housing working-class people. In 1905 Datta chaired a question-and-answer session following an address titled ‘The Independent Labour Party in Parliament’.

Dr Datta was an integral member of the Ferndale community and was committed to both the medical and political well-being of local people. He lived in Ferndale until his death in 1928, aged 63.