Pamela Shepherd (1836-1930), known as 'Mother Shepherd', was the founder of the Salvation Army in Aberdare. She was a pioneer figure in the Salvation Army movement, and she won renown for her efforts to reform the 'sinners' of the thriving, but unruly, industrial town of Aberdare.

It is believed that Mother Shepherd's daughter, Sally, was one of the first to introduce the tambourine to the Salvation Army movement, as a means of catching the public's attention during processions.