Wynford Davies. National Library of Wales journal, Vol XXIII/1, Summer 1983.

Extracted onto the pages of GENUKI with the kind permission of the National Library of Wales

This is a complete extract of this article [Gareth Hicks August 2003].

ONE evening early in March, 1890, a public meeting was held at Narberth Board School. The chair was occupied by Mr. R. Ward, J.P. of Sodstone, the local County Councillor, and a number of gentlemen prominent in public life were present, including the Rev. Sirhowy Jones, an independent minister, the Rev. Ben Thomas, a Baptist minister, the Rev. A. N. F. Keogh, Rector of Ludchurch, Mr. R. H. Buckley, J.P., Chairman of the Board of Guardians, Dr. H. P. Price, and Mr. R. G. Lewis of Llawhaden. All spoke in favour of a motion which was carried unanimously, viz.,

That this meeting of the inhabitants of the town and district of Narberth rejoice in the recent legislation on the intermediate question and respectfully calls the attention of the Pembrokeshire Joint Committee to the facilities offered by the town of Narberth as the centre of a large, influential and important district, for the establishment of one of the county intermediate schools. 1

The 'recent legislation' referred to in this resolution was the Welsh Intermediate Education Act of 1889 and it was not without significance for Narberth that the Chairman of the Joint Education Committee was the Rev. Lewis James of Brynbank, Lampeter Velfrey. When the foundation stone of the Narberth County Intermediate School was laid in September, 1895, the Rev. Lewis James presided, and pointed out that the new school would give instruction in English, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Classics, Elementary Science, and Scripture, and that it would be largely technical in character and would give prominence to agricultural education. Mr. Ward, one of the school's earliest benefactors, underlined the need for something more than elementary education so that the country could compete more effectively in dairy aid agricultural production as well as in heavy industry against the competing nations of Western Europe and America. 2   Underlying the establishment of the new Intermediate schools was, indeed, something more than a belated attempt to provide improved educational opportunity for middle-class children; there was also involved a deliberate strategy to offset increasing foreign competition in industry and commerce. Not that the new schools were ventured upon without long and painstaking discussion and thought. In planning and development they raised issues which exercised the Victorians in their day no less than many of precisely the same issues remain a matter of debate in ours.

Let us turn for a moment to some of these background questions. For example, what should secondary schools teach? For whom should they be provided? Which would be preferable, a relatively small number of large schools or a large number of small schools? Until the middle of the nineteenth century both the major English public schools and the endowed day and boarding grammar schools in England and Wales had confined their teaching essentially to the classics and mathematics. A boy at Haverfordwest Grammar School a little over a century ago would have spent an ..............

 ............................ hour on Monday morning on Scripture and the remainder of the morning and every other morning of the week on Latin and Greek grammar and composition, and every afternoon on Arithmetic and Mathematics. Lessons in History, Geography, possibly French, a little theoretical Science, and English would be fitted in at odd moments. This traditional classical education reached its perfection in the great schools of England, Eton, Winchester, Harrow, Rugby, Westminster, Charterhouse, St. Paul's, Merchant Taylor's, and Shrewsbury, and in the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge. These institutions provided the educational background of the country's rulers in the nineteenth century but that background contrasted markedly with the vast social and economic changes which had taken place in Britain between 1750 and 1850, as exemplified, for instance, in the Great Exhibition of 1851 and Britain's pre-eminent position as the workshop of the world. In the high noon of laissez-faire Britain the country's rulers felt no inclination to interfere unduly in industrial affairs. Time was to show, nevertheless, that the circumstances were largely fortuitous. If, for example, Britain in 1879 produced more steel than Germany, France, and Belgium combined, in 1886 American and in 1893 German steel production surpassed British. The increasing severity of international competition was, indeed, well understood when the foundation stone of Narberth Intermediate School was laid in 1895.

The Victorians knew, of course, that Germany, the U.S.A., France, and Switzerland had vastly superior facilities for secondary and technical education. It was because of the contrast between the traditional classical education of English schools and the country's need to compete effectively in science, technology, and commerce, all over the world, that they set afoot two major enquiries into the management and curriculum first of the great public schools and then of every endowed grammar school in England and Wales. The Clarendon Report in 1864 and the Taunton Report in 1868 urged the need to adapt the curriculum of the schools to the needs of the day and spelt out in detail the range of subjects equivalent in all respects to that which in the twentieth century became the normal curriculum of grammar schools. Special emphasis was laid on the inclusion of modern languages, practical Mathematics, science and drawing, and there was an explicit statement:

Nor would it be wise in a country whose continued prosperity so greatly depends on its ability to maintain its pre-eminence in manufactures, to neglect the application of natural science to the industrial arts or overlook the importance of promoting the study of it, even in a special way, among its artisans. 3

There was no intention to jettison the existing classical curriculum. There was no intention that all the new subjects recommended in 1864 and 1868 should be included in the curriculum of all secondary schools. For there was a social class dimension in the recommendations. Society was seen as structured in three tiers, aristocracy, middle class, and what the Victorians termed the 'labouring classes'. In England, the middle class was sub-divided into upper middle, and lower echelons, ...............

.......................... reflected in the first, second, and third class compartments on passenger trains. The upper middle class, wealthy through possession of land or success in trade and industry, could afford to send their sons to a major public school. The middle echelon of the middle class, landed gentry, professional and business people, might opt for either the classical education of the major public schools or an education geared more to the requirements of business or specific professions, and the latter might involve leaving school at about 16 and might also be available in the 'modern sides' of public schools of nineteenth century foundation such as Cheltenham, Marlborough, or Clifton. The lower middle class, clerks and artisans or small tenant farmers, for example, might not be able to maintain their sons in school beyond the age of 14 but nevertheless wished for something more than the education provided at the Elementary school. The Victorians therefore thought of secondary schools in three grades, related to the aspirations of parents for their children and their ability to pay tuition and boarding fees for fulltime education to age 18/19 in schools of the first grade, or to age 16/17 in schools of the second grade, or to age 14 in schools of the third grade. And curriculum was directly related to the grade of school. Despite the recommendations that the major public schools should include some modern subjects in their curriculum, they remained essentially classical schools and it was only in these schools and other schools of the same character which provided an education to age 18/19 that it was thought that Greek could be included in the curriculum. It was maintained that only by staying in school until age 18/19 could a boy derive benefit from the study of a full classical course. Latin could be included in schools of the second grade together with a number of other subjects which it was thought could be beneficially studied up to the age of 16 and could form a foundation either for entry to the world of work or further study at an appropriate institution of higher education. In schools of the third grade, what was required according to one Victorian clergyman was 'very good reading, very good writing, and very good Arithmetic', but to these were added History, Geography Elementary Mathematics, Nature Study, and the rudiments of either Latin or a modern foreign language, Religious Instruction and Games.

Welsh society at the end of the nineteenth century was not as rigidly class-ridden as English society; there was certainly not the wealth in Wales to sustain a prosperous middle class. There was nevertheless some consciousness of social class and in their visits to every part of Wales in the autumn of 1880 the members of the Aberdare Committee strove to persuade the witnesses who appeared before them to accept the English criteria for the division of secondary schools into three grades. The committee doubted whether Wales could sustain more than six schools of the first grade and they thought that a few large schools with hostel provision would be preferable to a proliferation of small schools over the Principality. In consideraing the needs of Wales in Higher Education the committee was at pains to discuss with witnesses whether any new colleges should in effect be little more than tertiary colleges, taking their students from the proposed Intermediate schools at 16 for courses ending at age 20 with a minority of students with University aspirations passing on to ................

....................... Oxford and Cambridge. This would mean that only from the proposed six schools of the first grade could boys proceed directly from school to university. It also meant that for schools of the second grade there could be no development of a Sixth Form.   4

It was against this background that the new Intermediate School at Narberth, like all other Welsh Intermediate schools, developed during the first quarter of the twentieth century. The school opened in temporary premises on  15 January, 1895, two days before the Intermediate School at Fishguard. Permanent buildings followed fairly quickly at Narberth and were opened in June, 1896. The school was visited by Owen Edwards, Chief Inspector, on 20 June, 1910, and he described the school and its surrounds in terms which could apply to this day:

A good stone building on a hillock halfway between the station and the town, commanding very fine views of hills and valleys. The school buildings have been completed by the addition of a kitchen and a Manual Work Room ... there is a really fine playground, with a good cricket pitch. A neighbouring field also belongs to the school; it is not very level, but football can be played in it ...   5

The Pembrokeshire Scheme under the Welsh Intermediate Education Act was approved by the Queen in Council on 30 April, 1894. It divided the county into eight secondary school districts based on the parishes of the Poor Law Unions. Of the eight districts, that of Pembroke Dock, at this time the centre of a flourishing Royal Naval Dockyard, was the largest with a population of 23,000. The next district in size was Narberth, based on all the Pembrokeshire parishes of the Narberth Union excepting the parish of East Williamston and the southern part of the parish of St Issells, and with a total population of. 12,000. The Cardigan district had a population of 10,000; Milford and Tenby, a population of 8,000 each, and Fishguard and St. David's, 6,000 each. These population figures were highly significant for the future development of the schools for they determined the level of grants paid by the county authority, the County Governing Body until 1904 and the County Education Authority thereafter, under the provisions of the Pembrokeshire Scheme.

Thus, of the grants available, Pembroke Dock received 31.43%, Narberth 16.43%, Cardigan 13.69%, Tenby and Milford 10.95%, and Fishguard and St. David's 8.21%. This arrangement placed Narberth in an advantageous financial position as compared with other Pembrokeshire schools of similar pupil numbers, but there was considerable poverty in the area which may well have justified some exceptional treatment.   6  The district was undoubtedly fortunate that it had influential representatives in the corridors of power at Haverfordwest in the persons of the Rev. Lewis James, Chairman of the Joint Education Committee and of the County Governing Body until 1904, and Alderman W. Palmer Morgan in the years following.

At no time was Narberth one of the large schools recommended by the Aberdare Committee. Under the Scheme it was intended in the first instance to provide for 8o pupils (50 boys and 30 girls). It began in 1895 with a roll of 41 pupils (28 boys ...................

.......................... and 13 girls). In the following year the roll went up to 50, but for the next ten years varied between 35 and 70. A roll of 85 was recorded in 1907 (38 boys and 47 girls) with a progression to 122 (57 boys and 65 girls) in 1910. There was then a decline to below the hundred mark in most years until 1920 when numbers increased steadily to reach 130 in 1924. Numbers at neighbouring Intermediate schools were not dissimilar. There had been some talk in the early 1890's of establishing a joint school to serve Whitland and Narberth akin to the joint schools at Cardigan and at Llandysul. Neither Narberth nor Whitland was, however, disposed to give precedence to the other, so that at Whitland also, only a few miles from Narberth, another small Intermediate school was established.

Nothing came, either, of the Aberdare Committee's idea that hostels might be provided for children who could not conveniently travel to school daily. Instead, it was typical of rural Intermediate schools that a large proportion of their pupils stayed in lodgings, between a quarter and a third at Narberth. It was notable at Narberth that many of the pupils in lodgings were Welsh-speaking children from the area north of the landsker, whereas most of the pupils in the school, some three-quarters of them, were English-speaking pupils from the town and the area south of the language line. One old pupil, at the school in the early 1900's, thought that he and his fellow Welsh-speaking contemporaries were 'second-class Citizens' at Narberth. Another old pupil referred to the school as 'an alien environment' for Welsh-speaking children; town children, he said, looked coldly on the Welsh, and even some teachers derided their Welshness. 7

Most pupils attending the Intermediate schools had to pay tuition fees but Narberth charged the lowest fees in Pembrokeshire, £3. 6. 0 (including stationery, but £1. 11. 6 extra for Music), increased to £4. 10. 0 in 1922. This compared with a fee of £6. 0. 0 at Tenby, lowered to £4. 6. 0 between 1914 and 1920, but raised again to £6. 0. 0 after 1920. More typical was the tuition fee at Fishguard, £4. 7. 6 in the early years and increased to £4. 10. 0 in 1911. In common with Narberth, the school at Whitland also charged low fees, £3. 0. 0 between 1895 and 1905 and £4. 0. 0 thereafter.

That Narberth could charge such low tuition fees stemmed partly from its favourable grant position and this had other beneficial effects on the school. In most rural Intermediate schools the salaries of assistant teachers were so low that there were inevitably frequent staff changes as teachers left to improve their lot. But at Narberth assistant teachers were better paid than at any other Intermediate School in the county apart from that at Pembroke Dock. The following comparisons will illustrate the point. In 1896, the two assistant teachers at Narberth were paid respectively £120 and £100; at Fishguard the salaries were £85 and £80. In 1910, five assistant teachers at Narberth were paid respectively £160, £130, £120, £130 and £120. In the same year salaries of three assistants at Fishguard were respectively £120, £110, and £85, and at Tenby £155, £110, £100, and £85. In 1923, salaries of assistant teachers at Narberth ranged from £460 to £310, at Fishguard from £320 to £260. and at Tenby from £420 to £255. The result of this was that despite .............

................. some staff changes from time to time Narberth had a relatively stable body of assistant teachers. This was true also of the Intermediate School at Pembroke Dock which could equally well pay reasonable salaries. At Narberth, as at Pembroke Dock, the school was served by well qualified and able teachers. The Central Welsh Board Annual Inspection Report of 1903 said:

Good discipline, and regular, orderly work were observable; throughout the school, the pupils seemed to be very attentive and anxious to learn: and Head Master and staff were much in earnest. The staff of teachers is thoroughly efficient; they are masters of their subjects, and as zealous in teaching as in maintaining discipline. Excellent work was being done under careful supervision in Geometry, Algebra, Arithmetic and Chemistry: with judicious intermixture of collective and individual work and constant use of the blackboard. Great care was being taken with the pronunciation of French, in which conversational methods are employed.

It is evident from this report that the school was well-staffed on the Arts and Science sides. The Science teacher at Narberth was also the Senior Master. One of these was Abel J. Jones. He was on the staff for a comparatively short period in 1904-05, but his Headmaster made a tremendous impression on him. Later in his career Abel J. Jones became a member of the Welsh Inspectorate and it is to him that we owe a biography of John Morgan, first Headmaster of Narberth Intermediate School. T. R. Francis followed Abel J. Jones as Science master and, apart from his war service, stayed at the school and succeeded John Morgan as Headmaster in 1924.

The curriculum of the school was, of course, based on that laid down in the County Scheme which stemmed from Clause 17 of the Welsh Intermediate Act, 1889, and included in addition to Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, Geography, History, English, Drawing, Mathematics, Latin, French, Science, Vocal Music, Drill, Domestic Subjects for girls, and Manual Instruction for boys, although not all these subjects could be provided immediately, or taught equally efficiently, because of difficulties of staffing and accommodation. There is only one reference in the records of the school to a pupil taking Greek as a subject and this at the sub Junior level in 1900. Indeed, the only school in Pembrokeshire to include Greek on the regular time-table was Haverfordwest Grammar School and even there it was taken by only a minority of the boys. Narberth had a Science course which included Chemistry to Senior Certificate level and Physics to junior Certificate. Welsh was not an obligatory subject under the County Scheme and was taught at Narberth only in Form 1. When the Welsh Department of the Board of Education queried this in 1911, the Clerk of the Governors wrote:

In regard to the teaching of Welsh in this school ... I beg to state that the Headmaster sometime ago conferred with the Governors in the matter and they considered that as the great majority of the scholars are from the English speaking part of the District there was no occasion for introducing the language of Welsh as a subject to be taught in the school to Forms above Form I, which would practically mean the exclusion of the subjects of Latin and French.   8

The first Central Welsh Board Report on the school in 1897 said that a majority of the pupils were children of farmers and tradesmen, that is, children of that middle class for which the school had originally been intended. But as the years went by and as the number of scholarships tenable at the school increased there was an appreciable increase in the number of children of working class parents. But parents of both classes took time to realise that a secondary education was not to be gained in one year or even two. It was, indeed, for many years characteristic of the school at Narberth as of many other Intermediate schools particularly in rural areas that, as B. B. Skirrow, H.M.I., said in 1903:

Pupils do not as a rule enter school early enough or stay long enough. 9

The Central Welsh Board Report for 1898 said:

The School is greatly hampered by the early withdrawal of the pupils. There were 45 pupils on the School Roll in July, 1897; between that Term and April of the present year, there were as many as 29 withdrawals. Under these circumstances, it is a wonder that the School is able to do such good work.

As late as 1922 the Welsh Department of the Board of Education pointed out to the Governors that during the school year 1920-21 no fewer than 70.2% of the pupils had left under the age of sixteen years and that if there was no improvement there was a danger that the school might lose its entitlement to grant under the Regulations for Secondary Schools. 10  But, as W. J. Williams, H.M.I., commented, the school provided the only avenue in what he described as 'a poor and badly organised (as regarded travelling facilities) neighbourhood for education after 14 and the Governors were inclined to be benevolent towards parents who wished to send their children to the Intermediate school for some further education'. The reason for early withdrawal was undoubtedly poverty, but parents showed that they were prepared to suffer real sacrifice if a son or daughter did well at school. 11

In the circumstances it is understandable that the school should have been eager to ensure that pupils should not leave without some evidence of Intermediate education. This accounts in part at least for the emphasis on examination results and certificates which earned the strictures of Owen Edwards, the Chief Inspector, when he referred to 'a crowded time-table of examination subjects' and 'a keen and unwholesome rivalry between Narberth and Whitland, and to some extent between Narberth and Tenby, for Examination results'. 12  It may account, too, for the fact that in its first thirty years the school did not normally teach beyond London or Welsh Matriculation or the Senior Certificate of the Central Welsh Board. During John Morgan's headship only four pupils gained Honours Certificates, Kathleen Baylis and May Anna Edwards in 1901-02, Thomas Benjamin Wheeler in 1904-05, and Waldo Williams in 1923. But between 1895 and 1923 no fewer than 221 Junior Certificates and 195 Senior Certificates were gained. A number of pupils proceeded after Senior Certificate stage to one of the University Colleges and sometimes thereafter to Oxford or Cambridge and other universities. In this as in other respects............

........... Narberth was a school of the second grade as envisaged by the late Victorians; the school was, indeed, an amalgam of schools of second and third grade. Despite its difficulties and shortcomings, the school raised some notable pupils. To mention but four of them, Thomas Benjamin Wheeler obtained the Honours Certificate with distinction in English and French, graduated with first class Honours in both these languages, became a Fellow of the University of Wales, and eventually Chief Education Officer for the County of Middlesex; Roger Thomas left school for Aberystwyth, gained a first class honours degree in Botany, and went on to a career of distinction as an agricultural adviser in India and Mesopotamia, becoming a member of the cabinet of the government of Sind in 1944 and a Knight in 1947; William Thomas took his Senior Certificate in 1908, went on to Aberystwyth to take a first class honours degree in Chemistry and, after war service, doctorates of three universities, eventually becoming Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales; Waldo Williams, a pupil at Narberth in John Morgan's last years as Headmaster, distinguished himself at school and college and became one of Wales' best loved modern poets.

No survey of the early years of Narberth Intermediate School could possibly omit reference to John Morgan, M.A. (Cantab.), described on his tombstone in Narberth churchyard as 'A Man beloved, a Man Elect of Men'. He was born in 1862, the youngest child of a large family, all of whom except himself died young. He lost both father and mother when still a baby and he was brought up by two aunts on the Carmarthenshire / Pembrokeshire border. He was educated at private schools in Narberth and St. Clears before proceeding to the Presbyterian College at Carmarthen where it was intended he should prepare himself for the Congregational ministry. His health was never good and a soaking in a rainstorm during his Presbyterian College days resulted in a chronically weak chest. Later in life he was to suffer from phlebitis and painful abcesses and towards the end of his life he used to tutor some of his pupils from his sick-bed. From Carmarthen he went to Cambridge as a non-collegiate student and there, despite his poor health, he graduated in Honours in Theology. In 1888, at the age of twenty-six and after a short stay in Australia where he had his first experience of teaching, he opened a private grammar school in Narberth. This school was attended by about thirty boys from a wide area around and John Morgan taught every subject in the curriculum except Physics, for which he said there was no demand. He was appointed Headmaster of the Narberth Intermediate School in 1895. When his biographer knew him, some ten years later, he was a tall, dignified man with piercing eyes and a prominent Adam's apple, bearing on his features the ravages of the ill-health which affected him throughout his life.

H.M. Inspectors who visited the school did not quite know what to make of John Morgan. One of them thought that an excellent and well-paid staff made up for a relatively weak Head. The same Inspector thought that there was very little corporate life in the school, that little was done for pupils in lodgings, and was critical that there was no provision for a school dinner or for the comfort of pupils who brought sandwiches.  13

There was undoubtedly force in these criticisms of a lack of concern for the pastoral welfare of his pupils, but John Morgan had redeeming qualities. He said quite frankly that he had no gift for organisation or school discipline. He left these matters to his Senior Master. As far as class control was concerned, John Morgan was manifestly a Christian thrown to the lions. He never understood that children could often be a good deal less than angelic and that to counter their stratagems he must, as Abel Jones suggested to him, have some part of the devil in himself, too. But he was a man completely innocent of guile, engrossed in his own scholarly interests. It never occurred to him that some of the pupils who tormented him quite mercilessly might not have the same interests. His classes, especially in the middle school, were shouting matches between teacher and pupils.

Yet, he left an enduring impression on generations of Narberth boys and girls. He was a scholar, steeped in Biblical knowledge, in English Literature, and in History. It was said that he knew the New Testament word for word in English and in Greek. He had a scholarly knowledge of Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, and of the nineteenth century novelists, especially Walter Scott. His lessons in English and History appear to have been an unco-ordinated but vivid series of dramatised episodes. He was fond of striking poses and asking his pupils, 'Who am I?', so that they almost came to believe that John Morgan himself had 'hurried to the coffee house to read the essays of Steele and Addison when they first appeared, and had with Johnson and Boswell taken his ease at his inn'. He was obviously at his best with his more advanced pupils and he was most generous in remedying out of his own pocket the woeful inadequacies of the school library. Despite his weakness as a disciplinarian, John Morgan was a much loved teacher and a legend in his own lifetime. In retrospect his pupils remembered not only the tricks they had played upon him. They remembered, too, the range of his intellectual interests and his seemingly inexhaustible knowledge of language, literature, and history. 14

In conclusion, let it be said that despite all the difficulties the Intermediate School at Narberth encountered, it did provide that general education enjoined in Clause 17 of the Welsh Intermediate Education Act, 1889, and set forth in the Pembrokeshire Scheme. But public opinion during its first thirty years and later doubted whether the school fulfilled that aim of providing a means of technical education which had been one of the declared objectives of the Act of 1889 and of the school's founders. Not that the Victorians themselves were entirely clear on what they meant by 'technical education'. T. H. Huxley, in an address he gave in 1877, described technical education as 'simply a good education, with more attention to physical science, to drawing, and to modern languages than is common, and there is nothing specially technical about it'. He added, 'The workshop is the only real school for a handicraft'. 15   If Huxley's definition of technical education is acceptable, then it can be fairly said that the Intermediate schools went a long way towards meeting it. The Act of 1889 attempted to define technical education by drawing a distinction between the teaching of the scientific principles underlying the practice of any trade or industry or employment and the practice itself. Schools were to ...............

.................. teach the principles, not the practice. So that in the Intermediate Schools technical education in effect came to mean the teaching of the sciences and some training of hand and eye through Drawing and Manual Instruction for boys and Domestic Subjects for girls.

The founding fathers of Narberth in 1895 had spoken of agriculture as a special feature of the new school, and after some time an attempt was made at Narberth as at some other Intermediate schools to include agriculture as a subject in the curriculum, but very few schools had much success in this direction. Apart from an innate conservatism in the farming community and a conviction that theory could contribute little to traditional methods, undoubtedly teachers with a mainly bookish or academic background would tend to regard instruction in practical subjects as peripheral to the main purpose of the Intermediate school. Indeed, the first Secondary School Regulations of the Board of Education issued in 1904 emphasised the general and academic nature of the secondary education the Board wished to see develop. Although the regulations recognised that in the teaching of science there must be practical experiment as well as theory, in other aspects of the course there was an insistence on academic study for its own sake. The regulations stated, for example, that 'Where two languages other than English are taken, and Latin is not one of them, the Board will require to be satisfied that the omission of Latin is for the advantage of the school'. A regulation of this kind would, of course, be reinforced by other demands on the Intermediate schools such as the requirements for University Matriculation. The schools were always short of money and adherence to the regulations of the Board of Education was a main source of essential grants. Local resources, too, were not immediately forthcoming to provide the necessary practical accommodation or teaching for the schools. Woodwork was not taught at Narberth until 1903 when the services of a local carpenter were secured. The school could not be held responsible, either, for the fact that in 1905 the girls were taught Cookery only at five-weekly intervals as the County Cookery Instructress had other schools to see to in addition to Narberth. Matters improved with the passing of the years. From 1908 Narberth had better practical accommodation for boys and girls but even then there was a marked tendency to confine the teaching of practical subjects to odd times and to the lower forms of the school.

It has been overlooked, nevertheless, that in another respect the Intermediate schools did make a distinct contribution to the early development of technical education in rural Wales. Under the Technical Instruction Act of 1889 the county of Pembroke in common with the other rural counties of Wales organised lectures and demonstrations in the principles of agriculture and dairy work at a number of centres, and in addition grant-aided evening classes in vocational subjects. In the early years the organisation of these classes was left to the local county councillor, other volunteers, or the local School Board, and agricultural instruction particularly was in the hands of a peripatetic lecturer from the University College at Aberystwyth. But the arrangements were not entirely satisfactory until the new Intermediate schools became well established and could provide not only recognised local centres ...............

.................... for evening classes but also the professional and administrative services of Heads of schools and Clerks to Governing Bodies which had previously been lacking. Thus we find John Morgan reporting, 'during the year 1903-04 evening and Saturday classes were conducted for outsiders by the Science Master, in theoretical and practical Chemistry, advanced and elementary Botany, Sound, Light, and Heat'. 16  It was in the development of embryonic Evening Institutes of this kind that Narberth and other Intermediate Schools succeeded in making a most important contribution to technical and vocational education in the countryside for many years to come.

WYNFORD DAVIES

Haverfordwest

This account of Narberth Intermediate School during its first thirty years or so is based in the main on the file relating to the school in the Public Record office, London, ED35/3397, and on the annual reports of the Central Welsh Board entitled Inspection and Examination of County Schools, dating from 1897. The latter may be consulted at the National Library. Statistical and other relevant details have been taken from these reports. Specific references are as follows:

1. Report in Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph, 12 March, 1890.

2. Report in The Tenby Observer, 25 September, 1895.

3. Schools Inquiry Commission, Vol. I, The Report of the Commissioners, p. 36. H.M.S.O. London, 1868 (The Taunton Report).

4. A more detailed analysis will be found in my article entitled The Curriculum of the Intermediate Schools: Some Antecedent Considerations in the National Library of Wales Journal, Vol. XXI, No. I (Summer 1979).

5. P.R.O. ED35/3397, Owen Edwards, Chief Inspector, Notes of Visit, 20 June ,1910.

6. Ibid. B. B. Skirrow, H.M.I., Report dated 3 February, 1903, and W. J. Williams, H.M.I., Minute dated 12 May,1922.

7. (a) Testimony of the late Dr. William Thomas, C.B. and (b) E. Llwyd Williams in Crwydro Sir Ben fro, Rhan II;(Llyfrau'r Dryw, Llandybie, 1960) pp. 76-77.

8. P.R.O. ED35/3397, Letter from Clerk to Governors to Welsh Department of Board of Education, 4 November 1911.

9. Ibid., B. B. Skirrow, H.M.I., Notes of Visit, 3 February, 1903.

10. Ibid., Board of Education Letter to Clerk to Governors, 19 May, 1922.

11. Ibid., W. J. Williams, H.M.I., Minute of 12 May, 1922.

12. Ibid., Owen Edwards, Chief Inspector, Minute of 11 November, 1911.

13. Ibid., B. B. Skirrow, H.M.I., Notes on Visits, 14 June, 1911, and 7 July, 1913.

14. Biographical details relating to John Morgan are taken from Abel J. Jones, John Morgan, M.A., Gomerian Press, Llandysul, 1939

15. T. H. Huxley: Collected Essays, Vol. II (London, 1893) pp. 411-12, quoted by P. W. Musgrave in an interesting essay on The Definition of Technical Education 1860-1910, in P. W. Musgrave (ed.): Sociology History, and Education (London 1970).

16. Minutes of County Governing Body, Pembrokeshire, 8 March, 1904, at the Haverfordwest Office of Dyfed Archives
See also my article, Technical Education in South-West Wales, 1889-1904 in The Carmarthenshire Antiquary, Vol. XVI, 1080.

Leslie Wynne Evans, National Library of Wales journal. 1967, Summer Volume XV/1

Extracted onto the pages of GENUKI with the kind permission of the National Library of Wales

This is a complete extract of this article (Gareth Hicks April 2003)

For several years before 1870 it became apparent that 'the Voluntary System, however impressive might be some of its fruits, could not perform the task of instructing a nation'. 1  Arguments in favour of a State system of education had gained valuable ground partly through the influence of many eminent men of the period (of whom Huxley probably had the greatest influence), but mainly due to other important factors, which once more brought popular education to the fore, with clear indications, which culminated in the 1870 Education Act that the problem could only be solved at national level. 2

Among the contributing factors to the creation of a State system were those which had worried social reformers and educationists alike during the first half of the nineteenth century, and which threatened to recur. Child labour was still rampant in most factories not covered by previous legislation, and although the Mines Act of 1860 had prohibited the employment of boys underground between the ages of ten and twelve unless they could produce a certificate from a 'competent schoolmaster' that they could read and write, or, failing this, that they were attending school for not less than three hours a day during two days in each week --- evasion was practised on a large scale, and at least three inspectors of schools had described the Act as a failure in 1863. Moreover, the Revised Code of 1862 had provided an effective and serious check to the building of new schools by its sharp cut in the grants for such purposes, during a time when the population was growing rapidly in industrial areas and large towns. 3

Educational destitution was again rearing its ugly head and the Voluntary System was becoming inert. In 1867 even the Voluntaryists finally capitulated. 4  In the same year with the passing of the Reform Act, which gave the franchise to nearly all householders, and added a million voters to the Parliamentary Register, 'the provision of schooling became a matter of urgency in anticipation of the assumption of full citizenship by an unknown number of illiterates'. 5

Forster's Education Act of 1870 sought to deal with the two persistent problems of the period --- educational destitution and irregular school attendance. It proposed to survey the school needs of the country and to provide schools where they were needed --- to 'fill up the gaps'. The Act allowed and indeed encouraged further Voluntary activity and this was illustrated by the spectacular spate of applications which reached Whitehall from the two Societies to establish new schools. Where Voluntary effort failed or was non-existent School Boards were to be formed. Fees were to be charged, and schools were to be helped partly ...........................

....................... by government grants, and from now on from rate aid. School Boards were also empowered to frame bye-laws for the compulsory attendance of children between the ages of five and twelve. 6

The existence of the Works Schools System in relation to the new administrative developments arising out of the 1870 Act was of peculiar interest and importance in the evolution of a State system of education between 1870 and 1902. It has already been shown how they provided for the educational needs of the industrial districts before 1870 and that the work accomplished through them was at least comparable with that of the Voluntary Societies. 7

After 1870, although their history is that of gradual elimination due to changing circumstances and the crystallisation of a national system, their work and influence even during this stage of denouement proved to be of inestimable value to the new School Boards in whose areas they happened to be located. It should be remembered that after 1870, the elimination of these schools did not mean closure, but transference to a particular newly elected School Board. This procedure, in view of the attitude of the new Act to the Voluntary System was an uneven and sometimes lengthy process, i.e., as stated earlier, the Act did not abolish voluntary effort but supplemented it. Indeed, instances occurred where certain large and important works schools persistently refused to surrender their independence and continued to exist under the old regime until the very end of the century. This arrangement was practicable so long as school fees continued to be paid in all schools. The Education Act of 1891, however, abolished school pence, and it is after that year that the final crop of works schools capitulated to the Central Administration and became absorbed in the local educational pattern. After the Education Act of 1902 which created Part 3 Education Authorities, works schools in many areas lost their identity, but in several districts even at the present time their memory is perpetuated in the original name of the school, e.g., Llanelly Copperworks school.

The transference of works schools to the local School Boards evoke several points of considerable importance:

    1. Where works schools were taken over by local School Boards, heavy expenditure on the provision of school buildings was eliminated. A complete survey of the total works schools transferred to the School Boards is not available, but fortuitously full records exist of all the larger and more important schools, only a few of which surrendered their individuality and independence before 1890. Among those which were transferred at an earlier period, i.e., around 1880, were the Llynfi and Maesteg ironworks schools which were in excellent order and fully efficient.

Some schools on account of certain local conditions ---usually innumerable intermittent strikes---had been temporarily closed. In such...................

......................... cases schools were re-opened by the School Board, e.g., the Merthyr Colliery School, Maesteg, and the Yniscedwyn Ironworks school at Ystradgynlais. 8  On the other hand examples were found where newly elected School Boards realised that the buildings and accommodation were too poor for further use. Usually new schools were built and reorganised. Two examples are given from North and South Wales --- the one, a rural slate quarrying region, and the other a densely populated area where copper-smelting was important

In 1871, 'the first meeting of the Festiniog School Board was held on the 13th April ... and the census of school-children showed that 1,859 required accommodation. To meet this, there was at the time accommodation for 969 children in the existing schools'. 9  Several of the schools were those erected early in the century by the quarry owners, 'but most of the schools in the area were totally unfit for school purposes, and with the consent of the Department, the Board proceeded with as little delay as possible to the erection of new school buildings in every part of the neighbourhood'. By 1875, four new Board schools had been erected at a cost of  £6,434. 11. 8.    10

The second example comes well towards the end of the century: In 1896, 'after considerable delay, the School Board of Swansea has settled down in earnest, not only to meet the demands of a growing population, but also to substitute new and improved buildings for old ones unsuitable and condemned. New schools will be built, especially at St. Thomas, to contain 1,200 scholars, and to supply the place of the Old Kilvey Copperworks Schools, which, when opened at the beginning of the century were thought to be equal to anything of the kind in the country'. 11

    2. Where works schools continued to remain independent (and these were the largest and most important ones) some of them remaining aloof until the closing years of the century, School Boards were spared the expense of providing educational provision and schools. The last to succumb were the notable Hafod Copperworks Schools at Trevivian, Swansea (to be noted later). Others remained independent for a long period. The Dowlais Schools were transferred in 1892, and the Inspector noted in 1880: 'the children of Dowlais are educated in the fine schools of the Dowlais Iron Company, and the Merthyr School Board have so far been saved from any expenditure on behalf of this portion of their district'. 12  The Act of 1891 which gave parents the right to demand free education for their children provided the final coup de grace for these famous schools. The act of transference is given in the Trustee's own words:

'By a recent Act of Legislature, proposed at the instance of Her Majesty's Government, education, so far as it is compulsory, is in future to be provided at the..................

 ................. expense of the country. The new Act puts an end to the school pence, but its provisions, if well worked, will rather more than cover that deficiency. It was, however, found that the Dowlais workmen were not, on the whole, disposed to continue the poundage, and as this involved a very considerable shortcoming, it became necessary to place the schools under the school Board, which has accordingly been done. In closing a school managership of nearly 36 years 13  the Trustee may be allowed to express a hope that the schools' teachers under the new management, may retain the complete respect and confidence of the parents, and that the schools may continue to deserve the high character which the Reports of Her Majesty's Inspectors shew them to possess'.

Dowlais, 1st March, 1892.   14

In 1893, the Llanelly Copperworks Schools were transferred to the Llanelly School Board, were re-modelled, and greatly enlarged. 15  The large Cwmavon Schools, including the satellite ones at Oakwood, Bryn, and Tymaen (infants) caused considerable distress to H.M. Inspector in 1877:

'There is one portion of this Union about which I feel considerable apprehension --- namely, Cwmavon. For fourteen years past I have been in the habit of inspecting the large and important schools in connection with the works of the English Copper Company there, and have watched with interest their gradual progress and improvement. Adverse affairs however, have led to the extinction of that Company, and the whole of their buildings and property have this year passed to other hands. How the schools with their six Departments and attendance of nearly 1,400 children are to be supported in the future, I am unable to predict. I can only express my earnest wish that the new proprietors may extend to them the same liberality as their predecessors, and that there may be no occasion to call into action other means for providing for the education of this populous district.'   16

What eventually happened to the schools under new management it has not been possible to ascertain, but it is clear that they were not abandoned for in 1897 it was reported:

'Indeed, of all the British and works schools once existing in the Swansea Inspection District, only Hafod, together with the Cwmavon works schools, the Bryndu (Pyle) school, and the Tondu Ironworks school now remain as such'. 17

    3. In the Inspectors' Reports in the Minutes of the Committee of Council for Education after 1870, it is worth recording that the works schools were singled out as being 'the best and most efficient' in the manufacturing and mining districts. In Monmouthshire, the Rhymney and Abersychan ironworks schools received annual commendation and special mention. 18  In Glamorgan, the Dowlais, Maesteg, Llyfni, (ironworks schools); the Duffryn Colliery schools and the Hafod and Kilvey Copperworks schools especially pleased the Inspectors. 19   In Carmarthenshire, excellent reports were the rule for Dafen (Llanelly) Tinworks, and the Llanelly and Pembrey Copperworks schools. 20

    4. The Inspectors' Reports after 1870 not only praised the efficiency of the works schools but also made special comment on the 'large and fine buildings', e.g., at Dowlais, Abersychan, Duffryn, Llanelly, Pembrey, Dafen, Hafod and Cwmavon. Another significant feature of the position of works schools in relation to the formation of School Boards in the industrial districts was their numerical strength in terms of attendances. Taking Glamorgan as a specimen area, and extracting the relevant details for the large School Boards, the following statistics are striking:

i. Merthyr Tydfil School Board, 1881 Survey.

This parish is 7 miles long and from 3 to 5 miles broad. Its population is about 52,000 and has not increased since 1871. Dowlais, at the northeast of the parish, is a dense mass of houses spread over a hill which rises to a height of over 1,000 feet above sea-level. Its population of 16,000 is maintained entirely by the extensive steel and ironworks and the collieries attached thereto. The Dowlais Iron Company is responsible for the education of the children of the whole of this population 12

The town of Merthyr proper is contiguous to Dowlais, and extends from the lower part of the same hill along the Taff Valley almost uninterruptedly for 12 miles at the lower elevation of 500-600 feet. The working classes are supported by the Cyfarthfa Ironworks, which were re-started in 1879, and by the collieries. The population including one or two suburbs is about 30,000. The remainder of the population of the parish is divided between Troedyrhiw, Merthyr Vale, and Treharris, all of which are some miles from Merthyr.

There are nine Board Schools in 19 Departments. The average attendance at all is 2,942, showing an increase of only 486 since 1877. Last Spring there were 3,824 children in average attendance at the other public elementary schools of the parish. They were:

3 'Company' or works schools with 2,081 children.

4 National (two of whom were works schools) with 1,130 children.

2 Roman Catholic --- Dowlais Works Schools with 613 children. 22

ii. Aberdare Parish, 1881 Survey.

Nearly the same area as Merthyr Tydfil, and has a population of 38,000. The Board Schools are 11 in number, 21 Departments, with a total average attendance of 2,888 children. There are 3,133 children in other schools:

4 'Company' or works schools with 1,967 children.

3 National Schools with 1,087 children.

1 Roman Catholic school with 79 children. 23

iii. Llanwonno Parish, 1881 Survey.

The population of this parish was 11,400 in 1871, but has since grown. The town of Pontypridd is inconveniently divided between 3 parishes of which this is one. There are:

8 Board Schools with 1,850 children.

2 'Company' or works schools with 352 children

1 National School with 89 children. 24

iv. Llantrisant Parish, 1881 Survey.

This is also a large parish the boundaries of which were determined when the population was centralised at the town of the same name, but now includes several large mining villages in remote parts. There are:

9 Board Schools with 835 children.

2 National Schools with 411 children.  

1 Colliery School with 346 children.   25

Summary of 1881 Survey: Mr. William Edwards, H.M.I. reported that 'the total average attendance at all the public elementary schools in my District which comprises Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, and Crickhowell, Breconshire is 26,334:

Board Schools                          14,915  children.

Company or Colliery schools     6,781       ''

National Schools                         3,844      ''

Roman Catholic                             794       ''

The Company or Colliery schools were classed as British.   26

    5. School Boards sometimes acquired works schools by purchase. This was particularly evident after 1880 when, faced with increase in numbers, School Boards took over the existing ones by purchase agreement (i.e., those schools who wished to cease functioning as works schools). Thereafter the School Boards enlarged or renovated them with the aid of a government grant, and continued to extort poundage and school pence. 27  In Monmouthshire, for example, the Bedwellty School Board committed itself to a very extensive school-building programme : 'Since 31 August 1876, the Board has built and completed 7 separate blocks of schools, accommodating 4,484 children, and purchased, improved, and enlarged 5 existing blocks of schools, accommodating 1962 children more; the building, purchase, etc., of these 12 blocks has required a loan of £42,456. Since August 1879, the Board has also arranged to purchase and enlarge the Rhymney Ironworks schools, needing a further ........................

............................ £4,500'.   28  The Aberystruth School Board in the same County had also erected new schools and 'purchased and enlarged the Blaina Ironworks schools'. 29  In 1882, the Trevethin (Pontypool) Board took over the Abersychan and Pontnewynydd works schools 'enlarging and renovating them'. 30  In Glamorgan, the Swansea School Board purchased the Hafod Copperworks schools in 1898, the last bastion of the works schools to fall. 31

    6. The majority of works schools were British, and received their grants through the British and Foreign School Society. Soon after 1880, most of them had been absorbed by the School Boards. The National Society, however, redoubled its efforts to promote schools on a voluntary basis within the time limit (one year) imposed by the Education Act of 1870. Where works schools already existed in industrial areas - and most of them were either British or Neutral ---  National Schools had to struggle for their existence. Their position was particularly desperate and vulnerable when they had to compete with the Works Board schools --- 'for the right of educating a population in which Nonconformists so largely predominated, the Parish of Gelligaer furnished several examples of the inevitable death of Church of England schools in these circumstances ... only one exists out of the five which I inspected two years ago. The clergyman of the parish carried on these schools by exertions which might have borne valuable fruits amidst a more sympathetic community. In the older industrial centres where the Established Church has a richer flock, a National school may not only flourish financially, but may also be extremely efficient and popular'. 32

    7. Some School Boards, having taken over certain works schools continued to make use of the poundage system as a basis of maintenance, thus obviating the necessity of levying a local education rate - the poundage was kept on in order to produce a sum sufficient, with the government grant, to balance the expenditure. The rates were not called into requisition at all'. This method of maintaining schools operated at Merthyr Tydfil and at the Ferndale Colliery schools. 33

    8. School Boards came to the rescue of certain schools who unsuccessfully attempted to exist on the poundage system --- 'such schools who were in difficulties took refuge under the wings of a School Board'. These schools were in the colliery districts, one of them --- the Duffryn schools 'which were in the highest state of educational efficiency were transferred to the School Board on account of a debt which had accumulated during a strike, and which could not be covered by any reasonable sacrifices on the part of either the managers or the colliers. In the Rhondda Valleys also, several schools have lately undergone a similar change of management for the same reason'. 34

Up to 1878, the whole responsibility of supplying school education in the parish of Ystradyfodwg (Rhondda) had been thrown on Voluntary agency. 35  The local colliery owners and educationists worked energetically to supply the educational needs of the community, and the committee members who managed the schools were composed of ministers, tradespeople, and working colliers. Nearly all the schools were dependent for funds on the poundage contributed at the collieries. A 3d poundage was considered hardly sufficient for the medical fund but the school fund as a rule had to be satisfied with a penny. Large collieries were able to maintain their schools in a fairly prosperous condition, but with several of the schools it was a hard struggle for existence. In addition, strikes and stoppages seriously interfered with the funds, and the long strike of the 1870's was the means of closing more than one of the National schools in the parish, e.g., the Pentre National school was closed in 1875 .   36

It became obvious that the time had arrived to tackle the problem of education on a sounder footing in an area where coal exploitation was continually expanding and the school population rapidly growing, and the only practical solution was the formation of a School Board on October 28, 1878.   37  One of the first things demanding the attention of the Board was the compilation of a census of the whole parish which was divided into 18 districts. Statistics were presented showing the following details: number of families visited; number of children under 5 and under 13; number of children over 13, and number of children attending and not attending school.   38

The results showed that there were 13,997 children under 13, and 5,637 above that age. Only 7,189 attended school, whilst 7,010 (or 50% under 13) did not attend any kind of school. 30  Within a few months after its formation the Board took over the following Colliery Schools: Treorchy United, Bodringallt, Pentre, Dunraven, and Ystrad (Ton), and then set about supplying the deficiency of accommodation in the parish. 40  The new schools which were opened by the School Board together with the Colliery schools were taken over by the Rhondda Education Authority in 1902.   41

Tinworks schools were absorbed by local School Boards at various dates after 1870, were enlarged and renovated and became the best schools in their respective districts, e.g., Dafen (Llanelly), Aberdulais, Aberavon, and Margam.

One final point is worth noting in connection with school fees. The managers of struggling National schools ascribed their lack of success to the fact that School Boards charged low fees --- some of them did not even press parents for school pence. Where School Boards had taken over Works schools, the school pence were lower than for other children.

In some transferred Works schools the children of workmen paid no fees whilst others e.g., at Rhymney ironworks schools, had to pay --- 176 boys, 181 girls, and 226 infants paid 3d each per week. 42  At the Abersychan ironworks school controlled by the School Board, 124 boys, 164 girls and 231 infants paid at the rate of 1 1/2 each whilst 7 boys, 6 girls, and 3 infants paid 3d per week. Workers' children at Sirhowy ironworks schools received free education, and at the Cyfarthfa works school taken over by the Merthyr Tydfil School Board workmen's children paid a penny per week and others varying sums of 2d and 3d.  43

LESLIE WYNNE EVANS

University College, Cardiff

APPENDIX I

Works Schools listed as having been transferred to School Boards by 1894    44

MONMOUTHSHIRE IRONWORKS SCHOOLS

CARMARTHENSHIRE AND BRECONSHIRE IRONWORKS SCHOOLS

APPENDIX II

Works schools listed as having been transferred to school Boards by 1894.    47

GLAMORGAN IRONWORKS SCHOOLS

APPENDIX III

SCHOOLS OF THE NON-FERROUS METAL INDUSTRIES transferred to school Boards by 1894.

APPENDIX IV

COLLIERY SCHOOLS transferred to School Boards by 1894.

Ystradyfodwg School Board formed in 1878, included the following schools in 1882:    58

OTHER COLLIERY SCHOOLS transferred to school Boards:   

Notes;

1 Smith, F. A History of English Elementary Education, 1760-1902, 1931. p. 285.

2 Huxley, Thomas Henry (1825-95): medical doctor, geologist, naturalist, and anatomist. Famous teacher of science and fervid exponent of a liberal curriculum. He justified a system of compulsory education and advocated infant schools, continuation schools, and technical schools.

3 In South Wales after 1860 there was an unprecedented rise in population especially in the mid-Glamorgan coalfield and the new tinplate and steel manufacturing districts. See all the Minutes of the Committee of Council (Inspectors' Reports on South Wales) between 1866 and 1880.

4 The Leeds group under Baines, the centre of the movement in England, could no longer maintain their position and the movement collapsed.

5 Adamson, J. W. English Education, 1789-1902, 1930, p. 347.

6 Compulsory education came in 1880, by Mundella's Act. All School Boards and School Attendance Committees were compelled to make bye-laws to this end, and complete attendance was required between the ages of 5 and 10.

7 Evans, Leslie Wynne: Voluntary Education in the industrial areas of Wales before 1870, N.L.W.Jnl., Vol. XIV, 4. pp. 407-423.

8 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1877: General Report by the Rev. B. J. Binns, H.M.I., on schools in Glamorgan.

9  ibid., Report of the Rev. E. T. Watts, H.M.I., on Merionethshire, p. 636, ff.

10  ibid., for 1877.

11 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1897; General Report for 1896, Swansea District by Mr. Monro, p. 289.

12 ibid., for 1881: General Report for 1880 by W. Edwards, H.M.I., p. 305.

13 G. T. Clarke, Works Manager and Schools Trustee, 1856-1892.

14 Dowlais Schools, Memorandum issued by the Trustee, 1892.

15 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1897, Report for 1896, on Llanelly District by Mr. Jones, p. 289.

16 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1877, ibid.

17 ibid., for 1897, p. 289.

18 ibid., for 1879, Report by Mr. Waddington, H.M.I., p. 436.

19 ibid., for 1873, p. 188.

20 ibid., for 1874, pp. 69 and 133.

21 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1881, p. 305.

22 ibid., p. 306.

23 ibid., pp. 306, fell.

24 ibid.

25 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1881, p. 309.

26 ibid., p. 310.

27 Parl. Papers, Vol. lix, Education, 1873, p. 236 et seque.

28 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1879, Monmouthshire, p. 440.

29 ibid., for 1883, p. 430.

30 ibid.

31 Vivian Collection MSS. 1840-1923, D/DGV, 36; Glamorgan County Record Office.

32 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1881, p. 310.

33 ibid., p. 311.

34 ibid., p. 310.

35 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1881, p. 305

36 N.L.W. MS. 4383, p. 127.

37 The members were: D. Evans, Bodringallt (Chairman); William Jenkins, Ystradfechan (Vice Chairman); D. Richards, Bute Merthyr Colliery, Treherbert; Wm. Walker Hood, Glamorgan Collieries, Llwynypia; Rev. William Morris, Baptist Minister, Treorchy: D. Davis Joseph, Tydraw, Treherbert; Rowland Rowlands, Penygraig; Thomas Owen, Collier, Treherbert; William Abraham (Mabon), Miners' Agent; Rev. William Jones, C.M. Minister, Ton Pentre; Edmund Thomas, Maindy Hall, Ton Pentre; David Rosser, Solicitor, Pontypridd, Clerk to the Board.

38 N.L.W. MS. supra ibid.

39 Ystradyfodwg School Board Census, 1878, D. Davies, Treorchy.

40 N.L.W. MS. supra ibid.

41 Education Committee Minutes, Council Offices, Pentre, Rhondda.

42 Parl. Paper, Vol. lix, 1873, Return of all Public Elementary Schools under Inspection within School Districts in which School Boards have been formed, pp. 236-240.

43 ibid.

44 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1880-8, p. 644.

45 ibid., for 1894, p. 1075.

46 ibid.

47 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1894, p. 1084.

48 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1894, p. 1076.

49 ibid., p. 1084.

50 ibid.

51 ibid., pp. 1076-77.

52 ibid.

53 Vivian Collection MSS. ibid.

54 Minutes of Committee of Council, supra, p. 1084.

55 ibid.

56 ibid.

57 ibid.

58 Minutes of Committee of Council, 1883, p. 753.

59 ibid., 1894, p. 1084.

J R Webster, National Library of Wales journal. 1958, Winter Volume X/4.

Extracted onto the pages of GENUKI with the kind permission of the National Library of Wales

This is a complete extract of this article by Gareth Hicks  (Feb 2003)

The schools featured are in Caernarvonshire

The Welsh Intermediate Education Act was passed in 1889; the first county scheme to be established under the act was that for Caernarvonshire which received the Royal Assent on 6 May 1893. Included in the scheme were the two old endowed grammar schools at Bangor and Bottwnog: these continued to function without interruption although Bottwnog provided now for girls as well as boys. The first new intermediate school in the country was opened in February 1894 at Caernarvon in temporary premises previously occupied by the Caernarvon Training College. It was a dual school, that is, a school for both boys and girls but in two departments.

By the summer of 1894 these three schools were open to examination and inspection 'by competent Examiners unconnected with the school', as stipulated by the county scheme. Friars School at Bangor was examined by the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board, but the County Governing Body decided, in the case of the schools at Bottwnog and Caernarvon, to invite Owen M. Edwards, then Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, to act as examiner. It was thus that Owen Edwards came to visit these schools theirteen years before he became Chief Inspector for Wales. His reports to the Charity Commissioners 1  are of signal interest for the light they throw on the early days of intermediate education, and still more for the picture they provide of Edwards's educational ideas at this time.

Both Caernarvon and Bottwnog County Schools faced many difficulties in their early years. At Caernarvon space was very limited, and the number of pupils was increasing rapidly: when the school opened there were sixty-four pupils, but by July 1894 this number had increased to one hundred and ten (forty-four boys and sixty-four girls). The staffing ratio was, however, fairly adequate: in addition to the headmaster, John Owen, M.A. (Cantab.), there was one assistant master (an Oxford graduate) and three assistant mistresses who had been students at the University Colleges of Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff respectively, and who had graduated with external London degrees. Music was taught by the organist of Christ Church, Caernarvon, and 'drill' was taken by a Sergeant Major Tomkins. 2  Owen Edwards was obviously sympathetic to the educational experiment being carried out at this school, and was impressd by the enthusiasm of the staff and pupils. One wonders if W. J. Gruffydd was one of the 'pupils who worked at his papers as hard as if the reputation of the school had to depend upon his exertions alone', for he was a pupil at Caernarvon County School during its first year.

Bottwnog School encountered all the difficulties inherent in a small rural school. On the register in July 1894 there were only twenty-six pupils (sixteen boys and ten girls). The number of pupils had actually decreased with the introduction of the county scheme. This was due partly to the introduction of fees for the first time, and partly to the discontinuance of the tradition, common in ...................

• 1. Ministry of Education. I and T.E. Files 11210, Part 17 11:9:94. (Transcriptions)
• 2. Ibid. (Report by W. C. Lefroy, Assistant Charity Commissioner) 2:10:94.

............... Wales in the nineteenth century, whereby pupils entered the school when they were eighteen or nineteen years of age. The school staff consisted of two members --- the headmaster, the Rev. E. P. Howell, M.A. (Oxon), who had held the post before the scheme came into operation, and a mistress who was apparently a non-graduate, despite three years spent at the University College, Bangor, and more than two years study on the continent.   1  Her contribution as a teacher, however, was at least adequate, as might be expected from one with such a wide experience.

Both schools claimed to include in their curricula all the subjects made compulsory by the county scheme 2 but obviously they could do so only with great difficulty. Neither school had a specialist staff to teach a wide range of subjects, and the accommdation and equipment in both schools were woefully inadequate, especially for scientific and technical subjects which the scheme specifically stated should be 'associated with sufficient experimental demonstration and practical teaching'. As Welsh was only an optional subject in the county scheme it was not taught in either school: a feature common to most of the early Intermediate Schools. 3  Perhaps the most interesting item in the schools' curricula was the inclusion of 'agriculture' at Bottwnog. This subject was taught at Bottwnog before the introduction of the county scheme, and when it was suggested after the passing of the 1889 Act that the school should be removed to Pwllheli, 4 one of the arguments put forward for its retention at Bottwnog was that it could become a centre for the study of agriculture. 5

Owen Edwards was just the right type of examiner for these schools. He had the necessary knowledge of local conditions and he could give the required incentive. His ideals are so well brought out in the reports that little comment is required. It is, however, worth while noting the stress which he lays, even at this early stage in the history of county schools, not only on the teaching of Welsh, but also on the teaching of other subjects through the medium of Welsh. We should also note his early interest in technical and practical education, his desire ..................

• 1. Ministry of Education. (Report by W. C. Lefroy, Assistant Charity Commissioner, 2:10:94.
• 2. In addition to religious knowledge the county scheme stipulated that instruction should be given in the following subjects besides reading, writing and arithmetic:---geography and history, including scripture history; English grammar, composition and literature; mathematics; Latin; at least one modern foreign European language; natural science, with special attention to the industries of the district; manual instruction, either in working wood or iron, or in moulding, or in modelling in clay; drawing; vocal music; and drill. For girls, natural science and manual instruction, as above, were not to be taught--- unless the Local Governing Body so decided. The following subjects were included in their place:---Domestic economy and the laws of health; cookery, and needlework.
  Instruction could also be given in the following subjects :---Greek. Welsh grammar, composition, and literature; the principles of agriculture; navigation; shorthand; and for girls, cutting out and laundry work.
• 3. In the first examination of the Central Welsh Board in 1897 only 31 schools out of 79 presented candidates for the examination in Welsh.
• 4. See Gruffydd Parry, 'Hanes Ysgol Bottwnog', Trans. Hon. Soc. Cymm., 1958, p. 15.
• 5. This is illustrated by the following extract from a pamphlet published in 1891 entitled Bottwnog Grammar School, Lleyn.   A plea for its retention as an Intermediate School under the Intermediate and Technical Education Act (Wales) 1889.  'The suggestion has reached us from more than one influential quarter that an eminently practical arrangement would be to establish at Bottwnog, on a similar basis to those existing in France, a School, one of whose strong points would be the theoretical and practical instruction in Agriculture, par excellence, and to place the school in immediate connection with the University College of North Wales, for the carrying out of that great scheme of Agricultural Education for the whole of North Wales, which is being promoted by that College, and which has just received the very highest commendation from the Government in the Annual Report of the Board of Agriculture.

......................... to make the school environment attractive, his insistence upon the appeal to first hand experience in every learning process, and his firm conviction that education should be a matter of 'training the mind rather than of getting the children to learn undigested facts by rote'. They were revolutionary ideas at a time when public education was still coloured by the effects of the policy of payment by results.

I.

THE CARNARVON COUNTY SCHOOL

Examiner's Report

I visited this school on Monday and Tuesday July 23rd and 24th. I found present 44 boys and 64 girls.

The subjects taught are English, French, Latin and Greek; Scripture, History, Geography; Arithmetic, Alegbra and Euclid; Chemistry, Music, Drawing.

I looked over most of the papers written by the boys and girls as part of their terminal examination. I also set papers of my own, and examined many of the children, three or four at a time viva voce.

My first impression was most pleasing. The boys and girls, in their separate class-rooms, looked bright and intelligent, were under excellent discipline, and each of the pupils worked at his papers as hard as if the reputation of the school had to depend upon his exertions alone. Closer acquaintance with the children deepened this first impression. I selected the brightest and most backward; and a careful viva voce examination made me come to the conclusion, not only that these children have been most efficiently trained, but that Carnarvon possesses a school so promising that it would not be impossible, with a little effort, to make it the best intermediate school in Wales.

To take the boys first, I found among them much inequality of knowledge and of ability. Some of them among the brightest and most promising, of their age, of any boys I have ever seen. They nearly all think in Welsh, and translate mentally before writing their thoughts in English; and I am glad to be able to report that the staff is thoroughly capable of understanding the children's difficulties and of making use of their native language in teaching them others. Of some of their subjects, especially those taught in elementary schools, they have a fairly thorough knowledge, and the rapidity with which they had learnt the elements of new languages was a pleasant surprise to me,---this rapidity being undoubtedly due to the fact that they had received the training required for learning a new language when learning English. The thoughtfulness of some of the answers to the History and Geography questions was very striking, showing that the teachers aim at arousing interest and training the mind rather than of getting the children to learn undigested facts by rote.

Of the conscientious labour that has been bestowed upon the girls, I cannot speak too strongly. Their work I found excellently neat, in this respect they are much superior to the boys. Though the best girls are not all equal to the best boys, they have, perhaps, as good an average.

Their essays and answers showed clearly that their minds are trained in the right way,---their interest is aroused, they are taught to understand what they learn, and their progress in their new subjects has been very rapid.

I was very glad to find that their general knowledge,---outside their text-books,---was very satisfactory; this is the reason why their English composition was invariably so good.

I beg to suggest to the Governing Body in what ways, as far as I can see, the efficiency of this promising sehool may be made still greater.

i. In order to help to arouse the children's interest, and in order to make the master's work much easier, the school-rooms should be provided with as many models, maps and pictures as possible. For example, there should be globes, embossed maps, miniature reproductions of important localities, models of ships, a mariner's compass, good pictures of historic scenes, objects illustrative of the geology and botany of the nighbourhood, etc.

The interests of true education require that the class-rooms should be made as attractive as possible. I noticed that the girls' class-room have flowers, and that the mistresses offer prizes for the best holiday collections of wild flowers.

ii. In order that all subjects mentioned in the Scheme may be taught at this important school, the time and labour of the masters and mistresses should be economised as much as possible. The examinations for scholarships should be held in all localities at the same time, at the end of June if possible, in order that the scholars of one year be all in one class. If possible, it would be better for the interests of the school if the scholarships were given to the best boys and girls, irrespective of locality. Now, some of the most backward of the children are scholars. 1

iii. The school should be strengthened, as soon as possible, on the Science side. As soon as possible the boys should learn the elements of Geology and Physics as well as of Chemistry.

iv. It is of the greatest importance that the technical side of the school should be speedily developed; it would be an easier means for arousing the minds of many of the children. The Chemistry Laboratory should be extended, apparatus for teaching Physics should be introduced. A little carpenter's workshop and metal room should be added to the school, and rooms for the teaching of cooking and laundry work.

v. I believe that the teaching of Welsh, and the occasional teaching of subjects like History in Welsh, would greatly tend in developing the children's minds.

(Signed)

OWEN M. EDWARDS.

Lincoln College Oxford.

August 3 1894.

II.

THE BOTTWNOG COUNTY SCHOOL

Examiner's Report

I visited this school on Wednesday July 25. I found present 16 boys and 8 girls, there being I was told, a great temporary reduction in the number of scholars on account of the fees that are now charged for the first time.

The subjects taught are,---English, French, Latin; Scripture, History, Geography, Physiography, Arithmetic, Algebra and Euclid; Chemistry, Physics, Agriculture.

Among the boys I found less inequality of ability than at Carnarvon, owing possibly to the fact that the Bottwnog children are nearly all farmers' children, and not drawn from such a variety of professions and occupations. But the inequality of attainments is much greater, the difference between the lowest boys in the Lower School and the best boys in the Upper School being very great. The boys who have only just come in can hardly put an English sentence together or correct the most evident mistakes in English composition; while the senior boys express their thoughts in English with comparative ease, and their answers to the questions I set in Scripture and Agriculture were very creditable. This shows the difficulties under which the masters labour, and it shows at the same time what excellent work they are doing.

I set papers in English Composition, in Mathematics, in Latin and French, and found the boys' answers correct and fairly full. Some of the best boys can read an easy Latin author and write good original essays.

• 1. This problem was aggravated by the fact that no schools had been built in the Penygroes and Llanberis districts, Of the 11girls from Penygroes attending the school in 1894, 8 held scholarships.

Among the girls I found less inequality of attainments. Their work in English composition is, I believe, almost the best work that the school can show. All their papers were very neat, and exceedingly correct. Their Arithmetic and Euclid papers were excellent; their English essays grammatically written, some of the best were thoughtful; and their knowledge of Latin and French grammar is very good, considering the shortness of the time they have been learning these languages.

The girls as well as the boys are evidently encouraged to read at home. I told the girls that, in correcting idioms literally translated-e.g. 'to keep a sound',---they might if they liked explain the mistakes by reference to Welsh. I found from their answers that they could write excellently in Welsh. This, of course, they must have been taught at home.

The discipline of the school is excellent, and the boys and girls evidently take an interest in their work.

I venture to make a few suggestions about the future conduct of this old school.

i. It should be provided with apparatus for the teaching of elementary Chemistry and Physics. This is very important in an agricultural district, where agriculture is taught with marked success. At present the masters have to teach chemistry to boys who have never seen a retort, except in a picture; they have to teach them to describe a thermometer without having one to show. Though Agriculture is taught, there are no specimens of grasses and soils in the school. The girls have not even maps.

ii. It would be a great boon if a small library were attached to the school. In a purely Welsh district, it is impossible to teach the children English unless they are interested enough in books to read them out of school hours. A little library of English and Welsh books, interesting to children and bearing upon their studies, would greatly further the efficiency of the school.

iii. The sooner the technical side of the school is developed the better. A little carpenter's workshop and metal room would be a very efficient means of real education. The child would be taught to develope his whole mind, and not his memory only.

(Signed)

OWEN M. EDWARDS.

Lincoln College Oxford.

August 3 1894.

J. R. WEBSTER.

University College, Swansea.

E D Jones, National Library of Wales journal Vol IX/1 Summer 1955.

Extracted onto the pages of GENUKI with the kind permission of the National Library of Wales

This is a complete extract of this article [Gareth Hicks 2002]

This third part of the series

- includes Journal entries from February 1856 to June 1856, which cover his visits to places in Glamorgan, Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire

See the first part for links to all the other parts

1856

THE JOURNAL OF WILLIAM ROBERTS (INEFYDD') (continued)

February 1 - 7.

I was with Mr. Baxter this part of the month and as his Journal will contain the particulars of his special visit, it will be un-necessary for me to write them here.

February 8.

Beaufort. Mr. Baxter and myself intended to be at this place on the 7th, but we were prevented by the weather. I saw some members of the Committee of the present B. School (not Dr. Bevan's), and had an interview with them. Mr. Baxter will explain the position of the two British Schools and prospects in this place. It was arranged that the Rev. T. Rees will apply to T. Brown, Esq., for a site, and then to lay before Dr. Bevan the necessity of co-operation among all parties in order to have schools for boys and girls; and to have them erected on such ground that the Com. of C. will approve of its lease if possible, i.e. the land of the Ebbw Vale Co. (if granted) inasmuch as the Duke of Beaufort will not grant a long lease.

February 9.

Writing my Journal for January, letters & sending off the Pamphlets &c.

February 12.

Tredegar. I had been for a long time very wishful to have an introduction to R. P. Davies, Esq., the Manager of the extensive works in this Town, who had so nobly responded to my correspondence in The Star of Gwent about twelvemonths ago, by putting a stop to the rigid measures adopted in the schools under his management to enforce the learning of the Church Catechism, and Church attendance, by children of Dissenters. It happened now that I had an excellent opportunity to converse with him and Mrs. Davies,# (who takes a considerable interest in the schools). She informed me of a new plan that she has adopted to teach the Girls that are in the highest class in the school, house work, & Cookery. Mrs. Davies takes eight girls to receive the above house education for twelve months. Each of them spend two days per month in her house under the tuition of her servants, one day to learn house-maid work such as cleaning the rooms, making the beds, &c., and the other day to have a lesson in the various branches of common Cookery, so that they will be able to prepare a dinner out of a small quantity of meat, which will be taught to them in various ways. They are therefore to spend 13 days during the year in learning the work of the kitchen, and 13 other days for house-maidwork. Only two girls are in Mrs. Davies's at the same time, on Tuesday, and Thursday in the same week, then the other six during the remainder of the month and in the 4th week the same two again. Each of them have sixpence per day, which they may either receive or put in the Savings' Bank until the end of the year. It is pleasing, whether Mrs. Davies will succeed in doing much good or not, that she takes such interest in the welfare and education of the poor. We arranged that Mr. Baxter will Inspect the schools when he comes in April. I spent that afternoon, and evening with Mr. & Mrs. Davies and returned home the next day.

#She is a niece to the late Alderman Thompson of London.

February 14.

Wrote letters, and sent Pamphlets by post to various places.

February 19.

Merthyr. I had partly arranged before Mr. Baxter came to Wales, that he should pay a visit to this important Town in order to try again, whether we could have awakened the numerous and influential Dissenters of the place to a sense of duty towards the rising generation, But Mr. Baxter's time was too short and other engagements so numerous that we could not go then. I found that the feeling for having a B.S. here is now stronger than ever. It is a wonderful fact that the proprietors of the Works in the Town, Penydarren, & Cyfarthfa, do not put their schools on unsectarian principles. There are eight National Schools in the town, and not one British School, although the number of Dissenters are at least 10 for every one of the Churchmen. There is now a better prospect than I have ever seen there before.

February 20.

Abercanaid & Pentre-bach. These places are populous districts on both sides of the river Taff near Merthyr. They are connected with the extensive works at Pentre-bach, where National schools have been established many years ago. Here again the Dissenters are obliged to submit to Church Catechism, and Church attendance. There is no public school on unsectarian principles, at Abercanaid, Pentre bach, or Troedyrhiw, in this neighbourhood although they have Dissenting Chapels numerous.

February 21.

Dowlais. I was told some time ago that these schools were to be under the inspection of the Rev. H. L. Jones instead of Mr. Bowstead, and I wanted to ascertain the truth and was very glad to find that such is not the case. They are to be carried on the same as they have been, on unsectarian principles, and under the inspection of Mr. Bowstead, at least such is the impression at present in the school.

February 25.

Tredegar. I visited R. P. Davies, Esq. again, (on my way to Neath Abbey) in order to extend my acquaintance with him. I gave him a pamphlet and also The Monmouthshire Merlin containing Mr. Baxter's speech at the Newport School, as I had promised on the 12th instant to Mrs. Davies.

February 26.

Neath Abbey. I had paid a short visit to these schools when Mr. Baxter inspected the Neath B. School. This institution is the oldest, I think, in Wales, as an unsectarian school. It was established in 1802 by the late respected Joseph Price, Esq. who was the Manager of Neath Abbey Works for a great many years. The schools are now chiefly under the management of his sister Miss C. A. Price. I visited the place now at her request with a view to furnish them with a Teacher for the Boys' School. It was necessary to have one acquainted with the Welsh language. I recommended Mr. Jno Phillips that was at the Boro' Road last year; he has been unsuccessful in trying for a Certificate but he is determined to have one at Xmas if alive & well. I went to see the state of the Boys' School. Mr. Phillips is to commence next Monday week.

February 27.

Neath. I visited this Town & school chiefly with a view to see the Rev. D. Davies, who was from home when Mr. Baxter and myself visited the school. He is a strong opposer of Gov. aid and he is a very active and influential member of the Committee. Miss Evans the Teacher had also objections to being under inspection of Gov. I think that the Rev. Davies and Miss Evans will give in gradually, and I rather think that the school will be under inspection this year. They were thankful for the grant of books they had rec'd of the Society.

February 28.

Aberaman & Aberdare. I paid a short visit to these places, with a view to establish a school in the former and to see how things were going on in the latter. The prospects are not very promising in Aberaman. Aberdare School is proceeding in the right direction, they are going to have a female Teacher, and to separate the boys and girls immediately. They are very thankful for the grant of Books from the Society.

March 3.

Abertillery. A public examination of these schools took place. Mr. Jones of the Blaina B. School, Mr. Reynolds of Bryn Mawr B. School, Mr. Bevan the schoolmaster, Miss Fox the schoolmistress, and myself took part in the examination. It was a sort what we call show examination got up in order to draw the attention of the parents and the neighbourhood generally towards the B. School. A great number of parents and others were present and were very much pleased. Addresses were delivered to the parents and children and produced a very salutary effect upon the school.

March 4.

Llanvihangel-y-fynachlog. This parish contained, in 1851,a population of 1228. It is a large parish containing an area of 4092 acres of land. The Church and few houses called the village is situated near one extreme end of the parish. An effort is now being made by the Clergyman & others to have a Church school established in this village, and another effort has been lately commenced by the parishioners to have a B.S. in a more populous district near the centre of the parish. It was with a view to gather some information as to how to proceed that I was invited. I find that there are ten Dissenters for every Churchman in the parish. I gave the friends of the B.S. every encouragement and information to proceed and promised to meet them again shortly.

March 6-7 & 8.

Writing my Journal for February, letters to various places, and sending about 300 of the pamphlets (lately pubd) to M.Ps. and others in England & Wales.

March 10.

Aberdare. I had visited this place on the 28th ult. and found that the Com. was preparing for making an expensive alteration in the schoolroom. They were so peculiarly situated that it struck me that they were in need of advice. I expressed my wish on the 28th to have a few together this day.

(i) They were going to form one end into two classrooms, and a Gallery in the other end, and other alterations.

(2) They had prepared plans & specifications themselves of the alterations and the work had been contracted for.

(3) The boundary wall, and other outside works were necessary to be done, but they did not intend doing these for the present.

(4) The above work was intended to be done at the expense of the Com. without Gov. aid, although the school is under Gov. inspection, and that aid is promised by the C. of C. towards the building &c.

I advised them

(i) To defer the working of their alterations for a short time.

(2) To make the inside and outside works all in one contract, in order to complete the premises.

(3) To receive Gov. aid towards it, which would be 2/3d.(two thirds) towards the fittings, and the half of the remainder.

(4) For that purpose to apply to the C. of C. and to prepare their plans for the sanction of their Lordships.

By that they could do the whole work for the same expense to the locality as the part they intended and perhaps the work as they intended it would not be approved of by H.M'sinspectors and therefore should have to be altered soon.

They could not act upon my advice without having another meeting themselves, and receiving the consent of the Contractor.

March 11.

Hirwaun.  I reached this place in the afternoon of this day, and made inquiries as to the state of the B.S. and found that the miserable schools connected with the works in this place are still great obstacles in the way of the B.S. so that it is kept entirely inefficient. The workmen are obliged to pay out of their wages towards the support of schools, one superintended by a drunken man, who is in the habit of cursing & swearing the children, the other by a man who became unable to work and does not possess the most common branches of information. The population of this place being almost entirely under the influence of the Manager of these works, who is quite careless about the education of the people, causes the few individuals who went to £300 expense in 1849 of building a B.S. (£230 of which is now unpaid) to be in great trouble and difficulties. The room is now given to a schoolmaster free to do his best with it. But it cannot be expected that they can, under those circumstances, get a 3'd or even a 4th rate Teacher, and therefore the school is kept down. I met some of the members of the Committee, and they gave me the above information.

March 12.

At the request of the Rev. D. Charles, B.A., Trevecca College, I visited this and the two following places (Talgarth & Crickhowel). The object was to try to stimulate some of the friends of education to establish a B.S. there. I called upon several, but was sorry to find that the contention which so generally causes Dissenters to be inactive is so strong here that we can scarcely expect much good at least for a time. I mean the opinion for and against Gov. aid. However Mr. Charles promised to visit the place, and to endeavour to try his influence to move them onward as soon as he possibly can.

March 13.

Talgarth. The Com. of this B.S. wanted my assistance in giving them information as to how to proceed in obtaining Gov. aid to clear off the present debt, and to refit the room. They also want a Certificated Teacher knowing the Welsh language. As regarding their first request I gave them all the necessary information, but I am sorry that I have no Certificated Welshman to recommend to them. While I am on the subject of scarcity of Teachers, I may also mention that we have succeeded at last to establish a B.S. at Cardigan where Mr. H. Owen and I endeavoured to sow the good seed in 1854. They intend to commence the school at once in an old Chapel until they can erect a Gov. School room. They have applied for a Certificated Welshman. I have tried to persuade them to make an Englishman (at least for a time) recommending to them Mr. D. Morgan of Swansea. I have already recommended Mr. Jenkins of Pembroke Dock to the Com. of the Blaina B.S. as an assistant to Mr. E. Jones. However they seem to think that an Englishman will not do at Cardigan, and I could do no better than to recommend a substitute for a Certificated Teacher until Mr. R. Lewis (who was the Master of the Hibernian school at L'pool) will return from America in October next, where he went for the sake of his health about 6 months ago. They have such substitutes in many places, and they are obliged to do with them from year to year because we have no others for them. I could wish we had from 15 to 20 Certificated Welshmen ready now.

March 14.

Crickhowel. Mr. Charles thought that there was a necessity and a prospect for a B.S. in this place. However I was informed by some of the leading Dissenters of this small town that Dissent is not strong here, and that several wealthy persons belong to the Church, and that they are about to build a National School with Gov. aid, which will cost about £1500 or £1600, and that at present there is no prospect of a B. S.

March 19.

Went to L'pool.Returned Apl. 1st.

April 3.

Rhigos. This is a new school opened not many months ago, in connection and for the benefit of the Colliers & Miners under R. Crawshay, Esq. of Hirwaun, whose preparation towards educating the Children of his Fire workmen and Mechanics at Hirwaun is so miserably attended to (as I reported to you lately) that it is even worse than if it was neglected altogether, because his schools (if worthy to be called so) retard almost entirely the operations of the B.S. in the place. This Rhigos School is about a mile and a half distance, where the Colliers & Miners dwell. The movement originated entirely among themselves. They were afterwards aided in their efforts by the Committee of Hirwaun B.S. They obtained a suitable room to commence from R. Crawshay, Esq., and also his consent to apply 1d per £1 of their own wages towards the support of this instead of supporting those that are in Hirwaun. They have obtained an untrained young man as a master in whom some of the leaders have much confidence. We had no teachers to offer to them from the Boro' Rd., neither would the salary they can give at present be acceptable to a competent one, being only £40. There are from 60 to 70 children already in the school. My next visit will give you some idea of their progress.

April 4.

Cwm Nedd. Some friends in this place are wishful to have a B.S. erected and invited me there in order to render them some assistance in order to proceed, and to obtain Gov. aid towards the same. I advised them (as I do with others) first of all to ascertain whether they could get the site on the terms approved of by the Com. of C. and afterwards to apply for aid, and then their course will be successful provided the neighbourhood will contribute the half. There are, it seems, not less than from 100t o 150 children without a convenient school to go to.

April 7.

Pontytypridd. This place in connection with Trefforest Works, has a population of from 8,000 to 10,000,and strange to say, without any schools excepting 2 or 3 private ones, and a very inferior N.S. The private ones are excepting one very inefficient. I have endeavoured 2 or 3 times to rouse the leading men, more especially the members & leaders of the various denominations to act as they themselves considered necessary to establish a B.school; but hitherto, I think for want of spirited leaders, unsuccessful. It is a remarkable fact that in other neighbourhoods with about 1/5th of the prospects that we have here they took the matter up spiritedly and worked on successfully. But such places as this, Merthyr Tydvil, Aberystwyth, Haverfordwest and the like, after a very prolonged slumber may yet rise up with more energy as is the case at Cardigan and other places.

April 8.

Gyfeillion. In this place there are at the Coalworks about 300 men in the employ of the Gt Western Co., and their children are numerous. There is a Parish Church near it, the Clergyman and his friends about two years ago built a commodious schoolroom in connection with the Church, with Gov. aid, and intended to have the workmen to give (through the influence of the Agent Mr. M'dougal Smith) so much per cent out of their wages towards the maintenance of the N. School; and gave out a word to the effect that he had obtained the Agent's consent. The workmen almost all being members and hearers in the Dissenting Chapels made it a point to ask Mr. Smith if such was the case, and he said it was not and offered to the men his aid if they wished to build a school on liberal principles. They wanted some information as to how they should proceed and I was very glad to give it to them. The Church Schoolroom hitherto has been and probably will be of no use.

April 9.

Gwaunyreirw. Messrs. Jones & Joseph have in this place about 150 Workmen; a new Work now being opened by Mr. John Calvert and another work with about 200 workmen by Mr. D. James of Merthyr;  making altogether about 1000 workmen within about half a mile of each other, Messrs. Jones & Joseph are anxious to have a good B.S., and if the others will co-operate they may easily succeed. The men themselves, at least some of them, are also very anxious to have one. Mr. Joseph has engaged a room to establish a school temporarily, in order to see how it will take, and what readiness will be manifested in the co-operation of the workmen by sending their children to school, and allowing a percentage of their wages to support it. So the matter stands at present. I promised to visit the place again, and therefore will give further information respecting it.

April 10.

Cymer. This place is much the same as the last mentioned. Mr. Ensol's Coal Works have already 150 workmen and being now greatly extended, will have many more, Messrs. Thomas Jones & Thomas have about 200, --- Mr.Crawshay have about 100; making together about 450, and a new Work now being opened by Messrs. Jones and Shepherd. This neighbourhood therefore will be very populous. Messrs. Thomas Jones & Thos are anxious to have a good B. School, and are about to make the same experiment as Messrs. Jones & Joseph in Gwaunyreirw. with hopes of success, and of ensuring the co-operation of the other proprietors.

April 12.

Writing my journal for March.

April 16.

Neath Abbey Boys' School. At the request of Miss C. A. Price I visited this school in order to confer with the newly appointed master John Phillips as to the requirements of the school. I was glad to find the number on the books to be 90, and an average attendance of 70, which is about 30 more than were there when I had visited it before. I found the S. very deficient in books and advised them to lose no time in getting some; and as to the alterations and refittings of the room, to let them remain in abeyance until Mr. Bowstead for the first time will visit them in Aug. or Sep.

April 17.

Neath Abbey. Girls' and Infants' Schools. I paid a short visit to these schools, and was sorry to find that they are not in a satisfactory state. As to the Girls' school it was customary, (on acct of the incompetence of the Mistress) for the girls in the afternoon to be instructed in Arithmetic and some other branches by the master, and John Phillips expressed a wish to get free from submission to that rule on acct of number of scholars under his care, the want of teaching power in his school, and the shortness of the time before Mr. Bowstead's visit. That has greatly diminished the number of the Girls in the school. Miss Price has in view to have a more competent Mistress, although unwilling to change suddenly from pity for the present mistress.

The Infant school containing about 60 children seemed to be in a more satisfactory state. Conversed with Mr. Price & Agents.

April 19.

Preparing my Report for 1855-6 for Mr. Baxter.

April 22 & 23.

Writing letters and sending pamphlets.

April 28.

Llanelly (Breckneck).This school is in connection with the Iron Works of Messrs. J. & L. Powell. It is a liberal Ch. S. because they teach the Catechism, although not enforcing Ch. attendance. There is 120 children in the school and those are almost all children of Dissenters. It is a wonder that children of Dissenters should be continually subjected to this wrong. We have a movement to endeavour to induce the Managers of Works to alter this rule, by sending petitions & deputations from their own workmen requesting them to do so.

April 29.

Gilwern. This is a small school kept by a man that has hurt his leg and by that was made unable to work. It was some years held under a Committee, and supported as a B.S., but at present the room only is given to the present master to try to teach a few children, and to receive what he can get towards his living from them. I need not say that such a Teacher is unable to give the children but something like an apology for Education. He has 30 Children in the school.

May 5 & 6.

Writing letters to various parts of S. Wales and preparing my Journal for April &c.

May 7.

Starting to London to the Annual Meeting of the Society.

May 8.

Travelled from Newport to London.

May 9.

The Annual Meeting.

May 10.

Writing in the morning, ---spent the afternoon with Mr. Saunders.

May 11.

With Mr. Baxter.

May 12.

Attended the Committee in the evening.

May13.

Spent part of the day with Mr. Owen, and called at the Privy Council Office on behalf of Abertillery B.S.

May14.

Walked about to the Bookshops, and went to the Crimean Photographic Gallery by a Ticket presented to me by Mr. Owen.

May 15.

Started home, reached Bristol.

May 16.

Bristol to Newport.

May17.

Newport to Blaina.

May 19. Writing letters &c.

May 20.

Translating the account of the meeting of the B. & F.S, Socy and some of the speeches, from The Patriot.

May 22 & 23.

Darren Felen. Visited this place at the request of the Committee, to inform them as to the advantages of Gov. aid, and inspection. I was glad to find that the number increased in the school since I had visited it in April. I gave the Committee all the information I  could on the above subject, and also on the advantages offered by the C. of C. in the erection of school buildings. At present the Com. pay rent for the room of £5 per annum. The above to be considered in An1 M. Mr. H. Rosser, the Master, is very anxious to be better qualified for the work of Teaching, and I promised to send to Mr. H. Owen on his behalf to know if he is eligible for a 'Neale exhibition'. I look upon the establishment of this B.S. as well as several others that have been lately established in S. Wales with much satisfaction, because we have been successful in moving the working men to action. In this instance the school is entirely managed and supported by Colliers and Miners, which are generally considered inferior to other workmen in point of information. They pay Mr. H. Rosser & Mrs. Rosser (his wife) together £75 per annum. The Com. meet every month, and they take take much more interest in the school than if it was Managed and supported for them by the proprietors of the work.

May 29.

Abersychan. Visited this place with a view to ascertain whether these are now conducted on the same liberal principles as the other schools under the management of Mr. Brown of Ebbw Vale, that is without coercion as to Church attendance & Catechism. To my great satisfaction I found it to be the case although I had been informed otherwise. I find that Mr. Brown intends to erect new buildings for these schools which will cost upwards of £2000, on a very pleasant and convenient site near the works. Mr. Baxter will visit & inspect all Mr. Brown's schools in July.

June 2.

Beaufort. Visited this place in order to ascertain whether John Richmond, the schoolmaster (who was not able to go to the Boro' Road the two last years for want of means to pay), would avail himself of the kind offer of Hugh Owen, Esq., that is, to take four young men of S.W. Richmond will thankfully avail himself of the offer.

June 3.

Aberdare. The Promoters of this B. School, as well as that of Hirwaun, have experienced a very considerable inconvenience, in consequence of the solicitor of the Marquis of Bute delaying the preparation of the conveyance Deed from time to time. In consequence of this they cannot get the Gov. grant towards the building, and have been obliged to pay £12.10. per annum of interest on the money for many years promised by the Com. of Council, which takes off a considerable amount of the income of the school. It had been arranged that we should endeavour to bring this matter into a close. And now we have some prospect of succeeding in our effort.

Hirwaun. The object of my visit at this time to this place as well as Aberdare was to try to have the Deeds prepared, in order to have the grants and to put the schools on a better footing, with more income, so that their efficiency may increase accordingly. We have reason to hope that we have been successful.

June 4.

Rhigos. This little school was established for a portion of the workmen of Hirwaun Works. There were 35 scholars present, and they were receiving good elementary education, some of them read very well, and writing was good, and so was the spelling. There were but few of that had been there long enough to go through the first simple rules of Arithmetic. Mr. D. Jones the Teacher seems to give general satisfaction to the parents. This is a school established by the working men themselves for their own children.

June 6 & 7.

Writing letters and my Journal for May,

June 12 & 13.

Neath Abbey. Attended at the request of the Managers of these schools in order to make arrangements to have a qualified female Teacher for the Girls' school, so as to have it (as well as the boys' school) under Inspection, and to increase its efficiency. They had been giving only £26 per annum of salary, but I had to persuade them that they could not get any competent Teacher for that amt. Therefore I proposed a plan to make up £40 for the Mistress, and I applied to Mr. Dunn for a Teacher. I have every reason to believe that Miss Hunter of Bacup will be engaged there.

June 16.

Devynnock. This place is just now very peculiarly situated. The only public school in the place has been under the inspection of Mr. Bowstead for years and was called 'British School' in the Reports of the Com. of Council. Now the Clergyman is anxious to have it under the inspection of the Rev. H. L. Jones, and to have it a strict Church school. The restrictions of the old endowment left towards it in the 17 century, is in favour of the present conduct of the Clergyman, but it enjoins that no payment is to be rec'd for the education of the children of the Parish so that they cannot avail themselves of the Capitation Grant. Under the effect of these changes, and of rigid adherence to Church Catechism, and Church attendance, the Dissenters, being about 9/10th of the population, began to consider what to do, and they have resolved to oppose the Clergyman, and to have either the present school on liberal principles, or to have a new school.

June 17.

Glyn Neath. This school was built by Mr. Williams of Aberpergwm some years ago, and it is now connected with the Abernant Works, under the same Company of proprietors as the Neath Abbey Works. But the room is too small for the number now in attendance, and the teaching power is not adequate to the requirement. It is to be hoped that it be put under inspection so that Pupil Teachers may be granted. Mr. Jones holds a Certificate, but he labours under great disadvantages, the Children are so young, and so numerous that it will be impossible to do much good during the present organization.

June 18.

Pont Walby. This is a very good little school considering the disadvantages. The room is small to contain 60 children. There is a project to have a new room erected. To give information on this matter was the chief object of my visit. The prospect is not so strong as yet, as we might anticipate.

June 19.

Aberavon. This school is in connection with the works of Messrs. Lewellyn, and conducted on liberal principles, although the same proprietors have three schools connected with the Church under their Management in other localities.

June 20.

Swansea. Went to see Mr. Adams (the Teacher) to arrange about Mr. Baxter's visit. But the school had broken up and was to be so a fortnight longer so I was disappointed.

(to be continued)

E. D. JONES.

The Journal of William Roberts ('Nefydd'), 1853-62

E D Jones, National Library of Wales journal Vol IX/3 Summer 1956.

Extracted onto the pages of GENUKI with the kind permission of the National Library of Wales

This is a complete extract of this article [Gareth Hicks 2002]

This fourth part of the series

- includes the Journal entries from June 1856 to November 1856, which cover his visits to places in Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire and Brecknockshire.

See the first part for links to all the other  parts

 1856

June 23.

Maesteg,---Llynvi Works. Boys' & Girls' schools.

June 24.

Maesteg,---Old Works. Boys' & Girls' Schools.

June 25.

Maesteg,---Old Works. Infant School. Visited this and returned to Aberavon this day.

June 26.

Bryncoch. This is a new project for establishing a B.S. in a district where a great number of workmen live and no school. The movement was commenced by Joshua Richd, Esq., of Neath, who is one of the best friends of education we have, a very respectable list of sub'ns, was soon obtained, among the working classes.

June 27.

Merthyr. In this town there is now a great movement in the right direction. Mr. Crawshay of Cyfarthfa Works one of whose schools was reported last year by Mr. H. L. Jones as containing only 5 out of 107 belonging to the Church (and which was printed in the pamphlet & published) are now to be on liberal principles, and 3 more added to the those making 5 in all.

August 1.

Writing letters to various parts of South Wales.

August 9.

Writing Journal for July, and other letters, &c.

August 13 & 14.

Dowlais, at the request of Mr. Baxter, in order to obtain further information respecting the schools and the Managers thereof. Respecting the Dowlais schools, the Rev. Mr. Jenkins had intimated to Mr. Baxter and myself that a change was to take place in the inspection, inasmuch as Mr. Bowstead did not make any inquiry into the religious knowledge of the scholars and charging the Teachers with neglect of the biblical instruction of the children; Mr. Baxter explained to him the nature of the duties of Mr. Bowstead as a Gov. Inspector and that our Society would be willing to make up that deficiency if the Managers would wish it. He said that they would henceforth send to the Society for inspection as well as to the Committee of Council. We were not without some fear that Canon Jenkins would ultimately decide to have National school inspection, and therefore Mr. Baxter wished me to try to glean some further information respecting the state of things there. The importance of the liberality of the system adopted in these schools and its continuance may be considered when we look at the splendid schoolrooms lately erected, and also those in course of erection at Pontgellifaelog; and when we witness that they contain from a thousand to twelve hundred and those nearly all being children of Dissenters. But I am glad to add that there is not at present the least probability of the exclusive system being adopted in these schools, because Mr. Clark the Manager is quite decided on the matter.

August 15.

Rumney. I visited this place also at the request of Mr. Baxter, in order to obtain some information connected with the position of the British and other Schools.

August 18.

Lantarnam. Visited this place at the request of the Committee. This parish is at present without a school and some of the Dissenters of the parish have commenced a strong movement on behalf of a British School; there are others very wishful to establish a National School. The Com. meeting held this evening was a very promising and zealous manifestation of the desire of the neighbourhood to have a B.S.

August 19.

Blackwood. I could not, according to my present arrangements meet Mr. Bowstead this year at but very few schools, and I wanted to see, therefore, I made it a point to meet him this week in those of my own neighbourhood. This was the first time for us to meet. I was sorry to find that this school is not progressing satisfactorily.

August 20.

Abertillery & Bryn Mawr. I accompanied Mr. Bowstead to these schools and they are progressing as well as can be expected.

August 22.

Blaina. I spent the last day for this year with Mr. Bowstead, and assisted him in his examination of Candidates and Pupil Teachers from Beaufort, Bryn Mawr, Abertillery, Risca, Blaina &c.

August 25.

Pontypridd. This week I intended visiting this place, Cymer, Dinas, Ystrad-dyfodwg, Lantrisant & Lancarfan, according to the arrangement between myself & Mr. Baxter. I found that the late Catastrophy which lately took place in this neighbourhood, the burning of 114 men in the works, engaged the attention of all, and I was informed that it would be nearly the same in the whole of the above places; therefore I felt disposed to defer my work intended this week, until I shall have visited all the other places.

August 26.

Defynog. Having been invited to this place, I had arranged to be there the following week (with the group of places connected therewith in my Programme) but in consequence of the above disappointment I came this week although was great ( sic). I arranged to have an interview with the Com. on the 27th. The state of things connected with education in this place is extraordinary. A Sir John Davis left property early in the 17th century to the poor and towards educating the children of the parish, binding them to go to church and binding the Teacher not to take any thing for doing so. In 1840 the sum of £77 is granted by the C. of C. towards building a British School here, and strange to say, this is connected [with] the property of Sir John Davis and the school was under the inspection of Mr. Bowstead. Whether this was done in a mistake or to please the Dissenters for a time, it is difficult to say. However the Dissenters enjoyed it as such without any trouble for many years, but lately the exclusive system of the National School was adopted, and the inspector of the N.S. is to be engaged, the reason assigned for all this is the nature of the bequest of Sir John Davis. How was this forgotten in 1840 is a mystery; and how will the school Com. have the Capitation Grant by not receiving any amount for teaching the children, is also a problem. But however the Dissenters (being numerous here like all other parts of Wales) have commenced a movement for having a B.S. and I think with every prospect of success. I gave them some necessary information for proceeding.

August 29.

Abertillery. Mr. Norton the Architect (from 24 Old Bond St., London) had sent a word a week ago that he would meet me here to arrange about the additional rooms, I came, and we met, and arranged to have in addition to the present school room, (which is intended for the boys), another for the girls, and another for Infants, which may also be used sometimes as a classroom.

September 3.

Writing to Mr. Dunn & Mr. Owen respecting the four young men that are to be on the Neale foundation in the Normal College in 1857, and also to the four young men, and to ten schools in S. Wales.

September 5 & 6.

Writing my Journal for Aug. and advices to the various places in Brecknockshire where I intend visiting the next fortnight.

September 8.

Crai. This place is a rural district within three miles from Devynock, where it was intended some years ago to build a Church School, and several subscriptions were obtained at that time for that purpose, but, having failed then to carry out the arrangement, the money were kept, and now it was announced that a school was to be erected without being connected with the Church, and I visited the neighbourhood to see whether such was the case, and whether I could do anything to aid such movement. I find that such is the intention of the present Committee, but that there is one very prominent deficiency in the movement, that is, the site is not to be conveyed to Trustees in the usual manner. The land is given by Penry Williams Esq. of Penpont, (a high Churchman) but not to be conveyed by a Deed to that effect, so that he or his successors may at any time it would suit his purpose turn it to be a Church school, or to any other purpose. I endeavoured to press upon the minds of some members of the Com. the propriety of receiving Gov. aid for building it, and even if they were to buy the land that it would come cheaper, and more safe for the purpose intended. However as the plans and arrangements had been completed I had no foundation to hope that a change would take place. The foundation stone is to be laid on the 15th instant.

September 9.

Pontsenny. This is [a] small village on the side of the Turnpike Road between Brecon & Trecastle, containing a population of about 300 with a considerable number of farm-houses in the neighbourhood. The people of this place did use to send their children to the Devynnock school when it was carried on as a B.S. and under the inspection of Mr. Bowstead, but since it has been changed to be a rigid Church School several of them have not done so and do not intend to do so if they can have a school of their own. Therefore I was invited to meet some of the leading men in connection with the movement, and we had a conference on the subject. I advised them to endeavour to get a site in a convenient place. All the land in the neighbourhood being property of high Churchmen they seemed rather doubtful as to their success in this matter, but they had not much doubt respecting subscriptions towards its erection, and its maintenance. I have promised to visit them soon again.

September  10.

Brecon. On my way to Talgarth from the above place I called at the school which was once the model school of the Normal College in this place. It is held in the same room as it did at that time, and under the same Master, but it has changed its character in many respects. It is now a private school, containing about 40 children (sometimes about 50, I was informed by the Master) paying each from 5/- to 18/- per quarter. The master pays £10 rent for the room to the Calv. Meth. Cong., and since the dissolution of his Committee, he had been appointed Registrar of Births & Deaths, and his wife keeps a grocer shop. Thus it is that by the School, Registrarship & Grocery business, the Master of the late Voluntary Model School of the voluntary Normal College now lives, and he is by the bye considered a very good Teacher. He does not feel inclined to try for a Certificate. I called with a few friends & ministers to inquire whether it would be likely that a meeting for establishing a B.S. with Gov. aid in Brecon would meet with some encouragement. In this I was discouraged, but I shall not leave them alone.

Talgarth. This and the following places being on the programme drawn by me and Mr. Baxter, I went thither. I found the school shut up for want of a Teacher. They are willing to give £25, with half the pence and half the Cap. Grant, which (they are ready to guarantee) will not amount to less than from £45 to £50, but we have no one for them. I wrote to Mr. Saunders, Mr. Baxter and Mr. Dunn; the Rev. D. Charles B.A. wrote to Mr. Bowstead, and no one can be found anywhere, either possessing a Certificate or willing to agree on condition to be Certificated. They would rather have one knowing the Welsh language, but would take one without that qualification. This is the state of things at Talgarth, and it is likely to continue until Xmas next.

September  11.

Hay. This old Town is without any efficient School. There is a National School, which is under inspection, where I am informed, the children of the Union are taught with the other children. There is also a school kept by Mr. Hall the Baptist Minister supported by the Gough Charity, and a private school kept by the Rev. Mr. Williams, Calvinistic Meth. Minister at the Chapel of that Denomination. Mr. Hall's school had been closed for three weeks. I visited Mr. Williams' school. There were but very few children educated in the old style. I visited several parties and from [what] I could glean I could not entertain hopes of establishing a B.S. here under present circumstances, where the Ministers are schoolmasters themselves, they would not countenance any measure that would be likely to affect their schools, nor would the leading men of their congregations.

September 12.

Builth. There is in this town a Church School, including Boys' & Girls' Schools. The Teacher of the boys is considered a good one, and has about 50 scholars. The school mistress (Miss Price) has only about 15. The children that attend Church on Sundays pay only 1d per week, but the children of Dissenters pay 6d per week thus their freedom of conscience cost them 5d per week. Complaints have been made that the Teachers pay more attention to those that pay 6d (although they are Dissenters) than to those that pay 1d and attend Church. I visited several parties, among others the Rev. Mr. Davies, Independent Minister and the Rev. David Charles Davies, M.A. the Calvin. Meth. Minister. These gentlemen seemed to think that the great difficulty in the way of establishing a good B.S. would be the obtaining of a site, because the land of the whole district is the property of high Churchmen. But there is a Wesleyan Chapel which has been shut up for years, (the congregation of that Denomination having dwindled to nothing in this town) which they think may be bought for a school. The above seem to think that about 70 or 80 children (at least) would attend a good B.S. if there was one established, and they will make inquiry as regarding the above old Chapel or another site if the Chapel cannot be obtained.

September 13.

Castlemadoc. In this little village, Capel Isaf, there is a small B.S. erected lately. Mr. Price (of Castlemadoc) was the means of moving and aiding his tenant in the establishing of this school. It had been closed for a fortnight, during the holidays at harvest time. William Rossiter from the Boro' Road is the present Master; he has about 30 scholars, and a Salary of £50. This is considered a good little [school] in a very thinly populated district. Mr. Rossiter was on a visit to his friends in England. I shall call again there ere long to see the school.

September 15.

Erwood. This is a small village with a population of about 150 or 200, with farmers all around it. There is a small school kept in a Baptist Chapel. The harvest holidays happened to be here also. I advised some of the leading men to try to establish a good British School here the same as that at Castlemadoc, but they did not seem to think that they could meet with the requirements of the C. of C. However perhaps our conversation may not fall entirely to the ground.

September 16.

Nantymynach. This is a populous little neighbourhood considering it is in [a] purely agricultural district. There are two Chapels, and a good number of members in each of them. I endeavoured to impress upon them the importance of establishing a good school, and told them all about the aid of Gov. which they could obtain. Some seemed to take the matter up very favourable and promising, others seemed to be more doubtful as to the success. I find that a considerable number of children of those farmers that can afford are sent from these rural districts to schools in large towns, where they pay very large amounts per annum for education & board. I happened to have a conversation with one near this place that pay £32 per annum at Swansea for his son. I brought this matter forward every where endeavouring to show them how much cheaper and better it would be for them to have as good education near their own doors, if a few of them would agree together to pay 17/4d (4d. per week) for each child, and a subscription of £2 or £3 each of subscriptions towards having a Certificated Schoolmaster.

September 22.

Travelled as far as Landovery on my way towards Caio

September 23.

Caio. There is a small school in this place held in a schoolroom belonging to the Church. The school is supported by all Denominations in the neighbourhood, and therefore it is as free from Churchism as British Schools, only it is held in a room belonging to the Church. The Salary of the Master is £33, which is made up by school-pence and subscriptions. I examined the higher classes in Arithmetic, Grammar, Reading, Spelling and Geography, and found them very good in Arithmetic, middling in reading and Geography, backward in Grammar, fair in Spelling. The Master is very anxious to try for a Certificate. I gave him information to prepare and caused him to have a Syl. of the subjects of this year.

September 24.

Pumpsaint. This small British school is similar to the one at Caio in every respect. The Teacher of this school, Mr. Isaac Jenkins, is one of the four young men that are to come to the Normal College, Boro' Road, on the Neale foundation.

September 25.

Landilo. This Brit. School is attached to the Independent Chapel. The schoolroom is one of the best ones in the Principality. The schoolmaster has been a Teacher at Tredegar, has been further educated at Mr. E. Davies's school, Swansea, and has passed his matriculation, in the first division, in the London University, he has an average attendance of 90 scholars. I found that there was a readiness on the part of the Master and Managers to have it under inspection. Therefore we lost no time,---I met the Managers and put the matter in course of procedure at once,---wrote to the C. of C. (knowing that Mr. Bowstead intended coming in Oct. to Ebbw Vale and Merthyr, to ask for inspection this year. And at their particular request I promised to call the following week to help them to fill the papers of the Council Office. (I called on Oct. 2nd and despatched them.)

September 26.

Cross Inn. This is a very populous neighbourhood, where there is only a Dame School. The schoolmistress (Harriet Edwards) has 70 children in school, pays £4 a year rent for the room, charges 2d, 2 1/2.d & 3d per week. The school is not connected with the Church. I have had a conference with some of the inhabitants, and they seemed to think that the prospect of having a good B.S. established is very promising. I have reason to hope that they will succeed.

Pontamman. There is a small mixed school in this place established by Wm. Morris Esq. proprietor of the Chemical Works. There are 40 children, but the young woman that is the schoolmistress is not at all adapted to the work. She is the daughter, 21 years of age, of the schoolmistress at Cross Inn. She only gets of Mr. Morris £10 a year. It is only the name of a school. I thought of seeing Mr. Morris, but he was from home, I will visit the place again, and endeavour to urge upon him the necessity of establishing a good school.

September 27.

Saron, Llandybie. This is a populous neighbourhood, and at the request of some of them I visited it with a view to establish a B.S. I had a meeting of the inhabitants, and explained to them the principles of B.S. & how they may have a good school. They seemed to think very favourably of the prospect. I shall visit them soon again to keep them alive to it.

September 29.

Cwm Ivor. This school is attached to a Baptist Chapel. The room is very good 29ft. by 18, and 11ft high, well furnished with maps &c. The average attendance last year was 75. The number now on the books 89, average attendance 8o. This was put under inspection this year. Mr. Daniel Thomas the master intends trying for a Certificate at the Boro' Road the next Christmas.

September 30.

Llangaddock. This schoolroom was built by Gov. aid in 1852. Now Mr. Bevan the Independent Minister has kept a private school in it for more than two years. There is a strong feeling in the neighbourhood that Mr. Bevan is the means of depriving the neighbourhood of a good school by engaging the room himself, after the worthy efforts of his predecessor, Mr. Williams, now of Newcastle Emlyn, to establish it.

October 1.

Pontsenny. I had visited this place on the 9th of Sep. and found the few persons with whom I had a conversation then very anxious to have a B.S. This is a small hamlet in the Parish of Devynock. I have reported before on the case of Devynock, which may be considered a peculiar case, especially when we consider that it is in Wales where the preponderance of Dissenters is so great, and in no part of Wales is it greater than in this neighbourhood.

In 1647, Sir J. Davie left some property for establishing a school and other objects, with the restriction that no payment should be recd, for teaching those children that would [be] on his foundation, and that they were to be attendants of Church (see Charity Commissioners' Report). In 1837, the inhabitants of the place being almost all Dissenters, came to an agreement with the Trustees of the above Charity to have a B.S. established, applied for aid towards having good schoolrooms erected, obtained £77 from Government in 1840. Two rooms were built for Boys' & Girls' schools, and a house for the Master. The schools have been on the reports of the Com. of C. called British Schools, until the last year. Mr. Bowstead inspected it as such in 1854, and advised that the rooms should be refitted, and some alterations made therein. That work was being carried on when Mr. Bowstead intended visiting it in 1855. £23. 6s. 8d. was rec'd towards this alteration in Sep. 1855 from the C. of C. Since that time, or about that time the Rev. T. Davies (Clergyman of the parish) caused the school to be made a Church School, and it is called on the last Report of the C. of C., 'Sir J. Davie's Endowed School'. Thus were those who had contributed towards it in 1837 deceived, and their object entirely frustrated. The Dissenters after that, made enquiries for a site about the village of Devynock to build a B.School, which they could not obtain; they afterwards thought of Pontsenny, about a mile from the above village, where there are a number of houses, and there was a dame school in 1847 when the Commissioners came through Wales. The land about here being the property of Sir C. Morgan of Tredegar Park, Monmouthshire, they applied to him, but before they had done so the Rev. T. Davies and others (the Managers of Devynock school) had sent to the Agent of Sir C. M. to request that Sir C. Morgan would not grant the site because it would injure their school at Devynock. Now the Com. of the B.S. cannot proceed for want of a site. I have visited the neighbourhood two or three times before, but I cannot assist them until they can have a site, and the owners of the land are church-men & Tories. The Dissenters are about 15 for every Churchman in the parish, which contains a population of 1969 in a purely agricultural district. I should be thankful to know if anything can be done for them,---I am persuaded that a good school would be established here if a site could be obtained.

October 2.

Landilo. According to my promise on the 25th of Sep., I came to meet the Com. and to assist them to fill up the papers of the Com. of C. and to give them further information as to how to proceed so that Mr. Bowstead may inspect the school in Nov. (as we thought then) at the same time as he would visit the schools at Merthyr, Ebbw Vale, &c. Mr. B. has since been obliged to defer his visit to Wales until the beginning of 1857. This school is likely to become a very efficient one, when under Inspection, with Pupil Teachers, &c.

October 6.

Risca. A letter from this place was awaiting my return from Carmarthenshire, wishing me to come to arrange some things with the Committee in connection with the establishment of the new Master (Mr. Merriman). This school had been very unfortunate to meet with Mr. L. Lewellyn who came two years ago from the Boro' Road, Certificated. He was a very inefficient teacher; weak, neglectful and irregular. When Mr. Baxter came to Wales in January last, he advised him to improve, and advised the Committee to let him have a further trial from that time until the summer. When Mr. Baxter came again in the summer and found the school even in a worse state than in January it was arranged for him to leave after Mr. Bowstead's visit. Mr. Bowstead's report of the school this year was such, that the school Com. could not get the Capitation grant. The Committee of Council expressed their intention to withdraw the Pupil Teacher from the school in consequence of the fittings & alterations that had been recommended not having been done. Mr. Merriman had been there a few days and found the school with 18 children. Thus were the prospects of one of the most promising schools in Wales, which has a very energetic working Committee, in a populous increasing neighbourhood, with no other good school within 2 or 3 miles of it, on the point of being blasted. The prompt & decisive measures adopted by Mr. Baxter in this case, was to me a valuable lesson, and will always be thankfully thought of by the Risca Committee. I advised them to send to the Committee of Council and to Mr. Bowstead in order to have the Pupil Teacher retained, to make an effort to meet the requirements of the C. of C. and to co-operate with Mr. Merriman to raise the school. I was glad to find as many as 52 children in the school.

October 10 &  11.

Writing letters on the business of the Society and my journal for September.

October 13.

Darren Felen. Visited this place in order to ascertain whether Mr. H. Rosser (the Master) was determined to go to the Boro' Rd in 1857 as had been arranged before. I found that illness has caused a change in his mind on the subject.

Oetober 14.

Beaufort. Visited John Richmond of this place with the same object. He is making arrangements to go to the Boro' Road. He is a young man of considerable perseverance, he has worked his way for years, under many disadvantages, with great assiduity. I hope that his progress in the Boro' Road will be satisfactory.

October 16.

Wrote letters to Messrs. Baxter, Bowstead, Owen, and to the schools to be visited the week after the next in Cardiganshire, &c.

October 20.

Blackwood. I was requested to meet the Committee to confer on the following subjects: (Ist) J. H. Dangerfield (the Master) being without a Certificate the Committee of Council object to apprenticing P.T. or to give the Capitation Grant. It was therefore arranged that he should leave as soon as the Committee can engage a Certificated Teacher. The Committee wished me to recommend one to them.

(2nd) They had been refitting the room, and wanted assistance to fill their papers to the Committee of Council.

October 21.

Mynyddislwyn. This small school, (as well as the one at Blackwood) is supported by farmers and labourers employed in agricultural pursuits almost entirely. The exceptions are a few small Collieries, that are within reach, and four or five Tradesmen; hence the weakness, and inefficiency, with which they have hitherto been carried on, the Committees of both not being able to meet the requirements of the Committee of Council in engaging Certificated Masters. The Committee at Blackwood seem to take the matter up with spirit, and promise to act with renewed vigour, but the Committee of this school, although desirous of availing themselves of the aid of the Committee of Council, is not so ready and awakened to the interest of the school, either from being unable or unwilling to subscribe towards making up the salary of a Certificated Master.

October 22.

Writing to Messrs. Dunn, Baxter, Bowstead, Wilks, &c. &c.

October 23.

Blaina. Mr. Jones of this school having given notice that he is going to the Hibernian B.S. L'pool, instead of Mr. Davies who is engaged by the Society, it became necessary that we should advertise for a Master & Mistress for the Blaina school. We therefore held two meetings this day, and it was arranged to send to the Boro' Road,---print circulars,---advertise in 9 or 10 papers, and to send to all friends. It was also arranged to have another infant school built in another part of Blaina, in the course of the summer.

October 25.

Teachers' Meeting. Several of the Teachers of this neighbourhood met to consider of some arrangements to show some respect to Mr. Jones of Blaina before he leaves, and to hold a conversation on various subjects. I was invited to be with them.

October 27 & 28.

Risca. By this time Mr. Bowstead had taken the matter in hand to restore the Pupil Teacher to this school, and in so doing, he had had a most severe skirmish with some of the Officers of the Committee of Council, and he requested me to go to Risca, and advise them to act promptly & vigourously in connection with the alterations, refittings, &c. I found the Committee quite ready to comply with Mr. Bowstead's arrangements. We held meetings on Monday & Tuesday evenings, the first, that I should lay the matter before them,---I went on the Tuesday morning to Newport expecting to meet Mr. Dunn who was announced to be at the opening of the B.S. I had the pleasure of seeing upwards of 8o children in Risca School. The Committee felt cheerful, and much pleased with the new master.

October 29.

Travelled home from Risca, and part of the way towards Carmarthenshire.

October 30.

Newcastle-Emlyn. When Mr. Baxter & I were in this place in the summer we found several influential parties very anxious to establish a B.S. there. The Rev. T. Thomas and his relatives, being respectable & influential, took the lead, but since that time the eldest daughter of Mr. Thomas was taken ill, suffered severely for some months and died a few days ago. This was the cause of the delay in this town. As soon as convenient they will proceed.

October 31.

Glynarthen. This small school has been established some years ago, where the few children are taught reading, writing, arithmetic tolerably. I was rather surprised to see some children working Euclid, that could not very well work the spelling-book---no maps in the school,---but very few ragged books,---no teaching of Geography,---no questioning on any subject,---no collective lessons,---each had a different book to his fellow and each had a lesson by himself, or herself. The Master (T. Davies), had some training at Swansea and seemed to be anxious for doing his best, but did not seem to be on the way to do it. It seems that the Committee of this School have an objection to Government aid in Eductaion.

November 1.

Newgate. This school is sometimes called Hawen school, because it is in the neighbourhood of an Independent Chapel of that name. It has been opened for 7 years, and had a grant of books from the Society. Mr. Thos Davies that is now at Glyn Arthen has been here 3 years, afterwards David Jones was here upwards of 4 yrs. He was guaranteed £15, and to teach 15 to 18 poor children chosen by the Committee, and to take his chance with the rest. He has left some months ago, in order to go to the Boro' Road to qualify himself.

The managers of this school are willing to make an effort if they can re-establish it in connection with Government aid. The room is a good one, if it was refitted and furnished with books & maps. I could not see one hook that had a beginning or an end. I have promised to visit the place soon again, to have a public meeting in order to try to have the neighbourhood to co-operate to have a good school under inspection.

November 3.

Penmorfa. When Mr. Owen came with me through South Wales, we visited this place and (as we then thought) paved the way for a schoolroom to be built very soon. After that the Clergyman of the parish proposed to build a Church school on liberal principles. The friends at Penmorfa agreed to abandon their own and to co-operate with the Clergyman. However, after waiting a long time, they found that he would not proceed, and therefore they built their own room, which was opened in September last.

November 4.

Blaenannerch. This was also one of the places visited by Mr. Owen & myself. The school was lately kept by a young man, a Student from Bala, as a help towards his living as an assistant minister. But lately he removed to Llandysul, and now there is no school.

Penypark. This is an agricultural neighbourhood 3 or 4 miles from Cardigan. There is an old established congregation of Baptists and some of them are inclined to establish a school. It is supposed that from 30 to 40 children are in the neighbourhood without any education because other schools are too far, they are too poor to be sent---and that there are about 20 others sent from home who would rather have a good school in the neighbourhood. I gave them the required information to proceed, hoping that they will succeed.

November 5.

Cardigan. I visited this town being in the neighbourhood, for the following purposes. (1st) To see Mr. J. Jones the teacher of the British School who is to be one of those that are to be on the Neale foundation in the Boro' Road in 1857, in order to make arrangements with him,............. (continued)

E D Jones, National Library of Wales journal Vol IX/4 Winter 1956.

Extracted onto the pages of GENUKI with the kind permission of the National Library of Wales

This is a complete extract of this article [Gareth Hicks 2002]

This fifth part of the series

-includes the Journal entries from November 1856 to May 1857, which cover his visits to places in Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire, Pembrokeshire and Brecknockshire.

See the first part for links to all the other  parts

1856

(continued)

(November 5.

Cardigan. I visited this town being in the neighbourhood, for the following purposes. (1st) To see Mr. J. Jones the teacher of the British School who is to be one of those that are to be on the Neale foundation in the Boro' Road in 1857, in order to make arrangements with him, ) [ Repeated from previous part]

(2 ly) To know how will the Committee proceed afterwards, respecting engaging a schoolmaster, whether from the Borough Road or elsewhere? If from the B.R., to know what salary they intend giving. The matter will be settled in the next Committee.

(3 ly) To see how the school comes on, what progress is made, the number on the books, &c. I was glad to find that there is a steady increase of number, and that the school is otherwise progressing as fast as may be expected, taking all things into consideration.

November 6.

Llechryd. Visited this place (1st) in order to see the young man, Mr. Roberts, that has applied for admission to the Borough Road. I am happy to find that his master (Mr. Hughes) thinks very highly of him, as being adapted for the work.

(2ly) To see if the Managers do not feel inclined to put this school under inspection. I was very much pleased to find that there is a desire to do so at present, and I think it will be the case as soon as convenient.

November 7.

Llanddausaint. This is a parish in a very mountainous district of Carmarthenshire, containing a population of 1006. There is no school of any sort within a reasonable distance. There is a Calvinistic Methodist congregation, which was established in the last century; some of the leaders of that congregation are very desirous of having a British School established there. I gave them every assistance in the shape of advice & information to proceed.

November 11& 12.

Blaina. Spent the chief parts of these days in reading the great number of applications received for the offices of master & mistress of Blaina School, searching the reports of the Committee of Council to see if they were certified and searching for the opinions of H.M.I. of the schools under their care. Strange to say that the applicants were almost all of them from National Schools in various parts of the Kingdom. We arranged in our last meeting on the 12th to renew the advertising, stating the amount of Salary, &c.

November 13.

Writing letters on that acct to Messrs. Baxter, Dnnn, Bowstead, Saunders, Phillips, Morell, Wilks, &c. &c.

P.S.---I spent the latter part of this month in North Wales burying my old Tutor, Rev. J. Williams, late of Newtown.

December 1.

Blaina. We had a meeting to look over the applications from schoolmasters & schoolmistresses. It was resolved, after reading them, to choose a few out of the whole who were the more likely persons to do for our schools, and to make inquiries of the Inspectors of the Society and the inspectors of the Government, and other gentlemen, in order to get all the information that we could glean about them, and to meet again on the following Monday.

December 8.

Blaina. According to the above arrangement on the 1st instant, the Committee of this school met to consider the applications, testimonials, and all the letters containing information respecting the applicants. The number of applications laid aside as being inefficient, without Certificates, &c. on the 1st was near 40, and seven selected (5 males, and 2 females) to make further inquiries about them. By this time twelve more applications had been received. F. Levick, Esq. requested me particularly as one that had taken interest in these schools from the commencement, and as the Agent of the British & Foreign Schools Society for this district, with all the information of the Blue Books at hand, to draw a full report of the merits of all those applicants from all the sources of information that I could obtain, this being an important crisis connected with these schools where about 4,000 children have received more of less education during the last 11 years, and the number increasing continually.

December 9-10.

In accordance with Mr. Levick's request I collected from the reports of the Committee of Council, from letters I had received from Messrs. Bowstead, Morell, Baxter, Wilks, Saunders & Griffiths (of L'pool), and from the testimonials, as fair and full a report as I could prepare.

December 11.

The Committee met this day to look over my report and it was resolved to appoint Mr. Dugdale of Red Cross St. British School, Bristol, and Mrs. Kovachich of the Hibernian British School, Liverpool, as master and mistress of our schools.

Three-fourths of our 50 or 52 applicants were from National schoolmasters & mistresses.

December 12.

The Committee met today to consider the necessity of some improvements connected with the house, schoolrooms, and play-ground, to be done during the holidays, and to build an additional house, so that the Master and Mistress may have a house each, in addition to the house of the Mistress of the Infant School (Miss Tozer).

December 13

Having sent, as soon as he was appointed, to ask Mr. Dugdale to meet the Committee this day, we met accordingly. We arranged to open the schools with the new Master & Mistress on the first Monday in January.

December 15.

Tongwynlais. Having been given to understand that William Prosser, who had been keeping schools at Bryn Amman in Carmarthenshire, and Lantwit Major in Glamorganshire for years, was about to take a large club room connected with a public house in this place, in order to establish a private school, I made it a point to persuade him to go to the Boro' Rd. to be qualified to take a good school, under inspection. I was aware that he had been very successful in the above small schools and that he had left the work, after being married, because his salary was too small, and had taken the management of a shop, but not being pleased with that work as much as in keeping a school, I thought it a good opportunity to prevail upon him to apply to Boro' Rd.
I am glad to find that he has been admitted and is preparing to go to London, Jan. 13th.

December 16.

Taff's Well. This is a populous district near the Works of T. W. Booker Esq. (M.P. for Herefordshire) at Pentyrch. There is no school near, excepting a dame school about a mile off, and a small inferior Church school about a mile and a half off. I had a conference with some of the leading men of the place, and they seemed to think that a school is greatly wanted and that no school will do for the place but a British School, because all the inhabitants are members and hearers at the Dissenting Chapels. They will inquire for a site, and send to me a for a second visit as soon as they can secure ground,

December 17.

Blackwood. The schoolmaster (J. H. Dangerfield) having left, I visited the place in order to persuade the Committee to apply to the Boro Rd to Jas Griffiths from Llanelly. They informed me that they would call a meeting of the Com. as soon as possible, and afterwards send to the Boro' Rd.#

#The Com. afterwards met, and they resolved to send to me, that I might send to Griffiths. I did so. But during this negotiation Beaufort British School was about to become vacant, by J. Richmond leaving for Borough Road and Griffiths settled to go to Beaufort. Therefore, Blackwood is now at a stand for want of a Master. Others are so---Penmorfa, Newgate Nr. Hawen, Talgarth, &c. &c.

December 18.

Maesycwmwr. This is a very populous neighbourhood, chiefly on acct of its being a conjunction of three Railways, The Rumney & Newport, the Rumney & Cardiff, and the Loop Line (Pontypool to Aberdare) Railways. There is no school, excepting a small church school which is held in an old dwelling house about a mile off, where about 60 children are huddled together where about 25 or 30 ought to be. The leading men of the place are very anxious to have a good school established here, but they seem to have some fears about the possibility of having a freehold site.

Pontaberbargod. This neighbourhood is within about 3 miles of the above, and is similarly situated as to the want of a school. There is a strong desire to act, if they could have a site. The greatest difficulties throughout my district arise because the land is the property of gentlemen belonging to the Church of England and those generally of the Tories, and high Church party.

December 23.

Blaina. We had a public meeting to present Mr. & Mrs. Jones with a testimonial, towards which the parents subscribed £16. It was a very interesting meeting.

December 24.

Pontypridd. I had visited this place on the 18th of Dec. 1855, and found the leading men very backward in taking up the idea of the importance and necessity of establishing a school amidst a population of from 4000 to 5000. They thought also that it would be impossible to have a site. But in a few weeks after my visit there was a move,---promises were made, &c. One gentleman promised £20, and others according to their means. But they found some difficulty to have a site, and the matter was then dropped. About three months ago the Rev. Mr. Osborne (Wesleyan Minister) moved towards having a Wesleyan School built on the ground attached to their Chapel, and obtained the promises that were formerly made for a British School towards the said erection, and a room 40 ft. by 20, with a classroom are nearly ready, and a young man from the Wesleyan institution is engaged. It is to be opened early in January. I hope it will stimulate the others to have a British School; there is room for both.

Trefforest. This place is near Pontypridd and the population is just the same, but the prospect of increasing is much more at Trefforest. This will be one of the most important districts in South Wales ere long. The chain works of Messrs. Brown Lennox & Co. at Pontypridd, though large and important, are not likely to increase, nor the Collieries of the neighbourhood; but in addition to the Works of Messrs. Fothergill at Trefforest, those of F. Crawshay, Esq., are now in course of being greatly extended. Three new furnaces are now in course of erection. Probably the population of Trefforest about the next census will be from 7,000 to 8,000. There is no public school in the place, and only a few private ones. A National School is now in course of being erected, but the inhabitants are almost all Dissenters, and it is the firm belief of even the friends of the Church that it must prove a failure if a British School is established there.

I had two or three conferences with the most influential men in the place. They seemed to think that my visit was just at the very time it was wanted, thinking it so providential they were very thankful for the information their case required. From the aspect of things here, I expect that something will be done very soon. The only thing they seemed to hesitate about here, as elsewhere, was the ground, but they resolved to work quietly until they could secure that.

December 26.

Rhydfelen. This place has a population of about 1,000 or 1,200. There are two Chapels, but no school of any sort excepting Sunday Schools. I knew that the Independent Minister, who has by far the largest congregation in this place, was some years ago against Government aid, and it struck me that it would be difficult to have a school erected here without it. I asked him the question, and was very glad to hear his confession  'I was so some time ago, but I am not so now, I find that we want even double aid in Wales if we can get it, and I think that we must have it too'. I was led to hope that the result of my visit to this place, and the conversations we have had, will prove eventually satisfactory.

December 31.

Beaufort. The British School in this place may be considered in almost a peculiar position. It was established about 7 years ago, when the 'great bubble' as Mr. Dunn called the voluntary movement, with the Normal College, &c. in Wales. A room was built on a site attached to a Wesleyan Chapel by subscriptions, with an understanding that it should be for the public use gratis. But in a few years the Trustees charged £3 per annum of rent for the room. That gave such an offence to some of those who were on the Committee that 'they would not do anything in connection with the school as long as it would be held in that room'. But the other portion of the Committee saw that there was no other room to hold it in. This, however, disorganised the original Committee, and greatly discouraged the members remaining thereon. About three years ago Dr. Bevan took a room in the place and established a Church School. The Dr soon found his mistake, and he saw that his Infants' School, which was under the care of a Mistress, would be nearly empty as long as it was a Church School. He changed its character, and put it under the inspection of Mr. Bowstead, with an intention of erecting a British School with Government aid. In this form, it became a formidable opposition to the British School; and about 12 months ago the Committee discontinued its operations, and it was dissolved. Several of the leading men offered to co-operate with Dr. Bevan in order to have a good school established. The Dr. would have no co-operation with Dissenters, and would persist in keeping the management of his school entirely in his own hand and call it 'Dr. Bevan's school'. The Dissenters on the other hand had not much confidence in the Dr. who is a zealous, and conscientious Churchman, and who went himself from house to house, and sent notes to others, to ask the parents of his scholars, if they would allow their children to go to Church on Good Friday. They (Dissenters) thought that even if the school would be erected as a British School, that he and the other Trustees would change its character to be a National School when it would suit his convenience as they did lately at Defynog (see my Journal Oct. ). Therefore they advised J. Richmond, the schoolmaster, to continue, and aided him a little in his operations. And although Dr. Bevan's room# was full, J. Richmond's was full also.

Great credit is due to J. Richmond for keeping on for many years this school under a great many disadvantages, and giving much satisfaction to parents and others, notwithstanding his inferiority in point of education. He (Richmond), being about to go to the Boro Rd., felt anxious himself as to the continuance of his school, and so did several of the old Committee. We therefore succeeded in forming a new Committee and invited Jas Griffiths of Lanelly, who has lately come from the Boro Rd., to succeed J. Richmond.##

#He has not yet erected the new school-room.

##Jas Griffith came on the 6th to see the place, and we settled on the 7th that he is to commence at Beaufort Jan. 19.

1857

January 1.

Writing to the young men that were preparing to go to the Boro' Road College, and also to Mr. Wilks and Mr. Owen respecting them.

January 5.

Blaina. This was the day appointed for the opening of these schools under the charge of the new Teachers (Mr. W. Dugdale and Mrs. E. Kovachich), a number of parents attended. Mr. Levick (proprietor and manager of the Works) introduced the new Master to the scholars in the boys' school, and made some excellent remarks on the value of education. I had afterwards to address the scholars and pupil Teachers. The same was done at the Girls' school, the parents, teachers, and children were addressed by other Ministers. The meeting was interesting.

January 7.

Beaufort. Visited this place according to previous arrangement, to meet the Com. and Mr. James Griffiths (from Boro' Road) the new Teacher that I had proposed to them. The young man came from Carmarthenshire to see the place and to have an idea of the prospects &c. It was arranged that J. Griffiths should commence his work at Beaufort B. School on the 19th. (We had also under consideration the necessity of building a good schoolroom to contain from 250 to 300 children. This, I think, will be done in the course of the summer.#)

#cancelled.

January 8.

Dowlais. Having been given to understand in the month of Novr last that Canon Jenkins succeeded to bring Church principles to bear much on these schools, that that caused much dissatisfaction among Dissenters in this place, and that this was not done in accordance with the will of Mr. Clark (the Manager), I wrote to Mr. Bowstead, knowing he was on very friendly terms with Mr. C., stating the facts that Miss Oliver taught the Church Catechism and that she showed much more favour to those of her scholars and teachers that attended Church than to the others, asking him whether he could do anything to counteract this evil in these excellent schools. Mr. Bowstead sent to me in Dec. stating that he must not take a prominent part in the matter, in so doing he would not be backed by the Committee of Council but what he could do in a private and friendly manner with Mr. Clark he would when he would meet him; but the best plan would be for me to see the Dissenting Ministers and when they have collected a few facts together to relate them to Mr. Clark frankly and fully. This was the object of my present visit, I met some of the leading men and found that what I had heard to be true respecting the Church pressure especially in the Girls' school, the dissatisfaction of Dissenters, &c. (and to my great joy) I found that all this was contrary to Mr. Clark's wish. Mr. Clark had lately invited the whole of the Dissenting Ministers of the place (about 15 in number) and addressed them inviting their 'cooperation in making the schools efficient by visiting them, and taking interest in them, in fact by making, and considering them their own; that Mr. Jenkins (Canon) had nothing more to do there than one of them, &c. This would have been a good opportunity for them to bring forward the above facts but they did not then feel prepared to enter into those matters. They were very thankful to me for my visit and information. The leading men have had a meeting since, where they formally voted thanks to me for the assistance above mentioned, wishing me also to give them further aid to carry out their object, of placing the Dowlais Schools on such foundation that no Church coercion, or wrong bias, shall be exercised therein.

January 14.

Writing to various schools and Teachers in South Wales and also to Messrs. Owen, Saunders, Fitch, Wilks, and Bradford, in London.

January 15.

Blackwood. I had recommended Mr. J. Griffiths to this Committee but when Beaufort and Blackwood were offered to him, he chose the first as being the more populous district and this Committee was therefore disappointed, and I am sorry to say that this is now one of the many places where we have no teachers to offer. The object of my visit was to inform them that their slowness and apathy in carrying on their correspondence with J. Griffiths when he was in the Boro' Road caused them to lose him, and to propose to them that they should agree with an old Independent Minister who is a good scholar and willing to supply the place until we can supply them with a Certificated Teacher. It was so arranged. He is to commence there on the 26th instant. The salary this Committee will offer when a Certificated Teacher can be found will be £45, a good house and plenty of coal independent of Government aid.

January 16.

Beaufort. The schoolroom in this place being small and inconvenient, it was supposed although the Duke of Beaufort would not grant or sell freehold site, that with a little additional expense suitable rooms could be made under the Independent Chapel that is to be erected this summer; rooms that will contain 250 or 300 children. I attended at the request of the Committee to assist them in coming to an arrangement in this matter and I am glad to be able to add that such schoolrooms will be erected this year, and a clause is to be in the Deed that they shall be used for unsectarian education.

January 19.

Newbridge (Radnorshire). I was given to understand by a letter from the Rev. Mr. Morgan, Errwd, that there was a strong desire to have a British School established in this place, and that they would be very thankful for information as to how to proceed, with Government aid, &c. I lost as little time as possible in complying. I gave them the necessary information to secure a freehold site, &c., and promised to visit them again as soon as they shall succeed in getting land, &c.

January 20.

Pontsenny. My journal of Oct. the 1st contains detailed accounts of this place, its connection with Defynnock, the change of the Devynnock school from being a British School to be a National School, the opposition of the Managers of the Devynnock School to this Committee with Sir C. Morgan M.P. respecting the site, &c. I am glad now to be able to say that Sir C. Morgan has given the Committee a promise of a site. Now they are about to establish a British School in a room until the new schoolroom will be ready. It is expected to be ready in the course of this summer. This is another place in want of a Certificated master.

January 26.

Pontyrystrad. Visited this and the following places in accordance with the arrangement made between myself and Mr. Baxter. There is a Dame school in this place with about 60 children, held in an old Cottage. This is under the management of Mr. Thomas of Ystrad; he is now building a new Church in this neighbourhood, and a new schoolroom is to be erected near it when this dame school will probably be established in a more efficient form. I do not see any prospect of establishing a British School in this place, although the Dissenters are very numerous here.

January 27.

Quakers Yard. This place has taken its name from an old burying ground given in the time of Charles II by a Lady called Lydia Fell of Cefn y Fforest. This and a place called Berth Lwyd in the same neighbourhood, contain a population of about 700 or 800, and there is no school of any sort within reach. I met with some of the heads of families. They would be glad to have a good school, but they do not seem to think that they would be able to undertake such a 'great work', as they considered it. Some good may have been done here, at least I hope so.

February 2.

Blaenrhondda. Pursuing my exploring visits as arranged between myself and Mr. Baxter, I came to this neighbourhood. I find that above three hundred men are engaged here by the Great Western Coal Co.; their children are very numerous. There is a Church School within reach, but the inhabitants being Dissenters, very few of them feel inclined to avail themselves of its advantages, clogged as they are with Churchism. I consulted some of the leading men and found that there is a strong desire to have a British School established. Some of them were afraid of the undertaking being too much for them.

February 3.

Cymer. This is the place where 114 men were killed by the terrible explosion that took place in the last summer. There are about 450 workmen altogether in these Collieries. A small school has been established as an experiment in order to see how it would be appreciated. It is more immediately in connection with Mr. Insole's Collieries. The Schoolmaster, Mr. Tho. John, has had no training, nor is he capable of working a school, or teaching properly even the most common rudiments of education. It is therefore no wonder that such a school is not appreciated. I had a conference with some of the most influential men in the place, and found a strong desire to have a good school. I gave them all the necessary directions to proceed, and promised them any assistance that they would require in their future movements after a site is fixed upon, and other preliminary operations.

February 4.

Ystrad-dyfodwg. This place is similarly situated to Blaenrhondda with about double the population of that place, and with no sort of school. It has sprung into note during the last few years by the opening of new Collieries, after the Rhondda Valley Railway was completed. I did not meet with the encouragement and prospects I anticipated here, but I had a good opportunity of laying the case before some of the leading men of the neighbourhood, and I have only to hope for success.

February 9 & 10.

Blaenffos (Pembrokeshire). This was one of the places fixed upon when I was with Mr. Baxter. There has been a school from time to time in this place in connection with the Baptist Chapel. The room in which it was held was inconveniently small and low. I found in the place a strong desire to have a good school, but some objected to the receiving of Government aid, but still they did not see their way clear to do without Government aid. This presented a difficulty which they must settle among themselves. I think that the pro-government aid party will prevail. This is a rural and agricultural district without a school for miles around.

February 11.

Star (Pembrokeshire). This is a neighbourhood similar to that of Blaenffos. There is not a school of any value for about six miles round, and although a strong desire for one is there to be found, yet the money towards building and maintaining a school among a few poor farmers is a very difficult matter. I pointed out to them the advantages offered by the Committee of Council and I have some grounds to hope that they will proceed to build with Government aid.

February 13.

Darren Felen (Brecknockshire). I had visited this place during the last summer and found about 120 children in a room much too small. It was a small Chapel. I pointed out the necessity and practicability of building a schoolroom, and putting the school under inspection. The matter was from time to time discussed by the Committee (which consists entirely of working men) and I was now invited to give some further information as to the details of such procedure. I was thankfully received, and found a very strong and general desire to improve the school by putting it under inspection as soon as possible. It was also arranged to make inquiries about a site for building a school-house and a residence for the Master.

N.B.---The remainder of this month I spent in Liverpool at the request of the Committee of the Pontypool College getting donations towards the extension of the building.

March 9 & 10.

Abertillery. After the new list of Certificated Masters and Mistresses was published by the Committee of Council Mr. Bowstead sent to me a letter requesting that I should endeavour to advise those who had been unsuccessful not to stand in the way of the progress of the schools, at the same time informing them of his (Mr. B.'s) wishes respecting them. On the 9th there was a Tea party at these British schools. The object of the Tea party was to draw the children and parents together so that after Tea (which was given by a respectable person in the neighbourhood) the principles of British Schools might be explained, as being the only schools adapted for all Denominations of Xtians to cooperate in carrying on the great work of education. Sir Thos. Phillips's National School was opened in January, every effort was made to draw the children from the British Schools to the National School by the Curate and others. Sir Thomas Phillips had given orders in his own Colliery that his workmen must pay a percentage of their wages towards supporting the National School whether they would send their children there or not. Through the efforts and influence of the Committee of the British Schools the workmen in Sir Thomas's Colliery stood out altogether, and refused to be bound in that manner to support the National School.

March 11 & 12.

Beaufort. Mr. Bowstead desired me to try to persuade Mr. Jas. Griffiths to go to Maesteg, Glamorgan, instead of Mr. Protheroe because that school is under inspection, and the Beaufort School is not, nor is it likely to be so in consequence of the schoolroom which is to be built being under or connected with a Chapel. I found that the Committee prevailed with Griffiths to remain and that they are ready to promise him £80 without Government aid if the school cannot be put under inspection, but that they will endeavour to build such schoolroom as will be passable by the Inspectors and the Committee of Council. At all events the Committee was prepared to make an extra effort in order to keep Griffiths. Seeing that I had no other Certificated Teacher to offer at Maesteg, instead of Mr. Protheroe, I thought it of no use for me to go there. I therefore returned home on the 12th.

March 16 & 17.

Aberdare. This school also is likely to be thrown backwards in consequence of J. Anthony the Master not being Certificated. He had promised Mr. Bowstead in August last, to go to London to try for a Certificate in December, but he did not go. He has had Pupil Teachers and Capitation grant for yeats, and has from time to time promised to try either for Registration or a Certificate, but this year all Government aid will be withdrawn from this School in consequence of his not fulfilling his promise. I wanted to know the intention of himself and the Committee. I am sorry to find that Mr. Anthony intends leaving if the School will not be carried on without Government aid. I find also that some of the Committee are inclined to abandon Government aid altogether, so that the School, if such will be the case, will suffer greatly. In fact, it will be an effectual way of handing over the bulk of the children to the national school. I could get no satisfaction at present; I intend visiting this place again as soon as I can.

March 18.

Writing to Messrs. Baxter, Bowstead, and Owen, London and to various parts of South Wales.

March 19 & 20.

Beaufort. I was requested [to visit] this place again to assist on the following points.

(1) I was informed by J. Richmond that some of his old friends of the various Denominations in the place wanted him to recommence keeping a school, and that he was on the point of yielding to their entreaties. I am glad that I succeeded in persuading him to abandon the idea, and to seek another situation. I am happy to find that by this time (April 10) he is a Clerk in a Machine at Dowlais Works.

(2) There was some disagreement among the Committee as regarding the new School-room. The Independents being the strongest Denomination in the place thought of building the room in connection with their Chapel, the other Denominations were not willing to co-operate with them unless a conveyance of the property to Trustees of the various Denominations be effected, so that one Denomination should not have all the power of controlling, managing, &c. I could not assist them in this matter but I think that the end of it will be their fixing on another piece of ground.

March 23.

Blackwood. Mr. J. H. Dangerfield the Master that was here, left in December last, and because they could get no one, they engaged in January an old Minister, who was not acquainted with the system of B. teaching. He had left this week, so that this excellent schoolroom, with a good house attached are now shut up for want of a Teacher. This is still our great want. We want now eight or nine, and we shall want more before the end of this year. Our harvest is great, but the labourers are few.

March 24.

Penmain. This is an agricultural district, a small school had been built here near an Independent Chapel about eight years ago, at the time of the voluntary movement in South Wales. But they became unable to continue the salary of the Master in about 2 or 3 years, and the room has been shut ever since. I hope that I have succeeded in moving a reopening of it. I can scarcely expect it to be under inspection because the terms of the Committee of Council are too high to meet the requirements of such places as these.

March 30.

Risca. Mr. Bowstead wished me to urge the Committee of this school to proceed with the building as soon as possible. I was very glad to find more than a hundred children where Mr. Merriman found from 40 to 50. The appearance of the school is pleasing as to the order, &c., considering the shortness of time since Mr. Merriman has been established there, and the teaching power being also inadequate to the requirements, and one pupil Teacher. Mr. Merriman has no Candidate fit to be examined to be a Pupil Teacher in August. The Committee will proceed &c.

April.

During the first nine days of this month I was unable to attend to my duties in consequence of a severe cold I had.

April 10 & 11.

Writing my Journal for March and other letters on educational matters.

April 13.

Devynnock. In my journal for January I stated that the Committee of Pontsenny School had obtained a promise of a site of the Agent of Sir Charles Morgan, but I am sorry to say that this promise in consequence of the opposition of the managers of the National School at Devynnock (about a mile from Pontsenny) has been recalled [and that] the above Agent will not certify that the ground is to be had. The Committee when they found that out, endeavoured to obtain a piece of land somewhere in the neighbourhood, and have succeeded with much difficulty to buy one in the village of Devynnock. They wanted therefore to know how to proceed. I advised them first of all to secure the land by a conveyance Deed for fear some influence would be brought to bear against their having it, especially as it is near the National School of Devynnock. And afterwards to apply to the Committee of Council as soon as possible, and also to establish a temporary school until the new erection will be available. I expect that the promoters of the British School in this place shall have a struggle similar to those of Abertillery or Llangefni.

April 15.

Troedyrhiw. This is a very populous neighbourhood near Pentrebach Works in Glamorganshire. There is no school. Mr. Hill, the Manager of the Works at Pentrebach (who is very high Tory in Politics) has established a collection towards a National School. I am informed that upwards of £300 is already promised. The Dissenters are very numerous in the place but they are afraid of offending Mr. Hill, therefore there are no prospects of having a British School there.

April 16.

Aberaman. This place which I had visited about twelve or eighteen months ago was then without prospects bnt now a Committee is formed, they have met several times, and have sent to me requesting my assistance as regarding the mode of proceeding, of obtaining Government aid &c. I was very glad to notice, that those who were formerly thinking it impossible for them to have a school at Aberaman, had changed to say 'we must have it'. I directed them as usual to secure a freehold site in the first instance, and then to apply to the Committee of Council. The population in this place is considered to be from 3000 to 4000, eleven-twelfths of which are Dissenters. Mr. Crawshay Bailey, M.P., the proprietor of the Works, it is feared, will do nothing for them.

April 17.

Llanilltyd-faerdref. This is an agricultural district containing a population of 800 to 1000, (without reckoning the outskirts of the Parish, containing the populous neighbourhood of the works of Trefforest and Pontypridd. There is no school of any importance in the whole district. There are several parties very anxious to have one, but the obstacles seem to be, in their view, too great. I could not succeed in convincing them of the practicability of the advantages offered by the Committee of Council and its adaptation in their case. However, they may think otherwise at another time, as they have done at the above place (Aberaman).

April 20.

Briery Hill. This place is in the neighbourhood of Ebbw Vale. Several of the inhabitants had taken into consideration the strong Church influence exercised in the schools connected with the Ebbw Vale Works. Some of them thought of having a British School established on the Briery hill. I was requested to give an advice in the case and to assist them to come to a conclusion. My advice was, to let the matter remain until Mr. Baxter would visit the schools at Ebbw Vale, and as the Schools were now in course of being changed and had been put under the inspection of Mr. Bowstead the British Schools Inspector, that Mr. Baxter and Mr. Bowstead would see to the liberal principles being properly and fully carried out in these schools, notwithstanding their past adherence to church principles, and the anxiety of the Clergyman and a few others to continue so. The matter will be in abeyance until Mr. Baxter will be in Wales.

April 21.

Blackwood. They are still in want of a Teacher in this school, and they wanted information as to the consequence of their taking an uncertificated one. They have invited Mr. J. Davies of Dolau School in Radnorshire to take the charge of the school. Mr. Davies intends preparing himself for the next Xmas examination. The Rev. J. Thomas a Minister of a neighbouring Chapel has voluntarily undertaken the charge of the school until Mr. Davies can make it convenient to be in there.

I advised them to endeavour to have Mr. Davies before Mr. Bowstead comes in August in order to have a Pupil Teacher and other Government aids for the efficient working of the school. The alterations are completed in the schoolroom. There is a good house, schoolroom, and playground. The neighbourhood is populous.

April 22.

Pontaberbargoed. This neighbourhood which is rapidly increasing in population is still without a school. But I am glad to find that there is now a movement in the right direction. They have had a few meetings, and they are now proceeding in their inquiry for a site. This is supposed to be a difficult point, as is the case in most parts of Wales, because the owners of the soil are almost all of them, Churchmen of the old Tory stamp, and the inhabitants generally are Dissenters. As soon as this Committee has succeeded in obtaining the ground I have promised to visit the place, and to deliver a lecture on education.

April 27.

I had an opportunity of spending this day with the Rev. John Phillips of Bangor, who visited Monmouthshire. We had conversations upon various subjects connected with schools, Normal College, and other educational movements in North and South Wales.

May 4.

Neath. Visited this town and British School with a view of making arrangements about Mr. Baxter's intended visit. I found the school very orderly as usual under the able management of Miss Evans.

This Committee has more in prospect than establishing the present school, which is only what may be called an Infant School (containing 130 girls and 54 boys) established preparatory to the erection of Boys' and Girls' Schools.

The ground bought at first is sufficient to build Boys', Girls', and Infants' Schools, and the Committee had this in view when it was bought. The buildings contemplated have been kept in abeyance now for nearly three years, because some of the members of the Committee were against Government aid. They all agreed notwithstanding that they could not proceed without it, after having collected at first about £500 to buy the land and to erect the present room. At last they agreed to apply for Government aid towards the erections which are to cost about £900. The Committee of Council has promised them £698 towards the above £900, the value of the ground, &c. The contract has been taken, and the work has now been commenced. The second Anniversary is to be on the 15th of May.

P.S.---I now (June 5th) enclose a Report of the above Schools for last year, which shows more fully the state of things connected with them.

May 5.

Swansea. Visited the Boys' School in this Town to make arrangements about Mr. Baxter's visit. Mr. Adams is very anxious to have a public examination when Mr. Baxter comes. This is one of the most important schools in this district as regarding its number of scholars [and] as to the efficiency of education in it. Mr. Hammett the old master that was there for about 30 years who lately died has kept it very backward but now under the care of Mr. Adams it is progressing rapidly. At the request of the master I examined some of the classes in Grammar, Biblical information, &c., and found much improvement in them since I had been there before. Seeing that Mr. Baxter's visit is so near I do not intend to examine it with a view to be reported. Mr. Adams desires to know as soon as possible the time Mr. Baxter will favour them with a visit in order to prepare for the examination.

May 7.

Neath Abbey. I visited these schools at the request of the Teachers and Managers in order to conduct a public examination. We had a great number present including parents, managers, &c. The first Class of Boys read, and afterwards the third, and after that the girls. The reading upon the whole was good as regarding pronunciation, and distinctness of articulation, but the emphasis was not very good.

Then about forty were examined in the Geography of England, and afterwards in History from William the Conqueror to Henry II.
Afterwards Mental Arithmetic, Geography of Palestine, and Scripture History were our subjects. The children manifested a considerable skill and readiness in their answers.
This school when we consider the amount of Teaching power in it (being as yet without a Pupil Teacher) has made good progress. Afterwards Cha. Price, Esq., myself, and others addressed the meeting. They intend to have a great day here when Mr. Baxter will visit them.

May 11 &12.

Llysfaen. This is an agricultural district in Glamorganshire, containing a population of about 500 or 600 and the parishioners being almost all Dissenters, and having heard of my being the Agent of the British and Foreign Schools Society in South Wales wanted information as to how to proceed in establishing a school. I had an interview with a few of the leading men, and gave them all the required information. There is not a school of any sort for several miles.

May 14 &15.

Hirwaun. Some years ago I reported the case of this neighbourhood as to educational preparation. There were then two schools, kept in connection with the Works, which were almost worse than being without any, for one was kept by an old collier that was unable to work, and of course unable to keep a school; the other was kept by a drunken man. There was also a British School that had been erected by the Dissenters in the heat of the voluntary movement in South Wales about 1848, which had still a considerable amount of debt upon it. The workmen were compelled to pay towards the schools of the Works and some of them could not pay also in the British School. The number of children in the British School being small, the Committee could not get a good Schoolmaster, therefore, there was no inducement to the workmen to make an effort to send their children there, some of the Committee being also against Government aid. All these things combined to keep the place without a school of any value. I endeavoured to direct some of the leading men of the place to state the case fully to Mr. Crawshay the proprietor and manager of the Works; and to try to bring each other to see the propriety of applying for Government aid, and if they could succeed in discontinuing the schools of the works, and to get Government aid for the British School they may expect to have a good school at Hirwaun and not without that. I am glad now to add that they have succeeded. The miserable schools of the works are no more, the present master of the British School who is of course a very inferior one, is to leave in six weeks, hence they wanted information as to Government aid, and now I think the way is clear for establishing a good school at Hirwaun.

May 18 & 19.

Pantycelyn. This is among the mountains of Brecknockshire, containing a population of a few hundreds, a Chapel, and no school of any sort for several miles round. I think about 4 or 5 miles. There has been a small private school held here occasionally, but now for years there is no one. Many of the inhabitants are very wishful to have one but they are afraid that the terms of the Committee of Council are not within their reach, and therefore that they cannot avail themselves of the Grants expect in preparing a school-room. I have only to hope that the importance of making an effort in this matter will be duly felt by the farmers of the neighbourhood.

May 21 & 22.

Devynnock. According to my promise on the 13th of April, I visited this place again to assist the Committee in carrying on the correspondence with the Committee of Council and to my agreeable surprise the Committee of Council had sent a promise of the Grant a few days ago. Now the Committee of this school is ready to proceed with the [building] to be approved of by the Committee of Council. If they can have things ready they will prepare the building this year so that there will be soon a British and a National School in the small village of Devynnock.

(continued)

E D Jones, National Library of Wales journal Vol X/1 Summer 1957.

Extracted onto the pages of GENUKI with the kind permission of the National Library of Wales

This is a complete extract of this article [Gareth Hicks 2002]

This sixth part of the series

- includes the Journal entries from June 1857 to Feb 1858, which cover his visits to places in Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire, and Brecknockshire.

See the first part for links to all the other  parts

  1857

June 8.

Aberaman. I had visited this place about twelve months ago, and urged the friends of education to establish there a British School. The Rev. J. Davies, Independent Minister, being against Government aid caused the matter to be dropped altogether then.
Now the increase of the population, and the great want of schools in the place caused them to reconsider the matter, and they invited me to confer on the subject. I was sorry to find that Mr. Davies still entertained his Anti-Government-aid views, and at the same time thinks that they cannot build a schoolroom themselves at present. He therefore is about to establish a small school in the vestry of his own Chapel, and the Baptist Minister and the leaders of the Calvinistic Methodists, Wesleyan Reformers, and other denominations intend to proceed themselves in establishing a British School with Government aid. I should have been very glad to have seen all parties united in this effort, but we have only to hope the best as to the result. This place is increasing rapidly in population on account of new works being opened and Crawshay Bailey, Esq.'s Works being continually extended. Population about 4000.

June 9.

Mountain Ash. A school has been erected in this place lately, which as I always understood was to have been a strict National School. The erection was carried on under the superintendence of H. A. Bruce, Esq., M.P. and Sir Thos. Phillips. I was informed at Aberaman that H. A. Bruce, Esq. had said that there was no connection to be between this School and the Church, and that all children will enjoy equal privileges there, the same as they do at the Dowlais School. I could scarcely believe this on account of Sir T. Phillips's connection with it, and I went there to make further inquiries into the matter. I was glad to find that the present instructions of the Managers to the schoolmaster are in accordance with my information. However the continuance of it will depend upon H. A. Bruce, Esq. for Sir Thomas Phillips interferes with schools where he has no property or interest; as soon as he will find out that some Gentlemen Managers of Works are about to erect Schools, he endeavours to unite himself in the movement in order to have it established on the National system. This school had broken up for midsummer holydays. I was informed that there are from 60 to 70 children. I will soon make further inquiries about the school and see it at work.

June 10.

Aberdare. I visited this place with a view to make an arrangement for Mr. Baxter's visit and examination and also to know the intention of the Master, Mr. J. Anthony. He has had pupil Teachers and some Government aid for the school this last three years and has not yet been to try for a Certificate. He had promised faithfully to Mr. Bowstead to go to the Boro' Road last Xmas, but did not go, therefore Mr. Bowstead informed me in a letter that all aid from the Government will be discontinued if Mr. Anthony will remain. He informed me that he intends resigning his present school and to keep a private School. I was very glad to hear that. I arranged that Mr. Baxter should visit the school as early as possible, in order to give instructions to the Committee how to proceed, &c.

June 11

Hirwaun. I had visited this place on the 14th of May and found that the great impediments in the way of its being established under favourable and promising circumstances were removed. I called now by going towards Devynnock from Aberdare, and made an arrangement about Mr. Baxter's visit that he may put them on the way to recommence the school with a new Master in order to have an efficient school.

June 12.

Devynnock. Since my last visit to this place on the 22nd of May the Committee of the intended British School received a letter from the Committee of Council containing a copy of a letter from the vicar of Devynnock trying to oppose the projected British School. The Vicar's letter stated to their Lordships that children of all denominations are admitted to the National School, and to pay according to their means without being compelled to learn the Church Catechism or to attend Church. But the fact is that all children not attending Church are obliged to pay 6d. per week and upwards however so poor their parents may be. I wrote at the request of the Secretary a copy of a reply to the Committee of Council. I mentioned in my Journal for May that the Committee of Council had promised aid towards the intended British School in this village. This had taken place before the Vicar's letter reached their Lordships. This may cause some delay in the erection of this British School, but I do not anticipate any further difficulties in the proceedings than that.

June 16 & 17.

Llanddeusant. I had visited this place Nov. 7th, 1856, at the request of some friends who were anxious to have a good British School established here. I thought from the aspect of things as they appeared to me then that although the neighbourhood was very thinly populated, there was a field and a good prospect for a small school. There is no school for 4 miles round, (i.e. 8 miles in diameter), the Parish contains a population of about 1000. This district may be considered a part of the parish containing about a third of its whole population. The movement which was then commenced has now come to something more hopeful. The Committee that was then formed applied to the owner of the land for a site, and he replied that he would rather give it to build a National School upon. With this of course the inhabitants could [not] agree. They waited until the next half year's rent day, and a great number of the Tenants acted as deputations from this Committee and consulted the gentleman on the subject, and stated that they were all Dissenters, and could not co-operate with a National School. The Gentleman when he heard that said he would give the site towards a British School then, and that he would in July or August come to measure the ground for them. I advised them to be ready to proceed, by preparing their subscription list, and applying to the Committee of Council. They requested me to meet the Gentleman there when he comes to measure the ground for the school and to have a public meeting there at that time. I wished them to consult the feelings of the Gentleman on that point, and if it would be agreeable to him that I would endeavour to attend.

June 19 & 20.

Gloucester. Went thither to meet Mr. Baxter at his request to make arrangements for our tour through South Wales.

June 23.

Abergavenny. Visited this town in order to arrange about the time, &c., of the intended examination of the school by Mr. Baxter.

June 26.

[Beaufort. Having been given to understand that Dr. Bevan's school in this place had been discontinued I visited the place. There is a new schoolroom in course of being erected in connection with the Independent chapel for the British School. Dr. Bevan had collected about £200 with a view to build new schools, but now he has discontinued his school, and not being willing to co-operate with the Committee of the British School he intends returning the money to the subscribers. I am very glad however to find that Mr. Jas. Griffiths is proceeding as successfully as we can expect under the circumstances. But he is in great want of more room, more books and apparatus, and more teaching power. He wishes me to look for two candidates for him in some of the schools of the neighbourhood by the time Mr. Bowstead will visit the school this year.--- Crossed out.]

June 30.

[Swansea. I met Mr. Baxter this day at the Boys' School hereto commence our tour through South Wales.--- Crossed out.]

August I.

Travelling from Aberystwyth to Blaina, after having been with Mr. Baxter in the Counties of Carmarthen, Pembroke, and Cardigan.

August 6.

Writing for Mr. Baxter a list of places to be visited by me in the future months, to be laid before the Committee.

August 12.

Blaina. The Rev. J. Phillips of Bangor had visited Rumney, and he came this day to Blaina. he advised me to try to come to some arrangement to have the site of the British School, Rumney, given either by the Manager (Mr. Hubbuck) or the Directors on such terms as the Committee of Council will approve, and give aid towards its present debt of £600. His plan was to have public meetings held in Rumney and agitate the question so as to urge the Manager or Directors to grant the site. I told Mr. Phillips that the Directors scarcely ever do anything without the consent of the Manager, and as for having the grant by the Manager that it was hopeless. I told how I endeavoured to negotiate on behalf of the Committee of the British School two years ago. But it struck me that Mr. Levick of Blaina is on very friendly terms with Mr. Hubbuck and acquainted with some of the Directors and he being so friendly with British Schools perhaps he would interfere on our behalf. I promised to wait upon Mr. Levick the first opportunity.

August 13.

Talgarth. I visited this school to see how the new Master I had recommended to the Committee (Mr. W. George) was coming and what prospects there were before him. The school having been closed for about twelve months, will take some time to reach the state it was under the old uncertificated master, as to the number of scholars. I was glad to learn that the Committee intends meeting the requirements of the Committee of Council by putting the room in order, and paying the remaining debt. Providing the Committee will act with energy and spirit this school will be a very good one under a certificated master in a country where no such school either National or British can be found for 8 or 9 miles round. I was very much pleased with the Master.

August 14.

Builth. Since I visited this town in Sep. 1956, nothing has been done towards establishing a public school of any value. A small private school has been established which is under the charge of a young man, who is untrained and nearly self-taught. This time happened to be his holidays. Thus we have here an old town with a population of about 1,200 without a school of any value, but we cannot have any proper leaders to say 'we will do the work'---Rev. D. C. Davies, M.A., has been the means of establishing the above.

August 17.

Mr. Levick. Had a good opportunity this day of laying the Rumney case before this gentleman. We were together, only ourselves, taking luncheon and talking over the above case and other educational movements in South Wales for a long time. I was very glad to find that it is likely that Mr. Hubbuck of Rumney is likely to leave Rumney in a few months. In the meantime Mr. Levick will see the Chairman of the Directors in London, and lay the whole case before him, so that the successor of Mr. Hubbuck in the management may be requested by taking the management to make the necessary grant towards the British School, the only school recognised by the people in Rumney. Mr. Levick seemed to think strongly that he will succeed not only to cause the site to be given to the British School, but also that the new National School now in course of erection by Hubbuck will be on more liberal principles,

August 18.

Abertillery. We had a meeting respecting the additional rooms to this School so that the present room may be the boys school room, one of the new ones of the same size for girls' school and the other new one for the Infants. The work will be commenced immediately.

August 19.

Newbridge (Radnorshire). This is a small village in a rural district, without a School within several miles to the place. There is a strong desire to establish a British School but they seem to fear the greatness of the work, the expense, &c. However, I have some reasons to hope that they will ere long move in the matter. We had a comfortable meeting of parents and friends.

August 20.

Dolau. This small British School has been established about five years ago. The Committee receive £25 of the Gough Charity towards its maintenance. The Master, John Davies, had some training with Mr. Evan Davies at Swansea, and he now desires to be qualified at the Boro' Road. His harvest holidays happened to have taken place on this very day, therefore I did not see his school. A new National School has just been erected in the neighbourhood, and unless this school will be put under Inspection, and a new school-room erected immediately, I fear the British School will loose ground. It was not convenient for me to have a meeting of parents and friends, but we have arranged to meet them about the end of September. I shall then have something more to say about this place.

August 24.

Hirwaun. I went to [see] how the new Master (whom I recommended as a supply until the end of the year) is coming on, and how are they proceeding in their negotiations with the Committee of Council respecting the inspection and aid towards the school---I am glad to state that things appear as well as we can expect under the circumstances.

August 25.

Swansea. Mr. William Davies the schoolmaster of the Devynnock National School, who was the master of the British School at Landovery before the present one, is anxious to have a British School. He had sent to me wishing to have an interview with me somewhere out of Devynnock, fearing the Rector might know, and therefore refuse to sign his certificate, &c. Mr. Davies endeavoured to persuade the Rector some years ago to make Sir J. Davy's school a British School and Mr. Bowstead inspected it in 1854. He is Registered, and his school has been very favorably reported by the Inspectors. Mr. Davies being a member of the Independents is desirous to leave the National School to conduct at British School. I gave him to understand that we should be able to recommend him to a British School in South Wales.

September 1.

Lisvane. Having in the month of May last visited this place, and finding that there was a good opening for a school, I endeavoured to urge some of the inhabitants to establish one. Although the prospects at that time were not very encouraging owing to the apathy of some of the leading men among them, but by this time they had reconsidered the matter, and sent me an invitation to explain the principles of British Schools more fully, and also the terms upon which the Government aid can be obtained for the building and maintenance of a school. I delivered a lecture to that effect, and was very much pleased to see the zeal and spirit evinced. This is an agricultural district and without a school of any sort nearer than four miles from the Parish Church in any direction. They are now to make inquiry for ground, and to go through some preparatory Work, to let me know when this is done and at their request I promised to visit them again at that time, in order to assist them in applying to the Committee of Council, &c. Population of this parish, &c., is 350.

September 2.

Tredeler. This is also an agricultural district, about four miles from Lisvane. It was until lately without a school of any sort. The population of this parish and neighbourhood is 320. About three months ago the Baptist Minister in this place was requested by some of the leading farmers of the neighbourhood and he consented to send circulars through the district announcing his intention of opening a school adapted for the children of the poor and others. As soon as the Clergyman of the parish was informed of this he caused circulars to be distributed, stating that he would open a school on the same day. The two schools commenced on the same day the Clergyman with 8 children, and the Baptist Minister with 35. The number in School of the Clergyman diminished to 4 or 5, and the number in the other school increased to 42. It is the intention of the above Minister and his friends if he will succeed in this little school, to establish a British School adapted for the wants of the whole neighbourhood. A house is given for this experiment by one of the farmers free of rent.

September 7.

Blackwood. This schoolroom was built several years ago with Government aid, and the school has been under Inspection for years, but because they have not been able to have a qualified Teacher, it has been kept in the background. It was arranged about this time twelvemonths that Mr. Jas. Griffnths that was then at Borough Road should go there, but he had an offer of a better salary at Beaufort and settled there. The scarcity of Teachers make it almost impossible for such schools as these to have Masters that are not able to promise more than £50 (at the outset) with Government aid to them. The Rev. J. Prichard (an old Independent Minister) was engaged for some months in the beginning of this year. After he left in April the Rev. J. Thomas, an Independent Minister in the neighbourhood, took charge of the school. He expects Mr. Bowstead, but of course cannot have a pupil Teacher, or Capitation Government or any other aid. I am afraid that this school cannot he supplied again in January 1858. Mr. Thomas is unacquainted with the mode of teaching in British Schools, therefore we cannot expect the school to flourish, especially with a good National School within a mile of it, at Court-y-Bella (Sir T. Phillips's).

September 9.

Meeting J. Davies the Master of Dolau School in order to have conversation with him about the (1) Dolau School. (2) His intention of going to the Boro' Road in 1858. Respecting Dolau School, I am afraid that there is not much hopes of its being established on a lasting system. Mr. J. Davies intends applying to the Boro' Road for admission in January.

September 15 & 16.

Landilo. At the request of some respectable inhabitants of this town I went thither. There is a good British School within about half a mile to the town, in a place called Ffair-fach, which is a populous neighbourhood. I succeeded about twelvemonths ago to have the above school under inspection. Mr. Bowstead has been there since. At present there is a movement towards establishing a British School in the town. Lord Dynevor promised to build a National School in the town, some years ago. The Vicar when he heard that a Committee was formed for establishing a British School there wrote to the Secretary a long letter endeavouring to persuade the Committee to give up the project bringing forth many arguments to induce them to do so. Among others was the following, 'that Lord Dynevor intended erecting a school in the town on very liberal principles to be managed by a Committee of all denominations'. The Secretary sent to Lord Dynevor enquiring of him as to the nature of the management of his intended school at Landilo. He replied, 'that it would be entirely under the control of the Vicar, as National Schools are in general'. The Vicar therefore in order to induce them to desist from establishing a British School is supposed to have written what he knew to be incorrect. I read the letter of the Vicar, and Lord Dynevor myself. I gave the members of the Committee every encouragement and assistance in my power to proceed in their good work.

September 17.

Cross Inn. I had visited this place about 12 months ago. There was then no prospect of establishing any school, excepting a Dame School that was there. At present I was able to form a strong Committee to make a start, and I think that we shall be able to establish a good British School there in a short time. There is a good school-room, the owner will give that free of rent, and he with others will make up about £30 subscriptions towards the salary of a Certified Teacher in addition to the school pence, &c., and will guarantee £60 at once to a Master. But I am to visit the place again in about a month, and to deliver a lecture explanatory of the principles, and Government aid, &c.

September 18.

Hirwaun. I was requested to meet the Committee of this school, in order to render some further assistance in their negotiations with the Committee of Council. They seem to be in high spirits expecting Mr. Bowstead in October; and to have a Certified Teacher from Boro' Road in January. I hope that Mr. Baxter is keeping in view this school, as well as those of Neath, Aberdare, &c., &c., to be supplied with Masters knowing the Welsh language.

September 21.

Beaufort. There is a project of another British School at Beaufort, about a mile and a half from the existing school. The Committee wished me to meet them to explain the mode of proceeding, &c. The Committee seemed to be armed with strong resolutions to proceed.

September 22.

Called at the existing British School and was very glad to find the average attendance of children so high as 170. Mr. Griffith expects to have 4 Pupil Teachers this year.

September 28.

Talgarth. Mr. W. George having informed me that he will not stay at this place much longer on account of the inactivity of the Committee I went over, and was very sorry to find only  3 children in the school. Mr. George told me that some disagreement among some of the members caused the school to be neglected, and depreciated by many in the neighbourhood. I persuaded him to stay until Mr. Bowstead comes, that I would meet him there, and that if the Com. would not then pledge itself to carry out their promises to him and the school that we would find another school for him.

September 29.

Neath Abbey. Miss C. A. Price having informed me that Mr. Jno Phillips had given notice to leave, and being requested by her to inquire for another Master, I went thither to see what had J. P. in view, &c. I find that he has engaged as a Clerk in an office in that neighbourhood. Mr. Bowstead recommended Mr. F. Lowry of Farrington (I think the name is) to Miss Price, and she is therefore in correspondence with thim.

October 6.

Llysfaen. According to an appointment made here on the 1st of September, I met the Committee this evening. I was informed that the Clergyman had obtained some plans of National Schools of the Bishop of Landaff, in order to have a National School established here since I was here last. I was also informed that the whole of the population of the parish, excepting the families of the Clergyman and Parish Clerk, are Baptists; therefore I had to explain the nature of British and National Schools to them more fully. I soon became satisfied that they would have nothing to do with a National School; and that they were determined to have a British School. Although the whole of the population are Baptists they take some pride in keeping the Parish Church as well as their Chapel in very good order by voluntary efforts. Being (of course) the officers of the parish, (Church-wardens & Overseers) they intend to appropriate a piece of ground belonging to the parish for the site of the intended School. I wrote a copy of an application to the Committee of Council for them.

October 2.

This day I went with some of the members of the Committee to see the site, with which I was very much pleased.

October 13.

Having some occasion to go to London I spent the latter part of this week there, called at the Boro' Road with Messrs. Saunders, Baxter, Fitch, & Wilks; and with Mr. Owen at Whitehall on the 15th and 16th, and returned on the 17th.

October 19.

Beaufort. Met Mr. Bowstead at this School. There were 224 children in this school Examination, and Mr. Bowstead was upon the whole very much pleased with the state of the School. The average attendance is over 200 since the school has been held in the new room. This new school-room is attached to the Independent Chapel, and both were erected through the worthy efforts of the Reverend Thomas Rees Independent Minister of the place. Mr. James Griffiths of Boro' Road, I am glad to find, gives general satisfaction to the neighbourhood.

October 23.

Blaina schools. At the request of Mrs. Levick, I spent the morning of this day with Mrs. Levick, distributing presents to the children on the Capitation list. 105 had attended over 176 days, and we gave a shilling book to each of them. One-third of the whole of the boys were on the Cap. list, one-fourth of the girls, and one-tenth of the Infants.

Sirhowy. I was informed that they wanted a Mistress in this school (which is one of Mr. Brown's) and I thought that Miss Ellen Williams who is now in the Boro' Road might do, and that it would be near her home. I visited it therefore in order to ascertain the particulars respecting the terms. I gleaned all the information I could and sent by the Post of that day to Miss Williams that she may apply if she wished as early as possible.

October 26 & 27.

Llwynhendy. The Committee of this British School applied lately to the Society for a grant of books. I had had some conversation about the above application &c. with Mr. Wilks in London on the 16th and at his request visited this place. I had paid a visit to this neighbourhood about three years ago, and had found a small school here under the charge of a person who knew nothing almost about school-keeping. The Baptists (who are almost the only denomination in the place) had been then erecting a new Chapel, and under those circumstances it was impossible to persuade them to establish a school until the debt of it would be paid. Lately the above debt being nearly paid they became to feel the want of a good school in the place, which contains a population of about 1800. The old Baptist Chapel was therefore converted into a school-room, and a young man from the Swansea Normal College was engaged. The school has not been opened more than 9 days, and the number of scholars already reached 90. They expect before another week that the number will be 120. They want fittings, and although they had had £5 worth of books from the Boro' Road, it was very inadequate to the wants of the school. I had an interview with the most influential members of the Committee and they seemed to be wishful to have a Certificated Teacher, and to have the School under Inspection. They will guarantee £60 to the Master. The present Master Thos Davies will go to the Normal College Boro' Road, if admitted, in January next, so that we can have the place supplied by one of the Welshmen coming out in December next, It seems that we have good prospect here.

October 18.

Bryn. The Schoolmaster of this British School applied for admission to the Normal College Boro' Road lately, and in order to be able to report upon his application I visited his school. I had visited this School about 2 1/2 years ago, when his predecessor was here. This school is near an Independent Chapel, and the neighbourhood with a population of about 1500, (almost entirely Independents) has only this School. I am in hopes that it will be put under inspection the next year, and that they will want a Certificated Teacher in January next if Mr. Job Richards (the present master) will be admitted to the Boro' Road. I hope that the above Job Richards, Thos. Davies of Llwynhendy, and Joseph Price of Capel Iwan will be admitted because by admitting those they will be succeeded by Certified Masters, and they themselves will be preparing to have certificates.

October 29.

Neath Abbey. I called at these schools chiefly with a view to see the new master Mr. F. Lowry. The average attendance at the boys' school seems to be, as yet, lower than before, being only 70. The average of the girls' attendance is higher (50); and the average of Infants about 65. Mr. Bowstead has advised respecting the new fittings in these Schools, which must he attended before we can expect much progress.

1858

January 7.

Bristol. Visited this city at the request of Mr. Baxter to make arrangements concerning our proceedings in South Wales during the year 1858.

January 11.

Felin Foel. I had visited this school in 1854, in 1855, and in 1856. I found it each time in such an efficient state as could be anticipated under the circumstances. The master was energetic, and when I took into consideration that the school was then but newly established, that the number of scholars were about 70, that the master's advantages had been so limited, that his monitors were very inefficient, and that the children were almost without exception unacquainted with the English language I felt satisfied with its progress. The school has been erected and fitted by the only Church and congregation existing in this little village, (a Baptist Church), and support of the school is derived from the same source. At each of the above visits I endeavoured to persuade the Managers to put it under inspection, and by that to make it really efficient. There was a strong prejudice against Government aid, which caused all my persuations not to have the desired effect. I had read in the provincial papers that a new Church had just been erected in the neighbourhood by the liberality of a few gentlemen; it struck me that probably a National school would soon be added to the Church and that such an institution under inspection would soon counteract the above school and probably would drain out of it the bulk of its scholars. I lost as little time as possible to have an interview with the Rev. I. D. Thomas, Minister of the above Church, and a few others of the Managers of the school and laid these things before them. They became inclined to adopt my views, and to put the school under inspection. They expressed a wish that I should explain the whole circumstances of the case including the bearings, advantages &c. of Government inspection, and aid, to the whole Committee. We therefore arranged to meet again on the 26th instant.

January 18.

Llwynhendy (see above). The school is greatly in want of fittings, books, maps &c. The number of scholars is still on the increase.

January 9.

Kidwelly. When with Mr. Baxter in Bristol I laid the circumstances of this school (as well as a number of others) before him, and he promised to visit this town with me about the time the new schools at Neath will be opened. The object of my present visit was to make arrangements for Mr. Baxter's visit, to see how far the Committee had proceeded in procuring the site for a new schoolroom, and to inspect the school. The reading, writing, and spelling are very creditable. As a matter of course, under present circumstances, the education in this school is confined to elementary subjects as yet. It must be the case as long as the teaching power is so limited; and the Committee of Council will not grant P. T. until a new school-room is erected. Here is a very ancient town, not of high pretensions but with population of [  ] and in a rural district may be considered an important town, with only this small school, held in a Wesleyan Chapel; and it is one of the most inconvenient Chapels for the purpose that I ever saw. There are only two maps, and a very few books. Under all these disadvantages much good has been done. I think that we have now a prospect of a good schoolroom, and a master's residence, to be erected with Government aid, on freehold ground in a convenient place, and a pleasant situation near the old Kidwelly Castle. Mr. Baxter and I will visit them again either the day before, or the day after the Neath meeting, the time of which is not yet fixed.

January 20.

Neath. I called here this morning by returning from Kidwelly, in order to know, if possible, the time of the opening of the new schools, and was informed as above stated that the time cannot be fixed as yet, and that [the] Secretary will let me know as soon as he can so that I can arrange the Kidwelly meeting. The school under the charge of Miss Evans is now held in the Independent Chapel. The inconvenience of the place to hold the required number causes Miss Evans to refuse many children, therefore she has not more than 70, instead of 150, at present. They are all very anxious to see the new rooms ready, especially when they think that the new National Schools are ready to commence immediately.

Neath Abbey. I paid a short visit this afternoon to the Boys' and Girls' schools in this place. Miss Williams who came to this Girls' school from Boro' Road without a Certificate does not seem to be successful. The number in this school is about 40. The Boys' school is progressing satisfactorily. Mr. F. Lowry works hard under many disadvantages, and the school is felt in the neighbourhood. The number of scholars in this school is about 70. The greatest evil is that the children are taken out of school too young, because they can earn a trifle in the Works. Many are by that deprived of the blessing of education from 9 to 10 yrs. of age.

January 21.

Neath Abbey. Visited the Infants school. The mistress is an untrained young woman. She has lately spent a few weeks with Mr. Houlston the Certificated Master of the Dowlais Infants' school, by the advice and kindness of Miss C. Price, with a view to improve herself. There is a decided improvement in this school since my last visit. The number of infants present was 65.

Bryncoch. This school has just been opened. The Managers applied for a Master that would take a salary of about £40, to us. Mr. Wilks had no one in view. However as a trial they engaged a well educated but untrained young woman. Under the circumstances she is getting on as well as can be expected.

January 26.

Velin Voel. Attended a meeting at this place as we appointed on the 11th, in order to endeavour to persuade the remainder of the Committee to put the school under inspection. I was very [glad] to find that the greatest part of the work had been done in the meantime by the Minister, and the parties who attended the meeting on the 11th instant. I found that the fear of an opposition in the shape of National School had much to do in convincing them of the propriety of putting it under inspection. I explained to them all about it, and they resolved to apply at once, and requested me to write a copy of an application, which was done accordingly. It would surprize any gentleman unacquainted with rural districts, or even country towns, to notice the ignorance prevailing respecting the movements and measures of the Committee of Council, and that even by educated and generally informed persons.

January 8.

Blackwood. This school which was erected some years ago with aid from the Lords of the Treasury. It has been inspected by Mr. Bowstead several times, but the Committee has not been able to engage a qualified Master, and therefore the School has not been an efficient one from the commencement. In 1855, we partly promised that they should have a Master from Boro' Road and Jas. Griffiths was accordingly engaged at from £45 to £50 salary with Government aid, but he preferred going to Beaufort, therefore Blackwood could have no one. A young Minister who had just been established at the Independent Church with which the School was more immediately connected took the Charge of the School until a Master could be engaged. He has had it so ever since because we have not [been] able to supply them with a Master. The number of Children in the school this day, 35. Mr. J. Thomas having had no training is (of course) unacquainted with the approved organization and mode of teaching in British Schools, therefore as long as the school cannot be supplied with a competent Teacher the majority of the children of the neighbourhood will go to the National School of Sir T. P. at Courtybella which is within a mile of this School. From 6 to 8 years ago young Welshmen from Boro Road were glad to have £40 salary, (as was the case with Mr. E. Jones when he came to Blaina), but now we cannot have any for £50, hence the great drawback in such schools as these. We look towards the establishment of the Bangor institution as a means of releasing us from these difficulties.

February 9.

Gelli-groes. Having visited this place in 1856 when it was arranged to try to have a freehold piece of ground to build a British School I am sorry to find that they have been unsuccessful hitherto. The land in the neighbourhood is the property of Mr. Herbert of Llanarth who is a Catholic, and a charity school of a very inferior character is kept there at his expense. The Protestant version of the Bible is excluded from that school and therefore the inhabitants, being almost all Dissenters, cannot adopt such a school even if it were an efficient one. There is also a private school that has been kept by an old man in his own house for many years, and this is all the educational preparation for this place with an increasing population of about 800. Mr. Herbert will grant no land for his tenants to build a British School.

February 12.

Bryn Mawr. In this town there is a great want of a Girls' school under the charge of a Certificated Mistress, and I visited the place to see if it could be done. I find that there is some difficulty in the way not from the want of scholars and income, but from the nature of the Agreement of the Committee with Mr. Reynolds the Master. I engaged Mr. Reynolds for the Committee about 3 years ago at £60 with the house; he very soon found that the pence and Capitation Grant would amount to double that amount, and expressed a wish to have the pence and Capitation grant, and to relieve the Committee from responsibility respecting his salary. I then cautioned some of the members of the Committee not to enter into this new agreement because it would be an obstacle in the way of establishing a Girls' School but the majority passed a resolution in accordance with the desire of the master. In 1856 a desire was evinced for having a Girls' School established. Seeing that this would lead to a considerable reduction in his salary, he engaged at his own expense a Teacher that had served her time as a Pupil Teacher for 5 years, at Blaina School, and gave her a salary of £30 out of his own income. This was a good instalment but in a town with a population of 6,000 or 6,500, and a school where about 300 scholars attend, about the half of them being girls, there ought to be a regular Girls' School. Now this female Teacher having been married, and being about to leave the work, it struck me that it would be a good time to try to obtain the object in view. The subject will be mooted and an effort will be made in the next Committee meeting for the desired object.

(continued)

E D Jones, National Library of Wales journal Vol X/3 Summer 1958.

Extracted onto the pages of GENUKI with the kind permission of the National Library of Wales

This is a complete extract of this article [Gareth Hicks 2002]

This eighth and final part of the series

- includes the Journal entries from November 1858 to February 1862 (although no entries for 1860/1 ), which cover his visits to places in Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire, and Brecknockshire.

See the first part for links to all the other  parts

1858

November  1.

Llwynhendy. I am glad to state that this school is progressing beyond what we expected when Mr. J. Jones took charge of it he being not only without a Certificate but also not Scheduled. W. Harris of Hirwaun seemed to be much more promising in every respect, but it seems that Mr. Bowstead is very much pleased with J. Jones's progress, and vice versa with Harris. J. Jones has had the consent of the Committee of Council to remain to prepare himself until the examination of 1859.

December 10 and  11

Cardiff to meet Mr. Baxter in order to converse about the appointment of Masters to the various Schools in want of them. This was our first meeting after his illness. I stated my arrangements to him. We had 14 Schools in South Wales wanting Certified Masters this Xmas and one wanting a Mistress. Mr. Baxter arranged for a Master to the Cardiff Dock School, Mr. Wilks for Tydee, and for a Mistress to Ebbw Vale. J. Price of Capel Iwan who was at Bangor, was already engaged to go back to Capel Iwan, and I had the remaining   to arrange; viz. Hirwaun, Dinas, Cardigan, Cross Inn, Bryn, Talgarth, Canton, Felin Foel, Cwmsyfiwc, Cymer, Crai. I had only 5 Masters for the   Schools, viz. J. Jones who was leaving Cardigan, W. Harris who was leaving Hirwaun, and the 3 South Wales students from Bangor. I had therefore only means to supply the 5 best Schools and to leave the other 6 to be supplied by some others that could be found, or not to be supplied at all. 3 are shut up for want of Masters, and the others supplied with very inferior ones.

Canton. This being in the neighbourhood of Cardiff, I visited some of the Committee in order to let them know that we should be unable to find them a Master on the terms they were ready to offer, and therefore it would be better for them to try to find some one that they could get, at least for a time.

December 13.

Cross Inn. This School was supplied in January last with a Master from Boro Road who came originally from Swansea. But although he was a good Teacher, he did not give the Committee satisfaction, as to his general behaviour, and moral character. This of course led the Committee to express their disapproval of his conduct, and he therefore left the British School and was engaged by the Clergyman to be Master of the National School which is within a mile and a half to the British School. The Committee of this School afterwards received information that J. Roberts, Master of Llangaddock British School would be glad to come to the Cross Inn School. They corresponded with him, and after keeping them long without a decided answer he sent a negative one. They immediately sent to me, requesting a visit, in order to make arrangements about the future. We had a meeting when the above statements were made to me and I advised them

(I) to keep the School open until Xmas and to let the Pupil Teacher do as well as he can, so that any of the children might not follow Mr. Beddow (the late Master) to the National School if possible.

(2) To visit the School alternatively as often as convenient, so that if possible the school would receive a visit of one of the Members of the Committee every day during the management of the Pupil Teacher. I arranged further that Mr. T. Davies of Bangor College should be the future Master of this school.

December 14.

Felin Foel. The Master of this School having accepted the vocation of a Relieving Officer in October last, I had paid a visit to this School in the month of November advising them to get some sort of supply as soon as possible. I called upon some of the members of the Committee this time to let them know that we could not furnish them with a Certified Master this Xmas, and that the scarcity of Masters is such that we cannot at present supply several schools besides Felin Foel.

1859

January 5.

Machen. A private school was established in this place about two years ago by the Rev. T. Morgan the Baptist Minister. Previous to that time the National schools were the only schools in the whole neighbourhood. The Rev. Augustus Morgan brother to Sir Charles Morgan, Tredegar, is the Rector of this parish, he resides here, and is a very active good Clergyman. By that, and the influence of the Tredegar family who live near Machen we thought it impossible to establish a British School. Mr. Morgan wish[es] to have one that [will] take the room fitted and pay the debt, &c., but if he does not meet with a sucessor that will do that, he will assist us to try to establish a British School here.

January 10.

Blaengwawr. Having been given to understand that D. Davies, Esq., the proprietor of the Works, who employs some hundreds of men was wishful to establish a school in connection with his Works, I visited the place in order to see Mr. Davies, and to induce him to establish a School on the liberal and broad basis of the British & Foreign Schools Society. Mr. Davies was himself from home, but I was informed by the Agent that because Mr. Davies is a member of the Wesleyan Methodists it is supposed that he will establish a Wesleyan School, although the workmen generally desire to have a British School.

January 11.

Aberaman. This populous neighbourhood is without a School of any value. The Rev. J. Davies, Independent Minister, being against Government aid established some time ago a School in the vestry of his Chapel which is under the charge of an untrained Master, who is only to have the school pence; this with a few dame Schools form the only preparation for the education of the children of this very populous district. I have been trying several times to move in this matter, but Mr. Davies's opposition to Government aid, and the others thinking Government aid essential to success obstruct the whole business.

January 12.

Cwmbach. This place is rapidly increasing in its population, owing to the Coalworks that have been established here sometime ago. A National School was erected here some three or four years ago, chiefly with a view at that time of being used as a church, and although the population consists of Dissenters nearly all, no other School has been established since. We had a good meeting where the subject of establishing a British School was considered. It was arranged to try to have a freehold site in order to have Government aid towards building a British School. I think that we have hopeful prospects in this place at present. As soon as they can secure the site I am to visit them again.

January 17.

Briton Ferry. Visited this place with a view of establishing a British School. The population is from 3,000 to 4,000. There is a Church School, but no British School. I mustered a meeting of a few, and the subject was considered. They seemed to be afraid of the expense. It was proposed to engage a room in order to establish a temporary School that they may see how it will be appreciated, and then they should be better prepared to know how to proceed. I have some reason for hoping that such a trial will be made but the worst of it is that we have no School Masters to offer even to those that have more matured arrangements and preparations than the above.

January 18.

Llansamlet. A small School by way of trial has been commenced lately in a room connected with the Calvinistic Methodist Chapel in this place, and already the children number from 40 to 50. The present Master is not at all capable of managing a School, but he will do good to remain until we can supply them with a Master. This would be a place to establish a 'Probationer' or a 'Scheduled man' if we had any, on the new Minute plan. I fully believe that we might establish a great number under inspection at once were we able to find the qualified young men. I urged the friends who take the lead with this movement to carry it on as well as they can until a Master can be found, so that the School may be made an efficient one.

January 19.

Swansea. Seeing that the want of young men is now our general complaint in South Wales I went to Mr. E. Davies, the Tutor of the Normal College, to inquire if he could find any young men that have been educated at his College or elsewhere, such as would soon come to be 'Certified' or 'Scheduled' or even some of inferior qualifications to meet some of the many wants of small schools in rural districts. Mr. Davies thinks that he can find one or two if not more that with a little training may pass their examination, and be Certified or Scheduled, and he supposes will be willing to try as he will give them some training for nothing. Mr. Davies kindly promises to do his best to assist us. It was from his College two of our schools were supplied at the beginning of this month, viz. Ffaldybrenin & Felin Foel.

Llanelly. Having been informed 2 or 3 months ago that a Clergyman had applied for aid to build a National School and having advised the friends in December to remind the Committee of Council of the £200 public money that have been wasted in 1837 and 1839 in erecting the National schools that are now in ruins, and having heard since that an application had been made to the Committee of Council for aid towards a second National School in order to have one in the town and one near the Dock, I wanted to ascertain what steps were taken by the friends of the numerous British Schools in the neighbourhood to counteract this procedure. I was glad to be informed that a room which was erected by the Independents near the Docks for preaching is about to be used for a School so that this ground will be pre-occupied by a British School and Mr. Lingen had been informed of the above, and in his reply he had stated that 'a satisfactory account must be rendered of the money granted in 1837 and 1839 before any more will he granted for a National School'. This town is remarkable for its British Schools. There are in the town and within two miles of it, eight British Schools under inspection containing about 900 children; and the above will form the ninth School.

January 21.

Cwmsyfiwc. Having no Master for this new British School that has just been erected here it struck me that it would be advisable to establish a Mistress here under the new Minute regulation, I therefore visited the place with that view. But I was informed that the Committee will not have a Mistress, they would rather have an inferior Master, and wait until we can supply them. They can only promise from £40 to f45 as the Master's salary.

January 28 and 29.

With W. R. Baxter at Newport & Dowlais.

April 8 and 9.

Cwmbran. According to an arrangement made on the 31st ult. I went at the request of W. R. Baxter to meet the Committee of this School in order to inform them as to the mode of procedure necessary to put the British School under inspection and also to obtain the Grant for building a new Schoolroom with a house for Master, &c.
   The history of this School is rather peculiar. The population of the neighbourhood amounts to something approaching to a thousand, consisting chiefly of Colliers & Miners. These hard working men about 15 years ago provided for themselves in cases of sickness or such contingency by establishing a Benefit Society. This Society has worked well, and gained strength up to this time having for its members nearly all the leading men of all denominations. About 5 or 6 years ago in one of the Club meetings the subject of establishing a School in the neighbourhood was brought forward; and the discussion on this subject engaged several of the meetings of the Society from time to time. They all agreed that a good School was wanted there, but the mode of raising funds to meet the necessary expenditure was the difficulty. They all agreed to give a percentage out of their earnings,---engaged a Master at a salary of £52 a year,---paid a small rent for the use of the Chapel of the Primitive Methodists,---and elected annually a working Committee. Thus the Machinery was set to work, and any deficiency that took place in the financial affairs of the school was made up from the box of this Benefit Society after passing a vote to that effect. The Master intended to sit for a Certificate but his health gave way, and he is likely to die. I took Mr. Baxter to see the School on his first visit to Wales. He was very much pleased with its progress under the circumstances, and he was confident that the Master would gain his Certificate. However it pleased the Lord to visit the Master with rapid consumption, and they engaged a Certified Master about October last. They have not been able to put the School under inspection because it was held in a Chapel, but lately they have removed it to a large room that will be lent them until the new schoolroom will be ready. They have mustered and canvassed the neighbourhood towards the erection of a new schoolroom, and I am glad to add that they have promises amounting to about £100 and a freehold site gratis. I gave them all the necessary directions in their present position.

April 11 and 12.

Cymer. A small school was held here in connection with the Coalworks previous to 1857, when the extraordinary firedamp burnt 113 of the workmen. The work stopped, and the school was then discontinued. At that time the Clergyman took advantage of the opportunity to build a National School. New National Schools were built, and Certified Master & Mistress engaged. The Schools were crowded with children, rules of teaching the Catechism and attending Church was rigidly observed. Children came from all the country around, on account of the Master & Mistress being Certified and other features in the Schools promising good education. But this year we have established a Certified Master at Dinas (within two miles of this place), built a new British School at Ystradyfodwg, about three miles, and we have re-established this School which is within 200 yards of the above National School. This has caused them to relax their rules as regarding the children of Dissenters, but it is too late. It is a pity that we had no Certified young Welshmen to take the charge of this School and that at Ystrad. The young man that we established here (David Morgan) was one of Mr. Davies's Students at Swansea. He has been here only a month. He has 55 children, and the School looks as well in every respect as we expect under the circumstances. It is to be under Inspection.

April 18 and 9.

Cwmsyfiwc. On February the 28th this new School was opened and because we had no Certified Teachers to offer to the Committee they were obliged to engage some sort of a substitute. They therefore engaged a young man that had been a Teacher at Newport British School which is not under inspection. We did not expect that he would be able to manage the School satisfactorily, it was only an arrangement for making a beginning. It seems that he knew but very little about the work, and that he did not like to exert himself to do what he could. Some of the members of the Committee reasoned with him on the necessity of his punctual and regular attendance as an example to the children, and he left. The Committee sent for my assistance. I came with a view to recommend Mr. Thomas Jenkins, Bridgend, another of Mr. Davies of Swansea's students. Sixty children have attended the School already. The want of qualified Teachers in such places as this, Cymer, Ystradyfodwg, &c., forms a very serious obstacle in the way of the progress of our Schools.

April 20.

Newport. I went according to a previous appointment to have an interview with J. Jones, Esq. Coal proprietor, respecting his Coalworks near Tonyrefail in Glamorgan. A School is greatly needed in that place, and I had promised to see Mr. Jones on the subject as I am well acquainted with him. I am glad to add that he will give the site, and contribute liberally towards the erection of a British School there. We have arranged to go to the place together some time in June.

April 21.

Tredegar. To arrange about Mr. Baxter's visit in July and the examinations of the Tredegar Schools. I had a long conversation with Mr. D., the manager of the Works on the subject; he will let me know in time.

April 26.

Penydarren. I had visited this School on the 10th of March with a view to put it on an improved plan, to have it under inspection, &c. It was erected about two years ago chiefly by the exertions of the Rev. J. M. Bowen, Independent Minister (who was then strongly against Government aid) under the directions and patronage of the Congregational Board. They have never been able to engage but very inferior Masters, consequently the School has not met the encouragement and respect a School ought to command in a populous district like this. I am glad to state that I have this time completely answered my purpose. Mr. Bowen will put the School under inspection. A Certified young Welshman of the name of David Hughes in Holyhead is invited to take charge of the School. I gave Mr. Bowen and the Committee all the necessary information to proceed as above.

April 29.

Pontygof. The School in this place is one of those connected with the Ebbw Vale works. I visited it in order to make arrangements as to Mr. Bowstead's visit in July and the examinations of the Boys' School under the charge of Mr. Gwyther, and the Girls' under the charge of Miss Mary Anne Davies. When Mr. Bowstead examined the School in this place, July 29th 1858, it was a mixed School under the charge of an uncertified Teacher held in a very incommodious building. The building has been enlarged, and is now used for the Boys' Schools under a Certified Master, and another building prepared for the Girls' School under Mary Anne Davies from Boro' Road.

May 2.

Bontnewydd and Pontrhydyrun. In this neighbourhood Tinworks have been established many years ago where several hundreds of heads of families are constantly employed.
I visited the place about 3 years ago, and found that the proprietor and Manager (who are Members of the Baptist Church, Ponrhydyrun) were under the influence of Rev. T. Thomas, D.D., Tutor of the Pontypool College, strongly against Government aid in educating the rising generation. The consequence is that the whole of this populous district has been left without a School of any description. The Rev. D. James, Ph.D., Rector of Pant-teg, taking advantage upon this inactivity of these wealthy Anti-Government-aid parties is now about to build a National School which will be an expensive building and convenient to take in the children of the whole neighbourhood. The inhabitants are nearly all Dissenters; the workmen would have gladly availed themselves of Government aid and establish a good British School some 2 or 3 years ago, and they could have done it easily, but it would not answer for them to do so against the will of their Employers, hence the field is left entirely to the Church Schools. Several feeble attempts have been made to establish a School to be carried on, on the voluntary system, but each of these proved a failure. What a pity it is that Dr. Thomas of Pontypool influences the whole of this district, including Pontypool itself, and that resulting in maintaining only one voluntary British School, and that a very inferior one, [in] which there are 4 efficient National Schools, and that among from 30 to 40,000 inhabitants, nine-tenth (at least) of whom are Dissenters. This 'Dog-in-the-manger' system is carried on at this place, Newport, and Abergavenny. It was the case at Cardiff, and is yet to a very great extent, but we have had a good beginning there in the establishment of the new School by the Dock. This injurious system has kept the wealthy Dissenters of Haverfordwest quite out of the field of Education leaving the whole place in the hands of the Church, but I am glad that we are about to conquer there, and to have a British School established with Government aid, by all Denominations. It is now near 5 years since Mr. Hugh Owen came with me to Haverfordwest and tried to persuade them to do what they are now about to begin. I had an interview with W. C. James, Esq., the Manager of Bontnewydd & Pontrhydyrun Works; but I am sorry to add that I was unsuccessful.

May 6.

Blaina. New Girls' School with two additional Infant Schools to be built.

May 7.

London at Anniversary of British & Foreign Schools Society.

May 23

Llysfaen. The new road throwed off the British School from 1858 to this year. Visited to see what became of it, &c.---promised another visit when the Committee of Council will have sent papers, &c.

July 8.

Blaenavon. The population of this place (which is situated in four or five parishes) is between 7,000 and 8,000. There is a group of public schools; they are old endowed National Schools. Although the Dissenters number about 19/20th of the religious population, they have not yet established a British School excepting a small one in a vestry of a Chapel. I have paid several visits to the place from time to time with that view. But now however we have some prospects of establishing one. There seems to be a strong feeling among Dissenters on the subject. I was requested to attend a meeting where several of the leading men of some of the denominations attended and I have reason to hope that the result will be satisfactory.

July 9.

Llantarnam. Having when I was here June 24th appointed to meet the Committee of this School on this day, I attended with a view to stir the members to act with more energy, to collect money towards the salary of the Master, and to co-operate with him in various ways. There is a strong desire on the part of the Clergyman and also the proprietor of some new Wire works in this place to establish a National School, but the Workmen, being all Dissenters, are quite against the project, but still they do not manifest the zeal and co-operation that they ought in order to ensure success in this newly established British School. I hope that I have been successful to arouse them to a sense of duty in regard to the British School.

July 12.

Llangynidr. A small School was established here about 10 years ago by Sir Joseph Bailey. The Clergyman at that time exercised very rigidly his Church principles in connection with this little School. A petition was sent by the tenants of Sir Joseph asking him to allow more liberty of conscience to those who availed themselves of his School. He complied with their wishes. The Cleryman then started a Church School in opposition to it. However, the School went on very successful in this rural district notwithstanding the opposition. After Sir Joseph died the Clergyman succeeded with Mrs. Bailey to reestablish the School on Church principles. I was requested to advise them. When I found that it would be very difficult for them to have a site of any other land owner, because they are all Tories, I persuaded them to memorialize to young Sir Joseph Bailey for the same liberty in the School as his grandfather allowed, or to grant the inhabitants of Llangynidr (his Tenants) a site to build a British School upon.

July 15.

Newport. To meet Mr. Baxter in order to make arrangements for our tour through South Wales this year.

July 24.

Llanelly with Mr. Bowstead.

July 25.

Felin Foel. It was of great importance for this School to have a Certified Master to commence on this day, so that he should be at work when Mr. Bowstead will be here the next day. I wanted also to see if the Class-room was erected, and other improvements effected. We had no Welsh Certified Master to offer them therefore I was obliged to appoint a Student from Carmarthen College. He took the charge of the School this day. The Classroom was in course of erection. This school having lost the Certified Master that was here, who is rapidly declining, went backward very considerably. I think it will be on the way to progress once more.

July 26.

Llwynhendy.

July 27.

Copper Works. This was the day for Mr. Bowstead's collective examination of Pupil Teachers, Candidates, &c., and I attended in order to meet the Masters of the British Schools of the district. I had much information by so doing.

July 30.

Machen. Meeting to appoint deputation to Lord Granville.

July 31.

Beaufort, to meet W. R. Baxter.

December 2.

Lantarnam. This School which has been established in March last, under the charge of a Scheduled young man from Bangor, is under a great disadvantage to succeed for want of a commodious room, and a better working Committee. The commencement of it was done rather prematurely and hurriedly, in order to take the lead of a National School that was about to be established at that time. About 12 months ago an extensive Wire-works were established here by a high Churchman (Mr. Hill). His workmen are nearly all Dissenters, and when I understood that he and the Clergyman of the parish was about to establish a National School in connection with the Works I went and aroused the Dissenters of the neighbourhood. We succeeded in establishing this school in the vestry of an Independent Chapel, which is a very inconvenient room but the best that we could get. I am glad to add that the people come to appreciate it more and more every day. I have been in the summer with some of the members of the Committee trying to get Mr. Hill to co-operate with them but he seemed to be under the influence of the Clergyman,---he refused although he knew that 35 of the 70 are children of his men. Mr. Baxter came here with me in August to address the parents. Mr. Bowstead inspected the School lately and suggested the necessity of having a new room. The schoolmaster being laboring under so many discouragements, intended to return to Bangor to spend 1862. I came here now to see what was to be done. I suggested the propriety of the members of the Committee asking Mr. Laurence, who is a proprietor of some works in the neighbourhood, a Churchman, and is one of the leading men in connection with the Cwmbran British School, to accompany some of them to Mr. Hill to try again to get him to co-operate, and to have the School to be in some way connected with his works. If they will succeed the Master intends stopping here.#

# January 10. I am glad to state that they succeeded with Mr. Laurence to go with them, and that Mr. Laurence succeeded with Mr. Hill.---I understand that a new room is taken as a temporary place nearer the Works than the other.

December 5.

Gwendraeth Works. Having been informed by a friend in this part that the leading men connected with these Works were anxious to establish a School I hastened to see if we could persuade the parties to establish a British School. I am happy to add that they were very glad to see me. We made an arrangement to leave one of the young men from Bangor to commence a British School in January, to fit up a room temporarily that will be convenient to hold about 70 scholars.

December 6.

Croeslaw. This is one of the places mentioned in the Churchmen of Llanelly's application for aid to schools when the Committee of Council sent Mr. Bowstead and the Rev. H. L. Jones to make inquiry into the case. The application, it will be remembered, asked for aid to build Schools for 700 children, viz. 400 in the town of Llanelly, 150 at Llwynhendy, and 150 at Croesllaw, to serve for the neighbourhood of Velin Voel and Croesllaw. After the inquiry took place two years ago, the Committee of Council promised aid to build a National School for 100 children at Llanelly, and a National School with the conscience clause in the Deed, at Croesllaw. The applicants felt disappointed, and very indignant towards Mr. Bowstead and the Committee of Council. This was undoubtedly the cause of the Bishop of St. David's attack upon that gentleman in October 1860, which has caused so much writing, &c., in Wales, and it may also be considered the best stimulus that our countrymen had for years to arouse them to a sense of duty. The Llanelly [churchmen] did nothing here, and I came here along with some Ministers, &c., to try to establish a British School here. I think that our prospects are very promising. The site is secured and correspondence with the Committee of [Council] has commenced.

December 9.

Merthyr (Penrhewl). A few months ago the Baptist Church meeting at Zion in this [town] built a commodious [room] for a Sunday School. The Minister sent to me to ask for information about establishing British Schools, stating that he was anxious to establish a British School in the new room if they can see their way clear. I came and saw him and a few others, and I gave them all the necessary information. They promised that I should know the result of their deliberations before January.

December 10.

Blackwood. Knowing that Mr. Bowstead advised the Committee of this School to take a mistress instead of a Master because the fund was too low to maintain a Master I came to see what were they going to do. I was informed that they intended to carry out the advice of Mr. Bowstead and I was entrusted with the care of sending them a Mistress by January 6th.

Decembcr 11.

Cross-inn. Having been informed that Mr. T. D. gave notice and intended to leave, I visited this place to ascertain whether they would want a new Master or not. I found that Mr. Morris, proprietor of the Chemical Works in the neighbourhood, is on the one hand entrusted by the Clergyman with the management of the National School and on the other hand by the Committee of the British School with the leading directorship of that School. When T. D. understood that the salary given at the National School was a little higher than that of the British School he applied to Mr. Morris for the National School when it would become vacant. It was therefore arranged for him to have the National School. The Committee did not like to make any arrangement for a new Master without Mr. Morris, and as he happened to be from home my object was frustrated. Some of the members thought that Mr. Morris intended to induce the children to leave the British School to attend the National School, others thought that he would not do that. They promised to call a Committee as soon as Mr. Morris would return.

December 12.

Llansadwrn. Having been informed that J. Morgan, the Master of this School, was about to leave I wanted to know if they could take one of our British students. I found that J. M. had given notice, but that they had made a new arrangement for him to stay.

December 17.

Aberdare (Blaengwawr). When I had visited this place before, they intended establishing a British School, but I find that the new Code has frightened them. They will not move further in the matter until the fate of the New Code is decided.

December 18.

Cymmer. This place is exactly in the same position as Blaengwawr (Aberdare).

December 19.

Llanwenarth. The young man from Bangor College that has been established here in January seems to neglect his work, and to run into such amount of debt that he will never be able to pay. The Committee begin to be very uneasy about him, for he is likely to injure the School very seriously. They requested me to attend in order to advise them. I had anticipated this, and had taken Mr. Baxter there a few months ago, and he said then that Mr. Reynolds must be removed. I advised him to give notice to leave. This has been done, they will therefore want one of the Bangor Students as soon as the three months will be up.

December 20.

Cardiff (Bute Docks) to meet Mr. Baxter. The meeting was highly interesting, hundreds of parents remained after the Tea party, and were edified by the singing, and the addresses, especially that of Mr. Baxter which lasted an hour.

December 27.

Merthyr (Penrhewl). This is the same as those at Blaengwawr, Cymmer &c. not ready to begin their new School until the New Code is out of the way.

1862

January 2.

Abercarn. Having been informed that the Master of this School (who had no Certificate) had left or was about to leave, I went to see what was the cause of his leaving, and whether we could place one of our Bangor students there in his stead. I found that the Master left because the Works stop. This School was established about ten years ago, by the proprietor of the extensive Coal Works at this place. The Manager that was here at that time, E. Rogers, Esq., commenced building a very good schoolroom. He built the back wall of it, and a narrow room to be used for a class-room in the form of a slope behind the schoolroom. He also built the wall of the schoolroom about 3 ft. high. The school was commenced in this slope until the room would be ready. The room would have been a very expensive building had it been carried out according to the commencement. The building was discontinued in consequence of an order to that effect from Sir Benjamin Hall (who is now Lord Llanover) the owner of all the land in and about Abercarn. I could never find out the reason of Sir Benjamin for refusing permission for the building to be finished. It was supposed that he did so, because such good building would outshine his Church which had been erected by him a few years previous. However the School has been ever since kept in the narrow slope, where about 70 children were huddled toegther like sheep in the pound. It was of very little use to expect much improvement under these circumstances. Lately, on account of some misunderstanding among the Company the works have stopped, and the school discontinued. I must watch the time when the Works will move in order to try to have a better arrangement.

January 6.

Abernant. About 2 years ago a small school was established in this place under the charge of a very inferior Teacher. The friends have lately thought it desirable to improve the School and to have my advice to that effect. When I laid before them the particulars they were rather afraid of the amount of the salary required for a Certified Teacher, with other expenditure requisite for Books, Maps, &c. They could not venture to give me a decided answer whether they would have a Certified Master of not, until they will have another meeting attended by some persons who were absent on this occasion. This shall take place in the course of a few weeks.

January 13.

Beaufort. Such great number of Candidates for Queen's Scholarships having failed this year at Bangor, many of them were applying to me for situations as Assistant Masters, and knowing that J.M., who was Assistant Master at this School last year is going to Bangor College I went to see if another was wanted. The Committee promised to correspond with the Committee of Council, and if they will give the usual grant they will have one and let me know soon.

January 14.

Llanelly (Brecknock). In November friends from this neighbourhood were asking for my advice respecting the mode of procedure in establishing a British School. Being now so anxious to prepare plans for the Bangor Students, I went to see what had become of that project. I was sorry to find that all that Works in the place had stopped, the minerals had been exhausted, and now hundreds of families are thrown out of employment; under these circumstances our project must fall.

January 21 .

Llansamlet. This was a public meeting to celebrate the opening of a New British School. The friends and promoters of this School have met with some opposition from the proprietor of Works in the neighbourhood who has a National School for the children of his workmen. This caused them to build a room much smaller than it ought to have been. They prepared a room for about 50 children, but now they are under the impression that they must have a new one to accommodate 120 children, reserving this as a Classroom. We had a large Congregation, we therefore went to a Chapel, and the meeting was addressed by several of us, Ministers and laymen. They desired me to send a Certified Master to them as soon as convenient, and they are prepared to commence building the new room at once. When I visited this place on previous occasions the prospects were very gloomy, but now they are quite contrary.

January 24 and 25.

Blaina. Being requested by Mr. L. to make an inquiry with him into the nature and grounds of the accusation brought against the female Candidates who tried for Q. S. at Stockwell, we made and investigation of the whole matter, sent copies of the same to the Committee of Council, and brief statement to Mr. Wilks. On the 25th I also wrote several other letters to various schools, students, &c.

January 28.

Tydee. I went to this School with the same view as I went to Beaufort on the 13th, that is, in order to see if they will engage an assistant Master instead of the one they had last year. I found them wishful to have one. An ex-P.T. is to be sent there as soon as convenient.

January 29.

Gelligroes. Visited this place with a view to establish a British School. When I visited this place in 1861, the difficulty that stood in their way was the want of a piece of freehold land. They are now in hopes of getting a quarter of an Acre, so that they can avail themselves of Government aid. It is a good place to establish a British School, there is only one small school (and that is a Catholic School) within a large circle of a neighbourhood. We had a comfortable meeting of parents and others, and they seem to be determined to carry out their arrangements as soon as the site is finally secured, providing the New Code of the Committee of Council will not be prejudicial to such rural district Schools.

January 30.

Lantarnam. This little British School is an object exciting great envy and opposition among the Churchmen, especially the Clergymen of the district. A whole district containing a population of from 15,000 to 20,000 (including Abersychan, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, Pontymoil, Pontnewydd, &c.), has been allowed to be almost entirely possessed by the National school education, and that chiefly through the influence of our great voluntary educationist, Thomas Thomas, D.D., Pontypool College. Within the above district there are 12 National Schools containing about 1,200 children, and only one voluntary British School containing about 120 children. At the same time the district contains four Dissenters, at least, for every one Churchman. This fact would be worthy of Mr. Miall's notice, who is the great director of Dr. Thomas's thought. This little School at Lantarnam is on the border of the above district, and the Churchmen thought of possessing this neighbourhood also by establishing a National School but we took the lead and they are using every possible means of frustrating our object. They are now trying to induce our Master (by offering a higher Salary than he gets) to be engaged for them. I was requested by the Committee to attend to arrange.

February 4.

Maesycwmwr. Visited this place with a view to establishing a British School. I found that the New Code has entirely marred the prospects we had of a British School in this place, because that it is proposed to do away with the augmentation grant specially made for rural districts, the £25 for a Probationer or a Scheduled man. I am almost sure that the withdrawal of this Minute will ruin scores of small schools in Wales, and will prevent many more, where we had prospects, from coming into existence.

February 5.

Abertillery. I was requested to attend a Committee in order to make arrangements about the annual meeting, when Mr. Baxter is expected to be with us in our Tea party, and our examination, and to deliver addresses to the parents. Last year we had an attendance of 600 in such a meeting, and it did much good. We shall endeavour to have such another this year.

February 12.

Blackwood. This was my first visit to this School after Miss Ellen Ll. has been established there. When Mr. Baxter visited the School last summer when Mr. L. (who was a Certified Bangor student) was the Master, there were only 25 children. I was glad to see that the number with Miss L. reached 65, and she expects several more, so that I expect that she will have an average of about 80. She had a good order in the School.
That evening we had a public meeting of parents and others. The meeting was well attended and addressed by several persons.

February 12.

Maindee. I have been anxious for many years to have a British School under inspection in the neighbourhood of Newport. This town with its population of very near 40,000 (taking Maindee, Pill, and all the neighbourhood) has only one group of British Schools for Boys, Girls, and Infants. They are Voluntary Schools where from 300 to 400 children are educated, towards the support of which subscriptions are given by all the wealthy Dissenters and some Churchmen, and collections arc made annually in the 18 Chapels and preaching stations of Dissenters, while at the same time Dissenters' children are seen in hundreds filling the National Schools. There are about eight National Schools containing about 1,100 children; and that in a town where about five-sixth of the religious people are Dissenters. Now I think that I have a chance to establish a British School at Maindee, which is the other side of the river Usk, and may be considered as part of Newport. There is a schoolroom belonging to the Baptists, where preaching is occasionally, and the use of it may be had for a British School. I had an interview with the Minister and others, and we went to see the room. The room is a convenient place, and I hope that in a few months a British School will be established in it.

February 17.

Cross Inn. An opposition to the British School in this place is carried on similar to that at Lantarnam. There is a National School in the neighbourhood; they made an offer to the Master of the British School to take the charge of that with more salary. He left, and by his effort and influence many of the children went with him, so that when the Bangor Student that I sent there had only 20 children at first, he sent to inform me all about the case, and I came to try to get the Committee to make an effort to use their influence to get more children to the School. I was glad to find that the number had increased to 32, and that they had prospects for more.

February 18.

Gwendraeth Works. This is [a] new School and the promoters had desired me to send a Certified Master to them. I sent a young man, and told him that he was to have £52 in addition to the £25 from Government until the New Code would come into operation. He went there and acted so unwisely that we lost the chance of supplying the school with our men. He was not pleased with the room, the managers said that a new room would be erected as soon as convenient. Then he would not stay unless they would bind themselves for £65, and of course they suffered him to leave. The managers seeing one of our men, sent by me, acting so and that after they had given me to understand all about the salary, &c., took the matter in their own hands and engaged a Master from the Carmarthen College of the Church. However, I am glad to find that the School must be still carried on as a British School and that a new room is to be erected.

E. D. JONES.