HEADMASTER’S REPORT TO GOVERNORS
December 1905
This is the ninth annual report made to the School Governors,
written by W. Charlton Cox, Head Master 1905–1937.
Printed by Pugh & Rowlands, Market Street.
reproduced with permission of Rhondda Cynon Taf Library Service
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Some notes on the Honours pupils mentioned above
Lillian Lewis John of Llewellyn Street, Trecynon became a teacher at Bridgend County School. She left teaching in 1914 to marry Rev William Edward Roberts a minister of the Calvinistic Church, who at one time was minister at Trinity, Canon St Aberdare. They had one son Prof. Lewis E.J. Roberts, CBE, FRS. A chemist by training he became Director of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) at Harwell from 1975 to 1986. After Lillian’s husband died in 1933, she returned to teaching in Swansea, where she died in 1953 aged 65.
Thomas G. Jones continued his science studies at Swansea.
David Edgar Price became a schoolmaster at Holyhead County School. He married there in 1913 but later took up teaching posts in Leicestershire and Willesden, London. He died in Pembrokeshire in 1944.
David Roderick was one of the sons of Thomas Roderick the architect of Clifton Street, Aberdare. David became Chemistry Master at Llanelli Boys’ County School. He died at the General Hospital in Llanelli in 1955.
Joseph William Rowland of Rock Villa, Mountain Ash, became a school teacher.
May Williams was the senior girl’s prefect, and lived at 56, Victoria Terrace, Aberaman. She was
almost certainly the first pupil to enter an ‘Oxbridge’ College from the School. She went to Girton College,
Cambridge.
Some notes on the Senior Certificate pupils mentioned above
John Joseph Bekerlegge was the son of the Primitive Methodist minister in Mountain Ash. He became a teacher and after the First World War moved to the south-west of England. He died in Mousehole in 1977.
Nancy Edwards from Cwmdare married D.O. Roberts, who became headmaster at Gadlys Secondary School. A son David (Dafydd) Roberts became a well-known dental surgeon in Aberdare.
Ezer Griffiths later became a Fellow of the Royal Society, having spent his whole career at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington. He has an entry in the Former Pupils section of this website.
Elizabeth Parfitt was the daughter of a collier from Mountain Ash. After spending a year at Aberystwyth she transferred to Girton College, Cambridge.
Mildred Pratt became co-President of the Past Student Society, (as Mrs Mildred Shingler). She lived at
Station Terrace, Penrhiwceiber, and was the daughter of a Mountain Ash schoolmistress. She was born in London and returned
there after her marriage at St Stephens Church, Ealing in 1911. One of her daughters, Helen Shingler, acted in several British
films of the late-1940s and the 1950s, and on television she starred alongside Rupert Davies in the BBC series Maigret
which ran from 1959 to 1963.
Mildred’s grandson was the actor Anthony Head, a son of Helen Shingler. He was well known for roles in TV series such as
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso.
Mildred
as Tilburina
It is interesting to note that Mildred, and her sister Irene, were active in amateur dramatics in Aberdare in their youth. In
the 1904 school dramatic production of Sheridan’s 1779 comedy play, The Critic, the reviewer in the local paper
remarked that “Miss Mildred Pratt, as Tilburina, was the favourite of the evening, her acting fairly captivating the
audience.”
In 1905, the sisters were in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mildred playing Titania, (Queen of the Fairies), and
Irene playing Puck.
That’s three generations of acting talent!
Mildred in 1957