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Name	Age	Address
Amy Violet Minty Annie Bronwen Morgan Marianne Neale Sarah Jane Rees Arthur Frank Lambert Austin Mansel Lewis John Trevor Williams Maggie Maud Williams Gwenhwyfar Louisa Howells Thomas Morton Phillips Evan John Hughes Dorothy Annie Pardoe Thomas Roy Harris Lewis Morice Herbert Lizzie Isobel Davies David Lewis Jones Maud Harries William Charles Griffiths Annie Olwen Harris Gwawrddydd Bowen Clifford Stanton David Ivor Evans James Llewellyn Jones Gwyneth Edmunds Alexander McCarthy Richard Edward Watkins Gwilym Haydn Watkins Lilian Kate Panniers Henry Edward Allen Jane Ceridwen Thomas Edith Lily Davies Thomas Archibald Jones David Jones Ethel May Tuckfield Mary Margaret Jones Trevor Gwynne Thomas Evan David Perkins Glyn Jones Crogwen Rees	11.4 12.7 12.8 12.9 10.7 12.2 12.5 12.7 13.4 9.5 13.4 10.9 10.9 10.4 13.3 11.9 10.2 12.6 12.2 13.4 13.4 13.9 12.6 14.0 15.3 15.8 12.2 12.9 12.6 12.0 12.8 11.0 13.7 15.3 14.8 13.3 18.1 12.3 13.6	4, Prospect Place, Trecynon Green Villas, Trecynon Brynhyfryd, Railway Terr, Hirwain* 71, Wind St, Aberdare 2, Hill St, Aberaman 3, Glan Road, Aberdare 1, Stuart St, Aberdare 21, Windsor Terrace, Abernant Maesgwyn, Cwmdare Park Lane, Aberdare Ivy Cottage, Abernant Darren Ho, Aberdare 40, Tanybryn St, Aberdare 3, Park Lane, Aberdare The Cottage, Cwmaman Fair View, Llewellyn St, Trecynon 13, Cardiff St, Aberdare 16, Merthyr Rd, Llwydcoed 22, Curre St, Aberaman 3, Cefn Place, Aberdare 3, Dare Villas, Aberdare 1a, Morgan Row, Cwmbach Glanant Villa, Abercwmboi Crossway Ho, Hirwain Training School, Aberdare Ysguborwen Farm, Aberdare Brecon Ho, Cwmdare 1, Agent’s Row, Abernant 25, Abernant Rd, Aberdare 56, Cwmaman Rd, Aberaman 5, High St, Aberdare 15, Spencer St, Cwmaman 6, Iestyn St, Trecynon Metropolitan Bank, Aberdare 11, St John St, Trecynon Preswylfa, Hirwain Bryn Berllan, Cwmgwrach Nantgwawr House, Aberaman Ty’r Heol, Aberaman

Notes

Age on Entry Pupils entering Form 1 were aged 12+ in the early days of the school. There was no Form 2 and the four-year course to School Certificate concluded in Form 5.
In 1907 the school recruited pupils to higher Forms, as well as to Form 1, so for example, Richard Edward Watkins would have entered directly into a higher Form.

Note that for the first time, there were no pupils coming to the school from Mountain Ash, Penrhiwceiber or Abercynon. This was because Mountain Ash County, (later Grammar), School opened in 1907. It would appear that the Aberdare County School did not fully anticipate the drop in intake since only 39 pupils were admitted in 1907, compared to almost double that number in previous years.

*Hirwain — as written in the records of this period.

 

Gwenhwyfar Louisa Howells was the fourth of the five daughters of Edward & Margaret Howells; her father being a farmer and landowner. The family farm was on the right as one ascended Cwmdare Road, and the family was known as ‘Howells of Maesgwyn’. As an adult, Gwen lived with three of her sisters in Broniestyn House, Trecynon. The 5th and youngest sister, Mildred, was the only one who married. Gwen became a nurse; sister Alice became headmistress of the Open Air School, Trecynon; and sister Edith was a headmistress in Abercwmboi. The eldest, Winnie, was at home, looking after the other three sisters.
Mary (‘Mari’) Howells, for thirty years the school’s peripatetic strings teacher, was a cousin of these sisters.

Thomas Morton Phillips was the son of W.D. Phillips, solicitor, of Park Lane. The Phillips family was very well known in Aberdare at this time. Thomas’s grandfather Col. T. Phillips, also a solicitor, was in 1892 appointed Clerk to the Aberdare Local Board of Health; and three years later Clerk to the new Aberdare Urban District Council, continuing in that post until August, 1912

James Bankes Morice Herbert’s father was for a time a drinks manufacturer. It is possible he was a partner in Dovey & Herbert of Trecynon. Empty bottles from this manufacturer are seen regularly in auctions.

Lizzie Isobel Davies was a daughter of the well known colliery manager Thomas Luther Davies of The Cottage, Cwmaman. Thomas Luther Davies, (1861–1936), was born in Aberdare and became very well known in the district. He was manager at Fforchaman Colliery (1901); Aberaman Colliery (1910); an AUDC Councillor (Liberal) for the Aberaman Ward; member of the GCC Education Committee; Governor of the Aberdare County Schools from 1906, and later Chairman of Governors; a Poor Law Guardian, and he was made an Alderman of the GCC in 1913. He also lectured to various local societies and was a Christadelphian Preacher.

David Lewis Jones was the son of William Jenkin Jones a curate of Fair View, Llewellyn St, Trecynon

Clifford Stanton was the son of the influential miner's agent Charles Butt Stanton, who was later to become an M.P. for the joint parliamentary constituency of Merthyr and Aberdare. Clifford died fighting in WW1 and is commemorated on the School’s WW1 Memorial Plaque, which was unveiled by his father.

Richard Edward Watkins was the son of Farm Bailiff Owen Watkins at Ysguborwen Farm.

Ethel May Tuckfield was the daughter of G. J. Tuckfield, manager at The Metropolitan Bank, (later in 1923 to become The Midland Bank).

Mary Margaret Jones’ father Enoch Jones worked at the Tin Plating Works that was situated next to the railway, at the bottom of Meirion Street, Trecynon.

Crogwen Rees, (1894–1924), was the granddaughter of John Rees of Ty’r Heol in Cardiff Road. John Rees, together with David Thomas, set up the Cwmbach Co-operative Society as a result of a meeting in October 1959. The store in Bridge Street, Cwmbach opened on 8 March 1860. Most scholars recognise The Cwmbach Co-operative Society as the first established Co-operative Society in Wales. Ty’r Heol is an imposing detached house that stands at a fork in the road where Ynys-lwyd Road branches off from Cardiff Road. In its front garden is a distinctive Monkey Puzzle tree.
In May 1910 at Saron Hall, Aberaman, Crogwen’s father Oakley Rees was elected as ward secretary of Aberdare Valley Liberal Association for Blaengwawr. In July of the same year he was elected to be a director of the Cwmbach Co-operative Society representing Aberaman.

 

Amongst the parental occupations of the 1907 intake, there were,
Aerated Water Manufacturer 1; Bank Manager 1; Butchers 2; Caretaker 1; Certificated Teacher 1; Chemist 1; Coal Merchant 1; Coal Miner/Collier/Miner 3; Colliery Managers 3; Commercial Traveller 1; Confectioner 1; Curate 1; None 3; Farm Bailiff 1; Farmer 1; Fitter 1; Foreman Platelayer 1; Grocer 1; Ironmonger 1; Manager 1; Miners’ Agent 1; Platelayer 1; Police Constable 1; Rider 1; Secretary 1; Solicitor 1; Stationmaster 1; Tailor 1; Teacher 1; Tinplater 1; Underground Fireman 1; Upholsterer 1.

 

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