badge

Aberdare Boys’ Grammar School

School History

school building

Names of pupils who were in the 1908 Entry

from School Records

Name Age Address
Irene Howells
Margaret Blena Davies
Bronwen Jones
Roger Thomas
David John Harrett
Edward Vaughan Harrett
Dorothy Gwendoline Hannah
Agnes Muriel Erskine
David Morton Wayne Evans
Charles James Thomas
Thomas John Bowden
Elizabeth Jane Davies
Emrys Evans
Walter Pontin
Ellen Dorothy Baigent
Beatrice May Francis
John James Stubbins
Mary Roderick
Gwladys Ewrfror Morgan
Catherine Walker
Ena Morris
Gwen Eynon
Martha Watkins
Annie Price
David Williams
Timothy Francis Williams
Thomas John Jones
Leslie Marsden Webb
Clifford Orlando Evans
John Norman James O’Keefe Murphy
John Evans
Dorothy Mary Mathias
Lizzie Isabel Davies
Wm James Davies
Sarah Hilda Williams
Valentine Nesta Williams
May Llewellyn
May Howell
John Davies
Frederick Phelps
Frances Baldwin
David John Morris
Ethel Histon
John Richards
Annie Amelia Evans
George Maldwyn Maddy
Alfred Charles Williams
David Timothy Davies
Ivor Davies
Albert John Davies
William Henry White
Elizabeth Jane Davies
Lilian M Phillips
Annie Evans
Gladys A Smith
Elizabeth Jane Thomas
Gladys Jones
Beatrice May Francis
Hannah Mary Parry
Alice Maud King
Jane Rees
Maria Morgan
Annie Margaret Pugh
Elizabeth Prosser
William John Davies
Sidney Montague Silverman
Ellen Parry
13.2
15.0
13.4
11.5
14.1
15.4
13.4
10.7
11.1
13.3
14.0
12.7
12.3
12.4
14.0
12.3
15.1
12.7
13.9
15.4
11.7
12.9
14.9
13.2
13.1
12.9
12.9
14.6
11.9
12.6
13.4
13.0
14.3
12.7
14.0
11.6
14.9
13.4
12.6
16.1
12.9
12.3
11.8
12.6
12.7
11.0
13.0
12.1
---
12.4
12.6
12.7
12.8
12.7
12.8
12.5
12.9
12.3
12.8
12.9
13.0
13.1
15.4
15.4
12.0
12.1
13.5
6, Little Wind St, Aberdare
Anwylfan, Seymour St, Aberdare
22, Harris St, Hirwain
Mt Pleasant Hotel, Cwmaman
Woolpack Inn, Glynneath
Woolpack Inn, Glynneath
Brynderwen, Ferndale
62, Broniestyn Terrace, Aberdare
Belle Vue, Hirwain
Godreaman House
Fforchneol Arms, Godreaman
14, Mountain Road, Cwmaman
1, Byron St, Cwmaman
6, Bridge St, Robertstown
Glandare Lodge
30, Gloucester St, Aberdare
34, Tudor Tce, Aberdare
Ashbrook House, Aberdare
Canal Head House, Aberdare
Oakwood House, Aberaman
27, Pendarren St, Aberdare
30&31, Cardiff St, Aberdare
2, Dare Villas, Aberdare
87, Tramway, Hirwain
21, Phillip Row, Cwmbach
26, College St, Aberdare
43, Gladstone St, Aberaman
Spring Hill, Aberdare
Police Station, Cwmaman
St Cloud, Cwmbach
Parc Isaf, Cwmdare
10, Commercial St, Aberdare
The Cottage, Cwmaman
Maesyberllan, Rhigos
25, Pendarren St, Aberdare
25, Pendarren St, Aberdare
15, Holford Terr, Cwmdare
Saron Cottage, Aberaman
Llwyncelyn Inn, Trecynon
18A, Whitcombe St, Aberdare
19, Cromer St, Abercwmboi
Police Station, Cwmdare
Police Station, Abercwmboi
Ty Mawr Farm, Llwydcoed
2, David St, Trecynon
83, Cardiff Rd, Aberaman
68, Park View, Abercwmboi
21, Station Road, Hirwain
- - -
22, Gladstone St, Aberaman
7, Cefndon Terrace, Hirwain
14, Mountain Road, Cwmaman
59, Bwllfa Road, Cwmdare
24, Sunny Bank St, Aberaman
11, Pendarren St, Aberdare
33, Thomas St, Robertstown
9, Henry St, Aberaman
30, Gloucester St, Aberdare
Bronallt Stores, Abercwmboi
1a, Mill St, Trecynon
29, Mill St, Trecynon
14, Bwllfa Terrace, Cwmdare
Pentrebach House, Llwydcoed
Farm Yard, Llwydcoed
23, Hill St, Aberaman
71, Cardiff Rd, Aberaman
1c, Bwllfa Road, Cwmdare

Notes

Spring term entry: The pupils Irene Howells to T.J.Bowden enrolled during the Spring and Summer terms of 1908. All the others enrolled in the Autumn term.

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 1908 the school recruited pupils to higher Forms, as well as to Form 1, so for example, Frederick Phelps would have entered directly into a higher Form.
The order of pupils in the table is the order in which they enrolled.

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

 

Dorothy Hannah’s father was David Hannah a mining engineer who managed No.2, 4 and 8 pits at Ferndale. These were pits owned by the Davis family originally from Blaengwawr. Mr Hannah later became a director of David Davis and Sons Limited.

Charles James Thomas lived in Godreaman House, Cwmaman Road. His father, James Henner Thomas, was both a Grocer and Congregational Minister.

Ellen Dorothy Baigent was a daughter of William Alfred Baigent who was at this time a gardner to the Rees family of mining engineers who lived in Glandare House, Gadlys. Shortly afterwards the family moved to Bwllfa Road in Cwmdare.

Mary Roderick of Ashbrook House, Clifton Street, was a daughter of the Aberdare architect Thomas Roderick who designed several of Aberdare’s significant buildings.

Leslie Marsden Webb's father William Henry Webb was an organist and 'Professor' of Music. Leslie's sister Dorothy and his father were organists at St. Elvan's Church in Aberdare.

John Evans John Victor Evans was born in Cwmdare, and received his elementary education in the village. He did not stay long at ABCS and transferred to Christ College, Brecon, where he completed his secondary education. He fought in WW1 but on demobilisation he resumed his education entering St. John’s College, Oxford. He graduated in 1922 in History, having been President of the Oxford Union and of the Dafydd ap Gwilym Society. He was called to the bar in 1924, and during this period unsuccessfully contested parliamentary seats as a Liberal in Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil. From 1930 to 1935 he lectured in law at UCW Aberystwyth. In 1936 he accepted the post of Warden at the Aberdare Educational Settlement located in Fairfield House. In 1939 he joined the Civil Service where he remained until retirement. He died in 1957.

His father H.H. Evans has an equally interesting life story, described in part at https://museum.wales/blog/1456/A-Window-into-the-Industry-Collections---October-2015/

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. His daughter Lizzie also appears in the 1907 school entry.

May Howell was the daughter of John Howell a printer of Saron Cottage, Aberaman. He grandfather was Penderyn-born Jenkin Howell of 16 Victoria Square, Aberdare, a publisher and printer renowned throughout Wales for his poetry that appeared in Yr Ymofynydd, Seren Gomer, and Y Geninen. He also printed many Welsh books, as well as the newspaper Y Gweithiwr Cymreig which he owned and edited.

 

Amongst the parental occupations of the 1908 intake, there were,
Accountant 1; Architect 1; Book Clerk 1; Cattle Salesman 1; Civil Engineer 1; Civil Servant 1; Colliers/Miners 12; Colliery Bk. Clerk 1; Colliery Fireman 1; Colliery Manager 1; Colliery Pumper 1; Congregational Minister 1; Doctor of Medicine 1; Engine driver 1; Engineers 3; Farm Bailiff 1; Farmer 1; Gardener 1; Glazier 1; Grocers 2; Grocer’s Manager 1; Haulier (Underground) 1; Innkeeper 1; Iron Melter 1; Licenced Victuallers 3; Manager 1; Mason 1; Mining Engineers 2; None declared 4; Pipe & brick layer 1; Plumber 1; Policemen 3; Printer 1; 'Professor' of Music 1; Railway Goods Guard 1; Shoe-makers 2. Five parents described themselves as widows with no occupation given.