Notes

Spring & Summer term entry: The first sixteen pupils in the list, William Leslie Caldicott to Jean Leemans, enrolled in the Spring and Summer terms of 1915. All the others enrolled in the Autumn term.

Age on Entry: Pupils entering Form 1 were generally 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 1915, the school recruited pupils to higher Forms, as well as to Form 1, so for example, William John Evans entered directly into Form 3A.
The order of pupils in the table is the order in which they appear in the School Roll.
 

Pupils

David Walter Charlton Cox, (1905–1996), was one of the four children of the school’s headmaster Walter Charlton Cox. All four qualified in medicine

The three Leeman boys and Albert Devisch were sons of Belgian refugees who stayed in Aberdare for a short period, following their evacuation during WW1. 250,000 Belgians came to Britain at that time.

Luther James, (1903–1980), did a degree in Chemistry at U.C. Cardiff after leaving school. From 1925 to 1935, he taught in various elementary schools in London, and whilst there took a second degree, B.Sc. (Econ.) at London University. From 1935 until 1943 he was headmaster at a Radnorshire elementary school. He then gained a post at Aberdare County School to teach maths and chemistry. After 16 years at his old school, he was appointed to the headship at Abercynon Secondary School.

David Herbert Davies, (1902–1977). In September 1949, the existing Cwmdare Junior and Infants’ schools were amalgamated with David Herbert Davies taking over the headship of the (English) County Primary School. The newly established Aberdare Welsh School was also established on the same site with Idwal Rees as headmaster. D.H. Davies was the son of Tom Davies, Head at Abernant, and father of Dr Alun C. Davies, Reader in History at Queen’s University Belfast, but now retired in Aberystwyth.

Richard Bell-Jones, (1903–1990), was the son of a Penderyn limestone quarryman. After serving as Head of French at Port Talbot County School, he became a long-serving headmaster of Caerphilly Grammar Technical School. He was a very well known figure in the district involving himself in sport and the Urdd. He died in Gosford, New South Wales, Australia.

Walter Gordon Emrys Evans, (1904–1963), was a son of Evan Emrys Evans, the pharmacist and (second) owner of the Victoria Square chemist’s shop. Walter became a priest in the Church of England; he died in 1963 at The Rectory in Wilton, near Salisbury. His brother David Lloyd Emrys Evans remained in Aberdare and managed the shop after his father’s death.

Noel Michael Eschle, (1903–1969), was a member of the family who ran the watchmaker and jewellers shop in Victoria Square.

Gwilym Ffrangcon Williams, C.B.E., (1902–1969). Gwilym stayed for only one year at the Trecynon School before leaving for King’s School, Taunton. He became Vice-Chairman, of the National Savings Committee, and was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 1956. He was a son of Illtyd Williams proprietor of the Compton House drapery in Victoria Square. Initially Gwilym became an estate agent and valuer. He sat on the Boundary Commission for Wales, 1969. He married Florence Marion Harrison of Cwmdare in 1933, and lived in Park Lane, Trecynon.

Amongst the parental occupations of the 1915 intake, there were,
Auctioneer & Valuer, Brewer (dec’d), Builder, Clerk in Holy Orders, Clerk of Works, Coal Miners/Colliers 12, Collier (dec’d), Colliery Firemen 2, Colliery Labourer, Colliery Managers 2, Colliery Pumpman, Colliery Repairman, Colliery Winding Engineman, Diamond Cutter, Draper, Draper (Propr.), Electrical Engineer, Electrician, Fitter, Farmer, Fireman, Furniture & Music Dealer, Grocer’s Foreman, Haulier, Head-Postmaster (dec’d), Headmaster Intermediate School, Horse Keeper underground, Hotel Keeper, Hotel Keeper (dec’d), Insurance Superintendent, Journalist, Marine Engineer, Mechanic, Medical practitioner (dec’d), Mining Electrical Engineer, Night Overman, Pharmacist, Private Secretary, Private Soldier in H.M. Forces, Sand mine Foreman, Schoolmasters 4, Soldier, Solicitor’s Clerk, Tax Collector (dec’d), Timbermen 2, Watchmaker & Jeweller, Winding Engineman.
 

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