---

Name	Form	Age	Address
William Norman Griffiths George Edward Gregor Edmund Robert Oldfield David Cyril Andrews John Brynley Beavan Evan Gwanwyn Davies John Benjamin Davies William Edward Davies William John Edwards Thomas John Evans David Garfield Evans Brinley Cenydd Erricker Robert William Francis Illtyd Thomas Hopkins Edward Valentine Howard Aneurin Jones Wilfred Raymond Jones David Lewis Reginald George Lewis Reginald Llewellyn John Sutherland Lowe David Herbert Morgan Arthur Henry Payne Frank Clifford Powell Iorwerth Bamford Richards William Stock Leonard Stonelake John Christopher Lloyd Thomas Leslie Howard Thomas David William Walters Henry Gwynne Williams Wynford Henry Williams Kenneth Hartley Berry Richard Daniel Brough Sidney Bowen Evan Bryant William Bryant John Clarke David Emlyn Davies Stanley Evans Edward Eynon David Gwynne Griffiths John Henry Gruberman Thomas Myrddin Isaac James Hector James Merfyn James Richard James William Isaac James David William Jones Francis David Jones Thomas Illtyd Jones Trevor Rosser Jones Wilfrid Jones William David Powell Douglas N Preston Edward J Shannon Gordon Lewis Spencer Alfred Thomas John Williams Ralph Shipley Williams David James Morris	1b 1b 1b 3b 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1a 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b 1b	11.4 10.5 12.5 16.4 13.1 11.5 12.8 11.9 12.9 13 11.8 12.5 12.7 13.5 12.6 12.4 13.5 12.6 12.5 12.8 12.3 12.4 11.9 11.8 12.7 11.5 12.9 12.4 12.8 12.7 12.9 13 12.3 13.6 12.6 12.7 13.2 12.4 13 12.6 13.7 12.4 13 12.4 12.1 12 13.3 12.9 14.3 13.6 12.3 12.2 12.7 13 12.1 12 12.5 13.7 13.5 11.9 13.3	7 Broniestyn Tce, Aberdare Ynyscynon House, Aberdare 32 Glanrhyd St, Cwmaman 20 Bwllfa Rd, Cwmdare Maesybryn, Hirwaun 21 Glannant St, Aberdare 1 Tanybryn St, Aberdare 14 Wenallt Rd, Abernant 54 Ynysllwyd St, Aberdare 6 Mountain Rd, Cwmaman 2 Tai’r Eglwys, Llwydcoed 15 Mary St, Aberdare 58 Dean St, Aberdare 29 Tudor Tce, Aberdare 7c Weatheral St, Aberdare 6 Prospect Place, Cwmaman 17 College St, Aberdare Crown Hotel, Aberdare 13 Glancynon Tce, Aberdare 23 College St, Aberdare 13 Elizabeth St, Aberdare 37 Sunnybank St, Aberdare 2 Primrose Cotts, Penyard 21 Grove Tce, Abercwmboi 39 Monk St, Aberdare Glandare Lodge, Aberdare 36 Herbert St, Aberdare 21 Windsor Tce, Abernant 20a Windsor St, Trecynon Taff Vale House, Aberdare 41 Dean St, Aberdare 104 Cemetery Rd, Trecynon 64 Mill St, Trecynon 36 Trevor St, Aberdare Cap Coch Inn, Abercwmboi Patriot Inn, Hirwaun 39 Windsor Tce, Abernant 66 Jenkin St, Abercwmboi 318 Cardiff Rd, Aberaman Golygfa Park View, Cwmaman 2 Upper Regent St, Aberdare 77 Gadlys Rd, Aberdare Police Station, Glanrhyd St, Cwmaman 24 Spencer St, Cwmaman 5 Morris St, Cwmaman 31 Bridge St, Cwmbach 31 Bridge St, Cwmbach 19 Bell St, Trecynon Fforchneol Arms, Godreaman 2 Cross St, Hirwaun 9 Tanybryn St, Aberdare 51 Monk St, Aberdare 401 Cardiff Rd, Aberaman 45 High St, Hirwaun Bryncelyn Cemetery Rd, Aberdare 16 Maelgwyn Tce, Aberdare 6 Whitcombe St, Aberdare 82 Gadlys Rd, Aberdare 28 Gladstone St, Aberaman 17 Margaret St, Aberaman 4 Empire Avenue, Cwmgwrach

Notes

Spring & Summer term entry: The first three pupils in the list entered the school in the spring term of 1917. 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.
The order of pupils in the table is the order in which they appear in the School Roll.
 

Pupils

George Edward Gregor, (1906–1979 was a son of Arthur Laver Gregor the well-known timber merchant. As an adult George was a timber importer and lived in Oystermouth.

The timber business in Aberdare continued into the late twentieth century.

The yard was located in Cwmbach Road opposite to the entrance to the High Level railway station, and next to Nazareth Calvinistic Methodist Chapel. The chapel closed in 1965 and has since been converted for commercial use by Jewsons builders’ merchants who now occupy the Gregor Brothers site.

John Benjamin Davies, (1904–1996), graduated in 1927 from Aberystwyth with an honours degree in both history and French. In 1933 he gained a Diploma in Public Administration from the University of London; then, in 1938 he added an MA entitled, The syntax of Marie de France as studies in her Lais. After teaching in two grammar schools, in Beverley and Ruabon, he returned as a master to his old school in 1945, and stayed until his retirement in 1967. He surprised Aberdarians when he died: his will revealed he was a millionaire.

Brinley Cenydd Erricker, (1905–1970, was from Foundry Town, and was a pupil at the school from 1917 to 1923. He was captain of Rugby 1922–23, and captain of Cricket 1923. He passed his ‘Highers’ in 1923 with two distinctions, then entered UCW Aberystwyth with a scholarship. Brinley became Senior Maths Master at Leyton High School, N.E. London. He authored two school statistics textbooks; they can be seen in the ‘library’ on this website.

Robert William Francis, (1904—1988), was the son of parents who came to Aberdare from the West Midlands. He went from school to U.C. Cardiff where he stayed from 1923 to 1928 gaining a maths and physics degree, and a teacher training certificate. He then taught for three years at a selective central school in Norfolk, then for sixteen years at Beddau Secondary School. However, during his time at Beddau he was seconded to the R.A.F. Education Service from 1939 to 1945. In 1947, he was appointed to Aberdare Boys’ Grammar School where he stayed until 1959, at which time he was appointed Headteacher of Bryn Celynnog Secondary School, Beddau.

William Stock was the son of the chauffeur to the Rees family at Glandare House.

Leonard Stonelake, (1904—1969), was the son of the prominent local politician Edmund Stonelake. After school Leonard went to UC Cardiff.

David William Walters was the son of the station master at the Taff Vale Railway station, (later the GWR, and BR Low Level station).

Kenneth Hartley Berry, (1905—81), was the son of the Trecynon barber James Berry. Kenneth’s grandfather was the Victorian photographer J. Lendon Berry. Kenneth settled in Llantwit Major, and like his father became a hairdresser.

Gordon Lewis Spencer, (1905—1976), became the Head of an elementary school in Brecon, before returning to his hometown as Head of Mardy House (Church in Wales) Secondary Modern School.

 

Amongst the parental occupations of the 1917 intake, there were,
None stated 1, Blacksmith, Car Fitter (now in army), Cattle Dealer (deceased), Chauffeur, Coachbuilder, Coal Miners 9, Coal-weigher, Colliers (deceased) 2, Collier (now in army), Colliery Cashier, Colliery Firemen 5, Colliery Manager, Colliery Overman, Colliery Repairers 2, Colliery Smith, Contractor, Dentist, Draper, Engine Fitter, Gas Stoker (deceased), Grocer (Retail) (deceased), Grocer’s Assistant, Grocer’s Haulier (deceased), Hairdresser, Innkeeper, Innkeeper (deceased), Inspector of Public Works, Locomotive Engineman, Masons 2, Mines Examiner, Moulder, Outfitter’s Manager, Police Constable, Railway Foreman (deceased), Railway Signalman, Secretary and Subagent Aberdare District Miners Federation, Solicitor, Stationer’s Traveller, Station Master, Steel Dresser, Timber Merchant (Prop.), Tin Smith, Warehouseman, Winder.
 

Back to previous page