Past Students’ Degree Results, 1913
The Past Students’ Association reported these degree results of
former pupils
in the Aberdare Leader dated August 16th, 1913
Aberdare Intermediate School.
PAST STUDENTS’ SUCCESSES.
The past students of the above school have done exceptionally well during the academic
year that has just ended: the names of no less than thirteen old Aberdare pupils figure
in the lists of those who gained degrees or diplomas at their respective universities,
while several others did well in examinations leading up to the degree.
Among the particulars that have come to hand to date are the following— At
the University of Wales the degree of B.A. was gained by Miss May George (honours in
French and History), Miss Mary Howells (honours in History), Mr William Jones, Miss
Irene Pratt (honours in French), Mr Brinley Reynolds (honours in French), and Miss
Dorothy Rees (honours in French), while Miss May Lewis and Mr W. I. Curnow gained honours
in English and 1st class honours in Political Economy respectively.
The B.Sc. degree of the same University was gained by Mr David Roderick and Mr Trevor
Reynolds. The latter also gained his diploma in Engineering, and Mr Luther Bosher his
diploma in Metallurgy.
At the University of Birmingham Mr Willie Oxenham gained the degree of Bachelor
of Commerce with four distinctions, while Messrs Bertie Oxenham and Gordon Chapman
passed the Intermediate Examination for the same degree with four and two distinctions
respectively.
At the University of London Mr Goronwy Jones gained the coveted degree of M.D. Mr
D. J. Parsons also passed the Matriculation examination.
Mr Ezer Griffiths, B.Sc., Fellow of the University of Wales, has published a joint
paper with Principal Griffiths, of University College, Cardiff, in the transactions
of the Royal Society of London.
Miss May George, B.A., has been awarded a Training Scholarship of £40 by the
Glamorgan County Council, in addition to gaining the award of a Bursary by the Council
of the Training College for Women, Cambridge, to which she intends to proceed next
session. She is the daughter of Mr and Mrs F.D.E. George, Seymour Street, Aberdare.
Notes
May George was Marjorie Mabel George. Her father was a well known undertaker
in the town.
Mary Howells & Irene Pratt were both from Penrhiwceiber.
Brinley Reynolds later taught French at the school, 1913 to 1952, and
became headmaster from 1952 until 1954, although he was acting headmaster for four years,
1946–1950 when headmaster Mr Gwilym Ambrose was seconded to Llandrindod Emergency Training
College.
Dorothy Jessie Charlotte Rees, 1892–1980, taught French at Aberdare
Girls’ County School from 1917 until December 1945. She was the daughter of a
tinplate worker of 49 Dean Street. One of her sisters Florence Rose Rees later, as Florence
Rose Davies, became the first chairman of the old Glamorgan County Council, as well
as the Chairman of the school governors. Dorothy Rees married Johan Schaaf in 1952.
William Curnow lived at the Workmen’s Institute, Mountain Ash,
where his father was caretaker and manager of the theatre.
Trevor Reynolds was the son of the mining engineer William Reynolds
of Brynteg, Monk Street.
Willie and Bertie Oxenham were both sons of the W. Oxenham, plumbers
and gas-fitters, of Maes-y-Dre.
Evan John Goronwy Jones was a son of Rev Rees Jenkin Jones (Hen Dŷ
Cwrdd) of Broniestyn House. Goronwy attended the school for just two years,
leaving at the age of 18 in 1899. He completed his secondary education at Kingsholme
School, Weston-super-Mare.
Ezer Griffiths became the first pupil of the school to be awarded an
F.R.S. You can read more about his career in the Former Pupils section of this website.
In the same
column of the newspaper there was, reported separately, the news that former
pupil Edwin Griffith Miles, (1881–1947),
had been awarded an M.A. degree. However, Mr Miles was a pupil at the new
Intermediate School for one just year, 1896–1897, leaving when he was 16,
and so another school would have possibly claimed credit for most of his
secondary education. He was the son of the well known "Purveyor of Meat," Mr
R.H. Miles, of 27 Commercial Place, who held the honorary title of High
Constable of Miskin Higher in that year, 1913. The Leader reported as follows:
High Constable’s Son
OBTAINS HIS M.A. DEGREE.
Aberdare people will be interested to learn that Mr E. Griffith Miles, son of Mr
R. H. Miles, High Constable of Miskin Higher, and Mrs Miles, has just taken the degree
of M.A. We cull the following from “The British Weekly” for August 7: —
“Rev. E. G. Miles, B.A., who has been assistant to Rev. Alex. Connell, B.D.,
of Sefton Park Church, Liverpool, since December, 1911, and is at present in full charge
in Mr Connell’s absence, has taken the M.A. degree in the School of Economics at Liverpool
University. Mr Miles is one of the ministers admitted by last Synod from the Welsh
Calvinistic Methodist Church. He was formerly pastor of Spellow Lane congregation in
Liverpool in connection with that body. He is an able and popular preacher, and has
evidently “a future” as an English Presbyterian minister. For the past
two years Mr Miles has been an Extension Lecturer in connection with the University
of Liverpool. He had a brilliant scholastic career at Cardiff and Aberystwyth. He was
also a non-collegiate student at Oxford (1905–06), and took two sessions at New
College, Edinburgh (1906–08). It was stated at the Synod that Mr Miles had rendered
most acceptable service in supplying the pulpits of churches in the Liverpool Presbytery.
Mr Connell bore the strongest possible testimony to his faithfulness and usefulness
in his work at Sefton Park, where he is to labour at least until the end of the year.”
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