Andrew Wilson J.P. – The Melting Pot

Evacuees in Merthyr

The article transcribed below appeared in the Merthyr Express 80 years ago today (8 June 1940).

Merthyr Welcomes Evacuees

Sixteen Hundred Arrivals

“You will get a square DEAL here, FOLK-stone”. This clever slogan on a banner at the main entrance to Merthyr Railway Station greeted 1,600 children evacuated from Deal and Folkestone when they arrived at Merthyr on Sunday.

Several thousand people lined High Street and Church Street to welcome the evacuees, who were accompanied by their teachers.

The children were met by Merthyr’s Mayor (Mr. J.W Watkin J.P.) and the Mayoress. Others present at the station were the Deputy Mayor (Mr. A.J. Brobyn), Ald. Wm Powell, Ald. Sam Jennings, Ald. David Jones J.P., Ald. John Williams, Ald. T. Edmund Rees, Councillors Andrew Wilson J.P., J. E. Jones J.P., B. J. Williams (chairman, education committee), Lewis Jones, F. J. Bateson J.P., T. J. Evans, John Harris, Mrs. Mary Thomas J.P., F. A. Phillips J.P., David Parry J.P, and D O’Driscoll; the Town Clerk (Mr. Edward Roberts) and Mrs. Roberts, Canon J. Richards Pugh (Rector of Merthyr), the Rev. Emlyn Davies (president, Merthyr Free Church Council), Mr W. T Owen M.A. (director of education), Dr. T. H. Stephens (medical officer of health), the chief constable (Mr. T A Goodwin), the Rev J. T. Rogers, the Rev H. Davies, Mrs Margaret Gardner M.B.E., Mr A. P. Thomas J.P., Mr T. E. Lewis (station-master), Mr J. Crossland (borough treasurer), Mr. G. A. Cook (public assistance officer), Dr. King (H.M. inspector of schools), Mr. T Longville Bowen (editor, Merthyr Express), Mr. David J. Owen (chief billeting officer), Mr. Israel Price, Mr. T. S. Evans (deputy food controller), Major T. R. Evans (A.R.P. officer) and others.

After the playing of “Hen Wlad fy Nhadau” by the Salvation Army Band at the Station approach, the children – many of the younger ones carrying dolls and toys, and all with their gas masks – were led by the Mayor and officials to the Miners’ Hall.

In extending a welcome on behalf of the townspeople, the Mayor expressed the hope that the children would be happy and well cared for at their new homes.

Coun. B. J. Williams and Mr. David Owen were in charge of the dispersal of the children from the Miners’ Hall.

After being allocated to the various wards, the children were taken to the St. David’s Hall, where they were medically examined by 14 local doctors. When the examinations were completed, buses were waiting to take the evacuees to the dispersal centres in the various wards. At these dispersal centres they were provided with a meal, and later they were conveyed to their new homes.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Merthyr’s schools were closed while arrangements were being completed for the education of the evacuees, who are drawn from secondary, technical, elementary and infants’ schools. Throughout the borough the evacuees could be seen fraternising with the local children and “exploring” their new surroundings.

The slogan already referred to was thought out by Mr William Morgan, of Twynyrodyn, one of the ward billeting officers.

Troedyrhiw

Bridge Street, Troedyrhiw, was decorated with flags and bunting to greet Pentrebachthe children from Deal when they arrived at 9.30 pm, and crowds of people lined the streets to welcome them. The children, numbering 96, and varying in ages from four to fourteen, marched to the Welfare Hall, where they were provided with a meal.

The Rev. J. C. Bowen, during the proceedings, introduced the Rev. T Rees (vicar), who spoke to the children and said they were now among people who were kindly disposed to them, and were united to make them happy. On behalf of the people of Troedyrhiw, and also of the churches and chapels, he extended to them a warm welcome. Great credit is due to the chief billeting officer, Mr. D Rowlands, and his staff of assistant billeting officers for the smooth working of the arrangements for billeting the children. There was evidence of fine teamwork, which included the chairman, Coun. B. M. Davies; Mr. M.Morgans, secretary; and Mr. G. Bryn Jones J.P., treasurer. Valuable services were also rendered by the police and special constables, under the direction of Sergt. Pugh; also by the ambulance division (Capt. David Jones); the Auxiliary Fire Service, with Mr. Harry Lucas, officer in-charge; and the committee of the Welfare and Boys’ Club (chairman, Mr J. J. Palmer); and Mr Fred Bristowe (Boys’ Club secretary).

The members of the committees were busy on Monday writing letters to the parents of each evacuee child.

Abercanaid

Although the contingent of the evacuee children, numbering 65, for the Abercanaid and Pentrebach area, from Deal, arrived at a late hour on Sunday, the villagers crowded the streets to give them a welcome to the area. The chief billeting officer (Mr. D. W. Davies) had the arrangements so admirably planned, that within an hour of their arrival the children were in their new homes. The billeting and welfare committee were all out to attend to the provision of a meal at the Abercanaid schools, and parents of the children have been informed of their safe arrival, and with the assurance that they will be well cared for during their stay. Splendid services were rendered by the special constables, under the direction of P.C.’s Caleb Evans and R. Davies.

Merthyr Vale

Children evacuated from Deal arrived at the Gordon-Lennox Hall, Merthyr Vale, close on 9 p.m. Outside the hall hundreds of local residents gave them a rousing welcome. About 210 children, with their teachers and a few adults, were handed over to a competent staff of workers, drawn chiefly from the teaching profession, and the difficult task of placing the children in their new homes began. All the clergy and ministers of the village, together with local members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the local police (with Inspector Young in charge) worked as one, and many of the children brought letters of introduction from their clergy to those of their new home. Praise must be accorded the women helpers who served the children with a meal. All worked together, and tribute must be paid to Mr. W. J. Williams, headmaster of Pantglas Boys’ School, and Mr. A James, headmaster of Merthyr Vale Boys’ School, through whose energy the children were all placed in good homes.

Many thanks to Tracy Barnard for transcribing this article.

Air Raid Shelters at Cyfarthfa Castle

The article transcribed below appeared in the Merthyr Express 80 years ago today (25 May 1940)….

SCHOOL CELLARS AT CYFARTHFA

SUGGESTED USE AS SHELTERS

A suggestion that some of the cellars at the Cyfarthfa Castle should be used as air raid shelters for pupils attending the Cyfarthfa Girls’ Secondary School in preference to the scheme of dispersal to the woods nearby, was put forward by Miss A.C. Davenport, B.Sc., the headmistress, at Wednesday’s meeting of the Merthyr Higher Education Committee.

Mr Andrew Wilson, J.P., the vice-chairman presided.

Miss Davenport said that she would like to use some of the cellars to accommodate the pupils in the event of an air raid, but she understood that permission to do so would have to be obtained from the Museum Committee. Parents were asking what arrangements were being made for the safety of the children, and she was very anxious about it. She had been advised that the cellars were the safest place, and she would like to give the girls practice in order that they would be calm and assured if an air raid did take place.

The school was about 10 minutes from the nearest house. It was either a question of sending the pupils out into the surrounding district or finding accommodation for them in the cellars, and she believed the latter course to be the better.

Mr B.J. Williams pointed out that the heads of the secondary schools were given an open hand to make their arrangements for the safety of the children. As far as the cellars under the museum and school were concerned, he could assure Miss Davenport that anything that could be done, would be done.

Mr Andrew Wilson: I understand that some of the valuable exhibits from the museum have been placed in these cellars.

Miss Davenport: Yes, I suppose they are more valuable than the human lives above.

Mr D. J. Davies, M.A., B.Sc., the headmaster of the Cyfarthfa Boys’ Secondary School, said that he supported Miss Davenport’s suggestion. If there was any accommodation in the cellars which was not required for another purpose he believed the schools should be allowed to use it. There were, however, about 300 girls and 300 boys of the schools and there would not be enough room for all of them in the cellars, but a hundred of the smallest pupils could be sent down there. He was quite prepared to let the girls use the corridors in the boys’ school. They had adopted the scheme of dispersal but he thought that the Castle provided such a target that dispersal to the woods would not be safe. He believed that the schools should be given assistance to dig trenches for added protection.

After further discussion it was decided to refer the matter to the special committee dealing with A.R.P. in schools.

A follow up article appeared in the Merthyr Express on 1 June 1940….

Cyfarthfa Cellars Not Fit For Shelters.

MISS DAVENPORT’S REMARK CRITICISED

A statement made last week at a meeting of the Higher Education Committee by Miss A. C. Davenport, B.SC., headmistress of Cyfarthfa Castle Girls Secondary School, on the provisions made for the pupils of her school in the event of an air raid evinced a reply from Mr F. T. James, chairman of the Museum Committee, at Tuesdays meeting of Merthyr Corporation.

The Mayor (Mr J. W Watkin, J.P.) presided.

It will be recalled that Miss. Davenport told the Higher Education Committee that she would like the use of some of the cellars underneath the Cyfarthfa Museum to accommodate the pupils during an air raid, but she understood that permission had to be obtained from the Museum Committee before that could be done. Mr Andrew Wilson, who presided at that meeting, said that he understood that valuable exhibits from the museum were stored in the cellars, and Miss Davenport replied that “she supposed that they were more valuable than human lives above.”

Referring to the matter on Tuesday, Mr F. T. James said that he had seen in the Merthyr Express that Miss Davenport had stated that she could not agree to the dispersal scheme system and would rather accommodate them in the cellars. She alleged, said Mr James, that the Museum Committee thought more of the storing of exhibits than the lives of the children.

“That is a most unwarrantable thing to say about my committee,” said Mr. James, who added that if it was desired to use the basement it could be done. If there was any committee to blame for not providing refuge for the girls, it was not the Museum Committee.

CELLARS NOT FIT

Mr Lewis Jones, chairman of the Higher Education Committee, told the Corporation that Mr W. T. Owen, M.A. (director of education), Mr A. J. Marshall (borough engineer) and he had visited the Museum that day, and after giving the matter due consideration he did not think that the cellars were fit to put the children in. If they put 200 children there it would be a “Black Hole of Calcutta,” and he could not recommend taking the children there. He would much prefer to see the children go into the woods near by. There was also a corridor in the school which could be used, and would be much safer than the cellars.

Prominent local historian, Joe England, editor of the book ‘Cyfarthfa School: The First 100 Years’ has confirmed that the cellars of the school were never converted for use as air-raid shelters, and luckily, Merthyr never actually had any need for shelters.

Many thanks to Tracy Barnard for transcribing these articles.

Andrew Wilson J.P. Freeman of the Borough – part 2

Below is the conclusion of the article about Andrew Wilson which is taken from the marvellous website http://www.treharrisdistrict.co.uk and is transcribed here with the kind permission of the webmaster, Paul Corkrey.

War Pensions

During the First World War 1914-18 Andrew Wilson became very involved in war pension work and he became secretary of the local war pensions committee for the Treharris Ward. Until two whole years after the armistice the men of Treharris Colliery contributed through the colliery office 3d a week, this raised over£6,000 for the dependents of those serving in the war. Everyone in the district gave their services for free and many benefited from the fund, Andrew was a member of the North East Glamorgan War pensions committee for 31 years.

First Chairman of the Water board

Before the First World War Andrew became interested in the question of water supplies in South Wales and supported the Merthyr Parliamentary Bill for the construction of the Taf Fechan Reservoir near Merthyr.

The Taf Fechan Water Supply Board was formed, and at its first meeting in April 1922 Mr Wilson was made the first chairman of the board; at the end of his first year of office he was appointed chairman of the finance committee, a position he held ever since.

He also had the honour of laying the last granite set of the overflow shaft on behalf of the board during its construction. In view of the valuable work that he did since its inception it was decided that a portrait of the first chairman be placed in the board room.

Members of the Taf Fechan Water Supply Board. Andrew Wilson is seated at the far right in the front row

Justice of the peace and proud miner

Andrew Wilson was made a Justice of the Peace in 1918; he was also the chairman of the Labour Party for many years. Apart from serving on many committees Andrew worked at the Deep Navigation Colliery for 55 years, of which 37 years were underground, and 18 years on the surface as a checkweigher. He finally retired in 1946. Andrew also completed 50 years service as a member of the Merthyr Tydfil Council, and to mark that achievement he received a cheque from the Borough trades council and the Labour Party.

A family man

It is very obvious that Andrew Wilson was a great man and a wonderful servant of the people who kept voting him into office. He was so well respected and often chaired the organisations he was involved with but he was also a family man and he and his wife Maria were parents to nine children, one son and eight daughters, one of which was my grandmother Gladys Wilson. They were married for 57 years and lived a full and happy life.

Both Andrew and Maria were members of the Trinity Forward Movement Church in Perrott Street (now demolished), and Mr Wilson was an elder there for over 40 years.

Trinity Forward Movement Chapel in Treharris

In April 1953 the borough was shocked to hear of the death of Andrew Wilson at the age of 78, hundreds of tributes poured into the family home from some very important people of the time that would have been a comfort to the family in Treharris. Further sadness followed just two days later though when his wife Maria also passed away at the family home in Brynteg Place, they were both buried in a huge funeral at Beechgrove Cemetery, Edwardsville, right behind the graveyard church. I have paid a couple of visits to the cemetery to pay my own respects to a remarkable man of Treharris.

Andrew Wilson J.P. Freeman of the Borough – part 1

The following article is taken from the marvellous website
http://www.treharrisdistrict.co.uk, and is transcribed here with the kind permission of the webmaster, Paul Corkrey.

In 1908, Andrew Wilson, of 4 Brynteg Place, Treharris, became the youngest and only collier mayor of a county borough. Andrew Wilson was in fact the first mayor of the newly created County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil.

Andrew was born in Llangstone cottages; Llangarron, Herefordshire in 1874, and attended school there and later worked at the Woodfield Nurseries. At the age of 16, he moved to South Wales, and with the exception of two years spent at Abertillery, he spent his entire life residing in Treharris where he soon became involved in politics.

Politics

He became secretary of the local branch of the Independent Labour Party, in the days when Ramsey MacDonald, Keir Hardie, Snowdon and Glasier were pioneers of the movement. He also served upon the management committee of the Co-operative society in the early days and helped to form the South Wales Miners Federation after the great strike in 1898 and served upon the Taff Cynon district of miners for many years. He later became president of the district.

Compensation act

He became a hero to his fellow mine workers when he fought against The Ocean Coal Company at Treharris who were anxious to opt out of the new Compensation act which came about following the 1898 strike. The Ocean Company wanted the miners to contribute towards a fund with the employers, out of which compensation would be paid.

The miners Federation were against this and Alderman Wilson became plaintiff in an action against the company to prevent them from deducting money from the miners to fund this scheme.

The case went to the High Court and the decision went against the company who then had to repay to the miners the money that had been deducted against their wishes, this also brought an end to companies contracting out of the Compensation Act across all of South Wales.

Education for Treharris and the Borough

Mr Wilson was elected a member of the education committee when the school boards went out of office in 1904 and he opened Webster Street School in 1905, he also supported the conversion of Cyfarthfa Castle into a free secondary school.

For several years he was chairman of the Higher Education Committee and he represented Merthyr on several boards including the University Court of Wales, Central Welsh Board, Mining Board of South Wales, the University College in Cardiff, and he had also been a member of the South Wales Industrial School in Quakers Yard and of St Cynon’s National School.

Mr Wilson was very popular in the town and it was no surprise when he was returned as a member of the Urban District Council of Merthyr in April 1903, when Treharris and Merthyr Vale were one ward. He supported the incorporation of the whole parish in the new borough during the great struggle for incorporation, and was elected as a member of the first borough council in 1905.

He was made an Alderman at the first meeting and became mayor of the Borough in 1908, the same year that Merthyr became a county borough and he was the last person to be appointed High Constable of Caerphilly higher.

During his year in office Mr Wilson achieved many things and he was proud to open Cyfarthfa Castle to the public but closer to home he was delighted to open the new Library in his home town of Treharris in 1909.

Treharris Library in 1911. Photo courtesy of http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/index.htm

To be continued…..