by Carolyn Jacob
When this new secondary school was opened on the 12th October 1896, education in Merthyr Tydfil came under the responsibility of the county of Glamorgan, hence the name County School. The first appointed Headmaster was Charles Owen.
The Welsh Intermediate Act set up the school to be intermediate between free elementary schools and university. Education here was not free. In 1912 it cost £1 per term and parents had to pay for all books. The school successfully sent many pupils to university.
When a school magazine called ‘ The Merthyrian’ was published in March 1923 the school was officially known by the title of ‘The Merthyr Intermediate and Technical School’, however, it soon reverted back to its old title of ‘County’. There were separate staffrooms for the male and female teachers and the men’s staffroom was very smoky. The magazine reveals that there was a great concern to distinguish between the girls’ corridor and the boys ‘corridor.
This was a very popular school. In the 1950s St David’s Day was celebrated in the County Grammar School by a concert in the school hall with singing, reciting and dancing. There was an annual gala of the Merthyr Borough Schools held at Gwaunfarren Baths.
In the 1940s W.P. Morrell was head teacher but by 1947 Dr T.H. Lewis succeeded him, then Mr Horton was the Headmaster, succeeded by Dr Leslie Reed.
On the rugby team in the 1940s was Howard Watkins, who played for Abertillery a top team then. The sports teachers then were Hubert Gwynne, boys and Miss Mullins, girls.
The County Grammar School were the winners of the Keir Hardie football shield in 1953. In the 1950s the County School had a noted choir with the eminent music teacher Glynne Jones as the choir master. Glynne Jones was also conductor of the highly successful Silurian Singers and he stamped his own personality and crusading zeal on both the County School Choir and the Pendyrus Choir. Under his guidance the Pendyrus Choir gained many national awards. Sadly Glynne’s 38 year directorship ended with his sudden and untimely death on Christmas Eve 2000.
The County School certainly had some very eminent teachers and Sir Glanmor Williams frequently said that his happiest years were spent as a teacher in the school.
It would not be possible to name all of the teachers but there are some that are still remembered by ex pupils:- Hubert Gwynne ( games), Ron Gethin (geography), Meirona Jenkins (Welsh), Elvet Jones-Taddy (French), Mr Jenkins (English), Mr Jones (Latin), Margaret Hughes ( Senior Mistress), Thomas (Mathematics), Mr Gwilym Jones (Art), Mrs Bale (Biology), Dorothy Williams (affectionately known as Dotty ) (Latin) Mr Pritchard (P. E.), Mr Glyn Llewllyn (French and German).
Two of the most long serving teachers, Mr Elvet Jones, (deputy headmaster) and Leslie Burns (English master), retired before the school closed. The senior mistress before closure was Mr M. E. Jenkins.
Although the County School was in an outdated building, because the school had a very good reputation and was held in high regard, the school continued until the opening of the new Pen-y-dre school in the early 1970s.
The school ceased to function as a grammar school in 1971. Dr Leslie Reed was in charge of the school in its final years from 1963 to 1971 and then he went onto become the headmaster of the new Pen-y-dre school. The building was finally demolished in October 1979