Welsh Journals

Search over 450 titles and 1.2 million pages

RADNORSHIRE SCHOOL LOG BOOKS. By MAJOR J. MOSTYN, M.C., M.A. (2). Dame Anna Child's Charity School, Whitton (continued). Since the last Volume of the Transactions was published, this School has held its Centenary Celebrations. Sir Robert Green-Price (Chairman of the Governors) presided over a large gathering of old pupils and friends, and an interesting address was given by Sir Percy Watkins, formerly Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Department of the Board of Education, and now Secretary to the Welsh Department of the National Council of Social Service. The following old pupils of the School gave reminiscences of their school days:- Mr. David Williams, Monaughty, aged 82 years Mr. Richard Edwards, Staunton-on-Arrow Court, aged 70 and also Mr. R. M. Kinsey, B.Sc., Headmaster of Newtown County School; Mr. W. Curtis, Presteign, Mr. A. J. Moseley, and Mr. W'. H. M. Davies, Bank House, Caerleon (a son of Mr. D. R. Davies, the late headmaster of the School). As Sir Percy pointed out, Dame Anna Child in 1703 provided for the maintenance of a schoolmaster, but not for the building of a school, and the present building was not erected until 1834, a new class-room being added in 1879. Mr. Parry, the last-mentioned headmaster, died in 1890, at the ripe age of 87 years. In his later years he was assisted in the school by his nephew, Mr. David Rowlands, who had been trained at Carmarthen Training College. Mr. Rowlands carried on the school work until Mr. D. R. Davies, the nonagenarian headmaster of this school, was appointed in 1879, out of 217 applicants. The Meeting of the Governors for the appointment was held at the Norton Arms Hotel, Knighton, and there were present — Sir R. Green-Price, Archdeacon de Winton, B. Mynors, Esq., R. D. Green- Price, Esq., and Messrs. Morris, Edwards, Rowlands, and the Rev. H. W. C. Davies. At this same meeting, the Chairman was authorised to purchase the iron-box which still contains the documents of the Charity. Mr. D. R. Davies continued as Headmaster of the School until 1928, when he died in harness," at the age of 92 years. Readers may well ask how it was that he did not retire on pension at