Welsh Journals

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Price were responsible for the clause on the teaching of Welsh, which reads, "The Welsh language shall be taught exclusively during one hour every schoolday, and shall during that time be the sole medium of communication in the school and the Master shall at all conven- ient times give lectures in that language upon subjects connected with Philology and upon subjects of science and general knowledge so as to give to the scholars examples of its use in its higher style as a literary language and medium of instruction on grave and important subjects." Thomas Price was a pioneer in Welsh education, as in many other subjects, and in W. J. Rees he found a kindred spirit. They used to stay together at Llandrindod, and once W. J. Rees arrived to find Thomas Price and John Parry, Bardd Alaw diverting themselves in perform- ing in miniature some of the proceedings of an Eisteddfod, to the no small entertainment of the Company. some seals bought from a hawking pedlar were to be awarded as premiums to the best performers". W. J. Rees survived many of his former co-workers in the Cambrian field. Thomas Price died in 1848 a year before the veteran Gwallter Mechain. Bishop Burgess had died in 1837, Dr. William Owen Pughe two years previously, John Parry died in 1851 and Rowland Williams in 1854. Thomas Richards remained active until within about a week of his dying day, but he only survived W. J. Rees by ten months. Evan Evans, the poet died at his home in Trefriw three days after W. J. Rees. According to the preface to The History of Radnorshire, W. J. Rees was found in bed, having had a seizure during the night "from which he rallied sufficiently to recognize those around him". He died a fortnight later in perfect peace. W. J. Rees was among the last of the "band of patriotic Welsh scholars" which the Cascob memorial tablet recalls. He had witnessed the pioneer enthusiasm of the early Cambrians, and the gradual dwindling of support. But his life was not a series of failures. He had helped to keep alight the lamp of Welsh scholarship at a time when the merest flutter could have caused its extinction, and having preserved the flame he was able to pass it on to another generation. The little church of Cascob stands on a hill some distance from the long, yellow-washed Rectory. When I visited the parish there was a light covering of snow on the ground and in the churchyard yellow crocuses, snowdrops and the early daffodils were peeping through in the cold February sunlight. It may have been such a day when W. J. Rees was borne to his last resting place; the indefatigable traveller laid to rest at last.