Welsh Journals

became friends. Always courteous, a real gentleman, never dogmat but nevertheless not afraid to express a point of view. This was alwa evident at meetings of the Executive Committee when difficult decisio had to be made. He was a firm friend of our late Treasurer Mr R Oliver and a frequent visitor to his home and latterly the Royal Briti Legion Home at Rhaeadr. As a Society we will miss the wise couns and particular expertise of John Stratton, his disarming sense of humo and mischievous smile. Our sympathy goes to his widow Nan and his daughters Bronw and Christine. Alwyn Batl R. C. B OLIVER 1908-1993 Reginald Campbell Burn Oliver was born in Newtow Montgomeryshire on 18th May 1908, the eldest of a family of ni children. He was educated at Penygloddfa School, Newtown Coun School, and the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth where took an honours degree in Geography in 1930. He then taught in Surr for three years before returning to Mid-Wales. In 1934 he was appointed Geography teacher at Llandrindod We County School where he was a successful teacher, being quietly spok yet firm and demanding, gaining the interest and confidence of I pupils and the friendship and co-operation of his colleagues. In 1941 he joined the Royal Navy and served as a lieutenant in t Mediterranean and Far East theatres of war. On demobilization returned to Llandrindod and became involved with many loc organizations, most importantly the Radnorshire Society. He was first elected to the Executive Committee of the Radnorshi Society in 1948; and became its Honorary Treasurer in 1959, an offi which he held until 1987. He kept a tight rein on the Society's financ and always presented his accounts with meticulous care and attention detail. It was not until he retired from teaching in 1968 at the age of that Reg felt free to pursue more vigorously his interests in local histoi From 1969 onwards there came a flood of scholarly writings, reflecti painstaking and time-consuming researches. His first major contributi, to the Transactions was an illustrated account of Pencerrig; this w followed a year later by the publication of his superb Family History Thomas Jones the Artist, which has achieved international acclaim artists and academics. Also in 1970 came a paper in the Transactions 'Jonathan Williams and his History of Radnorshire.' 1971 was a ve productive year, yielding three books of particular interest to people the Llandrindod area: A Hundred Years of Christ Churl Congregational which he wrote jointly with Mr Powell T Jones; T Centenary of the Church of the Holy Trinity, and The Squires Penybont Hall, and there was also a major paper on the Shelleys Radnorshire. Other original researches followed throughout the seventies a