Welsh Journals

RADNORSHIRE AND THE 1847 REPORTS ON EDUCATION COLIN HUGHES Welch Piety, which was Gruffydd Jones's annual report on his Circulating Charity Schools, shows that in 1738-39 Radnorshire had Circulating Schools for 55 pupils at Llandrindod and for 80 pupils in Disserth Parish. Welch Piety adds that there were two other areas where Circulating Schools were held, too: Boughrood (for 15) and Crig Cadarn (for 22). The latter area, assuming that it is present-day 'Crickadarn', seems to be mis-placed. In any event, the provision of such schools in Radnorshire seems to be meagre. Malcolm Seaborne2 also shows a meagre provision of education in Radnorshire before the nineteenth century. As well as the grammar school established by the merchant clothier, John Beddoes, at Presteigne in 1565, of course, a non-classical school had been established at Rhayader in 1660 and the Rev. Charles Price had endowed a grammar school at Cwmdeuddwr in 1719.3 Robert Bevan has looked at schools in Radnorshire in 18184 and has confirmed and concluded that "provision for education in Radnorshire was rudimentary and inadequate". In 1834 Dame Anna Child had established her Charity School at Whitton, which is still in use, and there were obviously numerous Sunday Schools. However, by the 1840s, there was a general awareness of the woeful lack of educational provision in Wales and William Williams, MP5 raised the matter in Parliament in March, 1846. 'Educate the Welsh' became the rallying cry throughout Wales, as a result of Williams's heroic speech (it fills 15 columns of 'Hansard'!). This led to a Commission of Enquiry into the State of Education in Wales, which has been well documented. James Kay-Shuttleworth, Secretary of the Committee of Council on Education, was in charge of the Commission of Inquiry. He instructed his Commissioners to form an estimate of 'the influence which an improved education might be expected to produce on the general condition of society, and its moral and religious progress'.7 "This latter requirement was included because Victorians linked education with social control and because of their concern with high moral values. The inclusion of the phrase, 'moral and religious progress' led the Commissioners to criticise far more than educational issues, with far-reaching consequences".8 This inquiry in Radnorshire (with Brecknock, Cardigan and Monmouth) was led by Jellinger C. Symons, Esq. Early in October 1846, he met with the other two Commissioners, Mr R. R. W. Lingen and Mr Vaughan Johnson, at Builth, in order to discuss their joint approach to the Inquiry. They seem to have stayed at the Lion Hotel. Mr Symons was helped by two assistants, both conversant with the Welsh language: Mr Penry, head of a British School in London; and Mr Price, a student from St David's (Anglican) College, Lampeter. The former assisted for only three months and then Mr Symons was assisted by another student from Lampeter, a Mr Jones. The choice of assistants throughout Wales has been generally criticised,10 because they had no