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A MONTGOMERYSHIRE ARTIST HUGH JERMAN, LLANIDLOES (1836-1895)* E. R. MORRIS, B.A. Apart from a brief notice in 'Musicians of Llanidloes' (David Davies; Newtown Monts. Express Ltd. 1931) no other account of Hugh Jerman exists. The content of the booklet by David Davies first appeared as short articles in successive issues of the 'Montgomeryshire Express' and naturally it deals with Hugh Jerman as an accomplished musician. Jerman was too late to be included in Richard Williams Montgomeryshire Worthies' 1884 and 1894 neither does he appear in the pages of the 'Dictionary of Welsh Biography'. During his lifetime he was regarded by many in the county as a person of some distinction a talented musician, successful grammar schoolmaster and accomplished portrait and landscape artist. Even today, nearly ninety years after his death at a comparatively early age, there are those who still speak of his contribution in these fields to the life of his native town and county. However, he is largely a forgotten figure whose memory survives in those paintings of his which are in private possession in the county and beyond. A photograph of his most ambitious work 'The Glanyrafon Hunt' accompanies this brief account but there are numerous other landscapes and portraits in oils which undoubtedly (and to the writer's knowledge also) still exist. The National Library of Wales has three of his works. One, a portrait of his contemporary, the poet Mynyddog (Richard Davies, 1833-77) finished in 1878, after the poet's death and exhibited at the Library in 1928, 1929, 1931-34. Another in oils and labelled 'A Self Portrait' depicts a rather cheerful, rubicund toper holding a pint of ale. The third (PB7404) is a water colour supposedly of Crowlwm a farmhouse near Llanidloes.1 This shows a straw thatched cottage with a rather decrepit human figure near it. By no stretch of the imagination artistic or otherwise, can this building be identified with the substantially built Crowlwm a 19th century picture of which appears in Gwalchmai' (Mordaf Pierce J. Ellis, printer Llanidloes, 1908) p.8 1. It is probably a painting of a cottage somewhere in the vicinity of Crowlwm. The National Museum of Wales possesses no work by Hugh Jerman. Jerman's son Richard Henry Jerman 1866-1951 who died in Liverpool was also a gifted painter many of whose works exist in private possession. Again, most of these are landscapes in oils which as a rule bear his signature and in some cases the date. One water colour entitled 'A lake in Merioneth' (PB 7405) signed J. H. Jermain (sic) and dated 1946 is in the possession of the National Library. There are other unsigned and undated paintings in private hands which can reasonably be ascribed to the father Hugh Jerman. Most of the works of both father and son are those of scenes in Montgomeryshire, e.g. Llanidloes, Kerry, Abermule. Hugh Jerman was born on September 28, 18362 in a house in Great Oak Street. Llanidloes (the site now occupied by the building Mid Wales House). He was baptised at St. Idloes Church on October 31, 1836.3 His father Richard Jerman ( 18 14-1866) was a master carpenter and joiner, who The Powysland Club acknowledges with gratitude the generosity of the two anonymous members who have borne the expense of the two coloured plates accompanying this article. 'See 'County Times' 19 December 1970 where this work is reproduced and which contains the account of an interview with William and Dorothy Williams. Uanbadarn Fynydd. grandchildren of Hugh Jerman. This has a number of other errors. Application Form. National Society's Training College. Battersea No. 55S Records of College. now College of St. Mark and St. John Foundation. Plymouth. 1Parish Registers Llanidloes, now at N.L.W.