Welsh Journals

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A History of the Gower Society (1) Founded in 1947. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED by the honorary archaeologist to the Gower Society (who came into the Society as a grammar-school boy in his first long-trousers) that some people are interested in the origins of the Society-and that these matters should be put down, whilst there is yet time to this I readily agree. The Society was actually born on the twenty-third of December 1947-and not in 1948, as has often been stated. It happened at Ael-y-bryn," a large house in the Uplands district of Swansea, the home of the late Ernest E. Morgan who had just retired from a very long and distinguished career as the Borough Architect of Swansea. Mr. Morgan was also a very fine artist who worked in water-colours and who recorded many hundreds of local features in that medium. His albums were meticulous and included work he did on the Grand Tour of Europe in his younger days-and many topographical drawings of Wales. In violet ink, in the hand of David Bernard Rees, the occasion was put on record in a small brown book-" The Gower Society- Minute Book "-and these are some of its words-" it was decided to convert the group of researchers, formerly known as the Gower- men into a Public Society. Mr. Ernest Morgan was elected chair- man, Mr. J. E. Rees, librarian and editor, Mr. D. B. Rees, Field Officer and Assistant Secretary and Dr. Gwent Jones Secretary." (It may be seen from this quotation that the Society's flair for nomenclature was a very early feature.) It was decided to draw up a draft of a letter to be sent to interested persons and to announce the inauguration of the Society at a lecture on Gower to be held at R.I.S.W. on Jan. 7th, 1948." Those present at the first meeting were the four duly-elected officers of the Society. There was no committee! But even then the new Society was not inactive-and on the first of January, 1948, the first out-door meeting was held, in Llanrhidian-" for the purpose of locating certain stones. Two inhabitants gave valuable information "-wrote the recorder! On the fourth of January, 1948, another out-door meeting was held, again at Llanrhidian, whence the whole society travelled in dismal rain-like the contemporary Liberal representation in Par- liament-in one car. Cil-ifor hill-fort was explored, as were the remains at the church-site of Llanelan. The puzzling sculptured stone in the church-porch of Llanrhidian and the boundary-stones brought from Llanelan and inserted near the lych-gate of Llan- rhidian were also inspected.