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Notable Churches in and around Llanelli

The information in this section is an edited version taken from Llanelli - Birth of a Town a CdRom by William and Benita Rees

Religion & Education

17th century   The Welsh Trust     Circulating Schools     Llanelli Schools

19th Century – Sunday Schools     The Blue Books of 1847

Church and Dissent     1847 to 1870

In the 16th century when the first schools were set up for the purpose of educating children of the Welsh nobility, Welsh was not the preferred language, even though it was the language of the majority of the children.

The first grammar school in Abergavenny was modelled on those in England and the main languages used for education purposes were Latin and English. This in reality meant that any child wishing to enter the school had to be fluent in English before the age of seven. The Welsh nobility accepted the tradition of the English styled grammar schools, supporting the English language and its culture. In order to succeed in English-dominated society it was necessary for children educated in the English style grammar schools to accept the English language, culture, values and prejudices.

No universities had been established in Wales, so when children of the Welsh nobility left their grammar school, they were sent to English universities to complete their education, In many cases the end result was that children educated in this system generally wanted to forget their Welsh roots which contributed to widening the gulf between the educated Welshmen and the rest of Welsh society. That being said, the Welsh language was not entirely forgotten and despite the pressure of the English language and prejudices, many Welshmen retained their native language and culture.

In addition the English universities did not suppress the Welsh language and allowed discussion and conversation in Welsh. The Welsh did not, however, at this time, set up separate educational institutions.

The situation developed whereby the Welsh people, unlike the Welsh nobility, remained Welsh speaking and retained their unique traditions, customs and culture.

In the 16thth century, therefore, only 10% of the population had knowledge of the English language. If attempts to educate the majority of the Welsh people were planned then the Welsh language would have to be the teaching medium.

17th century

In the 17th century, the passing of an Act of Parliament, entitled “For the Better Propagation and Preaching of the Gospel in Wales” led to 63 elementary schools being established in the main market towns. These schools were free for girls and boys and taught the three R’s (reading writing and arithmetic), not in Welsh but in English. After the Restoration in 1660 the schools disappeared and charitable organisations continued to educate the Welsh population.

The Welsh Trust

1672 Thomas Gouge decided to concentrate his activities in Wales.

1674 The Welsh Trust was formed to further his work. In this venture Thomas Gouge was supported by the Anglican Church and the Dissenters (Nonconformists).

His aim was to teach children to read (in English) and to distribute copies of the Bible.

By 1675 eighty schools with more than a thousand children had been established, mainly in South Wales.

1681 Thomas Gouge died and the schools gradually disappeared. Stephen Hughes, a Welsh-speaking Welshman, also known as ‘the Apostle of Carmarthenshire’, figured prominently in the movement to educate Welsh children, and realised the importance of teaching children in their native tongue. In 1677-78 he brought out a new Welsh edition of the Bible and during this time he often visited Penderi-March and Wernchwith in the neighbouring parishes of Llannon and Llanedi. During the time of the persecution there was a close relationship between Congregationalists and Baptists in the three parishes of Llannon, Llanedi and Llanelli. Because of this close association and his frequent visits, Stephen Hughes was probably well known to the Baptists of Llanelli.

Circulating Schools

Gruffydd Jones of Penboyr in Carmarthenshire founded the Circulating School movement in Wales, which was intended to reach a large number of children. Whilst he was curate at Laugharne he became a teacher at the SPCK (Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge). He continued his work when he was made rector of Llanddowror where he established a school in the village in 1731. His aim was to establish other small village schools, which would be run by itinerant teachers.

These travelling teachers would spend three months establishing the school before moving on to another school. When his wife died in 1755, Gruffydd Jones went to live at the home of Mrs (Madam) Bridget Bevan (1698-1779), where he died in 1761. His Circulating Schools idea proved to be very successful and it has been estimated that around 3,500 schools had been set up by the time he died. Gruffydd Jones left his fortune to Mrs Bevan who also inherited his work with the Circulating Schools. Madam Bevan was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Vaughan of Cwrt Derllys, Carmarthenshire. Her father John Vaughan (1663-1722) had been the organiser of the SPCK Schools in Carmarthenshire from 1700 until he died in 1722. Bridget had married barrister Arthur Bevan of Laugharne in 1721 and took an early interest in the establishment of schools in the area. When Gruffydd Jones extended his work to the creation of Circulating Schools during the 1730s she became his chief patroness and adviser. In 1773, six years before she died, Madam Bevan controlled 242 schools with 13,205 pupils.

Llanelli Schools

It is recorded that in 1748 there were a good number of these Circulating Schools in the town, namely Five Roads, Felinfoel, and Llwynhendy. There were also said to be a few private schools in Llanelli parish, including that of Mr Maurice. The schoolwork was helped by the distribution of literature organised by the SPCK and Edward Dalton of Llanelli figured prominently in this venture.

Although the Circulating Schools had proved a great success, teaching was generally basic. The aim was to achieve literacy through religious texts, which were provided by SPCK. Charitable funds were spent on teaching and not on buildings. Schools were run in barns, storehouses, or any rooms that were available. By the end of the century problems with securing adequate charitable funding brought about the demise of the movement. Although the movement came to an end, the interest in learning that it had generated continued to grow.

19th Century – Sunday Schools

At the beginning of the 19th century Sunday schools began to fill the vacuum caused by the demise of the Circulating Schools. The idea had first been tried in England and it was not long before the Welsh Nonconformists took it on board.

Classes were held on the day that most people could attend and were open to both adults and children. Similar to the Circulating Schools, tuition was centred on reading and writing that was based on the Bible and the scriptures.

In 1811 the Anglican National Society was established, followed in 1814 by the undenominational British and Foreign Society. At that time Llanelli is said to have had the National school, a Charity school, a Works school, Private schools and Sunday schools. The success of the Sunday school movement led to all denominations taking it on board and this led to the establishment of a publishing industry so that the demand for Bibles and text could be satisfied. The influence of the Sunday schools was not felt to any great extent in Llanelli until the 1830s but there is no doubt that they contributed greatly to the general welfare of the people.

At the beginning of the century only three Sunday schools were mentioned: Capel Als, Capel Newydd and Felinfoel.

In 1805, the Anglicans established a Sunday school, which was mainly due to the support of Charles Nevill (senior).

Records show that in 1810, although there was not a regular Sunday school attached to the Parish Church, the children were often instructed by different people of the town on an alternating basis. There were numerous private schools in Llanelli including William (Billy) Williams who started teaching in 1814 when he was nineteen years old and whose school was in Oxen Street.

A report made in 1818 indicated that the population of the parish of Llanelli was 3,891. There were two day schools with about 160 children and there were two Sunday schools comprising 200. None of the schools were endowed and one of the Sunday schools must have lapsed after 1810. The two day schools were probably William (Billy) Williams school, and the Felinfoel school, which was held in the Baptist Chapel. Penbre (Pembrey) had one endowed school and Cydweli had one unendowed school. There was a Madam Bevan Circulating school in Llannon and in Llanedy. Carmarthen, including the Chapelry of Llanllwch, with a population of 7,275, had eleven schools. Llandeilofawr and Taliaris Chapelry had a population of 4,030 and had thirteen unendowed and two endowed schools, but did not have a Sunday school. Out of seventy parishes and chapelries, nineteen of them did not have a school at all. There was no return for St. Ishmael.

The 1818 totals for Carmarthenshire were:

Llanelli’s Charity school was opened in 1823 but it only functioned occasionally. It was supported by local clergy, gentry and businessmen, including Revd Ebenezer Morris, Alexander Raby, Rees Goring Thomas, Richard Janion Nevill, Ralph Pemberton, the Marquis of Cholmondeley and Haynes and Co. (Bankers).

In a letter from Llanelli, dated January 14 1831, James Buckley wrote “knowing the Misses Taylor to be friends of the poor and destitute thinks it not unlikely that they may be able to recommend to the ladies who patronise and assist in our Charity School (constructed on the same principles as the Carmarthen National School) some suitable person as a School mistress who would be glad to accept such a situation . . . The salary of the present mistress is £20 p.a. She is obliged to give up on account of indisposition”.

In the letter, Buckley refers to several of the friends who would like a mathematical school in the town, but they knew that there would be difficulty in getting a suitable room.

Llanelli’s National school was started around 1827 and a report made in 1828 said, “There is a daily school on the national system supported by subscriptions”. The Parish schoolmaster was not licensed and there were about 80 boys and 60 girls at the school. The main supporter of the school was the Revd Ebenezer Morris, who was licensed as a schoolmaster on 13 August 1835. The school (on the Wern) was enlarged or rebuilt in 1837 and received two Parliamentary grants, £113 on 21 June 1837 and £87 on 18 May 1839.

On 20 July 1840 a public meeting of friends and supporters of the proposed infants’ school was held. Rees Goring Thomas was in the chair and those present included William Chambers, James Buckley, and Revd. Ebenezer Morris. Rees Goring Thomas had given the land in Prospect Place and the school building with accommodation for 250 children opened in 1841. The first master and mistress were Mr. & Mrs. Boulter. A deed dated 14 October 1840 granted the Methodists the right to use the school on Sundays (except between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.). The Methodists could also use the building for occasional evening meetings and in return they contributed £50 to the school.

The Blue Books of 1847

Although the Report of the Inspectors was generally critical, when the Assistant William Morris arrived at Llanelli he is said to have witnessed a real desire for education. He commented that he found the harbour master giving a gratuitous lesson in algebra to nine persons and he testified to the improved moral character of the town. He concluded that the Dissenting Sunday Schools appear to have been mainly instrumental in effecting this happy change.

Fifteen Sunday Schools were mentioned in the 1847 report, thirteen of which are listed. No Sunday schools had been held for some months in Horeb or Ponthenry:

Church and Dissent

Of the 2,955 children listed, 819 attended a day school and almost half of this total could read the scriptures. The Bible was the main book and in all the schools and, without exception, it was committed to memory. Much use was made of catechisms, including Church Catechisms, Watts’ Catechism, Mother’s Gift, and that of Thomas Charles of Bala. Geographical maps were also found in some schools. English was the language used in three of the schools, namely, National, Park, and the Wesleyan, and Welsh was used in Cwmbach, Sion, Soar, Tanygraig, and Capel Newydd. Both languages were used in the other places. In Capel Als two-thirds of the female classes were reading English, and some of the parents, whose children were going to day school, objected to their being taught Welsh on Sundays.

Sunday school lasted two hours in Capel Als, which was the usual time, although it lasted for three and a half at the National. Out of the 454 children at Capel Als, 90 attended day school and 258 could read scripture. 168 children had been taught to read in the Sunday school, with help perhaps, in some cases, from the home. School was opened with a hymn and a prayer, after which the names of the teachers were called out. Many were missing at the copper works, because the furnaces were working day and night. The minister, David Rees, had a class of fifteen – four colliers, one farmer’s son, two carpenters, one brewery man, two clerks in the works, one shopkeeper, one very old man, and one “not ascertained.” This class supplied the school with teachers. They had five scriptural maps and some commentaries. The teachers were kept busy during the week visiting parents of absentees. Assistance was given to those who could not attend because they did not have clothes and it must have taken the inspector some time to visit this school because there were 72 classes.

There were 20 day schools listed in 1847:

The report concluded that nearly all the schools had been recently established with only five being established on their 1847 footing before 1837. Seaside had four private schools; Wern had a National and two private schools; Hall Street had two schools, and Oxen Street had two schools. Most of the schools were small and only five had over fifty pupils.

Most of the schools were not highly commended and the Infants’ School was said to be capable of becoming a good school. Most of the teachers struggled to teach and were hampered by unsatisfactory buildings, lack of funding and communication problems. The teachers of both the boys and girls National school, and the Union Workhouse did not understand Welsh at all.

Only two of the teachers were unable to speak English correctly, one teacher refused to talk to the inspector in English insisting on speaking Welsh. Although most of the teachers did not have the necessary teaching qualifications, a few did have limited training. The master of the Infants’ school spent six weeks in Cheltenham and one year in a model school, while the master at Felinfoel spent eight months at Baldwin’s Gardens. Both the mistresses at the National and the Union schools (who were sisters) had taught at High Lyttleton, Somersetshire.

The report contained details of the teachers’ occupations when they had taken up teaching. They were druggist, tailor, customhouse officer’s wife, housewife, dressmaker, clerk, usher, labourer, mariner, collier’s wife, laundress, schoolmaster’s wife, and governess.

Nine of the teachers started teaching before they were twenty years of age and five began when they were between fifty and fifty-five years old. Sixty pounds a year was paid to the teacher at the National and £14 plus rations and lodging to the master of the Workhouse school.

Five of the schools were directly connected with chapels and churches. The Infants’ school tried to be neutral as far as denominations were concerned. Religious instruction was given by the teacher in ten of the schools. The main emphasis was on the three R’s, but in some schools, sewing was regarded as important for the girls.

Apart from the twenty schools, there was a Mechanics’ Institute in the process of being formed in the Park Schoolroom with 111 members, who paid a subscription fee of 1s. 6d. each. There were three night schools:

The master at the Llanelli National night school had to provide candles, pens and ink.

The Report did not mention a school called the Llanelli Academy. The reason for this was probably the particular nature of the school. It concentrated mainly on preparing young men for the Christian ministry. Opened in January 1844, it was promoted by the Revd. David Rees and the Revd. Thomas Roberts (master). Roberts had been ordained at Park Church on 27 September 1843 and remained there until 1851. Many ministerial students were educated at the Academy – including Thomas Jones, Henry Rees, John Rees and John Bowen. Thomas Jones became well known not only in Wales but also in Melbourne and London where he had Robert Browning in his congregation.

1847 to 1870

Following the publication of the Blue Books in 1847 there was a strong reaction and the lasting result was the formation of new schools. One such school was the Llanelli School, which was later known as Market Street School. The foundation stone was laid by David Morris, M.P., on 14 August 1847. It was built on a field commonly known as Bresfield, with the frontage extending along Pottery Road. In eight months the two-storey building, capable of holding 600 children, was ready and it was opened on 21 April 1848. The Bible was to be read daily, but the school was not bound to any catechism. Four members of each of the five denominations were to be trustees, and the land was leased by William Chambers to David Lewis of Stradey and nineteen others.

A committee comprising the trustees plus ten subscribers from the five denominations was appointed to govern. Richard Janion Nevill and his sons contributed about £50. The first master at this school was David Nicholas of Kidwelly, who resigned at the end of 1852.

Although the Revd David Rees did not want to accept government aid for Market Street School he reluctantly agreed in 1853 and during 1854 the school was placed under government inspection. Average attendance in 1861 was 215 boys and 150 girls, and the rates of payment were 4d., 3d. and 2d.

A new school was also opened at Five Roads on 8 June 1863.

A new Ragged School was opened by the Wesleyan Society in New Road in 1867 and another was about to be opened near the Customs House Bank.

After 1870, many of the local schools came under the authority of the Llanelli School Board: Felinfoel February 1872; Llanelli 31 May 1872; Prospect Place 1 October 1872; Bryn 22 May 1873; Five Roads 6 July 1874; Llwynhendy 27 March 1875; New Dock 22 May 1875.

It was later, in 1893, that the Llanelli Copper Works School was transferred.

There is no doubt that the Sunday schools, many of which had been built alongside churches and chapels created a huge impetus towards universal education and gave support to the Welsh language. When State education was established the role of the Sunday school changed and they no longer formed part of mainstream education.

Sources

The Carmarthenshire Historian, Vol. V 1868 published by Carmarthenshire County Council.

Llanelli Schools 1800-1870 by Noel Gibbard, BA, BD, Minister of Berea, Bynea, Llanelli.

Cradled in Copper, The Story of Copperworks Infant/Nursery School, compiled and written by Isobel Sadler.