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Known as the ‘Major’ Freeman of the Borough of Barry
A Brief Biography ******* Edgar William Jones was born on December 13th in Llanrhaeadr-Ym-Mochnant, the eldest son of William Bellis and Hannah Vaughan Jones. The Joneses had 8 children, two died in infancy. Edgar’s only sister, Ethel died of Tuberculosis in her early twenty’s and her twin brother Ernest twenty years later. His brother Raymond, a doctor was killed at the battle of the Somme on July 10th 1916.
His schooling was at Oswestry High School where the headmaster was the famous educationalist Owen Owen, the first Chairman of the Central Welsh Board. Already he was a keen sportsman at the school. When he returned as a master in the school he played football for the Oswestry District against Everton in a Charity Match. Though Everton beat the home team three goals to one, Edgar Jones playing left wing was reported in a local newspaper ‘to come in for quite an ovation’
Edgar was one of the early students at the now, Aberystwyth University arriving there thirteen years after it had opened and graduated in 1890 when there were only 200 students in the University College. There he met Annie Gwen Jones, romance blossomed, and following their engagement Gwen went to South Russia, Ukraine for three years as tutor to the granddaughters of John Hughes, founder of the city of Donetsk, then known as Hughesovka. The family have continued to have great affection for the College, ‘Aber’.
Edgar was an excellent athlete and was Victor Ludorum at college. It was said that he ran the 100 yards in 10.2 seconds which was 2 seconds slower than the world record at that time. He was also Captain of Association Fifteen and member of Rugby Fifteen. Sport was a lifetime interest and even in his retirement played bowls.
Graduating in 1890 Edgar returned to his old school in Oswestry to teach for three year before returning to ‘Aber’ where he studied English and Celtic studies and he received a London M.A. In December in 1894 at the age of 26 he was appointed headmaster of the newly built Llandeilo Secondary School, one of the first headmasters under the Welsh Intermediate Education Act of 1889. It was not until 1894 that the majority of the Welsh Intermediate Schools were established. The act of 1889 did, though enforce the use of the English language as medium of study and for many years to follow, English became of prime importance superseding that of the importance of Welsh. Wales was ahead of Britain and the Secondary School Education Act was not passed in Parliament for England until 1902. (Education Bill 1902) David Lloyd George was Member of Parliament for Caernafonshire, the first county where the scheme had been established under the 1889 Act. It received the Royal Assent on 6 May 1893. He was to condemn the 1902 Act because it discriminated against Non-conformists - it forced local authorities to fund Church of England Schools to the detriment to the Non-conformist schools. Oral history has it that Lloyd George invited Gwen Jones to comment on Welsh education and later when they met again, he complemented her opinion by saying , “I have been quoting you everywhere”.
Passive resistance to the 1902 Act by the Non-conformists in Wales caused it to develop into a major political issue, which contributed to the Liberal Party's winning the General Election in 1906. The new Liberal administration created a Welsh department in 1907 within the Board of Education, to deal with the issue of Church schools.
December 1894 was an auspicious month for not only Edgar had been appointed a new and young headmaster, but he also married Gwen. As his wife, she was a great support to him in all his life and she was a remarkable and intelligent woman in her own right. A suffragist, she would have achieved much had she lived in modern day Britain. It was a happy and successful marriage that lasted for nearly 60 years
The Barry County School opened its doors on October 1st, 1896. One hundred and eleven pupils entered the first term. Three years later in 1899 Edgar Jones was appointed headmaster where he remained until he retired in 1933. The number of pupils was 157 but the number increased rapidly and in 1913 the mixed school separated into a Boys and a Girls school. Wales was forward thinking in its approach to the education of women. Intermediate schooling in 1890’s was a broad canvas and Edgar pioneering in his programming for the school and as well for further education in Wales. Much of the school curriculum is taken fore granted by today’s standards, though having taught under the eminent Owen Owen, Edgar must have based much of the school programme from his experience in his old school.
Edgar describes the trials of the early days of the school, inadequate premises. He depicts the organisation he undertook to build the structure for a flourishing school in the article in this booklet THE FIRST FOUR DECADES of Barry Schools
Being one of the earliest headmasters in Intermediate Education in Wales he was a foremost educationist, innovative in his methods of teaching. He has been referred to as the ‘Mathew Arnold’ of Wales. It was the aim of the School to develop a full life with a wide range of interests outside the usual curriculum, in Games, Athletics, Music, Drama, Art Appreciation and Poetry Reading. Edgar stated that it would have been impossible to achieve this aim without the loyal co-operation and self-sacrificing devotion of his loyal staff. In 1899 he trained student teachers. The school not only had a Debating Society as well as a school Orchestra. He had an exceptionally keen interest in sport. The coaching in Rugby and Cricket of many juniors would later become the backbone of the first teams.
No doubt, it was with great sadness that the school in 1913 separated into a Girls and a Boys school, but school numbers had increased dramatically. Edgar Jones had long formed the opinion that the orthodox type of Grammar School education, leading to Matriculation, was by no means suitable for a large proportion of his own pupils. “Therefore, in 1914, with the approval of the Governors and the sanction of the Board of Education, reorganised the School into what is now called a “Multilateral” School, with four departments: General, Technical, Commercial, and Agricultural.”
In 1909, there was great consternation remembered by the family in the house of Eryl. Edgar Jones was President of the Welsh Schools Association and Education in Wales had been criticised by the Welsh Department of Education. The full reply to this report may be seen. on this website. At the closing of the committee’s report, the following Resolution was unanimously passed by the Welsh County Schools Association:
"That this Association protests strongly against the Report of the Board of Education on the Intermediate Schools of Wales for the year 1909 as unjust, and directly contrary to the tenour of the Reports of the Examiners of the Central Welsh Board on which it claims to be based and that as the Report gives a distorted and misleading view of the state of Intermediate Education in Wales, the Association calls upon the Board of Education to withdraw the Report.”
It cannot be the first time that Wales had been criticised by the English and must have brought back thoughts of the ‘Treachery of the Blue Books’ of 1847 which was concerned about the state of education in Wales.
Though a man of peace, he joined in the late days of the Victorian era the Submarine Miners, a branch of the Royal Engineers. In the month of August, the South Wales brigade camped on Barry Island and the men apparently went out into the Bristol Channel to lay mock mines. Oral history has it that he went to a soiree invited by Queen Victoria and the family still have his ceremonial sword with V.R. In the First World War, as Captain he was called to arms on August 4th 1914 and remained in the army until 1919. He was promoted to Major, a courtesy name that remained with him for the rest of his life. Through the War he was the Commanding Officer of the Glamorgan Fortress. One of his first duties was to take into detention, persons, sailors and possibly Latvians returning from the harvesting work in Canada. Edgar treated them very humanely. Many years later his son, Gareth Jones was to meet one of the German sailors on the deck of the boat S.S. Ostee in the Baltic Sea and in his letter home Gareth wrote:
“You will be glad to hear that I have just been talking to a German sailor who was a prisoner in Cardiff and in Flat Holm Island during the beginning of the War. He said he had a splendid time, remembers Dada and said that Dada was a fine man. He said that the Germans asked Dada if they could do their own cooking instead of having the same food as other nationalities and that Dada was very decent about it and allowed them to. The sailor said that he was wonderfully treated during the war and did not want to go back to Germany.” . Edgar Jones received the O.B.E (Military) for his wartime services as well as the T.D., the Territorial Decoration.
Sadly, he had the painfully duty of unveiling Memorial Plaques for many old students who had died fighting for their country in two World Wars. He was a keen supporter of the League of Nations. He was also active in participation with Lord Davies of Llandinam in his plans for building the Temple of Peace (and Health) in Cardiff, which was opened on 23 November 1938. “It was a gift from Lord David Davies of Llandinam (Montgomeryshire) to the Welsh people. He wanted it to be “a memorial to those gallant men [and women] from all nations who gave their lives in the war that was to end war” and so it was dedicated to the memory of the loss of life as a result of the 1914 - 1918 War.” Edgar Jones was Honorary Warden of the Temple of Peace.
In my possession I have a book published by Lord Davies entitled Foundations of Victory, in which there is dedication on the fly leaf: “To my friend Edgar Jones. In appreciation of his services to the Cause of Justice and the Temple of Peace and his efforts to lay the ‘foundations’ with the sincere gratitude of the author." 4th April '41 ’ D
Edgar’s interests were numerous and many of his old students followed in his footsteps. He never passed by a church without entering and surveying its architecture. He read widely and would immerse himself in a book so deeply that he never heard his family speak to him. Latin and Greek were a pleasure as was poetry and in many an Analogy of Verse that he read he has marked, with a light pencil, a line or reflection of a passage that he found expressing emotion. As his granddaughter the sentiment of these passages become poignant and thought provoking.
The school produced many distinguished old scholars. Barnett Janner, Baron of Leicester was one his most faithful pupils. Sir John Habbakuk became Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, Sir Charles Woolley was Governor of Cyprus, and Dr Glyn Daniel was an eminent archaeologist. The school even produced two well-known cartoonists, Mr Leslie Illingworth, and Mr D. G. John, of “Dai Lossin” fame. There must be others I have failed to mention.
After he retired from the school Edgar Jones joined the BBC in its early days as Advisor in Religion and later as Secretary of Welsh Schools Broadcasting and Secretary of the Welsh Advisory Committee in Education. Edgar translated New Every Morning B.B.C. prayer-book into Welsh. Bob Bore o Newydd was described as being a volume of beauty in its diction and rhythm. His melodious voice was often heard over the airwaves. Retiring once more in 1944 Edgar received the following letter from the Wales Director, R. Hopkin Morris
“I should like to place on record my deep appreciation of the services which Major Edgar Jones has rendered to the Corporation of Wales over a long period of years. The weight and prestige of his name, together with his thorough knowledge and understanding of Wales and its people, coupled with his unfailing tact, have been one of the chief assets of the Corporation in Wales. He has been a first class colleague and one who has given the Corporation whole hearted and devoted service.”
Alun Oldfield Davies, the BBC director in 1945 was a close friend and in that year the Director General of the BBC, W.J. Haley appointed Edgar Jones to continue his service to the BBC by being appointed to the Welsh Religious Advisory Committee. Edgar continued on this Committee until he retired from it in 1952 and he had a pleasant letter from the Broadcasting House London. Unfortunately the signature is indecipherable
“I write to thank you most warmly for your faithful and valuable service as Chairman of the Welsh Appeals Advisory Committee since it was reconstituted after the war. We deeply appreciate your active and lively interest in the work of the B.B.C. in Wales throughout the years, and we are grateful for all that you have done.”
In the last three years of his life further honours were bestowed on him. In 1901 he had been President of the Old Students of Aberystwyth Association and he was appointed again in 1951 to this position.
In 1922 Edgar Jones had received the Honorary M.A. from the University of Wales. It was in the same year that an honorary degree was bestowed on the Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, at the College of Aberystwyth. In 1952 Edgar was admitted to the degree of Doctor in Legibus, honoris causa in the College of Aberystwyth, University of Wales.
In 1952 he was honoured by being appointed the only living Freeman of the Borough of Barry - “A Tribute to a Great Man”. He was presented with a specially made casket of 300-year-old oak wood which contained a beautifully crafted scroll. His speech of acceptance can be seen in this booklet.
Edgar William Jones died quietly on May 2nd in the presence of his daughter Miss Gwyneth Vaughan Jones. He had suffered his own sadness in his life which he bore with great fortitude. His only beloved brilliant son, Gareth Richard Vaughan Jones was murdered in Mongolia on the eve of his thirtieth birthday - a young man who had not lived his life to the full extent, but accomplished in this short span more than most men who live to see three score years and ten. Edgar was a man of peace - of great tolerance and was loved, by all, including his students. He saw no ill in any man. He was a man of high moral values and high principles.
His was a life given to the Service of Wales.
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Sanction to the Act of the Byelaws of The Elementary Education Act,1870
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