Gellifaelog School: Page 1

Gellifaelog School

Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil

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Gellifaelog means Maelog’s Grove. Maelog was a Welsh Saint who lived in Morlais Grove, which is the area the school overlooks. The Gellifaelog School was one of the oldest in the Merthyr Tydfil Parish. The first school started on the 1^st August 1862 with Edwin John Wolfe as the headmaster. The school was a ‘British’ School, as was Abermorlais, and it dated from the days before education was compulsory and the Merthyr Tydfil School Board was founded. The weekly school fee was 1d, which was soon raised to 2d in 1863. In 1867 tradesmen or parents with better paid jobs had to pay twice the annual fee that workmen’s children paid. The school was very well attended and by 1865 there were efforts at enlargement, although it was noted in the log book of 1868 that 28 children were unable to attend school ‘for want of pence and shoes’. There was one school for all children and an inspector’s report in 1867 suggested that older children be separated more completely from the infants. Eventually different schools were formed and the Gellifaelog Infants School was formed with the transfer of the old ‘Plough’ School, Dowlais, to the Gellifaelog School in Rocky Road. The Infants School was referred to as ‘The Plough’ in 1905, and, previously, the senior school was called the Gellifaelog Iron-Works School. In 1915 there was the formal opening of the new Gellifaelog Schools, the Boys and Girls separate schools. In May 1926 a school canteen opened due to the miners strike. In 1935 the Boys and Girls Schools closed and on January 6^th 1936 the new Gellifaelog Junior Mixed School opened. In 1984 the Gellifaelog Junior Mixed School ceased and in September 1984 the Gellifaelog Primary School was formed from the amalgamation of the Infant and Junior Schools under the head teacher, Mr R. Pendry.

Buildings, names and arrangements of pupils are constantly changing and on Wednesday 15^th January there was the official opening of the new Gellifaelog Primary School by the Right Honourable William Hague, MP., Secretary of State for Wales.

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Gellifaelog School - 1920/30s

Gellifaelog School - Standard 1A - 1914

Gellifaelog Junior School - 1920c

(Photograph Courtesy of Doug Williams)

Gellifaelog Girls School Standard 5b - 1930

Gellifaelog School Football Team, 1931 - 32.

Back Row L-R:- C. Davies, A. James, V. Jones, G. Thomas, D. M. Jones, M. James.

Front Row L-R:- G. Roberts, R. Morris, G. Showers, J. Pinch, G. Heath.

(Photograph courtesy of Clive Thomas)

Gellifaelog School - 1945

Back Row: Roy Dyer, Derek Jones - 1, Derek Jones - 2 & Handel Owen.

Middle Row: John Jones, Billy Smith, Malcolm Davies, Idris Kinsey, Bryn Lewis,

Alec Lang, Les Morgan, J Arthur Williams & John ?.

Front Row: ?, Eddie Harris, Mostyn Harris, Cavin Chantrel, Gilmour Morris, Jacky Evans,

Gerald Hopkins, Peter Woods, Alwyn Hitchens, Billy Williams & Arther Williams.

(Photograph & Information Courtesy of Wayne Morris)

Gellifaelog School - 1945

Gellifaelog Swimming Team.

Back Row. Eddie Morgan, Alan Dyer, Ian Dymont, Roy Jones.

Middle Row. Clive Griffiths, Mr Chapman , Jack Spracklen, Mr Beynon , John Pritchard.

Front Row Allan Jones

(Photograph and information courtesy of Maureen Monkton )

Gellifaelog School - 1945.

Back Row. Roy Dyer, Derek Jones(1), Derek Jones(2), Handel Owen.

Middle Row. John Jones, Billy Smith, Malcolm Davies, Idris Kinsey, Bryn Lewis, Alec Lang,

Les Morgan, J Arthur, Williams John ?.

Front Row ? ,Eddie Harris, Mostyn Hodges, Cavin Chantrel, Gilmour Morris, Jacky Evans, Gerald Hopkins,

Peter Woods, Alwyn Hichens, Billy & Arther Williams

Teacher Leysion Williams

(Photograph & Information Courtesy of Wayne Morris)

Gellifaelog School - 1946

(Photograph Courtesy of Joyce Sergeant)

Gellifaelog - 1st Class - 1948.

Back Row. Mostyn Hodges, Allwyn Hitchings, Billy Smith, Terry Jones, Ieuin Griffiths, Tegwyn Pritchard, Elwyn

Morgan, Jacky Evans, Mostyn Rees.

Middle Row. John Haggety, John Arthur Williams, Leslie Morgan, Malcolm Davies, Freddie Reed, Roy Dyer,

Bryn Lewis, Alec Lang, Handel Owen.

Front Row Arthur ?, Billy Davies, Jackie James, Rideon ?, John Jones, Leyshon Williams, Gerald Hopkins,

Malcolm ?, Gilmore Morris, Eddie Harris, Billy ?.

(Photograph and names Courtesy of John Jones )

Gellifaelog Primary School - 1950.

Only names in this photograph are Ken Hindley & Peyer Mylam.

(Photograph & Information Courtesy of Peter Mylam)

Gellifaelog School - 1950

Back Row: Mr Bishop (Teacher), P. Davies, B. Hitchens, D. Chapple, G. Davies, H. Davies, G. Howells.

Second Row: A. Pendry, B. Lawrence, D. Harris, C. Tinnsley, G. Gethin, G. Watkins, J. Morgan.

Front Row: E. Williams, M. Price, P. Sullivan, G. Mainwearing, B. Jones, J. Price, B. Thomas, L. Rees, P. Richards, M. Pratt, M. Phillips.

(Photograph Courtesy of Gareth Howells)

Gellifaelog School

(Photograph Courtesy of Don Chamberlain)

Gellifaelog School - Around 1951

(Photograph Courtesy of Joyce Sergeant)

Gellifaelog Junior School - 1952.

Showing the recently constructed 'prefab houses' at Haydn Terrace

(Photograph Courtesy of Doug Williams)

Gellifaelog Footbal Team 53-54..

L-R Back Row: Mr Eynon, Ken Evans,??, Powell, Ken Jones, Gareth Jenkins, Allan Jones, Donald Waite, Malcolm Jones

Mr Chapman.

Middle Row: Ron Morgan, Dai Evans, Tegwyn Edwards, Brian Hagerty, ??

Kneeling , ???, Ernie Morgan:

(Photograph and info courtesy of Maureen Monkton )

Gellifaelog Junior School - 1954.

Back Row L-R: Walter Barnes, David Hagerty, Gareth Durston, Ken Hindley, Dave Pritchard, Doug Williams,

Keith Hagerty, Alan Davies, Peter Mylam, Peter Jones & Colin Thomas.

Middle Row L-R: Roy Witney, John Bowen, Alan Harris-Jones, Catherine Jones, ?, Linda Trewartha, Susan Wilson,

John Griffiths & Howard Denner.

Front Row L-R: Ann Jones, Pamela Jones, Judith Cohen, Cheryl Farrow, ?, Elizabeth Edwards, Thelma Charleston,

?, Margaret Jones, Barbara Lewis, Linda Heggie & Valerie Williams.

(Photograph Courtesy of Doug Williams)

Gellifaelog School - 1955.

Back Row. ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?.

Middle Row. David Rees, Richie Price, Islwyn Evans, ?, Trevor Jones, Brian Walker, Terry Powell.

Front Row Des Davies, Maldwyn Morgan, ?, ?, Dai Parry, Tony James, Jack Reynolds.

(Photograph courtesy of Richie Price)

Gellifaelog School - C1955.

Back Row. Mr Morgan (headmaster), ? , Jeffrey ?, David Wathan, Eric ?, Russell ?, Gareth ?, Graham ?, ?, ? Peter Gall, ?..

Middle Row. Sandra ?, Sandra ?, Judith Adams, Mary Pendry, Marlene Powell, Jean Heggie, Margaret Samuels, Jennifer ?, Paddy Owen, ?, Miss Letitia Morgan (form teacher).

Front Row Jean Collins, Lynda Ballam, Carol John, Wendy Dean, Lorna Pinch, Linda ?, Margaret Firth, Rita Winter, ?, Frances Allman, Judith Gethin.

(Photograph courtesy of Lynda Ballam)

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