Preece Family Tree

MR. TOM JOHN HONOURED.

DEMONSTRATION OF WELCOME AT LLWYNYPIA.

A demonstration of welcome to Mr. Tom John, the newly-elected vice-president of the National Union of Elementary Teachers, was held at Llwynypia on Saturday. A procession of the children of the. Llwynypia, Pontrhondda, Clydach Vale, Tonypandy, Trealaw, and Dinas Schools, headed by a brass band, followed by the Llwynypia Drum and Fife Band and the general public, left the Llwynypia Station on the arrival of the up 6.11 p.m. train, the rear being brought up by several carriages, the first of which, conveying, amongst others, Mr. and Mrs. Tom John, was unhorsed and drawn by a number of boys and adults. A public meeting, presided over by Alderman Richard Lewis, J.P., was afterwards held at Ebenezer Chapel, Tonypandy, which was crowded. Complimentary speeches were delivered by the Rev. G. Jenkins (Llwynypia), Mr. R. S. Griffiths, and Mr. Price (president of the district Union), Mr. J. T. Lewis (schoolmaster), the Rev. W. Charles (Treorky), Mr. Gomer Jones (his Majesty's inspector), and the Rev. E. Edwards, and it was stated that Mr. John had been for seventeen years a member of the executive of the National Union of Teachers, and, although Wales only had 4,000 out of the 50,000 votes available, Mr. John's election had been carried by a record majority, he being, too, the first Welshman to fill the post. The presentation, which took the form of an illuminated address, was made by Mr. Austin Jenkins, the registrar of the Cardiff University College, who dwelt on the point that a nation as well as an individual could be judged by its heroes, and though he was favourably disposed towards athletics and maintained that local authorities should be given the control of the recreation of the people, and that he was delighted when a Welshman was selected as an international footballer, still, he would be sorry to see the day when the heroes of Wales were those men who could most skilfully kick a ball or kill men. The presentation was then formally made amidst prolonged applause, after which Mr. Tom John responded. Presentations were also made to Mr. Ted Hughes, conductor of the Mid-Rhondda Choir, and Mr. D. J. Roberts, master of the drum and fife band, on the occasion of recent successes at Mountain Ash and Abergavenny. Songs were rendered by Mr. W. Spencer Thomas (Trealaw), and Mies J. Lewis and Mr. David Evans (Llwynypia), the accompanist being Mr. W. T. David, the organist.

Presented to Tom John, Esq.

Presented to Tom John Esq Vice-President of the National Union of Teachers, June 23rd 1904.

Dear Comrade,

We the Old Boys of Ysgol Comin, Aberdare, heartily congratulate you upon your Election last Easter, at Portsmouth, to the proud position of Vice-President of the National Union of Teachers.

You are the first Welshman upon whom this distinction has been conferred; and your fellow teachers in England and Wales have, in an unmistakeable manner, recognised your merit by giving you the unprecedented majority of 10,721.

We felt extremely pleased when we heard of your Election as a Member of the Executive of the N.U.T. at Portsmouth seventeen years ago; and this feeling was renewed, year by year, when we heard of your success at each subsequent annual Election.

We recognise your courage, persistency, and devotion to duty, and also the appreciation of your profession.

The high and responsible position to which you have been elected, has been occupied by very eminent men; but we feel certain that the Old Boy of Ysgol Comin will add new lustre to the chair, which he will occupy at Llandudno next Easter.

In addition to your many offices in connection with the N.U.T. as Chairman of Committees &c &c, your public work has been varied and useful. Literature, Music, the Eisteddfod and Local Industries have found in you a staunch supporter; withal you found opportunity to attend to Social and Religious work at home, and we are gratified to know that this has not been unappreciated by your immediate neighbours in the Rhondda Valley.

Education - Primary, Secondary, and University - has however, received the lion's share of your attention; and the valuable character of your foresight and advice, has been acknowledged by the National Union of Teachers, The Welsh Central Board, and the Welsh University Court, of which you have been a faithful member for many years.

In conjunction with Sir Isambard Owen, Sir John Williams, Mr Marchant Williams, Archdeacon Griffiths, and others, you some years ago, prevailed upon Mr Acland, Vice-President of the Council, to recognise the teaching of the Welsh Language in the Primary Day Schools of Wales; and the Principality, as a whole, to-day re-echoes the cheer of your old comrades in congratulating you on your election to the highest position of influence, which the vote of 50,000 of the teachers of England and Wales can give.

We feel proud of the fact that we attended the same School in our boyhood, and we are delighted to know that the enthusiasm which you displayed then, not only in Scholastic matters, but also in Cricket and other games, has been devoted in mature years to the best interests of those around you; and that the magnetic influence of your personality has so often inspired others to labour in the same self-sacrificing spirit as the late lamented Dan Isaac Davies and yourself.

We ask you to accept this Address as a mark of the regard in which you are held by your old School fellows; who pray that you may long be spared to serve the cause of Education; and that those blessings which tend to make the path of life a joyous one, be bestowed, in rich measure, upon you, and upon your beloved wife and family.

Signed

Jno Rees, President
Isamabard Williams, Vice-President
Daniel Hughes, Chairman of Committee
John Giles, Vice-Chairman
Rees Williams, Treasurer
John Griffiths, Jno Evans, Secretaries

Photographs of:

Tom John (uncaptioned)
Ysgol Comin, Aberdare - 1904, 1850 and 1866
Aberdare
Llwynypia Mixed School
Llwynypia Infants School
Llwynypia

C. Kerishole, Esq., Solicitor, Aberdare
John Rees, Esq., H.M.I. of Schools
Dan Isaac Davies
Alderman Goldsworthy, Newport, Mon
John Giles, Esq., Aberdare
David Hughes, Esq., High Constable, Aberdare

Park School Reunion, 1904

J. Richards, Esq., Swansea
Sir J. Marchant Williams
John Griffiths, Esq., Hd Master, Park Schools, Aberdare
Gomer Jones, Esq. B.A., H.M.I. of Schools
W. D. Lewis, Esq., formerly Hd Master at "Ysgol Comin"
Councillor D. Evans, Whitland

OBITUARY.

MR TOM JOHN, M.A.

A VERSATILE PUBLIC SERVANT.

The death took place yesterday of Mr Tom John, M.A., J.P., at his residence, Cae Gwyn, Penygraig, in his 75th year. His death, which followed a heart attack, came as a shock to his many friends, for he had appeared to be in his normal health on Wednesday evening.

Mr Tom John was one of the best known and most highly respected figures in the public life of the Rhondda, and was an educationist of national fame. During a long lifetime devoted to public service, he became widely known not only for his sterling work for democratic education, but as a talented musician and a staunch and loyal worker in the cause of Liberalism.

Forty Years as Headmaster.

A native of Aberdare, he received his early education at the old "Ysgol y Comin," and was trained for the scholastic profession at the Borough-road Training College, London. After a short stay in North Wales, he came to the Rhondda. For a time he was a teacher at Penygraig, and later took charge of the colliery school established by the Glamorgan Coal Company, which subsequently was taken over by the local authority. He retired from this post several years ago, after forty years service as headmaster.

In 1884 he was elected a member of the executive committee of the National Union of Teachers, and he remained a member of that body until he retired in 1904. His fellow-members of the scholastic profession conferred on him the highest honour in their gift by electing him president of the N.U.T. He occupied the chair at the annual conference at Llandudno in 1905, and was one of the delegates appointed by the N.U.T. to present the Union's address to his Majesty King George V at the Court at St. James' Palace in July 1910.

Welsh Revolt Recalled.

During the early stages of the Welsh educational revolt of 1904 Mr John, then president-elect of the N.U.T., initiated a movement for bringing together the four Welsh bishops and representatives of the teachers with a view to establishing a truce in the educational struggle. That conference, at which Mr John was present, took place at the Palace of Llandaff in 1904.

In addition to his long and successful career as a schoolmaster, he served the cause of education in many other capacities. He was closely associated with the administration of Welsh intermediate education since the passing of the Intermediate Education Act up to the time of his death. He was a member of the Court of the University of Wales; a Governor of the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire; and a member of the National Council of the Central Welsh Board. He also served intermediate education in his own district, and was a Governor of the Porth County School. These services were recognised by the University of Wales in the conferment upon him of the hon. degree of M.A. of the University.

Services for Music.

Few men, if any, did more to create a love of music in the minds of the Rhondda people. He was one of the few remaining survivors of Caradog's famous Cor Mawr. His brother, the late Mr. J. W. John, headmaster of the Ynyshir Schools, was also one of Caradog's famous band of singers. Mr Tom John was for many years Precentor of Salem Congregational Church, Llwynypia, and was conductor of the Salem Choral Society. In his youthful days he and the late Mr J. W. Jones, Tonypandy, carried a harmonium from Aberdare to Ferndale to assist in the formation of a choral society in the latter district. His last appearance as a musical conductor was at the Westminster Hall, London, in January, 1922, on the occasion of a Coalition meeting at which Mr Lloyd George was present. A hymn composed for the occasion was being sung when Mr Lloyd George appeared, and it is recorded that he smiled as he recognised Mr John and joined heartily in singing under his baton.

Since his retirment he had been very closely associated with Sir Walford Davies' work in connection with the Welsh National Council of Music, of which he was a member.

The Rhondda Plowden.

During his long residence in the Rhondda he was the means of raising thousands of pounds for charity by organising various musical events. In his youth he was well known locally as a cricketer and was up to the time of his death a keen golfer. In politics he was a staunch life-long Liberal and was an ex-president of the old Rhondda Labour-Liberal Association, which was disbanded a year or two ago. He was very diligent in the discharge of his duties on the magisterial bench, and was a well known figure at the Rhondda courts, where his rich sense of humour earned for him the title of "The Rhondda Plowden." If always prepared with a jest in season, he served the public faithfully in this as in every other capacity, and took particular interest in the reformation of youthful offenders.

For a period he took an active part in local journalism and was editor of the "Rhondda Leader" and "Glamorgan Free Press."

He is survived by a widow, two daughters and a sister, Mrs Mary Griffiths, J.P., Maesgwyn, Porth, the wife of Mr Thomas Griffiths, M.E., J.P., for many years agent of the Cymmer Collieries, Porth.