Preece Family Tree

MAE SON AM DANYNT

MR TOM JOHN, LLWYNPIA.

Un o fechgyn "sweet 'Berdar" sydd ger em bron. Yno y cafodd ei eni, yno y treuliodd flynyddau hapus maboed, ac yno y gosodwyd i lawr sylfaeni ei yrfa ddefnyddiol. Pwy sydd yn gwybod rhywbeth am fywyd addysgol Aberdar nad yw wedi elywed am "Ysgol y Comin," ysgol sydd wedi profi yn gychwynfa i lu sydd wedi cyrhaedd safleoedd o ymddiried ac anrhydedd?

I'r ysgol hon y cyrchai y llencyn ffraeth Tom John. Wedi iddo basio y safonau arferol, cafodd y fraint o gyfranogi o fanteision Coleg Normalaidd Abertawe. Y prifathraw oedd Dr Evan Davies - enw yr hwn sydd yn adnabyddus a pharchus yn nglyn ag ysgolion Cymru. Llwyddai i fesar mwy na'r cyffredin i daflu ysprydiaeth i'w ysgolheigion. Mantais anmhrisiadwy i lanc o gyrhaeddiadau gafaelgar a dyheuadau uchelryw yw dyfod i gyffyrddiad am yspaid ag hyfforddwr o'r fath. Bu Tom John am ddwy flynedd yn llafurio dan gyfarwyddyd Dr Davies, a dwy flynedd bwysig oeddynt yn ei ymddadblygiad.

Ar ei ymadawiad oddiyno, bwriadai ei dad, crydd wrth eft grefft, iddo fabwysladu y grefft yn yr hyder y buasai mewn tipyn yn medru gweithio fyny fusnes ar raddfa eang. Ufuddhaodd i'r gorchymyn tadol ac ymgymerodd a'r alwedigaeth; ond yn mhen dwy flynedd rhoddwyd cyfeiriad arall i'w fywyd drwy ymyriad yr hyglod genedlaetholwr, Mr Dan Isaac Davies.

Perswadiodd Mr Davies y tad i ganiatau i'r crydd ieuanc ymgyflwyno i'r swydd athrawol. Oherwydd y safle oedd eisoes wedi gyrhaedd mewn dysgeidiaeth dwy flynedd o brentisiaeth ofynwyd oddiwrtho gan awdurdodau yr ysgol. Y cam nesaf iddo oedd sicrhau derbyniad i un o Golegau Hyfforddiadol y Deyrnas, a llwyddodd yn yr arholiad i basio yn ddigon uchel i gael derbyniad i Goleg Borough Road, Llundain. Ar derfyn ei gwrs colegawl, cafodd gyfleusdra i dreio ei ddawn athrawol yn Ysgol Penygraig, Cwm Rhondda. Rhyw ddwy filldir yn uwch yn y Cwm y mae Llwynpia, maes ei lafur er's blynyddoedd bellach. Meddylia yn uchel o'i ysgol, ac nid heb achos.

Byddai yn werth i unrhyw un sydd yn teimlo dyddordeb dwfn yn addysgiaeth y to sydd yn codi i dalu ymweliad a hi. Mae yr adeilad wedi ei drefnu yn y fath fodd ag i gyfateb gofynion y dull newydd o addysgu sydd yn ymweithio i Ysgolion Elfenol ein gwlad. Heblaw y darpariadau arferol, ceir yma ystafelloedd cyfaddas ar gyfer dysgu coginiaeth i'r genethod ac egwyddorion saerniaeth i'r llanciau fyddont yn y safonau uwchaf. Anhawdd i'r cyfryw ddarpariadau er meithrin iawn ddefnyddiad o'r deall, y llygad, a'r llaw, i gael cefnogydd mwy brwdfrydig na Mr John.

Nid yw efe wedi cyfyngu ei weithrediadau y tufewn i furiau yr ysgoldy. Mae y fath "fyn'd" ynddo fel nas gall aros yn llonydd. Gweithia a theithia o ddechreu'r flwyddyn hyd y diwedd. Mae yn aelod o Lys Prifysgol Cymru, o Bwyllgor Trefniadol Bwrdd Canolog Addysg, ac o Bwyllgor Trefniadol Undeb Cenedlaethol yr Ysgolfeistri.

Fel un yn dwyn mawr sel dros fuddiannau ei wlad mae wedi cymeryd rhan flaenllaw yn y symudiad sydd yn ymgynnyg at siorhau cydnabyddiaeth briodol i'r hen iaith yn ysgolion dyddiol y Dywysogaeth. Efe oedd un o'r ddirprwyaeth ddygodd yr achos i sylw Mr Acland, ac yr oedd yn un o'r "llefarwyr" ar yr achlysur.

Creda y dylai ysgolfeistr ar bob cyfrif gymeryd rhan mewn materion lleol o bwys i'r trigolion, ac felly gweithia yn egniol gyda mudiadau gwleidyddol a chymdeithasol y rhanbarth poblog yn mha un y preswylia. Yn ei olygiadau gwleidyddol cymer ei le gyda'r flaen-fyddin yn y blaid Ryddfrydol. Mae yn Genedlaetholwr o'r math rhagoraf, ac ni phetrusa ddefnyddio ei ddylanwad er dwyn o gwmpas yr undeb hwnw ag a wna Gymru fechan yn alluog i sicrhau ei hawliau yn mhob ystyr.

Fel golygydd "Gwasg Rydd Morganwg," dyry fynegiad clir a diamwys i'w argyhoeddiadau yn yr erthyglau arweiniol, o wythnos i wythnos. Hyderwn y cawn cyn hir y pleser i'w longyfarch fel llywydd Undeb Cenedlaethol yr Ysgolfeistri. Os yw brwdfrydedd a gweithgarwch cyson dros addysg, ac ymgyflwyniad i'r gwaith o geisio goleuo, a gwella a dyrchafu y werin yn rhoi hawl i eistedd yn y gadair anrhydeddus hono, mae Tom John, o Lwynpia, yn sicr o'r anrhydedd.

Translation:

THERE’S NOISE ABOUT THEM [1]

MR. TOM JOHN, LLWYNYPIA

One of the "sweet 'Berdar" [2] boys near him. There he was born, where he spent the happy years of youngsters, and there he laid down the foundations of his useful career. Who knows something about Aberdare's educational life that has not heard about "Ysgol y Comin," a school that has proved a starting point that has reached sites of trust and honor?

The witty young man Tom John came to this school. Having passed the general school-leaving examination, he was able to attend Swansea General College. The headteacher, Dr Evan Davies - a well-known and respected name among Welsh education establishments. He dedicated an extraordinary amount of time to his scholars. It is an invaluable advantage for a young man of intelligence and ambition to have such a mentor. Tom John studied for two years under the direction of Dr Davies, and they were two important years in his development.

After leaving college, he intended to follow his father’s trade as shoemaker, in the confidence that he would have been able to work a great deal of business on a large scale. He felt obliged to his father to undertake this occupation; but at the end of two years another direction was given to his life through the intervention of the celebrated nationalist Mr Dan Isaac Davies[3].

Mr Davies persuaded the father to allow the young lad to enter the teaching occupation. Because of his already evident vocation, a two year apprenticeship teaching was requested from the school authorities. The next step for him was to obtain a reception to one of the Kingdom's Training Colleges, and he succeeded in the exam to pass high enough for an admission to Borough Road College, London. At the end of his college course, he was given the opportunity to pursue his teaching talent at Ysgol Penygraig, Cwm Rhondda. Llwynpia, a couple of miles higher up the Valley, is where he has worked for years now. The school thinks highly of him, and not without cause.

It would be worth anyone who feels deeply interested in education to pay a visit. The building is organized in such a way as to match the requirements of the new teaching method introduced in the Elementary Schools of our country. Apart from the usual provisions, there are suitable rooms for teaching cookery to the girl and joinery to the boys to the very highest standards. It would be hard for such provisions for nurturing the use of the intellect, the eyes and the hands, to have a more enthusiastic supporter than Mr John.

He has not restricted his operations to the walls of the schoolroom. He is so dedicated that he just can not stand still, and works and travels from the start of the year to the end. He is a member of the Court of the University of Wales, of the Organizational Committee of the Central Education Board, and of the Organizational Committee of the National Union of Schoolmasters.

As one who takes great pride in the interests of his country, he has taken a leading role in the movement which seeks to ensure proper recognition of the old language[4] in the Principality's daily schools. He was one of the delegations who brought the case to Mr Acland[5]'s attention, and he was one of the "spokespersons" on the occasion.

He believes that every schoolmaster should take part in important local issues for the residents, and so should work energetically with the political and social organizations of the populous region in which he lives. In his political views he takes his place with the front-army in the Liberal party. He is a nationalist of the foremost type, and does not hesitate to use his influence to secure the unity which was enable our little Wales to secure its rights in every sense.

As editor of the “Glamorgan Free Press”, he makes clear and unambiguous statements of his convictions in the editorials week by week.. We hope we will soon have the pleasure of congratulating him as President of the National Union of Schoolmasters. If enthusiasm and constant activity for education, and dedication to the enlightenment, enhancement and advancement of the people count for anything, then Tom John of Llwynypia is sure to have the honour of taking the chair.

[1] Flowery way of saying "local news".
[2] Slang abbreviation of "Aberdare".
[3] Dan Isaac Davies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Isaac_Davies
[4] "the old language" - ie, Welsh
[5] Sir Arthur Dyke Acland, 13th Baronet - Liberal MP who spoke often on school reform: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Arthur_Dyke_Acland,_13th_Baronet