T HIS brochure, giving a brief account
of the origin and progress of Ysgol y Comin, has been prepared in a great rush. Therefore,
the writer craves the pardon of the reader for all errors of commission or omission.
The first meeting to decide whether a centenary celebration should take place did
not meet until Friday, October 8, 1948. Officers and sub-committees were appointed to
make the necessary arrangements, among them the publication of this brochure. I was
elected to the brochure sub-committee, and in the meantime, I undertook an intensive
search among periodicals of a hundred years ago, which were kindly placed at my disposal
by the librarian and staff of Cardiff Public Library, to whom my debt of a great many
years can never be repaid. Mr. Walter T. Morgan, B.A., on the staff of the National
Library of Wales, kindly made a transcript from “Y Gweithiwr,” of January
7, 1860. The articles of Mr. D. M. Richards in the “Aberdare Almanacks,” and,
of Mr. John Davies, “Pendar,” in the “Darian,” and the “Aberdare
Leader,” were looked up and reported upon to the full committee and the brochure
committee. Then on October 22, I was asked to undertake the work of writing the history.
Several further visits were made to the Cardiff Public Library, and Mr. G. John (of
the Aberdare Central Free Library), placed at my service the “Gwron Cymreig” for
1858-59. Fortunately, I already had at my disposal a mass of material collected during
many years research in Cardiff, the National Library of Wales, and in London. All these
had to be looked through hurriedly to select suitable material, amidst the difficulty
of deciding what to omit in order not to make the brochure too expensive.
By November 11, about forty pages of typescript were handed to the printers. But
this wanted to be divided and re-arranged into chapters, a work which has been kindly
undertaken by Mr. Glyndwr Griffiths (“Aberdare Leader”) to whom I am greatly
indebted. My thanks are also due to Mr. T. J. Lewis (Divisional Education Officer),
for his very kindly help and valuable suggestions as the work was proceeding. I also
wish to thank the secretary of the centenary committee—Mr. E. A. Bowen, headmaster—the
photographer, past and present members of the staff who wrote the chapter on “Sports
Activities,” the treasurer, the many people who have assisted in procuring old
photographs, the chairman and committee, and all who have helped to bring about this
deserving celebration of the centenary of one of the finest schools in Wales.
While attention has been drawn to the head-teachers of the three departments, it
is hoped that the services so nobly rendered by a host of male and female teachers over
the last hundred years will not be forgotten. Many of them spent the whole of their
teaching careers in one or other of the departments. One such diligent servant spent
57 years in the schools, from a pupil of three years, until her retirement at the age
of 60. Hats off to all such faithful workers.
