History

Reynoldston is a village with an English tradition dating back nearly 900 years. It was about 1100AD when the Norman invaders came, probably from across the Bristol Channel, and conquered Gower, making the area an Anglo-Norman Lordship........Reynoldston is said to be named after Reginald de Breos, one of the early Lords of Gower, or perhaps Reginald or Reynald was some other Norman Knight who first held the Manor and founded the village.

(Taken from Reynoldston by Robert Lucas)

Thomas Coghlan...Village Blacksmith and Methodist Preacher 

The White Lady of Brynfield..a Ghost Story

The Wyndham Connection

Reynoldston and Knelston Board School

Gwen Beynon...Some Gower Memories

Phil Tanner...The Gower Nightingale

Businesses From The Past

Gower Church Magazine 1901-1902

Some Reflections from 1901

Reynoldston Fair

Reynoldston 1900

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Thomas Coghlan

The grave of Thomas Coghlan (1844-1937), marked by a large headstone, can be found on the left  hand side of the path leading up to St. George's Church.

Thomas' father came to Gower, to be the gardener, firstly, at Stouthall and then at Fairy Hill. Thomas served his apprenticeship with a blacksmith in Llanelli before becoming the blacksmith in Reynoldston. The ruins of his forge can still .be seen beyond the village, on the road to Fairy Hill.

I came to Reynoldston in August 1867 to be the village blacksmith and held the place for 46 years. My mother attended the services in William Jones' house in 1847: few people had any education then. Most of the children had to start work at 7 or 8 years of age. The hymns were always given out 2 lines at a time after I came here.

Coghlan at his Forge

Past and Present

After his retirement as a blacksmith, in his 70s, Thomas Coghlan became an oil salesman, selling paraffin for lamps, from house to house. He lived in The Croft, on the Lower Green. Win Crabbe, who lived next door, in

Pound Cottage used to recollect her childhood memory of travelling with Coghlan, on his cart, around the farms of Gower and ringing a large bell to announce that 'the oil man was coming'. Win remembered that the cart and oil was stored in the shed above The Croft.

It is as a leader of the Wesleyan Methodists in Reynoldston and as a travelling preacher that Coghlan will be remembered. He began preaching in 1866 and continued right up to his death in 1937. The Note Book of a Gower Man (W.L.Tanner) in the Herald of Wales in 1935 observes "What a wonderful man is Tom Coghlan of Reynoldston. I saw him last summer aged 91. He had just returned from Llanelli where he had been preaching at a Wesleyan chapel. The previous Sunday he had preached at Manselton. In 1900 I remember him preaching and travelling over Gower on horseback with a lanthorn to light his way home on dark nights. He is the doyen of Wesleyanism in Gower".

Thomas Coghlan had a high profile as well in the more general community of Gower. Chairman of the Parish Council, Member of the School Board, an active member of the Temperance Movement and a spokesman for the rights of farm labourers.

By the Rev. J.D.Davies (Rector of Cheriton)

It is said that the apparition of a lady, dressed in white, used frequently to be seen by the old people on the high road near Brynfield House, Reynoldston and sometimes she was seen sitting on the stone stile which was formerly alongside the churchyard gate.

This story can, I think, be made capable of throwing a considerable amount of light upon the history of the house now called Brynfield, in the Parish of Reynoldston. Before the late Sir Gardner Wilkinson improved and enlarged it, it was a house, bearing indications of having been a building of considerable size, parts of which had been pulled down. There used to be an ivy-covered wall projecting westward from the main building, with a blocked up aperture of what appeared to have been originally a window of large size. When Sir Gardner was renovating the old house, he removed some earth and rubbish at the base of this wall, and in doing so he came across fragments of beautifully painted glass. Upon one of the broken pieces the letters E.R. could be made out very distinctly. The evidence of this window, and the painted glass with which it was formerly filled, shows that the house once upon a time must have been a residence of consequence, and inhabited by people of note. Lady Wilkinson was of the opinion that it was originally a religious house, inhabited by a sisterhood of the Order of St Clare, called from their poverty "the Poor Clares". alias the "Poor Ladies" whose habit was grey. Furthermore she informed me that the two cottages adjoining the Churchyard, lately built by her brother, the Rev. J. Ponsoby Lucas, stand on the site of an old thatched house, which went by the curious name of "Maiden’s Fancy" and in some old deeds, which she has seen, is called the "White Ladies’ Well". It is still known by the name of "Lady's Well".

The account of the apparition probably grew out of the sisterhood of St. Clare, whose grey habit was doubtless often seen in the neighbourhood in pr-reformation days.

I do not know whether any documentary evidence exists bearing upon the foundation of a religious community of the Poor Clares at Reynoldston, but from what I have been able to put together as above, it appears not unlikely. The story, however, is not devoid of interest, although it lacks the confirmation of historical proof. The disappearance of the community would date back to the suppression of all the monasteries and religious houses in the time of Henry V111.

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These extracts are taken from Gower Church Magazine.

Reynoldston Quoit Club. Believing strongly as we do in the benefit to every parish of plenty of outdoor amusements, we are glad to be able to chronicle the good start made by the Reynoldston Quoit Club. The village is largely indebted to the forethought and energy of Mr. T. Brown, to whose initiative the foundation of the club is due. The club's second match was played, and second victory won, on Saturday evening 15^th June, on Higher Green. The match was a return with the Old Walls Club. and both clubs must be congratulated on the good play shown. Although the result was very decidedly in favour of the Reynoldston club, most of the games were keenly contested, and in two, those won respectively by T.H. Tucker of Reynoldston and W. Williams of Old Walls, the excitement was sustained until the last quoit was thrown. (1901)

 Here is a report from September 1902

On Saturday evening, August 9^th, as the Rev. S.R. N. Rees was driving from Swansea to Reynoldston, where he is spending a holiday with his wife and children, the horse became frightened at a motorcar. The reverend gentleman got out and attempted to lead the horse, but the animal reared, and dashed him against the wall with considerable force. Mr Rees was cut rather badly about the head and otherwise bruised. He was conveyed home a soon as possible and medical aid was summoned. We are glad to say he is progressing favourably. Fortunately Mrs Rees and one of the boys, who accompanied him, had got out to walk, for the horse rushed down the hill and the trap was smashed.

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War Reports

The Gower Church Magazine in the early 1900s makes frequent reference to the fact that the country was conducting a war against the Boers, in South Africa. Despite being written over one hundred years ago, there are so many echoes of more recent conflicts.

Concert - On February 22^nd a Concert was given by Reynoldston people, assisted by friends, at Knelston Board School, in aid of the Gower Bed at the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital in Capetown. The keen interest shown by everyone, and the crowded room, showed how warmly Gower people are feeling for our soldiers in South Africa. The concert may be considered a success from every point of view: and after clearing all expenses we were pleased to send a sum of £8.15s to the Fund. Reynoldston is indeed sharing in the National anxiety. Eight of those near and dear to us have now joined the force fighting for our Queen and country. It was with the greatest grief that we heard of the death of Captain R. Benson at Wynberg Hospital, near Capetown on February 19^th, and we would express our deep sympathy with Colonel and Mrs Benson in their bereavement.

Lantern Entertainment. Our first Lantern entertainment, on November 6^th, was a great success. Perhaps it was the subject, "The Boer War" that secured a good house. The slides were exceptionally good, but of course the most popular of all were the portraits of Lord Roberts and General Baden Powell. The second lecture will be given on Tuesday Dec 4^th, on "China and the Chinese".

The Vicar of Llangenydd published this letter, received by Mr Skillen from his son, Mr Fred Skillen, now serving in South Africa.

Elands River Bridge, Near Harrismith, Dec 27^th 1901.Dear Father,I know you will be anxious to hear that I came through that awful affair which happened on Christmas morning uninjured but I am sorry to say that there are very few of my company who did. How I managed to get away I do not know. The bullets were falling like hail. There were men and horses dead and dying lying about everywhere. I saw most of my own Company either killed or wounded. There were 23 of my own Company alone, beside what were killed belonging to other Companies.Amongst them being our captain, one lieutenant, the sergeant major, and three sergeants and my officer were wounded. We buried 63 on the day of the fight and there have been a lot of dead of their wounds since, bringing the number killed up to nearly 100, beside a great number wounded. It is the worst disaster that has happened for a long time and how the Boers came to get so close to us, without the alarm being given I do not know.I shall only be too glad to get into Harrismith to get a little rest and a new kit, as all I have now is what I stand in.

Your loving son, Fred

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Many readers will be familiar with the books of John Wyndham. Certainly those of us who enjoyed reading science fiction writing in the 1950s and 1960s would have The Day of the Triffids,The Chrysalids’,  and The Trouble with Lichen as top of our lists. The Midwich Cukoos was filmed in 1960 as The Village of the Damned.

John Wyndham was born in 1903 and until 1911 lived in Birmingham and then in many parts of England. Careers he tried included farming, law, commercial art and advertising, then writing from 1925. Wyndham died in 1969.

And the Gower connection?

Wyndham's full name was John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris and he was the grandson of Evan and Ruth Harris. This couple came from Porteynon where Evan taught at a school before they moved to Reynoldston. Evan then taught for some years at the National School in Reynoldston. In 1869 Evan and Ruth opened a shop and Post office on the Lower Green. Evan Harris became very involved with the arguments over the future of education in the area. His ability to argue a case was inherited by his son (John Wyndham's father), who became a barrister.

Wyndham published his works of science fiction using his first two Christian names. He used selections of his other names when writing short stories and when writing stories for publication in America.

The name Wyndham has puzzled some biographers. Evan and Ruth gave the name to one of their sons. They and John Wyndham's father seem to have attached an exaggerated importance to real or imagined family connections. (The inscription on Ruth's tombstone in St George's Church, behind the North transept window emphasises a Lucas link). There was a remote and doubtful connection with the Wyndhams, Earls of Dunraven, and this may well be where the name comes from.

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Some more extracts from the Gower Church Magazine of 1900.

This is a pleasantly conducted country school. The instruction is very industrious and conscientious. The children are clean and orderly. The attendance is most irregular and the School Board should take immediate steps to improve this.

The following prizes were gained at the West Gower Horticultural Show: - Handwriting- Boys- 1st Prize, David Moffat: 2nd Prize, Robert Richards: 3^rd Prize, Robert Rolfe. Handwriting- Girls- 1^st Prize, Marion Evans: 2^nd Prize, Kate Moffat: 3^rd Prize, Gladys Evans. Marking- 1^stPrize, Annie Bydder: 2^nd Prize, Bessie Tucker. Maps- 1^st Prize, Cecil Walters: 2^nd Prize, John Gordon. Print Patching- 3^rd Prize, Lizzie Gordon. Darning- 2nd Prize, Gladys Evans. Knitting- 1^st Prize, Marion Evans.

Mrs Lewis is to be congratulated on the continued success of the school.

And nothing changes!

Lantern Entertainment. We were sorry to cause disappointment to many in not being able to obtain the Chinese slides for December as promised. We have secured them for January when the title of the lecture will be: China, the Land of the Yellow Jacket. We had an enjoyable evening on Dec 4^th, when the bill of fare included Ten Days in the Lake District’ and Longfellow's Excelsior’. We regret that complaint had to be made by some of the audience of misbehaviour amongst the boys, and unless the behaviour improves, the Lectures will be discontinued forthwith.

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Gwen Beynon of Reynoldston recently celebrated her ninetieth birthday. To mark this very special occasion, some of Gwen’s friends took her for lunch to the Fairy Hill Hotel. The visit brought back so many memories for Gwen, who worked at this country house for ten years, from 1931.

Gwen Tucker was born in Horton, where her parents farmed. She was one of seven children and attended Porteyon Primary School (now a bungalow, on the hill, as you enter the village). Gwen states proudly the she passed the examinations for Gowerton School, but she left school to help on the farm. At the age of seventeen she moved from home to be a childrens’ nanny in Burry Green and then onto Oxwich Rectory (now the Oxwich Bay Hotel) as a maid. Three years later Gwen became a Parlour Maid at Fairy Hill, working for Mr and Mrs T. R. Harris. Mr Harris was a solicitor in Swansea. (This job move also coincided with the move of Gwen’s family to Knelston Hall Farm).

Gwen can remember in detail her 'job description' at Fairy Hill. "I was paid £2.12 per month but accommodation and food was provided! I had to wear a blue dress and apron in the morning and a black dress, apron and white cap in the afternoon and evening. The day started at 6.30am when I had to clean the fireplaces, lay the fires and then light the fire in the lounge. The rest of the day would be taken up with cleaning, polishing and helping cook in the kitchen. My day would end at about 9.00pm. I was given either Sunday afternoon or evening off, as well as Thursday afternoon". Gwen joined a staff of two cooks, two cleaners and three gardeners. Gwen married the Head Gardener, Albert Beynon!

Other memories of the time were the weekend house, fishing and shooting parties hosted by Mr and Mrs Harris,walking to Reynoldston Church from Fairy Hill, across the fields at Hayes Farm and Apple Grove, meeting with young people from the other villages at Kennexton Cross on Sundays, seeing the Duke of Windsor playing tennis at Penrice and the excitement of the Gower Show.

Gwen and Albert moved to farm in Three Crosses,with Gwen then moving to Reynoldston in 1967

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Phil Tanner. The Last Gower Folk Singer

A few days after his 88^th birthday Phil Tanner died suddenly in his sleep. It was just like him to do something unexpected. His whole cheerful life long he had sung to the people of Gower and had become something of a phenomenon.

The speech of Gower is a dialect of English and although he never left Wales in his life, old Phil had a repertoire of English folksongs and ballads that really seem inexhaustible."I couldn't go to bed without a song, boy", he said to me once. And if you visited the quiet village of Llangennith, say before the war, you would be pretty certain to hear Phil's voice, singing as he was doing a bit of hedging and ditching, or leaning on a stile, or sitting with his pipe at the door of his tiny white-washed cottage perched between the wind-swept sand dunes and the bracken covered hill or, more often, singing in the bar of the pub and the bigger the audience the better.

He was a true folk singer. He learned his songs from his father and his grandfather and any journeyman weaver who would call at his father's mill. He never put a word or note down on paper. And he sang a song to tell a tale, not to display his talent.

Even as an old man he was an impressive sight, in his homespun suit turning green with age. He was erect and dignified, over six foot, handsome grey bearded, with contented cheeks, a straight nose and a forehead almost unlined.

If he was asked "to take a corner'"he would begin a little ritual. He would look carefully round his audience, clear his throat, hum the key, tilt his head back a little, then he was off, lost in the changing moods of the words.

He would sing through the perhaps 15 verses with quiet control and artistry. And excellent diction, even when he had lost every tooth in his head. Then, when he came to the end of the song, he would repeat the last few words. Or the title. This was an ancient habit of folksingers, so I found out later. It was a charm to stop anyone stealing their song.

Phil Tanner enriched life for his fellow parishioners, though he wouldn't always admit it. He refused to conform. He preferred singing to working.

But quite unexpectedly, when he was 86 years of age, Phil Tanner became famous. By then he was in an old people's home, with a ready-made audience and a matron to wash his beard. Through the "Gower Society" he was 'discovered' by the BBC. W.R.Owen could tell of the time he went down to Gower to supervise the recording of his songs. But both W.R. and his stock of discs were exhausted before old Phil had half finished.

This brief blaze of glory brought him in a few pounds and made him richer than he had ever been in his life.I’m putting this by for a decent burial',he used to say. But he needn't have bothered. I remember his funeral. He’d have chuckled if he had been there to see it. Ministers of religion, councillors, university scholars, admirers from as far away as London, had come to salute the passing of a unique character, the last link with the colourful self-reliant past of Gower. And fair play to them, his fellow parishioners turned out to a man. That was 12 years ago. But in this corner of Wales at least Phil Tanner, that twinkling old artist, will never be forgotten.

(A CD ' The Gower Nightingale' is now available)

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Just as today, the Parish Magazines of previous years carried advertisements. Here is a selection of local businesses advertising in the Gower Church Magazine of 1928. Not many exist today!

And also from the programme of the Gower Pageant and Fair (1969)

The Revd John D. Davies, Rector of Cheriton and Llanmadoc, wrote a series of articles in the Gower Church Magazine entitled ‘The Old Century and The New.The Times Are Changed and We Are Changed With Them'.

He opens his first article with this summary. "It goes without saying that the age in which we live is emphatically an age of progress. Time has moved on, and people and things have done the same. The old order has changed, and in a way which excites no small amount of surprise and astonishment when we come to post it all up. The past century has witnessed the application of steam, which has been utilized on land and sea, and has contributed more than anything else to promote the development of trade and commerce, and consequently the wealth and prosperity of this kingdom and every other. Leaving the railways and the huge ocean going steamers to do their own work, it has been no small boon in many ways to have the ponderous traction engine dragging its load of ten tons with ease, and steering its way along our narrow country lanes and through gateways, with as much precision as a man would drive a horse and cart".

The Revd. Davies was most enthusiastic about the introduction of electricity and other technical advances. "Electricity, that subtle and mysterious force, is employed in transmitting information of every kind to the remotest corners of the globe. It lights our streets and large public buildings, and is destined in this respect to usurp the place of gas: while as a motive power it already drives the electric tram. The Rector reminds his readers that the close of the last century brought the typewriter (largely used in lawyers and merchants’ offices), the microphone, the phonograph, photography and the Rontgen, alias the X rays".

Transport does not escape the Reverend’s attention. "The close of the last century has given us the bicycle, and nearly half the civilised world now rides upon the silent wheel: and this vehicle has so much to recommend it, that it has evidently come to stay. We may also mention the motor-car, which is more and more coming to the front; and we may be pretty sure that, like the bicycle, it has come to stay". also'.

John Davies looks to the future. "If we were to enumerate all the inventions and discoveries made in the fine as well as the useful arts during the last hundred years, we might be disposed to think that human progress had attained its ultimatum. But there is really no finality in these things; the march of intellect is ever onward, and onward it will go. The twentieth century, which has dawned upon us, will disclose fresh wonders, and people will live to see things we scarcely dream of at the present time. We appear to be on the eve of witnessing submarine navigation and flying machines. Count Zapoline's (Zeppelin) flying machine, the construction of which cost him £50,000, has made his first trip, and accomplished it fairly well. Wireless telegraphy, the latest and most wonderful scientific discovery, has made its first stride, but is not yet quite under control. Its inventor, Professor Marconi, and others are devoting much attention to it, and complete success is anticipated. That an electric current, carrying a message, can be sent through the air for 20 miles, without any connecting medium in the shape of a wire, is absolutely inconceivable, and has an appearance of forcing nature to give up her secrets". I am sure the good Rector, if writing today, would be commenting not just on the technological advances occurring but also on the pace with which they develop. For example, it took radio in the USA 38 years to reach an audience of 50 million. TV took 13 years to reach a similar size audience. The Internet took 4 years to reach an audience of 50 million.

John Davies mentions the introduction of chloroform alongside X rays so that ‘the skilful surgeon goes to his work with perfect confidence and the patient is relieved without experiencing the slightest pain’. Despite these advances,it is clear from the ‘ Death Notices’ in the Gower Church Magazine of the early 1900s, that infant and child mortality, deaths from influenza, pneumonia and trauma arising from even minor accidents, were common. We have to look later in this century (20^th) for the major advances in medicine and the virtual elimination of so many 'killers'.

Note:

The author of these articles from 1901 was the son of John Davies, Rector of Reynoldston. John Davies (Cheriton) was brought up in what is now The Old Rectory, Reynoldston. Indeed, even after his appointment as Rector of Cheriton/Llanmadoc, John Davies commuted from Reynoldston, for a number of years, to his parish. He then built the impressive Swiss style vicarage in Llanmadoc. The story of him having married a Swiss lady, hence the vicarage was designed to make her feel at home, is not true. JD never married. JD was a man of many parts. An authority on the history of Gower, a member of the Swansea Scientific Society, a contributor to the Oxford Movement and a skilled wood carver. JD designed and made the choir stalls, altar rails and altar in Cheriton Church. He died in 1911.

The King Arthur and Fair..1880s

The annual fairs took place on the Upper Green, outside the King Arthur Hotel. These were harvest fairs, traditionally always on September 17^th. The morning of the old fair was taken up with a Horse Fair and Stock Auction, which attracted people from all over Gower.

School children from Cheriton School used to have a half-day’s holiday but apparently, they were the lucky ones. Knelston children would have to wait until the end of lessons before they were allowed to leave. The children would then run all the way from Kinston to Reyoldston for the real thrill of the day – the fun fair. This in latter years was always run by Bassetts who would be based for the summer down on the front at Port Eynon but would stop for the fair in Reynoldston on their ay back to Llanelli, where they would spend the rest of the year.

The Upper Green was covered with stalls of all kinds. There were games such as coconut shies, bran tubs and hoopla as well as stands selling teas for the ladies, fruit and a vast array of other things. These were mainly tall wooden stalls, which, as the evening wore on would be lit by paraffin lamps. The lamps would swing back and fore in the wind and became quite a fire hazard. If it was a really windy night tough, the lamps would blow out or occasionally be turned off by the young lads for devilment.

Among the numerous colourful stalls was a fruit stall, run by Mrs Billy Morgan, well remembered by many as being a tall, striking woman who could knock out any troublemakers. Her husband, Mr Morgan, was the champion of the boxing ring. This was a challenge booth with a prize for whoever could last three rounds with the champion.

Many of the girls were terrorised by "teasers", metal-cased containers with screw tops bought for a penny and filled with water. The lads would chase the girls, squirting them with the water. It has been said that the girls would have to wash their hair when they got home, as the lads would end up filling the "teasers" with water from the gutter and sometimes worse!

Earlier fairs recall a wild animal show, as recorded in Yesterday’s Gower by Arthur Davies. "They’d come down on a Sunday and two elephants would be pulling them. There were two of every animal, in cages inside a marquee, two bears, two lions, two tigers. I remember father taking me there when I was about seven and there was a girl performing with a great big lion. She went into the cage at last, put a white cloth over her head, the old lion opened his mouth wide and she shoved her head right inside. Father seen me jump, see and he said "Don’t thee tak any notice boy, she's well used to that".

The fair would go on late into the night and The King Arthur Hotel would be packed out. If it got too crowded, the men would spill down to the Old Brewery. It was an off-licence then for beer and porter (stout) only, and not for drinking on the premises, so the men would take their beer onto the Lower Green. Around that time, Miss Howells kept The King Arthur. She was a wonderful pianist and well known for concerts she arranged in the Church Hall.

The Brewery, Lower Green...1900

The Fair on the Higher Green by Allan Duncan

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Reynoldston 1900…..

The census of the village in 1900 gives us a list of names, although probably not exhaustive. An interesting comparison with the village today.

This census gave the names, addresses and occupations of 71 people. Many of the house names are familiar to us today,The Croft, Field House, Pound Cottage, and Castle Ditty. Likewise, many of the surnames are still heard around these parts. There were four Bevans, four Davieses, three Clements, two Taylors and Three Tuckers. Others do not seem so familiar, notably the Hookaways of Brook Cottage.

The occupations of the villagers in 1900 naturally were very different, and it was apparent more people earned their living close to the village. The day of the commuter had not yet arrived. There were four farmers, two surgeons, fifteen labourers, a sub postmaster, three postmen and a mail driver, three masons and nine widows. Today we have lost the blacksmith, the wheelwright, the saddler and boot maker (two).

St George's Terrace was home to a postman, a labourer, a brewery manager and a gentleman. Another gentleman lived in Green Lodge.That, some would say is two more than we have today !!

(Taken from an article written by Rob Vine)

The Post Office and Chapel ..1914

Stouthall...1830s

The Lower Green...1930s

The King Arthur Hotel...1920s