MERT: 1921


Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times

Tuesday January 25, 1921

TREFEGLWYS

THE STORM – The lower part of Trefeglwys valley was flooded for a long distance on Tuesday after the heavy rains. That morning the total number of children who attended the Council school was two, and those came there by car.

LITERARY SOCIETY – The first meeting, confined to the members of the Eisteddfod Committee, was held on the 14th inst. Two similar metings had been held last winter. There was a fair attendance. Mr Bowen, Nantgynen, ably presided, and delivered a splendid address. The winners in the various competitive items were as follows:- Sight signing, Mr B Bumford; impromptu speech, Mr T Bennett; describing article, Mr T Bennett; place names, Mr D Thomas; blackboard drawing, Mr E Bumford; general knowledge test, Mr D Thomas. Six members of the committee acted as adudicators. A recitation was given by Mr D Evans, and Messrs E.R. Watkins, D.P. Smith, E. Bumford and decided to hold another meeting in March when it is hoped more of the younger members of the committee will compete.

SOCIAL EVENING – A most enjoyable social evening was spent on Tuesday week at the Wesleyan Chapel. Tea, provided in the adjoining vestry was thoroughly enjoyed by all. At the meeting held afterwards Mr William Jones, Brynllwyn, presided. A bardie address was read by Mr J.R. Evans, containing several verses of poetry upon the object of the meeting. A fund is raised towards obtaining a new organ for the Church, and the sum of £17 was realised that evening. The following contributed to the programme with songs, duetts and recitations: Misses Enid Evans and Katie Mills, Masters Idris and Trevor Williams and Rayond Jones, Misses Olive Francis and Harriet Davies. A most interesting item was the performance of a humorous sketch, entitled, “The troubles of a patient man,” by Misses Morgans, Davies, Edwards and Williams, and Messrs Edwards, W. Davies, and T.C. Davies. The winners in the various competitions were as follows: Describing an article, Mr T.L. Bowen; unpunctuated reading, Mr E. Bumford; and impromptu discussion, Messrs J.H. Edwards and T.L. Bowen. The adjudicators were Messrs Ll. T. Mills and D. Clement. The meeting was organised by the young members of the Church. The senior members are to organise a function at a later date.

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Tuesday July 5, 1921

Trefeglwys Husband and Wife

PITIFUL NARRATIVE OF AN ILL MATCHED PAIR

A painful story of unhappy married life was told to the Llanidloes County Bench on Thursday, when Mrs Margaret Evans, who is living with her daughter, Mrs Davies, at Bodaioch Cottage, Trefeglwys, south a separation, after 24 years of married life, from her husband John Evans, Stone Bridge, Trefeglwys. Mr R. E. George appeared for the plaintiff, and the defendant was not legally represented.

Mr George said that the case was taken under the Married Women’s Act of 1895, under which the magistrates had power to make an order of separation. The parties were married 23 years ago, the defendant then being a widower with two daughters. There were three daughters of the marriage. During their married life the husband had at no time given his wife more than 10s a week, and more often than not less than that. During the war he was working in the timber trade, and for a long time head [sic] earned £5 a week or more, when men of his type, free from military service, were in great demand. Unfortunately for him a letter addressed to him was intercepted by his wife. That letter which he (Mr George) handed to the Clerk, was sufficient evidence for the Bench to make the order. The man was the father of two illegitimate children, one of which was dead, and it was high time that the woman left him, and that he contributed towards her maintenance. He had been brutal towards her as well as wilfully neglectful of her maintenance. Six years ago she took out a summons against him, but persuaded by the Clerk, and upon the husband promising to improve, she went back to him. On May 15th, however, she was forced to leave him, and had taken out a summons.

Mrs Evans, who gave her husband’s age as 60 years, said that since her marriage in 1897 he had given her very little, sometimes 5s and sometimes 10s a week, never more. He had always been cruel, and had thrashed her many times. On May 15th, a Sunday, he came home and commanded her to prepare his food. She could not do so as she had had no money to provide food, and he became abusive. She now lived with her married daughters in turn.

Mrs Hannah Elizabeth Davies (daughter), bore testimony to her father’s cruelty to her mother, and to the latter’s financial difficulty.

The defendant said that he was unemployed at present, and had drawn unemployment pay, but was now on the sick liist [sic]. He addressed the Bench in Welsh, and after hearing him, and after a short adjournment,

The Chairman (Mr A.L. Onslow) said that they had decided to grant a separation order. The husband to pay 17s 6d a week towards his wife’s maintenance. They also directed that the usual Court costs and advocate’s fee be defrayed by the defendant, and that the sum of one guinea be paid by him towards the expense incurred by the wife and daugthers in attending the Court.

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