Norena Shopland ,
When trying so you can visualise man’s lifestyle, such those people in the early in the day, it has been the small things that offer lifetime alive including while the a solution to an effective lecture or a brooch – and two belongings in Amgueddfa Cymru’s collection certainly accomplish that.
They both relate genuinely to Cranogwen, the fresh new bardic identity to possess Sarah Jane Rees (1839–1916) a king mariner, poet, blogger, editor and you may temperance staff whom, for most away from the girl lifestyle stayed in the small city of Llangrannog, Cardiganshire. She came into this world around and you may throughout the woman life travelled from that point in order to become probably one of the most better-identified women in Wales on the later 19th/very early twentieth century. Plus it is right here that her two people stayed, basic Fanny Rees “Phania” (1853-1874) who passed away aged merely 21 and later Jane Thomas (1850-?) exactly who, in most of one’s census yields is defined as an excellent ‘domestic worker’, ‘general servant’ otherwise ‘charwoman’.
Cranogwen are often away, doing work in range programs and you can giving lecturers however, the girl first tour started in 1866, annually immediately following controversially winning an enthusiastic Eisteddfod poetry honor if this is found a lady got outdone the fresh new people.
Your reader commonly keep in mind that it was the students woman lion exactly who took the newest prize within Aberystwyth Eisteddfod into track into A wedding ring. Immediately following reading that, and now have comprehending that our very own best poets, like Islwyn and Ceiriog was in fact contending, I found myself a little while surprised there are specific ‘mud from the cheese’ someplace. [i]
Cranogwen’s trip centered on her behalf lecture ‘Brand new Youthfulness as well as the Community of its Minds’ although this did expand later to provide a couple almost every other lecturers, ‘Anhebgorion Cymeriad da’ (Requirements a good Reputation) and you will ‘Components of Happiness’, every worried about advancements inside man’s letters. Since she spoke during the Welsh, they certainly were predominantly included in this new Welsh code press for the English code mass media spending almost no interest.
Travel that have Cranogwen
Cranogwen began on the Aberystwyth town thus we hope Jane did travelling together to include specific help but once the conversations became when you look at the popularity Cranogwen travelled then afield and just a few months later at the Swansea’s Brynhyfryd Church nearly a lot of some one turned-out observe their – a challenging choice for everyone therefore develop Jane is actually here since well to give assistance.
Keyword try distributed quickly and you can, due to the fact a reporter from the Baner air conditioning Amserau Cymru listed, ‘You don’t need internationally to check out new troubles out-of giving a description of your own lecture now, because it’s already quite well understood while in the Wales. [ii]
Everywhere she went supplement try showered abreast of their, resulting in you to definitely writer to question if the she you’ll surpass brand new buzz: ‘as we’d read such as for example compliment on her behalf, i asked their is an effective. But we never ever envisioned you to definitely she is as skilled once the she was, thereby masterful at the lady work.’ [iii]
Evening shortly after evening she spoke so you’re able to rave product reviews along with her one-hour lecture prolonged into the two plus expanded when regional dignitaries found to seem on-stage close to her, including its pennyworth. Local poets flocked so you can the lady, usually creating englyns, some of which were blogged on the documents, and you will female were following the the lady analogy and you may providing concise.
Girls, particularly ‘young girls’ (she is twenty seven at the time) shouldn’t Sapporo wife be lecturing, said the new people, exactly who complained of one’s impropriety of females speaking in public. ‘Brand new society regarding Southern Wales,’ ranted brand new Cardiff Minutes, ‘are running nuts to your young ladies who’re lecturing on the nation [and] on the thoughts of a lot eminent men this is exactly going too much.