Norena Shopland ,
When trying so you’re able to visualise mans lives, eg those people throughout the earlier in the day, it has been the tiny issues that promote lives your such as for instance once the a citation to a great lecture or a beneficial brooch – and two contents of Amgueddfa Cymru’s collection indeed accomplish that.
Both of them relate to Cranogwen, the latest bardic identity to own Sarah Jane Rees (1839–1916) a king mariner, poet, publisher, editor and you can temperance employee which, for the majority of regarding their existence lived in the tiny city of Llangrannog, Cardiganshire. She was given birth to there and you will during her life flew from that point becoming perhaps one of the most better-understood feamales in Wales regarding the late 19th/very early twentieth century. Also it is here you to definitely her a few people resided, first Fanny Rees “Phania” (1853-1874) exactly who passed away aged only 21 and soon after Jane Thomas (1850-?) whom, for the majority of the census output means a ‘residential worker’, ‘general servant’ or ‘charwoman’.
Cranogwen are commonly away, in myriad programs and you will giving lecturers but the woman very first concert tour were only available in 1866, a-year just after controversially successful an Eisteddfod poetry award when it was revealed a woman got beaten brand new people.
An individual tend to remember that it absolutely was the young lady lion who grabbed the latest prize on Aberystwyth Eisteddfod into tune towards A wedding ring. Shortly after reading one to, and possess with the knowledge that all of our top poets, eg Islwyn and you will Ceiriog was basically competing, I became a little while shocked there is certain ‘dirt on cheese’ somewhere. [i]
Cranogwen’s tour centred for her lecture ‘The fresh Youth in addition to People of its Minds’ even though this did grow afterwards to provide several almost every other lecturers, ‘Anhebgorion Cymeriad da’ (Principles of a good Profile) and you can ‘Parts of Happiness’, all concerned about improvements when you look at the people’s letters. Due to the fact she spoke when you look at the Welsh, these people were mostly protected by new Welsh language drive towards English code media investing little or no appeal.
Taking a trip that have Cranogwen
Cranogwen started off regarding Aberystwyth area very hopefully Jane performed traveling with her to include specific assistance but as the conversations grew for the popularity Cranogwen flew after that afield and only a few months later from the Swansea’s Brynhyfryd Church almost a thousand anyone ended up observe the girl – a daunting prospect for everyone so hopefully Jane try indeed there due to the fact well to offer assistance.
Phrase try dispersed quickly and you may, as a journalist within Baner air-con Amserau Cymru detailed, ‘You don’t need to worldwide to check out new dilemmas from providing a description of one’s lecture now, because it’s already quite nicely known during the Wales. [ii]
Everywhere she ran supplement are showered abreast of the girl, leading to you to definitely journalist so https://gorgeousbrides.net/no/varme-og-sexy-vietnamesiske-jenter/ you’re able to ask yourself if the she could live up to the latest buzz: ‘due to the fact we had heard instance praise on her behalf, i requested their is good. But we never ever thought one she is as the gifted due to the fact she try, and thus masterful from the the lady performs.’ [iii]
Nights after nights she spoke so you can rave feedback along with her one-hr lecture prolonged towards the several and also longer when local dignitaries sought to look on-stage near to their, including the pennyworth. Local poets flocked so you’re able to the lady, commonly composing englyns, some of which was basically had written throughout the documents, and female was indeed following their analogy and taking to the point.
Girls, particularly ‘younger girls’ (she are 27 at that time) shouldn’t be lecturing, said the fresh new people, which complained of the impropriety of women public speaking. ‘The newest people from Southern area Wales,’ ranted the fresh Cardiff Minutes, ‘are running insane on the teenagers who will be lecturing about the nation [and] from the advice of several eminent people this is going as well far.