b.
13 Dec. 1868
at
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Mont.
, the son of
Richard Bellis
Jones
,
schoolmaster
, and
Hannah
(née
Vaughan
)
. He was educated at his father's school and later at the
Northern Institute
at
Liverpool
and at
Oswestry High School
under
Owen
Owen
(
DWB
, 718)
. From
1885 to 1890
, he was a student at
U.C.W.
Aberystwyth
, returning after a period of
teaching
at
Oswestry
to read for the degree of
M.A. (London)
which he took in
1894
. After a short period as
Headmaster
of
Llandeilo county school
(
1894-99
) he became
headmaster
of
Barry county school
where he remained until his retirement in
1933
. He then became
Adviser on Welsh matters
to the
B.B.C.
, where he
organised school programmes
and acted as
secretary
of the
Religious Advisory Committee
. He was at various times
Clerk
,
Treasurer
and
Warden
of the
University of Wales Guild of Graduates
, the only person to hold all three offices; a member of the
Central Welsh Board
, the only one to serve for its entire duration; and
member of the Court and Council
of the
University of Wales
, of
Aberystwyth
, of the
University College of South Wales
, and of the
National Museum of Wales
. In
1910
he was
President
of the
Association of Welsh Secondary Schools
. During
World War I
he became
Officer
commanding the
Glamorgan Fortress Engineers
with the rank of
Major
and was awarded the
Military O.B.E.
The University of Wales
conferred on him the honorary degree of
M.A.
in
1922
and of
LL.D.
in
1951
, and he received the
Freedom of Barry
in
1951
.
He was a vigorous and imaginative
headmaster
and had an exceptional capacity to inspire loyalty and devotion among both pupils and staff. His personality enabled him to run a very flourishing and happy school with complete authority but without oppressive discipline. He had an
extensive knowledge of archaeology
and of the arts, particularly of
painting
,
architecture
and
poetry
; and there were hundreds of past pupils whose interest in culture was first awakened by him. He was also
keenly interested in sport
. At
Aberystwyth
he was the
athletic champion
and a
member of the soccer team
(which he
captained
) and of the first fifteen, and as
headmaster
there were few school games at which he was not present. On
22 Dec. 1894
he m.
Ann Gwenllian
, daughter of
Thomas
Jones
of
Dowlais
, and a fellow student at
Aberystwyth
. She was a lady of considerable ability who at the age of 20, went as a
tutor
to the grandchildren of
John
Hughes
(
1814
-
1889
;
DWB
, 382)
, the
pioneer in the development of Russian metallurgy
, at
Yuzovka
, in the
Donets basin
. They had three children,
Gareth
(
DWB
, 463)
and two daughters. He d.
1 May 1953
.
