Some Captured History of Glanamman and GarnantOther Areas: Brynamman Ambulance Class 1912-1913
Ambulance Classes were set up at the Amman Valley to provide the skills necessary to help in the all too frequent events of accidents in the local coal industry, the nearest hospital being at Swansea before the Amman Valley Hospital opened at Glanamman in 1936. The photograph is believed to have been taken at the home of the local doctor at Brynamman. Dr Lewis is the gentleman seated at the front row just left of the centre of the photograph. The other gentleman seated at the front row, just right of the centre, is John David Morgan of Waunfach, Brynamman. The two were the instructors of the Brynamman Ambulance Class at that time. A St. John's Ambulance Medal, which was presented to John David Morgan in 1905 can be seen below.
The young boy sitting in front of the ambulance class is John David Morgan's grandson; Meurig Jones, born in 1904 and it is believed that he was the model used by the students at the Ambulance class for bandaging practice etc. He became a school teacher at Middlesborough after graduating in geography at Aberystwyth. Later he taught at Ammanford Central school, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School at Carmarthen, Porth Secondary School in the Rhondda and the Emergency Teacher's Training College at Wrexham. His final position was that of Headmaster of Llangollen Grammar School, which became Ysgol Dinas Bran. John David Morgan was the second son of the Rev. Dafydd
Morgan of Pantyclogau, who ministered to congregations at Onllwyn
and Ystradfellte, but lived at Olive house, Brynaman. Dafydd Morgan
had three sons, the eldest; David Richard Morgan was an Annibyn Minister
whose ministry came to an end at Sardis, Efailfach (Pontrhydyfen),
in 1912. The youngest son; Morgan Meurig Morgan was headmaster at
Bontddu near Dolgellau. Thanks to Mrs Dilys Jenkins for the main photograph and to Peter Meurig Jones for the information and medal images on this page. |
