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THE STAFF AT BERSHAM AND ADWY SCHOOLS.THE HEAD MASTERSRichard Morris.
The Principal Teacher at Penygelli from when the School opened in April 1868 was Richard Morrisof Llangerniew born about 1846He came from a family of weavers and was the son of John Morris, and Gwen Hughes who weremarried at Sion Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Llanwrst on 1
st
June 1844.Richard married Anne Maria James on 22
nd
January 1865. At that time he was working as aschoolmaster in Carno.Before coming to Coedpoeth, Richard was a Pupil Teacher at Llangerniew and when he leftPenygelli School in December 1871 he moved on to take charge of Taliesin School Board.From census records it is found that Richard and his wife Anne Maria moved to Llancynfelin,Cardiganshire where he became a Calvinistic Methodist Preacher, but by 1891 he had moved againto Ystradyfodwg, Glamorgan and was once again `schoolmaster certified`Richard died 4
th
April 1919 aged 73; Anne Maria died 25
th
December 1926 aged 82
Griffith Joseph Jones
Griffith Joseph Jones was the next Head Teacher of the school.He was born around 1845 in the Tallyllyn area of Merionethshire and was the son of a quarry manalso named Griffith.Griffith married Jane Hannan on Aug 12 1869 at St Saerons church, Llanynys. Jane was thedaughter of John Hannan a blacksmith from Llanynys.He was then the schoolmaster at The British School, Gellifor, Llangynhafal, Denbighshire.Griffith stayed at Penygelli, for many years, raising a family and settling into the community.In the logs, Griffith mentions that he is going to America to visit his family. During their voyagethere was a collision, between the White Star steamers Britannic and Celtic on Thursday 19
th
May1887, 350 miles from Sandy Hook. Five steerage passengers were killed on the Britannic. There is areport in the Wrexham Advertiser, which confirms that Griffith J Jones and his family were aboardthe Celtic, which had sailed for New York from Liverpool on Wednesday 4th May 1887.Jane died aged 41 in March 1914, and Griffith died aged 78 and was buried with his wife on 2
nd
March 1923 at Coedpoeth Cemetery
Boys School TeachersJohn Brookes
John was born in Bersham about 1854; his parents were John Brooks a stonemason who was bornin Llanasa and Caroline nee Thomas who was born in Bersham.In 1878 he married Mary Anne Rogers and by 1881 he was a schoolteacher at Penyfordd, by 1901he is the Head teacher in the Board School, still living at Penyfordd. His son John J Brookes born in1879 is an Assistant teacher.
William Davies
William was born about 1854, he was the son of Edward Davies, a tailor of Bersham and Harrietwho was born Bangor, Flints.By 1881 William had moved to the Board School House Llanrhaiadr Ym MochnantMontgomeryshire where he is now a Certificated Elementary Teacher and has married Sarah Ann,who was born in Birmingham.In 1891 William is back in his home area, and is now a Certificated Teacher at Bwlchgwyn BoardSchool, in 1901 he is still there along with wife and four children, one of whom is Reginald Trevor also a Pupil Teacher at the age of 13.
 
Peter C Evans
Peter Christmas Evans was born in Wrexham on the 25
th
December 1854, his parents were Peter Evans, a mason and Rebecca who was born in Cilcaen. When Peter C leaves the school in 1872 “ togo away” that’s the last we hear of him in the logs.Fortunately he is mentioned in the book “Coedpoeth Past” and this solves the mystery of where hewent
. (Re Penygelli School) G.J. Jones assisted by Peter Christmas Evans, son of Peter Evans, stonemason. He later became Mayor of one of the States Of America, three times.
Peter married Louisa Kent at West Derby, Liverpool in 1879,
Census 12th Jun 1900 Syracuse, New York
 
Peter C. Evans
Head, white, male, b.Dec 1855 England, 44yrs, married 20yrs, parentsb.Wales, emigrated 1880, grocer, owner of a mortgaged house.
Louisa Evans
wife, white, female, b.Feb 185(9) England, parents b. England, emigrated 1880.They had four children all born in New York.Edwin H son born Nov 1870, Charles S born Jan 1872, George H. born Dec 1874 and ReginaldS. born Feb 1891
United States Census, 1920
Precinct 94, Los Angeles, California
Peter C Evans Married b.1855 Wales, 65yrs
Louisa Evans Wife b.1860, 60yrs, b.England
Boyd's Duplex Directory of Syracuse, New York 1899-1900.
 Peter C. Evans, 18th Ward, AldermanPeter died on the 23
rd
February 1947 in Los Angeles
Eli Baddily
Eli certainly moved around the country quite a lot.Eli was born in Staffordshire about 1852. In 1871 he is living in Dewsbury, Yorkshire and wasalready a Schoolmaster. He didn’t stay at Penygelli for very long, and in 1881 he turns up in Irby InMarch, Lincoln. He married Elizabeth Fanny Harman at Greenwich in 1872; Her parents wereGeorge who was a gamekeeper and Martha, Elizabeth Fanny was born about 1853 in Amport,Hampshire. 1891 sees the family living at Steyton, Pembrokeshire and by 1901 at Milford.Eli Baddily died aged 65 in 1918 at Leek, Staffordshire so after all his travels still ended up wherehe came from..
Edward Roden
Edward was born in Adwy, Bersham about 1860, the son of Edward a boot and shoemaker who was born in Welshhampton, his mother Mary was from Wrexham. In 1881 Edward is living at NewRoad, Adwy, with his family and is described as a Teacher.Edward was a member of Bethlehem Chapel and appears in the members list in the ChapelRegisters. He also signed the “Pledge”
 Edward Roden, married 24, Adwy`r Clawdd, Teacher. Joined July 6 1884 Entry in the register dated 23/2/1886 Edward Roden 25 Adwy. Date of Pledge taken 1/2/71
 I PROMISE TO ABSTAIN FROM ALL INTOXICATING DRINKS AS BEVERAGES 
In 1885 Edward married Letitia Jones who was born at Tipton, Shropshire, and in 1891 he is stilloccupied as a Schoolmaster.Edward died on Nov 26 and was buried on Nov 30 1895In 1901 Letitia is living in Chorlton Cum Hardy,and `lets out apartments` but by 1911 she is back in Smithy Road, Penygelli with Violet, aged 14 who is described as `adopted daughter`Letitia died in 1924 and is buried with Edward in Coedpoeth Cemetery.
 
James Pritchard Shelby
James was born in Ruthin in 1863, the son of John Shelby a lead miner from Ysbywty Ystwyth,Cardiganshire and Sarah who was born in Dyran, Montgomershire. By 1871 the family had movedto Penygelli and were still there in 1881. By 1891 James had moved to Mold, and was employed asa Schoolmaster. His whereabouts in 1901 are unknown but James married in 1905 at Forden toSarah Elizabeth Rogers.
George Bristow
George was born about 1861 in Aston, Birmingham. His parents were Francis, a timber merchant’sagent and Harriet. In 1874 George married Eliza Marion Hart at Wrexham, Eliza was born inWolverhampton. By 1881 and 1891 they are living at the School House in Bersham Village wherehe is an Elementary School Teacher.George died in 1900 and Eliza died in 1925, they are both buried in Ruabon Road Cemetery inWrexham
THE HEADMISTRESSESAnnie Foulkes
Annie Foulkes was the Principal Teacher between 1870 and 1872.Annie was born about 1843 in Mold and was the daughter of Thomas Foulkes born Halkyn whowas a master mason and his wife Maria born Mold.By 1861 Ann was already a Pupil Teacher and still living with her parents and younger sistersin Mold.Eleanor, one of her sisters had married William Griffiths of Ruabon, and in 1871 Annie was avisitor at their home in Morton, Rhos on the night on the census. By now she is a CertifiedSchool Teacher.
Mary Dall
Mary was born about 1856 in Slamanan, Stirlingshire. She was the daughter of William C andMargaret Dall, William was employed as a Goods clerk for the Railways.Mary moved to Wales with her younger sister Maggie and was engaged as the Schoolmistress at theBersham and Adwy Girls School in December 1877, prior to then she was the Mistress of Tabor Hill Infants School.From the School Log Books it seems that Mary met her future husband James Phennah due to hisvisiting the School as part of his duties as the relieving officer.In the autumn of 1881 she married James, the son of Thomas and Ellen Phennah who lived inWrexham. Mary gave up her teaching and had a daughter Evelyn and son Reginald.James died in 1899 and in 1904 Mary married again to Algernon Snell.Mary died in Cheltenham aged 81 and is buried with her first husband James Phennah in Wrexhamcemetery.In the 1881 census, Mary and Maggie are lodging in Lloft Wen Adwy, both are described as`schoolmistress`. When Mary was ill, Maggie took her place for a time at the School, as she wasalready employed in the area as a Schoolmistress.Maggie married Rev James Anderson Beattie, who was also born in Scotland and they becameReformed Church Missionaries in India, where Maggie managed the Women's Teacher TrainingSchool. In 1914 she and James spent a year's leave in the USA, where James had been a pastor early in his career. In 1915, as the first leg of their return journey to India, they embarked on theLusitania bound for Liverpool. When it was sunk, James drowned but Maggie survived. Shecompleted her journey to India and continued at the school until she retired in 1921. When theschool moved to a new building in 1919, it was named after James Anderson Beattie.
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