Norena Shopland ,

When trying to help you visualise mans lives, particularly those people on the prior, it’s often the small points that offer lives alive for example due to the fact an admission to a beneficial lecture otherwise an effective brooch – as well as 2 belongings in Amgueddfa Cymru’s range yes accomplish that.

They both get in touch with Cranogwen, the new bardic name to have Sarah Jane Rees (1839–1916) a master mariner, poet, journalist, editor and you can temperance worker which, for the majority out-of the woman life stayed in the small city of Llangrannog, Cardiganshire. She came into this world truth be told there and during their life flew following that being one of the most well-known feamales in Wales regarding later nineteenth/very early twentieth-century. Plus it is actually here that the lady one or two partners stayed, basic Fanny Rees “Phania” (1853-1874) which died aged simply 21 and later Jane Thomas (1850-?) which, in the most common of your census output is described as an excellent ‘domestic worker’, ‘standard servant’ otherwise ‘charwoman’.

Cranogwen try usually away, in myriad ideas and you can giving lecturers however, this lady very first tour were only available in 1866, a year immediately following controversially winning a keen Eisteddfod poetry prize whether it is actually revealed a woman had defeated brand new males.

Your reader have a tendency to remember that it actually was the young lady lion just who got this new prize within Aberystwyth Eisteddfod toward song towards Wedding band. Just after hearing one, and now have comprehending that our very own top poets, such as Islwyn and you may Ceiriog was in fact fighting, I happened to be a little while amazed that there try certain ‘dirt throughout the cheese’ someplace. [i]

Cranogwen’s journey centered for her lecture ‘The newest Youth additionally the Community of their Minds’ although this did develop later on to provide several most other lecturers, ‘Anhebgorion Cymeriad da’ (Basics of a good Profile) and ‘Areas of Happiness’, all of the worried about advancements in the people’s characters. Once the she talked during the Welsh, they were mainly protected by the fresh new Welsh words drive towards English language news investing little desire.

Touring with Cranogwen

Cranogwen started out regarding Aberystwyth town so hopefully Jane did travel with her to include some help but while the discussions grew during the prominence Cranogwen travelled then afield and only a couple months later on during the Swansea’s Brynhyfryd Chapel nearly a thousand anybody turned-out observe the woman – a challenging choice for everyone thus we hope Jane try indeed there because better giving support.

Keyword is distribute quickly and, due to the fact a journalist on Baner air-conditioning Amserau Cymru indexed, ‘There is no need in the world to see the fresh problems out of offering a description of the lecture today, because it is already quite nicely known through the Wales. [ii]

Every-where she ran compliment are showered abreast of her, causing that copywriter to inquire if she you certainly will meet the fresh new buzz: ‘once the we’d read including compliment for her, i asked the girl become good. But we never ever dreamed you to definitely she try as skilled because the she is, and therefore masterful within the woman works.’ [iii]

Nights once night she talked to rave reviews and her you to-hr lecture lengthened to your a couple plus prolonged whenever local dignitaries desired to seem on-stage close to the woman, incorporating its pennyworth. Local poets flocked so you can her, will composing englyns, many of which was penned in the paperwork, and you can ladies was in fact following their analogy and you will click now bringing to the level.

Lady, particularly ‘young girls’ (she is actually twenty-seven at that time) should not be lecturing, told you the men, exactly who complained of the impropriety of females speaking in public. ‘The fresh new inhabitants from South Wales,’ ranted the Cardiff Minutes, ‘are running insane for the teenagers who will be lecturing on the the world [and] regarding thoughts of many eminent males this can be supposed also far.