Cranogwen- Sarah Jane Rees ‹ Cyfres 1

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-In 1865, -Aberystwyth was a bustling town...	0:00:03	0:00:07
-..and a popular holiday destination.	0:00:07	0:00:11
-It was the perfect location -to host a National Eisteddfod.	0:00:11	0:00:15
-One competition -had a revolutionary result...	0:00:16	0:00:19
-..that reflected -this pioneering era.	0:00:20	0:00:22
-One of the main poetry prizes -was won by a woman.	0:00:23	0:00:26
-At the time, -Cranogwen was young and unknown.	0:00:26	0:00:30
-She was a popular public figure -and a household name.	0:00:34	0:00:40
-She was exceptionally brave -in her day.	0:00:42	0:00:46
-She offered women a vision...	0:00:48	0:00:51
-..and showed them -that it was possible to take risks.	0:00:51	0:00:57
-She overcame problems -and difficulties...	0:00:58	0:01:02
-..thanks to her determination.	0:01:02	0:01:04
-When she won her Eisteddfod prize...	0:01:21	0:01:24
-..nobody had heard of Cranogwen.	0:01:25	0:01:28
-But in her home village -of Llangrannog...	0:01:28	0:01:31
-..she was already -a prominent figure.	0:01:32	0:01:35
-"I think I saw a young girl -roaming on the sparkling sands	0:01:38	0:01:43
-"As healthy -as the heart of immortality	0:01:43	0:01:46
-"She inhaled the spirit -of that peaceful scene	0:01:46	0:01:50
-"The deep spirit of the wave."	0:01:50	0:01:53
-Llangrannog is a familiar name -among all Welsh speakers today.	0:01:59	0:02:03
-A seaside village that's home -to the Ship Inn and the Urdd camp.	0:02:04	0:02:08
-In the summer, -visitors flock to the beach.	0:02:08	0:02:12
-But it was a very different place -in 1839, when Cranogwen was born.	0:02:12	0:02:18
-"Squatting beneath us -is the village of Llangrannog.	0:02:19	0:02:22
-"It appears to be -at the bottom of the world.	0:02:23	0:02:26
-"Its houses -and affectionate residents...	0:02:26	0:02:28
-"..and the small chapel -are all close to my heart."	0:02:29	0:02:33
-Cranogwen, or Sarah Jane Rees, -was born on 9 January 1839...	0:02:35	0:02:41
-..at Dolgou Fach, -a thatched cottage near Llangrannog.	0:02:41	0:02:46
-I remember the ruins of Dolgou Fach -- the gable end and low walls.	0:02:47	0:02:52
-There was also a cowshed -and a pigsty for two pigs.	0:02:52	0:02:56
-It's a beautiful place.	0:02:57	0:02:58
-It's a beautiful place. - -It's lovely.	0:02:58	0:03:00
-It's sheltered -and has a great atmosphere.	0:03:00	0:03:03
-I wouldn't mind building a house -here myself. It's wonderful.	0:03:03	0:03:08
-Her father, Captain John Rees, -was a sailor and was never home.	0:03:08	0:03:13
-Her mother, Frances, -was a traditional wife...	0:03:13	0:03:18
-..who cared for her home -and children.	0:03:19	0:03:21
-There were two sons -and Cranogwen was the youngest.	0:03:21	0:03:25
-What was she like as a child?	0:03:25	0:03:27
-What was she like as a child? - -She was a tomboy.	0:03:27	0:03:29
-She climbed trees -and did things that boys do.	0:03:29	0:03:32
-She was very determined, -even as a young child.	0:03:33	0:03:36
-She was also the apple -of her father's eye.	0:03:36	0:03:41
-Captain John Rees -was a heavy drinker...	0:03:45	0:03:49
-..but the Dolgou Fach family -was relatively happy.	0:03:49	0:03:53
-She was an intelligent girl...	0:03:54	0:03:56
-..so her parents paid her fees -at Hugh Davies's school.	0:03:56	0:04:01
-She received some education...	0:04:01	0:04:04
-..in Mathematics, History, -Geography and so on.	0:04:05	0:04:09
-It was a new form of education, -and unusual for a girl.	0:04:09	0:04:14
-What was Hugh Davies like?	0:04:14	0:04:16
-Hugh Davies was an eccentric -with a strong personality.	0:04:16	0:04:20
-It seems that he had striking eyes.	0:04:21	0:04:24
-People said -that he had a light in his eyes...	0:04:25	0:04:28
-..that would terrify the children -who listened to him.	0:04:28	0:04:33
-This was the schoolhouse.	0:04:34	0:04:35
-This was the schoolhouse. - -Yes, let's go inside.	0:04:35	0:04:38
-"I have fond memories -of my first day at school.	0:04:45	0:04:50
-"This simple college -was a mere barn.	0:04:50	0:04:53
-"The children sat on narrow benches -around the house...	0:04:53	0:04:57
-"..and the old teacher -sat on a chair at one end.	0:04:58	0:05:01
-"We believed -that Hugh Davies was king."	0:05:02	0:05:05
-She was an intelligent girl...	0:05:06	0:05:09
-..with a deep desire -for learning and education.	0:05:10	0:05:14
-She was very lucky -that her father owned a ship.	0:05:14	0:05:19
-He travelled to such places -as Liverpool and Bristol.	0:05:19	0:05:24
-He could buy books for her.	0:05:24	0:05:27
-She loved books -and put them to good use.	0:05:27	0:05:30
-He believed in educating girls.	0:05:31	0:05:34
-In those days, this was very rare.	0:05:34	0:05:38
-After leaving -Hugh Davies's school...	0:05:42	0:05:44
-..she was sent, against her will, -to a sewing school in Cardigan.	0:05:44	0:05:49
-She was deeply unhappy...	0:05:49	0:05:51
-..and wanted to go to sea, -just like her father.	0:05:52	0:05:56
-Her father captained -a small coasting vessel.	0:05:58	0:06:01
-In all probability, Cranogwen -sailed with him to Milford Haven.	0:06:02	0:06:06
-What kind of ship did John Rees own?	0:06:07	0:06:09
-It was a ketch, a popular ship -during the 19th century.	0:06:10	0:06:14
-It was a twin-masted vessel.	0:06:15	0:06:17
-Would she have been welcomed -by the crew?	0:06:17	0:06:20
-Back then, people were superstitious -about women going to sea.	0:06:20	0:06:26
-It helped that her father -supported her eagerness to sail...	0:06:26	0:06:30
-..but there was a lot of prejudice -against women on ships.	0:06:31	0:06:35
-It only takes a boat trip -on a day with light winds...	0:06:44	0:06:47
-..to realize how rough it can be -in Cardigan Bay.	0:06:47	0:06:51
-The traditional image of sailors -from that period...	0:06:51	0:06:55
-..is of strong tattooed men -hauling ropes.	0:06:56	0:06:59
-Even as a young girl...	0:07:00	0:07:02
-..Cranogwen proved she was -as good as the men, if not better.	0:07:02	0:07:06
-On one specific voyage...	0:07:10	0:07:12
-..the ship was sailing -from Milford Haven to Llangrannog.	0:07:13	0:07:17
-There was a huge storm -off Strumble Head, near Fishguard.	0:07:17	0:07:22
-Her father wanted to take the ship -closer to the rocks...	0:07:22	0:07:26
-..but she said, -"No, we need to be out in the bay."	0:07:26	0:07:29
-She was adamant -that it was safer out in the bay.	0:07:29	0:07:34
-She won the day, saved the ship -and the lives of its sailors.	0:07:34	0:07:39
-After coming ashore, Cranogwen went -to study in Liverpool and London...	0:07:42	0:07:46
-..before returning to Llangrannog -to teach navigation.	0:07:47	0:07:51
-She became a teacher -at Pontgarreg village school.	0:07:51	0:07:55
-The appointment of this young woman -raised a few eyebrows.	0:07:55	0:08:00
-Over time, the results she produced -silenced her doubters.	0:08:00	0:08:05
-At first, -there was conflict between her...	0:08:05	0:08:09
-..and the governors -and local parents.	0:08:10	0:08:12
-While teaching, she developed -her skill for writing poetry.	0:08:14	0:08:18
-In 1865, her hard work paid off...	0:08:18	0:08:21
-..and she won the main prize -at the Aberystwyth Eisteddfod.	0:08:21	0:08:25
-This young 26-year-old woman won -with a poem to the wedding ring.	0:08:27	0:08:33
-What made her win headline news...	0:08:33	0:08:36
-..was that she had beaten Ceiriog, -Islwyn, Mynyddog...	0:08:37	0:08:42
-..and a dozen other poets.	0:08:42	0:08:45
-Her biographer states that she was -talked about in Welsh fields...	0:08:45	0:08:51
-..and in the workshops and mines -of Glamorgan and Monmouth.	0:08:51	0:08:57
-Everyone was eager -to meet this young lady.	0:08:57	0:09:00
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-Now in her twenties, Cranogwen had -achieved more in her short life...	0:09:10	0:09:14
-..than some achieve in a lifetime.	0:09:15	0:09:17
-After gaining fame as a poet, -she gave up teaching...	0:09:17	0:09:22
-..in order to concentrate -on writing and lecturing.	0:09:23	0:09:26
-A religious revival -swept across the land.	0:09:30	0:09:33
-Cranogwen was engrossed -with this revival.	0:09:33	0:09:37
-I believe that the 1859 revival -is central to Cranogwen's story.	0:09:43	0:09:49
-Throughout her life...	0:09:49	0:09:52
-..she was enthusiastic -about religion.	0:09:53	0:09:57
-She attempted to evoke -this enthusiasm in others...	0:09:57	0:10:00
-..by preaching, -either on stage or from a pulpit.	0:10:00	0:10:05
-She was ahead of her time.	0:10:08	0:10:10
-Once, when she was preaching -at Capel Ffynnon...	0:10:10	0:10:14
-..she used a ventriloquist -to convey the message.	0:10:14	0:10:18
-This was unheard of at that time.	0:10:18	0:10:21
-The reaction to female preachers, -especially to Cranogwen...	0:10:26	0:10:30
-..was often very negative.	0:10:30	0:10:32
-Some chapels didn't allow her -to preach from the pulpit.	0:10:32	0:10:36
-This affected her confidence -and her health.	0:10:36	0:10:40
-Many male preachers...	0:10:40	0:10:44
-..didn't like having a woman -in the pulpit...	0:10:44	0:10:49
-..holding services and preaching.	0:10:49	0:10:54
-It's said that she was -an excellent preacher.	0:10:54	0:10:57
-Why did some men give Cranogwen -such a negative response?	0:10:58	0:11:02
-It still happens, to some degree.	0:11:02	0:11:06
-If a man sees a woman -who is better than himself...	0:11:06	0:11:11
-..then the response -is often negative.	0:11:11	0:11:15
-I don't think she was worried -because she was so determined.	0:11:15	0:11:20
-Some say she had -a harsh, deep voice.	0:11:20	0:11:25
-This led to claims -that she wasn't a proper woman.	0:11:26	0:11:30
-A proper woman would have -stayed at home and had children.	0:11:30	0:11:33
-She was heckled by men -and had a very difficult time.	0:11:34	0:11:39
-This proves that she was brave -because she persevered.	0:11:39	0:11:45
-Despite the prejudice...	0:11:46	0:11:48
-..wherever Cranogwen went, -crowds gathered to hear her preach.	0:11:49	0:11:52
-Women and men admired her eloquence -and theatrical style.	0:11:53	0:11:58
-She enjoyed travelling the country -to spread the word.	0:12:01	0:12:07
-Her popularity grew, especially -in industrial South Wales.	0:12:07	0:12:12
-She visited Treherbert, -which was a developing town.	0:12:14	0:12:18
-The railway had just arrived.	0:12:18	0:12:21
-Houses and chapels were being built -and coal mines were opening.	0:12:21	0:12:25
-It resembled the Klondike.	0:12:25	0:12:28
-People flocked to the area, -but it was a dangerous place.	0:12:28	0:12:32
-I'm sure she was surprised -by the modernity of the area.	0:12:32	0:12:35
-Secondly, this was -a very masculine society.	0:12:35	0:12:41
-Men heavily outnumbered women.	0:12:41	0:12:45
-It was a macho society.	0:12:45	0:12:48
-Horeb Chapel at Treherbert -is no longer a chapel.	0:12:49	0:12:53
-However, in its heyday, it attracted -700 worshippers on a Sunday.	0:12:53	0:12:59
-Cranogwen was lecturing here -when the chapel was being built.	0:12:59	0:13:04
-She was asked -to lay the foundation stone.	0:13:04	0:13:08
-It was quite an honour.	0:13:08	0:13:11
-It was very unusual for a woman -to lay the foundation stone.	0:13:11	0:13:17
-They felt it was -an honour for the chapel...	0:13:17	0:13:22
-..as well as for Cranogwen herself.	0:13:23	0:13:25
-Adventure was in her blood.	0:13:30	0:13:32
-In 1869, -when she was 30 years old...	0:13:33	0:13:36
-..she faced the biggest adventure -of her life.	0:13:36	0:13:40
-She travelled to America.	0:13:41	0:13:43
-Many Welsh people emigrated after -being evicted from their farms.	0:13:44	0:13:48
-These Welsh folk in America -invited her to preach to them.	0:13:48	0:13:52
-A year after the Pacific Railway...	0:13:54	0:13:57
-..linked the Atlantic and Pacific -coasts for the first time...	0:13:57	0:14:01
-..Cranogwen travelled west -on the train.	0:14:02	0:14:05
-"15 June 1870.	0:14:08	0:14:12
-"I left St Louis at 8.30am -and crossed Missouri...	0:14:12	0:14:17
-"..to Nebraska City.	0:14:17	0:14:20
-"We're in Utah this afternoon -and witnessing much poverty.	0:14:20	0:14:26
-"San Francisco was more pleasant -with its array of buildings..."	0:14:26	0:14:31
-It's difficult -to imagine this journey.	0:14:31	0:14:33
-The west was still -in its early stages of development.	0:14:34	0:14:38
-San Francisco was a building site -when she arrived there.	0:14:38	0:14:43
-It's amazing to think about -someone from rural Wales...	0:14:43	0:14:48
-..venturing from the east coast...	0:14:49	0:14:53
-..into the depths of the country -and the desert.	0:14:53	0:14:58
-I'm sure it was a dangerous -and difficult journey.	0:14:58	0:15:02
-Cranogwen returned to Llangrannog -a relatively wealthy woman.	0:15:07	0:15:12
-She was paid handsomely -for her lectures.	0:15:12	0:15:15
-She built a vestry in the village -for her old chapel, Bancyfelin.	0:15:15	0:15:20
-In 1877, she built a house -for herself and her parents...	0:15:21	0:15:25
-..opposite Yr Iet Wen, the home -of her close friend, Jane Thomas.	0:15:25	0:15:31
-Jane Thomas -was Cranogwen's life partner.	0:15:34	0:15:37
-There are references to her -as a supporter of Cranogwen.	0:15:37	0:15:43
-She lived nearby and moved in -after Cranogwen's parents died.	0:15:44	0:15:49
-She was very supportive of her.	0:15:50	0:15:52
-Romantic friendships between women -were common at that time.	0:15:52	0:15:57
-People accepted it.	0:15:57	0:15:59
-Lesbianism wasn't acknowledged -and it wasn't illegal.	0:15:59	0:16:03
-It was accepted and this was -her most important relationship.	0:16:04	0:16:08
-Is Jane Thomas -mentioned in her work?	0:16:09	0:16:13
-She wrote a poem -entitled Fy Ffrind - my friend.	0:16:13	0:16:16
-It's a love poem.	0:16:17	0:16:19
-Jane Thomas is probably -the subject of the poem.	0:16:19	0:16:22
-At the start, she claims -it's a poem about friendship...	0:16:23	0:16:27
-..but it's clearly -a poem about love.	0:16:28	0:16:30
-She refers to her love as her Venus.	0:16:31	0:16:35
-She says, "There are many stars -in the sky, but you are my Venus."	0:16:35	0:16:41
-"Ah! dear sister	0:16:43	0:16:45
-"To me, you are consistent, -as the moon to the tides	0:16:45	0:16:49
-"I'll follow you constantly	0:16:49	0:16:51
-"The purest love of my heart."	0:16:52	0:16:54
-Women lay at the heart -of Cranogwen's life.	0:16:55	0:16:59
-In 1879, she established -a new magazine for Welsh women...	0:16:59	0:17:04
-..called Y Frythones.	0:17:04	0:17:06
-"Dear sisters, -I now appear in front of you...	0:17:07	0:17:11
-"..through the new medium -of Y Frythones."	0:17:11	0:17:14
-She was the first woman to edit -a Welsh magazine for Welsh women.	0:17:16	0:17:21
-It contained articles -of interest to women of the age...	0:17:21	0:17:26
-..biographies of remarkable women...	0:17:26	0:17:28
-..and Cranogwen's own autobiography.	0:17:29	0:17:31
-This was the greatest accomplishment -of her life.	0:17:31	0:17:35
-Y Frythones is a lively -and humorous magazine.	0:17:35	0:17:39
-It was more striking back then -than it would be today...	0:17:39	0:17:44
-..especially -her question and answer column.	0:17:44	0:17:48
-As the editor, she produced -this column and it's very witty.	0:17:48	0:17:52
-"What is the safest age for women -to enter the marital state?	0:17:53	0:17:58
-"Claudia, Aberporth."	0:17:59	0:18:00
-"This question -cannot possibly be aimed at me...	0:18:01	0:18:04
-"..but I will answer you.	0:18:04	0:18:06
-"If a person cannot answer -the question for themselves...	0:18:07	0:18:11
-"..it is safer not to marry at all!"	0:18:11	0:18:13
-She sounds like an agony aunt.	0:18:14	0:18:16
-Yes, she does.	0:18:17	0:18:18
-Someone wrote and asked -if a woman should marry or not.	0:18:18	0:18:22
-Her reply said, -"A girl is sitting beside me...	0:18:23	0:18:26
-"..who has fulfilled her purpose -in life without marrying...	0:18:26	0:18:30
-"..but she is one person -and everyone is different."	0:18:30	0:18:34
-This was a common response -in the question and answer column.	0:18:34	0:18:38
-She can't give the reader an answer -because everyone is different.	0:18:38	0:18:43
-As well as writing herself...	0:18:44	0:18:46
-..Cranogwen encouraged other women -to contribute.	0:18:47	0:18:50
-She makes it clear in Y Frythones...	0:18:51	0:18:54
-..that she wants -to further the careers of women.	0:18:54	0:18:57
-She wanted them -to find their own voice.	0:18:58	0:19:00
-She found a number of women -to write for the magazine.	0:19:01	0:19:04
-The vast majority had never written -or published any work before.	0:19:05	0:19:10
-By the end, she had gathered -a wealth of Welsh female writers.	0:19:10	0:19:14
-Cranogwen did visit America -a second time in middle age...	0:19:21	0:19:25
-..but her adventurous days -were behind her by then...	0:19:25	0:19:28
-..and she suffered increasingly -from depression.	0:19:29	0:19:32
-At times, -the depression was overwhelming...	0:19:34	0:19:37
-..and she felt totally helpless.	0:19:37	0:19:40
-But an invitation -to tackle a new cause...	0:19:41	0:19:46
-..would often boost her spirits.	0:19:46	0:19:48
-Her condition didn't prevent her -travelling around Wales.	0:19:52	0:19:56
-She continued preaching locally...	0:19:57	0:19:59
-..and made regular trips -to the South Wales valleys.	0:19:59	0:20:04
-There was a battle to fight -and a new movement to lead.	0:20:04	0:20:08
-The South Wales -Women's Temperance Union.	0:20:08	0:20:11
-It was a movement -that tried to change people's lives.	0:20:12	0:20:17
-Cranogwen was asked -to take the helm.	0:20:17	0:20:22
-She was the most prominent female -public figure in South Wales.	0:20:22	0:20:28
-The women of Wales had a voice -that they never had before.	0:20:29	0:20:34
-They attended courts of law -to oppose public house licences.	0:20:35	0:20:40
-They also sang hymns -in front of the pubs.	0:20:41	0:20:44
-My mother-in-law told me -that when she was a child...	0:20:44	0:20:48
-..she was taught to turn away -whenever she passed a pub.	0:20:48	0:20:54
-She would walk -from Ynyswen to Treorchy...	0:20:54	0:20:57
-..past the Crown -and the Cardiff Arms.	0:20:58	0:21:01
-However, they would look away -as they passed...	0:21:02	0:21:07
-..because they were places to avoid.	0:21:07	0:21:10
-They marched through the streets -singing temperance hymns.	0:21:10	0:21:14
-They were non-sectarian.	0:21:15	0:21:17
-All of a sudden, female Methodists -would chat over a cuppa...	0:21:17	0:21:22
-..with congregationalists, -Baptists or churchgoing women.	0:21:23	0:21:28
-They spread the message -in a political way.	0:21:28	0:21:32
-It was an energetic movement...	0:21:32	0:21:34
-..similar to the Women Against -Pit Closures movement...	0:21:34	0:21:38
-..during the 1984-85 Miners' Strike.	0:21:39	0:21:41
-These women -had never taken on public roles...	0:21:41	0:21:45
-..but were full of energy, -fighting and speaking publicly.	0:21:45	0:21:50
-This is what the South Wales Women's -Temperance Union did for women.	0:21:51	0:21:55
-Cranogwen's lifelong aim -was to improve women's lives.	0:21:58	0:22:04
-Later in life...	0:22:04	0:22:05
-..she turned her attentions to women -who ruined their lives with alcohol.	0:22:06	0:22:10
-This time, she planned -to open a shelter for them.	0:22:11	0:22:15
-On a visit to South Wales in 1916, -before she could fulfil her dream...	0:22:15	0:22:21
-..she was taken ill and died -at her niece's home in Cilfynydd.	0:22:21	0:22:26
-She was 77 years old.	0:22:27	0:22:29
-The South Wales Women's Temperance -Union continued her work.	0:22:31	0:22:35
-In 1922, after much opposition...	0:22:35	0:22:37
-..the Cranogwen refuge -opened in Tonypandy.	0:22:38	0:22:42
-Llety Cranogwen -was established in the Rhondda.	0:22:43	0:22:47
-This was proof -that people admired her...	0:22:48	0:22:52
-..and her achievements.	0:22:52	0:22:55
-They wanted -a permanent memorial for her.	0:22:55	0:22:59
-I think they idolized her.	0:22:59	0:23:02
-I hope that it wasn't just -the women who admired her...	0:23:04	0:23:08
-..but that the men of the period -recognized her virtues too.	0:23:08	0:23:14
-From these virtues, I hope people -identified the failings of society.	0:23:14	0:23:20
-Cranogwen enjoyed success -in so many fields...	0:23:23	0:23:26
-..at a time when women struggled -to make their way in life.	0:23:26	0:23:29
-Her greatest achievement...	0:23:30	0:23:33
-..is that she inspired Welsh women -to fulfil their dreams...	0:23:33	0:23:37
-..and continues to do so.	0:23:37	0:23:39
-S4C subtitles by Tinopolis	0:23:57	0:24:00

Cranogwen- Sarah Jane Rees Mamwlad

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