Rev Henry Mostyn Jones - Lydbrook (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, September 01, 2012, 15:08 (4257 days ago) @ unknown

Hi,
this tiny snippet may be new information, apologies if not.

I've just been reading a cardbacked book entitled "Our Industrial Heritage - The Tinplaters of Lydney & Lydbrook" by Bryan Rendell & Keith Childs, published by Review Graphics, ISBN No. 0 950012 1 3.

Sadly there's no publication date but judging by the more recent photos I suspect its from the 1990s, it appears to be a community-project book inspired by the recollections & personal stories of the men who worked there. I bought it secondhand as my father's family were from Lydbrook, although they were colliers with no clear links to the Tinplate industry, but it is still a very interesting read if like me you're interested in local industrial history, or Lydbrook in general.
The book states that although Lydbrook had a Tinplate works from 1806, the works "took off" in 1871 when Richard Thomas & his sons took control of the Lydney & Lydbrook works. The book has some group photos of Lydbrook workers, footballers and Baptist Men all c1912. Altho' the Baptist photo carries no names, I wonder if the man seated central is Rev Mostyn Jones, he wears smart black robes. There is an equally small photo of "Lydbrook Sunday School Treat 1913" in Humphrey Phelps' "The Forest In Old Photographs" [Sutton Pub 1983, ISBN 0 86299 078 5]; there is a prominent gentleman who looks like the aforementioned gent.
[He does look similar to this later and much larger/clearer photo]
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/lydbrook/pages/page_21.html
.
Richard Thomas's family apparently lived at "The Poplars", Upper Lydbrook, and they have their own stained glass window in Lydbrook C of E Church.

This brief quote from the Lydbrook section may particularly interest you;

"There were large families employed at the works... Wards, Beards, Lears, Hussey, Dobbs, Knights, Roberts and apart from their work they took part in the many Village activities - rugby, football, cricket and the Churches. The present Football Club had it's beginnings from the members of the Lydbrook Baptist Church Bible Class led by the Minister The Reverend H.Mostyn Jones and were first called "The Tinplaters".

As I said a brief mention but..... Whether he played for the club isn't recorded, but I'm sure he could do inspirational halftime talks if required !

The current Club's own history states it was formed in 1919.
http://www.lydbrookafc.co.uk/?page_id=7

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The book includes quotations from a long interview with former Lydney worker Jack Wolridge OBE which became a play "Strife" by John Galsworthy. His words are perhaps applicable to Lydbrook too, one of his quotes was:
"There was a big religious following in those days. "Those that had felt" religion was a good way of keeping "those that had not" quiet. For "those that had not" felt that something to their benefit was going to happen because of what was told them in the gospel every week in the Chapel. They believed that "big day" they had talked and read about in the Bible was very near.
But as the standard of living improved, and the fear of the workhouse that loomed over their lives got farther and farther away, the support of the Chapel wasn't required so much".

Personally this quote confused me a little, being listed alongside others extolling the general high wages and good standard of living deservedly enjoyed by the tremendously-hard-working tinplaters. I can only assume this perhaps relates more to the early days of the Lydney Works in the early-mid 1800s ? That said the book describes later times when the workers were on strike or on short-time, but would the workhouse have been a worry then ?... apparently yes http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Monmouth/#Post-1834

From another Lydbrook Jones....but no relation I'm sure.

PS I have searched Jack Wolridge OBE in this site and FreeBMD, GlosBMD etc hoping to place his quotes chronologically, sadly without success.
UPDATE October 2013: I now suspect the Jack referred to in the book was actually Christened John Charles Wolridge, after his father who was also a tinplate doubler at Lydney, please see this newer post for clarification.
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=entry&id=42481