Llandovery College
Encyclopedia
Llandovery College is an independent school in Llandovery
, Carmarthenshire
, Wales
. It was founded and endowed by Thomas Phillips
in 1847 to provide a classical
and liberal education
in which the Welsh language
; the study of Welsh literature and history were also to be cultivated.
Llandovery College first opened with a handful of boys on St David's Day 1848. 120 years later, the school welcomed girls for the first time and today it is completely co-educational. The college provides an all-round education for boys and girls aged 4–18 - the younger pupils catered for by its on-campus prep school.
the college offers three means-tested scholarships for academically-able Welsh children entering at Year 7, as well as further academic, music, sports, drama and rugby scholarships and bursaries.
Although the school has a strong rugby tradition, it also offers a wide range of other sports in its 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) grounds, including hockey, basketball, swimming, tennis, fencing, archery, cricket, cross country, golf. In 2007, 17 students gained international honours.
into Wales. Although St David's, Lampeter is accepted as the first establishment to play rugby, Llandovery was one of their first opponents, were present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union
in Neath
in 1881 and provided two players to the very first international game Wales
played. The second captain of the Welsh national team, Charles Lewis
, represented Llandovery College and was the first Wales captain to lead a team in the Home Nations Championship
.
Llandovery
Llandovery is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40 road.The town is served by Llandovery railway station, where there is a park and ride to Llanelli and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Line...
, Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It was founded and endowed by Thomas Phillips
Thomas Phillips (educational benefactor)
Thomas Phillips , was an educational benefactor, a founder of St David's College, Lampeter, and the founder of Llandovery College in Wales....
in 1847 to provide a classical
Classical education movement
The Classical education movement advocates a form of education based in the traditions of Western culture, with a particular focus on education as understood and taught in the Middle Ages. The curricula and pedagogy of classical education was first developed during the Middle Ages by Martianus...
and liberal education
Liberal education
A Liberal education is a system or course of education suitable for the cultivation of a free human being. It is based on the medieval concept of the liberal arts or, more commonly now, the liberalism of the Age of Enlightenment...
in which the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
; the study of Welsh literature and history were also to be cultivated.
Llandovery College first opened with a handful of boys on St David's Day 1848. 120 years later, the school welcomed girls for the first time and today it is completely co-educational. The college provides an all-round education for boys and girls aged 4–18 - the younger pupils catered for by its on-campus prep school.
the college offers three means-tested scholarships for academically-able Welsh children entering at Year 7, as well as further academic, music, sports, drama and rugby scholarships and bursaries.
Although the school has a strong rugby tradition, it also offers a wide range of other sports in its 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) grounds, including hockey, basketball, swimming, tennis, fencing, archery, cricket, cross country, golf. In 2007, 17 students gained international honours.
Links with rugby union
Llandovery College has connections with the early adoption of rugbyRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
into Wales. Although St David's, Lampeter is accepted as the first establishment to play rugby, Llandovery was one of their first opponents, were present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
in Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
in 1881 and provided two players to the very first international game Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
played. The second captain of the Welsh national team, Charles Lewis
Charles Lewis (rugby player)
Charles Prytherch Lewis was a Welsh international rugby union player, who won five caps between 1882 and 1884.-Life:...
, represented Llandovery College and was the first Wales captain to lead a team in the Home Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
.
Notable Old Llandoverians
- Llywarch ReynoldsLlywarch ReynoldsLlywarch Owarin Reynolds was a Welsh solicitor and Celtic scholar, who collected a large number of manuscripts that are now held by the National Library of Wales.-Life:...
, Welsh solicitor and Celtic scholar - Alfred George EdwardsAlfred George EdwardsAlfred George Edwards was elected the first Archbishop of the disestablished Church in Wales.The son of a priest of the Church of England, Edwards was born in Llanymawddwy in Gwynedd. He studied at Jesus College, Oxford before being appointed Warden of Llandovery College in 1875...
, Archbishop of WalesArchbishop of WalesThe post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished... - W. Llewelyn WilliamsW. Llewelyn WilliamsW. Llewelyn Williams , was a Welsh journalist, lawyer and Liberal Party politician.He was born at Brownhill Llansadwrn, Towy Valley, Carmarthenshire; a memorial plaque was erected in front of the house in 1938...
, Liberal PartyLiberal Party (UK)The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician - Ernest JonesErnest JonesAlfred Ernest Jones was a British neurologist and psychoanalyst, and Sigmund Freud’s official biographer. Jones was the first English-speaking practitioner of psychoanalysis and became its leading exponent in the English-speaking world where, as President of both the British Psycho-Analytical...
, Welsh neurologist, psychoanalyst and official biographer of Sigmund FreudSigmund FreudSigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis... - Gwilym Owen WilliamsGwilym Owen WilliamsGwilym Owen Williams was Bishop of Bangor from 1957 to 1982 and Anglican Archbishop of Wales from 1971 to 1982....
, Bishop of BangorBishop of BangorThe Bishop of Bangor is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor.The diocese covers the counties of Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire and a small part of Montgomeryshire... - Dill JonesDill JonesDillwyn Owen Paton Jones, or Dill Jones , was a Welsh jazz stride pianist.-Biography:Jones was born in Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, on 19 August 1923. He was brought up in New Quay on the Cardiganshire coast. Music was in the family as his mother was a pianist and his aunt played organ at the...
, jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianistPianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:... - Huw CeredigHuw CeredigHuw Ceredig, born Huw Ceredig Jones was a Welsh television actor best known for playing Reg Harries in the Welsh soap opera, Pobol y Cwm.-Personal life:...
, actor who played Reg Harries in the soap opera Pobol y CwmPobol y CwmPobol y Cwm is a Welsh-language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it... - Deian HopkinDeian HopkinSir Deian Rhys Hopkin was from 2001 until 2009 Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of London South Bank University, England. He is an historian, originally from Wales and a fluent Welsh speaker. Born and educated in Llanelli, he attended the first ever Welsh-medium school to be established by a...
, historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is... - Rod RichardsRod RichardsRoderick Richards was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Clwyd North West, in Wales, from 1992 to 1997, when he lost his seat in the Labour Party landslide...
, Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician - Rhydian RobertsRhydian RobertsRhydian James Roberts , popularly known as Rhydian, is a classically trained Welsh baritone and crossover artist. He rose to fame on The X Factor in 2007...
, X-Factor contestant
OLs who have become Welsh rugby internationals
- Charles LewisCharles Lewis (rugby player)Charles Prytherch Lewis was a Welsh international rugby union player, who won five caps between 1882 and 1884.-Life:...
, the second Wales international rugby union captain 1882-83 - Arthur ReesArthur ReesArthur Morgan Rees CBE, QPM, DL was a Welsh international rugby union flanker, the Chief Constable of both Denbighshire and Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, a sports' administrator and World War II fighter pilot.-Personal history:...
, - Ewan DaviesEwan DaviesDavid Evans George "Ewan" Davies was a Welsh international rugby union wing who won two caps for the Wales national rugby union team. He played club rugby for Cardiff RFC and London Welsh RFC and county rugby for Middlesex...
- Cliff JonesCliff Jones (rugby player)Clifford 'Cliff' William Jones OBE was a Welsh international rugby union fly-half who played club rugby for many teams but is most associated with Cardiff and Cambridge University...
, Wales captain - Vivian Jenkins , British Lion
- Rees Stephens , Wales captain, British Lion
- Kingsley Daniel Jones , British Lion
- Thomas Geoffrey "Geoff" Evans , British Lion
- Peter RogersPeter Rogers (rugby player)Peter John Daniel Rogers is a former international rugby union player. Rogers attended Llandovery College in Wales before playing rugby in South Africa and he was initially implicated in the 'grannygate' scandal before being exonerated.A prop, Rogers attained 18 caps for Wales between 1999 and 2000...
, - Gwyn Jones, Wales captain
- Craig QuinnellCraig QuinnellCraig Quinnell is a former Welsh Rugby Union player.Quinnell played 54 games for the Cardiff club between November 1999 and May 2002 and established himself as one of the backbones of the pack. Though often in the firing line from opposition forwards, he never took a step backwards and was a firm...
- Alun Wyn JonesAlun Wyn JonesAlun Wyn Jones is a Welsh international rugby union rugby player, currently playing for the Ospreys in the Celtic League. Having previously represented Wales at under-21 level, he made his Test debut for Wales in June 2006 against Argentina. Originally playing as a blindside flanker, he has shown...
- Andy PowellAndy Powell (rugby player)Andy Powell is a Welsh international rugby union player now playing his club rugby for Sale Sharks. He is a back row forward who has played for both the Wales sevens team and the Wales national rugby union team.-Rugby union career:...
- George NorthGeorge NorthGeorge Philip North is a Wales international rugby union player currently playing for the Scarlets in the RaboDirect Pro12, in the position of winger.-Early life:...