The Committee of the Old Dominicans’ Association Elected at the 2007 General Meeting
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The Old Dominicans’ Association Newsletter 450 th Anniversary Edition Summer 2007 FOREWORD that it brings apart from any external reward or by Mr Neil Foden, sanction for non-compliance. In a number of locations within the school, we have displays of Headmaster of Ygsol Friars its history and traditions which we hope to expand in the coming year. It is regrettable that CADW did not permit us to remove some of the items from the Ffriddoedd building when we moved entirely onto this site. While I can understand the architectural and technical arguments against removing the stained glass window, it was deeply disappointing that the plaques at the foot of the staircase were not recognised for what they are: part of the school not part of a specific building. We would have dearly loved to have them with us in our 450th year. I was also interested to note references to perceptions of the school’s Welsh ethos that existed in some quarters in 1957 and still do to this day. While it is not always widely recognised, the modern Friars is a bilingual school. The emphasis may be more on English than in Welsh in pupils’ written work and in the examinations that they take but there is a strong Welsh element Mr Neil Foden to the school as Dominicans who attended the It is with pleasure and pride that I commend to all Pritchard Prize Evening at Theatre Gwynedd Dominicans this 450th anniversary edition of the will have seen, Welsh traditions are celebrated in Old Dominicans’ Newsletter. the school and the language is used socially and academically by a number of staff. Pupils have The foreword to the 400th Anniversary Edition of a positive attitude towards the language and the ‘The Dominican’ stated: “Above all, the felicity huge majority gain qualifications in either Welsh of its naming reminds us of our ancient origins First or Welsh Second Language at GCSE. Many and its successive renewal sometimes once and gain qualifications in both. latterly twice a year emphasise that a school is not merely a community which exists in certain While I do not have Mr Elis Williams’ grasp of buildings but a continuous fellowship which lives Latin, I would wish to echo the sentiment which in time”. These words are as appropriate now as he so eloquently expressed in the foreword he they were in 1957. wrote 50 years ago. This is a memorable year for the school. We hope that you will find the As any Dominicans who have an opportunity 450th Edition of the Dominican informative and to see the article about the school which I have enjoyable to read and that you will take from it, compiled will appreciate, the 21st Century Ysgol our determination to preserve all that is good in Friars is very different in appearance from the the school’s ethos and traditions irrespective of 1957 institution with which many old boys will be where in the town the buildings are located and familiar. It is located in a different part of Bangor, how modern their construction. A school is not a in Eithinog at the end of Lon y Bryn, (although it collection of buildings; it merely inhabits them. A does now have its own new access road) with the school is a community, united by staff and pupils 1899 building in Ffriddoedd Road now forming collaborating in what we hope is an enjoyable part of Coleg Menai. However, while buildings pursuit of knowledge and skills bound together by may change, the ethos and traditions do not. We shared beliefs and value and in the case of Friars, have worked hard to create a community within an awareness that we have a history. the school which recognises the importance of hard work, civilised standards of behaviour and, Schools exist to help pupils look to the future. we hope, that has a growing appreciation of the They will make better sense of it if they have a value of achievement for the intrinsic satisfaction good understanding of their past. 1 Introduction by R Alun Jones (48-55), Secretary This special edition of the Newsletter covers the but all are bound together by the Friars institution 450th anniversary of the founding of the school in whose roots are so deeply embedded in the City 1557 and the 2007 celebrations. Included too are of Bangor. aspects of the school over the last 50 years or so which do not appear to have been written about Things were very different in the mid 16th century in the past. We are grateful to all those who have - even Shakespeare was not born until 1564, Mary devoted their time in preparing these articles and I was on the throne and the Bible was not translated to the many others who contributed to them. into Welsh until 1588 although I suspect the Welsh language did not play much of a part in school We all remember our school days, those formative life until long after that time. It was a period in years during which lifelong friendships are forged our history that was particularly bloody (she was and where the foundations of our knowledge are not called Bloody Mary for nothing) because she laid down. Some cannot wait to leave school had had about 300 Protestants burnt at the stake and others have fond memories of it but I think as was Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the first it is fair to say that those of us who have joined Archbishop of Canterbury only one year before together to form the Old Dominicans’ Association Friars’ foundation. That was what things were like have very happy memories of their time at Friars in Britain in the lead up to 1557. and enjoy our get togethers every two years to meet up and reminisce. Some of our members are We begin our recollections with Cliff Jones’ at an advanced age and others relatively young historical impressions of the early days. The History of Friars School The history of Friars School up to 1957 is well and was added to and updated in the Fourth Centenary authoritatively documented in two publications, edition of ‘The Dominican’ published in 1957. ‘The History of Friars School’ by Henry Barber (Solicitor) and Henry Lewis, Chairman of the In this Special Edition Newsletter we are given a Governing Body. It was published in October glimpse into what things might have been like on 1901 and covers the period up to that date. This the early days and a short history post 1957. The Early Days by Cliff M Jones (45-52) In recent years great exploitation has been made of historical information to provide excitement and profit for certain authors, notably Dan Browne of The Da Vinci Code fame. What chance do we have when we add the history of our school to the booklists? Not a lot, I can hear the chorus reply. Well it all began with a chance meeting of an old school friend. I asked him of his memories of life in general and the shops in a bygone era of his youth. We both agreed to write all we could remember and compare notes on an agreed date. What a fantastic exercise it proved. Many memories that had been overtaken in the mists of time returned. We were able to expand a wealth of information. The tale is only just beginning. If I asked a question…Who invented (if you can use that word) bottled beer? Cliff Jones 2 And in which century? Would you like to phone Bulkeley or Edward Gruffydd (of Penrhyn ), but a friend? What would you say if I told you the solely altruistic and for the common good of his sixteenth century, would you be correct? Well this fellow countrymen. So was this a case of “local is where our tale led us. At this stage many would lad makes good”? Whatever, both Geoffrey and say,” All very interesting , but what has it to do William certainly had the interests of the common with our school?” True, but the principle would man at heart. apply even if the length of history varied. We are all sitting on a wealth of information that could be But, apart from the brief facts known about researched. These are just beginnings. Geoffrey Glynn, who was he and what connection did he have with Bangor? He was the brother of In our particular case we knew that our school had William Glynn or was he from the original family been founded in 1557 by a certain Geoffrey Glynn of Glynllifon? One thing is certain, he died before who was a Prebender of Lichfield Cathedral. But he could establish Friars School in 1557 and left our school was in North Wales. From historical instructions in his will for its founding. The Friars records Geoffrey Glynn was a Doctor of Civil lands had been granted letters of patent in 1553 Law and an Advocate in the Court of the Arches. during the reign of Edward the Sixth on 6th July At the same time a certain William Glynn was 1553. Edward died four months later. The original Bishop of Bangor for a relatively short period letter patent, which “belongs” to the Bangor from 1555 to 1558. He was among a handful of Diocese, is in the safe keeping of the University young Welshmen who had been educated at a of North Wales Archives in Bangor. Geoffrey university and were keen to apply their talents Glynn, by his will dated 8th July 1557, bequeathed and learning specifically for the benefit of their the Friary and all his property in Wales and fellow countrymen in Wales.