George Edwards and Family
George Evan
Edwards
1895 - George was born at Hamnish Court, Herefordshire on 15th September in the hop picking season. He was the 5th child of Charles and Annie Edwards. He was not a strong child. He attended Stoke Prior school until he was 14 and then went to Leominster Grammar School on the day that it opened. His favourite subject was English and he loved reading and poetry.
He often returned to Rhayader by train to visit as he had many relations there, on both his mother's and father's sides.
1915 - On one of these visits, as he was walking down from the station he saw a girl of 17 sitting on Rhayader Bridge, eating an ice cream. He was very struck with her so he found out who she was and got his cousins to introduce him to her, that day. Her name was Dinah Beatrice Price, but everyone called her Beatie. She lived with her family at Upper (or Gwynllyn) Mill about half a mile north of Cwmdeuddwr.
He visited again many times and when she was 22 and he was 24 they were married.
1916 – Charles Edwards appealed for his son George not to be called up as he had to look after the cattle on the farm.
Beatie was not happy on the farm and could not settle so George sold his share and took a job working for Sir John Cottrill at Garnhams, in Mansell Gamage, 20 miles away. He was Head Herdsman of Sir John’s herd of pedigree Hereford cattle working directly under Sir John.
1921 – 25th July - George and Beatie had their first child, a daughter named Gwlithyn Dinah Beatrice while they were living at Garnon House, Mansell Gamage.
1922 – George’s father was not happy for his son to be working for
someone else and persuaded him to come back and take over the
smallholding that Charles had bought for his retirement at Cobnash Farm, 3 miles west of Leominster.
 Cobnash Farm |
  Cobnash Farm today The brickwork that had been added in the 19th century has been removed
to reveal a very old, timber framed construction. |
1923 – 30th April - They had another daughter named Llewela Mary at Cobnash in Herefordshire.
1924
– 6th July - They had a daughter named Rhoda at Cobnash.
1927
– 19th June - They had a son Edward who sadly died on the 29th June from Spina
Bifida. He was buried at Kingsland Church, the nearest to Cobnash.
In Loving Memory of Edward Edwards
Who Died June 19th 1927 Aged 10 Days
Safe in the Arms of Jesus
1928 – 3rd November - They had a daughter named Dorothy Anne at Cobnash.
1931
– 5th June - They had another daughter named Gwladys Louisa Olive at Cobnash.
1934 – George is mentioned in Kelly's Trade Directory as being a smallholder in Cobnash.
1938
– 25th September - They had a daughter named Cynthia Margaret at Cobnash just
before they left for Grove Field.
1939
– George and Dinah were now living in Grove Field at Stoke Prior on the other side of Leominster from Cobnash. They had all of their children with them except Gwlythin.
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| Stoke Prior is about 3 miles from Leominster |
As can be seen the village was surrounded by orchards.
Gradually the children left home leaving just David and Cynthia.
1943 – Gwlythin married Barry Davis (see Gwlithyn)
1950 – Llewela married Ken Parrish (see Llewela)
1953 – Gwladys married Humphrey Cook (see Gwladys)
1953 – Dorothy married Keith Moore (see Dorothy)
1957 – David, who was still living at home and working as a lorry driver, tragically died suddenly of Polio. (see David)
1959 – George won £1,250 in a competition
1961 – Beatie died of a stroke
Dorothy Moore's memories of her mother, Beatie.
She remembered that her mother loved music, singing and family sing-songs, this was the major family entertainment in the evenings. She always seemed to have one of the children on her knee or leaning against her. She lived for her family and had a lovely personality, making friends easily. She was very good with babies and a born nurse. She was always there for all the children, very unselfish and a lovely mother.
Beatie did not give a lot of advice but she had a number of favourite sayings. "Never trouble, trouble, until trouble, troubles you". Also "So here has been dawning another blue day, think will you let it slip useless away". Another was "Never cry over spilt milk".
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| Molly, Gwlythin and George standing next to Robert Jarman Edwards monument. |
1984 – George died in Leominster.
Dorothy Moore's memories of her father, George.
She remembered how kind he was to all of them. She loved being with him. He was very, very honest and had very good manners. Her happiest memories were of helping him with farm jobs and getting up early to have breakfast with him. She would talk none stop to him and he would always listen. She never remembered him smacking any of the children. George would often read to his family in the evenings or recite poetry.