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www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk
STEP BACK IN TIME
STEPHENS & GEORGE PRINT GROUP by Dr. Brynley Roberts
WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO TRACK DOWN THE SON OF ONE OF THE ORIGINAL EMPLOYEES OF STEPHENS & GEORGE, DR. BRYNLEY ROBERTS
Dr. Roberts provides us with an insight into the early days of S&G.
Dr Brynley F. Roberts is a Welsh scholar and literary critic. He has written extensively on the Welsh language and Celtic history. He was a Welsh professor at the University of Wales, Swansea, and later as the librarian at the National Library of Wales from 1985 to 1998. He is also the editor of Y Traethodydd.
Roberts is a member of the council of the Anrhydeddus Gymdeithas y Cymmrodorion. He is also involved in the Morfa Chapel, Aberystwyth, which is a member of the Welsh Presbyterian Chapel.
ABERDARE WAS THE MAJOR
PRINTING CENTRE IN WALES
Brynley first appeared in the Who’s Who book in 1987, born 3 February. 1931 son of Robert F. Roberts and Laura Jane Roberts (née Williams); married in 1957 to Rhiannon Campbell; twin sons. He attended
The Grammar School, Aberdare; University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (BA Hons Welsh, MA, PhD). He then spent time in the Army in the intelligence core as a Russian translator, then became a lecturer in Welsh at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Brynley’s father was Robert ‘Bob’ Francis Roberts and he was a monotypist for S&G from 1919 to 1959. Bob was a Welsh speaker, so he knew what he was typing, and he could read and type Solfa which was particularly important when the clientele was chapel reports, programmes of hymns and tickets for the Cymanfa Ganu (a singing festival for groups of chapels).
Bob started out in print by serving an apprenticeship in Carnaerfon at Gwenlym Evans a large printer in North Wales. After finishing his seven year apprenticeship there weren’t any vacancies at Gwenlym Evans so Bob moved to William Wilcox, a printer in Aberdare. After a stint in the army Bob returned to discover Wilcox was retiring and selling his business and equipment to S&G. It was at this time that Bob and the son of William Wilcox, Willy Wilcox, joined the team
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