Women in Plaid Cymru
For the Plaid Cymru Conference in October 2013, an exhibition was prepared of Women in Plaid Cymru during the early years by Yvonne Balakrishnan, on benhalf of the Plaid Cymru History Society.
Here is the information about those women and some additional women.
Efelyn Williams
From Cwm Rhondda originally, Efelyn Williams went to the Barry Training College wher she gained a reputation as a rigorous student with a thirst for knowledge. She was faithful to a variety of Welsh organisations such as the Sunday School in the chapel, the Urdd and Plaid Cymru and went regularly to the Summer School. Her quiet influence was significant.
Jennie Gruffydd (1899 – 1970)
In the 1929 general election the Party gained the most of its votes in Talysarn and thanks for this was due to Miss Jennie Griffiths. She was renowned in the area for her work for the Party and was always ready to accept any reponsibility asked of her. She went to the Bangor University College and became a teacher in the Lleyn peninsula and then to Talysarn.
Tegwen Clee (1901 – 1965)
One of the first women to join the Party, she was member of the Executive Committee and attended the Summer School every year. Originally from Ystalyfera she graduated from Cardiff University with honours in Welsh. She became a teacher in Llanelli and worked with organisations such ar the Urdd and Plaid Cymru. She wrote about Brittani in Y Ddraig Goch.
Nesta Roberts
Originally from Arfon she became a headmistress in talybont, Dyffryn Conwy. Sister of O.M.Edwards, she served as secretary of the party’r county committee in Caernarfonshire.
She was injured during the election of 1929 but continued to work for the fortnight campaigning despite the pain. She had a talent for public speaking and on one occasion whenm a speaker failed to turn up she took the platform and performed with ease.
Cathrin Huws, Caerdydd
Cathrin Huws was the secretary of the Cardiff College Branch. The secretary of East Glamorgan Committee and a member of thr editorial committee of The Welsh Nationalist. She was a candidate for the Glyndwr branch for a seat on Cardiff City Council. She was elected by the Conference to a seat on the Executive Committee – and all this before reaching the age of twenty three.
Dr Ceinwen H. Thomas (1911- 2008)
Originally from Nantgarw and well known for transcribing the Nantgarw Dances and for directing the Language Research Unit at Cardiff University which resulted in a corpus of information on the study of the Welsh language including the dialect known as the “Wenhwyseg”.
She became a member of Plaid Cymru whilst at University in the 1930’s. In the 40’s and 50’s, a difficult period in the history of the Party and also for the Welsh language, she fought for the party’s principles, Welsh history in the Education system,and the recognition of Monmouthshire as an historic part of Wales.
Mai Roberts
Mai Roberts was one of the initiators of the National Park and had worked to start a truly national movement before 1925. She was the first to contribute a payment when Plaid Cymru was formed and is therefore the first registered member of the Party. She became a member of the Executive Committee and contributed valuable administrative service during the parliamentary elections in Caernarfon in 1929 a 1931. She was also involved with other important organisations such as the Celtic League. Her service to Wales was immeasureable.
Kate Roberts – (1891 – 1985)
The most notable author in the Welsh language of the twentieth century.
Kate joined the Party at the Summer School in Machynlleth in 1926.
Once the Women’s Section was established Kate was elected ar Chair. She became responsible for the Women’s page of the official Party publication – “Y Ddraig Goch”.
Priscie Roberts
Sister to Mai Roberts, she joined the Party under the influence of Lewis Valentine at the Summer Sschool in Llangollen. She assisted the Party in caernarfonshire in many ways, keeping the financial accounts for three years in the period between H.R.Jones’ illness and J.E.Jones arriving at the Office. As Secretary of the Women’s Section in caernarfon she was key to the success of every occasion.
Llinos Roberts, Lerpwl
Llinos Roberts was the Secretary of the Liverpool Branch and also of the Area Committee and a member of the Executive Committee. Originally from the village of Penygroes near Talysarn she became influential within the “new movement” as it was known at the time in Dyffryn Nantlle. She was a proficient speaker, debater and planner for the Party.
Nora Celyn Jones
She was from Caernarfon originally but spent her life in Caerffili, Glamorganshire. She was nurtured in a home where Welsh Culture was of great importance. She went to the Training College in Barry and while there was the secretary of the Welsh Society. Later, when teaching at an elementary school in Senghennydd, she worked consistently with Welsh organisations in the area. She was the secretary of the Urdd in Caerffili.
Nans Jones
Nans Jones (Anni Mary Jones) was born in Tafarn Newydd, Penrhosgarnedd near Bangor. Later her family moved to Treborth. She joined Plaid Cymru at 15 years of age in 1930 five years after the party’s foundation. She became its full time accountant in 1942 at the office located in Caernarfon. Nans left North Wales in 1947 when the headquarters moved to Cardiff and for decades her work played an indespensible role in the Party’s administration.
Cassie Davies (1898 – 1988)
Cassie Davies MA comes from Ceredigion and became a teacher at Barry Training College after graduating with honours in both Welsh and English at University College Aberystwyth. She became a member of Plaid very early in its history and became a noted pblic orator as well as writing regularly for the Draig Goch. She was a close friend of two other Plaid women menbers, Dr Kate Roberts and Mai Roberts.
Eileen Beasley (1921 – 2012)
Eileen (James) Beasley was originally from rural Carmarthenshire but moved to Llangennech after meeting her husband, Trefor, at Plaid Cymru meetings and subsequently marrying. Both were elected as local councillors o Llanelli District Council in 1955. But she is best known ar a Welsh language campaigner. She and her husband demanded to receive council rate bills in Welsh and bravely fought an eight year ultimately successful action. Eileem is remembered as the ‘mother of direct action’ in Wales.
Elizabeth Williams (1891 – 1979)
Born in Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1891, the daughter of a quarryman, she studied Welsh in Aberystwyth where she met Griffith John Williams whom she later married. It was in their house in Penarth in January 1924 that they met with Ambrose Bebb and Saunders Lewis and formed a new Welsh Movement, with Bebb as President, G J Williams as Treasurer and Saunders a Secretary. Elizabeth took the minutes and kept a record of the movement’s growth until it joined a group from Gwynedd to form the National Party at Pwllheli in 1925.
When she died in 1979 she left her house in Gwaelod y Garth to the Party.
Also there is an interesting dissertation here – ‘The height of its womanhood’: Women and gender in Welsh nationalism, 1847-1945
by Jodie Alysa Kreider, Prifysgol Arizona.
https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/280621