Five ‘hidden heroines’ to be celebrated at Pembrokeshire’s new heritage centre

Published

12 months ago

February 24, 2025

When it comes to fighting for their nation – be it politically, culturally, socially and ethically – the women of Wales have proven themselves invincible.

Yet despite their significant achievements, Wales’ heroines have remained largely hidden, and their stories forgotten.

Now, thanks to the commitment of the ‘Monumental Welsh Women’, five influential females have finally been acknowledged following commissions to erect public statues in their honour.

“Despite what so many women have done and achieved in Wales, there wasn’t one single public statue commemorating their achievements,” said Pembrokeshire historian Angela John, who has been one of the Monumental Welsh Women who has campaigned for their recognition for the last eight years.

“There has been a complete lack of visibility.”

Later this week, Angela will be giving a talk in her home town of Newport, Pembrokeshire, on the five women selected.

The first was Betty Campbell, a black woman of poor parentage who was told at school that the problems for a working class black girl would be ‘insurmountable’. Despite this stark statement, Campbell won a place as one of the first female students to study at the Cardiff Teacher Training College where she enrolled whilst the mother of three young children. She taught at Butetown, Cardiff, for 28 years where, as a black teacher, she experienced some hostility from parents. In the 1970s, she became Wales’ first black head teacher at Mount Stuart where she began teaching children about slavery, black history and the system of apartheid.

“Betty Campbell was a huge influence in Wales who won the poll for the first statue which was unveiled in Central Square, Cardiff in 2021,” explained Angela John.

The following year saw the arrival of Mountain Ash’s Elaine Morgan, born into a poor mining family but who won a scholarship to study at Oxford.

Following her graduation she taught for three years with the Workers’ Educational Association and began writing plays to help make ends meet. She then began making an impact in the male-dominated world of the small screen with her first television scripts accepted before she even owned her own TV set. Elaine Morgan went on to become a top TV writer, a feminist icon and a ground-breaking evolutionary theorist, winning a host of awards and scripting some of the best loved dramas in television, including ‘How Green Was My Valley’, and ‘The Life and Times of Lloyd George’.

The Elaine Morgan statue is located in Oxford Street, Mountain Ash.

In 2023, Ceredigion celebrated the arrival of Llangrannog’s Sarah Jane Rees, better known by her bardic name of Cranogwen.

Her first claim to fame was as a master mariner and for two years she worked as a sailor on cargo ships between Wales and France before returning to London and Liverpool to further her nautical education. She gained her master mariner’s certificate – a qualification that allowed her to command a ship in any part of the world. Back in West Wales, overcoming opposition to the appointment of a woman, she became a head-teacher at 21, educating the children of the village, and also taught navigation and seamanship to local young men. Many men who would later go on to sail and captain ships across the world’s oceans were trained by Sarah Jane Rees.

Cranogwen, with members of the Monumental Welsh Women

In 1865 her writing skills turned her into an instant Welsh celebrity as she became the first woman to win a poetry prize at the National Eisteddfod, beating some of the major male Welsh poets of the day. Her winning poem – Y Fodrwy Briodasal (The Wedding Ring) – was a satire on the married woman’s destiny, using the wedding ring as a recurring symbol.

At a time when public speaking by women was frowned upon, Cranogwen embarked on a career as a lecturer, Temperance campaigner and a preacher, travelling across America twice, and often facing opposition from male preachers when she took to the pulpit.

Her statue is situated in the centre of Llangrannog, close to the church, where she was buried.

The fourth statue, erected in 2024, is that of the iconic Lady Rhondda (Margaret Haig Thomas), a suffragette who made the fight for the women’s vote front page news.

She brought Emmeline Pankhurst to Wales and confronted the anti-suffrage Prime Minister Asquith by jumping on his car. She also set fire to a post box and was sent to prison, where she went on hunger strike while during the First World War she ensured women played a vital role, recruiting them into the women’s services. She became Commissioner for Wales in the Women’s National Service Department, then Chief Controller of women’s recruitment at the Ministry of National Service in London.

She went on to become the greatest global business woman of her era and sat on the board of no fewer than 33 companies, and chaired seven of them. She oversaw an industrial empire of mines, shipping and newspapers and became the first, and to date, the only female, to be President of the Institute of Directors.

The fifth and final statue, which be unveiled later this year,is in honour of Elizabeth Andrews who was a great social reformer and campaigner for women’s rights.

She was one of the most influential Welsh female political activists of the early 20th century, being an internationalist, a suffragist and a socialist. Forced to leave school at 13 to help her parents make ends meet, the Welsh-speaking dressmaker brought the needs of working-class women into the political arena because she shared their lives and voiced their hopes and fears.

She became the first Labour Party Women’s Organiser for Wales and set up women’s sections, describing them as ‘working women’s universities.’ One of her earliest tasks was translating leaflets from English to Welsh to urge women to use their newly-won vote. She also became one of Britain’s first female magistrates and put the needs of women and children at the heart of her campaigns.

“Whittling our original list of 50 down to just five has been difficult, as there have been so many incredible women here in Wales who have achieved so many significant things for their nation,” concluded Angela John.

“But throughout our campaign, the support we’ve had has been tremendous with regular features on the media and support from the Welsh government who decided to give us £20,000 funding towards the cost of each statue, with each one costing around £100,000 to produce.

“We’ve also seen a huge public interaction, particularly with the number of school children who’ve been involved.

“This shows the enormous changes in the ways in which people are now relating to Welsh history. Previously, it was taught around kings and queens, their battles and all their relevant dates, while now there’s far more attention being given to race and social issues, so history is no longer such an elite subject but is there for everybody. The fabric of everyday life has become as much a part of people’s understanding of history as anything else.

“And each our five statues have gone a long way in helping to address this.”

Angela John will be speaking at Bethlehem Chapel, Newport, Pembrokeshire this Wednesday, February 26, at 7pm.

Crime

Man charged with attempted murder after Carmarthen park incident

Published

5 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

57-year-old due in court following alleged knife and stalking offences

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder following a serious incident in Carmarthen town centre last week.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that James McKenna, aged 57, from Carmarthen, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and stalking.

The charges relate to an incident in Carmarthen Park on Thursday (Jan 29), which prompted a significant emergency services response and caused concern among residents.

Police have not yet released full details of the circumstances, but officers were seen in and around the park area for several hours following the incident while enquiries were carried out.

McKenna is due to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday (Feb 5).

The Herald understands the case involves allegations of both violence and targeted behaviour towards an individual, with stalking listed among the charges.

Public concern

Carmarthen Park is a popular and busy public space used daily by families, dog walkers and joggers, and incidents of this severity are rare.

The news has prompted concern locally, particularly as the alleged offences include possession of a knife in a public place.

Residents have previously raised questions about safety in parks and open spaces across west Wales, especially during darker winter evenings.

Court proceedings

At this stage, the charges remain allegations and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Magistrates will decide whether the case is sent to Crown Court due to the seriousness of the attempted murder charge.

Further details are expected to emerge during Thursday’s hearing.

The Herald will be attending court and will provide updates as they become available.

Crime

Sex offender jailed after living off grid in Pembrokeshire and refusing to register

Published

5 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Court Reporter

Man walked into police station after months avoiding authorities

A CONVICTED sex offender who told police he intended to live “off grid” rather than comply with legal monitoring rules has been jailed after handing himself in at a Pembrokeshire police station.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

The court heard Spelman was released from prison in Dorset on July 4 last year but immediately refused to provide police with an address, despite being legally required to do so within three days.

Instead, he indicated he planned to buy a tent and live outdoors.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said officers subsequently launched a nationwide search when Spelman failed to make contact with police. Public appeals were issued and his case featured on the television programme Crimewatch.

Detectives believed he had been travelling around the UK using public transport and staying at campsites. He was known to have links to several areas including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.

His whereabouts remained unknown until January 3 this year, when he walked into Haverfordwest police station and was arrested. It is unclear how long he had been in Pembrokeshire.

Spelman previously served seven years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard this was not the first time he had failed to comply with the rules. After an earlier release in 2016, he again failed to register his address and avoided police for around five years before being caught.

He has 11 previous convictions for 29 offences.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the case as unusual and said his client had long disputed his original conviction and had expressed a wish to live “outside society”.

However, he said Spelman had gradually accepted that he remained subject to court orders and now wanted more stable accommodation and a chance to rebuild his life. The defendant asked the court to impose a custodial sentence so arrangements could be made for his future release.

Judge Geraint Walters noted there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any further breaches would result in longer prison terms.

With credit for his guilty plea, Spelman was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

11 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 court surcharge.

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.