News
The Pembrokeshire man on the Titanic

ON the morning of April 15 1912, in the North Atlantic some 450-miles south of Newfoundland, the RMS Titanic slowly slid beneath the sea just two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg.
Stories from that night are famous, from the lookouts misplacing their binoculars to the ship’s band playing even as the sea washed over their feet, the sinking of the Titanic holds a special place in the public consciousness and continues to grab our attention some 109 years after the ‘unsinkable’ ship sank.
Over 1500 people lost their lives in the biggest maritime naval disaster at that point.
Among the dead were American and British millionaires, White Star Line employees and countless anonymous immigrants from across Europe who were all seeking a better life in America.
908 crew were on board the Titanic when it left Southampton on its fateful maiden voyage, one of the crew was a man called Charles Essex Edwards, 38, who sometimes gave himself the first name of ‘Clement’.
Charles was born in 1862 to John and Harriet Edwards of St. Martin’s Place, Haverfordwest.
He worked as a carpenter as a 19-year-old man and would end up moving out of Pembrokeshire and going to sea. By the time he married a lady called Lavinia Ann Poulter, from Llanstadwell, in May 1892 he was living in Newport.
Lavinia, a Pembrokeshire woman herself, was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Poulter who lived on Lawrenny Terrace in Neyland.
By 1895, Lavinia had returned to Pembrokeshire following the death of her mother. Charles and Lavinia’s marriage suffered but Charles would continue visiting Lavinia and stayed at his father-in-law’s house when he was on shore leave.
Although still married in the eyes of the law, Charles and Lavinia were basically separated by 1901.
Charles signed on to work on the brand new RMS Titanic after it had completed its sea trials in Belfast Lough, he gave his address as 7 Brunswick Square, Southampton. He worked on the Titanic as an assistant pantry-man steward who earned a monthly wage of £3 15s on his previous ship the SS Zeeland.

When RMS Titanic left Southampton a massive crowd had gathered to see the newest addition to the White Star Line fleet depart. Charles Edwards was there. He was there when the ship picked up more passengers at Cherbourg and Cobh.
He would’ve been working during the day, his job entailed keeping the ship’s pantries stocked with food and wine, a vital job on a ship with such a high-class passenger list as the Titanic.
He was, more than likely, sleeping when Frederick Fleet spotted an iceberg in the ship’s path at 11:40pm on Sunday, April 14. He would’ve been woken by the noise of metal on ice and the ship shuddering as it was torn open on the starboard side.
As the ‘unsinkable’ ship took on water Charles, as a White Star Line employee, would’ve been given the unenviable task of waking up passengers, informing them of what happened and getting them to put on their lifejackets.
Once the scale of the situation on the Titanic became apparent, the command structure effectively disintegrated.
Captain Edward Smith would’ve cut a forlorn figure as he wandered around near the wheelhouse and his last words to his crew, according to reports at the time were:
“Well boys, you’ve done your duty and done it well. I ask no more of you. I release you.
“You know the rule of the sea. It’s every man for himself now, and God bless you.”
This would’ve been around 2:10am, at that point Charles would’ve faced a literal up-hill battle with male members of the crew only having a 24% chance of survival and many people gathering ‘like bees’ on the stern of the stricken liner which, experts say, raised to a 12 degree angle.

Many male crew members elected to stay at their posts as, according to Victorian culture it was better for men to die than to live and be perceived a coward, so the lights of the ship remained on until about 2:18am, just two minutes before Titanic broke apart and began its journey to its final resting place some 12,000ft below on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
But now you know there was a man named Charles Edwards who was born in Haverfordwest and who died when the Titanic sank in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. His body, if it was recovered, was never identified and we don’t even have a picture of him.
When news of the disaster broke, The Pembroke County Guardian described the tragedy as ‘one of the most appalling calamities in the long history of shipwreck’.
Four men from Maenclochog, it was later revealed, had a lucky escape as their plans to emigrate that April on the Titanic were thwarted by one of their number being unable to travel, so the group decided to wait for their friend. That decision saved their lives.
Pembrokeshire responded to the sinking by raising money for the Titanic Relief Fund, Pembroke Dock raised £12 2s 0d through a collection at the Royal Dockyard and, in Haverfordwest, Sidney White, who would later go on to own The Palace Cinema, hosted benefit performances to packed houses which raised £5 15s.
Lavinia, after a legal battle with Charles’ brother William, was given £192 in compensation for Charles’ death and went on to look after her father at Railway Terrace, Neyland until he passed away.
Lavinia went on to move to Middlesex where she lived until 1934. She left her estate to her chauffeur.
Community
£5.25m Welsh Government funding to benefit unpaid carers

UNPAID carers in Wales will continue to receive additional support to take well-earned breaks from their caring role, Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden has said.
The Minister has also confirmed funding is being made available to continue support for carers on low incomes to buy essential items.
The Short Breaks Scheme and Carers Support Fund will receive £3.5m and £1.75m respectively for 2025/26 from the Welsh Government.
These schemes are in addition to the duties that local authorities are under to provide appropriate support for carers.
The Short Breaks Scheme is on track to deliver, or exceed, the target of 30,000 additional short break opportunities by March 2025. Its extension will continue to help unpaid carers in Wales take breaks from their responsibilities to support their wellbeing.
The funding can be used, for example, for short holidays, activity days and cinema trips. It can also support carers in pursuing a hobby or sport.
Recent findings suggest only 14% of the adult carers who have benefitted from the scheme had also accessed a break from elsewhere in the last 12 months, demonstrating the crucial role it is playing. 80% of those benefitting from the scheme are providing more than 50 hours of care a week.
The Carers Support Fund provides emergency financial support for unpaid carers of all ages on low incomes to pay for essential items. This could be food, a household item or a utility bill. In addition, the fund also provides information to help people manage finances and ensure they are claiming all benefits and entitlements.
Almost half of unpaid carers accessing the schemes in the past three years were not previously known to services and so the schemes show the significant added value as a gateway to other forms of support.
Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden said: “Unpaid carers play a crucial role in providing care for their family members and friends.
“I am delighted we are providing funding for the coming year to help more unpaid carers take short breaks as there is good evidence they can have a big impact on wellbeing.
“We also know many unpaid carers experience financial pressures because of their caring role and the Carers Support Fund will continue to provide crucial additional assistance for carers on low incomes.”
Carers Trust Director for Wales, Kate Cubbage, said: “We’ve heard from thousands of unpaid carers that the Short Breaks Scheme has given them their first access to a break from caring and that grants through the Carers Support Fund have been essential to keep food on the table and heat in their homes.
“These programmes are needed now more than ever, as costs rise and our partners in health and social care face increasing pressures. Our colleagues in statutory services tell us that modest investments in these transformative programmes make a difference to sustaining carers in their vital caring role and prevent the need for further intervention from acute services.
“As the National Coordinating Body for the Short Breaks Scheme and the organisation leading delivery of the Carers Support Fund, Carers Trust welcomes Welsh Government’s commitment to safeguarding these vital programmes with an assurance of funding for another year.
“This funding will enable local carer organisations and delivery partners to reach thousands more unpaid carers with a much-needed break from caring and with protection from the sharpest end of poverty into 2026.”
News
Simon Hart’s memoir reveals inside story of Westminster chaos

SIMON HART, the former MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, is set to lift the lid on the political turmoil of recent years with his new book, Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip, due for release on February 27, 2025.
The memoir promises a rare, behind-the-scenes account of life inside the Conservative government during one of its most chaotic periods. Hart, who served as Chief Whip under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, provides an unfiltered look at the party’s internal struggles, resignations, and public controversies that rocked Westminster between 2019 and 2024.

From power to crisis
Having first been elected in 2010, Hart represented South Pembrokeshire and parts of Carmarthenshire for over a decade before boundary changes saw him lose his seat in 2024. His political career saw him rise to the role of Secretary of State for Wales under Boris Johnson before taking on the crucial but often misunderstood position of Chief Whip in Sunak’s government.
In Ungovernable, Hart describes how he witnessed the Conservative Party unravel from a position of strength to electoral vulnerability. He provides firsthand insight into the party’s inner workings, dealing with rebellious MPs, scandal-ridden colleagues, and the battle to maintain discipline within the government.
Westminster’s scandals and secrets
Among the most revealing aspects of the book are Hart’s accounts of the defection of Conservative MPs to Labour, the fallout from Liz Truss’s 49-day premiership, and the struggles to manage a party fractured by Brexit, infighting, and scandal. He details the dramatic moments that saw fifteen Tory MPs leave their seats under his tenure, including high-profile figures such as Nadine Dorries, whose controversial resignation caused months of political tension, and Matt Hancock, suspended after his infamous appearance on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.
Hart also delves into Lee Anderson’s suspension over inflammatory remarks about the London Mayor, and the internal battles over government policies, leadership, and media spin.

Praise for an insider’s account
The book has already attracted attention from senior political figures. Rory Stewart, former MP and political commentator, described it as “a remarkable insight into a critical moment”, while Michael Dobbs, author of House of Cards, praised Hart’s blunt honesty, calling it a “balls-up-to-break-down account of how the Tories managed to fall flat on their faces”.
For Pembrokeshire readers, Ungovernable provides a unique perspective from a local politician who operated at the very heart of Westminster’s power struggles. Whether a supporter or critic of his time in office, Simon Hart’s memoir promises to be a fascinating and controversial account of one of the most dramatic chapters in modern British politics.
Community
Port issue warning over damage to Milford Beach access route

THE PORT of Milford Haven has issued a warning regarding a wall collapse on the hot water slip access to Milford Beach.
Residents and visitors are urged to stay clear of the affected area and avoid using this access route while investigations and repairs are carried out.
Please share this message to help ensure public safety.
Thank you.
-
Business4 days ago
Digital marketing challenges for rural Welsh businesses
-
News4 days ago
Police report filed over Neyland Town Council email controversy
-
Health4 days ago
Emergency care failing in Wales, warns damming report
-
Crime4 days ago
Woman caught with knife in Pembroke Dock blames drugs
-
Politics4 days ago
Pembrokeshire council tax rise of 9.85 per cent backed
-
News5 days ago
Secrecy over Milford Haven Library rent as council faces funding ultimatum
-
News4 days ago
Concerns mount over rising violence in Welsh schools
-
Community2 days ago
Port’s support for library already ‘many hundreds of thousands of pounds’