Monday, February 15, 1937

Raglan Mason’s death

Inquest adjourned at Newport

Newport and District Coroner, Mr. H. J. Petty, opened and adjourned the inquest on Thomas Daniel Davies, 58, a mason, of Brookfield House, Raglan, who died at the Royal Gwent Hospital.

Davies was struck by debris which fell from a building in the course of demolition in Frogmore Street, Abergavenny.

At the time of the accident, about a fortnight ago, Davies was cycling past the building. He was taken to Abergavenny Hospital, and later transferred to the Royal Gwent Hospital.

The widow, Beatrice Alice Davies, gave formal evidence, and the inquest was adjourned until February 26.

“Fifty years of hard and happy work”

Bishop’s tribute to the vicar of Caerwent

Tributes to the work of Canon A. A. Mathews, vicar of Caerwent, who this month completed fifty years in the ministry, were paid by the Bishop of Monmouth at a special jubilee service at Caerwent Church on Sunday.

At the evening service, the Vicar of Chepstow, Canon D. Hughes, preached. Both services were conducted by Canon Matthews.

At the morning service the lessons were read by Mr. F. Vicarage, and, previous to the Bishop’s sermon, Canon Mathews thanked his parishioners for their support during his stay at Caerwent.

The Bishop, in his address, said: “This is a happy occasion, for we have met in this church to offer our gratitude and congratulations to our dear friend, Canon Mathews, because he completed this month fifty years’ service in the ministry, fifty years of hard work; fifty years, I make bold to say, of very happy work.”

The Bishop added that they must not forget how greatly Canon Mathews had been helped by Mrs. Mathews for forty years.

It was perfectly certain, added the Bishop, that the work was, in the best sense, successful. All through the ups and downs of the world the fifty years of work had been happy. Canon Mathews’ work had repaid by the warm affection shown to him in the parish of Caerwent and in the parishes in which he services previously.

Speaking to the Canon, the Bishop said: “You and I can look back over fifty years and it seems to use to be entirely a new world.

“The question which is not quite to easy to answer is, what is the most remarkable change? I do not think the most remarkable change through which the world has passed consists of changes in the outward circumstances of life, such as increased facilities of transport, amusements, and communications. Man has changed in mental outlook.”

“It was a remarkable fact that while the world changed outwardly and inwardly in bodily in mental matters, Christianity was the one thing which had not changed. When Caerwent was a thriving Roman city, and possible more prosperous than it is today, Christianity was preached with the same essentials as it was today.”

Colonel Codrington Crawshay

Death of brother of a special areas chief

It is with regret that the South Wales Argus have to announce the death of a member of an old and much respected Monmouthshire family.

Lieutenant-Colonel Codrington Howard Rees Crawshay, D.S.O., formerly of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. He was the eldest son of Mr. Codrington Fraser Crawshay, D.L., J.P. of Llanvair Grange, Abergavenny, and of Mrs. Crawshay.

A brother is Captain Geoffrey Crawshay, D.L., J.P., District Commissioner for Special Areas, South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Lieutenant-Colonel Crawshay, died early on Monday at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton, following an operation for an illness contracted while on active service during the Great War.

He had never recovered his health since the war, and had undergone over fifty operations for wounds and illness as the result of his service. In the period following the war he had spent some three of four years in hospital.

Born in 1882, Lieutenant-Colonel Crawshay was first gazetted to the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, and was on active service in South Africa shortly after attaining the age of 18. Subsequently he was commissioned in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, and in 1914, at the outbreak of war, was Adjutant of the Depot for his regiment in Wrexham.

In 1915 he went to France, and commanded the 2nd Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers. He was severely wounded at Mametz Wood.

Lieutenant-Colonel Crawshay was awarded the D.S.O and was created an Officer of the Star of Rumania (Grand Cross). He was invalided out of the service in 1920.

In pre-War days Lieutenant-Colonel Crawshay soldiered with his regiment in India and China. In India he was prominent as a fine horseman who won many races. He was well-known in South Wales as a gentleman rider, and he rode frequently for the late Colonel Morgan Lindsay, of Ystrad Mynach, and for General Watson.

Lieutenant-Colonel Crawshay married a daughter of Sir Williams Nelson, Bat., and he is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.

Old Royal Welch Fusiliers will remember Lieutenant-Colonel Crawshay as a gallant officer and gentleman, and they will join with Monmouthshire people in expressing sympathy with the relatives.