People
A well known personality, Georgie ("Jack") Frost lived in Banker's row, Pembroke, and regularly walked as far afield as
Pembroke Dock and Stackpole. In the early twentieth century, he would would call from door to door seeking business
repairing umbrellas.
(
Sources
: Matt; Hogg, Mayors; Cutings, PDMT
)
Picture: Matt cartoon, Sunday Graphic.
From an old Pembroke family, John Froyne entered the Dockyard
as an apprentice in 1849 and came first in every examination he
sat. He became yard foreman, and in 1872 supervised work on
HMS Thunderer (1872) before being appointed Assistant
Constructor at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard, then (1881) Assistant
Surveyor of Dockyards. In 1883 he returned as Chief Constructor
to Pembroke Dock, where he oversaw the building of the mighty
warships HMS Howe, Nile, Anson, Empress of India and Repulse.
John Froyne was president of the Pembroke Dock Mechanics'
Institute for more than eight years, and during his retirement was
Mayor of Pembroke Borough.
(Sources: Cuttings, PCL).
HMS Repulse, built under Froyne's supervision.
Pictures by courtesy of Pembrokeshire County Librarie
Jack Frost, umbrella repair man.
John Charles Froyne, 1834 - (1913 ?)
H.A. Jones-Lloyd, solicitor
In the 1920s, Mr Jones-Lloyd would travel sedately, by open car, between his office at 67 Bush Street
and the Market courthouse . Mr Frank Owen, then a trainee, recollects one memorable return journey:
There wasn't one other vehicle to be seen, a common condition then. However, on this occasion, a
cyclist swerved out of upper Meyrick Street and rode a weaving course due west, towards us ... Mr
Jones Lloyd stood up in his seat, letting the car free wheel. He raised his fist at the oncoming
invader and shouted 'Get off the road, you damned road hog!' The man fell off his bike, we nearly
ended up in the gutter and still there wasn't one other person in sight!
Picture: Matt cartoon, Sunday Graphic
Sir Edward James Reed, 1830-1906
An outstanding naval architect, Reed became chief constructor of the Royal Navy in 1863. His design for HMS
Devastation (1869) established the mastless, metal, steam driven and turret-armed vessel as the standard for future
warships. He left the Admiralty in 1870, for private industry.
He was chairman of the Milford Haven Shipbuilding and Engineering Company. At the company's Pembroke Dock works
(Jacob's Pill) the Hi Yei was constructed for the Imperial Japanese Navy. The local press sang his praises - " of all the
men who came into this county, none has been such a developer of industry as Mr Reed ... just look at the works, at
present nearly 600 hands going cheerfully to work everyday, and causing a weekly expenditure in the town of at least
£900. Surely such a thing as this must be a wonderful boon to a place like Pembroke Dock". He designed ships for
several other foreign navies, and was MP for Pembroke Boroughs 1874-1880.
Reed edited various technical and professional journals. He wrote a series of authoritative works on shipbuilding and
design, a number of travel books, and several volumes of poetry
(
Sources
:
Carr Loughton;
Cuttings, PCL
; TO 8 Nov 1877
)
Picture by courtesy of Pembrokeshire County Libraries.
Alderman William Smith
One of Mr William Smith's earliest memories was of his father parading with the Artillery Volunteers. "Many times I gazed with
admiration as the men marched through the streets headed by their brass band. They made a brave show with their heavy
busbies". He attended the British and National schools, but left aged 11. He entered the Dockyard in 1867 and stayed there until
1886. Working hours were 5.45 am to 5 pm weekdays, and to 4pm on Saturdays. Although enjoying the few weekly sessions at
the Dockyard School, he found this period "lean .... unproductive imprisonment"
He left to start his own stationery business, and involved himself in local politics. He was Mayor in 1910 and County Council
chairman in 1934. He was interested in education, particularly the town's Coronation and County schools, and in libraries - at
County Council level, he supported the development of the County Library.
He obviously enjoyed reading widely - his writing is witty, perceptive, and illuminated with apt quotations. Reflecting on his own
rather brief formal education and later practical achievements, for example, he recalls Chaucer's phrase - "the greatest clerks
are not the wisest men".
(Sources: Smith )
Picture: Matt cartoon, Sunday Graphic.
(Amendment, updates and additions) (AJ) Anndra Johnstone
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