Mr Lake (1885 - 1982)

Dyddiau cynnar Band Pres Wdig / Goodwick Brass Band in the early days.

Casgliad Band Pres Wdig / Goodwick Brass Band’s collection.

Mr Lake - Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 1936

Mr Lake was second in the succession of headmasters at Goodwick School. He was also a founder member of Goodwick Brass Band and a pillar of the local community.

Morgan David Lake was born at Tynewydd, Norton Row, Llandybie on November 19th, 1885. He was one of nine children born to Morgan & Maria (nee Davies) Lake.

Morgan senior was an engineer / mechanic at the local Emlyn Colliery. Morgan junior attended Llandeilo County School and later became a pupil teacher at Penygroes School and was appointed to his first teaching post at Trelech School. Soon, he moved to Pembrokeshire, transferring to Little Newcastle School.

In December 1909, Morgan Lake was short listed from 10 applicants for a job near Goodwick. On February 1st 1910, Mr Lake became a certificated assistant teacher at Henner School.

He met Annie Jessie Griffiths and they married in 1917. Annie was born at St Nicholas in 1894, but her parents, Ebenezer & Ann, moved to Glasfryn in Llanwnda to farm. She and her sister Mary Jane, would walk to school at Henner. (Ebenezer Griffiths, was one of the founder members of ‘Ebeneser’, the first Congregational chapel in the area. His name appears on one of the two foundation stones placed at the chapel in 1927.)

The Lake family of Llandybie were much involved with the Penygroes Silver Band (also known as the Emlyn Colliery Band) during Morgan Lake’s youth. This band was formed around 1888 and produced some excellent players and performances until it dispanded around 1940. The young Lake brothers were keen members, Morgan junior being a cornet soloist. Morgan’s experience with the Carmarthenshire band meant that he was an ideal person to help develop the skills of young bandmembers at Goodwick. A new band was formed in 1912 for the opening ceremony of Goodwick Council School. Goodwick Brass Band continued till 1936 – the year of the National Eisteddfod at Fishguard. Mr Lake’s influence on this first period of the band’s history was substantial. To read more about his involvement with the brass band, and to view photographs, please press here.

Morgan and Annie soon started their family. Edna Verona* was born in 1918, Hubert P was born in 1921 and Morgan Islwyn** in 1925, at Glasfryn, Llanwnda.

In 1935, with the retirement of Mr Evan Anthony as headmaster at Goodwick School, Mr Lake became his replacement, helping to guide the younger generation through those difficult years of WWII.

Morgan Lake was an active local concillor and was elected Chairman of Fishguard & Goodwick Urban District Council in 1945, and again in 1953. It is possible that he was only able to shoulder this extra responsibility at the school and with council matters because he had stepped back as bandleader after the National Eisteddfod at Fishguard in 1936.

Mr Lake lost his wife, Annie, on July 3rd, 1955 and she was laid to rest at Llanwnda cemetery.

Mr Lake is remembered locally as a widower living out his old age in Clement Rd. He was a relatively small but very energetic man, walking up and down from the village to his home full of strength. He would sometimes fast for the benefit of his health. He was a man full of purpose.

Mr Lake passed away on April 21st, 1982, at Llanelli, aged 97 years. The family grave is at Llanwnda cemetery. Though he never saw the revival of Goodwick Brass Band, he would surely have been delighted at it’s later successes.

* A memorial to Edna V Lake is on her parents grave. She passed away in 1987

** Mr Islwyn Lake attended Fishguard County School where he came under the influence of D. J. Williams, who was his sixth form Welsh teacher. In the late 1930s he registered as a conscientious objector and joined the Friends Ambulance Unit in Belgium in 1944-5. He was held captive by the Germans, but his release was reported in the Western Mail of 8-5-1945. Islwyn joined the ministry in 1953 and was a lifelong pacifist.

Mr Lake oedd yr ail yn olyniaeth prifathrawon Ysgol Wdig. Ef hefyd oedd un o sylfaenwyr Band Pres Wdig. Roedd yn arweinydd blaenllaw yn y gymuned leol.

Ganed Morgan David Lake yn Tynewydd, Norton Row, Llandybie, ar Dachwedd 19eg, 1885. Yr oedd yn un o naw o blant a anwyd i Morgan & Maria (Davies gynt) Lake.

Roedd Morgan, y tad, yn beiriannydd yn y pwll glo lleol – Pwll yr Emlyn. Mynychodd y Morgan ifanc Ysgol Sirol Llandeilo ac yn ddiweddarach daeth yn ddisgybl-athro yn Ysgol Penygroes. Penodwyd ef i’w swydd ddysgu gyntaf yn Ysgol Trelech. Yn fuan, symudodd i Sir Benfro, gan drosglwyddo i Ysgol Casnewydd Bach.

Ym mis Rhagfyr 1909, roedd enw Morgan Lake ar y rhestr fer o blith deg ymgeisydd am swydd ger Wdig. Ar Chwefror 1af 1910, penodwyd Mr Lake yn athro cynorthwyol tystysgrifedig yn Ysgol yr Henner.

Cyfarfu ag Annie Jessie Griffiths a phriododd y ddau yn 1917. Ganed Annie yn Nhremarchog ym 1894, ond symudodd ei rhieni, Ebenezer ac Ann, i Glasfryn yn Llanwnda i ffermio. Byddai Annie a’i chwaer Mary Jane, yn cerdded i’r ysgol yn Henner. (Ebenezer Griffiths oedd un o sylfaenwyr ‘Capel Ebeneser’, capel cyntaf yr Annibynwyr yn yr ardal. Ceir ei enw ar un o’r ddwy garreg sylfaen a osodwyd ar wyneb y capel yn 1927.)

Roedd y teulu Lake o Sir Gaerfyrddin yn gysylltiedig â Seindorf Arian Penygroes yn ystod ieuenctid Morgan. Ffurfiwyd y band hwn tua 1888 mewn cyswllt â Phwll Glo’r Emlyn, a chynhyrchodd rhai chwaraewyr a pherfformiadau rhagorol nes i’r band ddirwyn i ben tua 1940. Roedd Morgan Lake a’i frodyr yn aelodau brwd. Cododd Morgan i fod yn unawdydd cornet. Roedd y profiadau yma yn golygu ei fod yn berson delfrydol i helpu datblygu sgiliau aelodau ifanc y band yn Wdig. Ffurfiwyd band newydd sbon yn 1912 ar gyfer seremoni agoriadol Ysgol y Cyngor yn Wdig. Bu Band Pres Wdig yn brysur hyd at 1936 – blwyddyn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn Abergwaun. Bu dylanwad Mr Lake ar y cyfnod cyntaf hwn yn hanes y band yn sylweddol. I ddarllen mwy am ei gyswllt â’r band pres, ac i weld lluniau, pwyswch yma.

Dechreuodd Morgan ac Annie eu teulu yn fuan. Ganed Edna Verona* yn 1918, Hubert P yn 1921 a Morgan Islwyn** yn 1925. Ganwyd y plant yn Glasfryn, Llanwnda.

Ar ymddeoliad Mr Evan Anthony fel prifathro Ysgol Wdig yn 1935, penodwyd Mr Lake yn ei le. Tywysodd genhedlaeth iau yr ardal trwy flynyddoedd anodd yr Ail Ryfel Byd.

Roedd Morgan Lake yn gynghorydd lleol gweithgar ac etholwyd ef yn Gadeirydd Cyngor Ardal Drefol Abergwaun ac Wdig yn 1945, ac who yn 1953. Mae’n bosib mai’r unig ffordd y gallai ysgwyddo beichiau trymach o gyfrifoldeb fel prifathro a chynghorydd oedd trwy sefyll nôl fel arweinydd y band, wedi’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn Abergwaun yn 1936.

Collodd Mr Lake ei wraig, Annie, ar Orffennaf y 3ydd, 1955 ac feu claddwyd ym mynwent Llanwnda.

Yn Clement Rd y cofir am Mr Lake yn byw, wedi ei ymddeoliad ac yn ei henaint. Dyn cymharol fach ond egniol iawn oedd, yn cerdded i fyny ac i lawr o’r pentre i’w gartre’n llawn nerth. Byddai weithiau yn ymprydio er lles ei iechyd. Yr oedd yn ddyn llawn pwrpas.

Bu farw Mr Lake ar Ebrill 21ain, 1982, yn Llanelli, yn 97 mlwydd oed. Mae y bedd teuluol ym mynwent Llanwnda. Er na welodd adfywiad Band Pres Wdig, mae’n siŵr y byddai wedi bod wrth ei fodd gyda’i lwyddiannau diweddarach.

*Y mae cofeb i Edna V Lake ar fedd ei rhieni. Bu farw yn 1987.

**Mynychodd Mr Islwyn Lake Ysgol Sirol Abergwaun lle y daeth o dan ddylanwad D. J. Williams, athro Cymraeg ei chweched dosbarth. Ar ddiwedd y 1930au cofrestrodd fel gwrthwynebydd cydwybodol ac ymunodd ag Uned Ambiwlans y Cyfeillion yng Ngwlad Belg ym 1944-5. Cafodd ei ddal yn gaeth gan yr Almaenwyr, ond cyhoeddwyd iddo adennill rhyddid ym mhapur y Western Mail ar 8-5-1945. Ymunodd Islwyn â’r weinidogaeth yn 1953 ac bu’n heddychwr gydol oes.