William Henry Thomas (1866-1921)

William Henry Thomas 1866-1921

Llong y Kaikoura The ship which carried William to New Zealand.

Hysbyseb ar gyfer yr ysgol / an advert for the school

Llun cynnar o gêm y bêl hirgron yn Abergwaun / An early photograph of rugby being played at Fishguard.

Casgliad ‘Ein Hanes’ Collection

Stryd Kensington, Abergwaun

Please scroll down for English.

Chwaraewr rygbi rhyngwladol.

Ganwyd ar Fawrth 22ain yn Stryd Kensington, Abergwaun. Aeth i’r coleg yn Llanymddyfri ac wedyn i Gaergrawnt. Cafodd ei ddewis i gynrychioli Cymru pan oedd yn 18 oed.

1888 – Ar y llong ‘Kaikwra’ y teithiodd y tîm cyntaf o Brydain i Seland Newydd ac Awstralia i chwarae rygbi. William oedd yr unig Gymro ar ei bwrdd. Hwn oedd y garfan ‘Llewod’ cyntaf, (cyn i’r enw hwnnw gael ei ddewis). Buont ar y môr am 6 wythnos. Erbyn cyrraedd, doedd dim un pêl rygbi ar ôl ganddynt!

Priododd William yn Llundain gyda merch o ardal Suffolk, Martha Stanford. Cafwyd y brecwast priodas yng ngwesty enwog y ‘Langham’, Portland Place, Marylebone, Llundain.

Bu William yn chwarae dros dîmoedd ‘Cymru Llundain’ a’r ‘Scarlets’ cyn ymddeol o’r gêm a chanolbwyntio ar redeg busnes – ‘Woodabay Preparatory School’ yn Weston super Mare, gyda’i wraig. Yma y cafodd eu merch, Phyllis ei geni yn 1895.

Byddai William a’i wraig yn ymweld yn aml ag Abergwaun. Byddai Wil yn chwarae pêl droed i’r tîm lleol neu ddyfarnu. Roedd yn hoff o fagu cŵn ac yn beirniadu mewn sioeau cŵn. Byddai ef a’i wraig yn hela gyda’r helfa leol tra ar eu gwyliau yn Abergwaun.

Bu William farw ar 13eg o Hydref, 1921 yn 55 oed, a chladdwyd ef ym mynwent Kirkley ger Beccles yn Suffolk. Priododd ei ferch Phyllis yn hwyrach mewn bywyd (wedi 1939) a dod yn Mrs Phyllis Hamilton. Roedd hi’n byw yn Tiverton, Dyfnaint.

International rugby player

William was born on March 22nd at Kensington House, Kensington Street, Fishguard. He went to school in Fishguard and then at Haverfordwest Grammar School. He studied at Llandovery College and then at Cambridge. He was chosen to represent Wales at the age of 18.

1888 – It was on the ship ‘Kaikoura’ that the first British team travelled to New Zealand and Australia to play rugby. William was the only Welshman on board. This was the first ‘Lions’ squad, (before that name was chosen). They were at sea for 6 weeks – by the time they arrived, they had no rugby balls left – they had all dropped in the drink!

William married in London with a girl from Suffolk, Martha Stanford. The wedding breakfast was served at the famous ‘Langham Hotel’, Portland Place, Marylebone, London.

William played for the ‘London Welsh’ and ‘Scarlets’ teams before retiring from the game and focusing on running a business – ‘Woodabay Preparatory School’ in Weston Super Mare, with his wife. It was here that their daughter, Phyllis, was born in 1895.

William and his wife often visited Fishguard. He would play football for the local team or he would referee matches. He loved breeding dogs and judging at dog shows. He and his wife would hunt with the local hunt while on holiday in Fishguard.

William died on October 13, 1921 at the age of 55, and is buried in Kirkley Cemetery near Beccles in Suffolk. His daughter Phyllis married later in life (after 1939) and became Mrs Phyllis Hamilton of Tiverton, Devon.