Members at our 2007 BBQ

Cardiff
Naturalists' Society


Cymdeithas Naturiaethwyr
Caerdydd

 

 

Arthur J Richard M.A., F.S.A. (?-1965) 75th President


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Sadly we do not have an obituary of Arthur J Richard, but I have taken an excerpt from from "Morgannwg", Transactions of the Glamorgan Local History Society: -

Reserved and slight of figure, he possessed an innate strength and wisdom acquired during a lifetime of public service-initially tempered, no doubt, by his experiences as an infantry officer in the First World War.

He was the first headmaster of Whitchurch Grammar School (1937-1950), a formative influence in the locality, and held in high esteem by generations of his pupils and staff.

He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, past president of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society (1953-4) and of the Archaeological Section of that Society (1947-51), and member of the Cambrian Archaeological Society since 1921. A love of form and structure in military, domestic and ecclesiastical architecture was a dominant theme in his published papers his knowledge in this field was extensive. He was also a consistently faithful member (and vice-president) of the Cardiff branch of the Historical Association, and was in general demand as a most successful and accomplished guide, on whose services the Association often called to conduct tours and study-groups in selected areas, in particular, the Welsh border counties.

The first record I have located regarding him in our Transactions is from Vol LXXI in 1938: -

SECOND SUMMER MEETING.- On Saturday, 25th June, 1938, 113 members of the Society participated in the 2nd Summer Meeting under the leadership of Mr. Arthur J. Richard, M.A. The party left Cardiff by motor coach and private car and, after a halt for refreshment at Neath, proceeded to Dryslwyn Castle, near Llandilo. After inspection of the Castle luncheon was taken, owing to inclement weather, in the Calvinistic Methodist Chapel and at the conclusion a meeting of members was held. The party then proceeded to Dynevor Castle and, later, to Carreg Cennen Castle and, after tea at the Castle Farm, returned to Cardiff, again halting at Neath.

in 1940 the activities of the Society were suspended for the duration, but he speaks again to the society in 1945 shortly after the Society was reconvened, and gave a number of presentations thereafter from which a selection: -

  1. 1945 - The Medieval Craftsman
  2. 1953 - The Cistercian Houses of South Wales
  3. 1954 - The Castles of South Wales (Presidential Address)

He was also supporting activities of the society by and was representing the Society on the Court of the National Museum of Wales as recorded in 1963-64

During the Midsummer Day's Meeting, after lunch at the Ivy Bush Royal Hotel, Carmarthen, Mr. Edgar T. Shepherd, F.C.A., was elected as President. Representation Mr. Arthur J. Richard was re-elected as Representative of the Society on the Court of Governors of the National Museum of Wales for three years.

1968 - Transactions Vol XCIV - in A Hundred Years of Archaeology in the Cardiff Region, 1867-1967 "The work of professionals has tended to take the limelight, but there have been many talented amateurs at work, such as Arthur J. Richard, excavator of medieval Kenfig"

This was written up in Archaeologia Cambrensis and is available on-line in the scanned journals of the National Library of Wales Kenfig Castle.By Arthur J. Richard, M.A.

His death was simply reported in Volume XCIII of the Transactions



Back to the 150th Anniversary index

Before this... David Dilwyn John, C.B.E., T.D., D.Sc., F.M.A., (1901-1995) 74th President

Next up... Edward Lewis (?-1965) 76th President

See our Full list of Presidents

These pages are part of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society 150th Anniversary celebrations and are about our history and are celebrating the people who developed our Society and helped build the city and the cultural heritage of Cardiff. You can read more about that using the links above

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