Digital Ark: St. Florence, Wales: People original

People Work in Progess    Last Update: 2026-09-09

There are many many people that could/should appear here.

This is not the place to present family histories, but a few facts and anecdotes about those people that helped give St. Florence its character.


Your input is welcome

If you can: date, add information or a photograph, put names to faces or supply a little anecdote, then please tell us!

Even write a complete new entry about some-one who helped give St. Florence its character.


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Chapel Preachers

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Source: found on Facebook: Old St. Florence and Surrounding

John Griffiths

Bethel 1865-1886

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Church Reverends

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Source: found on Facebook: Old St. Florence and Surrounding

Rev. Benjamin Evans

ordained in St. Florence in 1849.

DOB: 5th April 1799     DOD: 26th Nov 1874 (aged 75)
Buried in St. Florence.

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Source: found on Facebook: Old St. Florence and Surrounding

Rev. Gerald Thomson Lermit 1885-1894

DOB: 25th April 1827     DOD: 25th Oct 1894 (aged 67)
Buried in St. Florence.

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Source: found on Facebook: Old St. Florence and Surrounding

Rev. James

DOB: unknown     DOD: 1933
Buried in St. Florence.


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People

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Source: collage

People

I can never do justice to the people of St. Florence.

Please feel free to submit your memories and anecdotes relating to these people. St. Florence.

Or even create a new entry!.

Click to view: More pictures on this topic


William James Henwood

DOB: 1898     DOD: 6th Jun 1874 (aged 68/69)     Buried in St. Florence.

Separate page for more details

There is enough information about Mr. Henwood that a spearate page seems justified.


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Source: found on Facebook: Old St. Florence and Surrounding

George Henry Twigg, the village blacksmith, and some of his family.

It was nice to find something about old Ganker as he was known, online at: link to source
Date of birth: 22 August 1882, over 90 when he died.
His wife's name was Mary Elizabeth, born 21 Sept 1889.

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Source: found on Facebook: Old St. Florence and Surrounding

Mr.Twigg and Mr. Brus Rossiter in front of the Flemish Chimney>

Quote found online: The gentleman on the right is Brus Rossiter, who was a very talented horseman.

Personal memory: George Salisbury

Although there was a village milkman Mr. Rowe who delivered to us, we also got every day a 2 pint metal jug/can of fresh milk from Mr. Twigg. Every day one of us kids would go to Twiggs house Tregoyr with a clean empty jug. We would knock on the back door, open it, shout out milko and swap the empty jug for the full one that was left on the table on the left side of the door.

Oh, and I remember very well Mrs. Twigg's wooden clogs.

As a kid I suffered a bit from warts on the back of my hands. One day I followed an old country cure. I went to the blacksmith Mr. Twigg with a jam jar and asked for it to be filled with iron water, the water a smith uses to cool hot iron from the furnace.
So I took my jam jar. The smithy was closed, so I went to the back door of Tregoyr and knocked on the door. Mrs. Twigg answered the door, I told her what I wanted. She called for Ganker to come to the door. He took me in to the house and along a dark narrow passage that led to the smithy. He filled the jar with iron water and home I went. I washed my hands in the iron water for a few days. The warts vanished.
I kid you not!

Now, about that milk. The milk came from a farm about a mile north of the village. The farmer was one of the Twiggs sons, Theodor. Now Theodor had a car, a bit like an Austin A30 Countryman. He also had a few fields on the south of the village, on Castle Lane. He used to drive to his fields on Castle Lane and had a bicycle in the back of his car. One day I heard my father ask him what the bike was for. Theodor said it was for him to go home on if he had forgotten to bring something with him.

Theodor was married to Phyllis. Both my mother, and myself, had summer season jobs and we worked along side Phyllis. Theodor and Phyllis were true farmers of their time, and had little time for non-essentials. When my mother heard that the farthest that Theodor and Phyllis had been was to the weekly market in Carmarthen, my mum convinced them to take a mini-trip to London.

Personal memory: Kathleen Salisbury

Mrs Twigg always prepared a large food basket for the workers, harvest etc, and made amazing spiced buns.
Kathleen saw Mrs. Twigg "sealing" fresh eggs. She would dip her hands in warm melted butter the coat rub the eggs in her hands. Apparently it helps preserve them!


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Owen Rhys, it might have been Owain!

Surely one of the most rustic characters of the village in the 1960/70's

Personal memory: George Salisbury

I know little about Mr. Rhys. He was, I think, a retired farm labourer, and lived somewhere down Coppybush Lane.

Very tanned and wrinkled skin, hardly any teeth, always smiling. And always chewing tabacco, and spitting it out. In the summer evenings (around 1970) he could be found standing at the junction at the top of High street.
In the summer holiday season, many a lost holiday maker would stop their car and ask Rees for directions. But he had a strong accent. I could not understand him, and I am sure neither did the holiday makers. Rees responded to most questions with why aye boy.
If he was not standing on the junction, he would be in the back room of the New Inn sitting in the corner by the open fire in a old farmhouse chair.


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Source: found on Facebook: Old St. Florence and Surrounding

Jack Saunders and his sister Gwen

Saunders, Gwendoline, M.
Saunders, John Geo.

Jack lived with his sister, Gwen, at Dove's Nest.

Gwen ran the post office until she retired when the post office moved to Mrs. Salisbury at the Ark.
Jack died about 3 years later.


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Source: found on Facebook: Old St. Florence and Surrounding

Personal memory: George Salisbury

In about 1973 I bought an old dilapidated Triumph 350cc 3TA motorcycle. A noisy, oil leaking, slow, poor specimen. On my way home from school I would have to ride through the one-way system in St. Florence and go past the old Flemish Chimney.
Next to the Flemish Chimney was a good old telephone box, and a bench. I would often see Jack Saunders sitting on the bench talking with (I think) Mr. Rossiter or Mr. Brace. They all lived with 50 yards of one another.

Now, Jack was about retirement age. He worked as a mechanic at Templeton.

He did not have a car, he had a Triumph 200cc Tiger Cub motorcycle with rain guards (a bit like a drain pipe cut in half length-ways) to protect his legs from rain, and a simple upright windshield.
So we had a common interest, Triumph motorbikes. So I often stopped and chatted with Jack.

I think of him every once in a while, he was a nice old boy.


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Source: Dave Lewis

Personal memory: Dave Lewis

I think this was taken around 1953 at the back of the Dove's Nest sheds where Jack used to keep his bike which he rode to his workshop in Templeton every day...

Jack and Gwen Saunders were my Great Uncle and Aunt and lived at the Dove's Nest. They were 2 of 4 siblings. My grand mother was their sister who married a W.O.Lewis (sadler) in Narberth who raised 7 children, my Dad being number 3 son. By the way we used to cycle out from Tenby to St Florence when we were kids to visit Aunty Gwen and get a saddle bag full of her apples.


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Source: found on Facebook: Old St. Florence and Surrounding

Harold Butler

Work in progress

shop, pub, Mrs. Knight his mum, councilman
Knight, Elsie, The Manor House


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Mr. and Mrs Martin: aka Auntie Annie and Uncle Willy

Martin, Annie Jane nee Johns 1889
Martin, William
married 1Q 1921

Auntie Annie was born in Fiddlers Lane.
And was related to the Johns family (parents + Tony, Clive and Ann) from Green Hayes
And to the Griffiths family (parents + Paul, Andrew) from 2 Morgan Terrace

Personal memory: George Salisbury

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As a child I spent many many many days at Auntie Annies. She was not a relation of mine, but of my childhood mate Clive Johns who lived in Green Acres.

During the school holidays, or at the week-end, Clive would call at the Ark to collect me and off we went to Auntie Annies.

Before I get on to talking more about Auntie Annies et al a few side observations.

Ford Lane

I have marked in Ford Lane. I do not recall ever hearing it called that as a child. But it will do for reference.

Brook

There was a small brook running alongside Ford Lane on the Manse side. It was directly next to the road and not behind a bank, so be careful or drive in it! Today (2026) it appears to be covered over.

On the side of Ford Lane, opposite the Manse, was a field. No buildings. Never to my knowledge ploughed. Just grass.

Snow

But at the east end of the field was a low ridge which was a kiddies joy when it snowed.
When it showed we used to sledge down the ridge toward the Manse.
Those who did not have a sledge would get an old thick-plastic cattle feed bag, typically from Spring Gardens which was then still a working farm. Put some snow as padding in to the bag. Sit on it and whizz down the ridge.
Then bugger off home, with a numb bum, cold feet and icy hands. But happy!

Football

When it was not snowing we would occasionally have a kick-about on the field. I remember some lads from Tenby playing there once.
But I do not recall any proper goal posts/nets/or markings.

One of the Tenby lads had the nickname Pongo. I would bump in to him about 8 years later in 1974 on a summer job at the penny arcade at Kiln Park, Penally. Pongo was the arcade manager on behalf of the owner Mr. Frankie Booth of Tenby!
I remember it well because one of the Greenhill school secretaries, I can not remember if it was Meryl or Monica, to tell me that I was supposed to be sitting an "S" level paper in Mathematics, and that I should get to the school immediately. Mr. N.A.S. Vincent (head of mathematics) had put my name forward to do an "S" level and not told me. So I hopped on to my ancient Triumph 350 3TA motocycle and nipped across to thes chool. And sat the paper, in the school gymnasium, wearing motocycle gear. I was totally unprepared, and of course, failed miserably.

Guy Fawkes

My mind may be playing tricks on me, but a think that a few times we held the Guy Fawkes bonfire there! More on him, and Uncle Willie in a moment!

Now about Auntie Annie and Uncle Willy they were special.

Do not misunderstand me. They were special to me because of their involvement in my childhood. The world, even St. Florence was, and is still, full of special people.

Uncle Willie

I know little about Uncle Willie, in as much as we did not talk much. I always felt that he tolerated me, but would be just as happy if I were not there. Maybe I am doing him an injustice. I will never know.

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Not the best likeness, but close enough
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Not the best likeness, but close enough

I remember Uncle Willie getting balls of wool in the post. He would then wrap the wool aroung a wooden rectangular rod with a grove running along its length. He then ran a single sided razor blade along the grove. He would then end up with lots of wool strands of the same length, about 2 inches per strand.

I never know why he needed the sail-makers palm. It is amazing how unobservant some of us are!

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Not the best likeness, but close enough

One of the odds and sods from Uncle Willie's shed was a mechanical counter, mounted on a wooden base, with a handle.
Clive and I would have races to see who could get the counter from 0000 to 9999 the fastest.

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Not the best likeness, but close enough

There were 3 or 4 coils of rope in the shed. Clive and I would take a couple of ropes in to the small orchard next to the shed, and set up ropes between the trees. One rope to stand on, and the other about 4 feet higher to hold on to. And then edge along from one tree to another pretending they trees were islands, and we were pirates.

Some times we would just make a swing, using a cricket stump as a seat. And where did the stump come from, Uncle Willie's shed!

Occasionally some of the other lads would come along, such as John and Raymod Evans, Richard "Dickie" Stevens, Malcom Scourfield and we would play cricket in Bumblers Field. I was the youngest of the group, and frankly was terrified of batting if John Evans was bowling.

Guy Fawkes

I did say that I would come back to Guy Fawkes well here it is.
I remember Uncle Willie made a rag/cloth/paper stuffed Guy Fawkes for Clive and a few of the other lads to push around the street in an old wheelbarrow and encourage people to give a penny for the Guy.

Auntie Annie

WORK IN PROGRESS.
outdoor "fridge", bathroom/toilet in an outhouse, mead, dandelion wine, war time cake trick


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Mr. Johns, Bumblers Farm

Work in progress

Brother to Auntie Annie , Bee keeper,

Johns, George, Bumblers.
Johns, Lacy, Bumblers.

Personal memory: George Salisbury

b/w TV Saturdays Clive Johns & I watching Laramie and Dr. Who


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Groups

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Source: collage

Groups

Yes, yes. I know. Only 2 groups.

But that is only because you have not submitted any!

Click to view: More pictures on this topic

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Source: Found on Facebook:Tenby through time,

St Florence male voice choir circa 1930s

Quote from the poster:

This one is St Florence male voice choir circa 1930. My grandfather, Richard Evans, the Court, 2nd row, 4th from right. Others include I Phillips (clock house), t skyrme, parsonage farm, waldo williams, T Hurlow, J John, T Stephens, J Saunders, George Lewis, R Thomas, Buttyland, S Williams Gt Wedlock farm, J Beynon Minerton Farm, W Hurlow Fiddlers Green etc taken in grounds of Ivy Tower

I do not recall a male voice choir!

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Source: found on Facebook: Tenby Through TIme

Butts

Work in progress

Wynford Brace, Winston John, Bert Evans, Arthur and Fred Brooks, Col Douglas, Oliver Richards, Harold Butler (Landlord), Miss Thomas (Landlady), Billy Hurlow, Richard Stephens, Mike Brace, Frankie Wall, Brian Prescott, Gwynne James

Front row

  • 1 Richard Stephens

2nd row

  • 1 ?
  • 2 Gwynne James
  • 3 ?
  • 4 Billy Hurlow
  • 5 Miss Thomas (Landlady)
  • 6 Oliver Richards
  • 7 ?
  • 8 ?
  • 9 ?
  • 10 ?
  • 11 ?

3rd row

  • 1 ?
  • 2 ?
  • 3 ?
  • 4 ?

back row

  • 1 Harold Butler (Landlord)