Newcastle Emlyn History Society
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Postmen
William Davies & Thomas Parry Jenkins
“Will Porthyrhyd” &“Tom Parry”
A Tale of Two Rural Postmen
This tale really evolves around a Telegram Boy, William Davies and a Rural Postman, Tom Parry Jenkins. Their route or “Walk” were virtually the same but there the similarity ends.
William Davies or Will Porthyrhyd or Will Prwtch as he was known locally was born in 1875 at Porthyrhyd Farm, Brongest near Newcastle Emlyn (and not Porthyrhyd near Carmarthen as many supposed). His mother Margaret Davies was a labourer’s wife and lodged with Benjamin Rees at Porthyrhyd.
He would walk the four odd miles on a Sunday to one of his favourite chapels at Brongest and listen to the preacher, as he knew that he would be made welcome at many of the houses for a meal, before beginning his trek home through Cwmdu to the attic in Newcastle Emlyn.
Newcastle Emlyn to Brongest was Will’s telegram delivery area and he sometimes walked the four miles twice a day if there was a late telegram. That is sixteen miles a day in all weathers!
It is not certain when Will joined the Post Office as a Telegram Boy but his “digs” in Newcastle Emlyn was an attic at the back of “Williams the Barbers” in Derby Lane. Will was a very conscientious worker and he wore his Telegram Boy uniform and pouch with pride. Though a bit gullible Will had a leaning towards religion together with the gift of mimicry and an almost photographic memory.
Will’s dress on a Sunday was a frock coat, silk top hat and a round collar (which he sometimes wore with his uniform). His favourite pastime was to go and listen to a sermon being preached at one of the local chapels on Sunday night and then preach it word for word on a village square or street corner, with the right intonation and emphasis on the Monday. Many people who had heard both versions of the sermon said that Will’s was the more convincing!