my grandfather

Alfred Henry Watkins

lived

13 Aug 1862 to 2 Jan 1935

Late Mr A. H. Watkins

Death of a Well-Known

Solicitor

CLERK TO USK COUNCIL.

The townspeople of Usk received with great surprise and regret the news of the tragically sudden death of Mr Alfred Henry Watkins, of Woodbank House, Bridge Street, Usk, early on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Watkins had not been very well during the night, but he was his own cheery self talking business with the District Surveyor up to lunch time. After lunch he went into his study feeling unwell again and was attended by his wife, who sent for Dr. Hackett. He passed away from a heart attack a few minutes later.
Mr Watkins, who was 72 years of age last August, was a member of the well-known firm of solicitors, Messrs Watkins and Co., of Pontypool, and was for fifty years in practice there, retiring last September after an illness.

PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS.
For many years he was Clerk to Usk H.G. School Governors (Roger Edwards' Charity) and Usk Scholarship Managers. On the resignation of Mr A. F. Lucas as Clerk to Usk U.D.C., Mr Watkins was unanimously elected to that office in March, 1929, and officiated for the first time in May of that year. He had previously been a member of that body. He was for some years Churchwarden at Usk Parish Church, as the representative of the Vicar (the Rev. Canon Edward Morgan, M.A.).Born at Highmead, Llanvair Kilgeddin, where his father was engaged in agriculture, he took a keen interest in that industry, and was for a long period treasurer of Usk Farmers' Club.Among other official positions which Mr Watkins formerly held was that of Registrar of the Pontypool County Court.

HIGHLY ESTEEMED PRACTITIONER.
Mr Watkins was a man of generous impulses, with an urbanity of manner that made him highly esteemed by all who knew him—one of whom no one spoke in dispraise and everyone held in the greatest respect. Much sympathy is felt for his widow and only son, as well for other members of the family. Mr A. H. Watkins, junr., is on the staff of the National Provincial Bank—Horse Fair Branch, Birmingham—and is married.

The funeral take places on Saturday at Usk, leaving the house at 3 p.m.

on the 5th January 1935

THE LATE MR. A. H. WATKINS
Funeral of Clerk to

Usk Council

The funeral of Mr. Alfred Henry Watkins, solicitor, and Clerk to Usk Urban District Council, took place at St. Mary's Churchyard, Usk, on Saturday afternoon.
The cortege was met at the church gates by the clergy and surpliced choir, and as the procession entered the church the organist, Mr. R G. Long played the " Dead March " in " Saul."

The service was a most impressive one, the Rev. Canon Edward Morgan, Vicar, the Rev. T. E. Leyshon, Curate, and the Rev. Henry Rees, Vicar cf Llantrissent, officiating.

The 90th Psalm was chanted, and the two hymns, " Just as I am " and " On the resurrection morning " were sung. As the procession left the edifice Mr. Long played Chopin's " Funeral March."

The mourners were : Mrs. Watkins. widow ; Mr. Alfred H. Watkins, son ; Miss L. M. Jones, sister-in-law ;

Messrs. T. P. Holmes, Wyndham H., and Hubert H. Watkins, Harry, Frank, and Jack Hughes, nephews ;

J. Walters, Harold, R. H., and John H. Marfell, cousins ;

and Mr. J. Harper, a co-Churchwarden with Mr. Watkins for many years.

Messrs. E. J. Whitton, Reg. Roberts, Bert Kear, William Sales, Tom Probert, and S. Hughes acted as special bearers.

LARGE ATTENDANCE
Among a large and representative public attendance were : Sir Lewis Lougher (Radyr),
Messrs. S. A. Riley, J.P., H. T. Pearce, J.P., A. E. Bowen, Isca Bowen (Clerks to Pontypool magistrates),
W. J. Everett, D. J. Lougher, Dr. E. L. M. Hackett (Medical Officer of Health),
Captain H. C. A. Davies, Messrs.

John H. Salter (Chairman of Usk Urban District Council), with all the members and officers,
J. R. Evans (Barclays Bank), Noel Bunning, G. Edwards (London and Provincial Bank), J. Coomber (Lloyds Bank),
Owen James, Morwent Parker, A. F. Lucas, Sam Jenkins, H. Powell, G. T. Gale (London), Gus Parkhouse (Pontypool),
W. W. Gibbon, T. D. R. Sage, A. L. and F. J. Lucas, Wilfrid Smith, Don Clift, John H. Rennie, Richard H., Percy, and William T. Marfell, F. Thomas (Griffiths-town),
Gilbert Prior (Rating Officer), James Murray, R. H. Williams, Ron Roberts, Tom Trigg, W. Jones (Coedybrain), Edward Morgan, George and L. Sweet, W. Eason, J. Green, John Parker (Llangattock Court),
J. Knight, Tom Davies, H. C. Davies,

Albert and S. Hathaway, William J. Sheddick, the Rev. W. J. Howell,
Messrs. Bert Williams, F. Hill, C. H. Rogers (staff of Watkins and Co.),
J. Saffin, J. Coward, J. Collins, Albert J. Davies, W. D. Husband, W. E. Scudamore, T. Evans, William Parker (Hereford),

George Edmunds, H. Ll. Hughes (Pontypool),

Tom Jones (Messrs. Tom Jones and Sons),

W. Evans, J. Cale, junior, A. J. Burgoyne, Spencer Kear, William Wise, John Lewis (Baron-street),

Tom Crump, Tom Parton, Ben Morgan (Deputy Clerk Pontypool Urban District Council),

Reuben Morgan, John Evans (Coedyfon),

E. Griffin, Percy Thomas, R. Window, C. A. Mortimer, W. Evans,

W. M. Haines (Penpergwm),
Wilfred Bowen, Owen Taylor (Pontypool), and D. Squire.

Mr. Bert Whitton, Usk, carried out the funeral arrangements.
After the service a muffled peal was rung on the bells of St. Mary's as a tribute to an old Churchwarden for many years.

I just found these two cuttings in an account book my father used 1935 to 1937 and tested Omnipage Pro 15 , with my new Scanjet 4890 Photo scanner from PIXMANIA and blurred the newspaper image in Photoshop Elements 4 and saved it for the web.

In about 1950 his widow, my granny, his widow, complained to me that his funeral was "taken over by the freemasons" and that she had little say in the arrangements.