Councillor W.J. Payne,

The following is a report from the Merthyr Express which gives a potted account of the life of W.J. Payne

1 December 1962   
Councillor W.J. Payne, Veteran Fochriw Administrator, Is Dead    Coun. W.J. Payne, of 1, Glyn Terrace, Fochriw, former chairman and a member of Gelligaer Urban Council, died at his home on Sunday, aged 82. He had been the “Merthyr Express” correspondent in the area for half a century, and had been a member of the Council for 23 years and was held in high esteem for his services to the public. He was chairman of the governors of Lewis Boys’ and Girls’ Grammar Schools, Ystrad Mynach, and a member of the governors of Bargoed Grammar-Technical School. He also held the chairmanships of the Cerphilly and Gelligaer Divisional Health Committee; the Rhymney Valley Water Board and the Board of Governors of Bargoed Technical School. For 30 years he was a member of the Rhymney and Abertysswg Hospitals House Committee and also served on Merthyr Hospitals Committees. Two years ago Coun. Payne received the Vellum Vote award for his long record of active work for the St. John Ambulance Society.
Coun. Payne was born at 7, Railway Terrace, Fochriw, and at the age of 12, went to work at the Fochriw Colliery. Three years ago, at the age of 79, he retired from work on the consultative committee of the Wales Gas Board. During the years of Depression Coun. Payne produced many dramas in connection with St. Mary’s Church, Fochriw. Later, he became Churchwarden and a licensed lay reader of St. Mary’s. Also during Depression days, he was chairman of the local Distress Fund. Other positions formerly held by Coun. Payne were: Captain of the Bargoed Fire Brigade and organiser of the Fochriw Welfare Hall and Y.M.C.A. He was a devoted and conscientious member of the Gellygaer Urban Council. He had recently been striving to reduce the free-hold costs of Fochriw houses. Mr. Ness Edwards, Labour M.P. for Caerphilly, a colleague of Coun. Payne, recently paid this tribute to him: “Coun. Payne was a great personal friend of mine and was always a great help to me. I had a great admiration for him. I always thought of W.J. as Fochriw.” Coun. Paynes is survived by a daughter, Miss Olive May Payne.

16 March 1963   Fochriw Man Made J.P.    Mr. John P. Llewellyn, Glen View, Pentwyn, has been appointed to the Commission of the Peace for the County of Glamorgan. Mr. Llewellyn is the eldest son of the late Mr. & Mrs. Gwilym Llewellyn. Ffynnonauduon Farm, Pentwyn. A small mine owner, and stock raising farmer, Mr. Llewellyn is deputy chairman of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Small Mines’ Association. He has been interested in amateur sport all his life, and is chairman of the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association, a position he has held for three years. Mr. Llewellyn represents Wales on the British Amateur Boxing Committee, and is a member of the Welsh Games Council. He is a member and sidesman of St. Andrew’s Church, Pentwyn, and among his many other honorary positions, he is president of the Fochriw Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade.