Catherine Rees was born on 10^th January 1893 in Llanelli. In January 1917 however, she arrived in St. David’s, Pembrokeshire to take up a temporary teaching post on the recommendation of her sister Olwen.

Catherine was ‘met at Solva by the only car then owned in St. David’s and was driven to Old Cross House where she was entertained to tea before being taken to her lodgings…’* However, she was initially unimpressed by the small village, having studied Chemistry, Botany, Physics and Geography at UCW Aberystwyth and ultimately achieving the MSc. She also showed a talent for sport, having played football and been captain of the cricket and hockey teams while at school.

A Governor’s report from her time at school states that Catherine’s woodwork skills ‘quite outclassed the men’ and she also played piano and performed in a choir. Her musical abilities extended to joining ‘the Piper’s Guild of Great Britain and she and her pupils made their own pipes (tenor, treble, alto and extended alto)’

Nevertheless, Catherine eventually settled permanently in Pembrokeshire and continued teaching at St. David’s. Apart from sciences, she also taught geography and maths, woodwork, physical training and music. She was also responsible for the wider welfare of her pupils; from approving their lodgings to ensuring effective healthcare and medical inspections at the school. Catherine designed and ordered school uniforms for her pupils in 1917 and organised prize days and outings for the children in her care.

Outside work, music continued to be a passion throughout her life. During the 1920s she formed a ladies’ choir for the Eisteddfod in the Bishop’s Palace and ‘initiated the first Urdd in St. David’s, forerunner of this now annual event’. She played the organ at Seion Baptist Chapel and organised the publicity for orchestral events across the county.

As an integral member of her adopted community, Catherine raised and collected funds for many charitable organisations including Dr. Barnardo’s, the local Nursing Association, Pembrokeshire Old People’s Welfare Committee and the Girl Guides. She described her approach to teaching as one of ‘discipline, courtesy (and) application’, however she was also known to have a ‘get out and see’ spirit’. She ‘acquired one of the first bicycles in Haverfordwest…(and) explored just about every nook and cranny for miles around’.

During the 1920s and 30s, Catherine also travelled further afield, visiting Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Prague, Spain, Italy and the Rhine. When she was promoted to ‘Senior Mistress’ she also bought her own home in Goat Street, St. David’s, which defied the convention for living in ‘lodgings’ like other female teachers.

A local journalist writing in 1983 remarks: ‘It seems that this lady has filled every hour of her time, in school and out, with such a wealth of experience that one wonders how it all got fitted into a mere ninety years of living’. Catherine Rees was pioneering, altruistic and a positive role model for her pupils at a time when opportunities for women were limited. Her own mother had been denied an education and was determined that her own children should fulfil their potential. Catherine took this a step further, ensuring the education, welfare and widening prospects of people of all ages across the community. She continued to live independently into her nineties.

Ganed Catherine Rees ar y 10^fed o Ionawr 1893 yn Llanelli. Fis Ionawr 1917, fodd bynnag, cyrhaeddodd yn Nhyddewi, Sir Benfro i ymgymryd â swydd addysgu dros dro ar argymhelliad ei chwaer Olwen.

Daeth ‘yr unig un oedd yn berchen ar gar yn Nhyddewi ar y pryd i gyfarfod â Catherine yn Solfach i’w chludo i Old Cross House lle croesawyd hi i de cyn mynd â hi i’w llety …“  Fodd bynnag, nid oedd y pentref bach wedi gwneud llawer o argraff arni i ddechrau, ar ôl astudio Cemeg, Botaneg, Ffiseg a Daearyddiaeth yng Ngholeg Prifysgol Cymru Aberystwyth, ac yn llwyddo yn y pen draw i ennill gradd MSc. Hefyd roedd ganddi ddawn yn y byd chwaraeon, ac wedi chwarae pêl-droed a bod yn gapten ar y timau criced a hoci tra yn yr ysgol.

Mae adroddiad Llywodraethwr ar ei hamser yn yr ysgol yn nodi bod sgiliau gwaith coed Catherine yn ‘well o lawer na sgiliau’r dynion’ ac roedd hefyd yn chwarae piano ac yn perfformio mewn côr. Roedd ei dawn gerddorol yn ymestyn i ymuno ag ‘Urdd Pibwyr Prydain ac fe wnaeth hi a’i disgyblion eu pibau eu hunain (tenor, trebl, alto ac alto estynedig)’

Serch hynny, roedd Catherine maes o law wedi ymgartrefu yn Sir Benfro a pharhaodd i addysgu yn Nhyddewi. Ar wahân i’r gwyddorau, bu’n dysgu daearyddiaeth a mathemateg, gwaith coed, ymarfer corff a cherddoriaeth. Roedd hi hefyd yn gyfrifol am les ehangach ei disgyblion; o gymeradwyo eu llety i sicrhau archwiliadau gofal iechyd a meddygol effeithiol yn yr ysgol. Catherine oedd yn dylunio ac yn archebu gwisg ysgol ei disgyblion yn 1917 ac yn trefnu diwrnodau gwobrwyo a gwibdeithiau ar gyfer y plant yn ei gofal.

Ar wahân i’w gwaith beunyddiol, roedd hi’n parhau i fod yn angerddol gydol ei bywyd am gerddoriaeth. Yn ystod y 1920au ffurfiodd gôr merched ar gyfer yr Eisteddfod ym Mhalas yr Esgob a ‘dechreuodd yr eisteddfod yr Urdd gyntaf yn Nhyddewi, rhagflaenydd y digwyddiad blynyddol hwn yn awr’. Bu’n chwarae’r organ yng Nghapel y Bedyddwyr Seion ac yn trefnu’r cyhoeddusrwydd ar gyfer digwyddiadau cerddorfaol ar draws y sir.

Fel aelod blaenllaw o’i chymuned fabwysiedig, roedd Catherine wedi codi a chasglu arian ar gyfer nifer o achosion da gan gynnwys Dr. Barnardo’s, y Gymdeithas Nyrsio leol, Pwyllgor Lles Henoed Sir Benfro a’r Geidiaid. Disgrifiodd ei hymagwedd at addysgu fel un o ‘ddisgyblaeth, cwrteisi (ac) ymrwymiad’. Fodd bynnag, roedd yn wybyddus hefyd bod ganddi’r awydd i ‘fynd allan a gweld’. Hi ‘oedd wedi prynu un o’r beiciau cyntaf yn Hwlffordd… (ac) wedi archwilio bron i bob twll a chornel am filltiroedd o gwmpas’.

Yn ystod y 1920au a’r 30au, teithiodd Catherine i bellafoedd byd, gan ymweld â Fienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Prague, Sbaen, yr Eidal a’r Rhein. Pan gafodd ei dyrchafu yn ‘Uwch Feistres’ prynodd ei chartref ei hun yn Stryd yr Afr, Tyddewi, oedd yn herio’r confensiwn o fyw mewn ‘llety’ fel athrawesau eraill.

Mae newyddiadurwr lleol yn ysgrifennu yn 1983: ‘Mae’n ymddangos bod y wraig hon wedi llenwi pob awr o’i hamser, yn yr ysgol a thu allan i’r ysgol, â’r fath gyfoeth o brofiad fel bod rhywun yn ceisio dirnad sut y cafodd y cyfan ei gynnwys mewn naw deg mlynedd o fyw’. Roedd Catherine Rees yn arloesol, yn anhunanol ac yn esiampl gadarnhaol i’w disgyblion ar adeg pan oedd cyfleoedd i fenywod yn brin. Nid oedd ei mam wedi cael y cyfle i gael addysg ac roedd yn benderfynol y dylai ei phlant ei hun gyflawni eu potensial. Cymerodd Catherine hyn gam ymhellach, gan sicrhau addysg, lles a chyfleoedd ehangach i bobl o bob oed ar draws y gymuned. Parhaodd i fyw yn annibynnol tan ei nawdegau.