Lily Price was born in St. James’ Street, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, in July 1872.

The Carmarthen Weekly Reporter highlighted on 23^rd Feb 1906 that ‘Miss P. R. (Lily) Price, daughter of Mr R. E. Price, Narberth, has been successful in obtaining ‘the L.L.A. degree’. The Lady Literate in Arts, was a revolutionary distance-learning degree for women run by the University of St Andrews. It was established in 1877 at a time when only men could study for a degree at university and allowed women to study a huge range of subjects, including Philosophy, History, Maths, Chemistry, Botany and Political Economy. Exams were held at local examination centres which were soon established in St Andrews, Dundee and London, and eventually in locations throughout the UK and wider world as well!

Very early on, efforts were made to make the LLA as equivalent as possible to the ‘men’s’ MA degree. This was managed by the scheme’s organisers, particularly William Angus Knight who was Professor of Moral Philosophy, by setting the candidates studying for the LLA the same standard exam papers as were set for the MA degree. Those hoping to achieve the Lady Literate in Arts degree also had to pass in the same number of subjects as those studying for the MA.

Following completion of her studies, ‘(Lily) Price, LL.A., daughter of Mr. R. E. Price, of St. James’ Street, Narberth, (was) selected by the London County Council as one of twelve teachers to visit America in connection with the Moseley Commission to- enquire into the educational methods of North America’. (Pembs Herald and General Advertiser, 14^th Sept 1906)

This was also historically significant as Alfred Mosely was a British Industrialist who believed that ‘American industrial superiority stemmed from superior American education.’* By 1902, he had formed a committee to send ‘expert educationalists,’ among others, to investigate. The commissioners were intended to be ‘a practical, business-like body, well briefed and prepared before departure…(and) the Educational Commission was to allow its members a high degree of freedom in their reports’.

Lily was one of around 500 practising teachers who made the trip between November 1906 and March 1907. She sailed on the SS Baltic from Liverpool to New York; arriving with four colleagues on 16^th November 1906. The ship’s passenger list describes her as being 34 years old, 5’9” tall with a fair complexion and brown hair and eyes. She was given a paid leave of absence from her job and the teachers were reported to be impressed with ‘the popular belief in education and consequent parental co-operation, by the very lavish provision of buildings and equipment, and by the standards of teacher training. Some expressed doubts about the magnitude of some schools and about variations in the standards of discipline and of academic attainment…’

Overall, many of the teachers who reported for the Moseley commission advocated increased expenditure on education in Britain and a greater appreciation of the value of learning; a philosophy revealed in Lily’s own approach to life. A pioneer and career woman, she spent her later years in London )with three of her siblings who were also teachers), before returning to Pembrokeshire. She died in December 1943, having left a personal fortune of £2085.00.

Ganed Lily Price yn Stryd St James, Arberth, Sir Benfro, fis Gorffennaf 1872.

Nododd gohebydd y Carmarthen Weekly ar y 23^ain o Chwefror 1906 bod ‘Miss PR (Lily) Price, merch Mr RE Price, Arberth, wedi llwyddo i gael ‘gradd LLA’.  Roedd y radd Lady Literate in Arts yn radd dysgu-o-bell i fenywod a redwyd gan Brifysgol St Andrews oedd yn radd chwyldroadol ar y pryd.  Sefydlwyd y radd yn 1877 ar adeg pan mai dim ond dynion allai astudio am radd yn y brifysgol, ac roedd yn caniatáu i fenywod astudio ystod eang o bynciau, gan gynnwys Athroniaeth, Hanes, Mathemateg, Cemeg, Botaneg ac Economi Wleidyddol.  Cynhaliwyd arholiadau mewn canolfannau arholiadau lleol a sefydlwyd yn fuan wedyn yn St Andrews, Dundee ac yn Llundain, ac yn y pen draw mewn lleoliadau ledled gwledydd Prydain a’r byd ehangach yn ogystal!

Yn gynnar iawn, gwnaed ymdrechion i wneud y radd LLA mor gyfwerth â phosibl â’r radd MA i ‘ddynion’. Cafodd hyn ei reoli gan drefnwyr y cynllun, yn enwedig William Angus Knight oedd yn Athro Athroniaeth Foesol, drwy osod yr un papurau arholiad safonol i’r ymgeiswyr ar gyfer yr LLA ag a osodwyd ar gyfer y radd MA. Roedd yn rhaid i’r rhai oedd yn gobeithio llwyddo i gael gradd Lady Literate in Arts lwyddo yn yr un nifer o bynciau â’r rhai oedd yn astudio ar gyfer yr MA.

Ar ôl cwblhau ei hastudiaethau, ‘Cafodd (Lily) Price, LLA, merch Mr. RE Price, Stryd St James, Arberth, ei dewis gan Gyngor Sir Llundain yn un o ddeuddeg o athrawon i ymweld ag America mewn cynllun gan Gomisiwn Moseley i ymchwilio i ddulliau Gogledd America o addysgu’. (Pembs Herald and General Advertiser, 14^eg Medi 1906). 

Roedd hyn hefyd yn arwyddocaol yn hanesyddol gan fod Alfred Mosely yn Ddiwydiannwr Prydeinig a gredai bod ‘Rhagoriaeth ddiwydiannol America yn deillio o ragoriaeth addysg America.’*  Erbyn 1902 roedd wedi ffurfio pwyllgor i anfon ‘addysgwyr arbenigol,’ ymhlith eraill, i ymchwilio. Y bwriad oedd bod y comisiynwyr yn ‘gorff ymarferol, trefnus, wedi’i friffio a’i baratoi yn dda cyn gadael… ac roedd y Comisiwn Addysgol i ganiatáu i’r aelodau ben-rhyddid i bob pwrpas yn eu hadroddiadau’.

Roedd Lily yn un o rhyw 500 o athrawon wnaeth y daith rhwng Tachwedd 1906 a Mawrth 1907. Hwyliodd ar yr SS Baltic o Lerpwl i Efrog Newydd, a chyrraedd gyda phedwar cydweithiwr ar yr 16^eg o Dachwedd 1906. Mae rhestr teithwyr y llong yn ei disgrifio fel menyw 34 oed, 5’9” o daldra, o bryd golau a gwallt a llygaid brown. Caniatawyd absenoldeb â thâl iddi o’i swydd, a nodwyd bod yr athrawon yn llawn edmygedd ‘bod y bobl yn credu’n gryf mewn gwerth addysg a bod y rhieni yn cydweithredu, bod y ddarpariaeth yn wych o ran adeiladau ac offer, a bod safon yr hyfforddiant i athrawon mor uchel. Mynegodd rhai amheuon ynghylch maint rhai ysgolion ac am yr amrywiadau yn safonau’r ddisgyblaeth ac am y cyrhaeddiad academaidd…’. 

Ar y cyfan, roedd nifer o’r athrawon a adroddodd ar gyfer comisiwn Moseley yn argymell mwy o wariant ar addysg ym Mhrydain a mwy o werthfawrogiad o werth dysgu; athroniaeth a amlygir yn safbwynt Lily ei hun tuag at fywyd. Yn arloeswraig ac yn wraig oedd yn dilyn gyrfa, treuliodd ei blynyddoedd olaf yn Llundain (gyda thri o’i brodyr a’i chwiorydd oedd hefyd yn athrawon), cyn dychwelyd i Sir Benfro. Bu farw fis Rhagfyr 1943, ar ôl gadael ffortiwn personol o £2,085.00.