In His 95th Year
Death of Goytrey’s Grand Old Man
Mr James Jenkins
We regret to record the death of Mr James Jenkins, after a comparatively short illness at his home Ty Llwyd, Goytrey on Sunday.
The deceased gentleman was in his 95th year and was truly regarded at the “grand old man” of the district. His great age took him back to early Victorian days of which he had a very clear and vivid memory, for his descriptions of outstanding events which took place in the locality and county long ago were always interesting to hear, particularly of the Chartist Riots of 1839 in which his father took part and of the building of the GWR main line nearby, when his cottage was converted into a cider-house.
He had spent all his long life in Goytrey where he was well known and much respected especially by the older inhabitants who remember his gigantic stature when he stood 6ft 6ins tall and weighed over 18 stone.
As a timber cutter he had worked on the Pontypool and Llanover estates and many a stubborn oak fell beneath his sturdy stroke.
A Unique Family
It was remarkable that he had no illnesses before and he possessed all his faculties unimpaired to the last. As the youngest of several brothers, all of whom were admired for their stature and longevity he was the last of a unique family.
Until quite recently he could shoot as straight as the best marksman around and loved to follow the Monmouthshire hounds. His stories of old hunting days, when his woodsman’s tools were often thrown aside to join in the chase, were typical of late Victorian times. Even after his retirement from a life of strenuous labour in the woods, he was ceaselessly active with his orchard and garden and took a great interest in local and national affairs, though he could never read nor write.
He attributed his great age to the healthy surroundings, to plain peaceful living, abstention from modern luxuries and to fresh air exercise.
His wife, who survives him, is 93 and wonderfully smart for her age. In fact they have been an exceptional pair.
The funeral was at Goytrey Churchyard on Thursday.
21st February 1932