Llewellin, "Ack"

Alfred "Ack" Llewellin, was one of the great early players and administrators of the Pontypridd RFC and Welsh Rugby union.  His mother was from Wooten-Under-Edge, while his father had been born in Southminster.

Ack Llewellin was born at 23 Chapel Road, Abergavenny in December 1866. His parents were Edward and Elizabeth, and worked at the County Court. 

He and his brother Edward moved to Pontypridd from Abergavenny in the early 1880s, and soon started playing for the town team.  Edward was the first to arrive in the town, and is first recorded playing for the club in the 1883-84 season, and was captain for season 1885-86.  

Ack was later arriving in Pontypridd, and first played for the club against Newport in 1888, on the Trallwng Field, just north of the town, and where the Central Hotel now stands.

Around Christmas 1888, due to lack of interest, the Pontypridd Rugby club folded, and some of the players, including Ack and Edward Llewellin, went to play for the Treforest club at Robert’s Field, which would be later renamed Taff Vale Park. However, Edward was soon planning to revive the Pontypridd team, and with his brother's help, managed to secure land in Treforest to build a field that would become known as the Taff Vale Park, and the club was reformed for the 1890-91 season.  The first two seasons Ack was club captain and Edward secretary, and when the latter moved to the North of England in early 1893, his brother took his place.  

The 1892-93 season saw the Pontypridd amalgamate with the Maritime Colliery team, a great deal of negotiating involving the Llewellin brothers.  

Half way through this important season the new captain, Steven Sullivan, moved from the district and once again Ack Llewellin, who had retired during the Summer of 1892, was persuaded to return as club captain for a third term, and in his playing days was 6ft tall and weighed 11st- 8lbs, and was regarded as one of the town’s finest athletes.  

Ack Llewellin died January 1933, age 66. After Alfred’s his playing days were over he took an active part in the management of Welsh rugby and was vice-president of the WRU for many years. and he also represented the Welsh Union on the International board for a considerable period. 

The ‘Pontypridd Observer’ of January 21st 1933 reported: 

Mr. Alfred (Ack) Llewellin, age 66 years, of Gelliwion, Pontypridd, collapsed at the Pontypridd Free Library on Thursday night and died almost immediately.  

It appears that Mr Llewellin had been in the library some time, and was just about to leave the building when he had a seizure. Dr Morgan Rees was immediately summoned but he could only pronounce "life extinct".

In his younger days Mr. Llewellin was a well known football and captained the Pontypridd team.  After Alfred’s his playing days were over he took an active part in the management of Welsh rugby and was vice-president of the WRU for many years. and he also represented the Welsh Union on the International board for a considerable period. He was a native of Abergavenny but resided in Pontypridd for the greater part of his life.  He attended St. David’s Church, Gelliwasted Rd.

He was predeceased three years ago by his wife and is survived by three sons and five daughters : - Mr. Cliff Llewellin;  Mr. Gwyn Llewellin, M. E; a colliery manager in India, Kenneth Llewellin, Dr. Dorothy Llewellin, and Misses Kathleen, Margaret, Edna, Peggy and Clementine.  

Mr. Gwyn Llewellin won the Welsh golfing championship two years ago, while Dr Dorothy Llewellin is the medical officer under the Mountain Ash authority. The interment took place at Glyntaff Cemetery on Monday Jan 3rd 1933.  

The chief mourners were Mr. Cliff Llewellin (Cardiff),  Captain Llewellin (Aberystwyth) and Mr. Walter Llewellin (Abergavenny), Brothers; Mr. Lloyd. (Pengam), Son-in-law; and Mr. Ivor Davies, Nephew, (Ynyshir). Among the friends present were Messrs Tom Morris, Porth; Ivor Lloyd, Hugh Davies, Owen Thomas, John Gamblin, Cowan and Ted Lewis.  

Floral tributes were sent by the family and Mr Gwyn Llewellin, India. 1881 Census Showed Ack (Alfred) 14 years old, a solicitors clerk, with a sister, Maria J; a brother Wallace (9), a scholar, and an older brother, William H.(23), an accountant. William & Maria were born in Ross.  

Also in the house was a lodger Caroline Carpenter, who was a teacher.