Brynithel man survived the sinking of the Lusitania

On 7^th May 1915 a German submarine sank RMS Lusitania with the loss of over 1000 civilian lives. Among the passengers were 9 members of the Gwent Glee Male Glee Singers, who were returning home after a tour of America and Canada. Amongst the survivors was William Spencer Hill, of Brynawel Terrace, Brynithel. The choir’s pianist, he was rescued from the water by a William Gwyn Jones who was from Blaina. The leader of the singers, George F Davis drowned along with singers Isaac “Ike” Talbot Jones and David Thomas Hopkins. Also, among the survivors were Lord Rhondda of Llanwern House and his daughter, Lady Mackworth.

On a previous tour of the USA, in 1912/1913, they were billed as “The World’s Greatest Singers” and, as well as appearing at the famous Carnegie Hall, gave performances at the residences of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie and the Rockefeller’s’ and, at his personal request, for President Woodrow Wilson at the White House. They also performed at the unveiling of the first ever Christmas tree at Madison Square, New York, singing to more than 5000 people.

In 1913 they won the National Eisteddfod, before performing for King George V and the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace.

In the second photograph, William Spencer Hill is sat at the piano and the last one, taken in the early 1900’s, shows him with his parents and siblings.

We are grateful for the “Gwent Glee Singers” Facebook site for providing some of the photographs.