History of the society

In April 1890, Welsh people came together in Christchurch to form the Cambrian Society of Canterbury. A month earlier about fifty men held Christchurch's first public celebration of the Feast of St. David. There had doubtless been many private celebrations during the 39 years since the Canterbury Association settlement had begun in 1850. Part of the delay in forming the Society is probably due to the low percentage of Welsh residents in the new settlement and the problem of getting them together.

The Society was formed to help to preserve and promote Welsh traditions in music, literature and history and to give assistance to members and to newly -arrived immigrants.Of the hundred or so Welsh people in the area we only know the names of a few, since many early records have been lost, despite this we do know that they enthusiastically and with great determination set out to keep the Society alive and fulfil its aims.

Apart from the special events, such as St David's Day which was first marked with a banquet then from 1919-1965 with Cathedral services, there was the Eistedfford style Society competitions. The choirs, mixed, male voice and women's and children's were in demand at other church and secular functions, and especially so when the women wore their Welsh costumes. Recordings, made by the local broadcasting authority, were even played on the BBC.

Receptions were arranged for every important Welsh visitor to Canterbury and, often with only slender resources, members rose to the occasion with enthusiasm. Among those visitors were, the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII), Lord and Lady Bledisloe, Sir David and Lady Hughes Parry, as well as Welsh singers, sports teams and travelling members. Members seldom lost an opportunity to make contact with fellow Welsh people fresh from "home", to hear news of the towns and valleys. Christchurch was reminded of its Welsh community as every procession, display or floral festival would have a Welsh display or float. The 1937 and 1953 Coronation processions, the 1950 Canterbury Centennial, the 1960 Floral and 1991 Peace processions all featured the Welsh dragon, women and girls in costume, sometimes a bard and a harp.

Over the years the Society has contributed to the life of Christchurch through individual members, including J. G. Parry (President, 1936-63), Sir George Manning (Mayor of Christchurch, 1958-68) and Hurbert Filer our current Musical Director.

The Society celebrated its centennial in 1990 by publishing a history (written by Mollie Freeman Chalklen), a banquet and a Cymanfa Ganu. Since the centennial the membership of the Society has grown and we all look forward to an even bigger and better Society as the turn of the century approaches and we head into a new millennium.  

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