CARDIFF'S SPRITE.       TYLWYTHEN CAERDYDD
Channel: A48 Theatre Company
Date: 2021-03-31

Hamadryads are Greek mythological beings or sprites that are bonded to trees. Cardiff’s Hamadryad gave her name to a ship, a hospital and more recently, a Welsh medium primary school. Here, she introduces us to Dr Paine, Medical Officer of Health, now a resident of Cathays Cemetery but best known for the public health improvements he brought to Cardiff and for the seamen’s hospital ship, The Hamadryad. In the face of a rapidly growing population throughout the nineteenth century, many of Cardiff’s inhabitants faced poverty, unsanitary conditions and repeated outbreaks of disease. Dr Paine made improvements to the water and sewage infrastructure of the city and is credited with saving many lives over the course of his career. In 1866 Dr Paine bought and fitted out the Hamadryad, a 43 year-old frigate, as a hospital for seamen, with a doctor, medical staff, matron, nurse and cook. The ship was moored on “Rat Island” and was used for thirty years. To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, a permanent seamen's hospital was built and was opened on 29 June 1905. The Royal Hamadryad Seamen's Hospital provided free medical treatment for seamen until 1948, when it was incorporated into the National Health Service. The hospital ship was broken up, but the ship's bell and figurehead were preserved. Today, the figurehead is exhibited in the Cardiff Story Museum.
http://cathayscemetery.coffeecup.com/drhenryjamespaine.html
https://cathayscemetery.coffeecup.com/pdfs/Henry%20James%20Paine.pdfDr Paine’s public health work reported on: https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3091680/3091688/59/Appointed Medical Officer of Health: https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3090500/3090503/28/ https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3090505/3090507/16/

Morgan, Dennis (1991) The Cardiff Story

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Like that of many people, Gwyneth’s interest in creative writing has been re-ignited since her kids have grown up and left home (really left home, after a few temporary returns). Retirement has given her more time to write, to attend creative writing courses and connect with other writing groups, including Living Lines. It was the ‘Graveyard Voices’ project which drew her to this particular group – and the thrill of writing in a chapel. Learning more about the history of South Wales has provided a wonderful spin-off. Outside this group Gwyneth’s writing is two-pronged: historical writing, particularly inspired by her family history in the Yorkshire textile industry, and children’s fantasy and time-travel stories. 

Mae 'Hamadryads' yn fodau mytholegol Groegaidd neu sbritiau sydd wedi'u bondio â choed. Rhoddodd 'Hamadryad' Caerdydd ei henw i long, ysbyty ac yn fwy ddiweddar, ysgol gynradd Gymraeg. Yma, mae hi’n ein cyflwyno i Dr Paine, Swyddog Meddygol Iechyd, sydd bellach yn trigo ym Mynwent Cathays ond sydd fwyaf adnabyddus am y gwelliannau iechyd cyhoeddus a ddaeth ag ef i Gaerdydd. Yn ogystal â long ysbyty’r morwyr, 'The Hamadryad'. Yn wyneb poblogaeth a oedd yn tyfu’n gyflym trwy gydol y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg, roedd llawer o drigolion Caerdydd yn wynebu tlodi, amodau aflan ac achosion o glefyd dro ar ôl tro. Gwellhaodd Dr Paine seilwaith dŵr a charthffosiaeth y ddinas ac mi ddathlwyd am arbed llawer o fywydau yn ystod ei yrfa. Ym 1866, prynodd a gosododd Dr Paine yr 'Hamadryad', ffrwsh 43 oed, fel ysbyty i forwyr, gyda meddyg, staff meddygol, metron, nyrs a chogydd. Angorwyd y llong ar “Rat Island” ac fe’i defnyddiwyd am ddeng mlynedd ar hugain. I ddathlu Jiwbilî Diemwnt y Frenhines Victoria, adeiladwyd ysbyty morwyr parhaol ac fe’i hagorwyd ar 29 Mehefin 1905. Roedd Ysbyty Morwyr Brenhinol Hamadryad yn darparu triniaeth feddygol am ddim i forwyr tan 1948, pan gafodd ei ymgorffori yn y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol. Chwalwyd llong yr ysbyty, ond cadwyd cloch a phen ffigur y llong. Heddiw, mae'r pen ffigur yn cael ei arddangos yn Amgueddfa Stori Caerdydd.

Am Yr Awdur
Fel llawer o bobl, mae diddordeb Gwyneth mewn ysgrifennu creadigol wedi cael ei ail-danio ers i’w phlant dyfu i fyny a gadael cartref (wedi gadael cartref mewn gwirionedd, ar ôl ychydig o ymarferion dros dro). Mae ymddeol wedi rhoi mwy o amser iddi ysgrifennu, mynychu cyrsiau ysgrifennu creadigol a chysylltu â grwpiau ysgrifennu eraill, gan gynnwys 'Living Lines', Y prosiect ‘Graveyard Voices’ a dynnodd hi at y grŵp penodol hwn - a’r wefr o ysgrifennu mewn capel. Mae dysgu mwy am hanes De Cymru wedi darparu deilliant hyfryd. Y tu allan i’r grŵp hwn mae ysgrifennu Gwyneth yn ddeublyg: ysgrifennu hanesyddol, wedi’i ysbrydoli’n arbennig gan ei hanes teuluol yn niwydiant tecstilau Swydd Efrog, a straeon ffantasi a theithio amser i blant.