House with a plaque, High Street, Rhymney

Image: © Jeremy Bolwell Taken: 16 Sep 2012

Rhymney can boast only a few well known sons, but this is a prominent one; Thomas Jones, (no, not that one!) CH (Companion of Honour) (born 27th September 1870 – died 15th October 1955) was a British civil servant and educationalist, who was once described as "one of the six most important men in Europe", and also as "the King of Wales" and "man of a thousand secrets". He was born here. Thomas Jones was known as "T.J." He rose to become Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet under four Prime Ministers: Lloyd George, Andrew Bonar Law, Stanley Baldwin and Ramsay MacDonald. His diaries threw much light on politics "behind the scenes", including the Irish Treaty, the 1926 General Strike, the meetings between Lloyd George and Adolf Hitler, the Cliveden Set, and so on. In 1914 he had started the magazine Welsh Outlook to promote national social progress and seemingly never forgot his Valleys roots. A friend of many rich and influential people including the Astors, Jones excelled at extracting money from rich people for worthwhile causes, notably adult education; he founded Coleg Harlech in 1927, was instrumental in the founding of Newbattle Abbey College and was secretary, trustee and chairman of the Pilgrim Trust. Also, he was Chairman of Gregynog Press throughout its existence and also helped set up CEMA (Committee for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts - a forerunner of the Arts Council) as well as the Army Bureau of Current Affairs (designed to 'supply mental stimulant' to British troops during the Second World War). Towards the end of his life Jones became President of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and was awarded the Gold Medal of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, as well as finally agreeing to become a Companion of Honour. He died in London.

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