Adeiladwyd yr ysgol gan y pensaer, R Lloyd Williams yn 1858/9 am gost o £500. Fe'i hagorwyd fel ysgol Genedlaethol (yr Eglwys), ond daeth yn Ysgol Fwrdd erbyn 1874 nes y'i cymerwyd drosodd gan yr AALl yn 1902. Roedd yn ysgol iau a babanod cymysg.
Roedd hanes cynnar yr ysgol yn anodd, gyda llawer o newidiadau o ran y Penaethiaid, yr oedd rhaid iddynt oll frwydro gyda phresenoldeb disgyblion - roedd cymuned wledig yn defnyddio eu plant i weithio ar y fferm. Roedd Crefydd hefyd yn broblem - plant capel yn mynd i ysgol eglwysig - gwrthwynebodd rhieni i addysgu pynciau crefyddol megis catecism yr Eglwys cyn 1874. Lleihaodd y newid i ysgol Fwrdd o ysgol Eglwysig y pwyslais ar addysgu enwad penodol wedi hyn.
Yn 1865, y pennaeth oedd John Jenkins, ond roedd wedi ymddiswyddo erbyn 1869. Dywedodd J.R. Jones, a ddaeth yn bennaeth ym mis Ebrill 1872, ac a ymddiswyddodd erbyn mis Chwefror 1873, 'wedi dechrau fy nyletswyddau yn yr ysgol hon heddiw, dim ond 12 o blant yn bresennol, sy'n gwneud i mi deimlo braidd yn isel' (tudalen 197 ED/LB/84/1). Yn 1874, llwyddodd pennaeth newydd, W.R. Jones i aros dim ond 6 mis.
Fodd bynnag, cafwyd pennaeth newydd erbyn 1876 - Griffiths Jones, a wasanaethodd yr ysgol yn y rôl hon tan fis Rhagfyr 1919 - cyfanswm o 43 mlynedd. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, daeth trasiedi i'w ganlyn - ym mis Tachwedd 1896, cafodd ei ferch 4 oed ei llosgi i farwolaeth, ac ym mis Gorffennaf 1906, bu farw ei wraig yn 44 mlwydd oed.
Salwch ac epidemigau, tywydd gwael, gwyliau a ffeiriau, cyfnodau allweddol yn y calendr amaethyddol ac addasiadau i adeilad yr ysgol - roeddent oll yn effeithio ar yr ysgol drwy ei hanes o ran presenoldeb gwael disgyblion.
Ar ôl i Griffiths Jones ymddeol, daeth Richard William Owen yn bennaeth ym mis Chwefror 1920, Daniel Jones ym mis Ionawr 1924 a David Lewis ym mis Mawrth 1933 a arhosodd yn y swydd tan fis Medi 1948.
Mae sôn am y problemau arferol o gynhesu adeilad yr ysgol yn 1895, 'Roedd hi'n amhosibl i'r plant ysgrifennu ar bapur neu lechi. Bob bore, roedd yr inc wedi rhewi yn y potiau inc.' (Tudalen 96 ED/LB/84/2). Ym mis Mai 1899, arweiniodd newidiadau arfaethedig ac ehangu'r ysgol at ystafell ddosbarth newydd ar gyfer y babanod erbyn 31 Mawrth 1901 (tudalen 166 ED/LB/84/2).
Cafodd addysg systematig o'r Gymraeg ei gyflwyno yn araf o'r 1900au. Roedd Cymraeg yn cael ei addysgu ar draws yr ysgol erbyn 1906 (ED/LB/84/2) ac erbyn 1913 caiff addysg ddwyieithog ei chrybwyll (tudalen 280, ED/LB/84/2)
Ym mis Medi 1939, golygai faciwîs yn yr ysgol bod yn rhaid cael newid yn y maes llafur, gyda mwy o bwyslais ar y Saesneg na'r Gymraeg (tudalen 35 ED/LB/84/3) ond erbyn 1986, roedd 38 o ddisgyblion yr ysgol yn cael eu haddysgu drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg .
Tom Pryce - roedd y gyrrwr rasio ceir enwog yn ddisgybl yn yr ysgol yn y 1950au.
Caewyd yr ysgol ym mis Gorffennaf 1999.
Lleoliad-
Yr Hen Ysgol, Nantglyn, Sir Ddinbych, LL16 5PL
The school was built by architect, R Lloyd Williams, in 1858/9 at a cost of £500. It was opened as a National (Church) school but became a Board School by 1874 until taken over by the LEA in 1902. It was a mixed junior and infants school.
The school's early history was difficult with many changes of Head teacher who all had to battle with pupil attendance - a rural community used its children for farm labouring. Religion was also an issue - chapel children attending a church school - parents objected to the teaching of religious subjects such as the Church catechism before 1874. The change to a Board school from a Church school after this lessened the emphasis on the teaching of a particular denomination.
In 1865 the head teacher was John Jenkins but he had resigned by 1869. J.R. Jones who became head teacher in April 1872 had resigned by February 1873 said 'commenced duties at this school today, only 12 children present which makes me feel rather low' (page 197 ED/LB/84/1). In 1874 a new head teacher W.R. Jones managed to stay only 6 months.
However there was a new head teacher by 1876 - Griffiths Jones, who served the school in this role until December 1919 - a total of 43 years. During this period tragedy followed him - in November 1896 his daughter aged 4 was burnt to death and in July 1906 his wife died prematurely aged 44.
Illness and epidemics, bad weather, festivals and fairs, key periods in the farming calendar and school building alterations all affected the school throughout its history in terms of poor pupil attendance.
After Griffiths Jones retired he was followed by Richard William Owen in February 1920, Daniel Jones in January 1924, and David Lewis in March 1933 who remained in post till September 1948.
The usual problems of heating the school building is mentioned in 1895, 'It was impossible for the children to write on paper or slates. Every morning the ink was frozen in the inkwells.' (Page 96 ED/LB/84/2). In May 1899 proposed alterations and enlargement to the school resulted in a new classroom for the infants by 31st March 1901 (page 166 ED/LB/84/2).
The systematic teaching of Welsh was slowly introduced from the 1900s. Welsh was taken throughout the school by 1906 (ED/LB/84/2) and by 1913 bilingual teaching is mentioned (page 280, ED/LB/84/2)
In September 1939 evacuees in the school meant that there had to be a change in the syllabus with more emphasis on English than Welsh (page 35 ED/LB/84/3) but by 1986 the school had 38 pupils taught through the medium of Welsh.
Tom Pryce - the famous motor racing driver was a pupil of the school in the 1950s.
The school closed in July 1999.
Location-
Yr Hen Ysgol, Nantglyn, Denbighshire, LL16 5PL
Mae hwn yn gasgliad iaith gymysg Gymraeg a'r Saesneg. Mae'n bolisi gennym i gatalogio eitem yn yr iaith y mae yn ysgrifenedig.
This is a mixed Welsh and English language collection. It is our policy to catalogue an item in the language it is written.
Related material-
ED/SBD/31- 1858 Plans of Nantglyn National School
PD/84/1/23- cash book (1870-1873)
PD/84/1/24-25- miscellaneous papers (1874-1935)
CD/A/4/76- Plan- Designs for proposed additions to Nantyglyn school (Jul 1899)
CD/A/4/231- Plan and sections- of proposed heating installation at Nantglyn Council School (1974)
DD/DM/341/98- Denbighshire Free Press, covering the closure of the school in 1999
Secondary Sources-
Eric Griffiths - 'Nantglyn', Nantglyn Community Council, 1984