Gwenhiolen Hiarhles Morganwg Price (1841-1928)

Dr Price fathered her in 1841, with Ann Morgan of Pentyrch. She was named Gwenhiolen Hiarhles Morganwg (Gwenllian Iarlles Morgannwg or Gwenllian, Countess of Glamorgan) in honour of the obsession he felt for the County of Glamorgan and his personal worship for the work of antiquarian Iolo Morgannwg. When she was four years old, he belittled the majesty of the law by insisting the child was his assistant in a court case, naming her “my learned counsel.” 

She enjoyed quite a colourful existence, appearing in the court room for lack of payments for rent and other misdemeanours. Hiarlhles also made a grand appearance with her father at the Grand Eisteddfod of Llangollen in 1858. She lived in several different areas of Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff during her long lifetime, sharing her home with a Taff Vale Railway engineer ten years her junior called Thomas Williams. They were eventually married when Hiarhles was 71 years of age. 

Hiarlhes Williams moved to East Caerlan Farm to be with the remainder of the family following the death of her husband, Thomas. On July 5 1928 she passed away there aged eighty-four following a long period of "senile decay".

 Iesu Grist II, or Nicholas Price (1884-1963)

The second son of Dr William Price and his housekeeper Gwenllian Llewellyn, he was born on 8 October, 1884. Realising the effect a name such as Iesu Grist would have on their surviving son, Gwenllian made the decision to rename him Nicholas Price in memory of his ironmaster ancestor following the death of Dr Price.

Nicholas attended High Grade School in Augusta Street, Cardiff and had a varied and interesting life which in itself gives the impression that he was quite an elusive character with certain qualities about him that were not totally unlike his father. For one thing, he never wore socks, also believing that fresh air to the feet was important to over all health. He did not achieve the brilliance predicted by his father, but there was certainly a notoriety about him. In his youth Nick Price was a “strong man”, a champion weight-lifter and boxer who also gained a reputation as an excellent rugby player.  

On 26 December 1914 Nick, then aged thirty and listed as a carpenter, married Harriet Watkins, a thirty-five-year-old spinster of Ty’n Llwyn Farm in Llantrisant. Harriet, who was the daughter of the Morgan Watkins, a well-known farmer and dressmaker Hannah Watkins. The couple were married at the Pontypridd Registry Office. Her mother, Hannah was a friend of Dr. William Price, becoming his tailor when he moved to Llantrisant and repairing his elaborate Druidic costumes, while also helping to create some of his beautifully cut outfits in his latter years.

Sadly the marriage between Nick and Harriet did not last and although they are not listed as divorced, it seems Nick was considered unhelpful with the upkeep of the farm, enjoying his sporting, and for that matter, drinking prowess, more than heavy work. The story goes that on his return to the farm late one night he was faced with a wheelbarrow with his belongings inside accompanied by a sack of flour. The message was clear that these were objects he had entered the marriage with, and he was leaving with them too. 

The few items of correspondence between Nick and his sisters do reveal something of his whereabouts during his early years. Various stories claim he was a carpenter and builder for stonemason Will John at the RAF aerodrome in St Athan before spending time on construction sites in Newport. There are also tales of him working as a policeman in Reading during the 1920s. For a while he travelled to the USA, settling in Detroit, Michigan, Texas, New York, Philadelphia and also Turcarawas in Ohio in the summer of 1908. Nicholas returned by the outbreak of the Great War, marrying Harriet in the final weeks of 1914 before enlisting in the 38th (Welsh Division). A Christmas card, sent to Caerlan “with Christmas Greetings for 1917 in the Confident Hope of a Victorious 1918” survives. 

On 21 June 1963 Nicholas passed away at East Caerlan of a heart attack. He was seventy-eight years old and was cremated at Glyntaff

Penelopen Elizabeth Price (1886-1977)

The second daughter of Dr William Price, she was born when her father was 86 years old on 27 May 1886. It was Penelopen who remained faithful to her father’s memory, undertaking many public events to celebrate his massive legacy of the passing of the Act of Parliament in 1902. Penelopen’s prowess as a piano tutor was widespread and for over eighty years she taught children throughout the district, initially travelling to their homes on horseback, later by bicycle and in latter years by bus. In 1909 she appeared in the National Pageant of Wales dressed rather superbly as Britannia. 

Penelopen was educated at Pontypridd Girls Grammar School. With the outbreak of the First World War, Penelopen became a devoted member of the British Red Cross Society and St John Ambulance Association. Throughout the war she was actively involved in treating injured soldiers who were brought home from the front and cared for in various military hospitals throughout the country. The nearest facility to Llantrisant was found at the stately manor house of Talygarn. Penelopen’s devotion to both Societies is obvious by the sheer volume of certificates and honours bestowed upon her for her dedicated service, support and kindness to the wounded men and boys. She trained as early as 1912 in a multitude of courses at various training centres.

In 1919 she received the accolade of an award from the Joint Committee of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John of Jerusalem in England in recognition of valuable services during the Great War. Following a meeting of the Council of the British Red Cross Society held at St James’s Palace, her name was also inscribed on the Roll of Honourable Service. In many of the images of returning heroes from the First World War who were presented with their medals on the steps of the Guild Hall in Llantrisant, next door to the police station where her late father had spent a night in the cells, Penelopen can be seen in her nurses outfit amongst the crowd. Her half-sister, Rachel, also trained as a nurse in 1916 and assisted with the wounded at Talygarn. 

Penelopen and Rachel remained spinsters, devoted to one another and their family home and farm. On September 17, 1947 Penelopen was invited to return to the place where Ty’r Clettwr once stood to unveil a small bronze plaque in memory of her father.

Penelopen once again appeared on the BBC radio in October 1949 to discuss Dr. Price, for which she was paid eight guineas. On November 30 1953 she met Lord Horder, the President of the Cremation Society when she was invited to attend the opening of Cardiff’s first crematorium at Thornhill. 

On 8 October 1966 Penelopen visited Glyntaff Crematorium to unveil a stained-glass window in memory of her father at the North Chapel. Penelopen Elizabeth Price died on 21 October 1977 at the age of ninety. Suffering with a heart condition, she was admitted to Tonteg Hospital where she later passed away.