A public consultation is underway to move our library from County Hall. John Morgan Howell (pictured below) would be turning in his grave!
Usually referred to as J.M.H., he was Portland House’s most famous resident. This local business man did so much for Aberaeron. He was a liberal politician, journalist and poet, precentor, deacon & choirmaster at Tabernacle chapel, magistrate, JP, school and college governor, director of the railway, member of the board of governors for the poor, philanthropist, advocate for social reform and most important for us today a patron of the arts.
In 1880 he founded a literary and debating society for Aberaeron and was able to secure a room for the meetings in the then Town Hall (now County Hall.) Meetings took the form of a musical item and then short debates in either English or Welsh. Three years later in 1883, J.M.H. was prominent in creating Aberaeron's first public library here too. Based in the same room, it initially had 220 books, most of which were donations. For a 1 shilling a year membership fee you could borrow one book a week. In 1885 the number of loans reached 1,142 and the stock was now 625 books.
J.M.H. was Secretary of the library, debating society and the Assembly Room. He would have been delighted at how well the library is now used and that it is free for all. He most certainly would not have wanted the library moved from the centre of town where it is accessible to all and he would have wanted everyone to have their say on this issue.
Please do not lose this opportunity and do respond to the consultation questionnaire.
If you do not wish to do this on-line, hard copies of the form are available in the library itself.
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