"I started as artist-in-residence at the National Library of Wales 6 months ago now and I began to find out so much about my amazingly clever Great Uncle Dr. Edward Arthur Lewis.

The last of 3 children born to Maurice Jones Lewis (farmer) and Elizabeth Lewis (Innkeeper's daughter) in Llangurig in 1880. Doc. Lewis, as he affectionately became known, was one of Sir John Williams' best friends.

His full name was Dr. E. A. LEWIS. M.A., D.Litt., D.Sc. but this did not make him a proud hauty man. He was a great friends to his many students, even supported them on the sports field.

He was a prominent member of the Salem Chapel, which I am keen to find out more about. I am reading his book at the moment, which is kept in the library's collection as well as his papers which are also stored in one of the archival cells. I can add here that his material is neighbours with Sir John's private papers himself, which I think is only right.

Sadly Doc. Lewis tragically dropped dead on the 3rd tee of the local golf course while playing with 2 colleagues. This was so sudden and traumatised his family. He was only 62 years of age. I found his obituary in the LLGC's collection from the Cambrian News in January 1942, it mentions surviving relatives like a sister in Llanidloes, the Rev. Ivor Lewis (step-brother) and a step-brother who was Professor of Mathematics in Rangoon, and a step-sister, Curigwen Lewis, the noted London play actress."

"Well, that is impressive Granny" I thought. My grand-mother was born Martha Curigwen Lewis, 1905 in Llandrindod Wells to a recently widowed mother of 5 children. Martha Elizabeth Lewis nee Evans, Maurice Lewis' second much younger wife.

Martha had married Maurice shortly after his first wife died in 1895. She was 25 and had 3 children to look after. When Maurice died and left her penniless with 5 children to support, she left Llangurig for Llandrindod, to get a job housekeeping to support her 5 children. Everyone pitched in, but it must have been tough. All 5 children went to school and university, Martha had high expectations of her brood, she had fought hard to keep them healthy and together.

Little Curigwen as she was called by everyone, was the baby of the family. She was as sharp as anything and was a great reader even at Nursary school. In 1915-1918 she performed in Eisteddfod's throughout school, and the whole community was very very proud of their girl.

Through her career my Grand-mother continued to visit and support her home whenever she could, no matter what she was doing!

So the littliest one of all, her mother's namesake, made it to London, and auditioned for RADA, a trip, schooling and rent paid for by her biggest fans her older brothers Richard and Ivor. Curigwen first worked in rep learning her craft at The Royal Theatre Northampton, now the newly restored Royal and Derngate, where there is a seat named after her and my Grand-father in the Royal's Circle.

After this she landed a great role in 1936 she played Alice in Wonderland to great critical acclaim. This lead to a major break-through West End part at the Queen's Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue in Jane Eyre.

Of course she played Jane, a part later played by Katharine Hepburn on Broadway. She had made it, her name was in lights in London's West End.

Soon after this break, Curigwen was offered a tour with the RSC at the Old Vic in Waterloo, South London. Her leading men for the season were Ralph Richardson and a very young and ambitious Lawrence Olivier.

She played Desdemona in Othello, and during these performances and tours, she fell in love with my Grand-pa Andrew Cruickshank (who was a mere spear carrier in the RSC company in those early days). They married in August 1939 by her brother Rev. Ivor Lewis at the stunningly located St. Peter's church, Evancoyd. If you haven't visited this beautiful church and surround you must, it is completely breathtaking!

So that was that...soon after my aunt, mother and uncle came along and Granny dabbled in film, TV and stage, but she didn't have the drive anymore. All the luckier for me who saw bits of my Grand-pa as he carried on acting but a lot more of my Gran who was just down the road from where I grew up, and told me great stories of growing up in Llandindod, playing havoc at school, and early days on the stage, meeting George Bernard Shaw and Dame Sybil Thorndike.

I would love to get a blue-plaque to my grandparents as they truly deserve it, they were an inspiration to their children and grandchildren, and I hope future great grandchildren to come. So to all out there that find this, remember Miss Curigwen Lewis, great welsh actress of the stage. Gone but not forgotten.

Article by Blue MacAskil