Elijah Price - ( A local Character )

Born - 20th May 1897
Elijah was a farm labourer prior to joining the army

He joined the South Wales Borderers on October the 29th 1931 as a Regular Soldier ( 3907997 ) on a seven year engagement with a commitment to the Reserve for five years. In the event he was discharged from the army on 18th March 1932 after serving only 142 days. This was under Kings Regulations ( KR 370 paragraph 6b - ( "as not being likely to be able to fulfil his commitment " ) - from S.W.B. Museum in Brecon, Ledger No 6 p195.

On leaving the Forces Elijah spent his latter years at Heol- y- Gaer, living in the small building shown in this photograph. He was also known to play his trumpet on occasion as people walked by. He also played the last post in the evening and the cattle in the adjoining field would wander down, gather together and form a appreciative audience. The building itself no longer exists, being dismantled shortly after his death.

In 1975 he failed to turn up at the Glasbury Post Office ( then run by Brian "Bim" and Fay Briffett ) for his weekly pension. After a couple of days and on May 20th in 1975, Bim went up to see if he was in good health and found him deceased at his home, where he had died of natural causes aged 78..
The cattle continued to gather and congregate for several evenings after his untimely demise.

He was later buried next to his brother in the Church at Boughrood.

Acknowledgements

Keith Berry, Paul Greenow, Sheila Leitch and Peter McClellen