Ivor Waters

Ivor Waters - for us, working here at Stella books, a familiar name among the thousands of books lining the shelves. Born in Chepstow in 1907, Harry Ivor Waters lived at 41 Hardwick Avenue. His family have roots in Chepstow going back to the late 1600s, at least. Perhaps it was only natural that he had a deep interest in all things pertaining to the history of Chepstow and produced many booklets and books about the area.

In the late 1920s Ivor won a poetry prize run by Britannia Magazine and used the prize money to finance foreign holidays. He studied Spanish and French at degree level, becoming so successful in Spanish that the Spanish Government presented him with a book! The war years were spent with service in Intelligence where his language skills proved to be immensely useful.

In 1934 Ivor became friends with a pharmacist in Barcelona, whose (then) infant daughter Mercedes was later destined to become Mrs. Ivor Waters and to illustrate many of the books written by her husband.

In 1948 Ivor hired a room in the old Tudor Café (sadly no longer in existence) in Beaufort Square, Chepstow and invited anyone interested in local history to attend a meeting at 7pm on 12 th March. A letter was published in the Chepstow Weekly Argus the day before the meeting, outlining a proposition to form a local history society to arrange lectures, excursions, the 'preservation of books, pictures, old records and objects of local interst, with the objective of setting up Chepstow Museum archives; to publish brief monographs on particular aspects of Chepstow history or customs', etc.

10 people attended, agreed to the proposition and thus founded Chepstow Society of which Ivor Waters was Hon. Secretary. The objective of the society is: To advance education by the study of local and natural history in the town and hinterland of Chepstow.

The first Chepstow Society publication was written by Ivor Waters himself and was entitled 'Chepstow Lords and Commons'. For many years the Chepstow Society publications were printed by R.H. Johns Ltd. of Newport and Ivor learned much from his frequent visits to the printing works in Dock Street . Armed with knowledge gained during those twenty years, Ivor began printing from his own private press which came to be called 'The Moss Rose Press' and was also the only independent press in Wales.

 

Ivor researched much of his material in Newport Reference Library and sometimes further afield. When people became aware of the fact that he was recording local history, the local people were very helpful and Ivor was able to view many documents that are now in official custody. It is doubtful that Chepstow would have such a well documented history if it hadn't been for the drive and dedication of Ivor Waters who sadly passed away in 1992.

 

Contributed by Sonia Bryant

 

Information gleaned from 'The Moss Rose Press' by Ivor Waters
'Reflections' by Chepstow Society - published to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of The Chepstow Society 1948-1998, article In Memoriam by Trevor Evans, President of the Chepstow Society.

Further information on the Chepstow Society can be found at www.chepsoc.co.uk

List of Books/Pamphlets by Ivor Waters

Published by The Chepstow Society:

Chepstow Lords and Commons illus by T.T. Birbeck, 1948, limited to 505 copies
A Chepstow and Tintern Anthology ed by Ivor Waters, illus by T.T. Birbeck, 1948, limited to 1000 copies
Chepstow Town Gate and Museum illus by T.T. Birbeck, 1949 limited to 1000 copies
Inns and Taverns of the Chepstow District illus by T.T. Birbeck, 1949, hardback limited to 400 copies + 100 copies de luxe
Chepstow Celebrates 1851-1951 illus by Evelyn Butler, 1950 limited to 1000 copies
Festival of Britain Programme compiled by Ivor Waters 1951 limited to 1000 copies
About Chepstow illus by T.T. Birbeck, 1952, hardback limited to 1702 copies
Chepstow Parish Records hardback, 1955 limited to 1245 copies
Chepstow Miscellany illus by T.T. Birbeck etc, hardback, 1958 limited to 1483 copies
The Unfortunate Valentine Morris hardback, 1964 limited to 1000 copies
Folklore and Dialect of the Lower Wye Valley illus Mercedes Waters, 1973 limited to 1000 copies
Henry Marten and the Long Parliament hardback, 1973 limited to 1000 copies
Inns and Taverns of Chepstow and the Lower Wye Valley illus by Mercedes Waters, hardback 1976 limited to 250 copies
The Severn & Wye Review ed.by Ivor Waters Vol I, Nos. 1-6, 1970-2; Vol II, Nos. 1-2, 1972-3

Pamphlets Series by The Chepstow Society:

Chepstow: A Poem by Edward Davies, selected and edited by Ivor Waters, illus by Mercedes Waters, 1967 limited to 1011 copies
Chepstow Churchwardens 1967 limited to 1003 copies
The Wine Trade of the Port of Chepstow 1967 limited to 1019 copies
Customs and Folklore of the Lower Wye Valley 1969 limited to 100 copies
Brunel's Tubular Suspension Bridge over the River Wye reprint of an 1856 pamphlet 1970 limited to 500 copies an d1976 limited to 500 copies
Chepstow Printers and Newspapers illus Mercedes Waters, 1970 limited to 255 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 1 1971 limited to 500 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 2 1972 limited to 500 copies
Chepstow Clock and Watch Makers illus Mercedes Waters 1972 limited to 300 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 3 1973 limited to 500 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 4 1973 limited to 500 copies
Jack o' Kent and the Devil by W.H. Greene, ed. by Ivor Waters 1974 limited to 300 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 5 1974 limited to 500 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 6 1974 limited to 500 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 7 1974 limited to 500 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 8 1975 limited to 500 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 9 1975 limited to 500 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus Mercedes Waters. Part 10 and index 1975 limited to 440 copies
The Town of Chepstow (HB Taken from parts 1 - 10 above) 1975 limited to 150 copies
Chepstow Theatres 1975
Inns and Taverns of Chepstow and the Lower Wye Valley illus Mercedes Waters. Part 1 1975
Inns and Taverns of Chepstow and the Lower Wye Valley illus Mercedes Waters. Part 2 1975
Inns and Taverns of Chepstow and the Lower Wye Valley illus Mercedes Waters. Part 3 1975
Inns and Taverns of Chepstow and the Lower Wye Valley illus Mercedes Waters. Part 4 1975
Inns and Taverns of Chepstow and the Lower Wye Valley illus Mercedes Waters. Part 5 1976
The Port of Chepstow illus by Mercedes Waters 1977 limited to 1000 copies

Series Terminated after pamphlet 32

Piercefield on the Banks of the Wye illus Mercedes Waters, 1975. Printed and published by F.G. Comber, 2 St Mary Street , Chepstow
Beachley Between the Wye and the Severn printed and published by the Printing Club at the Army Apprentices College , Chepstow.

Publications of The Moss Rose Press by Ivor Waters:

Chepstow Talk 1950 limited to 100 copies
A Note on Chepstow Clock and Watch Makers 1952 limited to 100 copies
By Severn and Wye. A Local Alphabet 1966
Looking Back to the Present 1969 limited to 100 copies
Impressions and Versions 1973 limited to 250 copies
Sunlight and Scarlet by Antonio Machado, poems selected and translated by Ivor Waters, 1973 limited to 207 copies
Five Poems by Enrique de Mesa. Translated by Ivor Waters 1969 limited to 36 copies
The Town of Chepstow illus by Mercedes Waters, hardback, 1975 limited to 150 copies
Margaret Cleyton illus and silk screen cover design by Mercedes Waters, 1975 limited to 150 copies
A List of Vicars of Chepstow 1975 limited to 100 copies
There was a Young Lady from Gwent 1976
Bedtime, and all well compiled by Ivor Waters, 1976
Collected Verse hardback, 1976 limited to 100 copies
Chepstow Road Bridges 1977
Chepstow Clock and Watch Makers 2nd edn. 1978
Mounton Valley Paper Mills 1978
Chepstow Street Literature & Ephemera 1979 hardback limited to 120 copies
Chepstow Road Bridges 2nd edn. 1980 offset from 1977 edn. limited to 500 copies, 180 copies with additional illustrations
A Chepstow Notebook illus by Mercedes Waters hardback, 1980 limited to 100 copies
Chepstow Clock and Watch Makers illus by Mercedes Waters 1980 limited to 500 copies
Leather and Oak Bark at Chepstow 2nd edn. 1980 limited to 200 copies
Chepstow Printers and Newspapers illus by Mercedes Waters, hardback 1981 limited to 120 copies
In and Around Chepstow 1st series 1981 limited to 180 copies
In and Around Chepstow 2nd series 1981 limited to 57 copies
Folklore and Dialect of the Lower Wye Valley illus by Mercedes Waters, hardback 1982 limited to 110 copies
Lord Cash (Letrilla Satirica) by Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, version by Ivor Waters, 1982 limited to 100 copies
Seven Poems by Enrique de Mesa, with English versions 1982 limited to 100 copies
Three Things I Love by Baltasar del Alcazar, with English verse translation 1982 limited to 100 copies
Chepstow Packets illus by Mercedes Waters, 1983 limited to 195 copies
Letters from the Tower of London by Henry Marten, ed. by Ivor Waters, hardback 1983 limited to 208 copies
The Town of Chepstow . Riverside illus by Mercedes Waters, 1984 limited to 350 copies
The Parish Doctor 1984 limited to 400 copies
Poor People 1984 limited to 500 copies
Old and New Gas 1984
Brunel's Tubular Suspension Bridge over the River Wye from an 1856 pamphlet, with additional notes and illustrations, 1984 limited to 510 copies
Chepstow Banks 1984 limited to 150 copies
Margaret Cleyton (c. 1537-1627) 1984 (limited to 150 copies)
Turnpike Roads. The Chepstow and New Passage Turnpike Districts illus by Mercedes Waters, 1985 limited to 105 copies
The Moss Rose Press illus Mercedes Waters, Linda Waters, and Bryan Woodfield. Hardback 1985 limited to 150 copies
Fragments of Spain hardback 1987 limited to 150 copies

 

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