Joseph Rubens
A First World War Belgian Refugee and his wood carving legacy at Llanwenog
Germany’s invasion of Belgium in 1914 resulted in large numbers of Belgian refugees coming to Britain and enriching the culture of their host nation. Perhaps the best-known example is Hercule Poirot, the fictional detective creation of Agatha Christie.
A real-life refugee was Joseph Reubens, a talented Belgian artist working at nearby Highmead under the patronage of the Davies-Evans family. In thanks for the sanctuary he found in Carmarthenshire, he created a set of wonderful carved fixtures in St Gwenog’s church.
The furnishings he created are the pulpit, rood screen and lectern, as well as the pew-ends, each of which depicts a subject of ecclesiastical, local or national interest, including the Great War.
The suffering of the Belgian nation during the German wartime occupation is evident in Rubens’ design of the lectern. The traditional design of an eagle with outstretched wings seemingly reminded Rubens of the winged-eagle symbol of Imperial Germany, so in thanks for the sanctuary offered by the people of Wales, he carved the form of a dragon, the symbol of their nation
Again, reflecting the suffering and loss of the Great War, Rubens carved a memorial to those ex-pupils of the village school who lost their lives in the conflict. With effigies of each of the dead, the memorial was originally placed in their school, but following its closure, can now be viewed within the church.
A full description of the carvings can be found in the excellent illustrated church guidebook available in the church.
BBC short film of Joseph Rubens’ work
Joseph Rubens work on the Imaging the Bible in Wales Database
Stories of Belgian refugees in the UK during the First World War
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Situated off the A475 between Lampeter and Newcastle Emlyn. The church is always open for visitors.
Postcode SA40 9UT
OS Grid Ref SN49394553
The rood screen is clearly inspired by late medieval work and is decorated with intricate, unconventional tracery. It is topped by a large central sunburst and four smaller ones, presumably representing Christ and the four evangelists. Beneath the central sunburst is an intricately carved dove representing the Holy Spirit, the initials of Rubens and Davies-Evans and the date: 1915.
The screen forms one part of Rubens’ memorial at Llanwenog, to the shared suffering of the Great War for two small nations, Belgium and Wales. Thirty-four pew bench-ends, designed by Mary Davies-Evans and featuring numerous symbols of local history, saints and the war, were carved by Rubens between 1915 and 1919.
Rubens’ final contribution to the interior of the church was his carved wood memorial, erected in 1931, in remembrance of his wartime hosts and a faithful servant.
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