As communities and volunteers have been transcribing the 390,296 signatories from the 1923 Welsh Women’s Peace Petition to America, many have been identifying and uncovering the stories behind this generation of women who stood against war. Who were they – and what messages might they have for us 100 years later.

‘Hidden Histories’ project led by the WCIA invited people across Wales to uncover and share ‘peace stories’ behind the 390,296 women who signed the Peace Petition – not just ‘the great and the good’, but the thousands of ordinary women across Wales moved in the aftermath of World War One to petition for peace.

This story and supporting material was contributed by Enid Lewis, that explored the history of Miss Olive Jones and her sister Miss Alice Jones.

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Miss Olive Jones and her sister Miss Alice Jones were former teachers who lived together in a house called "Sunnyside" on the corner of Alban Square, next to Barclays Bank.  

Olive was 40 in 1923 living in 21 Alban Square and a certificated mistress at Aberayron Council School, her sister was a head teacher in Wrexham.  

Also known as "Black and White" because Alice's hair was jet black, Olive's was snow white. Even though they could appear stern, I found them both very nice ladies.  

Three things I remember about them:  

1. When the cobbled pavements of Aberaeron were being paved over they objected, and these formidable sisters got their way! The cobbled pavement is still there today.

2. Alice (Alicia Gower Jones) was considered a great beauty in her day and the famous artist Augustus John (sometime friend of Dylan Thomas) came to Aberaeron to paint her portrait (I think).

3. They were "fyddlon" to Tabernacl chapel- Olive took a Sunday school class, Alice had wonderful "Sunday best" including a variety of hats, some broad-brimmed. We had a family pew behind them in the chapel- they wore "stoles" (fox furs) around their necks with the fox head at the back of the neck. As a child I can remember those fox heads staring down at me!