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"OLD BRECKNOCK CHIPS." A Column of Antiquarian Chit-Chat relating to the County of Brecknock. NOTES, QUERIES, AND REPLIES, on Subjects inter¬ esting to Breconshire, must be addressed to EDITOR, Brecon County Times, Brecon. Real names and addresses must be given in confidence, and MSS. must be written legibly, on one side of the paper only. FRIDAY, MAY 27th, 1887. NOTES. OLDEST MAGISTRATES IN BRECK¬ NOCKSHIRE.—It may interest your readers to know that the following are the oldest Justices in Brecknockshire. I append names and dates of qualification :— E. D. Thomas, Esq., Wellfield, Builth, April 5th, 1831. Penry Williams, Esq . Penpont. October 18th, 1831. (For many yeais Chairman of Quarter Sessions). The Ven. Archdeacon Davies, of Courtygollen, Crickhowell, April 3rd, 1832. W. Campbell Davies, Esq., of Neuadd Fawr, Llan¬ dovery, June 27th, 1837 Howel Gwyn. Esq , Neath, June 27rh, 1837. Rev. Lister Venables, Newbridge, July 2nd, 1839. I also find that the late much respected Rev. C. Griffith, of Glyncelyn, near Brecon, qualified on January 4th, 1831. I shall esteem it a favour if any of your readers could furnish me with the dates of the qualification of the following deceased Justices for this County :— The late Henry AUen, Esq., Oakfield, near Hay. The late Rev. Hugh Bold, Boughrood. Castle. The late Dr. Bowen, of Talgarth. I further observe on looking through the list of Justices that there are scarcely any Nonconformists on the commission of the peace for Brecknockshire. How is this ? Methodist. Gwent House, LlaneHy. [Mr Penry Williams, of Penpont, and Mr Campbell-Davys, of Neudd-fawr, are dead. Ed.] MODERN WELSH SURNAMES.—The following list, made up by Mr Alfred N. Palmer, of Wrexham, has been published in one of the North Wales Antiquarian columns yBye-Gones):— List of Modern Welsh Surnames which are really patronymics, and formed by the blending of " ab" or " ap " (" mab "—" son ") with a Personal name following. From an inspection of the names in this list it is clear that " ab " was used always before personal names beginning with a vowel, and " ap " before personal names beginning with " h " or " r." This rule is only violated in the names " Broderick" (or Brodrick) and " Brice." Puskin— Ap Hoesgyn (English Hoskin) Powell—Ap Hywel Prandle—Ap Handle Preeece}-APRhy8 Prichard—Ap Richard 82S }-*»■*•* Probyn—Ap Robin Prynallt—Ap Reinallt Prosser—Ap Rosser Prydderch » Ap Rhyd- Prothero ? j derch Barthur—Ab Arthur iaSo?}AbAdda(Adam) Beevor—Ab Ivor Povah—Ap Hwfa Pumphrey—Ap Hum¬ phrey Pugh—Ap Hugh Bellis—Ab Ellis Benion J _Ab Einion Jseynon J fievan—Ab Evan Biolyn—Ab Yolyn Bithell—Ab Ithel Boliver—Ab Oliver Bowen—Ab Owen £S* }*»**■** Bunner—Ab Ynyr Brise—Ab Rhys Tarry—Ap Harry Palin—Ap Heilin Penry—Ap Henry Popkin--ApHopcyn(Eng- lish Hopkin) WELSHMEN'S (THE) JUBILEE TO THE HONOUR OF ST. DAVID.—The following is a copy of a very curious and excessively rare Welsh tract by T. Morgan [query, one of the Morgans of Tredegar ?] (date, 1640). There are said to be only two "copies of it extant, one of which is in the British Museum. Small 4to., 8 pp. only. The following is a verbatim copy of it:— The Welchmen's IVBILEE : TO THE HONOUB OF St. DAVID: shewing THE MANNER OF THAT SOLEMN Celebration, which the Welchwen annually hold in honour of St. David DESCRIBING, LIKEWISE THE TBVE AND BEALL Cause, why they wear that day a Leek on their Hats. With an excellent merry Sonnet, annexed unto it. Composed by T. Moboan, Gent. London : Printed by I. Harrison. The Welchmen's Jubilee in Honob of St. David. Fame, the Vice-gerent of the Universe, is most to be applauded for her future indulgencie to her sons : for whom she cherisheth alive, she will not permit to lie in the odious sepulchre of Oblivion, nor suffer their names to be raced out of the rolles of honour, but in an annual progression rather to blow their names abroad with the trump of never dying glory. The explication of my meaning includes the customary observation of the Welshmen, who yearly celebrate one day to the honour of St David (<mae the Grand-Signior of Chivalry) in great solemnitie. He that was once the Pillar of their hopes, the Glory and sole Fame of their Country, is now hon¬ oured (although long since interred).in the memory of his meritorious Name. He that esteemed not his dearest blood sufficient to accommodate his Country, is eternized, or at least solemnized by the same, and hath moreover a respective remuneration for his magnanimous puissance: He lastly, that once greatly honoured Wales, is now himselfe greatly honoured by the same. To memorize any man, signifies not only the generall good opinion, and affection towards the same, but likewise declares his deserving vertues. Among the Greeks it was called a worthy thing to be solemnized after death. The Roman likewise acknowledged it to be gloriosum quid, a glorious thing to celebrate any day to the Honour of the dead. And I ingenuously confesse I cannot but highly extoll the indulgent solulity of the Welshmen, in remembring their Saint