Welsh Journals

"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. FEIDAY, JULY 1st, 1887. THE CHIEF EVENTS IN BEECONSHIKE DURING THE REIGN. 1837-1887. [ Continued from Issue of June 24th, 1887.] 1871 Llanfihangel Abergwessin Church restored; Llangynider Church rebuilt. The number of electors in the Borough of Brecon this year was 808 ; ten years later (1881) it had increased to 879. Promotion of the Usk and Towy Railway Bill. The projected line still lies in abeyance. Election of the first School Board at Brecon. February 1st. School opened by the Mayor and Corporation, on January 18th, 1875. Death of Colonel Pearce, K.H., at Ffrwdgrech, aged 81. February 5th. Death of Dr. Thomas Prestwood Lucas, of Brecon. " Lucas the Beloved." He died on May 29th (Whit-Monday), aged 70. Thomas Fuller Maitland, Esq., Garth House, qualified as J.P. for the County. July 25th. 1872 Antiquarian holiday of Cambrian Archaeological Association at Brecon, commencing August 20th. Present Marquis Camden born. Llanthetty Church restored. Parish Church of St. Mary, Brynmawr, built and consecrated. High Sheriff of the County, John Jayne, Esq , of Pantybailea (father of Professor Jayne, principal of St. David's CoUege, Lampeter). County meeting at Brecon relating to the Restor¬ ation of the Priory Church. Mr John Jayne, sheriff, presided. October 25th. 1873 Disastrous Flood at Brecon (but nothing like the flood of 1853). April reth. Brecon made a military centre under Lord Card- well's Act. Foundation stone of the Brecon Board School laid by the late Mrs Mordecai Jones. June 13th. Memorial Chapel to Howel Harris, '' the Luther of "Wales," opened at Trevecca. July 21st. Death of Mr John Evan Thomas, the Breconshire sculptor. October 9th. Colonel "William Jones Thomas, of Llanthomas, qualified as J.P. for the County. October 14th. New County Rate Assessment—total, £246,080 7s. lid. Dr. Gwynne Harris sent to Brecon by the Local Government Board to enquire into its unsanitary condition (January), and the Doctor issued an elaborate report in February. The Brecon Local Board also issued an exhaustive report on the same subject in the following November. Talgarth Church re-opened after restoration, by the Bishop of Hereford. December 9th. Llanlleonfel Church re-built and re-opened. 1874 Talgarth Horse Show established. April 18th. (Has been discontinued now for several years). Miss Braddon (Novelist) present at Llandrindod Eisteddfod. July 28th. Brecon Eisteddfod (the late " Mynyddog " con¬ ductor). November 11th. Death of the Rev. David "Williams, of Troedrhiw- dalar, known as " The Patriarch of "Wales." Mr Williams had preached for seventy years, and was 95 years and seven months old when he died. He lived during the reigns of George III., George TV., William IV., and Queen Victoria. Garthbrengy Church re-opened after restoration. September. The first church in Breconshire re¬ opened by Bishop Jones. Llangorse Church re-opened after restoration, by the Bishop of St. David's. October 1st. High Sheriff of the County, William de Winton, Esq., Maesderwen, J.P. and D.L. First Parliamentary contest in the County since 1837, when the present County Member (W. Fuller Maitland, Esq.) attacked the Tory stronghold, but was defeated by the Hon. Godfrey Charles Morgan (Conservative). In this year J. P. W. Gwynne Holford, Esq., again returned as Parliamentary representative of the Borough. He defeated his opponent (Captain Vaughan Morgan, Liberal) by a majority of 21. The Venerable Dr. Moffatt, the noted African missionary, visited Brecon and delivered an address in the English Congregational Church. (October 2nd, Friday). 1875 Colonel Bridgwater, commandant of the Royal Brecknock Militia, buried with full military hon¬ ours. January 5th. Brecon Literary Institution established. Jan. 6th. Opening of the Brecon Board School by the Mayor (Aid. Games). Jan. 18th. Archdeacon de Winton's First Visitation held at Brecon. June 2nd. Priory Church re-opened after restoration, by Bishop Jones. May 18th. Llandilofane Church re-opened. Aucrust 26th. Builth Church restored. Sir Joseph Russell Bailey, Bart., M.P., appointed Lord Lieutenant for the County. W. Fuller Maitland, Esq., M.P., first returned as Parliamentary representative of the County of Brecon, by a majority of 103 over Mr Howel Gwyn (Conservative). W. Fuller Maitland, Esq., M.P., D.L., qualified as a J.P. for the County. Basil Jayne, Esq., Pantybailea, Abergavenny, qualified as J.P. for this County. April 6th. Thomas Wood, Esq., D.L., Gwernyfed, qualified as a County magistrate. October 19th. 1876 Builth Agricultural Show established. Sept. 14th. (This show has been discontinued for some Union of the Brecon and Radnor Regiments of Militia. September 19th. Flood at Brecon, resembling the flood of 1853. Sunday, October 8th. High Sheriff of the County, the late Mordecai Jones, Esq., J.P. and D.L.