Welsh Journals

76 BYE-GONES. August, 1872. VANNER ABBEY.—Local tradition hath it that Y Vanner or Kymmer Abbey, Llanellfcyd, near Dolgelley, was founded in 1198, by Meredith and Griffith, lords of Merioneth, and sons of Cynan ap Owen Gwynedd, Prince of North Wales. The monks were of the Cistercian order, and the abbey was dedicated to St. Mary. Can any reader give the date when Vanner Abbey was deserted by the monks, and for what reason ?—Q. REPLIES. OLD FOLKS (O.A. Dec. 27, 1871, Feb. 14, 21, Mar 6, June 12, 1872).—la June, 1820, at Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire, died Mrs Susan Owen, aged 100. Her faculties remained to the la-t unimpaired. See Cambro- Briton, v. 2, p. 95. _ Can this be verified ?—V. There are now living in the upper part of Cardigan¬ shire, an ancient couple, whose united age« amount to 191 years, the husband being 99 and the wife 92. They have been married 69 years : the former served eight years as a soldier in the reign of G-eorge If., and he frequently walks from his place of residence to Aberystwyth, with fish for sale, and back again the same day ; a distance of twelve miles altogether. See Shrews : Chron : Jan. 1821.—Hylld. CHURCH BELLS (O. A., Jan. 3,10, 24, Feb. 14, 28, March 27, April 10, May 8, June 12, 1872).—In¬ scriptions on Bells in some Shropshire Churches :— Aston Bottrell :— PrfJlantur merito Petri Pectoris ictu. Acton Scott :— Ave Maria in gratia plena dominus tecum Marie eternis et bonis resonet campana. Baschurch :— Jesus Nazareus rex Indeoru m Maria: int: iaer: ous: hereD : M: CCCC : ende: Xivo: ian: van: Venice: Berrington: Fait homo missus a Deo cui nomen erat Johannis. Bitterley :— Hie sono que melis campana vocor gabrielis Jesu le sei«ne seynt anoe per le ordynaunce aleissturys. Que div asoile pursagaunt mercy. Cleobury Mortimer:— Petri campanam vocor et Pauli modo sanam. Clungunford :— Cuthberti p-ece dulce sonet et amene Missi de coelis habeo nomen ga rielis Eternis anuis resonet campana Johannis. Bodnet :— Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram ediflcabo ecclesiam meam. Munslow;— Campana Mariae virginis egregiae vocor. Middle :— Petrns Apostolus et Paulas Doctor gentium. Frees .-— Mentem sanctam spontaneum honorem deo et patris iberacionem. Stirchley :- Ad audem petri fit sonus iste mei. Stanton-on-Hine-Heath:— Sancta Maria virgo intercede pro toto mundo Upton Magna :— Voce mea vivo depella cuncta nociva. Wrbkin OSWESTRY SCHOOLS (O.A. Feb. 14, Mar. 13, July 10,1872).—There were evidently two mastersoi the same name, John Evans, <ppointed in the decade beginning respec¬ tively 1650 and 1670 ; and some confusion has arisen from the omission of the first in the usual lists of masters. 1.— The first John Evans, who had been previously master of Dokelley School, was ejected from this in 1661, and settled In Wrexham, where he died. In the list of ejected ministers given by Rees in his History of Protestant Nonconformity in Wales, he appears to be reckoned twice over—first under Oswestrv as schoolmaster, and under Wrexham as "a strict Congregationalist and high Dissenter." 2.—The other John Evans was appointed Rector of Newtown in 1666, head master of this school 1678, Canon of St. Asaph 1681, and Vicar of Berriew in 1686. On his acceptance of Berriew he probably resigned both Newtown and the school, as his successor Wicken was made a burgess in 1688.—D. R. Thomas, Cefn. Oswestry Advertizer, Aug. 7, 1872. NOTES. BORDER ORGAN NOTES.—Organ in Wrexham Church—FuMer, in his Worthies, says :—" These organs were formerly most famous (the more because placed in a parochial, not cathedral church), for beauty, bigness, and tuneableness, though far short of those in worth which Michael, Emperor of Constantinople, caused to be made of pure gold, and beneath those in bigness which George, the Salmatian Ahbot, made to be set up in the church of his convent, whose biggest pipe was eig'it and twenty foot long, and four spans in compass." According to a Gazetteer of England and Wales, temp. Charles II., "at Wrexham is ye rarest steeple in ye 3 nations ; and hath had ye fayrest organes in Europe, till ye late Wars in Charles ye first his raigne, whose Parliament forces pulled him aud them downe, with other ceremoniall ornaments." —On the 18th August, 1589, it was agreed, at a parish meeting of St. Chad's, Shrewsbury, " That for the better providing and accomplishing the reperation of the bells, fencing the churchyard, and purchasing one decent and semely cuppe of silver for the use of the communion, the organs should be sould to any of the parishe for the sume of 41, if any desired the same; otherwise the said organs should presentlye bee sould to hym whosoever would give 41 or more for the same."—M.O. BILLY SMALLBEER AND THE BEES.—The fatal accident to Miss Hough, at Twickenham, a week or two ago, caused by bees swarming on her bead, reminds me of an incident in Oswestry history twenty years ago. An eccentric old fellow, named William Roberts (who died very recently in our House of Industry) was at that time ostler at the Red Lion, and one day the landlord's (Mr Davies) bees swarmed and floated away across the Bailey Head. Tin cans and kettles were put into requisition under the vulgar belief that such music had charms for the honey gatherers ; but they were attracted to Roberts— Billv Smallbeer as he was called—and they swarmed on his face, forming a beard at least two feet long. Of course Billy was drunk, but he was sensible enough to stand still, and there he stood, the observed of all observers for a con¬ siderable time, until the swarm could be hived. Probably there are others who remember the circumstance, for The Bailey was soon crowded. —Jabco. QUERIES. THE BREIDDENITES (O. A., July 24, 1872).— In connection with the festivities at the base of Rodney's Pillar, there were certain ceremonies, and alwavs an ode recited. In 1816 "Mr Dovaston, the Poet Ferneat,- being engaged in the British Melodies, the task of com posing the addr^ ss for the day devolved on his friend Mr Rylance " That year, in consequence of the weather, the festival was not held until Sep. 13. I also read that " The Breidden Glee" was given after the ode, in accor¬ dance with the universal custom. What was that glee ?— Tbll,