Welsh Journals

82 BYE-GONES. Sep., 1872. against the rioters at Llanvyllin, who abused Mr J. Lewis. &c." What were these riots, and what became of the case ? I note that Dr. Williams speaks more than once of " the Rev. Mr J. Lewis, of Wrexham," a friend of his. Was he the ' abused ' party ?—Puritan. REPLIES. MAJOR ORMSBY GORE, M.P. (O.A., Aug. 14, 1872) —The late Mr Ormsby Gore was first elected member for North Shropshire in 1835. Mr Cotes retiring. Before the Reform Bill he had sat (1830) for Carnarvon. He continued to represent North Shropshire until March, 1857. His retirement was quite unexpected in this dis¬ trict. So much so that when his retiring address arrived for publication in the Oswestry Advertizer many could scare dy believe that the document whs genuine. One of our county magistrates—and a warm supporter of Mr Gome's— told me that he had been with our member, in London, for two hours on the very day on which the address was dated, and Mr Gore had not intimated his intention of resigning his seat. I have before me as I write the original MS. of the farewell address, of which the following is a copy :— To the Electors of North Shropshire. Gpntlemen,—It is with deep re-'ret that I take up my pen to address a few words of farewell to those friends who have for nearly twenty-three years so firmly and so kindly supported me in my efforts to serve mv country; but I fear that I am no longer equal to the labours and exertions which are due from your renresentative. My he 1th will not permit me to encounter the late hours of the House of Commons, and I have never been willing to undertake labours which I am not fully capable of performing. Words fail me to express the gratitude I feel for your past kindness, and I only hope that in private life, so long as God spares me, I m ty continue to e joy your friendship. I have the honour to be, 66, Portland Place, Yours f itbfu'lv, M <rcb 19Jh, 1857. W. ORMSBY Gore. For Mr Ormsbv Gore everyone felt profound respect. To quote the Advertizer of March 27, 1857, " Whatever may be toe variety of judgments past bv his late con¬ stituents upon Mr Gore's long parliamentary career, we do not fear to assert that none will be found to refuse him the praise of an earnest, faithful, and patriotic politician." —A. R., Croeswylan, Oswestry. OLD FOLKS (O.A. Dec. 27,1871; Feb. 14, 21, March 6 June 12, July 31, 1872).—The following is a copy of an inscription upon a headstone in the Llani does churchyard :—" In memory of Lewis Jarman, of Troed-y- rhiw, >n this parish, died M irch 1st, 1816, aged 70 years. Also Sarah, his wife, died February 13th, 1859, aged 103 years." Sarah Jarman was well known to several of the best informed, and m >st intelligent people of the neigh¬ bourhood, none of whom ever doubted the truth of her assertion respecting her age. There is now living in the town of Llanidloes an old midwife, who is in her 97th year. She reads her Welsh Bible without the assistance of spectacles.—Remah. There is now living at Bridgnorth (Dec. 1794) one, David Cauldwell, who, though aged 104 years, enjoys a good state of health, and one day last summer, on hear¬ ing there was a travelling man at Badger, nearly as old as hiinself, " Egad," says he, " then I'll go and see him, for I've not seen one for many a long day." And he was as good as his word, for next morning he actually took a walk from Bridgnorth to Badger, and after spending sevt-ral pleasant hours with his brother traveller (whose age was 102 years) he walked tuck again in the cool of the evening to Bridgnorth, which made his journey upwards of fourteen miles. Cauldwell is a pedlar by profession, as hea ty as an oak, and cries his trade every market day. £>ee Salopian Journal, 1794. MYFANWY (O.A., Feb. 21, Mar. 27, Apr. 24, May 22, 1871).- Besides Mr Pennant's friend, whose translation of Hvwel's outpourings of sorrow are given in the Tour in Waks (vol. i., p. 281, 4to edit.), the late Mr J. F. M. Dovaston tried his hand at a translation—or, rather, a free rendering ; for Dovaston did not understand Welsh. Here it is— Cold and lone looks the moon on thy walls, Dinas Bran, And mournfully murmurs the dark-rolling Dee; But the lamp of my life is more lonely and wan, And sorrow, high-swelling, flows darker to me ; Yet bright was my joy in the spring of my love, And rich were the blossoms in Hope's early glow ; But M fanwy is cold, and poor Hoel must prove On his harp and his heaven, the Winter of Woe. O Myfanwy divine, thou art Britain's bright star, Tho' malignant to Hoel, thou merciless maid; Yet it soothes me to think I thy radiance may share When in yonder lone Abbey my sorrows are laid. For to gem the bright raptures of beauties unborn Brother Bards in their garlands my teirs wil enshrine ; And while Dee shall the Va.'eof Llango'len a lorn Will the ni'me of Myfanwy be mingled with mine. These lines will be found on p. 422 of Dovaston's Poems, third edit., Shrewsbury, 1825 They did not appear in the fit st edition.—N W.S. Oswestry Advertizer, Sep. 4, 1872. NOTES. A COOL SALOPIAN.—The following singular advertisement appeared in the Public Advertiser, March, 1759:—"To be sold, a fine grey mare, full fifteen hands, gone after the hounds many times, rising six years and no more, moves as well as most creatures on earth, as good a road mare as any in ten counties, and ten to that; trots at a cmfounded pace, is from the country, an 1 her owner will sell her for nine guineas. Ii some folks had her she would fetch near three time) the money. I have no acquaintance, and money I want, and a service in a shop to carry parcels, or to be in a gentleman's service. My father gave me the mare to get rid of me, and to try my fortune in London, and I am just come from Shrop¬ shire, and I can be recommendeu, as I suppose nobody takes servants without, and have avouched for my mare. Enquire for me at the Talbot Inn, near the new church at the Strand. Signed A. R." -Ward Morley. ANOTHER SAMUEL JONES (O.A., Mar. 6, April 10).—The history of all the old Dissenting Academies is full of points of interest. In the year 1719 the Academy at Tewkesiury was amalgamated with the academy of still older foundacion, I believe, at Caermarthen ; and the result of the amalgamation is, at the present day, seen in the very efficient college of that town, the government of which is in the hanHs of the London Presbyterian Board. If, taking the Caermarthen branch of the amalgamation, we trac i it up to its foundation, we find it established at Brynllwarch, near Bridgend. Glamorganshire, its founder and first president being Samuel Jones (A.M. Oxon), who had been ejected from the Vicarage of Llangynwyd, near Bridgend, by the operations of the Act of Uniformity, 1662. The academy was founded soon after the ejectment, and Samuel Jones presided over it to the close of his life in 1697- This was the earliest Nonconformist Acade ny in Wales, and its founder may fairly be considered as the most eminent of all the Wei h Nonconformist ministers of the seventeenth century. By a crmrann Welsh custom of the period he had taken as his surname the Christian name of his father; or rather, in this particular case, that