Welsh Journals

May, 1878. BYE-GONES. 35 The Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society make a goodly part, containing papers by the Rev. W. A. Leighton, the Rev. G. Sandford, Mr. Askew Roberts, the Hon. and Rev. T. O. Bridgeman, and the Rev. J. D. La Touche. These are, some of them, very nicely illustrated; and a couple of exquisite little pictures illustrating a paper by Mr. Hubert Smith in the first part are also included ; which, we are informed, are pre¬ sented by the writer. In Mr. Leighton's paper on Haghmon Abbey, some extracts from the Cartulary are given, connected with the " Hospital of St. John" at Oswestry, an abstract of which we hope some day to give in Bye-gones. Mr Sandford concludes his very readable account of Ludlow Castle with the remark that " King George IV., no mean judge of the pic¬ turesque, assigned to Ludlow a place second only to Edinburgh in his dominions." On what occasion had his Majesty an oppor¬ tunity of judging, and how did he obtain the reputation of a judge? The Hon. Mr. Bridgeman's account of the "Lords of Billingsley" is taken largely, in the earlier pages, from Eyton ; but the latter part forms a valuable addition to that gentleman's Antiquities. Mr. La Touche, in his paper on Stokesay Castle, acknowledges his obligation to Mrs. Stackhouse Acton for mate¬ rials : his paper is very interesting. PROPOSED MEMORIAL TO THE BISHOP OF LICHFIELD. After the Bishop of Lichfield's funeral on Tuesday, April 16, a meeting was held in the large room, at the Palace, to consider what steps should be taken towards creating a memorial of the late bishop. The Dean said they were very anxious to take the first oppor¬ tunity which presented itself for starting some movement by which they could testify their deep and affectionate respect for that distinguished prelate whom they had just laid in the grave. They would be ready to testify their respect to a less dis¬ tinguished prelate, but when they considered who it was in this case —when they considered his great achievement for the ex¬ tension and development of the great Colonial Church, and when they remembered how, at the call of duty and obedience to repeated requests of his Sovereign, he abandoned that work which was dearest to his heart, and came and placed himself in the Midland diocese—they would be utterly wanting in natural feeling if they did not at once do something by which they might perpetuate that great and distinguished name. (Hear, hear.) The See of Lichfield had been filled by very many dis¬ tinguished men, but he knew of no one who had proved himself such a worthy successor of St. Chad as had that distinguished prelate. They naturally reflected under such circumstances whether there was any particular object which the bishop had himself at heart. He (the Dean) was able to inform them that the Bishop desired the restoration of two or three mortuary chapels on the south side of the Lady Chapel, which had been left just as they were in the desolating war in the seventeenth century. It was his particular desire that these mortuary chapels should be renovated and made fit to receive one or two or even three monuments, as occasion might serve. Some plans were prepared by the late Sir Gilbert Scott for the restoration of these chapels. They were not entirely completed, but they could easily be finished, and carried out by Sir Gilbert Scott's successors. He did not wish to dictate to the meeting what form the memorial should take, but he thought it right to men¬ tion the circumstance. Mr. Gladstone—Mr. Dean, I feel myself disabled from addressing you in any ordinary sense of the term. In the first place I think it was eminently desirable that this should be con¬ sidered as a diocesan undertaking in this sense, not that the interest in it should be confined to the diocese, but that the motive power, the directing power, and the choice should come from the diocese, and it is therefore to those who are concerned with it that I think we who are outside should be disposed to look. As to speaking too highly of the Bishop, it is a task which would be difficult at any time, and which would be totally impossible for any one to undertake who had known him so long as I had, from his boyhood up¬ wards. I will only say that there is one epithet which. I hope, will always be associated with his name beyond any other, and that is the epithet "Noble." (Applause.) That is the one de¬ scription of his character. It comes more nearly to an adequate Ascription than any other that I know of. But, Mr. Dean, notwithstanding what I have said of the diocese, I will, hoping to be excused from all detail on this subject, venture to say that after what has fallen from you, you appear tome to be singularly happy in possessing, through a channel so direct and authentic, an intimation of the Bishop's wishes. I cannot help anticipating that this intimation will—so far as it carries out what you have so judiciously pro¬ posed—that the intimation will be conclusive. There will not, I trust, in this instance be that competition of memorials which sometimes operates most unfortunately even upon aggregate re¬ sults as well as upon relative results; and for myselfT so far as I may presume to express myself, 1 hope and earnestly trust we shall show our reverence and our love for the memory of this ex¬ traordinary man by endeavouring to walk in the way that his wishes marked out for us in the matter of his memorial. Sir Percival Heywood suggested that in addition to the restoration of the chapels, they should do more, and that was by taking means to divide the diocese, and to provide the necessary funds. Lord Selborne concurred in this suggestion. A provisional committee was unanimously appointed to con¬ sider what steps should be taken. MAY 1,1878. AT A WELSH FUNERAL.-A correspondent says: "On Apr. 11, just as the coffin was lowered into the grave in Llansilin Churchyard, a woman stepped forward with a quantity of clean straw under her arm, which she commenced strewing over the coffin before any earth was thrown in. When spoken to about it she said, ' I know what I am about.' The question is what teas she about ?" NOTES. BISHOP LLOYD AT OSWESTRY.—A novel incident in the ecclesiastical history of Oswestry occurred nearly 200 years ago, in the shape of a discussion in the Town Hall (in 1681), between Bishop Lloyd and the Non¬ conformists. Some of your readers will be interested in the following note concerning that discussion, from the Life of James Owen, who was the Independent Minister in Oswestry at the time:— That Excellent and Learned Prelate, being a declared Enemy to Persecution, studied to reduce the Dissenters in his Diocese, by mild and Christian Methods; He visited the most consider¬ able Towns within his Episcopal Care, and by Dint of Argument endeavour'd to remove the Scruples of all those who dissented from the National Establishment. His Lordship after some private Conferences with Mr. Owen, order'd him to give his Attendance at the Publick Hall of Oswestree, and there produce his Reasons why he Preach'd without Ordination by Diocesan Bishops. The Warning was short, for he had not above Four or Five Days to prepare, yet had no Reason to be asham'd of the Consequence. His Lordship having directed him to procure what other Ministers he pleas'd to assist at the Conference, Mr. Owen fix'd upon the Reverend Mr. Philip Henry, of Broad oake, and Mr Jonathan Roberts of Slai7ivair in Denbighshire, both edu¬ cated at Oxford, and turn'd out of the Church by the Act of Uniformity, 1662. Mr. Henry was a Gentleman of Excessive Modesty, yet would not forsake Mr. Owen at so critical a Juncture; He manag'd his part with a prudent and primitive Temper, with such Mildness and forcible Reasons, as recommended him to the high Esteem of my Lord the Bishop, and the Company. Mr. Roberts was an excellent Scholar and a warm Disputant; a truly upright Man, an Israelite indeed for Plainness and In- he Bishop brought with him the Learned Mr. Henry Dodwel; whose Judgment I presume was not so much distemper'd then, as it has since appeared to be, by his late Writings; else the Reverend Prelate would not have been so unequally yok'd. It may interest some of your readers to know that the " warm disputant" Mr. Roberts was the innocent cause of something like a row that broke up the Conference. Sir J. B. Williams, in his edition of the Life of Philip Henry, gives a record, which says .— The Conference broke off a little abruptly. The bishop and: Mr. Henry being somewhat close at an argument, in the re¬ capitulation of what had been discoursed of, Mr. Jonathan