Welsh Journals

Apr., 1880. BYE-GONES. 37 batting average has been over 20 runs per innings. The fact will be seen from the following figures :—64 innings, 1,190 runs, five times not out. In 1876-7 Mr. Whitridge washighestaggregate and average scorer in the colony, and in the°following year he had a still better average (27), though it was surpassed by two or three other batsmen. During the present season his batting has been as good, if not better, than before, he having twice exceeded 40 runs per innings—against the premier club's most dangerous rivals. But he has never once reached the century, his best performances having been 92 not out for the Registers against East Adelaide, 84 run out for Norwood against Kensington, 76 for Norwood against the South - Australians, and 64 against the South Adelaides. I have en previous occasions expressed my conviction that Mr. Whitridge was the best all-round cricketer in the colony. The above " record," I think, proves the point if proof were needed. A genial fellow, and a thorough cricketer, he has borne his honours modestly; and now that illness has obliged him to give up active play he, I am sure, leaves the field with the heartiest good wishes of all who love the good old game and who appreciate sterl¬ ing worth, whether in friend or foe. The South Australian Register of Feb. 21, says that the Australian eleven who are to visit England this season, are negociating with Jervis (mentioned in the foregoing) as they want South Australia to be represented. _________________APRIL 7, 1880.____________________ NOTES. DAVID JONES A LONDON WELSHMAN.— ; The Golden Torque at Wynnstay, as we know, was found by some gentlemen when grouse-shooting on Cader Idris I in the year 1823. In his account of it, published in Arch : Camb : Vol. 1, p. 242, the late Dr. W. Owen Pughe says the finder " gave it to Mr. David Jones of the House of Commons, with a view of ascertaining what it might be, not supposing it to be valuable." It could net have been I submitted to a better authority, for this Mr. Jones was I an enthusiastic Welshman. For many years he held a re- I sponsible situation in the Engrossing Office of the House I of Commons. He was a native of Towyn, and lived I nearly all his lifetime in London. Everything connected I with his native country had a charm for him, and when he died, in 1837, at his residence in the Adelphi, he was I said to possess the best library of Welsh books in the Metropolis. He was 68 years of age when he died. N.W.S. SHROPSHIRE WORDS.—Miss Jackson in the first instalment of her Shropshire Wcrd Book gives the following words as being in partial use in the county, but in naming the localities in which they are used, omits to note that they are known in the Oswestry district :— Abide, achern, adland, afterclap, aftermath, agwine, ashen-plant, askal, bake-hus, banter, base-child, beestings, >behappen, bespattle, blether, battin, bugabo, bowl, brat, buft, bullyrag, burrow, bytack, careyn, cats-gallows, chance-child, cofer, coodle, corncrake, cuckoos's-meat,dash- I boards, dinge, dolly, dog's-leave, dr'eep, dresser, driblets, ■ dribble, dubbin. In the second instalment, just published, ■ the following may be stated as used quite aa commonly ^ in the Oswestry district as in the places named :—Easings, ■•% easement, earnest, egg, flag, flen, gaby, gaffer, -happen, harnish, haulier, hike, hod, ill-contrived, in- I lieu, keffel, lag-end, lewn, mizzle. I also note that i where Misa Jackson gives words as being in use in certain localities, and adds, " Qy. Com.," these words are almost I invariably in use in the Oswestry district. Old Oswestry. Badgers.—Miss Jackson gives "Badger, a middle- | man between the wholesale selling farmer and the town- retailer of farm produce," as connected with the localities of Shrewsbury, Pulverbatch, Bridgnorth, and Clun. In the Salopian Journal for Aug. 27, 1800, the following paragraph appears :—" At Worcester, Kidderminster, Bir¬ mingham, and most other large towns, the magistrates have exerted themselves with the utmost vigilance to detect and prosecute Badgers, Forestalled, and Regraters, both in and out of the markets; and the inhabitants have entered into associations and formed committees for the same laud¬ able purpose." Jaeco. Bonkie.—In the first part of Miss Jackson's admirable^ Shropshire Word Book she has "bonkie" as a term applied to a girl occupied on the bank of a colliery. We had once in Oswestry an eccentric character known as " Miss Bonkie." Why was she so called? Oswald. Belter.—In some parts of Shropshire a "Belter" means a liar, and such an individual is said to " wear the belt" if notorious for his untruthfulness. Miss Jackson's meaning of the word is " anything of an extraordinary size." W.F. Dhu Stones.—In connection with this term Miss Jackson offers the following explanation :— Dhu-Stoxe [deu'stone and joo'stwun] sb. basalt, of a black or very dark colour, quarried at Titterstone Clee., Dhu— the local spelling—is a mistake. Z>/w = W. du, black; sable. In Bye-goncs, July, 1873, "An Old Inhabitant of Ludlow" wrote on this subject, and said:— The hard basaltic rock on the^top of the Titterstone is still called Jew (not, I believe, Jews) stone. Three reasons are given : 1, Because they have a peculiar power of condensing the dew; and therefore should be called Dew-Stones. 2, Because they are black ; and therefore should be called Dhu-Stones. 3, Because they are as hard to deal with as a Jew. This explanation was called forth by a previous query in which the following passage was quoted from an old book of travels :—" We were very much incommoded [on the Titterstone] by large stones, called from their hardness Jews Stones." N.W.S. Welsh Words.-Mr. Walter WThite, in All Round the Wrekin, fays: "It is noteworthy that scarcely a Welsh word has been adopted in the common speech of the people on the English side of the boundary line." Surely this is a rash assertion, and one Miss Jackson will be able to disprove in the course of her valuable work. Ctmro. Nobbier.—I have just received part 2 of Miss Jackson's valuable Shropshire Word Book, which includes the letter "N." I observe she does not give the word "Nobbier," which, when I was resident at Oswestry, was commonly used to describe a bricklayer who was handy at the performance of odd jobs, and who did not work under any regular master. Far Away. A LADY'S IMPRESSIONS OF WALES. [Letter VI.] (Mar. 17, 1880.) From Mrs. Presland (of Walford Hall, Salop) at Peniarth, Merionethshire, to her sister Miss Slaney, at Shrewsbury :— Dear Sister, I receivd yours, was much shokd At the account you give me, of thedreadfull storm, and much con- cernd to hear the thunder Boult fell so near, but shall ever with great thankfullness acknowledg the mercy of it not falling nearer. I fear my dear girl, and all of you was much frighted, no wonder, it was here shocking and I supose Louder amongst so many mountains then in any