Welsh Journals

July, 1882. BYE-GONES. 89 JULY 5, 1882. NOTES. POPISH CEREMONIES IN WALES. (June 7,1882.) Flowers, for some reason or other, have held and still hold, a high place in our religious rites and ceremonies. I have already pointed out some of these in connection with funeral rites. I would now add the "Dressing of the corpse with flowers," and the coffins with wreaths and immortelles. The dressing of the graves on Easter Sunday in some parishes, and in others on Palm Sunday, called by the Welsh—Sul y Blodau (Flower Sunday) is duly and most sacredly observed. Some burying grounds, especially so on last Easter Day, presented a very pretty appearance. Not the least significant are the wedding decorations : the Bridal wreath—the evergreen arches—strewing the way with flowers, and beautiful bouquets forming the most prominent and best known of this vestige of the old times. The chapel decorations for the " harvest thanks¬ giving services " and " floral services " are innovations of the last few years. Holly and ivy decorations of the house at Christmastime have re-established themselves. Some forty years ago the old Nonconformists would not allow of such a conforming to what to them was a cus¬ tom so contrary to their idea of Protestantism. I well recollect this custom strictly forbidden and loudly con¬ demned as savouring of Antichrist. Old women had a custom, now nearly obsolete, of carrying with them to their places of worship small nosegays of sweet scented flowers, chiefly mint, thyme, old man, lavender, gillie-flower, and sweet-briar, or a rose. The way these " posies of flowers " are held and made use of in the Services is curious. In Welsh Botanology we have a field rich in traces of the old monks, once the great herbalists of their day. Some plants have legends, such as Llaeth y Vorwyn, or Llaeth bron Mair, Lungwort, the name derived from the white spots on the leaves, left thereon by the Virgin Mary's Milk. The Virgin has the greatest number of plants honoured by her name; whilst Christ, Saints Peter, John, James, Paul, Michael, Ffraid, or Bride, Christopher, come in for their quota. The Trinity, the Eucharist, the Cross, the Angels, and Evil Spirits are also duly honoured, and are prominent in the category of British plants and flowers. On the feast of St. Stephen's the last in bed was duly and severely castigated with a branch of holly, and dubbed "Tapster" for the remainder of the year;" the prickly leaves of the Holly doing effectual duty in memory of the Martyr Stephen. Gypt. PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND (June 14, 1882). Carnarvonshire, concluded. The first name under each date refers to the county, and the second to the boroughs. 1705 Sir John Wynne, Knt. and bart. Thomas Buckley, esq., of Dinas. 1708 Ditto William Griffith, Esq., of Kefn Amulch. 1710 Ditto Ditto, of Llun. 1713 William Griffith, Esq., of Lyne. Thomas Wynne, Esq. 1714-5 Ditto, of Kefnannolch. (1) Ditto. 1722 John Griffith, Esq., of Cefnamwich. Ditto, of Glyn Llivon. 1727 Ditto Ditto. 1734 Ditto (2) Ditto, of Bodvean. (1). John Griffith, Esq., of Llyn, returned 27th April 1715 ; vice William Griffith, Esq., deceased. (2). John Wynne, Esq., of Glynllivon, returned 2 Jan. 1739-40, vice John Griffiths, Esq., deceased. 1741 William Bodvell, Esq., of Madrin. Ditto. 1747 Ditto Sir Thomas Wynne, bait (3) 1754 Sir John Wynn, bart. of Glynllivon. Sir William Wynne, Knt. (4) 1761 Thomas Wynn, Esq. of Glynn. Sir John Wynn, bart. 1768 Ditto Glyn Wynn, Esq. 1774 Thomas Assheton Smith, Esq. Glynn Wynn, Esq, 1780 John Parry, Esq, of Wernfawr. Ditto. (5) '' 1784 Ditto Dirto. 1790 Robert Williams, Esq. Henry Lord Paget (6) 1801 Sir Robert Williams, bart. of Nant. Edward Paget, Esq. 1802 Ditto of Plas-y-Nant Ditto. 1806 Ditto Charles Paget, Esq. 1807 Ditto ' Ditto. 1812 Ditto Ditto. 1818 Ditto Ditto. 1820 Ditto, of Nant. Sir Charles Paget, Knt. (7) 1826 Thomas John Lord Newborough of Glyullison. William Paget, commonly called Lord William Paget. 1830 Charles Wynne Griffith Wynne, Esq, of Cefn- ainwich. William Ormsby Gore, Esq, of Porkington. 1831 Ditto Sir Charles Paget, Knt. 1833 Thomas Assheton Smith, Esq, of Vaynol. Rear Admiral Sir Charles Paget. The foregoing is taken from the Blue Book recently published. For list of members since the passing of the Reform Bill up to spring 1880, see Bye-gones Reprint pages 39-41, Apr. 1880. Since that time there have been one or two changes. Mr. Watkin Williams has been made a judge, and Mr. Rathbone elected in his stead as member for the county ; and a vacancy for the boroughs, caused by the death of Mr. Bulkeley Hughes, has been filled by Mr. Love Jones Parry. QUERIES. OLD PROPHECY.—A bard of the sixth century is said to have written the following prophecy : " Dwy flynedd cyn aflonydd Pont ar Fenai a fydd." Who was the Bard ? Nemo. POPULATION OF OSWESTRY. — Can any reader fill up the blanks in the following table ? 1801 Town ? Parish ? Total 5839 1811 „ 3479 ? ? 1821 „ 3910 ? ? 1831 ,, 4478 ? ? 1841 „ 4569 „ 4343 „ 8912 1851 „ 4816 „ 3979 „ 8795 1861 „ 5414 ? ? 1871 „ 7306 „ 4346 „ 11652 1881 „ 7851 „ 4074 „ 11925 I should be glad also to have my figures checked, as they have not all been taken from official returns. It will be (3). Sir William Wynne, Knt., returned 2 May 1749, vice Sir Thomas Wynne, Bart., deceased. (4). Robert Wynne, Esq., returned 16 Dec. 1754, vice Sir William Wynne, Knt., deceased. (5). Glynn Wynn, Esq., re-elected 16 July 1781, after appoint¬ ment as Receiver General of Land Revenue in North Wales and Chester. (6). Henry Paget, commonly called Lord Paget, re-elected 4 Feb. 1795, after appointment to a Lieut.-Colonelcy in the Army. (7). Sir Charles Paget, Knt., re-elected 12 Feb. 1822, after appointment as one of the Grooms of the Bedchamber. 12