Welsh Journals

40 BYE-GONES. Mar., 1884. tion, have been placed in the Church porch. An old communion table.made during the period when communion tables were placed lengthwise in the body of the Church, and having two richly carved circular legs at one end, and plain square legs at the other, is said to be the only table of its kind in the Principality. Many of the old-fashioned pews bore the crests and coat of arms of several noted families in the neighbourhood ; these have been retained. Five stained glass memorial windows have been placed in the Church. The date of the tower is apparently Norman. The preachers at the re-opening services were the Bishop of St. Asaph, and the Rev. Prebendary Cross of Stock¬ port. MARCH 5, 1884. NOTES. MARTIAL SHROPSHIRE. (Feb. 27, 1884.) Although the military ardour was nothing like so great in 1798 as it was three or four years later, it was suffi¬ ciently strong to excite the pens of irrepressible jokers in the newspapers. Thus, at the end of September the Salopian Journal says :—"The intelligencers of field-days are much relieved by a set of patent phrases which serve on every occasion.—All the services are excellent, the prayers pathetic, the speeches impressive, the dinners in the best style, and the corps made a very fine appearance. This will keep good in all weathers." Editors made much of italics in those days ! In the same issue it is also said that "The proportion of females to males at the watering-places this year is said to be as five to one.—The reason is, that the gentlemen must first obtain leave of absence from their commanders, and the wives never wait for any." Strong as was the military ardour of 1798„it was eclipsed by the marvellous way in which the people assisted the Government with money. We are told " The Great Heart of the Nation was stirred to its innermost recesse?," and hundreds of thousands of pounds were subscribed, voluntarily, to augment the assessed taxes raised for the purpose of defending our shores. Doubtless our grand¬ fathers sang Rule Britannia as loudly as ever their grand¬ sons do; but they played a practical accompaniment wheD they thus jingled their money to the tune. They did more than this. They even gave up feasting—civic, club, and military, and devoted the money "to the exigences of the State." The King subscribed £200,000 out of his private purse, to assist the good work; a journeyman brazier in Shrewsbury subscribed £5 ! The grandfather of Sir Robert Peel was down for £10,000; and a shoemaker in Welshpool gave " his all" (a double 1—not awl)—at least so the newspapers said—which amounted to 2^d. In Oswestry a company of Comedians subscribed £20, and the Boys of the Grammar School £28 16s. 7d. The ser¬ vants at all our country houses, and some of our business establishments, subscribed largely ; and in the Oswestry parish list, occurs the entry " A Dom6stick £3 3a. Od." The'succeeding year, 1799, is nearly a blank one as re¬ gards its local Military Annals. Bonaparte had his hands too full in Egypt to think much of an English Invasion, and our Shropshire soldiers enjoyed a temporary repose. The " Great Heart of The Nation " was so far relieved as to be able to indulge in feasting again ; and on Nov. 14th, 1799, Major Ormsby, the newly-appointed successor to Major Mytton in command of the Oswestry Rangers gave a dinner which seems to ha7e been notable. The words of two original songs sung on the occasion have been pre¬ served : one of these we gave in Bye-gones, as far back as Sep. 15,1875; and the other (the MS. of which is kindly lent to us by Lord Harlech) we here produce :— BRITISH TOASTS. Porkington, Nov'r 14,1799. |Tune—Gen'l Toasts] Here's to the man who his country defends, And to those who to Britons are true, sir ; To all who love honest John Bull are we friends, But no friends to the Jacobin crew, sir. Let the toast pass, for each British lass, Will warrant the toast an excuse for the glass. Here's to our Navy so high in repute, Of Neptune the pride and the boast, sir, " Whose exploits of each year for precedence dispute," 'Tis our Gen'ral and National toast, sir.—Chorus. For our sons of the waves, who are gone or alive, (1) Britannia and fame are contending, That their names through all ages like Howe's (2) shall survive With glory through time never ending.—Chorus. For Bridport, St. Vincent, for Mitchell (3) and Smith (4), For Duncan and Nelson (5)—a glass, sir, Whilst the nymphs of the ocean are forming a wreath, On shore for a toast let them pass, sir. - Chorus. To all who on land for their country and King, In Europe on Asia (6) contend, sir, A bumper we'll fill and their praises we'll sing, And their children our King (7) will befriend, sir.—Chorus. Here's to the Britons (8) who Ireland to save Showed the virtues of loyal alliance, They proved that by Union their foes they could brave And invaders cold set at defiance.—Ch or us. To our warlike Militia, the old and the new, In whose loyalty Britons confide, sir. What soldiers more active, more zealous, more true, The defence of our isle and the pride, sir.—Chorus. Here's health and long life to the Austrian Duke, And a bumper we'll fill to Suwarrow; If Fortune (9) one day does their order rebuke, They go on and they prosper to-morrow.—Chorus. Having toasted our warriors on sea and on shore, Both his Majesty's subjects and strangers, Permit me to add Major Ormsby and Corps, And success to the Oswestry Rangers.— Chorus. 1.— See Mr Dundas's speech in the House of Commons on pro¬ posing a national monument to the memory of Admiral Lord Howe, Oct., 1799. 2.—Monuments ordered by Government for Lord Howe and other Naval Commanders in the present war. 3.—Admiral Mitchel took the whole of the Dutch Fleet in the Texel, 1799. 4.—Sir Sidney Smith defended St Jean d'Acre and defeated Buonaparte, 1799 5.—Lord Nelson restored the King of Naples to his throne and his people, 1799. 6.—Seringapatam taken by storm by General Harris, Tippoo Saib destroyed, peace restored to India, Lord Mornington, Governor-General, Lord Clive co-operating, 1799. 7.—Colonel Hay of the Engineers, who fell at the Holder, con¬ fided to General Abercrombie the mention of his family to the King. King George 3rd settled £600 per annum on his wife and children, 1799. 8.—The Antient British Fencibles, commanded by Sir W. W. Wynne, distinguished themselves in the service, as well as the Buckinghamshire and other regiments. 9.—See events in Switzerland of the year 1799. QUERIES. EDWARD LLOYD OF DRENEWYDD.—Mr. Salisbury does not mention this "worthy " in bis interest¬ ing collection. The following " Biographical Sketch of E. Lloyd, Esq., the celebrated historian," was published in the Oswestry Herald for Jan. 8, 1822, in the form of a letter, signed "Pretrim." " E. Lloyd, Esq., whose nativity occurred at Drenewydd, near Oswestry, April 1st, in the year of the ever-memor¬ able Metropolitan Conflagration, was one of the brightest geniuses that Shropshire ever produced ; not less excelling