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92 BYE-GONES. June, 1884. that a messenger arrived at his house from Shrop¬ shire with a _ tender of a fee of three hundred pounds for his immediate assistance, which he has accepted." Richard Evans, his son, also piaetised as a bone-setter with much success, and lived at Cilmaenan, in the parish of Llanfaethlu. Celebrated as his father and grandfather were, the late Evan Thomas practised with still greater success, and his name became known over the world. He came to Liverpool about 1835, and for a period of thirty years was busily engaged in desperate cases of bone-setting, many patients coming from America, the Continent, and even from Australia. He left Liverpool in 1863, for Bryn Eglwys, where he lived in retirement, though people often sought him out in severe cases. SHROPSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. On Wednesday, June 25, the annual summer excursion of the members of this Society took place, the district chosen being the Montgomeryshire border of Shropshire. The morning was a delightful one, and, considering the interest of the district to be visited, it is surprising that greater numbers did not avail themselves of the excellent arrange¬ ments made for the occasion. The party, which assembled at the General Railway Station at 10-20, numbered about forty, including the following :-— the Rev. Canon Lloyd, Mr. A. T. and Miss Jebb (Ellesmere), Rev. Holland Sandford, Mr. F. Sandford, Miss Sandford, Revs. W. A. Leighton, C. H. Drinkwater, and J. G. Swainson, Mr. G. S. Corser, Miss Corser, Mr., Mrs., and Miss Price, Mr. W. Phillips, Mr. Calcott, Mr. Oldroyd, Mr. Wilding, Mr. S. Caswell, Mr. Franklin, Mr. E. Jones (Newport), Mr. Anslow, Mr. A. N. Palmer (Wrexham), Mr. J. Tasker, Mr, Griffiths (Knockin), Mr. G. Griffiths (Knockin), Mr. Goyne, Mr. V. C. Crump, &c. Montgomery Station was reached about mid-day. Here carriages were in waiting, which conveyed the party to the town. On the way the well-preserved tumulus of Hen Domen was noticed, aud the course of Offa's Dyke was traced in the meadows below the left side of the road. On arriving at Montgomery the Castle, hill, and ruins were visited. This once formidable fortress stands on a bold cliff, with scarped sides. A steep, winding path leads to the top, where a few blocks of solid masonry are all that remain to mark the outline of the Castle walls. An inner and outer court, protected by four deep fosses, are clearly traceable. These fosses and the e-carpments of the almost perpendicular rocks mark the castle as one which modern science might have rendered impregnable. Indeed, it ap¬ pears remarkable that in the fierce border struggles of the Middle Ages and during the wars of the Parliament, this fortress changed hands so often, as it must have been almost impossible to carry the position by as¬ sault. Doubtless starvation, treachery, or cowardice were the most effective artillery against such a natural strong¬ hold as this. In 1644 the castle was gammoned by the Parliamentary troops, and Sir John Pi ice was governor, The fortifications were shortly after this date dismantled. On a wooded eminence on the north side of the castle, from which even a finer and more extensive view is obtainable than from the castle mount, are the well- defined remains of a British encampment known as Tie ITaldwyn, but time did not allow of a visit to it. On arriving at the Church, which stands on an eminence facing the castle, the town occupying the valley between, the party was received by the Rev. F. W. Parker, the rector, and Dr. Wilding, The church of St. Nicholas is an early English edifice, rendered cruciform by the later additions of north and south transepts. The roof is very remarkable, being divided into three spaces, the wood¬ work and ornamentation of each differing. There is a fine but cumbrous altar-screen and rood-loft, said to have been brought here from Chirbury. The south transept, or Lymore Chapel, contains a splendid canopied altar-tomb with the recumbent figures of Richard Herbert,^ Esq., and Magdalen, his wife, the daughter of Francis Newport, of High Ercall. These were the parents of the celebrated Lord Herbert of Chirbury and George Herbert, the poet. George was born at Blackhall, just below the town. Other effigies in armour are believed to represent some of the Mortimers, Earls of March. The grave in the church¬ yard known as " The Robber's Grave," over which grass is said to refuse to grow, was inspected, but moi-t of the visitors seemed to receive the tradition cum grano salis. The carriages were now again called into requisition, and the party drove to Lymore Park, a remarkable specimen of the timbered mansion, with a splendid staircase, large panelled rooms, tapestried walls, and superb oaken floors. By directions of the owner, the Earl of Powis, the whole of the features of this remarkable building are carefully preserved. The figures on one of the gables are placed 1 over 67 and 5 underneath, which may be read as 1567 or 1675. The panelling of the rooms conclu¬ sively points to the latter date, although at first s-ight the house would seem to be much older. In the park Offa's Dyke may be traced. Re-entering the carriages the party then drove to Mellington Hall, the seat of Mr. P. H. Wright, a member of the Society, where they were enter¬ tained by Mr. and Mrs. Wright to luncheon, which was sumptuously served in the entrance hall, Mellington Hall is a nne modern mansion in the Tudor style, with a lofty tow<ri\ from which magnificent views of the country around are obtainable. After luncheon \ir. Wright expressed his great pleasure at the visit of the Society, and Canon Lloyd having appropriately thanked Mr. and Mrs. Wright for their hospitality, the party sojourned to the beautiful grounds of the hall, in front of which the vale of Montgomery forms a delightful panorama. Hence the party drove through Churchstoke towards Chirbury, and, alighting at the White Gate, entered Marrington Dingle, a richly wooded ravine, through which the river Camlet wends its way. Here, where they were conducted by the Rev. J. Burd, vicar of Chirbury, many were tempted to linger in search of the rare plants for which the dingle is famous, but the inexorable whistle of the vicar of St. George's sounded the advance. Vegetation, even in this shaded seclusion, was suffering from the drought of the last month, and ferns and wild flowers were found to be simply scorched. Polystichum aculeatum and pangulare were however gathered. The party emerged from the dingle in the grounds of Marrington Hall, a curious black and white timber house, the residence of Mrs. Price. Very little is known of the history of this mansion. Over the doorway are the arms of Bowdler, of Hope Bowdler, with three quarterings and supporters. On the lawn is a finely preserved sun-dial, carved with quaint masks resembling Egyptian deities. The date of the dial is 1505, and on one side the Bowdler Arms are carved. The sententious inscriptions on the column are well worth re¬ cording. One runs thus : Ut hora sic vita (As the hour so life). The other : Fui ut es, eris ut sum (I was as thou art, thou shalt be as I am). On the lawn is an ancient oak, girthing, at five feet from the ground, upwards of twenty feet. Marrington, it is conjectured, was formerly a residence of the Bowdler family, descended from Baldwyn de Boilers, castellan of Mont¬ gomery Castle in the time of Edward I., and afterwards of Hope Bowdler and Shrewsbury. More recently it belonged to a Shrewsbury merchant named Lloyd. The Rev. J. Burd now drove with them to Chir¬ bury, where the finely restored church of St. Michael, with