Welsh Journals

210 BYE-GONES. Dec. 2, 1891. can be called light reading ; nevertheless it is far from being of the dry-as-dust sort; and to those interested in the history of the Welsh Bible— and in Wales, which is proudly called the " Land of the Bible and theSunday School," their number must be not a few—the account given of the life and labours of those benefactors of their race who strove against the greatest obstacles and difficul¬ ties to spread the light of the Gospel among their fellow-countrymen, by the publication of the Bible and other religious works in the language of the people, must always possess a deep interest. Mr Ashton, in the work before us, has been careful in all cases to give his authorities for the statements he makes. This fact alone should commend his work to those who are anxious to ascertain facts, and to separate what is only traditionary or un¬ certain from that which is historically true. For instance, it had been supposed that Dr. William Morgan had at one time held the living of Oswes¬ try while he was at the same time Bishop of Llandaff; but Mr Ashton says (p. 193) that a document exists at the Record Office in London which he considers conclusively to prove that the Wm. Morgan presented to the Vicarage of Oswes¬ try, en May 28, 1599,was not Bishop William Mor¬ gan. The former is described in the document referred to as " Mr. of Arts," whereas the Bishop had taken his degree of D.D. in the year 1583. The little volume will be found to contain a store of useful information for the historian, the phil¬ ologist, and the bibliographer, as well as for the general reader. The work, which consists of some 356 pages octavo, in addition to xii. pp. of intro¬ ductory matter, is divided into ten sections or chapters ; and an appendix gives what to many will be most useful and interesting information, namely lists, upon the compilation of which the author has rpent an immense amount of trouble and care, of the present possessors of copies of Wm. Salesbury's Testament, 1567 ; Bishop Mcr- gan's Bible, 1588 ; and Bishop Parry's Bible, 1620; with notes describing the present condition of particular copies, and other interesting facts relat¬ ing thereto. Of Salesbury's Testament 29 copies are mentioned ; of Bishop Morgan's Bible 39 ; and of Bishop Parry's Bible 66. Thus, of the first three editions of the Welsh Bible 134 copies are known to exist. They are generally more or less imper¬ fect ; but of Bishop Morgan's Bible the British and Foreign Bible Society possesses a copy in excellent preservation, and Lady Llanover a complete copy in fine preservation. Copies are also possessed by the Bodleian Library, Oxford; the British Museum ; Jesus College, Oxford ; the Calvinistic Methodist College, Bala ; the Dean and Chapter's Library, Bangor ; the Dean and Chapter's Library, Westminster ; the Reference Library, Swansea; the Societyof Ancient Britons, London; the Univer¬ sity College of Wales, Aberystwyth; and the University College of South Wales, Cardiff. Amongst the fortunate individuals in our own district who possess copies we may mention Mr Peter Ed¬ wards,of Coedpoeth ; Dr Charles Edwards.of Bala ; the Rev M. D. Jones, of Bala ; the Rev Owen Jones,B.A., of Liverpool ; the Rev R. J. Roberts, of the Vicarage, Pool Quay ; Mrs Sarah Thomas.of Llwyn y Grug.Dinas Mawddwy ; and theVenerable Archdeacon Thomas of Meifod, whose copy, which was incomplete when he purchased it about two years ago from Mr EllisThomas.of Meifod, for £20, has jiow had the deficiencies made good, and been rebound, so that it now is an excellent copy. DECEMBER 2, 1891. NOTES. NEWTOWN—AN EPIDEMIC OF SMALL POX.—In the parish register under the year 1736 there is a memorandum " 27 persons died of small pox this year." Among them I noticed was Anna Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Pryce. She was baptized 3 May, 1725, and was buried Nov. 1,1736. She was only sister to Diana Evors, to whom Arthur Pryce, her uncle, left £500. In 1748 a second epidemic of small pox caused the death of ten persons at Newtown. Pearmain. THE MORTIMERS TEMP. ED. III.—The following very full prdcia of the entry upon the Patent Roll of 1 Ed. III. (p. 2, m. 3, 24 July, 1327), extracted from the recently issued calendar, is of importance in connection with this great border family. Edward Owen. Inspeximus, for the security of Roger de Mortuo Mari, the nephew, of the records and processes had in the last Parliament at Westminster, as follows :— The tenor of the petitions of Roger de Mortuo Mari, the nephew, to the King and council in full Parliament assembled at Westminster after the fea3t of the Purification, 1 Edward III :— Roger de Mortemer of Wiggemor prays that, as divers errors are to be found in the record, pro¬ cess and judgment passed upon Roger de Morte¬ mer of Chirk, his uncle, whose heir he is, before Walter de Norwyz and his fellow-justices ap¬ pointed by the late king for that purpose in the 16th year of his reign, the king will command the treasurer and chamberlains to produce them before the King and his council, and cause the errors to be amended. (French). By reason of these petitions the Chancellor was eommanded to produce the said records before the King and his council in Parliament, which he ac¬ cordingly did, as follows :— | The judgment passed (pronunciacio et reddicio \ judicii.....facti) upon Roger de Mortuo Mari, the uncle, and Roger, the nephew, im- \ prisoned in the Tower, by Walter de Norwico, William de Herle, Walter de Friskeney, John j de Stonore, and Hamo de Chiggewell, at West- , minster, on Monday, the morrow of St. Peter ad \ Vincula, 16 Edward II.