Welsh Journals

BYE-GONES FOR 1893-94. NEW SERIES. VOL. III. NOTES, QUERIED and REPLIES, on subjects interesting to Wales and the Borders, should be ad¬ dressed to Ebitor, "Bye-Gones," Caxton Press, Oswestry. Real names and addresses must be given in confidence, and MSS. must be written legibly, on one side of the paper only. JANUARY 4, 1893. NOTES. DRAWING THE SHEET—When farmers quarrelled in the higher regions of Wales they had a curious way of revenging themselves on each other. They would rise before the dawn of day, when the dew was on the ground, and draw a large sheet after them backwards and forwards. If an animal happened to graze in any place where the dew had fallen it would surely die ! Llywaech Hen. A PROTESTANT PRESENTMENT FROM DENBIGHSHIRE.—The following is a copy of a manuscript in my possession. E. E. Thotts. Address of the High Sheriff and Grand Jury of the county of Denbigh transmitted to Lord Hoofees- , , „. ... the High Sheriff & grand Jury of the Co. of Denbigh assembled at the Assizes held at Ruthin the 2nd of April, 1807, humbly beg permission to offer to your Majesty our unanimous & heartfelt thanks for the late instance of that firm opposition wh. yr. Majesty has so conscientiously exerted against every attempt to infringe upon the Protestant Establishment of this country as settled at the Revolution by grant¬ ing certain Indulgences to yr. Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland wh. we conceive wd. have been highly subversive of every regulation heretofore settled by the wisest councils & by whose decisions the illustrious House of Brunswick was requested to accept the Government of these Kingdoms. Long may your Majesty, under the auspices of that Providence whom you truly adore, live to reign in the hearts of yr. subjects, the Defender of the established religion, the guardian of the laws & liberties of the Realm, & the delight of yr. people enjoying blessings that are the.envy of surrounding distracted nations. Signed by order of the High Sheriff and Grand Jury by John Lloyd, Foreman. _■■■,_,, VOL. III. [being the 12th from the.begiwnng.] QUERIES. " SAESON."—When sparks are emitted with a crackling noise from burning wood, it is customary in some parts of Montgomeryshire to call them " Saeson " (Saxons or English). Is this a general custom ? If so,can any of your readers offer an explanation ? E.G.M. SWINNERTON OF OSWESTRY.—LORD MAYORS AND SHERIFFS, TEMP. JAMES I. —(From the London and Middlesex Notebook, 1892, pp. 205-6).—" Sir John Swinnerton, [Kt.], Merchant Taylor, son of John Swinnerton of Os¬ westry, Salop, Citizen and Merchant Taylor of London [who was buried at St, Mary Alderman- bury, Oct., 1608], by Mary, dau. of — Fawnte, was born about 1566 ; travelled in Spain in his youth : was Farmer of the impost for wines, in or before 1594, a post from which he acquired vast profits ; Alderman of Cripplegate 22 June, 1602, till his death in 1616; Sheriff 1602-03, during the period of the accession of the King, whom he met in great state, 7 May, 1603, near Waltham, on his progress to London ; was knighted with 18 other Aldermen, 26 July, 1603. He entertained the King and Queen at the ! cost of above £1,000, on 16 July, 1607, at which date he was Master of his Company. Mayor 1612-13, the pageant on his inauguration being written by Thomas Dekker, and entitled 'Troia nova triumphans, London triumphing,' 29 Oct., 1612. At the banquet given on this occasion, at which Henry, Prince of Wales, was (but for his sickness) to have been present, he enter¬ tained at his house in Aldermanbury (where he kept his Mayoralty) Frederic,Count Palatine.after- wards husband of the Princess Elizabeth. Another great ceremony took place on Michaelmas Day, 1613, when he, as the Lord Mayor, rode with the Aldermen to the great cistern at Spa Fields in Islington, into which (the flood-gates being then opened) was admitted the New River, brought from Amwell, Herts., by the well-known Hugh Middleton, afterwards (in 1622) created a Baronet. He purchased, 1 April, 1601, the Manor of Stan- way, co. Essex, and held also the Manor of Little Birch, Co. Essex, and lands at Duddleston and Parhington, Salop. He mar., 1 Aug., 1586, at St. Marv's, Aldermanbury (Lie, London), Thomazine,