Welsh Journals

Feb. 7, 1894. BYE-GONES. 269 days past since the writer saw him driving up, and looking apparently in his usual health, and full of his usual energy. The feeling of deep sympathy aroused by his death here, no less than at Chirk, betokens the position Mr Griffith had obtained in the district. It can be claimed for him, and it is no empty boast, that it was he who fought the hardest, and that his exertions were at last success¬ ful in getting, first of all, the fine road made from here to Chirk, and then the tramway, which of late has become a model light railway, and has beep the means of developing the resources and mineral wealth of the Valley. Mr Griffith was the first to bring the Glyn Granite to public notice—it was he who opened the first quarry, and since its found¬ ation he had been managing director of the Ceiriog Granite Company. His faith in the ultimate pros¬ perity and of the value of the mineral resources of the Valley always grew upon him with increas¬ ing conviction. He had ever the best interests of the people at heart, and the name of Mr Griffith will always be held in grateful memory in the Glyn Valley. The funeral took place on Thursday, amidst manifestations of general sorrow, the remains being interred in Chirk churchyard. FEBRUARY 7, 1894. NOTES. DR. JOHNSON AND THE WELSH LAN¬ GUAGE.—When Dr. Adams asked Johnson how he would get his etymologies for his Dictionary, he replied—" Why, sir, here is a shelf with Junius, and Skinner, and others ; and there is a Welsh gentleman, who has published a collection of Welsh proverbs, who will help me with the Welsh." B. "JACK" MYTTON (Jan. 10, 1894).—Another anecdote from the same source as that of the two former stories has just reached me :—An old man from the neighbourhood of Halston, who had not always lived in accordance with the Gospel, was taken ill. Mytton, as usual, on the look out tor a vent to his mad practical joking, conceived the idea of paying a visit to the old gentleman in the guise of the evil one. The house being old-fash¬ ioned, access was comparatively easy.and Mytton, having disguised himself, descended the chimney. He made for the bedroom, and in a sepulchral voice informed the sick man that he had come to take him away. But the old man, who was terri¬ fied to death, begged hard of Satan to spare him, which eventually he promised to do, on condition thab if he recovered he would abstain from poach¬ ing on the estate of his servanb Mytton, which promise he readily gave. C.A. NAMES OF OSWESTRY STREETS.—The four following documents are amongst the Ed¬ wards' of Old port MSS., and are in the possession of Clement Thruston, Esq., of Pennal Towers, Machynlleth. In 1878 some information was given in Byb-Gones respecting the ancient names of the Oswestry streets, and one writer (Fitzalan, 13 Feb., 1878), suggested that Street yr Velin was inside the gates of the Town, and that Street yr llan was outside them. This appears to be an error. It seems that they are different names for the same street, and both refer to what we now call Church Street. I do not know if the name of the Old Mill, after which the street was called " Gonglog mills," is known to your readers, or the meaning of the word. Indenture. 10 January, 7 Charles I. (1631). Between David ap llewellin of the Towne of Os¬ westry, Co. Salop, " Whittawer1" and Edward Da vies, sonne and heire apparent of hym the said David of the one parte. And Allin Da vies of the said Toune and County, Weaver, of the other parte. Witnesseth David ap llewellin & Edward Da vies ap David, leased for 21 years to Allin Da vies for the Annual rent of 183 & 5d, two several messuages, houses ... & two gardens thereunto belonging in Church Street als Street y felyn, in the tenure of the said Allin Davies ... all which said premises extend themselves in length from the said street unto the lands of Thomas Williams2, gent., & in breadth betweene one messuage, house & gar¬ den, then of Ed. Lloyd of lloynymaen, Esq.,3 of the one syde, & the messuage, house & garden of Leonard Goughe4, Gent., of the other side. signed with the marke of Allin Davies. Witnesses, Thomas Pryce, John Marcrofte, & Samuell Roberts, senior. Indenture, 9 May, 1659. Between John Hodskies of the Towne of Oswestry, co. Salop parchment maker and Gwen his wife and Samuell theire sonne and heire apparent of the one parte, and Ff rancis Ellis of the same towne yeoman . . . For the sum of £17 12s 6d paid to John Ellis, he gives grauntes and bargaines ... all those two messuages, dwellinghouses and tenements with the appurtenances, wherein Gabriell David and Alyn David weavers heretofore dwelled, and now being in the same tenure and possession of the said John Hodskies and one garden there unto belonging . , . lying within the Towne of Oswestrie in a certain street called Church Streete otherwise streete y velin, in length extending themselves from the saide streete unto the lands of Thomas Baker, Esq.5 and in breadth betweene the buildinge late of John Griffiths8 gent, nowe deceased and nowe of John Evance, Esq, of the one syde and the building and lands of Richard Gough of the other syde. To have and to hold to John Ellis and his heyres for ever To be holden of the chief lord or lords of the fee or fees thereof by the rente and services thereof first due and of right accustomed, signed John Hodskies _____Gwen, ye wife of the said John Hodskies i Probably Whitesmith. 2 ? 3 Captain for King Charles I. 4 Of the Nant, in Sweeney township probably. They were a branch of the Goughs of Myddle. 5 Of Sweeney, Sheriff of Shropshire 1649, M.P. 1653, died 1675, buried at Sweeney. 6 His widow, Dorothy Griffiths, married William Gough son of Richard Gough. Her daughter by her first hus¬ band, John Griffiths, married Roger Evance (see Gough's Myddle, p. 103).