Welsh Journals

May 1, 1895. BYE-GONES. 83 chambers being arranged in a double trefoil pat¬ tern. There are various theories as to the origin and use of the Deneholes, bub the mystery surround¬ ing them " constitutes one of the most interest¬ ing and perplexing problems in British Archae¬ ology." The other papers are " The Abbaye des Dunes, near Furnes in Flanders," and " Notes on Romano-British Articles recently added to the Museum of the Wilts Archaeological Society," besides " Illustrated Notes," " Antiquarian news items and comments," and a useful Bibliography of Archaeological Publications issued during the past j'ear. lite gate Jf. JU §&$nt, (Esq. We regret to record the death of Mr Frederick Alexander Payne of Pentre Ucha, near Llany- mynech, which took place on Wednesday at the age of eighty-three. The deceased gentleman was the youngest son and one of a family of thirteen of the Rev Edward Payne, M.A., chaplain and tutor of Christ Church, Oxford. He was born in 1812 at Bridgnorth, where his father was then head¬ master of the Grammar School, previously to his appointment to the livings of Down Ampney and Chailarrove, Gloucestershire. Mr Payne was edu¬ cated at the Blue Coat School, Christ Hospital, London, and early in life went to sea, which life he followed for some time, and early in his career had command of more than one large merchant vessel. On his marriage in 1845 with Miss Gibbs, of London, he left the sea, and by the will of the late Mr Thomas Payne, of Pentre Ucha, was made his heir, after the death of his uncle, Mr James Payne. Consequently he resided, by permission of Mr James Payne, at Pentre Ucha from 1845. Mr James Payne died in 1855, so that Mr F. A. Payne had resided at Pentre Ucha fifty years, and been in possession forty years. Independent in politics, he was at one time rather at variance with the views of those around him with regard to the Corn Laws, and was a supporter of Sir Robert Peel in his policy. Subsequently too he supported the Disestablishment of the Irish Church. His life was, however, spent quietly in the country, and in taking an interest in the affairs of his small property. Mr Payne's eldest son, the Rev F. E. Payne, died in 1885, when rector of St. George's, Regent-street, London. Two sons and four daughers and a widow survive. The funeral took place on Monday in Llanymynech Churchyard. Ihe gate JEr (fuunit $<role *f §mon. Mr E. Poole, editor and proprietor of the Brecon and Radnor Express, died at his residence, Caxton Buildings, Brecon, after a short illness (in which he was attended by Dr Parkham.M.D., and Dr D. Valentine Rees) early on Monday morning, April 15. Mr Poole,who was a native of Oswestry, was in his forty-fifth year. About twenty-two years ago he came to Brecon, and since then he has taken an active part as a journalist. A most conscientio us and unswerving Liberal, he fought the battles of the Liberal party in Breconshire and Radnorshi re with unflagging zeal, and in his death the Liber al cause has lost one of its most determined and ardent exponents. For over twenty years he worked hard as a journalist and writer in the town and county of Brecon, and, among other works, he was the author of the " Illustrated History and Biography of Breconshire," on which be displayed a great deal of industry and enterprise. At the grand eisteddfod held at Brecon last May, under the nom de plume of " Bernard Newmarch," he carried off the prize, £10, offered by the cor¬ poration of Brecon, against a large number of com¬ petitors from different parts of Wales, for the best essay on the Tredegar family from the days of lfor Hael (1300-1400) down to the year 1894; and his Honour Judge Williams, in adjudicating, said, •' The subject of the essay is one which commends itself to all Welshmen who take an interest in their country, and especially the people of Brecon¬ shire, Glanmorganshire, and Monmouthshire . . . The essay of Bernard Newmarch possesses con¬ siderable literary merit, and is one which would be very pleasant reading, not only to every mem- berofthe Tredegar family, but also to their friends, whose name is legion." After coming to Brecon Mr Poole was for many years identified with the Brecon Gounty Times, but in the year 1889 he severed his connection with that journal, and founded the new weekly—The Brecon and Radnor Express—a journal which he conducted with much success up to the time of his death. The funeral took place on Thursday, the remains being interred in the Brecon Cemetery. MAY 1, 1895. NOTES. SIR WATKIN.—A story told in Mr Lucy's new book on " Mr Gladstone " shows the position which Sir Watkin Williams Wynn held in the imagination of the Welsh people eighty years ago. " Of another member of the domestic household in Rodney Street, Liverpool, Mr Gladstone has a charming story. She was a Welsh girl, fresh from her mountain home, and confident chat all the universe moved round Snowdon. It was just after Waterloo, and all the talk was of sieges and battles, routs and victories. The patriotic Welsh girl made so clear to the little Liverpool boy the prominent part Wales had played in the Peninsular War, that he never forgot it. ' She told me,' Mr Gladstone says, in a voice still unconsciously awestruck, 'that Sir Watkin Williams Wynn sent millions of men to fight Boney.'" W.O. THE ROODEE AT CHESTER.—Mr W. Williams, of 120, Brook Street, Chester, kindly related to me a tradition as to the origin of tha name of the famous race-course—the Roo- dee. Whether this variant of the legend relating to the Roodee has been published I do not know. The name according to Mr Williams's story arose in this way. A goddess, or a wooden idol, was kept in