Welsh Journals

Apr. 5, 1899. BYE-GONES. 75 The Weather.—The wintry weather con¬ tinued last week. There were snowstorms on Wednesday and Thursday ; Friday was fine ; on Saturday there was icy cold rain ; but on Sunday the weather was again mild. At the Meteorolo¬ gical Office the minimum temperatures on Tues¬ day, Wednesday and Thursday were 22, 24 and 24, but in some parts of the country they were very much lower.—The Rev C. Wolley Dod of Edge Hall, Malpas, writing in the Gardeners' Chronicle, says it is twenty-six months since he registered so low a minimum temperature as occurred on March22, viz., 11 degrees on a double- column thermometer hung exposed four feet from the ground. On the three nights of March 18, 19 and 20 the minimums were 19, 21 and 17 degrees. He had never before seen the flowers of Erythronium dens-canis (the "Dog-tooth violet ") quite destroyed by cold as they were now. APRIL 5, 1899- NOTES. THE MILITIA OF NORTH WALES.—The following correspondence as to raising the Flintshire and other Welsh Militia Regiments may be of interest to " L.C.O." and other of your readers, some of whom addressed some queries as to my notes on the "Ancient British Fencible Cavalry " (Apr. 28, 1897), which I regret I could not answer at the time. Efforts had been made to raise the Welsh Militia in 1758, but little pro¬ gress was made; in the spring of 1759 Prince Ferdinand and the allied army had to retire before the superior force of France, and on June 5th, 1759, the Right Hon. William Pitt sent the folioiving circular letter to Lieutenants of Counties :— The King having by a most gracious message acquainted his Parliament with his having re¬ ceived repeated intelligence of the actual pre¬ parations making in the French Ports to invade this kingdom, and of the imminent danger of such invasion being attempted, . . . . to the end that his Majesty may cause the Militia to be drawn out and embodied and to march as occasion shall require .... you will forthwith transmit an account of what progress has been made in the County of . , . . On June 7, 1759, Lord Cholmondeley replies:— In obedience to his Majesty's command, I take the liberty to acquaint you that notwithstanding my repeated letters, and advertizements in the Gazette for the meeting of the Gentlemen of the County of Anglesey to form a Corps of Officers for the Militia, no one gentlemen's name has been returned to me, as willing to serve. Lord Cholmondeley had to send a similar letter as to the counties of Carnarvon, Merioneth, and Montgomery. Mr Richard Myddelton writes that— He had taken all proper steps .... but that all proceedings concerning the Militia for the County of Denbigh, are postponed till next year, a sufficient number of Gentlemen not having appeared. But as to Flintshire Lord Cholmondeley could write on June 7, 1759 :— This is the first year that_ effectual progress has been made .... I think it is incumbent on me to add that from the Rank, Property and great zeal of the officers . . . , the service will be carried on with the greatest cheerfulness, una¬ nimity and despatch, and am persuaded that suc¬ cess will attend their laudable endeavours. On Sept. 6, 1759, he writes:—"I have received a certificate by last night's past from Sir Roger Mostyn, and Sir John Glynne, that above three- fifths of the Private men and officers have taken the oaths." The officers were— Lt. Colonel & Capt. Sir Roger Mostyn, Bart. Captain Sir John Glynne, Bart, of Broadlane. ,, Ellis Younge. Lieutanant Richard Parry Price. „ George Hope. „ Bell Lloyd. Ensign Owen Wynne. ,, John Jones. ,, Pierce Foulkes. On Dec. 7, 1759, Sir R. Mostyn is ordered to embody the Militia, and on the 9th he replies :— "Your orders shall be punctually and expedi¬ tiously obeyed ... I have appointed Holy¬ well as the place of Rendezvous, and Mr Adju¬ tant Scott will make a return." On Dec. 12, 1759, Lord Cholmondeley writes to the Right Hon. W. Pitt (enclosing a quaint letter from Sir J. Glynne)— As the Flintshire Militia are under marching orders, may I expect your forgiveness for the liberty of these enclosures. Time will not permitt all the usual ceremonies, and yet 1 would not dis¬ courage the spirit set on foot in North Wales. Sir John Glynne will expect an immediate answer, and he deserves it ; and yet that cannot be accomplished without that immediate communication you have in the closet .... 1 am desirous as Lord Lieutenant of Six Counties to promote this great Scheme of an Internal National Defence. . . . The Route and Quarters appointed to the Flintshire Militia, is over the whole chain of Mountains in N. Wales, and fear if this weather lasts,the march imprac¬ ticable, without making a detour. . . . Sir John Glynne writes on the 10th of Deer. 1759 : — My Lord,—There is one Mr Jones to whom your Lordship was pleased to give an Ensigne3 Com¬ mission, and he was to have been of my Company in the Flintshire Malitia, but he declines the ex- ceptance thereof: have theirfore, taken the liberty of offering in his stead, for his Majesty's approbation, Mr Richard Price of Vaynol in this