Welsh Journals

196 BYE-GONES. Sept. 6, 1899. appointed by the Charity Commissioners, and the expenditure of the money in aid of education in the parish. He did not see why the money should be in the hands of the Congregational Funds Board. Catherine Jones, by will dated 1833, bequeathed to the vicar and churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the parish of Llan-bryn-mair, the sum of £100 upon trust to be invested, and the annual proceeds thereof to be divided among the poor parishioners of Llan-bryn-mair annually, at Christ¬ mas. This charity is now administered by the Rector and two representatives of the Parish Council, Messrs John Davies and Richard Mor¬ ris. The accounts for 1899 were submitted, and showed that this money was divided among fifty- one recipients in sums ranging from Is to 6d.— The Commissioner said he disapproved of the method of distribution, and suggested that the trustees should use their discretion in confining the charity to the most needy and, deserving poor who should receive more substantial sums. To distribute money in small sums among a large number of people was very demoralizing.—The Commissioner's views commanded the general approval of the meeting. Morgan Lloyd's charity was founded by will dated Nov. 13,1702. According to the report of 1837 the property at that time consisted of dwell¬ ing houses and convenient out-buildings, all in good repair, a field of about four acres, an oak coppice of about three acres, and an allotment closely and conveniently situated, containing about six acres. A*; that time it was let to a yearly tenant at seven guineas per annum. The income was to be applied in aid of the teaching of the poor of the parish of Llan-bryn-mair to read, write, and cast up accounts reasonably for their use, "always preferring my own poor relations to be first taught, or any belonging to my right heirs for ever, being the poor of the parish." The money was bequeathed to the Vicar and Churchwardens. Humphrey Jones's charity was founded by will dated Sept. 11, 1783. He gave £30 to the Rev Thos. Baker, vicar of Llan-bryn-mair, and Thos. Jones upon trust, that they should invest the same, interest thereon to be paid to the school¬ master of Morgan Lloyd's charity. Under an order of the County Court, dated 1885, a moiety of this and of Morgan Lloyd's charity was declared to be ecclesiastical, that is to say, to be limited to children of members of the Established Church, the remaining moiety to be applied to the children of the poor of the parish generally. The National School having been closed for scholastic purposes for many years, the income of these charities has been allowed to accumulate. It appears that the acreage of the land is not what it was in 1837, and the Com¬ missioner stated that this would be a matter for very careful inquiry. It would be necessary for him to ascertain and to set forth in his report the exact boundaries of the property and the extent of the same. The annual rent is £8, the trustees having reduced it to that figure in 1897, Mr Jones, one of the trustees, stating at the inquiry that he was of opinion that that was a fair rent.—Some discussion arose as to the future application of the income of the charity, and the Commissioner stated that a scheme would be necessary, and would prob¬ ably provide that the income partly or wholly should be applied to providing prizes or scholarships for the children attending the public elementary schools of the parish. That, however, was a matter to be finally decided upon by the Charity Commissioners. This brought the inquiry to a close, and a hearty vote of thanks having been accorded the Com¬ missioner for the courteous manner in which he had conducted the inquiry, the proceedings closed. SEPTEMBER 6, 1899. NOTES. WEARING THE LEEK.—I am not familar with the following " ridiculous legend of the English " concerning the origin of the wearing of the le9k, which I find in Cambrian Superstitions by W. Howells (Tipton, 1831) :— The Welsh in olden days were so much infested by Ourang Outangs that they could obtain no peace day or night, and, being powerless to extir¬ pate them, invited the assistance of the English, who responded, but in mistake killed the men instead of the monsters. And so it came to pass that, to prevent the repetition of so lamentable an error, and to distinguish the human inhabitants from the ourang outangs, the English decreed the Welsh to wear a Leek in their hats. w.o. MANOR OF MAWDDWY: APPOINT¬ MENT OF BURGESSES.—Mr William Row¬ lands, a retired blacksmith, of Dinas MawJdwy, kindly lent me, to copy, his appointment to the office of a Burg03s. The parchment reads as follows: — Manor Borousjh \ and City of MowddwyJ At a General Quarter Sessions of the peace held and Kept in and for the said Borough at the Court House situate at Dinas Mowddy within the said Manor on the twentieth day of November 1872 Before Robert Pcghe Jones Esquire Mayor These are to Certify that William Rowlands of Dinas Mawddy was at the said Court duly elected and chosen a Burges3 of the said Manor Borough and City. Sworn in John Jones John Jone5* Recorder, lb will be noticed that the person who wrote the document spelt Mawddwy in three different ways. Mr Rowlands informs me that there was no Courb or Sessions held here quirterly ab thab time. H9 was sworn in at the Courb Leeb, which, then as now, was held half yearly. lb was then held ab the Red Lion Inn ; now ib is held ab the Buckley Arms Hotel. C.A. LLANSILIN WILLS.—Following upon the good example set by Mr A. N. Palmer in Bye- Gones, July 19,1899,1 have pleasure io sending