Welsh Journals

Sept. 5, 1900. BYE-GONES. 453 members of the founder's family. The church was cruciform in shape, with a Lady Chapel. On the bank above the chapter house are the remains of a 14th-century conduit or well-house. The monks who lived here for so many centuries were Augustinian or Black Canons. They were Regulars, and lived in strict community, as distinct from the secular canons of cathedrals and collegiate churches.who maintained separate establishments. They conversed in Latin. In the cloister they either read, or studied, or sat absorbed in silent meditation with their hoods drawn over their eyes. During dinner, the reader for the week read aloud from the Bible or some religious work, and after the meal the canons went to church, siDging the Miserere in procession. They had two days for recreation—Tuesdays and Thursdays. The dis¬ cipline was very strict, and no canon could go abroad without a companion. Much of the brethren's time would be occupied in illuminating MSB. and in teaching lay pupils and novitiates the arts and sciences as they were then known. Others would be on duty in the infirmary, while others again would be engaged in various pursuits on the demesne of the abbey. In spite of their oppression, of their errors, their misgovernment, and arrogant pride, we had much to thank them for, for they produced all that was good in art, in building, and in literature at a time when such things were almost unknown in this country. BEFTEMBER 5, 1900. NOTES. COMPLAINT OF WELSH CLOTHS.— In the Shrewsbury Corporation Manuscripts (15th Report Hist. MSS. Com., Appendix, Part x., p. 62) we find the following reference to foreign complaints of Welsh manufacture:— 1601, 31 May. Greenwich.—Copy of a letter from the Privy Council to the High Sheriff and Justices of Salop. A great part of the Welsh cloths which are taken to London are bought by French merchants, and of late years fault has been found with them after their being transported into France, whereby the cloth of this realm that heretofore had reputation to be the truest and best made, had not only been discredited, but the French King hath taken occasion to confiscate all those English cloths that have been found, upon trial by water or otherwise, to shrink, cockle, or be in any wise defective ; therefore if the abuses in making of false cloth be not corrected, the trade will be in peril to be overthrown. And the chief abuse being in colouring defects by stretching defec¬ tive cloths upon tenters, a thing forbidden by Act of Parliament, therefore not only the use of tenters in stretching cliths or cottons shall not be suffered, but all ropes, rings and wrenches to stretch cloths, with the heads and lower bars of the tenters and all other engines and means for straining of cloth either in length or breadth, shall be abolished and quite taken away. Ed. HUMPHREY KYNASTON (Sept. 27,1899).— Among the Early Indictments in the Public Record Office is one (No. 295) which gives particular details of an Inquest held at Stretton, on Wednesday, 20th December, 1491, by Humphrey Blyke, on the body of John Heughes, who had been, so the Jurors found, feloniously slain and murdered on the previous day by Humphrey Kynaston (who is variously described as late of Nescliffe, Knokyn, and Pole in the Marches of Wales), "Thomas Kynaston son & heir of Roger Kynaston, knight, late of Shrawardyn," and " Robert Hopton, late of Hopton in the parish of Nesclifle, laborer." Humphrey is described as " riding upon a horse, with a certain lance of the worth of twelve pence " in his right hand; his brother Thomas wielded " a certain sword, of the worth of 40 pence"; and Robert Hopton struck with "a certain weapon called a bill, of the value of ten pence." The unfortunate Heughes received a deadly blow from each of his three assailants in the presence of Robert Thornes, late of Shrews¬ bury, gentleman, " who then & there feloniously aided & abetted" them. Humphrey and his companions seem to have escaped: and they evidently did not lack adherents, for on the Thursday and Friday they were at Pontesbury, Shrewsbury, and Nescliff, " feloniously received, comforted, lodged, fed & maintained" by Sir Roger Kynaston, late of Knokyn, and thirty-four other persons, namely— Robert Thornes, gentleman; Richard Egge, gentleman (otherwise mercer); Thomas Goldyng, mercer; Edward Hosyer, Roger Werall, drapers ; John Bedo, taillour ; William Frysser, sherman ; John Baker, baker ; William Boweer, otherwise William Dighton, boweer ; David ap Kees, Hugh Walker, Thomas Bailly, chapmen; all mentioned as " late of Shrewsbury." From Cressage were Robert Hoode, drover; and William Hoode, husbondman; and from Syneton, Richard Brekenok, husbondman. Other "husbondmen" were John Hankoxe, of Westeley in the parish of Condover; Thomas Everall, William Lashforb, John Hikoxe, of Ardescote in the parish of Pontesbury ; Thomas and John Jeffes of Pley- ley in the parish of Pontesbury; William ap David ap Gruffith, Jevan ap David Gethyn of Abburbury ; Gruffith ap Richard and Thomas his son, Bedo ap Richard, of Ballesley in the Marches of Wales and in the parish of Abbur¬ bury ; Reginald ap David Gethyn of Masbroke in the Marches of Wales; Maurice ap DeioMaure, Dakkyn Deo, of Shrawardyn ; John Heylyn of Felton Boteler ; William Heylyn of Westfelton ; Richard Heylyn, of Wulcote ; Hoell Hopton of Hopton. One " yoman " was John Gogan of Nescliffe. The Jevan ap David Gethyn of Abbur¬ bury and Reginald ap David Gethyn of Mas- broke were probably relatives of Humphrey's second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Meredith ap Howell, ap Maurice of Glascoed, ap Ievan Gethyn of Garth Eryr. I have hitherto under¬ stood that Humphrey Kynaston, who saems to have been outlawed for the above-named and