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J^s~/V The RUTHIN Illustrated Magazine A M0MTHLT JOffRHAL FOR ALL CLASSES. To Inform. To Instruct. To Amuse. No. 12. Vol. 1. JANUARY, 1880. TWO PENCE. ANCIENT CROSSE S ih the VALE OF CLWYD AND OTHEK ECCLESIASTICAL REMAINS. BT THK REV. ELIAS OWEX, M,A. Tremeirchion Cross. This cross is not in Tremeirchion churchyard, but in the grounds of St. Be no's college. Prom the following quotation it will ne seen how it got into its present position. A writer in the Arch. Camb. for 1863. p. 386 aays :—" The head of the cross in the churchyard of this place (lremeirohion) a work of the fifteenth century, with four canopies covering figures (of which I—the writer in the Journal—possess a good sketch), used to lumber the ground, according to the opinions of the parties interested in its property and preservation. The parochial authorities, instead of re-erecting it with a new shaft, have not long since sold this old cross-head. The fortunate purchaser is a Roman Catholic gentleman, who has removed it to a place of safety." I have only two remarks to make on this quotation. The writer is correct in his information but possibly some one would like to know a little more about the way in which the cross was kept latterly at Tremeirchion. On the spot I ascertained that it lay under a venerable yew tree for years, in fact it was there, a kind of lumber, until bought for £5, and then it was removed by the purchasers to the neighbouring St. Beuno's College. But in the time of Llwyd it was preserved in an outbuilding. In his Topo¬ graphical Notices p. 213, he writes thus :—" In a building adjoining the churchyard may be seen the carved capital of an old cross, noted in the days of Popery for its miracles, a.id celebrated in a Welsh poem by a bard of the name of Gruffydd ap Ieuan ap Llewelyn Vychan who flourished in 1500 A.D." The Rev. D. R. Thomas in his History of St. Asaph p. 808, stated that it is a fourteenth century cross. Upon visiting the college I was kindly shewn what remains of Tremeirchion cross. It is at present exactly in the same condition as it was when in Tremeirchion Instead however of lying on the ground it is erect and is placed on the side of one of the garden walks, close to the walls of the building. Its total breadth is 2 feet; height, 3 feet 8£ in.; depth, 10 inches. On one side in a niche under¬ neath a ciuquefoil canopy, is the crucifixion scene, with the Virgin and St. John on each side the cross. The Apostle holds something in his hand. This side is highly ornamented, but mueh worn by the weather. On the opposite side is a figure seatad. holding a babe, and this possibly is intended to reprasent the Virgin and Child, or, it might bo. St. Simon with the Infant Saviour in his arms. Taj ornamentations surrounding the figure are much the same, if not originally an exact reproduction of those on the side already mentioned, but the elements have almost obliter¬ ated their distinctive features. On the narrower sides of the cross head are figures of ecclesiastics standing and robed, with crozier in left hand with the head thereof turned inwards, and right hand erect, in the act of blessing. They stand in trefoil niches, and are greatly worn. There is but one other cross in the neighbour¬ hood of the Vale of Clwyd which I have not alluded to, and that is in Rhug Chapel church¬ yard. It stands to the south of the church. The shaft only of the original cross exists, but care has been taken of this, and the cross has the appearance of being fairly perfect, but it was repaired a few years ago, and hence its present apparent state of preseveration. I have now finished all that I had to say about the crosses in and about the Vale of Clwyd, and next month I will take up another subject, most probably it will be the Holy Wells in the same district.