The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser

RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS. I I Illy R M. THOMAS, FORMERLY Towx CLKRX OF I CARMARTHEN], It (loe," not seem long since I used to meet an old gentleman very well. known in Carmarthenshire who might have remembered not only the birth of the JOURNAL but the death of Pitt as well; but in old men's memories the greatest events occupy the I smallest space; he was more apt to recall some siliy old tale of Grouse in the Gun-room, or the like, than to tell you how the news of Waterloo was received 1J1 Carmarthen. Weil. I suppose we all prefer Pepys to Hallatn: we would all choose to have a faithful picture of the intimate life of our grandfathers ic rather than a critical survey of the symptoms of; political evolution in their days. I have fjlked I the men who made history in f'aimerth tie- tiumpery history of a I'i'le count: y !>.w:i. ami ti I' picture that I have gathered from their tales, a pic- ture seen "dimly throuirii a virions mi-t." r■ i<"> were mostly after-d' f ie.!r: is trivial eituujih a 11 conscience but 1 i:' ,1i !P and eoiivmcirig. and had 1 the skill to make my In'oiviMoiis ns reel to the reader fl") Ley eve to myself, if J missed historic truth. I s'.fuid at least avoid dulne-s, wh?ch matters move. For whatever else jt wsr.=, ij was !ot dull. the old (arrnrt1iPn lifp of my i)na:it¡il There wete broken ]1011d, ;:nd broken collar-bones in j lonty. im- prisonment for dobt r.Tid other incceve.iieeres ho. all or some of whl 1< we are vnipt. hut i* w.i < a full-blooded, anl i-dy.v-ptie age: there was yau-iy, .• certain cJars (f wit, and an :1:fr;:d. sce'-cen. "'1d social life which we miss ill deys oi «xpr> fin ins 8.n (laiy papers; in these nay- rv!i.-n. i. i may say it. the "Ihiih Mad" is opened au ca^ ness almost approaching that winch :itf"iid.i the un- folding the more ailgll.-t sheeis To-day tec IriM! Meil goes hurtl-ng tc. -t (rma ri eee unnoticed eta' imnoi seuig: seventy \i :us the

j SOME PAST MAYORS 9F CARMARTHEN. Top Row-Mr. Dd. Evans Lewis, Mr. W. R. Edw ards, Mr. D. Edwards. Second Row—Mr. R. W. Richard*. Mr. J. Jenkin •Jones. Mr. The, Jenkins, Mr. C. W. Jones, Mr. John Lewis. Bottom Row—Mr, H. Cadle, Mr. W. de G. Warren, !)r. Ro.vUuu' Mr. John Lewis, ("apt. Morris. shopkeepers in King-street stood at their doors to watch the London coach come clattering in with its four reeking horses at a gallop, and in the contrast j one may read, not without some, sadness, the history of two generations of progress as affecting the social life of the county town. Whoever writes the history of the JOURNAL will not, I hope, forget the impressive warning given by that paper to Mr. Canning (I think it was on the matter of the Holy Alliance):—"Let, him beware. We have our ey on him Verily Olympus ",hon1, and trembled at the thunder of the JOURNAL in tho se days. My impressions of matters political in Car- marthen begin somewhat later, with the Reform Bill turmoil, when, if the streets of Carmarthen did not actually run with gore, they were at all events somewhat lively hy times. The "Welshman"' got into trouble over one riot which appears to hayc been more serious than most, for the aid of the military was invoked and the Riot Act read -at least, the "Welshman" doubted whether it was actually read, admitting however that the Mayor had left his arm-chair and unfinished grog in the bar parlour to stagger to the window and hiccough out something- which might have been intended for the Act. There followed a criminal information for libel, and three of the people responsible for the "Avelsliman" went- to prison for a while. I have the brief for their defence somewhere. One of the de- fendants, I remember, bore the name of Brigstocke. The riot in question was got up in honour of my grandfather, George Thomas, to celebrate his release from gaol. He was a violent intemperate being, no doubt, but, equally without doubt, he was most abominally persecuted by the "Hed" party who chipped him into prison on a trumped up charge, refusing bail, which was after- wards granted him by a judge of the High ourt. He should have won his action against the magis- trates for false imprisonment, but the judge who tried the ease seems tu have tholight any means bles,;ed which kept such a fiiebrand out of mischief for a while. There were rnymes ov the score published in those days. People ha-, plenty of leisure and there | was the tavern in which ft collaborate. 1 have a sub stantial roll of these lam j poons, full of allusion: obscur2 without ilie kc« ic which 110 living mr-mcn can supply, stuffed witl | nicknames mostly of los' significance, though her' and there one can recop niac the personage meant George Thomas is th Great Blue Boar in tin "Red" leaflets, his fathei having kept the hostel of that name, while Jones of Ystrad in the "Bine" lam- M I?. GKO. BAGNALL. poons becomes Jack Slack, it may be HI I,ie"" densn.n OL >upuiv>i.». and inefiieiency, but there was e i'-i mnns >o/e-; ia e '<• r <> that name. I wish I could find any liieraiy mcj it in ,h;"0 effu- sions, but at least they have a sheer silliness ",¡,ie!! is not without its charm. Jack Slack is going through a period of unpopularity and is i:i the habit of sneaking back and fore between YstTad and the town by the Lower Five Fi0hk He addresses a henchman of hi, who goes by the name of "Pudding" — "OJ!. S'uddnm-, Pudding, :.011 wid nevr know The grief J ie"! :tj being i'o'ced to go Tfonie by back wa.s: it was not p\"{1; tints." l'ud: "I know it well my in.j-ured Slackibus. Well. 1'];aI11('11I was )ptor1!J.d, and the. municipal corporation had to follow. The old Common Coun- cil, as far as one can judge from the recoids of their doings, was compo.-ed of it permanent nucleus of rohbors iniormitfontly controlled perhaps by the more public-spirited of the gentry of the surrounding county, who attended the meetings irregularly, and probably had no axes of their own to grind. The plain facts are that, Common (,'ouncilmen fattened while the municipality was gradually stripped bare, and in 1836 the old gang went out, leaving in the municipal coffers a balance of fourpence and on the mihute book a pious hope that the new corporation

TOMB OF SIR RHYS. AP THOMAS. Ancestor in a direct male line of the present, Lord Dynevor. This tomb was originally erected in the Grey Friars Priory in Priory-street, and at the dissolution of that Monastery in 1546 The tomb was removed to St. Peter's Church", and placed on the left-hand side of the communion rails. In 1865, owing to the inconvenient position which it occupied, the tomb was, by the permission of the then Lord Dynevor, taken down and removed to afipot where the organ now is, under the arch between the chuucel and the Consistory Court, During the operation of moving certain bones were found, which are presumed to 1.0 those of Sir Rhys and his lady, which were brought to St. Peter's when the tomb was first moved. Those were placed in a cinery urn and deposited within the tomb in its new position. The new site was probably the best that could possibly have been chosen, but owing to the fact that it was thought desirable to build the organ on that "pot during the time that the Rev. A. G. Edwards, now Bishop of St. Asaph, was vicar of St. Peter's, the tomb was once again removed, and placed in the position which it occupies at present. Our photograph shows it as it was prior to its last removal. I would bo equally studious of the welfare of the town. And they stuck to their loot in spite of an oificial enquiry and much correspondence, in which Davee, of Trawsmawr the out-going Mayor, dis- ports himself with ponderous sarcasms and the literary graces of a playful elephant. The municipal government was reformed, and the Radicals exchanged the yoke of the Tories for that of the W higs. The Morrises and their following, Norton, Rowlands, Warren, and the rest, with George Thomas the second for their chief executive officer.^ were typical Whigs; they held democracy to be a fetish useful in appealing to the superstitions of the ignorant, but in fact the "clamorous vile plebeian" was allowed no more say under their rule than in the old Common -Council days. Xeverfhe- °y govprned the town honestly and reasonably well-no worse perhaps than their's uoce-ssors. There need -be little wonder that our grandfathers did not grow rich in Carmarthen, for their energies seem to have been divided between politics, 8poi.t ana ormk. neither of which things tends to woridv 1 scarcely know whether to class the Rebecca Riots among political or sporting events lake a genuine grievance, .felt as muchly the sportsman accustomed on his homeward r;d« to fumble pocirtPas1'by'1? V7fc tnge? Ur an '0"'1'ty Aches' pocket as by ate farmer hauling srones from the quany or taking his butter to market; acid a mixture oi Chartism, blackguardism, and ii^ht-hea -Id Riot f hd y°U haVe th<? C0,np0tK'Ilts <>f the uebecca ha7 f c!e« Picture in my mind of the n<»U tioop of drag'oons trying to vni^ A of the spent horses that had carried them of P le -Rebecca, wigged and cloaked more of 1 rince Rupert than of .Tom of ? waved a gay fare wet 1 to them I,^ hun' up towards Penlan. That was a groat dlvlor7^' noon, and a man-hunt to wind up. There was the gtuesome touch which Welshmen love iu the death of one or morn of the soldiers' over-ridden horses at turned^ bJ' uie rioter who not 'o-et o"t iVeTf ,?>,0rt0n's' Brewery and could modem Teri-iir l' V '1 mlS'ht have c \ul!l T Tenii^'mls a corps of 500 yeomanry thstrict ra'S n°tiC<> in thc Carmarthen T) I li()ff-N fit I DR..JOHN Hl'GHES T/\n.^ w'10 was Rebecca? the story given me bv one who should have known be true, Rebecca was well known at the Swan at St. Clears, where I have seen him sipping brandy and water in his accustomed chair, under a smoke-mellowed picture of Cerito, chatting with Mrs. Phillips, who had been the tiurntrod toast of travellers in stage-coach days. The tales of old Carmar- then to which I have lis- tened dealt with dead men, but also with horses long- dead. You may hear old men still talk of the double dead-hear VinHx-o £ >n of Hearts" and "The uR < nT/' ,anf a'^[' suppose it- has been more talked about than the Budget of 1909. And YOU will here and there meet an old sportsman who associates the name of Carmarthen with one of the best of country steeplechase meetings. That was kng ago when Maesgwynne was a noted home of sport and "Hinck Torn Oliver," as Lindsay Gordon calls him, rode over a rather weird course by Travellers' Rest,' in which the Llanilwch mill-leet made one of the jumps. There have been some good horses in the Maesgwynne stables, but the best beyond doubt was L'Africain," owned by a Frenchman, named, I think, Le Vaillant, and held by Mr. Powell temporarily in pawn. But that is a. mere generation or so ago. Earlier than that every one of the young bloods of Carmarthen kept his hunter whether he could afford if or not, and a hunting morning would see fifteen to twenty horsemen turn out from the town. And the horse was not the only medium of sport. I hey made good use of the river in our fathers' and grandfathers' times. and a high tino of a summer evening would tiave.found a score or more of voung fellows In their shirt-sleeves (flannels and sweaters were not in those days) rowing their gigs or sitting on the benches outside the Jolly Tar discussing row- ing matters and beer. There was one notable row- In, ing match from Blackpool to Carmarthen Quay when the tide was so high that the Pibwr stream "almost completely jouied W loops of the river One crew dropped behind, at#, dragging their boat over a naiiou 'neck of land, used this short cut. saving nearly a mile on the leading beat, which had fof- ;{)\r",1 the course of the river, and, naturally, coming in fir-t. There was much angry protest and 1 do not know what became of tilt. stokes, but I have heard a iiie.iio'-r of the winning crew indulge in a senile 4L chuckle over the success of the trick. Tne river was of importance as the most popular road to the Ferry side, and at, Ferryside there was Parson Gwyn who. having rowed in the Oxford boat in 1820 or there;:bout, coached the Ferrvside life-boat crew. And there w, re other portùlg events, running and walking matches for example. A link with the past was broken when Robert Waters of Sarnau died. Away back in the early forties Robert Waters won a wager by walking forty miles in eight hours be- tween the milestones by Travellers' Rest and Nantyci (not a first-rate feat. by the bye). He also, if the legend be true. jumped twenty feet of water near Llanddowror. One wager it is recorded that he lost (indeed ho used to tell the story against himself) Having backed hiiruself to get from somewhere by way of I erryside and Llanstephan to Sarnau within a given time on foot, he found at Llanstephan that ho had so much time in hand that he might call at the Plas and drink a bottle or so of port: but he had too much confidence in his own strength, or too little respect for that of the wine, for—the port won. Robert Waters lived most of his ninety years fairly hard. He served in the Austrian army as a young- man, and. earlier still, under Sir I)e Lacy Evans in the Spanish Legion, of which 1 have no doubt he was the last survivor He was known at Tenby as a champion at billiards when the game was twenty- one up and it had not been discovered that side could be put on a ball; and he was concerned, though not as a principal, in probably the last due! fought in South West Wales. At the age of 75 or so he still carried himself with the jaunty air of a young buck, and he was not much less than that when he engaged in fisticuffs at Maesgwynne with J. B. Graves. No picture of our grandfathers' times would be complete without something said about the tavern. They were not, for the most part, teeto- tallers, and it was thought quite fitting that the doctor or lawyer should be looked for at his favourite inn if wanted in the afternoon or even- ing. There is little grace, and possibly not much truth, in the boast that we are better than our fathers, but I think it is a fact that a good many of the Carmarthen men of the early Victorian age shortened their days by devotion to the bottle. MR. ROWLAND 11 1 Lur life without drink must have been shorn of a good deal of its cai-v in those days, for it was in the tavern that tlr- bri«dite«t wit sparkled, the best-atonps were and the newest gossip retailed. There was something of the excluaiveness of a club about the .nightly gathering at tho inn which the fashion of the day happened to favour. You may see the same thing to-dav on a smaller scale and in a humbler rank cf society in the tap-room of a village inn, where each of a privileged few has his appointed chair and his appointed part in the conversation, one man providing political wisdom, another wit and humour,, a third sporting informa- tion, or the like. One story T must tell of one of the nightly tavern sittings. I think it was at the Half Moon that A and B. two young bloods of the earlv forties, differed one night, rather acutely. B had the advantage in wit but A in weight, by some three stone and A there and then gave B notice to absent himself from future meetings of their quasi club, announcing his intention, should his notico be ignored, of serving his somewhat arrogant warrant of ejectment himself. Next night A. finding B in his accustomed nlnee was as good as his word. carrying the little man out by the coat collar and the slack of his breeches. Forty years later I saw A. white bearded and portly, and B, a shrunken and decrepit old man, meet in the street at Swansea, and B to A's urbane greeting returned only an ugly scowl. Such were the feuds of those days. All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. How short a time a generation lasts, and how great a gap a generation sometimes bridges. Even one's own experiences of thirty years back seem almost ancient history. The Justices of the Peace who differed as lo. a c-frtain drunk should be classed aa ilgntoofis or "inculpable, the Town Councillor (ap- propriately enough an ex-onsine-driver) who iva., !ond of moving that resolut.ons should be "re- cinderect," and who once, by way of shelving an ap- plication by that officer for an increase of salarv. begged to propose that. the Inspector of Nuisances should lay on the table; all are dead, and the silly stones and sillier nick-names with which they were associated have gone out of circulation. It mav be that there are still a few who. reading tnese notes, may recall tilings better worth record.ng of the old Carmarthen oays; if F0, I h?g that while pardoning the shortcomings of this paper, they will count me one with them in love for the old town and its past. rer-t\,<J'.õ-t, I ALDERMAN WALTER LLOYD I (MAYOR OF CARMARTHEN, 1910).

"o.I.OIi'\It.A.cr..r..I<o. CARMARTHENSHIRE LADY MARRIED PRETTY WEDDING AT TIENTSIN, N. CHINA, On February 3rd, at All faints Chinch, Tientsin, of -It. Walter Hardy, third son of Mr. George Hardy, South Grove Lodge, Ventnor. Isle of Wight, and L,, Mary Eleanor Wynne-Jones, adopted daughter of Mrs. Roes, Tiefy Hill, Maesycrugiau, Carmarthen- shire. Miss Jones was formerly of the nurses on the Welsh Hospital staff end served in that capa- city throughout ue whole of the bcutii African campaign. Joining the Colonial Nursing Association about two years ago she left this country to take up a post in Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Hospital, Tientsin. is at the most successful commercial enterpriser iu that country, has been resident, there for some consider- 11hk. time?, consequently a ve y great interest was manifested in the happy event, ai was evidenced by the large congregation which thronged the church. The ceremony was a very pretty one. the church being beautifully decorated for the occasion. Mr. J. Morrison, manager of the Peking Syndicate, gave the bride away. Attending the bride was Miss Elaine Taylor, while the best man was Mr. Edwm Cook. The bride (Miss Mary Eleanor Wynne-Jones) looking quite sweet, was beautifully attired in white Liberty sa in, trimmed with silver and honiton lace the gift of the bride's sister). Miss M. Adeline Jones, Teify Hill, Ma-esycrugiau. Sli,, wore a bridal veil, which was handsomely embroidered with silk in true layers knots and wore a wreath of orange blossom in he-r hair, and a .-pray in the corsage of her gown. The bridesmaid (Miss Elaine Taylor) was charmingly attractive in a pale blue silk gown. trimmed with satin buttons of the same shade. She also wore a large picture hat of pale blue satin with pink roses, also a handsome gold" bangle the gift of the bridegroom. The bride's travelling frock was of vient rose cloth, trimmed with satin of a deeper shade and vest of lace. Her hat was oi the same shade trimmed with white wings. She also wore a white fur stole muff. The ceremony was conducted by the Rev. Mr. Hailes, Army chaplain, assisted by the Rev. J. H. Sedgwick, M.A., English chap- lain at Tientsin. A largely attended reception was held after the ceremony. The honeymoon was spent at Kobe, Japan, The following is the list of pve&ents:—Household linen, silver fitted dressing case, afternoon silver tea servic?, gold pendant and China Honiton lace, ivory bound Prayer-book: reading-lamp; case fish knives and forks and servers cheque, Beeton's Cookery Book. 1 dozen Silver tea spoons, embroidered table cloth, pair silver table vases; silver tea caddy, bon- bon basket, cut-glass salad bowl, pair silver bon-bon dishes, silver entree dish, embroidered bed-spread, silver clock, silk embroidered table centre, pair pic- tnres, drawn-thread tea-cloth, silver coffee tray set of coffee cups, tantalus, pair bon-br»n silver dishes. pair silver flower vases, 4 rolls Chinese silk, real lace handkerchief, silk embroidered table centre. set dessert d'oyles, afternoon tea-cloth and serviettes to match, picture, silver tea strainer, pair glass and silver jam jars, afternoon tea cloths, pair pictures, asparagu6 servers, silver entree vIL-h, electric light statue, glass and silver cake dish. pair silver serviette knives, silver asparagus dish and servers, pair silver entree dishes, table centre and dozen dessert d'oyles, pair bronze vases, silver entree dish, picture, glass and silver jam jar and stand, Japaoere trinket box and tray, pair silver pepper castors, half-dozen silver Apostle spoons, silver tea caddy, six white fox .,klIl-- 1 pair French vases, pair silver photo frames, si.'ver cruet-stand, cut-glass salad bowl, pair silver bon bon dishes, pair glass fruit dishes, pair bon bon dishes, salad bowl and servers, tea kettle and stand, silver table cruet, silver photo frame, silver salver tra- velling clock, pair brass candlesticks, set four after- noon tea tables, pair silver candlesticks, embroidered table and side boArd cloth. "l8RI:'W' KIDWELLY CHURCH SPIRE After having been struck by lightning some years ago. Note the ugly dent near the apex of the spire.

CWMGORSE ST. OA\ID s DAY. The Cvnngorso Literary and Debating Society colebratad St. David's Day on Tuesday evening in last week at the Abernant Arms, Cwmgorse. The chair was occupied bv Mr. Samuel Jenkins, J.P., and the chairman of the society is Mr. J. D. Morgan. Tho accompanist was Mr. D. J. Evans, C,R,A.I. The foU<wing was the toast list :The King" (P^P^er, the Chairman); solo, Miss Bessie Jenkins; "Mmsters of the Gospel" (pro- poser, Mr. Thomas Evans); "Trade and Tradesmen" (proposer, Mr. J. Jones; responders, Mr. D. Lloyd Davies and Mr. Thomas Williams): recita- tion, Mr. David Howclls; "St. David" (proposer. Chairman of the Society; responders, Mr Rhys Evans and Mr. H. Harries); song. Miss Mary Mor- gan; "The Societv" (proposer, Mr. Griff. Morgan; responders, Mr. David Morgan and Mr. John Gri- ffiths) Literature and Songs of Wales" (proposer Mr. Isaac Jones; responders, Rev. E. Davie* B A and Mr T. J Rees, F.T.S.C.; recitation Mr. John Roberts; "Mothers and Daughters of Wales" proposer, Mr. J. J James; responders, Mrs. M. Williams Mrs. S. Jones Mrs. A. Evans, Miss J. Jones, and Miss S. Phillips); penillion, Mr. Joe Mor- gan; isitors (proposer, Mr. W. R. Thomas- responder, Mr. W. J. Jones); "Host and Hostess" Nhadau J' R" Jones); "Hen Wlad fy

Another paragraph tells of a marriage, in 1S16, at 1 Chester- After a tedious Wooing, Mr. James Rogers, an athletic youth near four score, of Botany Bay, to Mademoiselle Collmge, a cherry cneeked do^e of 20." That reporter was worthy of an immediate advance in salary I As if ;^t sufficient,— and under the circumsun-/ it probaoiv not V-Ivt was informed rLut a couple weio Re-ma'Tied at the h',u,e of the iau> s rattier, on the:, .[\¡,[ from G rerun Green. Y-et such the PgooÚ uay» • Old Thoina- died in 1816, aged t'b- 00 By his first two wives he had 32 children, and his third wife and 14 children survive him. Little wonder that THE JOLRXAL was from its start, a. popular favourite tor the tire side! Details are always acceptable in -'pars. if not tco killiuse,- "A girl, aged 10, and seven-feet, two inches tall." Coincidences do happen: the writer was born at the remote town ot Lolyton, in Devon, nio eye is greeted by tms paragrapn in The JGUOXAL A Collector of Taxes at Colyton, Devon, has absconded witn a large sum of trie public money, and a reward is orlered for h.s appiehension. fortunate, this scribe was not born until after the year lol7 One interesting item zi worthy of reproduction as containing reiorenee LO an orcl custom "in -vuuc.i, loi i, til j parish oi Penibivy, iu th,s county, on me sea loust, and Miiiy too ire<i<»o.,uy exiuoiteu ^ceu>i» 01 ptuuaer auu brutal I,uiUui.,n.iy in CU->S oi UILVII, me .).,t.: UJ. Parliament dödlllt sucii atrocious crime* v,<t., read m the V^nurch, auer wincn a v cry appro- priate sermon was pixacned on die occasion oy the Ho v. Xnos. iivaxis, curate, iroxxi me tex., i. nou i-iia.,1 net covet anytning nat is UI) neighbours. Hero our enus: ior one .;uuureu iiii jucti.NAl. nx- toiu me new. unuer uie nuaow oi jje i'oweiv-! oi Uamiarmeu Lasue, ironi tne uays when it iw- »o.tiiiuij oruertu uy me council mui "tne wine 11,Jr Lill juwges use j.S m Lile lUtuie to oe paid lor LJ., me v.oiiH>ravioii, iusiwa oi o. me Jiiayor lor me luiie wnea .ongsioCK-e was paid tne sum 01 aiA guineas rur paiuuug lae KIng. xVrlIACu proeiuc<i uy mm iu uLln" to ue placed inside M. deters Ciiurcii as au ornament wheIl, ill loiSO, tiie, Corporation "oroereu tnat a proper person oe appointed unring tne next JMstedd- tod weeK, as an umpire to tieciuc upon tne COllI- petency oi tne ciitteient candidates lor tne piace 01 organ.st ot til s parun wlleu, 111 ISZo, ''pistols, mote and case were purchased by the Council tor the use 01 the Chief ConstaDie and his successors' and wnen, la J.004-, John Davies, victualler, was paid by the Corporation the sums ot i/iti 15s. Oct., and ±,62 ids. ou., amounts claimed to be due to inin lor the depredaciouo and damage done to his house, when attached, and his furniture and etltcts 0.0- uioiisheci by rioters on Charter Day, in the year lb3' —yes, iroin those days untd tnese when King Edwards vil.. whom God preserve, re.gns oer the land, and Alderman alter Llc>yu as Mayor has the same maces of 1610 borne in state before him. KHVDDID, HEDD,. LL WY!)D1AT. [Authorities.—Information from my old friend, Mr. VV. Waters—may his health soon be restored him; MS. Order Boolcs of Corporation; volumes of THIS JOURNAL by the kind offices of present Editor; MS. notes and records, pones me.—G.E.E.]. Ty Tringad, Aberystwyth, Gwyl Dewi Sant, 1310.