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.= LONDON LETTER.

DEFR AUDTNG~NEWPORT AUCTIONEERS.

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--FINAL SETTLEMENT OF THE…

A LAD SHOT AT CARMARTHEN FAIR.

ENCO UNTEH. WITH A WHALE

[No title]

THE PIT FLOODED. - -

ARCHBISHOP CROKE AND IRISH…

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EOCAL NOTES AND -"QUERIES.…

——..... NOTES.

QUESTIONS.

ANSWERS.

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ANSWERS. 12.—CORNWALL'S AFFINITY TO WALES.—(Con- cluded.)—Cornwall, since the advent of Christia- nity in a pre-Norman period, has been the land of saints, every parish claiming one, distinct from its. neighbour's, as patron, and, as bearing on the relationship held by the county to Wales, each saint bears a quaint Celtic name. Where positive history supports vacue legend, much that is calcu- lated to excite keen interest presents itself to the attentive student. For instance, the adventurous voyage of Saint Pyran in an open boot arcoss the Atlantic toPerranzabalue; the religious enthusiasm cf Saint Morwenna, the daughter of a Celtic king, whose chief desire was to Christianize the pagan barbarians of Cornwall; and, in return for her services in teaching Edith, the daughter of Ethel- wolf, the Saxon king, she obtained a grant of the barren headland on the north coast of Cornwall now called. Morwenstow; and such like. The majority of the early Christian missionaries to Cornwall were, by their language, and by the few MSS. known to have been found, distinctly Hibernian, as their's was a more rugged Celtic than that of the Principality but some of the Cornish saints have been traced without much difficulty t3 Wales. In The Life of St. David," published in "The Lives of the Cambro-Bri- tish Saints," by the Welsh MSS. Society, in 1853, there is reference made to the titles of two exist- ing churches in Wales, one of which is more than presumed to be the name of the patron saint of a Cornish parish on the north coast. The extract says" Oddiyma y daeth y Collan a Glascwm," i.e., From thence to Collan and Glasgwm. Colia and Glasgwm are churches in Radnorshire, both dedicated to St. David, and in a period coeval with their erection—from A.D. 500 to 550, and of the family descent of Colfa—viz., that of Cunedda Wiedig (Cunedagius), or, as by the inscription on the stone at Cubert, in Cornwall, Conctoc—there lived a Christian missionary (or saint) named Collen, who was the founder of Llangollen Church, in Denbighshire. Polwhele, in hie "History of Cornwall," referring to a parish contiguous to the Bristol Channel, says (Book II., p. 52), Colan, the manor of St. Colan, belonged to the family of St. Colan or Colan." Dr. Oliver, too, in his Monasticon," makes Colan church to be dedi- cated to St. Colanus, the Latin name of the Cam- brian saint. The feast day of Colan (Cornwall) is on the first Sunday after the first Thursday in May, whilst that of the Welsh saint of the same name is on the 20th May. By a reference to the Celtic Kalendar, published in the Truro Diocesan Calendar, a few years ago, six saints are cata- logued under the name Columba or Columban, who were more or less connected with the Church in Britain from A.D. 500 to 700. SS.Columb,Majorand Minor, are parishes adjoin- ing St. Colan, in Cornwall, and the patrons are believed to have co-operated in civilising that part of Cornwall. Space will not permit of further illustrations of the great part Wales played in, or contributed towards, this good work; but there are abundance of other proofs of the constant intercommunication once maintained for a long series of years, for the termination of which Corn- wall, more than Wales, is responsible. T. F. G., Cardiff. 2.-HISTORY OF COAL MINING AND DEEP COAL MINES.—The difficulties at first felt of using coal for domestic purposes appear to have been over- come by the improvements in the arrangements of the fire hearth, and perhaps more immediately by the employment of iron fire-grates,or chimneys," as they were termed. These iron chimneys soon came much into use. We are told that they were considered a very important piece of furniture, and were frequently entailed by will upon son after son in succession. Associated with them we find mention of the familiar poker and tongs, these implements of the smith's craft having ac- companied mineral fuel In its passage from the forge into a wider sphere in ordinary house fires. The coal trade was now becoming established on a broader basis, and the steady increase in the demand gave rise to the opening out oi numerous collieries. In the great Northern coalfields of Northumberland and Durham many mines were brought into operation during the course of the fourteenth century, particularly on the banks of the Tyne, where peculiar natural facilities existed for carrying on a coal trade. Edward III. was the first king to interest himself in the Tyne coal trade. He issued writs for its regulation, and also gave his sanction to coal being loaded by the "keel," instead of being measured in the detailed manner which was employed while the trade was insignificant. The "keel" is a class of vessel peculiar to the Tyne and the coal trade. Its name and origin are both Saxon, and its history goes back to the advent of the Saxons in England, Verstegan informing us that the first detachment of Saxons crossed from the Continent in three keels. Not only on the banks of the Tyne, but at many different points in the great Northern coal- field, the working of coal was being carried on in the latter part of the fourteenth century. During the sixteenth century the coal trade entered upon a period of greatly increased activity. A consi- derable demand for coal had sprung up on the Continent, and large quantities were exported thither from the Tyne and Frith of Forth. The question of prohibiting the export of coal was dis- cussed in Parliament in 154-9, and from time to time during subsequent years. One proposal made was that all the best coal should be kept at home, but that foreigners might have the benefit of the inferior sorts. No actual steps were taken to check the export trade in England, bi. in Scot- land the decay of the "coal heuclis" had become a source of anxiety, and the gravest fears were entertained of the speedy exhaustion of the coal- field, and an Act of Parliament was passed in 1653 prohibiting all persons from transporting coals out of the realm, under penalty of confisca- tion of ship and cargo. This act sets forth that coals were becoming the common ballast of all empty ships, which WM occasioning "a nuirt — ■ ■ exorbitant dearth and scantnesse of fewalL* Licenses to export coal were subsequently pur- chased by certain families, who realised large for1 tones from the monopoly. In the reign of Elizabeth, the relative positions of wood-fuel and coal underwent quite a reversal. The change was not brought about so much by choice &s by necessity, wood fuel having rapidly become ,scarce and dearer, owing partly to ita increased consumption in what were described in Acts of Parliament as "voracious" iron furnaces then situated in the counties of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. Elderly people clung to the usages of theiryoutb, andregarded the great building of chim- neys which was going on as an indication of the degeneracy of the times, and the cause of nume- rous ills. Thus, Harrison writes in 1557:—" Now we have many chimneys, and yet our tenderlings complaine of rewmes, catarres, and poses; then we had none but reredoses, and our heads never did ake. For as the smoke in those days was sup- posed to be a sufficient hardening for the timber of the house, so it was reputed a far better medi- cine to keep the good man and his family from the quacke and the pose. Wherewith as then very few were acquainted. There are old men yet dwelling in the village where I remain which have noted the multitude of chimneys lately erected, whereas in their young days there was not above two or three, if so many, as the most uplaudishl town of the realme (the religious houses and manour places of their lordes always excepted, and perad venture some great personages), but each one made his fire against the reredosse in the halle where he dined and dressed his meate. When our houses'were builded of willowe, then wa had oaken men, but now that our houses are come to be made of oke, our men are not only become willowe, but a great many altogether of straw, which is a sore alteration." With this lament over the decadence of the age we will leave the subject this week. J. M. KUSSELL, Liverpool. 17.—LIGHTNING AND COLLIERY EXPLOSIONS.— I am glad to see an enqiry from J. G., Mountain Ash, respecting the influence of lightning on col- liery explosions. The subject was discussed in the Newcastle Chronicle some two or three years since, and Mr E. A. Rymer, now of the Forest of Dean, contributed some notes to the discussion. One of these was as follows:—"I am of opinion that much scientific knowledge on the lightning theory is needed in this discussion. It the electric cur- rent diddescend the pit shaft at Tanfield Moo» and pass through part of the workings, then there is surely a possibility of lightning going down other pit shafts. Here we have a danger never before dreamt of. But I should like to see the whole subject analysed thoroughly before definite con- clusions be pronounced on the lightning query." D. E.. Merthvr. 16.—AN EXTRAORDINARY WELSH SUPRESTITION.' —For a good account of Welsh superstitions, I would refer "J., Stroud," to Wirt Sykes's Bri- tish Goblins." Referring to the "Sin-eater," he says :—" Well-informed Welshmen have denied that any such custom as that of the Sin-eater ever existed in Wales at any time, or in the border shires; and it must not be assertej that they are wrong, unless we have convincing proof to support the assertion. The existing evidence in support of the belief that there were ones Sin- eaters in Wales I have carefully collated, and (excluding hearsay and second-hand accounts), it is here reproduced. The first reference to the Sin-eater anywhere to be found is in the Lans- downe MSS. in the British Museum, in the hand- writing of John Aubrey, the author. It runs thus:—' In the county of Hereford was an old custom at funerals to hire poor people, who were to take upon them the sins of the party deceased. One of them (he was a long, lean, ugiv, lament- able poor rascal), I remember, lived in a cottage on Rosse highway. The manner was that wliea the corpse was brought out of the house, and laid on the bier, a loaf of bread was brought out, and delivered to the Sin-eater over the corpse, and also a mazard bowl of maple, full of beer [which he was to drink up), and sixpence in money, in consideration whereof he took upon him, ipso (acto. all the sins of the defunct, and freed him or her from walking after they were dead.; Aubrey adds, and this custom, though rarely used iu our days, yet by some people was observed in the strictest time of the Presbyterian Government; as at Dynder (nolens volens the j'arson cf the parish), the kindred of the woman deceased there, had this ceremony punctually performed, accord- ing to-her will: and also the like was done at the city of Hereford, in those times, where a woman kept many years before her death a mazard bowl for the Sin-eater; and the like in other places in this country as also in Brecon, e.g., at Llangors, where Mr Gwin, the minister, about 164-0, could Dot hinder the performance of this custom. I believe,' says Aubrey, this custom was heretofore used all over Wales,' He states further,—' A.D. 1686: This custom is used to this day in North Wales.' Upon this Bishop White Kennet made this comment;—' It seems a re- mainder of this custom which lately obtained at Amersden, in the county of Oxford, where, at the burial of every corpse, one cake, and one flaggoa of ale, just after the interment, were br:ught to the minister in the church porch. No othei writer of Aubrey's time, either English or Welsh, t appears to have made any reference to the Sm. eater in Wales; and equal silence prevaill throughout the writings of all previous centuries. Since Aubrey, many references to it have been made, but never, so far as I can discover, by any writer in the Welsh language—a singular omis- sion, if there ever was such a custom; for, con- cerning every other superstitious practice com- monly ascribed to Wales, the Welsh have written freely." IEDHOB,^

ACTION AGAINST THE ,RHYMNEY…

FINAL SETTLEMENT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.…

-.........--. SIR P. LUMSDEN.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

THE SOUDAN. II

THE WIFE MURDER AT ABERYSTWITH.

SHOCKING SUICIDE OF A CLERGYMAN.

[No title]

MR CHAMBERLAIN AT BIRMINGHAM.…

THE NEW AMERICAN MINISTER…

---THE REASSEMBLING OF PARLIAMENT.

LORD R. CHURCHILL ON THE TORY…

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY AT CAMBERWELL.

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