Penarth Chronicle and District Advertiser

Notes and Comments. 1,11. Probably the first paper ever issued bearing the the name of Penarth in its title was that published as a supplement to the Western Mail on August 24th, 1876, and known as the "Penarth Visitors' List." The size of this publication was 8 inches by 11 inches. This contained the names of a goodly number of visitors, whilst- the streets named were only Plassey-street, Clive-place, Windsor-road, Maughan. Street-street, John-street, and a.couple oi houses on the Beach. The first issue cenained the advertise- ments of Messrs Lovett, Windsor Hotel; D. L- Williams, Dock. Hotel; Thomas Griffiths, Albion Hotel; Evan E. Roberts, Britannia Buildings, Glebe- street; D. Comweli. who was then as now "the Oldest established butcher in Penarth James Slade, Glebe-street; R. Proctor, chemist, Glebe-street. W. R. Smith, outfitter. Glebe-street; and Philip Daw, butcher. Of these how few remain to detail the early history :of out- town- Mr Evan Roberts, we think, claims the honour of being nearly the oldest resident of Penarth. lie commenced business here when there were only a few families to patronise him, but success followed him. As the town grew his business in- creased, and now, having amassed sufficient of tins world s goods to live comfortably, he has practically retired, and given place to those younger in life. Many an interesting tale can Mr Roberts unfold re- j *#■ spectmg the early history of Penaith. The following j is from the first issue of the "Penarth Visitors' List"— In passing through the Great Western Station,Cardiff, the tiareller from London must have noticed to the left a stiking headland, surmounted by an equally striking-, cb-urch. Around, upon, and nestling- bo- neath, is the town of Penarth-one of those water- ing places which have been kindly dealt with by Nature, anu have escaped lightly at the haudsof man. K,itua ed at a point of the Glamorganshire coast where the Bris ol Channel widens out. and becomes a recog- nisable son of the ocean, Penarth affords for the eve a pictuie wincii can be looked upon, not once or twice, but for ever with pleasure. Viewed from the mainland-from Castell Coch, towering biuh above the fertile and well-wooded Taft" Vallpv—Penarth overlooks a wide stretch of water, really a road. stead, but apparently a land-locked Jake, the entrance closed by these two striking islands, the Steep and Flat Holms- Bat when seen from the high land be- yond Penarth Church, the roadstead opens", the Holms drop into their proper place as accessories in the pic- ture, the link between them and thej/coast on either side, is severed by a silvery stretch cf sea, lighted up, perhaps by a rich glow. or perhaps darkened 1 1. 1 d by the reflection of gathering clouds massing tnem- ¡ selves in heavy columns on 5be line of the hoiizon. From Penarth itself a fine body of water and a long stretch of English coast are open to the observer who looks Channel wards while, if he turn his g'ance in the direction of the road by which he has reacS ed his coign of 'vantage, he will behold a scene which will compare favourably with any to be met with from the mouth of the Usk in Monmouthshire to St David's Head in Pembrokeshire. Unless the weather is very bad. indeed, the town of Cardiff always looks bright from a distance and when, upon a bright day in the summer or early autumn, it is seen across the water, backed by green hills and the opening of the beauti- ful Taff Valley, it creates a first impression which visi- tors are not likely speedily to forget. And it is this Penarth (even this) so richly dowered with natural beauties, that is at last asserting its right to be regarded as one of the most charming and healthful watering places on the Welsh Coast. Not only does it possess a stretch of most beautiful coast scenery, but it is rapidly assuming, under the foster- ing care of the trustees and agents of the Windsor C, Estate, all the attributes of a well-built, well-lighted well-paved; and well-drained town. As regards the healthfulness of the place, we cannot do better than quote the Western Mail, the leading daily paper of South Wales, which in the issue of February the 10th, 1876, furnished the following :—List of persons who actually died within the limits of thepanshef Penarth during the last five years In 1871 33 1872 21 1873 38 1874 I 38 I 1875 35 Total 165 The correspondent adds :•—The population of Penarth in 1871 was 2,612; in 1874, 3,300; and to judge from the increase of houses, the number must have largely increased since the last return. Taking as data the figures above, and assuming the population during the last five years to have been 3,000, I arrive at the following conclusions:—1st, that the death-rate may be fairly put down at 11 in 1,000; and, therefore, Penarth must be one of the healthiest places in the kingdom, I give these facts in contrast with statements which have from time to time ap- peared in print as to the low sanitary condition of this, one of the most picturesque spots in the Bristol Channel.

SUCCESS OF THE PENARTH BOARD SCHOOL. FOR the fifth consecutive year the three departments of the Penarth Board School have been awarded the highest grant. There was no examination this year, the schools being excused, under Article 84 of the Code, on the ground of merit. Mr Whitmell, Her Majesty's Inspector, visited the school, inspected the buildings, and heard the teachers give their usual lessons. Addressing the children, the Inspector said that they were in the front rank of the first-class as regards attainments, tone, and discipline- He thought the ratepayers should be proud of their schools, and the parents grateful to the teachers.' The report on the drawing examination has jast been received from the Science and Art Department, and the boy's school has again been classed "excellent." On the special recommendation of Her Majesty's In- spector, the schools will be excused the ordinary Government examination in the year 1896.

A Penarth Tradesman's Law. ARE OYSTERS REFRESHMENTS ? Last Monday morning at the Police Court Penartb —before Mr T- R. Thompson and Mr W. L. Morris —Richard Brindiey, fish dealer, was charged with opening his house for the sale of refreshments during prohibited hours. Hawkins and Hale visited the house on the 29th May, aud found at 11.50 at night a number of men seated upon sacks eating oysters, cockles, mussels, (tc- Cross-examined by defendant: There were no chairs, tables, or conveniences there. Defendant claimed exemption upon the same ground as other tradesmen, viz., that he did not provide the usual conveniences found in a refreshment bouse, nor did he sell anything cooked on the premises. All goods, sold by him were either alive or obtained by him in a cooked state from Lincolnshire, and if he was rendered liable to take out a refreshment licence every grocer who sold tinned salmon was also equally liable. Mr T. R Thompson But the law says that if they are consumed on the premises a licence is reqmrcQ., There is no question about that. I Thinking that defendant was acting under a mis- apprehension, the magisttates inflicted the nominal ¡ penalty of 10s including costs.

Suicide at PeDarth. On Tuesday morning intelligence reached the police through J'ohn Jenkins, a boatman, that a woman was lying dead on the beach between the Boat House and the Seven Sisters, she having apparemly fallen over the cliffs. P.O. Thomas Parker went to the spot, and afterwards sent for Dr Rees, who found that life was extinct, the skull be terribly fractured. It was found that deceased was a visitor to Penarth from Teign- mouth, named Sarah Kelland, and had been staying, with her niece, Miss Alice Denley, 7, Albert-road. An inquest was held at the Penarth Police Station on Wednesday morning, before Mr E. B. Reece. Mr Bernard Staples Clarke being foreman of the jury. Miss Alice Denley said I know the deceased. Sarah Kelland- She was my aunt. She was I think* about 60 years of age, and unmarried. She'lived at Teignmoutb- She had been at Penarth nearly a fort- night, and was staying with me. She has not been, in very good health of late. No doctor has seen her since she has been in Penarth. She has been i. rather low spirits, but I do not know of any trouble she has had to cause it. I last saw her alive" on Mon- day night about a quarter to 11. She slept that night with me. When I awoke on Tuesday morning she was not in the bedroom. I awoke abcut quarter-past seven. She had dressed herself and gone out. I made inquiries for her of my sister, who lives in the house with me. I was the first down, and I told my sister I could not find her. I went to look for her. I heard about 10.30 that her body was found. She had not to my knowledge ever threatened to do herself any injury or commit suicide. I was on good terms with her the night before. She was in the habit of gatting up early, but she had not gone out before of a morning only in the garden. She had been under a doctor's care at Teignmouth for influenza, which had kept her low. She was with me for a change of air. Richard Burch Denley said: I am brother to last witness, and live at Teignmoutb. I am a postman. Deceased had a bad attack of influenza very recently, and has since been in a very low state. She lived in service at Teignmouth. I never spoke to her doctor about her state. I saw her the night before she left to come to my sister. She then seemed in very low spirits. She was going for a change at the doctor's orders. I came over here after hearing of her death. John Jenkins. boatman, said I live at Penartb. I found the body at a quarter-past eight on Tuesday morning when I was out in my boat. It was between the Seven Sisters and the Boat House. I saw some- thing lying on the beach at the foot of the cliff. I went on shore, and found it was the deceased woman. There was a lot of blood about; her face was covered with blood, but I could not see then whether her head was hurt much. I did not touch the body, but came and gave information to the police. P.C. Thomas Parker said I went to the place and' removed he body. It was quite warm, and lying on the left side. There were several cuts about the head, and the face was also bruised. I removed the body to her niece's house. Dr Rees saw it at the foot of the cliff. I afterwards examined the cliff at the top, and found she must have got over a wooden fence about 3t feet high. Inside the fence the grass is very high. There is about six feet of ground be- tween the fence and the edge of the cliff. At the edge of the cliff the grass was bent down as though some one had been trampling about there. There were no flowers about there. I could see m irks do jm the cliffs where she had fallen. By a Juryman If she bad got through the fence wbere it is broken down she could not have walked to the place where she fell over. There was a cord loose ] oOlnd her neck, which Dr Rees removed. The cliffs are about 60 feet high at this point. Dr Rees said I tvent to the place where the body was lying. Death was undoubtedly due to fracture of the skull. The string was wound round the neck about five or six times. It was sufficiently tight to leave a little mark, although I could get my Unger in. Sometimes influenza leaves very great depression, The Coroner, in summing up, srid that it was for the jury to consider whether deceased had committed suicide by throwing herself over the cliffs, and if they thought this was the case, what was the .state of" her mind at the time. There was a possibility that she got over the fence for some other purpt>sh arid slipped in the grass, but the cord being tied round t .e neck was slightly suspicious. The jury, after a minute's deliberation, found the verdict tlaht deceased committed suicide wlnicst tem- porarily insane..

Aç;: c< ;¡¡ .j 0 1- Llandaff Diocesan Association of Oliange Ringers. At St- Augustine's Church, Penarth, on Wednes- day, June 5th, in honour of the marriage of Miss" Grace ThOrnley, youngest daughter of .Major and Mrs to h. T. Lloyd, town clerk of Huddersfield, the following changes were rung Two ;720's of Plain Bob Minor and one each of Grand sire." Kent:" and Oxfold Treble Bob" 3,600 changes in 'all, the''following taking part H. G.. White, J. Cox, W. Biss,' J, Yinnicombe, 'T.. Northey, Y Bartlett, C. Smith, and D. Thorns con- ducted by C. Smith and D. Thomas.