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LOCAL GOSSIP.

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LOCAL GOSSIP. Now that there is some talk about a pro- posed pageant of Welsh historical eventsJ and the time will soon be ripe for sugges- tions. the antiquarians of the Vale of Gla- morgan should not forget to make it known that the earliest institutions for educational purposes were located at Llancarfan and Llantwit Major. The celebrated seminaries were renowned, and pupils from various parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland met there with others from Gaul. Tradition states that Eurgain. the daughter of Carac- tacus. founded the college at Llantwit, and she had embraced Christianity at Rome. It is interesting to note that Mr. Louis X. Parker, the play-wright who so skilfully planned and arranged the Warwick pageant, adheres to the old Welsh tradition that Caractacus was permitted to return home on certain conditions, and then introduced the Christian faith to which he had been converted by St. Paul. As every Welshman knows, Dunraven was the fortress of Bran, the son of Llyr. and St. Donats was one of the residences of Caractacus. In these days of advanced education, two facts should not be forgotten in connection with any sug- gested pageant: (1) That Christianity was preached and practised in Llanilltyd Fawr and Llancarfan five hundred years before St. Augustine stepped foot in Britain; (2) that the first educational institutions were the College of Eurgain-the Bangor Eurgain- and the College of Dyfrig at Llancarfan. The classical associations of these two historical centres of the Vale of Glamorgan had very important bearings upon the education and faith of the youth of Britain. It would be interesting to know through this column if there are any rag wells and pin wells in the neighbourhood of Bridgend and the Vale generally. I have a large col- lection of noes on this subject, writes "Marie Trevelyan," and would like reliable additions to them. Marcross Well used to have rags left on the thorns near by, and pins were also dropped into it. The spot known as Nancy's Well," in Llantwit Major, for- merly had thorns around it, and on them rags were deposited, while into the waters pins were dropped. At Llancarfan several of the springs were known as rag or pin wells or both. some of these wells had a kind of marl near the brink which was efficacious in erysipelas and other affections of the skin. The old rhyme with reference to Marcross Well credited the place with many virtues. It ran thus "For the itch, the stitch, rheumatic and the gout. If the devil isn't in you, the well will take it out." v Cadrawd writes —Carlyle never paid a visit to John Sterling at Llanblethian. The English essayist was only between 6 and 9 years of age when he lived with his father, Captain Sterling (the first Thunderer" of the" Times"). at the Great House. Mr. Thomas Carlyle visited Mr. Charles Redwood at Llandough in 1843. and again when he was engaged in writing the life of his late frend. John Sterling, he visited Mr. Redwood, who had removed to Boverton, in the summer of the year 18o0, which was two years after Sterling's death. In his letter to Mr. Red- wood before starting on his second visit he commands him to send his man and trap to meet him at Cardiff, and tells him to look out when the Bristol boat arrived at the docks "for an elderly thin man he will know him by his grim looks, sober clothing, grizzled temples, and white hat-the last mark is perhaps the best for his perceptive organs." He also wished that the servant would get for him at Cardiff half a dozen big and well-constructed tobacco pipes, this, he adds, "would be a marked improvement in my outlook." In the Calendar of State Papers the follow- ing interesting paragraph appears:—"17th May, 1663. Warrant for a grant of pardon to Robert Thomas for all felony touching the killing of Edmund Thomas, of Glamorgan- shire, who was slain by Edward Thomas in a duel. The said Robert Thomas went to pre- I vent the duel, but having fled through fear and ignorance, was indicted for the offence. This said. Robert Thomas was an M.D., and the eldest son of Edward Thomas, of Tre- groes, and grandson to the Rev. Robert Thomas, M.A., of Tregroes. 50 years rector of Coychurch. The pardoned Robert Thomas returned from his refuge in Leyden, and lived to the age of 62, being buried at St. John's Church, Cardiff. in 1690, leaving a son to buy back the Tregroes estate sold by the father when he fled the country. Robert Thomas's brother, Edward, was the duellist, who fled to Ireland, changing his name to Rowland. This duel must have been fought under more atrocious circumstances than usual-there may have been a feud between the two Thomas families-for the four bro- thers were involved, and three fled the coun- try. The one who remained was a clerk in holy orders, and was actually brought to trial in the great sessions, but was acquitted. Judge Gwilym Williams used to tell a good story (says the American Cambrian") of an English head gardener he once had. The Judge had a guest who desired to attend a Welsh place of worship on the Sunday, and as a consequence His Honour and his guest attended the village Methodist chapel. To the judge's delight, it turned out that it was a prayer meeting, for his guest would thus be treated to a service more characteristic- ally Welsh than the ordinary preaching ser- vice. He was greatly astonished; and more pleased than astonished, to find that one of the most eloquent in his petition to the Throne of Grace was his uwn head gardener, and in the Welsh language, too. Such in- stances, however, are comparatively common in Wales. Mr. Angus Alexander Mackintosh of Mac- kintosh attained his majority on Monday, and the occasion was celebrated on the exten- sive estates of the Mackintosh of Mackintosh in Inverness-shire with Highland enthusiasm. Elaborate preparations were made at Moy Hall to mark the event. The young chief, who is a lieutenant in the Royal Horse Guards, received many congratulations, his well-wishers including Lord and Lady Bal- four of Burleigh and the Duke of Atholl. Deputations of the tenantry of Clan Chattan and other bodies were entertained at Moy Hall, and in the course of the day presented the young chief with addresses and valuable gifts. Mr. Mains made the presentation on behalf of the tenantry and servants. It con- sisted of a case of guns and an illuminated address in a massive frame. The clansmen and clanswomen of the Clan Chattan pre- sented the young chief with a unique album, containing an illuminated address and nearly 600 photograph signatures of members, and septs of the ClanChattan; and the house ser- vants at Cottrell (the Mackintosh's Glamor- gan residence) and Moy gave a beautiful set of silver dessert dishes. The Bonvilstone Cricket Club and many Welsh friends sent ifts handsome gifts.

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