Cylchgronau Cymru

'OLD BRECKNOCK CHIPS." A Column of Antiquarian Chit-Chat relating to the County of Brecknock. NOTES, QUERIES, AND REPLIES, on Subjects inter- eating to Breconshire, mast be addressed to EDITOR, Brecon County Times, Brecon. Real names and addresses mast be given in confidence, and MSS. must be written legibly, on one side of the paper only. SEPTEMBER 17th, 1886. NOTES. CHURCHYAED'S DESCRIPTION OF "THE TOWNE AND CHURCHE OF BREAKENOKE." {Continuedfrom September VbtK). jBuilt in this church,* a tombe or two I find, That worthie is, in briefe to bring to minde. Three couple lyes, one ore the others head, Along in tombe, and all one race and lyne : And to be plaine, two couple lyeth dead, The third likewise, as destnie shall assyne, Shan lye on top, right ore the other twaine : Their pictures now, all readie there remaine, In signe when God appoynts the terme and date, AU flesh and blood must yeeld to mortall fate. These are indeede, the auncient race of Grams, A house and blood, that long rich armes doth give: And now in Wales, are many of their names, That keepes great trayne, and doth full bravely live. The eldest sonne, and chiefest of that race, Doth beare in armes, a ramping lyon crownd, And three speare heads, and three red cocks in place. A dragons head, aU greene therein is found : And in his mouth, a red and bloodie hand, AU this and more, upon the tombe doth stand. Three fayre boyes heads, and every one of those A serpent hath close lapt about his necke : A great white bucke, and as you may suppose Right ore the same, (which doth it trimly decke) A crowne there is, that makes a goodly shoe, A lyon blacke, and three bulles heads I troe : Three flowerdeluce, aU fresh and white they were, I wo swords, two crownes, with fayre long crosse is there. ee bats, whose wings were spread all at And g6' nree white barres were in these armes likewise: nSiK^8 now' to whom belongs that charge, Y»ff I.he8e things, for me this may suffice. Af turther now, I forced am to goe, W-+^er men> 8ome other armes to shoe, withm that church, there lyes beneath the quere. hese persons two, whose names now shaU ye heare. The Priory Church, Brecon. (2b be continued?) liW+w^BUlLTH HARPER.—In the Thorn*, i ™a«niahea Breconian, the Rev. followil"IT (" Carnhuanawo"), I find the from Builth-^106 t0 an old harper haiKng "The earliest recollection I have of the harp (writes " Carnhuanawc" ) is that of old Sam the harper, who lived at Builth, and whom I have often seen, previous to the year 1800, going: towards Llanafan feast and other places, to play for dancing, carrying his harp slung on his back. His name was Samuel Davies, and he might have been about 50 years of age at that time. I have also seen him, on the club feast at Builth, playing before the club whilst they walked in procession to church. He carried his harp slung about his shoulders, so as to be able to play as he marched along. His harp was a single string harp. It was between three and four feet high or thereabouts. . . . Old Sam has been dead many years. I have lately made inquiry respecting bis harp, but could not find any trace of it. Old Sam the harper sometimes played for dancing on the Green and in the open air on the Groe at Builth. ... I have no recollection of the tunes he played excepting Hen, Sibil, and of that I only recollect the name, which he pronounced with the accent on the last syUable Hen, &abeL" The Editor. KING JOHN AT HAY.—In the year 1216, that true British tyrant, King John, burnt the castle of Hay. He remained at Hay for several days, and on the 27th and 28th July (previous to destroying the castle) he wrote to some of the Welsh nobles, in¬ viting an interview, and this ruse proving unsuccessful, he burnt the castle. Mol Walbeck. BRECONSHIRE WORTHIES. Vavasour Powell, of Llanthetty. {Continued from September 10th). This eminent Puritan and Patriot was one of Oliver Cromwell's right-hand men in Brecknockshire, and a companion and friend of the doughty Colonel Jenkin Jones, of Llanthetty, and one of the many noble Welshmen to whom we are now indebted for " preserving the precious spark of liberty." At the " Restoration," when Non¬ conformists were treated almost as criminals, Vavasour could have preserved his liberty and acquired wealth by becoming an Apostate ; but he was faithful to the last, suffering imprisonment in Newgate and other goals for conscience sake. There is an altar monument of freestone to his memory in Bunhill Fields Cemetery, London. The following is a copy of the epitaph thereon :— "Vavasour Powell, a successful teacher of the past, a sincere witness of the present, and an useful example to the future Age, lies interred ; who, in the defection of so many, obtained Mercy to be found Faithful; for which, being called to several Prisons, he was there tried and would not accept deliverance, expecting a better resurrection : in hope of which he finished his Life and Testimony together in the 11th year of his Imprisonment, and in the 53rd year of his age.—October 27, An. 1671." '' In vain oppressors do themselves perplex To find out Arts how they the Saints m ly vex ; Death spoils their plots and sets the Oppressed free, Thus Vavasour obtains true liberty. Christ him releas'd, and now he's joyn'd among The martyr'd Souls with whom he cries ' How long.'—Rev. 6, 10." M.