Cylchgronau Cymru

42 BYE-GONES. Apl., 1876. dulph's) who pulled it out of the ground, did so on the very spot where Gurney's murdered body hid been found, and to the astonishment and dismay of the neighbours it was found to resemble the hand of Powell even to a wart npon one of the fingers. O's S.B. THE FIRST SERVICE IN ENGLISH AT MUCH WENLOCK.— In the parish register of Much Wenlock is the following entry, "Auno Dom. 1559, et Regno Elizabeths Primo. Note, that upon the 26 dayeofJune was service celebrated first in the English tonge : Anno primo Elizabethan, 1559." The Rev. G. L. Wasey says, at page 97 of Our Ancient Parishes, " It is very probable that the people of Quatford, Morville, and Aston likewise on that Fame day first enjoyed the blessed privilege of the public services of the Church solemnized in tbeir own native tongue, instead of in the Latin language, though no record of it is preserved." Walter White tells us, in his All Bound the Wrekin that on the three hundredth anni- versa'T' of this glorious event, the Hon. and Rev. A. L. Powys preached a sermon in Wenlock Church, taking for his text, the extract from the register. He adds, " A good sermon on that topic would be worth listening to, and the more so as one's thoughts would be busy all the while in imagining the hearty worship, the gladsome burst of tune¬ ful thanksgiving that arose in hundreds of parish-churches when the dear old mother tongue was first used by priest and by people for supplication and praise." Good cause indeed was there to rejoice, for, as we read in the 24th article, "It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the primitive church, to have pub¬ lic prayer in the church, or to minister the sacraments in a tongue not understanded by the people." Shrewsbury. R.E.D. QUERIES. EUPHRATES.—In his Note on the Shropshire Election of 1831, Jahco, in Bye gomes, Mar. 15, gives an allusion to the sporting Jack Mytton's celebrated horse Euphrates. Can any of your readers give a history of this horse and hi3 performances? Tell. VAL HILL, ELLESMERE.—It is supposed that Val (?) Hill, which lies between Tetchill and Frankton, about two miles from Ellesmere (being formed entirely of soil), is not the work of nature, but of Roman soldiers, who were once encamped in the neighbourhood, and threw up the hill to serve some military purpose. Can any of your readers say if this supposition is correct, or give an his¬ torical account of the hill ? J.P. Chester. SIR ROBERT VAUGHAN.—Sydney Smith, in one of his letters, quoted in his memoir bv Lady Holland, thus describes Sir Robert Vaughan :—"You will be very much pleased with his place, his efforts to improve the country round him. and hi3 great good nature and hospi¬ tality. I have seldom seen any man who seems to possess more natural mildness and benevolence. He sees from his windows Cader Idris and Snowdon, both of them infe¬ rior to himself in height and breadth. It was curious and amusing to see the worthy baronet surrounded by sixteen little men and women, who reached up to the waistband of his breeches, and looked like iron rails round a monument." Was Sydney Smith correct in saying (bat Snowdon was to be seen from the windows of Nannau ? A short outline of the lif« of Sir Robert would be acceptable to many of your readers. Euola. Abtrystwyth. REPLIES. CHURCH GOING DOGS (Nov. 17, 1875).-The Rev W. V. Lloyd, R.N., in bis "Sheriffs of Mont¬ gomeryshire " now publishing in Mont: Coll: gives, page 11, Vol. 9, the following from the Churchwardens' accounts of Chirbury, Salop, 23 March, 2 James 1,1604-5 :—" Dog Keper and Whipp.—Item for a bell and cordes, to kepe the dogge out of the Churche in the times of Divine service and preachinge. And to a peore boy that kepte the doore, 2s." HANDEL IN WALES (Mar. 15,1876.)—In a little volume of poems by the late Miss Sarah Williams ("Sadie") it is stated in a footnote to one of the poems that the idea of the "Hallelujah Chorus" was derived by Handel from the shout of " Gogoniant" at a revival meeting in Wales, but neither time nor place is there given, so that could hardly be the authority quoted by the minister named by your "correspondent "W.R.H.,"and so may possibly be taken as confirmation of the story. A.H. DENBIGHSHIRE ELECTIONS, 1588-1601 (Mar. 22, 1876).—I have referred to Townshend's Historical Col¬ lections, and the passage relating to the Denbighshire Elec¬ tions is as follows:—"Sir Robert Cecil mov'd the House, To bave their Opinions, in that there wanted a Chief Mem¬ ber, viz., a Knight of Denby-shire,—he said I am to certify this much, in respect of some Disorder committed there touching the election, by Sir Rich. Trevor and Sir John Flood, to which Sir John Salisbury is a Party,—the Sheriff could not proceed in Electing; for my own part, I think it fit, Mr Speaker should attend my Lord Keeper therein (quod non attend) if it please you, you shall hear the Letter —which was read the Contents whereof were, That on the 2l8t October, he kept at--------- the County-day, and there being quietly chooseing the Knight for the Shire, a cry came suddenly, that Sir Richard Trevor and Sir John Flood in the one party, and Sir John Salisbury in the other were fighting, and all their Companies ready to do the like; whereupon presently I went to the Church-yard where they were, and there I found out Parties, with their Swords drawn ready, but with much ado pacit'd them both, and fearing lest by drawing such a multitude together, there might be great Danger and Bloodshed happen I made Pro¬ clamation That every man should depart by means whereof I did not execute her Majesty's Writ, as I thought to have dDne, rather chooseing your Honour's censure herein, than to hazard so great Bloodshed. Under subscribed, your hon¬ our's most humble at Comm3ndement, Owen Vaughan." Oxford. J.H.J. PUNISHING PAUPERS (Mar. 15, 1876).—How the Directors of the Oswettry House of Industry ever came to be possessed of such powers to punish, is a marvel, and the instances I have already given are by no means the worst on record. It would seem as if they had determined to " stamp out " immorality by continually increasing the punishments. Here are further samples :— Jan. 6, 1815. Ordered that Mary Jones, who was this day admitted into this House with child of the second bastard, be committed to the House of Correction at Shrewsbury for the apace of twelve months, as soon after her delivery as the Surgeon of the House may think proper of her being conveyed without danger. Although the Directors had such unlimited powers over unfortunate women, I presume they had not the same power in all offences, for another entry says:— Oct. 30, 1815. Ordered that Mr Armson do apply to the Magistrates of the town of Oswestry to commit James Price, a pauper, now in the House, to the House of Cor¬ rection as a vagrant