Cylchgronau Cymru

194 BYE-GONES. April, 1885. A Monstrance or Ostensorium in silver gilt, richly jewelled, is to be presented to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury (the Right Rev. Dr. Knight). The jewels with which it is adorned are family jewels, furnished by the donor of the Monstrance. The Pyx is upon a raised base, and the lunette is embraced by a circle of blue enamel, upon which lies a wreath of vine leaves and grapes formed of pearls, and of roses formed of diamonds. Golden rays radiate from the lunette, and on a bracket on each side of the Pyx is a finely modelled figure of an angel in an atti¬ tude of adoration. The pedestal of the Monstrance is ornamented with elegant tracery ; a beautiful canopy of pierced workmanship, and decorated by three perforated crowns, studded with jewels and rising above each other, surmounts the Pyx. The crown? are of repousse" work, beaten out of the flat silver. The first crown is composed of camellias formed of red and white cornelians, with gold centres; the second is of fleurs de lys, tipped with pearls; and the upper crown, which is of imperial shape, has a border of fleur de lys and Maltese-crosses enriched with amethysts. From the arched top of the upper crown springs a cross of solid gold filigree, framing four large amethysts with pearls in the centre. The Monstrance was designed by Mr Edmund Kirby of Liverpool, and executed by Messrs Elkington and Co. A Remabkable Pedigbee.—The Late Chables James Hanmeb.—Our obituary of last week contained the name of Charles James Hanmer, formerly of Oswestry, Shrewsbury, and Rhyl, who died at Moseley, Birmingham, on the 11th of M irch, at the age of 78, and who was the great-grandson of a man born in the time of Charles I. Many years ago Mr Hanmer carried on the business of a shoemaker in the Cross, Oswestry, and afterwards at Shrewsbury, but he traced his descent from the Hanmers of Hanmer, and indeed put in a claim to estates held by the late Lord Hanmer and his successor, the present baronet Our readers will remembar that in 1881, after the death of the peer, Mr Hanmer, who was then living at Rhyl, employed a number of men to attempt to take possession of the residence, Bettisfield Park. The matter came before the magistrates at Hanmer, and Mr Charles James Hanmer, after being in custody for a week, was dis¬ charged on his own recognizances, the other men being treated as his dup^s, and dismissed without punishment. At one time Hanmer addressed notices to the tenants to pay rents to him, and he once issued an address to the electors of the Flint Boroughs, on the strength of his alleged right to the estate. Mr Hanmer was the second son of Charles Hanmer, who was baptized at Baschurch as long ago as April 5, 1765, and the grandson of Edward Hanmer, born in the reign of William and Mary ; so in¬ timately are those seemingly distant times associated with our own days. Indeed, as we have said, another genera¬ tion takes us back to the days of the first Charles, for the late Mr Hanmer's great grandfather was born in 1639, nearly two centuries and a half ago ! He died in 1698, and was buried at Baschurch. APRIL 1, 1885. NOTES. A VALE OF CLWYD CANAL.—About 1776, it appears, a canal was intended to be made from Ruthin to Rhuddlan Bridge, a length of 15 miles, 70 chains, the engineer being a Mr. Edson The estimated cost was only £12,200. A second proposal for a canal was subse¬ quently made by the Hon. T. Fitz Maurice, which was opposed by the proprietor of the Bathafarn estate ; and » third attempt to float the project was made in 1807, but in vain. (See Rev. W. Davies's Agr. Survey ofN. Wales, p. 384.) R.W. SHREWSBURY CASTLE.— Parcel of Land in the Enclosure of.—The following curious petition was laid before the Council of State on a day, the date of which is not recorded, in September, 1656 :— " Petition of Ann, wife of Rich. Swayne, to the Council of State. There is a parcel of land in the inclosure of Shrewsbury Castle, belonging to her husband, now in his Highnesses possession, for which she is to receive £4 17s 4d rent, but the rent is two years in arrear, and her husband prisoner for debt, and she has 8 small children, and is expecting a 9th, begs that they will buy the fee simple of the land that she may pay the debts, and not be troubled to come any more to London. Note that she has a letter of Attorney from her husband to sell the land, and has been waiting six weeks, and is ill of an ague, and her children in sad condition at home, and that the in¬ heritance is recorded in Mat. Lee's office." (State Papers Domestic, 1656-7, p. 118). On the 28 th April, in the fol¬ lowing year, at the Council, " On petition of Anne, wife of Rich. Swayne, shewing that they have a parcel of land adjoining Shrewsbury Castle, which is Swayne's inherit¬ ance, but in the State's possession, and employed for forti¬ fications under the Castle, and praying a fit consideration for it, and on an Order of Council 5th Sept. 1655, direct¬ ing payment of the rent to Michaelmas, 1655, valued at £4 6s 8d a year. Order, that the rent bee paid till next Lady day at that proportion, viz., £10 16s. 8d. for 2J years, from Council's contingencies." (State Papers Domestic, 1656-7.) Bookwobm. THE LADIES OF LLANGOLLEN (Feb. 18,1885.) Extracts from " Accompt " continued :— 1792. £ s. d. Brandy for our Landlord's cough......... 0 0 3 Brandy for a pudding ............ 0 0 6 Weaver for 41 yards of Linen Wool at 2Jd. ... 0 8 8 Evans for bringing the demolished organ ... 0 6 0 Mr Crewe visiting Mary's neck ......... 1 1 0 Mr Challoner repairing the organ......... 2 2 0 Mr Crewe's attentions Mary's neck ...... 110 Mr Challoner new pipes and reparation of the organ..................... 1 11 6 Pd. the Malt bill in full ............ 26 1 0 Remitted to Mrs. Worrall in full for Wine ... 29 16 7 For a Cow .................. 9 12 0 Our poor cow obliged to be sold for £6...... Harper..................... 0 3 0 Mrs Worrall in full for Letters &c, for three years 7 9 6 To our Landlord for cream during Mr Bowdler's previous visit ............... 0 5 0 Mr Woods for Ellolian Harps, &c....... 3 3 0 Lion Waiter for his great civility......... 0 10 6 1793. Stage Coachman Xmas Box ... ..... 0 2 6 Express from Oswestry gratuity to the boy ... 0 0 6 To Mr Frickart tailor in part of his bill...... 24 0 0 Tomkies shoemaker in full............ 7 12 & Crow quills .................. 0 10 Collection for French Emigrants......... 110 Edw. Parry in lieu of livery ......... 2 12 6 Moses Jones wages one week's drunkenness de¬ ducted ...... •• ......... 0 8 4 Man who brought the Kid............ 0 10 Imposition for Edw. Parry's hand ...... 0 2 6 Two month's wages to Edw. Parry discharged our service.................. 1 15 6