Tag Archives: llan

Chapter 7 – John Lewis of Monmouthshire (Emigrant John)

April 18, 2009

Chapter 7 – John Lewis of Monmouthshire (Emigrant John)

John Lewis, son of Lewis ap Richard (Prichard, Prickett, Ryckett) and Catherine Morgan,  was born near Abergavenny.   He was baptized at St Telio’s Church Feb 22, 1591/2 in Llantilio Pertholy.

John married Johanne Lewis on Feb 3, 1610.  Johanne’s great-grandfather, Lewis ap John (Wallis) was the vicar of both Abergavenny and Llantilio Pertholy.  There is a Lewis Chapel in the church of Abergavenny in his honor.  Other ancestors of Johanne’s were Lords of the manor Triley on the slope of the Deri Mountain.  The Triley Chapel in the church of St Teilio is dedicated to them.  Their coat of arms are on the east window of the church of Llanddewi Rhydderch.  (GM p 13)

Johanne’s father Richard was Curate and Vicar of St Teilo’s Church, where John was baptized and their three children were also baptized.  It is most likely that John and Johanne met and grew up together in St Teilio’s church since it was the home church of both of their families.

John and Johane Lewis had three children baptized at Church of St Teilio.

1)      Gwenllian, Feb 5, 1611 (same name as John’s maternal grandmother)

2)      Lettus (Lettyce) March 1, 1615

3)      Watkin, January 1, 1621 (same name as John’s maternal grandfather)

Johanne is believed to have died sometime after Watkin was born, although there is no record in the church of her burial.

John had at least two sons, John and Edward, after Johanne’s death.  One author says his second wife was Catherine Phillip, but I am not aware of source documents to support that assertion.

John Lewis’s son John was baptized at the Church of St Teilo on December 15, 1633, and the church record does not name his mother.  It appears the Patronymic naming system was abandoned by 1633 because emigrant John is listed in the church register as John Lewis and not John Lewis Prickett.  The baptism of emigrant John’s youngest son Edward is not in the church register, and records are incomplete starting in 1641???

John Lewis held land and homes in the town of Abergavenny.  John was sometimes referred to as a Merchant, sometimes a Mercer; sometimes a Burgess.  He was also referred to as a Gentleman (used to denote “arms bearing”).  The History of Monmouthshire, Vol I, Pt II, p. 153, presents the “Charter of King Charles I to the Town of Abergavenny,” November 9, 1638, and named John Lewis as Senior Burgess.  One obligation of the office of Senior Burgess was to militarily defend the county in times of distress.

John Lewis, along with Major William Lewis (likely the nephew of John’s first wife Johanne) and Ensign Lewis (possibly son of Major Lewis), led the defense of Chepstow Castle in English Civil War when Cromwell and the Puritans took on King Charles and the Church of England.  The castle is less than 25 miles from Abergavenny, and on the border with England.

Cromwell’s forces of seized Chepstow Castle and overtook it on May 25, 1648.  John Lewis, Major William Lewis and Ensign Lewis were taken prisoner and later exiled to Barbados for two years.

Land sale records in Wales dated May 6, 1652, show John was selling property just prior to coming to Virginia.  It was customary to list a wife in the sale if a man was married, and John is listed alone, so it appears he was widowed at that time.

After two years in Barbados, John returned to England, sold his lands, and sailed to Virginia in 1653 with his nephew Major William Lewis, sons John and Edward, and a Lida Lewis.  They most likely sailed from Bristol, England, but that cannot be confirmed because embarkation records only started being kept at Bristol in 1654, the year after they left for Virginia.

July 1, 1653 his Grant of Land shows he is a resident of Virginia.  John was granted 250 acres on Poropotank (Lewis) Creek.

poropotank-creek-sign2

He died 3 years later and was buried there.  His son John’s wife, Isabella Miller Lewis, is buried there also.  The graves were “discovered” by Dr Malcom Harris in 1948.  The coat of arms on the stones was the key to unlocking our family history.

Stone on John Lewis' Grave

Stone on John Lewis' Grave

John’s tombstone reads “Here lieth interred the body of John Lewis (borne in Munmoth shire) died the 21st of August 1657 aged 63 years.  The anagram of his name I shew no ill”.

The Tidewater area of Virginia has sandy soil, and no local stone suitable for tombstones.  They had to be ordered from England, a process which took about two years and was very expensive.  Gravestones were uncommon in tidewater Virginia in that era, only the wealthiest had them.  The coat and tombstone indicate the survivors of Emigrant John Lewis wanted to make a permanent record of his Welsh family bloodline.

One interesting note is that, as of June 2007, Emigrant John’s tombstone is the oldest known tombstone in King and Queen County, Virginia.  We know Major William Lewis was very wealthy based on the land he purchased, and it is possible  that he is the one who ordered the tombstone for emigrant John.  Emigrant John’s son William was still a minor

First (top left) Quarter – LEWIS ARMS (coat of Rhys Goch)

Second (top right) Quarter – HOWELL Family, Prince of Caerlleon “Gules, three towers triple-towered Argent“  The son of Rhys Goch, Gemilling (Genillin, Kynyllin, Cynhyllyn) married Jenet, daughter of Sir Howel of Caerlleon.  A Grant of Arms was given to him in the eleventh century to use this arms.

Third Quartering – “Argent three Chevronels Gules“.  Coat of the de Turberville family of Crickhowell in Brecon.

Fourth Quartering – “Azure three plates“.  Fourth position is for the wife, so this was the shield of Johanna Lewis of the family Lewis of Llanddewi Rhydderch.  They were acquired by intermarriage with an heiress of the de Trevely family of that parish.  These Arms were borne by Sir Walter de Trevely who came into Wales with the Norman Conqueror, Bernard de Newmarsh.

The top quarter, the Lewis Quarter, was the “Rhys Goch” line of Brecon, Wales

The three other quarterings indicate three heiresses had married into the Rhys Goch Line – heiresses of such prominence that their Coat-of-Arms warranted being included on the shield of that family.

Lewis Motto – “Omne Solum Forti Patria Est” – “Every Land is Home to a Brave Man”.  This motto does not appear rooted in family records in Wales, and may have been originated in Virginia.

Emigrant John Lewis – Family notes:

MAJOR WILLIAM LEWIS (died between 1658 and 1667)

Major William Lewis was the son of Johanna Lewis’ brother William, so he was the nephew of Emigrant John Lewis.  He was a wealthy man when he came to Virginia, and purchased over 10,000 acres of land within five years of his arrival.  He purchased a 2,600 acre farm Chimahocans, which he referred to as “Port Holy” from Colonel John West in 1658.  Upon Major William’s death, the estate passed to Major John Lewis, the elder of the two sons of Emigrant John Lewis that came with him to Virginia.  Major William Lewis was from the Parish of Llantilio Pertholey in Wales, hence his use of the name Port Holy for his residence in Virginia.

EDWARD LEWIS

Possibly born about 1641 in Wales and attained majority in 1662.  Church of St. Teilio records are incomplete after 1640, and Edward’s baptism was not found in the church register.  There is no conclusive evidence of his marriage or any children he may have had, but there are records of an Edward Lewis who might or might not be this Edward.

LIDA (LYDIA) LEWIS

Lida was possibly a wife or daughter of John the Emigrant or Major William Lewis.  No definite identification has been made based on surviving records.  She was not listed in the land sales made by John Lewis before departing Wales, or on the land purchase made by Major William Lewis.  No record of her death has been found.

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Chapter 6 – Lewis ap Richard (Lewis Prichard, Prickett, Ryckett)

April 18, 2009

Chapter 6 – Lewis ap Richard (Lewis Prichard, Prickett, Ryckett)

Lewis ap Richard, son of Richard Lewis, married Catherine Morgan who grew up near Llantilio Pertholy.

Lewis ap Richard died young.  Lewis Prichard (Lewis ap Richard), was buried May 4, 1616.  His wife, Catherine Richard (Richard is her Patronic name, her maiden name was Catherine Morgan), was buried Sept 29, 1615.  They were both buried in the churchyard of St Telio’s of the Bright Bush Church in Llantilio Pertholy.

Lewis ap Richard – Family notes:

After Lewis ap Richard’s early death, his son John Lewis Prichard (our emigrant ancestor, later called John Lewis after the end of the Patronymic naming system) was raised by his Uncle Edward.

For around 1,000 years, our ancestors lived in Breconshire in the area of Crickhowell and Llanelly.  Lewis ap Richard left Breconshire and moved a short distance down the Usk River valley to Abergavenny / Llantilio Pertholy in Monmouthshore where he married Catherine.  His son John was born and lived there before immigrating to Virginia.

Lewis ap Richard’s wife Catherine was the daughter of Watkin Morgan, gentleman of Triley and Gwenllian Powell (ap Howell).  It is possible that emigrant John inherited some of his wealth from his grandfather Watkin or Grandmother Gwenllian.

Triley, home of the Morgans, was an ancient estate on the slope of Deri Mountain just North of Abergavenny and Llantilio Portholey.  Llantilio Pertholy is a small community two kilometers Northeast of Abergavenny, on the road to Hereford, England.  The Morgan home on the estate was named Ty-Hir (long house), an old stone house that is still lived in but no longer owned by descendents of the Morgan family.  The Morgan hunting lodge, named <name>, has been converted to a group home and is actively used to this day.

Whose family was from Triley – Catherine Morgan, mother of emigrant John, or Catherine Lewis, wife of Emigrant John???????

Watkin Morgan was buried at St Teilos March 18, 1592/93.  Gwenllian Morgan was buried there July 24, 1596. (GM p31 The Church of St.Teilo, historically known as St. Teilo in the Bright Bush, is the heart of the Parish of Llantillo Pertholey.  It was founded in the sixth century.  The original church is gone, but it was rebuilt in the 13th century.  After a fire in 1974, it was restored.  Fortunately for us, many church records are preserved and we can learn information about our early family from them.

Whose?? Children: Thomas, Maudelen,

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Chapter 5 – Richard Lewis (grandfather of John the Emigrant)

April 18, 2009

Chapter 5 – Richard Lewis (grandfather of John the Emigrant)

Richard Lewis born before 1537 in the area of Llangattock Crickhowell.  He  was a gentleman who lived his life in that same area.  His will was written March 15, 1627 and proved April 18, 1628, so he died between those dates.

Richard Lewis – Family Notes:

His parents were Lewis ap Thomas who married Maud, daughter of Thomas Lewis John ap Gwilym, Lord of Turbeville and Cotys??? Ref.  Maude’s family owned the Castle of Crickhowell in the market town of Crickhowell.  This castle was in ruin during Maude’s life, so although her family owned it they were not living there

The third quartering in the coat-of-arms of emigrant John Lewis was “Argent Three Chevronels Gules”.  This was the coat of the de Turberville family of Crickhowell, and came to our emigrant John Lewis through his great-grandmother Maude de Turbeville.

Crickhowell is a market town, where farmers from the surrounding countryside would come to sell their produce and goods on market day.  It is on the River Usk, between the towns of Brecon thirteen miles to the North and Abergavenny six miles to the South.  It is in the present-day Brecon Beacons National Park.

Richard’s oldest son William was educated at Oxford and became a lawyer in London.   He is named as attorney in several family land transactions.  William died before Richard’s will was testated, and his wife <name> and children <names> are among those named in Richard’s will.

Another son was given the name Lewis (our emigrant ancestor’s father), so he was called Lewis ap Richard under the Patronymic naming system used in Wales at that time. Lewis ap Richard had also died by the time Richard’s will was testated, and Lewis’s son John Lewis, our emigrant ancestor, was named in the will.

Two younger sons of Richard were Edward and Thomas who both died in 1635.

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Chapter 4 – Rhys Goch

April 18, 2009

Chapter 4 – Rhys Goch

Rhys Goch (Red-Haired), also referred to as Cynhyllin foel ap Rhys Goch, Lord of Ystrad Yw and Ewyas, (T Jones: History of Brecknockshire p. 225) was a tribal chieftain born around 1070 in Breconshire, Wales.  Ystrad-Yw, literally meaning yew tree by the riverbank, was a large area containing parishes of Crichhowell, Llanbedr, Llanfihangel Cwm Du, Llangattock, Llangenny, Llanelly and Llangynidr.  Today only the area around the village of Llanbedr is still referred to as Ystrad-Yw, but that subset of the original Ystrad-Yw is not the area where our ancestors lived.

Rhys Goch was a warrior who fought the Norman invaders as they attempted to conquer Wales.  His older brother, Bleddyn ap Maenyrch, was killed in the fighting with the Norman invaders.  As second son, he inherited his Lordship.  His younger brother, <name>,

Rhys Goch’s coat of arms was “a dragon’s head erased vert, holding in its mouth a sinister hand gules“.  This same coat was on the top of the shield and in the first quarter of the coat of arms on the grave stone of our emigrant ancestor John Lewis.

The meaning of this coat has been lost in history, but one recorded theory is that the chieftan Llewellyn ap Ynyr, of Ial, or Yale, in Denbighshire was talking to his Prince, Gryffydd ap Mdaoc, Lord of Dinas Bran, after a battle.  His left hand was smeared with blood.  He accidentally drew it across his sword, and left on it the mark of his four fingers.  The Prince, observing this, ordered him to carry them on his shield.

Rhys Goch Family Notes:

King Arthur

Caradawg Freichfras

Rhys Goch’s son Gemilling married a woman Genet, daughter of  Sir Howell, Prince of Caerllon (today the city of Caerlon ), about 25 miles South of Crickhowell.  This is the town the Romans garrisoned the second legion, and extensive Roman ruins exist there today.

Sir Howell’s coat was “Gules three castles triple-towered Argent“.  Sir Howell inherited these arms from …, and gave a grant of the Howell arms to Gemilling.  These arms are found on the second quarter of the coat of arms on the grave stone of our emigrant ancestor John Lewis.

The Rhys Goch coat of arms passed down through sons to two sets of families.  The first family ended up with the names Herbert and Morgan, and the second was our Lewis family.  The Herbert / Morgan descendents settled in Llangeny, while the Lewis branch (our ancestors) remained in Llanelly.  The ancestral home of the Lewis family was Aberclycach, meaning above the Clydach. Clydach is a small settlement between Llanelly and Bryn Mawr, in the parish of Llanelly.

Four of the six history books that contain accounts of Rhys Goch  show his father as Maenyrch, Lord of Brecknock, a male descendent of Caradawg Freichfras 14?? generations removed.  Two of the six books show his father as Einion ap Gwage, not a descendent of Caradawg Freichfras.  However, all six agree that his mother was Elinor, daughter of Einion ap Seleff, Lord of Cantreff-Seleff, who descended from Caradawg Freichfras but through a different line.  So, Rhys Goch was descended from Caradawg Freichfras through one parent if not both.

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Chapter 3 – Welsh Information

April 17, 2009

Chapter 3 – Welsh Information NOTE – DRAFT IN PROGRESS

Paste map here

Since out ancestors lived in Wales for so long, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the culture and history of Wales over the years they lived there.  This may give you new appreciation for some of the highlights that influenced our ancestors’ lives over the centuries.

Wales is a mountainous country that proved hard for invaders to conquer.  It is about 160 mi long and 80 miles wide – roughly the size of Massachusetts.

When the Celts of the Silure tribe arrived in Wales sometime between 2,000 BC and 400BC, they entered land that was occupied by an earlier generation of native peoples.

The next wave of new peoples to come to Wales were the Romans.  In May of 43 AD, 40 years after Christ’s crucifixion, 40,000 Romans sailed to Britain.  Around 75 AD the Roman Second Legion was garrisoned at a fortress in Caerlon , home of our Howell ancestors, whose coat-of-arms is one of the four on the coat of our emigrant ancestor John Lewis’s grave.

There were thirteen Roman campaigns to subdue Wales between 48 and 79 AD.  Grain, which was needed by the Romans to feed their forces, was scarce in Wales, so it was difficult for them to eat and fight the Welsh..  The Welsh fought with guerilla tactics.  The Romans built many hill forts scattered throughout Wales to protect themselves, and over 100 of them survive to this day.

By 300 AD Christianity had more followers than the Celtic religion in Britain.  In 400AD all religions but Christianity were banned in the Roman Empire.

Around 410 AD the Romans recalled their forces home, ending the Roman Empire and their domination of England.  After the Roman departure, Angles and Saxons, both Germanic tribes, invaded and conquered much of Britain.  These Germanic peoples planted small kingdoms in South East Britain.  The 200 years after Roman withdrawal were formative years for Briton and Wales, but the written records are scarce and not at all clear.  There were many myths and fantasies, especially in the years 400 – 600.  One of the greatest is Arthur, hero of the Britons in their battle against Anglo-Saxon invaders.

There are at least two historical records of Arthur, and a handful of allusions to him from that time.  A monk named Gildas wrote in his book De Excidio that in year of his birth (believed 496 AD) there was a battle victory at Mons Badonicus, attributed to Arthur.  From 490 – 555 the Saxon communities spread, and Arthur was a leader in fighting them.

Hundreds of years later Arthur was elevated to a great hero, tied to noble chivalry in his kingdom of Camelot and the knights of the round table.   It is reasonable to believe a man named Arthur did exist, he was a leader of Brythonic (tribal Celts, early Britain) people, won a battle in 496, and died or disappeared in 515 after the battle of Camlan.  The fame of Arthur is a mystery in the history of Wales, as is the location of Mons Badonicus.  Nennius, writing History of the Britons a thousand years ago, states Mons Badonicus was one of many victories.  This suggests Arthur led mobile cavalrymen across Britain, which would be consistent with the many Arthurian traditions across Britain.

Another person of this era was Caradawg Freichfras, (Caradawg Strong Arm or Caradawg Brawny Arm).  According to Arthurian legend, Caradawg Freichfras was one of the main knights of Arthur, and his horse was named Luagor (Host -Splitter).  He is said to have died in the battle of Cattreath  in 546 AD where 360 of Arthur’s knights fought and only three survived.  In A History of Wales, Davies says Caradawg Freichfras was ………  We’ll see in the next chapter how Caradawg Freichfras fits in our family tree.

Caradawg Freichfras was the great-great grandson of Brychan, his mother being a granddaughter of Brychan.  Caradawg Freichfras became ruler of Brychenoig (early Brecon) through the right of his mother.  Breconshire is the ancient name for a section of Wales similar to a county, today part of Powys??.  It is famous for mountains called the Beacons, and contains the Brecon Beacons National Park.  These are all named after Brychan.

By 550 there were secluded monasteries in Wales.  They later dominant parts of Wales, both spiritually and materially (they controlled up to 25% of the land in Wales at their height), and were (taken over by King Edward?? in 15xx).

Llans (enclosures) were built as consecrated enclosures to bury the dead.  Later churches were built within the enclosures, and they were called llan, followed by the name of the saint or patron the church was dedicated to.  By 1200, there were over 60 churches dedicated to St David (llandewi), Teilo was #2 with 25 churches (Llantilio).  Towns and villages often took their name from the local church, which is why there are so many towns in Wales whose names starts with Llan.  Some locations of interest to our family are Llanelli, home of our ancestors for centuries,  Llandewi Rhydderch, the home parish of Emigrant John’s first wife Johanne, and Llantilio Pertholey, the church where emigrant John and his children were baptized.

There was a great plague in 549, much like the more famous Black Plague in 1349/50.  It is estimated that each plague killed about a quarter of the population of Wales.  The high percentage of people who lived outside towns probably accounts for the relatively fewer deaths in Wales compared to other parts of Europe that were more urbanized.

Approximately 600 AD the Welsh language began being written down.

Wales was divided into many small kingdoms, with much fighting between them over the centuries.  The kingdoms of Wales began being united by marriage starting around 800.

In 789, Northmen (Vikings) ravaged the coast of England.  The pagan Northmen had no respect for religion and plundered monasteries close to the coast.  By 911 the Northmen (Normans) possessed a large part of Northern France.

Around 950, Wales was wholly rural, without any cities.  People had summer (highland) pasture called hafod where they lived in huts called hafety. In the winter, the lived in lowland houses called hendre.  Their agricultural economy centered around pasturing cattle.  In later years sheep were introduced by the monks.  Grains were grown in the lowlands by this time, but raising grain did not represent the majority of the agriculture.

There were no coins in 1050 – you paid your bills in cattle.

A man’s right to own land depended on his status.  The Welsh law had a basic division between free and unfree people.  Free people included two groups – King and his relations, and a gentleman of ancestry.   Some unfree people had rights protected by law.  Others, the slaves, had no rights.  By 1300, over 50% of males were free, which was a fairly recent phenomenon.

One interesting insight into Welsh culture was galanus (blood money).  It was a fine that had to be paid to kindred if a man was killed (or paid to the owner if the person killed was a slave).  Murder was considered an offense against the family of the deceased, not a crime to punished by the state.  The amount of the galanus depended on the status of the deceased, and his status was largely determined by his ancestry.   This was spelled out in the Welsh Law, with the useful purpose of soothing anger and preventing retaliation.  Galanus was set for a male, and calculated for females.  A daughter had half the galanus of her brother.  A wife had one third the galanus of her husband.  At this time, a woman could neither own land nor transfer land to her children.

Welsh law treated marriage as a contract, unlike the Catholic Church which treated it as a sacrament.  The Welsh Law had provisions for how to distribute property in the event of divorce.  Catholics regarded Welsh Law as the “Law of the Devil” because of the way it addressed divorce.

The Norman Invasion of England occurred in 1099.  On Oct 14, 1066, William of Normandy had victory at Hastings, defeating the English King.  The Normans then spread out, conquering more land across Britain.  By 1110 the Normans built many shore castles like the one they built at Chepstow in 1086.  We will see later the Chepstow Castle played an important role in our ancestor’s decision to emigrate to Virginia.

The book History of Kings of Britain was written in 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth, 2nd Bishop of St Asaph.  About a third of the book is about “King” Arthur.  When historians checked the book against other documentation, it appears most of the book was developed from Geoffrey’s imagination.  His descriptions of King Arthur were vivid, and seem to be the basis for many of the legends about Arthur.

The various kingdoms in Wales were engaged on nearly ongoing hostility over the centuries.  There had been many Kings in Wales, but by around 1200 there were only two Princes, others were “Lords”

The monasteries proliferated from 1140 – 1202 under Norman patronage.  They were large estates, containing thousands of acres.  Monks introduced sheep, and the Welsh woolen industry was pioneered at Stone Abbey?? around year???  Monks copied and preserved Welsh literature, and wrote its history.  DUPLICATE

The Welsh people were looked down upon by the English as a crude, rough people.  In 1159, the Archbishop of Canterbury said these things about the Welsh – “Welsh are Christians in name only”, “They are barbarians”, “They are a wild people who cannot be tamed”.

John signs the Magna Carta in 1215

The years following 1225 were considered a high point in Welsh history.  They were the age of Llywelyn, where the importance and power of the prince and state increased.  The autonomy of the community and kinship group declined.  Murder was now an offense against the state, not against kindred.  Money was in circulation by this point.

In 1282/3 the Principality of Wales was defeated by the army of Edward I, King of England.  In 1283 Llywelyn was killed, and the Welsh were subjugated.  Edward built many castles to help control Wales, the most famous of which is at Caernarfron. These new castles formed an “Iron Ring” around Wales that Edward used to control the land.

The Welsh revolted in 1294, and Edward led a 35,000 man army to Wales.  The revolt came to end March 5, 1295, and  five days later 500 Welshmen were slaughtered in their sleep.

By 1300, about 10% of the population lived in towns.  Before 1300 there is little evidence of trading.  By 1250 slaves were long gone as a class.  There was a smaller group of taeogion (not slaves, but not freemen either).  Most of the population were free men, bonheldwyr.

167 – Burgess??  Measure of self-government – legal and economic

172 – Welshmen in Edward II’s army were dressed in Green and White – perhaps the first national uniform.  Welsh were reputed to be troublesome soldiers -tended to get drunk, pillage and vandalize, killed prisoners rather than offer them for ransom.

180 – In the generation after the conquest, the Bardic order fell into decay

Black Plague of 1347 – 1350.  Probably about a quarter of the inhabitants of Wales died 1349 – 1350.

Welsh Law had land shared among descendents.  In 1350 the English Law system was adopted, and the oldest son got the inheritance.  Wales went from a community of fairly poor small landowners to a community of a few wealthy estate owners and a large landless proletariat

Dragon Banner was Britain’s symbol of victory in 1401

1530 – 1770 the Welsh were members of Episcopalian Church.  Wales was incorporated into England in 1536

1530 – 1770 was an era of gentry – a privileged few

Articles of Faith 1536.  Monasteries across Wales and the rest of Britain were vandalized for their wealth.  By 1539, the King had seized all property of monasteries.  NAME of King

Feb 1539 – Act of Union, listed new counties in Wales.  Established the boundaries of Wales that exist to today.  Welsh penal code was abandoned, Law of England was only law that was recognized.  In the eyes of the law, the Welsh were English.

English was to be the only language in the courts of Wales.  Those using the Welsh language were not to receive public office.  Implicit was the need to create a Welsh ruling class fluent in English.  Welsh was allowed to be spoken in church services.

2543, Second Act of Union

The New Testament was printed in Welsh in 1567.  By 1588 the entire Bible was translated to Welsh, with an updated translation in 1620 that was used for centuries.

Puritanism crystallized in 1570.  It was stronger in England, almost wholly absent in Wales.  John Perry, the first Welsh dissenter, was hanged in 1593.

Allegiance of most Welsh to the Church of England was superficial.  In 1577 it was reported that some clergy were saying mass in secret, and conducting baptisms and funerals by the Catholic rite.  People made the sign of the cross, cherished holy wells.

Morgan, Herbert, Turbeville were “members of some of the most distinguished lineages in Wales”.  They were prepared to offer protection to the Catholic loyalists who dwelt on their estates.

By the late 1500s the bards (poets) were in decline as a measure of social status.  The wealthy had more desire for family seclusion, and used books for enlightenment vs. poets reciting in large halls with guests.  The ways of expressing gentility were through coat-of-arms, grandiose tombs and extravagant expenditures.

By 1610 wool was increasing in importance, as many as 100,000 people were employed converting fleece to cloth

Gentry lusted for land – it provided substantial and stable returns

For 200 years after 1097 there were fights between King and Normans, Lords and Welsh.  Marsher Lords were loyal to the King, had border holdings (both sides of current border), and provided a buffer between the King and Welsh

Wales is a land of castles.  Unlike continental Europe where castles were homes of Kings and Lords, the castles in Wales were primarily military in nature.  The Romans constructed large garrison forts as well as smaller hill forts.  The Normans built many forts in their conquest of Wales.  King Edward I built a ring of castles around Wales to dominate the country.

1070 – 1135 there were 20 towns established in Wales, 60 by 1300

The Patronymic naming system was used in Wales though the early 1600s, making it difficult to conduct genealogical research.  A son whose first name was Mark and whose father was Harry would have the name Mark ap Harry or simply Mark Harry.  Instead of a surname that identified a family over generations like we have now, their last name changed every generation.  A daughter Ann, son of Glenn, who marked Mark Harry would be named Ann verch Glenn before marriage and Ann Harry after marriage.  Rather a confusing system by today’s standards, don’t you think?  But to the Welsh of that time, it made perfect sense.

One constant in identifying lineage of gentlemen in Wales was the Coat-of-Arms.  It was passed from father to son to grandson.  Arms were only borne by gentlemen, and you could only be a gentleman by birth.  Only individuals bearing arms could own land.  The use of the arms was taken very seriously – it was a crime punishable by imprisonment to use a Coat-of-Arms that was not yours.  Arms passed from father to sons, although upon marrying an heiress (oldest daughter whose father had no sons who produced heirs) a husband could add his wife’s coat to his shield. Wales was a land of economic inequality – most wealth was owned by a small percentage of population – and our ancestors were in that small percentage of wealthy landowners.

“The structure of Welsh society from very early times was essentially aristocratic, and it remained so until the destruction by Henry VIII of the legal concept that buttressed it.  The Welsh theory was that no one could be a freeman, inherit property, enjoy privileges, or be received into the community, unless he could prove an agnatic ancestry for a certain number of generations.”  {Heraldry and the Herald (1982), Rodney Dennis, p. 66.}  From these excerpts it is possible to understand that “bloodlines” were of the utmost importance to Welshmen of this period.

The flag of Wales is a red dragon on a background of white and green.  The dragon has been associated with Wales and our family since the Dark Ages.

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The Salem College Years–An Adventure in Higher Education

April 6, 2009

Almost my entire life had been lived next door to the Salem College campus. It would be difficult to put a value on the opportunity afforded me to get a college education. However, there was the question of expense–tuition, books, etc. The Great Depression was still hanging over us and for our family it was a struggle to survive. From the perspective of the college it was important to recruit as many new students as possible, I suppose.

I am forever grateful that an arrangement was made with the administration of the college for me to work out my tuition doing maintenance and janitorial work during the summer months. I don’t remember how much the tuition was. By today’s standards it would be ridiculously low. The arrangement was for me to work ten hours a day, six days a week, during the summer vacation months. The hourly pay rate began at 25 cents and was later raised to 30 cents. A big advantage of the plan for me was that 1 could participate fully in the academic and social programs of college during the school year.

Being a Salem College Freshman was exciting. Friendships quickly developed with classmates and upper classmen. Introduction to a variety of courses, and their professors, was stimulating. At some point I decided to major in English and minor in physical education. The curriculum I chose stressed a liberal arts education including literature, mathematics, history, chemistry, French, physical education and music. Throughout the first three years of college I was committed to preparation to be high school teacher.

I feel especially privileged to have studied math under Dean M. H. Van Horn. He was considered to be one of the outstanding math teachers in I-lest Virginia. The course I had with him introduced us to algebra, geometry and trigonometry.

Chemistry introduced me to science with Dr. Gould as teacher. The lab work was most interesting–especially the experiments in qualitative analysis.

Dr. Ferdinand Ruge taught French and deserved the role of most eccentric professor on campus. There was the incident when he put his lighted pipe in his pocket before stepping on campus. As he walked down the hall, smoke was observed rolling up from his pocket. The pipe was removed promptly.

Dr. Ruge made a practice of harassing one or more students in his French class. He chose me for that dubious role and once said such offensive things about me that I slammed my books on the floor and confronted him eyeball to eyeball. From that time forward Dr. Ruge and I became fast friends. On learning that I planned to enter the ministry, he offered sage advice. Two examples: “Don’t ever preach to the people what they ought to hear. Preach to them what they want to hear. If you preach to them what they ought to hear, the moving van will back up to your door.” “The choir and the ladies aid are the war department of the church” (Dr. Ruge had been an Episcopalian minister). I was invited to tea several times with Dr. Ruge, his lovely wife and daughter, Genevieve.

My English and Literature professors were Dr. M. Channing Linthicum and Miss Nannie Lowe. Dr. Linthicum once suggested to me that I could make a successful politician. Is it not true that a successful minister must be something of a politician? Becoming familiar with English and American literature–especially poetry–inspired me in ways that have lasted through my life.

Pastor George B. Shaw, beloved minister of our Salem Seventh Day Baptist Church, taught a Bible course that was very popular with Salem College students. I still treasure the textbook he authored and have used it often.

I was the first male student to take the Table Service course offered by Miss Cleo Gray. She headed the home economics department and in the course we worked in teams to prepare and serve a number of meals, teas and receptions. College officials were invited as guests for these occasions. I baked an angel food cake and a meatloaf as assignments and for the table decoration for one event I decided to use dandelions. I arranged the decoration in advance of the event but alas, when the class members and guests gathered the dandelions had all closed up. My experience in the Table Service course paved the way for other college men, including a number of athletes, to benefit by it. What I learned from Miss Gray has been invaluable to me through the years.

The credits I acquired in the music department came close to being enough for a minor. Music courses with Miss Elizabeth Bond included Music Appreciation and Sight Singing. I studied piano with Miss Bond and reached the level of playing Chopin and Brahms in recitals. It is one of my educational regrets that I did not become a more proficient pianist.

Following is the text of a brief paper written as an assignment in the Music Appreciation class. At the end of the piece is a comment signed, E. Bond.

“Using the word “appreciation” in its most sincere and deep sense I feel that Music Appreciation has really meant a great deal to me. Strangely enough, Music Appreciation has never seemed to be “just another course”, but rather it has stood among my activities as something finer, something that has had a real appeal–a subject devoted to happiness and true beauty.

I have learned to love music and all that it carries with it. Beautiful melodies and harmonies stir up feelings within me that reach far into my being.

Everything about me seems to have suddenly turned musical. Birds wake me in the morning with their happy chorus and their evening songs haunt my sleep. Nature seems especially musical.

Then too, I have learned to feel a deeper sense of appreciation for the composers who have given us our music. The stories of their lives reflect the beauty and sincerity of their compositions and their tireless work and effort make us appreciate the fruits of their labor even more.

Through the study of Music Appreciation” I have come to recognize some of the possibilities of music and what it can do to make people happy and contented–better able to enjoy the real fullness of life.”

The grade on this piece was A, with Miss Bond’s comment handwritten on the bottom of the page: “Fine! I copied this and intend to keep it. You have been an inspiration in the class and this little essay makes me very happy.”

In addition to the regular required physical education course, I took boxing and wrestling and tumbling. In boxing I was glad to learn rope-jumping. I excelled defensively in wrestling, being difficult for opponents to pin.

Samuel Kistler headed the physical education department. As an alumnus of Salem College, he had earned a reputation as a celebrated athlete in football, basketball and baseball. His teaching skills and dedication were of a high order.

The tumbling class was most enjoyable for me. We developed a team of tumblers who performed in a number of high schools in the area. Our routine included front and back flips, dives and a number of other tumbling maneuvers.

The tennis team was coached by Samuel Kistler, too. I made the team for only a few matches. One I played in against West Virginia Wesleyan on their courts is memorable. I did not win a point in the first game. From then on in the match I won the next eleven games–several of them going to deuce over and over. My opponent conceded the match to me when it began to rain. It is interesting to note that in the period up to college graduation I played endless hours of tennis. Since college I have seldom had a racket in my hand.

I was close to Salem College sports and athletes from childhood through college. Several outstanding athletes boarded at our home and ate Mammals cooking during their college careers. A few of them I remember were: Matthew Bowers, “Peely” Hogue, Doy Neville and Irving Menzel. I’m sure there aren’t many Salem College fans who witnessed more athletic contests than I in the years from 1925 to 1935.

In October 1932, early in my sophomore year, I was elected head cheerleader for Salem College. Sandford Randolph, my cousin, nominated me for the position and after “trying out” for the assembled student body I was surprised and elated to be elected. The Salem College “S”, with a megaphone on it is a treasured memento from many thrilling experiences of yesteryear. How exciting the pep rallies were, with bonfires and snake dances, on the nights before home football games. The Salem College songs still ring in my mind.

Now let me interject some memories of the summer work project that covered my tuition for the four years of college. Okey Davis was head custodian at the college, in charge of all janitorial and maintenance work. I consider it a real privilege to have worked for four summers under his direction. He became my friend as well as boss. He had a hearing problem and I remember him telling me, “One advantage of being deaf is that you can’t hear a mosquito buzzing before he bites you”. We worked on many assignments in the course of a summer: lawn mowing, window washing, floor maintenance, painting and varnishing and miscellaneous other projects. The most physically exhausting work I remember was mixing mortar at ground level and carrying it in buckets to plasterers on the third floor of Huffman Hall.

One summer experience is unforgettable. Nelson Tully and I, with girl friends, attended the summer school picnic on a river near Clarksburg. When we went to our car–after most of the picnickers were gone–we found a girl waiting for her boyfriend in a car. Concerned, we checked in the bathhouse and found his clothes. Quickly getting into our bathing suits, Nelson and I went into the river to search for the man. I carried a good sized rock so I could walk on the bottom of the river between coming up for breaths. It was a shock to step on the body as it drifted along on the bottom of the river. Calling for help, we lifted the body into a boat and brought it to shore. A rescue squad tried resuscitation but it was futile. The summer student’s name was Bailey. I had played tennis with him but didn’t know him well. The memory lingers.

The experience of falling from a window of the physics lab on the top floor of Huffman Hall is still vivid. Roommate Reece Burns and I were washing the windows at the end of a work day. I was standing on the window sill washing the outside of the pane, holding on with one hand on the top of the window. Reece finished the inside of the window and pushed it up briskly, knocking my hand from its grip and causing me to fall backward. I went into a crouching position and landed on my feet on water-soaked ground. I was stunned by the impact and could not see for a brief time. The first sound I heard was Reece flying down the stairs to my side. lost two days work from the soreness of my ankles, knees and hips but did not check with a Doctor. The distance of the fall was about thirty feet.

Twice during the summers I went on B. & 0. railroad weekend excursion trips to Washington, D.C. We got on the train on the night after the Sabbath; arrived in Washington in the morning; walked around the capitol area all day Sunday; came back on the train Sunday night and arrived home–very tired–Monday morning. On one trip I was with Bob Wise. Nelson Tully was on the other with me. I do not think it the ideal way to tour Washington.

It was certainly not unnatural that I should have “an affair of the heart” during college days. Helen McCullough was a classmate from Hole Hill, West Virginia. (The town has now taken the name, “Mountain”–proving that a mole hill can be changed to a mountain.) Helen’s brothers, Tom and Harold, were in college with her. I have forgotten how our friendship started but it grew into a serious relationship over a two year period. We studied together, were a formidable bridge team and enjoyed shooting bows together. Helen transferred to West Virginia University for her senior year and we parted company. I have speculated that her family decided I was not the man she should choose.

It could be said of my life during college that I did not let academics interfere with extra curricular activities. When I tried out for the Men’s Glee Club I made it as the first second tenor. Professor Clark Siedhoff was our director and we were proud to represent Salem College by performing concerts in a number of West Virginia communities. Wearing a tuxedo made me feel sophisticated and debonair. One of our favorite numbers, “Give Me Some Men Who Are Stout Hearted Men” still resounds in my memory. “Creation Hymn” was a real test of our musical competence.

I was fortunate to be chosen by the college as a delegate to a Rural Life Conference in Washington, D.C. On the bus trip to Washington I met Margaret Herndon. She was a harpist and director of music for the Clarksburg Presbyterian Church. A friendship between us blossomed as we walked and talked far into the night on the streets of Washington. The year was 1933 or 1934. We would not walk at night in Washington in 1994. During the conference I rode in an elevator with Secretary of Agriculture, Henry Wallace. Later he became Vice President with President Roosevelt.

Margaret and I continued to see each other after the conference. She was generous in agreeing to give harp recitals I arranged at the college and at our Salem church. The church recital was a benefit for the choir robe fund. Mrs. George Trainer’s large contribution made purchase of choir robes possible. No doubt Margaret was several years older than I. Our rather brief relationship was a happy one. I have wondered what has happened in Margaret’s life.

The spiritual life of Salem College students was not neglected. Daily chapel was mandatory and, for the most part, students appreciated the Christian emphasis. Area ministers and educators brought chapel messages. Our singing was heartwarming. Number 17 in the song book, “In My Heart There Rings A Melody” was a favorite. My theme hymn in that period was, “I Would Be True”. For some reason, that hymn doesn’t appear in current hymnals.

President S. Orestes Bond often led the chapel services. He was a dedicated Christian gentleman who successfully guided Salem College for many years. The students of those years remember that his prayers were eloquent and moving but sometimes overly long. The life of President Bond blessed us all.

YMCA and YWCA organizations were active on campus. It was inspiring to attend Christian Student Conferences on other college campuses. One such experience at Bethany College–founded by Alexander Campbell of the Church of Christ–made a deep impression on me.

The fellowship of our Seventh Day Baptist college youth was wonderful. We often gathered for parties and a number of us sang in the church choir. Dean Van Horn taught our college Sabbath School class. We met in the back pews of the church. I recall how Dean Van Horn stood with one foot up on the pew in front of us, ingling the change in his pocket as he spoke and taught. His teaching was always forward looking and positive. We respected and loved him.

The Christian influence of Pastor George B. Shaw and members of the congregation of the Salem Church was greater and richer than we knew then. And the friendships made in those college days will never be forgotten.

Matthew Bowers, Fisher Davis, Claude Nagel and Reece Burns each had a turn as my roommate during our college years. Matt distinguished himself in football and basketball. While he roomed with me I had a nightmare one night, dreaming that Matt was falling out a hotel window. In a desperate effort to save him, I grabbed him around the neck with both hands. Waking up rudely, he hit me a sharp blow on the chin with his fist. My nightmare ended abruptly.

Fisher Davis, “Eph”, was from Bridgeton, New Jersey–the son of Elizabeth Fisher Davis who wrote the Seventh Day Baptist Young People’s Song. “Eph” was very tall and a good tennis player. He graduated in the class of ‘32.

Claude Nagel was also a New Jersey product, from Plainfield. His father was a successful New York artist. Claude was a sophomore in 1935 and wrote in my Dirigo, “Elmo- I can’t adequately express my appreciation for my stay in the Randolph cottage on the hill. I leave here as though I was leaving home.”

Reece Burns roomed with me for our last two college years. Vie became more brothers than roommates. He was sincerely Christian, serving at times as a Methodist Protestant minister. Because Reece’s parents were dead, he came to think of my mother as his, too. Mamma accepted that role graciously. She sewed pajamas for both of us out of feed sacks. She kept a length of rope that she whipped us with to get us out of bed mornings. It was a contest to see who could pull the covers off of the other when Mamma was swinging the rope.

Reece and I worked together at the college one summer doing maintenance and janitorial assignments. His influence on my life–especially when I was considering entering the ministry–was of great import. After college Reece became a minister in the United Methodist Church and was elevated to the position of District Superintendent in southern West Virginia. (I was honored to have him serve as “Groom’s Man” at my wedding.)

My room in our little house during college years was a happy haven for me. I rigged a chinning bar that hung from the ceiling. On the walls of the room I pasted favorite poems and quotations. “The House By the Side of the Road” was one of the poems and I believe “Invictus” was another. Psychologist Coe was popular in that period. A quote from him on my wall amuses me now: “Every day in every way, I’m getting better and better.”

A poem I wrote is illustrative of my darker moods of college days:
Sweep down on me, oh wind!
Why waste thy roaring on the darkened sky
Or on some tempest-twisted tree
From whose lean boughs the leaves were lately torn?
Sound not thy wrath against the silent hills
For naught but echoes will avail thee thus.
But rather, seek thy vengeance to allay
With merciless and unrelenting blasts
Designed to buffet and to purge
My soul, ill-steeped in worldliness.

Reflecting now, I understand that I often felt insecure and inadequate as I struggled through the stresses of college life. However, they were good years.

The experience I record now happened at the beginning of college spring recess in April, 1934. I began hitch-hiking from Salem to Sutton–about a one hundred mile trip–planning to spend the vacation week with Dad on the farm. At four o’clock in the afternoon I was still thirty-two miles from Sutton and wasn’t catching any rides so I began walking. Is it ironic that the name of the town where I started the trek was Walkersville?

During the day the temperature was warm and springlike. With sunset it cooled off rapidly. I wasn’t dressed for cool weather and I was carrying a small suitcase. That stretch of road was through hill country and was sparsely populated. I was not carrying a flashlight. Traffic was very thin.

I walked a few miles until after dark and decided to make a bed in a field beside the road and try to get some sleep. Cushioning the ground with a layer of broomsage (a West Virginia grass) I tried sleeping without success. The only option seemed to be to walk. So I walked all night long. Infrequently a car would approach me and pass, dousing my hopes. As I passed one home near the road I thought of stopping but a dog barked viciously and I kept walking.

Toward morning I came upon the site of a crosstie fire set by railroad workmen the day before. There were still hot coals and the ground was warm. It was restful to lie down for a while. I may even have fallen asleep.

I believe I walked up a final steep hill to brother Brady and Mary’s home at seven or eight o’clock in the morning. A hot tub bath was refreshing and sleep was welcome. When I awoke my knees were so stiff it was difficult to walk for some time. The miles I have covered walking in my life are many but at no other time have I totaled thirty-two miles on a cold spring night carrying a suitcase.

Being elected president of the college junior class in 1933-35 was thrilling for me. The other class officers that year were: Vice president Milton Van Horn, secretary- Virginia Thompson, treasurer- Abby Brent. I must have had a successful year because the class elected me president again for our senior year–1934-35. Arthur Bland was vice president, Leah Virginia Davis was secretary and Fred Early was treasurer. It was another good year. Our class gift to Salem college, for which we raised a sizable amount of money, was improving the electrical system in the administration building.

Following college tradition, our senior class presented a class play near the end of our college days. Miss Nannie Lowe directed THE YOUNGEST for us. I played “the youngest”. Milton Van Horn was my elder brother in the play and Wilma Keys was the female lead. It was fun doing the play and it was well received. (In earlier college years, Shakespearean plays were the tradition.)

There were two “happenings” for me during my senior year that impacted strongly on my life and future. At our Seventh Day Baptist General Conference in Salem in August, 1934 I met Helen Mae Button. Her home was on a farm near Friendship, New York and she was preparing for her freshman year at Alfred University. After our brief introduction in Salem we carried on correspondence through the school year that was heart-warming and exciting for me. (It’s odd that I remember she dotted her i’s with little circles.)

Blossoming romantic interest in Helen Mae led me to borrow Ashby and Ruth’s Plymouth car to drive to New York State for Christmas vacation, 1934. Betty and Ed Bartley and Ruth Sarah Davis made the trip with me and I was Betty and Ed’s guest in Bolivar, New York. We attended Christmas Eve Midnight mass in a Catholic church in Portville, my first experience in a Catholic III church. I visited my aunt Cleo–Dad’s sister–in Olean.

The overnight visit to Helen Mae’s home completely captivated me. If I was falling in love with Helen Mae, I was immediately charmed by her parents and her home. I would call her father, Lon Button, an entrepreneur farmer. He had trout ponds and in the winter trapped foxes. Strawberries were a successful crop in the summer. Amelia, Helen Mae’s Mother, was a quiet, white haired lady who was an immaculate housekeeper and an altogether charming person. They were sincere, committed Christians. Mr. Button was a Deacon in the Nile Seventh Day Baptist Church. I was awed by my visit with the Buttons.

I made a pair of moccasins for Helen Mae as her Christmas present. Here are the verses I placed in the moccasins:

These moccasins I fashioned with a prayer
That they might lead you in your eager quest
For happiness unbounded, wild and free.

O moccasins, like Indian maids did wear,
Thy steps must not stray, thoughtless, like the rest
For in thy trust I leave one dear to me.

Suffice it to say that Helen Mae and I corresponded frequently through the rest of my year in college. It may have been a case where “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”.

The second “happening” that occurred during my senior year in Salem college gave a new direction for my life that has marked all my days since. Rev. A.J.C. Bond had accepted the deanship of the School of Theology in Alfred University and was visiting Salem College to recruit students studying for the ministry. He visited with me on campus, between the Administration building and Huffman Hall, saying that his daughter, Wilma, had suggested I might be a candidate for the ministry. He urged me to consider the ministry as my life “Calling” and join his first class at the School of Theology.

This invitation was something of a “bombshell” of an idea for me. I had pursued my college course with the assumption that high school teaching would be my life work. Working toward that end I acquired the necessary education credits including practice teaching for six weeks in Salem High School. It was interesting to get the reaction of other people on my entering the ministry. An interview with Rev. Herbert Van Horn, Milton and Elston’s father, was very encouraging and helpful for me.

After serious consideration and soul-searching, I made the decision to study for a Bachelor of Divinity degree–a three year course–at the Alfred University School of Theology. At this point in time I was not certain of a “Calling” to the ministry and so made my decision on an exploratory basis.

Graduating from Salem College with the class of 1935 was the ultimate in achievement an excitement at that point in my life. I was the first member of our family to earn a college degree. (Brother Ashby graduated the next year.)

Dr. William L. Stidger, noted radio preacher, was our Baccalaureate speaker. His sermon title was: TITANS OF THIS TUMULT. He highlighted the current roles of Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini in 1935. Then he made the point that Dr. Albert Sweitzer, the Japanese Christian, Kagawa, and Mohandas Gandhi were the real Titans of This Tumult. His prophetic message has stood the test of time.

As president of the graduating class, it was my privilege to be at the head of the receiving line for President Bond’s reception following the commencement exercises. Several years previous to this Mrs. Bond had employed me to keep the punchbowl filled during the reception for the graduates. I carried the punch from the basement of the president’s home up to the reception table. I must be the only person who ever served in both roles.

My family members–including cousins, aunts, etc.–presented me with a gift of money. I had to decide whether to use the gift for buying a class ring or a new suit. Reluctantly, I chose the new suit–I needed it more.

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Chapter 4 – Childhood Fancies

April 6, 2009

In my wildest dreams I never pictured life as beautiful as it has turned out to be. We did not have access then to a library filled with books that told us how boys and girls lived in other lands. How I wish I could have had a hundred of the available present-day books! Our children are privileged to visit with others of any land under the sun, if they desire. I would encourage them to go more often through the pages of a book to investigate the great things God has in every part of the world.

As a small. child, I had no books to look at, except a Sears and Roebuck catalog which was very carefully protected from the careless hands of children, no radio to listen to, and of course no television to watch. There was something which we had that was wonderful, though – story telling! My Dad could tell the most exciting stories a child ever heard.

Just after dark was the usual story hour, for we went to bed early, and daylight hours were too full for such trifling things. Anyway, darkness lent itself better to the “scary” stories we longed, yet feared, to hear. I can still seem to hear Dad say, “I wan-n-t-t- my tail-e-e- poo-o,” as the cold chills chased each other up my spine. That was from the story of a cat that came back to haunt the man who cut off its tail..

Br’er Rabbit and his other animal friends and foes were great favorites also. Br’er Rabbit was the hero who always came out “on top” because he was lovable, kind, always right, and best of all he was smarter than all the other animals. I was encouraged to study and apply myself so that I could be as smart as Br’er Rabbit.

Our school books had stories that taught us some things besides reading,, writing, and arithmetic. Many of the finer lessons of culture, honesty, obedience, and sincerity came from the readers we studied. I remember one story in a second grade reader which always thrilled me, even on the two-hundredth reading! We used the same reader all. year, going through it as many times as we could. By this I mean that we not only read aloud to the teacher, but we read it to ourselves times without number. We measured our reading ability by how many times we read through the book. The story told of a father, mother and small daughter, Amy, who went to the seashore for a picnic. They walked along the shore picking up shells. ‘They built “castles” in the sand. They dug for crabs in the edge of the water. Every hour was exciting and full of pleasure. After the picnic lunch, the father and mother wanted to rest and they suggested that Amy run along the beach and play; but she was not to get out of their sight as she played. She was used to being told what to do, so this limitation did not hinder her having fun. She began to dig a tunnel near the edge of the water that would open into her castle where the beautiful princess was held prisoner by the wicked witch. When the tunnel was finished, the gallant prince came along and entered it and was nearly up to the castle wall when she heard, “Amy, come here at once!”

Amy didn’t say, “Wait a minute, ” or “I don’t want to.” She just left her play and ran quickly to her father. As he caught her in his arms, he said, “Look.” There was no castle there and no tunnel there for a great wave had suddenly washed them all away. The moral is you must always obey your parents without delay. Never be guilty of saying, “Wait a minute.”

It seems to me that for years I never heard my name called to come home without remembering that it is necessary to obey at once, or something terrible may happen. I wasn’t likely to be washed out to sea by a wave, but there was always the danger of a snake, a mad dog, or a gypsy! Of course, there were many unknown dangers lurking in the shadows also.

Every story we read had a moral and taught some important lesson. I am sure we didn’t profit from all of them, but neither did all of them fall on deaf ears and dull hearts. Maybe our present generation of “hippies” would have been better adjusted if they had studied books that taught them some of the lessons of life that their parents never bothered to give them. Young minds are most easily influenced for good or bad, and we fail. our youth pitifully when we do not use every method at our command to teach them how to live happy and useful lives.

Mountain people told their sad stories in verse and song. On the rare occasions when I willingly sat still for any length of time, I enjoyed hearing my mother sing these sad songs. “In the Baggage Coach Ahead” was one of my favorites. It told the story of a young couple who had moved West. She died giving birth to their son, and the husband was shipping her body and taking the tiny baby back home to his folks.. The song tells about the train trip. ‘The baby cried and kept the passengers awake, and they complained to the conductor. Finally, he was told to take the baby to its mother, and he responded that he wished he could but. that she was dead in the baggaage coach ahead. He told his sad story, and the women on the train felt sorry for him and love for the baby, so they cared for it until the train stopped at the station. The song ended

Next morn at the station
They bid him goodbye.
“God bless you,” he softly said.
And each had a story
To tell in their homes
Of the “baggage coach ahead.”

Such songs taught a measure of compassion and understanding for those who had great sorrows come to them.

Even very young children will absorb a little romanticism from the happenings around them. Here is the ending of another of those heartthrob songs: (I don’t know why I remember only the endings.)

Will you always love me, darling,
As you did that starry night
As we sat beneath the maple on the hill?

Another one over which one could become very sentimental on occasions was the explanation of why the red roses grew at the corner of the church. A young couple were about to be married when he died suddenly. She could not live without him and died of a broken heart. They were both buried in the same churchyard, and out of their graves grew red roses whose branches entwined on the churchhouse, reminding all who saw them of the undying love of this couple who had been deprived of the joys of their love in their youth, but by this had symbolized true love to the sad world they left behind.

Going barefoot is one of the joys of childhood which city children must really miss. Many of them have no shoes, so they walk the hot pavement until the soles of their feet become like tanned leather, without any of the thrills of wiggling their toes in the cool clamp earth of a newly turned corn field. We went barefoot for the pure pleasure of it. Through the last days of the winter, we looked forward with great anticipation to the time when we would hear ” Today I will plow the garden,” from Dad. That meant two wonderful experieinces: we could follow the plow barefoot up one furrow and down another. As we ran, jumped and shouted, we picked up the earth worms that were unearthed (there were always many nice fat ones) and put them in a tin can. When the edge wore off that excitement, we could take the worms and our fishing pole which had been stored over the rafters of the “outhouse” since the previous summer, and rush down to the river for the first fishing of another year.

(some text was missing here) eating and black ones which were about as wide as they were long. You may consider me prejudiced, or even presumptuous, but I must say it anyway—no fish ever tasted better than those I caught, cleaned, and fried in pure lard!

Occasionally the men of the community would go on a “gigging party” to a large river a few miles away. They would take wash tubs for bringing home the fish and we would usually end up with a tub nearly full of fish and frogs. We would eat fish for breakfast, dinner, and supper; and everybody in the community would do the same. What a shame we didn’t have a freezer so we could save some to eat later!

I was never permitted to go on one of these trips, so I don’t know exactly what happened; but here is my idea of it.

Gigging was done at night. They fixed long-handled spears. Sometimes they used hay forks for their weapons, but because they seemed to be too large and clumsy, they made their own, using hay fork handles and attaching a sharp :instrument to them. The water had to be clear and not too deep, for they must be able to see their prey swiming along. As they waded in the water and saw fish, they thrust their gig at them and threw them in containers. They usually had some boys along who were not permitted to gig but who could carry the containers and pull the fish out of the water.

Frogs and turtles were considered as special treats. We children were always warned to stay away from the head of the turtle because of its bite. They said if one bit you, it would set its jaws and hold on and would not let loose until it thundered! I never gave one a chance to prove that statement to be false. One time Ashby and I found a good sized hard shell turtle on the river bank. It was burrowed in the mud, but he dug it out and he put a stick in front of it. It bit that stick and held on so that we carried it home between us. I was very glad that it wasn’t my hand or arm that he got.

I remember another thing about turtles. Old folks said that the life remained in them and that even as you cooked them in the kettle, they jumped and moved about. We tried to see whether that was truth or fable by watching it cook, but we could never be sure, for we would tire of the watchman job.

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