bygone times

BYGONE TIMESIssue 1

The monthlymagazine which brings

you

HistoricalInformation

News ofYesteryear

Castles & ManorHouses

Myths & Legends

Plus much more!

Included In This Months Issue:History of Cardiff Castle

PlusThe Life of Ironmaster

Richard Crawshay&

Lots More!

PAGE INDEX

INDEX

Page 3 ADVERT

Page 4 - 6 CARDIFF CASTLE

Page 7 EASTCOTE MANOR

Page 8 MYTHS

Page 9- 10 SCOTCH CATTLE

Page 11 TRADITIONAL WELSH RECIPE

Page 12 - 13 WEEKEND BREAK

Page 14 ADVERT

Page 15 - 19 CROXTETH HALL

Page 20 BOOK REVIEW

Page 21 NEWS OF YESTERYEAR - MAY 1844

Page 22 - 25 EPIDEMICS - YELLOW FEVER

Page 26 ADVERT

Page 27 - 29 ABERGLASSNEY MANOR

Page 30- 31 RICHARD CRAWSHAY

Page 32 ADVERT

Page 33 - 34 CRAWFORD PRIORY

Page 35 COMING UP

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CARDIFF CASTLEHISTORY:

Cardiff Castle is situated in the centre of Cardiffcity.

The original castle was a Norman motte andBailey fortification, built in 1091 by the naturalson of King Henry I, Robert Fitzhamon, whowas Lord of Gloucester.

The de Clare family took possession of the castlebefore it was passed to the Despenser family in1306, and remained in the family for over 100years.

In 1414, the rights of the castle were passed to the husband of Isabel, the last Despenser heir.

A short time later, with Isabel becoming a widow, marrying her second husband, the castlepassed to the Beauchamp family, who were the earls of Warwick.

It was Richard Beauchamp who extended the castle adding more residential quarters and theOctagon Tower.Richard was a tutor to the young king Henry VI, and died while travelling to France in 1445.Ann, Richards daughter, inherited the castle, making her husband, Richard Neville, the newLord.

After Richards death in 1471, Isabel, his eldest daughter, inherited the castle until 1483 when itwas then passed to her sister Ann, whose husband, Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, becameKing Richard III.

After King Richards defeat by Henry VII, thecastle was granted to Jasper, the new King'suncle.

Catherine Parr's brother, William Herbert, ac-quired the castle in 1550.In 1645, during the Civil War, it is thoughtCharles I stayed at the castle ,with the Her-bert's helping to protect him.

In 1776, Charlotte Jane, the last heir of the Herbert family,passed the estate to her husband, John Stuart, who was soon tobecome the Earl of Bute.

John Patrick Crichton Stuart assumed the title 3rd Marqueesof Bute on 12th September 1847. He along with architect,William Burges redesigned the castle in 1865, to what we seetoday.

The original features of the castle are greatly overshadowedwith the flamboyant décor created by the Marquess andBurges.Astrological symbols, Biblical Characters dressed in gilt robes,Moorish designs, Natures creatures and Heraldic features arejust some of the themes that are designed through the castle.

Bute died on 9th October 1900 and it was in 1947 that thecastle became the property of Cardiff City Council.

HAUNTING:

LIBRARY:

A male figure that has been witnessed walking through the fire-place of the library is thought to be the 2nd Marquess of Bute,John Crichton Stuart. He is said to leave the room by walkingthrough a 6ft thick wall into a corridor, then passes through thewall of the Chapel into the room in which he died.

The 2nd Marquess collapsed and died inhis study adjacent to the library in 1848.

His son later turned the study into achapel, but when the 2nd Marquess wasalive there was a doorway where the fire-place to the library was later placed.

DINING ROOM/BANQUETING HALL:

In the main Dining Room of the castle witnesses have seen doors opening and closing by them-selves as well as the lights switching them-selves on and off.

Whilst the guide was conducting a tour for theNew Zealand under 20s rugby team, the wholeteam saw the door behind the guide open andclose by itself! The guide was totally obliviousto this occurrence, even though he was only afew feet in front of it.

A faceless figure dressed in a greyish white skirt hasbeen seen in the stock room near to the Dining Room,where she is said to rearrange items. The mischievousspirit is said to be the ghost of a one time maid, whohas come to be known by all the guides as 'Sarah'.The guide believes she is the ghost that he has encoun-tered in the bedroom and banqueting hall.

This ghost is also said to set the rocking horse androcking chair in motion in the nursery.

BEDROOM:

On two occasions at the same spot, a guideof the Castle had his trouser leg tugged, justas a child would do in order to get someone’sattention.

No explanation could be found for thisincident.

EASTCOTE HOUSERuislip

HISTORY:Originally known as ‘Hopkyttes’, the first known records of the house date back to 1507, andwas owned by the Walleston family.

It was renamed ‘Eastcote House’ when RalphHawtrey married Winifred Walleston in 1525,where they made the house their marital home.

When the house was extended, the original timberframework was disguised by the brick exterior and itwas only when the house was demolished that thetimber framework was revealed.

Ralph and Winnifred’s son, John, built the Dovecote without applying for the relevant license,and it was only after his death in 1593, where his nephew Ralph Hawtrey applied for the li-cense of which was granted. It was during the 18th century that the Dovecote was substantiallyrebuilt, leaving only the original first few rows of bricks.

The Hawtrey family, who later became the Hawtrey-Deanes, continued to reside at the houseuntil Francis Deane vacated in 1878. Eastcote House was then tenanted with part of the estatesold for housing development.

During 1931, the house and grounds were purchased by Ruislip-Northwood Urban DistrictCouncil, where the house then became a public building which was used by the Scouts, Guidesand Women’s Institute. However, the condition of the house deteriorated and by 1962 wasdeclared unsafe and demolished 2yrs later.

HAUNTING:The house was known by locals as the ‘Death House’ due to the amount of hauntings throughout the years.It is reported that six people were hanged in the Dovecote by Cromwell’s men, and the sound of

the men marching to their death has apparently beenheard at 10pm every night.

There is also said to be a grey lady who haunts thedrive, where her cries can often be heard by thosepassing by.Galloping horses in the courtyard along with sol-diers and a mystery horseman have also been wit-nessed.

MYTHS & LEGENDSTHE AFANC

Aberdyfi in Gwynedd was the setting for theWelsh mythology lake monster, the Afanc.

Described as resembling a crocodile or giant bea-ver it is also believed by some to be a demoniccreature who attacked and devoured anyone whoventured into its waters or surrounding area.Various accounts of the story have been createdincluding Iolo Morgannwg, who had told of atwo long horned oxen which had dragged the

afanc from its water enabling it to be killed.Another version of this tale includes the oxen dragging the afanc into a lake where the afancwas unable to reach the rocky surroundings to escape.

Many more tales include the manic thrashings of the afanc in its watering home, causing peopleto drown through flooding, while another tale is that of a maid who had tamed the afanc byallowing it to rest on her lap, whereby when the villagers attempted to capture it the afancawoke and frantically crushed the maiden to death.In later years it is suggested that King Arthur slaughtered the monster when his charger draggedthe afanc from the water. A rock with a carved hoof print and the words Carn March Arthur(Stone of Arthur’s Horse) lay near Llyn Barfog lake.

BLADUD & THE SWINE

Prince Bladud was the son of Lud Hudibras, King of Britain around 8oo BC.The young Prince was banished from the Court after he became infected withleprosy, and so, disguised as a poor peasant he earned his keep as a swineherd.It wasn’t long before the pigs became infected with the disease. A farmer advised the disguised Prince to look for acorns on the opposite side of the river,where he came across a sow who he watched wallow in hot mud.

He climbed a tree and collected acorns, making a trail out of the water. Oneby one the pigs came out of the mud filled water. The Prince scraped off themud from each pig and to his amazement noticed the skin was cleansed andcured. He immediately jumped into the water and emerged to find his skinclear and the disease healed.

Restored to health, he travelled back to court.On becoming King, Balud established a settlement in Bath, where the town grew around thetemple he built by the hot springs.

SCOTCH CATTLE

The 'Scotch Cattle' movement first appeared in the early 1820's.The movement was formed bydisgruntled workers mainly from the coal mines of the Monmouthshire valleys.One of the main objects of the organisation was to prevent strangers being taught the art ofmining, thereby restricting the output and minerals. No miner was allowed to take a strangerunderground without first consulting the organisation. If this rule was violated the offenderwas warned that violence will be the punishment. Destruction of furniture, bodily violence andsometimes murder would follow. In February 1822 Russell and Brown owners of the Blainaworks proposed to lower the wages 5 to 6 per cent and also to lower the prices of provisions inthe Company Shop by 10 to 15 per cent. The workers refused to accept the proposal and struck

work.After the strike continued for two weeks the workers be-came desperate. Black legs were introduced and this irri-tated the miners more than ever. The works manager's housewas stoned and a Bull's head painted in red on the doors ofthe black legs houses.The Bull's head was a warning sign that the '' Scotch Cattle'' would strike. The black legs that were brave enough con-tinued working and the night following the warning the ''Scotch Cattle '' struck. On the night of February 17th be-tween 150 and 200 men met near a Cornish pit.The men were commanded by their leaders to turn their

coats and blacken their faces, and order which was promptly obeyed by the mob. Then the pro-cession headed by the leader blowing a horn descended on the cottages of two of the marked men.Windows was smashed, the door forced open, all the furniture would be destroyed and the occu-pants beaten in a most brutal manner. This included women and children.The “Scotch Cattle” existed as a secret society with its members sworn to allegiance under sufferance of death. Each valley town and village had its own cell (a pattern still adopted by currentterrorist organisations) and a leader was elected, usually a person respected and feared for hisaggressiveness and physical strength, known as the 'Bull' orin Welsh 'Tarw'. Their meetings were always held in com-plete secrecy, normally in dark secluded locations. Nor-mally, this thuggery would be undertaken by a herd fromanother area to avoid recognition by local residents.Their meetings were always held in complete secrecy, nor-mally in dark secluded locations.Normally, this thuggery would be undertaken by a herdfrom another area to avoid recognition by local residents.The Cattle's code, however, dictated that any foodstuffsfound in the household would always be left intact. Com-pany property was also targeted, with buildings ransackedand burned down.

Despite attempts by the authorities to infiltrate the movement and bring the ring leaders to jus-tice, their activities continued for many years mainly due to the extreme secrecy of their organisa-tion and the reluctance of the general population to speak against their actions, doing so wouldlead to a visit from the “Cattle”.Eventually the military were called in, but they were unable to prevent the '' Cattle '' from con-tinuing their violent tactics.

On Sunday April 22nd they went over the mountainin the dark to Abersychan and destroyed the house ofa blackleg who worked in Nantyglo. A reward of £15(a very large reward for those days) failed to gain anyinformation.Such was the fear of revenge and the solidarity of theworkers. Lord Melbourne, the then Home Secretary,was obliged to visit Abergavenny to discuss the mat-ter with the local magistrates. One notice written inred ink (symbolising the blood of workers) and in theWelsh language was as follows: '' To all colliers, trai-

tors, turncoats and others. We hereby warn you for the second and last time. We are determinedto draw out the hearts of all the men above named, and fix two hearts upon the horns of thebull, So that everyone may see what is the fate of every traitor and we know them all ''.As time passed, however, the original aim of the movement became forgotten and now innocentpeople were being attacked, robbed and even killed.On 28th October 1834 two ‘scotchings’ were carried out in Argoed. In the course of the operation a gun was fired, the discharge wounded Joan Thomas the wife of a blackleg and EdwardMorgan, a member of the herd. Joan Thomas died two days later from her wounds, her husbandbeing too scared to seek medical attention. Edward Morgan returned home severely woundedand was arrested not long after this incident.The killer of Joan Thomas is alleged to have escaped to America,Edward Morgan was not so lucky. He was just 32 when thecourts in Monmouthshire found him guilty of murder. He facedthe executioner outside the Monmouth Gaol on 6th April1835.He died expressing the wish that “content” would be restored to the working classes.The Bull that night was named as Ned Lolly, a man with Staf-fordshire origins, but this information came out much later, infact too late to save Edward Morgan.The Scotch Cattle were nearing its end, the execution of Morganand later the revealing of the names of other Cattle membersbrought an end to violence and destruction caused by this move-ment.Some believe that the Cattle were the origins of the TradeUnions, as they are known today.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

WELSH CAKES

Ingredients

8 oz (225 g) self-raising flour4 oz (110 g) butter or margarine3 oz (75 g) mixed fruit or just currants3 oz (75 g) caster sugar1 small egg½ teaspoon mixed spice

Method

For best results these cakes should be cooked on a flat iron plate (Griddle). The alternativewould be to use a solid flat base frying pan.

1. Sieve the flour and castor sugar into a bowl and add the butter or margarine, rubbing themixture together as you would with pastry.

2. Once all mixed together add the fruit, making sure you stir it in evenly.3. Lightly beat the egg and add to your mixture to make a dough.4. Place the dough onto a floured worktop and roll out to 5mm thick.5. Use a plain cutter (or round cup) and cut the dough. Continue to roll and cut until all the

dough is used.6. Lightly grease your iron plate or pan with lard and place over a medium heat, bare in

mind iron plates can take a while to heat up. Cook the Welsh cakes for approximately 3minutes, turning regularly, until fairly brown. If they are cooking too quickly, turn thetemperature down slightly.

7. Once cooked you can serve with butter and jam or Welsh honey.

Bon Appetite!

WEEKEND BREAKSYORK

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We offer a range of services aimed at helping people wanting toget more out of a visit to York and Yorkshire. This includeswalking tours, providing drivers for trips anywhere in Yorkshire,Treasure Hunts, lectures/talks an much more.

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Open top bus tours of York, frequent services daily through-out the year. Bus hire - open top and closed top doubledeckers.

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CREIGIAU INN

Creigiau Inn.Station Road, Creigiau

Cardiff.CF15 9NT

Phone: 02920 890768Email: [email protected]

Situated in the heart of the delightful villageof Creigiau, on the outskirts of Cardiff City, the Creigiau Inn offers a warm welcome, deliciousmenu with traditional favourites and homemade specials, excellent beer and a traditional Sun-day Roast with a vegetarian option.

The bar is open daily with a selection of wines served by the glass & bottle. Bass & Brainsdraught beers are served along with Carling, Stella, Brains Smooth, Strongbow & Guinness on

tap and a selection of bottled beers & soft drinks are also available.

There is also freshly ground coffee for gorgeous lattes or an amazing hot chocolate - topped withcream & marshmallows.

Meals are available to order at the bar with a choice of seating areas to dine, whether it be thesunny room, bar or the more secluded alcove your sure to enjoy your time at the Creigiau Inn.

EARLYBIRD SPECIAL

Enjoy 2 main meals for£12!

Choose 2 meals from themains, salads, burgers orselected meals from our

specials board.

Available 12 - 3&

5 - 7pm

DINE WITH WINE ONWEDNESDAYS

Choose 2 main meals andenjoy a carafe of house wine*

on us!

Valid only on Wednesdays12noon - 8pm

*Soave or Merlot

Meals are available:Tuesday - Friday

12noon - 3 & 5 - 8.45pm

Saturday; 12noon - 8.30pm

Sunday Lunch; 12noon - 2.30pm

QUIZ NIGHT

Every Tuesday night from 9pm!

£1 per person to enter - all money goes tothe winning teams chosen charity!

CROXTETH HALLLiverpool

HISTORY:

The original house was built around 1575 with the Hall and outbuildings being Grade II listed,with extensions of Tudor, Georgian and Queen Anne styles added throughout the years, and theprincipal front, west façade being erected in 1702.

Formerly home to the Molyneux family, Earls of Sefton, the family resided at the house until1972 when the 7th and last Earl died. However his wife, Josephine, is said to have remained atthe house for a time before it was passed to LiverpoolCity Council, as after a worldwide search, there wasno success in finding an heir.

On the 9th October 1851 Croxteth Hall received avisit from Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and theirchildren, with 700 members of the local gentry beingentertained in the Hall grounds. They stayed at thehall before visiting Liverpool the following day.

The ancestors of the Molyneux family, fromMolineaux-sur-Seine, near Rouen in Normandy, ar-rived in England around 1066 and bore the name ‘de Molines’.They settled in Lancashire, having been granted lands by Duke William of Normandy (Williamthe Conqueror) due to their support throughout the Battle of Hastings, holding the manor ofSefton without interruption from about 1100.

The Earls of Sefton were:

CHARLES WILLIAM MOLYNEUX:1st Earl of Sefton (b.1748 – d.1794)Charles William was born on 11th October 1748 to Thomas and Mary (nee Leverley) Molyneux.Thomas died on 3 September 1756, leaving Charles William the heir to the title 8th ViscountMolyneux, which he inherited at the age of 10 on 30 March 1759 following the death of his un-cle, William Molyneux, 7th Viscount Molyneux.Charles William was a Member of the British Parliament and a member of the peerage of Ire-land. He married Isabella Stanhope, daughter of the Earl of Harrington, on 27 November 1768.He conformed to the Church of England on 5 March 1769, for which he was rewarded the titleEarl of Sefton on 30 November 1771 with which the viscounts were merged.He was elected to the House of Commons in 1771 and represented the Lancashire constituencyas a Whig until 1774.After his death he was succeeded by his only son, William.

WILLIAM PHILLIP MOLYNEUX:2nd Earl of Sefton (b.1772 – d.1838)Born in 1772, Lord Sefton, the only son of Charles Molyneux, and Isabella Stanhope, marriedthe Hon Maria Craven in 1792, daughter of William Craven, 6th Baron Craven.He had issue of 4 sons and 6 daughters and succeeded to the title in 1795.He was an enthusiastic gambler and sportsman whose main sporting success was in the found-ing and governance of sports events.His ancestral seat was Croxteth Hall, Lancs. He also resided at Stoke Farm, Berks and at 21Arlington Street, London.

CHARLES WILLIAM MOLYNEUX:3rd Earl of Sefton (b.1796 – d.1855)Charles William Molyneux, styled Lord Molyneux (or Viscount Molyneux until 1838), was aBritish Whig politician.Sefton was returned to Parliament for Lancashire South in 1832, a seat he held until 1835.Lord Sefton married Mary Augusta, daughter of Robert Gregg-Hopwood, in 1834. They hadseveral children.In 1838 he succeeded his father in the earldom and took his seat in the House of Lords. Between1851 and 1855 he served as Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire.He died in August 1855, aged 59, and was succeeded by his eldest son, William.The family seats were: Croxteth Hall, Lancs ; Stoke Farm, Berks ; Sefton House, Belgrave Sq.,London

WILLIAM PHILLIP MOLYNEUX:4th Earl of Sefton (b.1835 – d.1897)William Philip Molyneux, was a British peer.Born Viscount Molyneux, he was the eldest son of Charles Molyneux and Mary. He was edu-cated at Eton College, Berks.In 1854, Molyneux became an ensign in the Grenadier Guards and inherited his father's earldomthe following year. He was promoted to captain in 1857, retiring a year later, when he was ap-pointed Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire.On 18 July 1866, Lord Sefton married Hon. Cecil Emily Jolliffe (1838–1899), the fifth daughterof William Jolliffe, 1st Baron Hylton. They had five children:

Charles William Hylton, styled Viscount Molyneux (1867–1901), later 5th Earl of Sefton.

Lady Gertrude Eleanor (1868–1937)

Lady Rose Mary (c.1870-1905)

Hon. Osbert Cecil (1871–1930), later 6th Earl of Sefton.

Hon. Richard Frederick (1873–1954)

Lord Sefton was appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1885.In 1886, he built Abbeystead House in the forest of Wyresdale, Lancashire as a 'private shoot-ing lodge on a grand scale'.On his death in 1897, his titles passed to his eldest son, Charles.The family seats were: Croxteth Hall, Lancs ; Abbeystead House, Lancs ; Sefton House,Belgravia Sq., London.

CHARLES WILLIAM HYLTON MOLYNEUX:5th Earl of Sefton, (June 25, 1867 – December 2, 1901).Charles William Hylton was the eldest son of William and Cecil Molyneux, and known as"Mull" within the family.He was ADC to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland during 1889-1892.He never married.As a fit young man of 30 he suffered a bad fall in the Altcar Steeplechase in 1897 which lefthim severely brain damaged, a hopeless invalid and mentally unstable.His engagement to Mary Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, daughter of the 1st Earl ofAncaster was called off and he eventually died from his injuries.On his death at 34 his title passed to his brother Osbert Molyneux.He was buried in St Chad's churchyard, Kirkby, near Liverpool.

OSBERT CECIL MOLYNEUX:6th Earl of Sefton (b.1871 – d.1930)Osbert Cecil Molyneux was born on 21 February 1871 and styled The Honourable Osbert Moly-neux in 1901. He was a British courtier and Liberal politician. He served as Master of the Horseunder Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman from 1905 to 1907.Lord Sefton succeeded in the earldom due to the death of his elder brother.In 1926 he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.Lord Sefton married Lady Helena Mary Bridgeman, daughter of George Bridgeman, 4th Earl ofBradford, on 8 January 1898.They had three children:

Hugh William Osbert Molyneux, 7th Earl of Sefton (1898–1972).

Midshipman Hon. Cecil Richard Molyneux (1899–1916), killed in action during the First WorldWar.

Lady Evelyn Molyneux (1902–1917), died young.

Lord Sefton died on 16th June 1930, aged 59, and was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest andonly surviving son, Hugh.

HUGH WILLIAM OSBERT MOLYNEUX:7th Earl of Sefton (b.1898 – d.1972)Hugh William Osbert Molyneux was born 22nd December 1898 and was the last of the Earls ofSefton. He was the eldest son of Osbert and Helena Molyneux.He was educated at West Downs School, Harrow School and Sandhurst Military Academy. Hemarried in 1941 Josephine Gwynne Armstrong (1903–1980), daughter of George Armstrong ofVirginia, USA. The Countess was a life-long friend of the Duchess of Windsor.After pursuing a military career, he was appointed ADC to the Governor-General of Canada(1919), ADC to the Viceroy of India, Lord-in-Waiting to the King (1936–37) and Lord Mayorof Liverpool (1944–45). He was also a chairman of the stewards of the British Jockey Club andConstable of Lancaster Castle, his ancestors having held the Constableship of Liverpool Castleuntil it was destroyed c1700.He was a sports enthusiast and an owner of racehorses, including Medoc II (FR) which won theCheltenham Gold Cup in 1942 and Irish Lizard which twice finished third in the Grand Na-tional, in 1953 and 1954. He was a descendant of William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl ofSefton, who founded the Waterloo Cup and the Grand National.His seats were Croxteth Hall, Lancs ; AbbeysteadHouse, Wyresdale Forest; Grosvenor Cottage, Cul-ross Street, W1.On his death, 13th April 1972, his earldom becameextinct and Croxteth Hall passed to Liverpool CityCouncil.On his widow's death in 1980 Abbeystead and theWyresdale Forest estate were sold to the Duke ofWestminster.

HAUNTING:Croxteth Hall is said to be haunted by the various members of the Molyneux family who onceresided there. Many apparitions have been seen along with unusual smells and unexplainablenoises heard.

There have been reported sightings of a young boy who stands by the fireplace in the diningroom.William Creedy is also believed to haunt the fire room, and it is thought his son Thomas wasactually the illegitimate offspring of the 1st Earl of Sefton, Charles William Molyneux.

A shadow, described as a male figure has been witnessed in the billiard room, along with ghostlyfigures who have been seen sitting on non existent chairs.There is also a strong smell of tobacco and the sighting of two males, believed to be William andPhillip Molyneux.

The breakfast room is reported to be haunted with a group of ladies, and motion detectors havebeen reported to be set off by unexplainable forces.

It is thought the 6th Earl of Sefton, Osbert Cecil Molyneux, is the ghostly male seen walkingaround the tearoom.

A small hooded figure, said to be dressed in a black hooded cloak, has been witnessed by manyvisitors. He is said to walk towards the kitchen and then back along the corridor and simplydisappear into a room of which is locked. He is described as a very old male looking very dis-turbed.

The apparition of a housemaid has been witnessed inthe kitchen area, along with servants busying them-selves.It is also believed that a male had once beaten a preg-nant maid in this area, desperately wanting her dead.

Two white figures have been witnessed upstairs, bothholding hands, where one wears a long hat with afeather attached and the other is reported to have abeard and wear a top hat.Footsteps have been heard walking along the corri-dors of the hall and again the smell of tobacco in theservants room has also been reported.

In the days of the Molyneux family, the servants were housed in the attic.Strange mists, moans and groans and loud bangs, along with a sighting of who is believed tohave been a servant has been reported in this area.Visitors have also reported feeling very uncomfortable, as if they were not welcome .

An apparition of a male and female have been witnessed in the card room, believed to be Maryand Phillip, with Phillip also being responsible for the dark shadows seen in the corridors.

Loud bangs have been heard in the cellar where items have been witnessed to fall off tables forno apparent reason.

Staff have reported various electrical faultswithin the property, but on investigation work-men can find no cause.

Doors, both upstairs and down, have been wit-nessed to open and close by unseen hands,sometimes being slammed shut with force.

BOOK REVIEWA HISTORY of WALES

This account traces the history of Wales, from the earliest times to thelate-20th century. From the first Welshmen at Ffynnon Beuno to theminers' strike, from the Red Lady of Paviland to the establishment of theWelsh television channel, from the end of the Ice Age to the politics oftoday, this book is a comprehensive and detailed study of the whole spanand history of Wales.

John Davies won the Welsh Arts Council Book Prize for Non-Fiction in1991 for the Welsh version of this book "Hanes Cymru", and he is also theauthor of "Cardiff and the Marquesses of Bute".

RETURN OF THE BLACK DEATH

OBSEVER: “… a piece of astonishing medical detective work…”

NATURE: “… a good account of the history of the three great plagues.”

NEW SCIENTIST: “… a compelling read…”

THE LANCET: “Using documents of unimaginably diverse provenance,Susan Scott and Christopher Duncan assume the role of ‘plague detectives’.”“…humour, accessible style and gripping disgust–factor…well written…a rare achievement…”

GOOD BOOK GUIDE: “With gruesome details of the disease and itsconsequences, this is not for the squeamish.”

WESTERN DAILY PRESS: “…a valuable reference…”

NEWS OF YESTERYEARThe Times 17 May 1844

Extraordinary Case - Neath, May 14

A highly-respectable jury was this day empanelled in the hall, to assess the amount of damagesto be paid by Mr. Rowland Fothergill, the wealthy owner of Hensol Castle, for a serious injuryinflicted on Mr. Brown, the superintendent of his farms, with a pitchfork, on the 17th of Au-gust last.

The damages were laid at £1,000. Mr. W.H. Cooke, the barrister, appeared for the plaintiff; Mr.Coke, of Neath and Mr. Davis, of Merthyr, for the defendant.

It appeared from the evidence, that Mr.Fothergill taking offence at an expression ofMr. Brown's, in a hayfield on the estate,struck the latter with a pike, which broke intwo pieces, and inflicted such serious injurieson Mr. Brown, that he remained under medi-cal treatment for nearly five months, and stilllabours under an injured vision and partialdeafness, from which two medical gentlemengave it as their opinion, he would never re-cover.

The learned counsel in opening the case for the plaintiff, made a very eloquent and impassionedappeal for excessive damages, stating among other acts of aggravation, that the assault waswholly unprovoked; that, notwithstanding the severity of the injury, Mr. Fothergill had evincedno contrition or sympathy with his victim and had not tendered the smallest amount of amends,although the plaintiff was a person of superior attainments, against whose competency andcharacter not a charge was insinuated, and who, a stranger from Northumberland, in a distantpart of the kingdom, was thus left to seek proper redress for these injuries to his person and repu-tation to the justice of a Glamorganshire jury.

A number of witnesses described the occurrence in the hayfield - the acute sufferings of theplaintiff, and the injuries under which he continued to labour from the effects of the blow.

No witnesses were called for the defendant; and, after a very brief summing up, the juryawarded the plaintiff £500 damages.

The greatest interest was manifested in Swansea, Merthyr and Cardiff as to the result, Mr.Fothergill being one of the principal iron-masters, and a magistrate of the county.

YELLOW FEVER

Yellow Fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by the bite of female mosquitoes,found in tropical and subtropical areas in South America and Africa.

The origin of the disease is believed to be Africa, from where it was introduced to South Americathrough the slave trade in the 16th century.Since the 17th century, several major epidemics of the disease have been recorded in America,Africa and Europe, and it was deemed the most dangerous infectious disease during the 19thcentury.

For most cases the symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, and back pain whichsubsides after several days.In some patients, a toxic phase follows, where the patient suffers recurring fever, liver damage,jaundice, abdominal pain, bleeding in the mouth and eyes, and in the gastrointestinal tract. Thetoxic phase is fatal in approximately 20% of cases.Because of the increased bleeding through the infection, the World Health Organisation esti-mates the disease causes 200,000 illness and 30,000 deaths each year in unvaccinated countries.Vaccinations have been available since the middle of the 20th century with some countries requir-ing vaccinations for travellers.

With no available cure, vaccination is the only means of controlling the disease.

YELLOW FEVER HITS SOUTH WALES, 1865

During September 1865 Yellow Fever hit Swansea, South Wales.On the 1 May 1865 the barque Hecla left Swansea and headed straight to Santiago de Cuba,arriving on 9 June.

George Wilson, the ships boy, died of the diseasewhile in Cuba, and Hansel Pedersen, an able sea-man, was hospitalized with a fever while the shipsailed for home.

While in Santiago, two replacement able seamenwere recruited.Having been discharged from hospital the previousday, John Thompson was one of the two who wasemployed as a replacement. However, after sufferingfrom a fever illness for 14-16 days he died between9-11 August.

On 26 July the Hecla set sail for Swansea, with four officers, ten mariners and two passengerson board.

During the journey back to Swansea, seamen became ill with symptoms of Yellow Fever, withthree crew members having died. However, due to no doctor on board, the illness could not beestablished.

On Friday 8 September, 15 miles N.E. of Lundy, the wooden sailing vessel was boarded byGeorge Morgan, a Swansea pilot, with the master William Clouston requesting assistance incoming into the harbour.

The following morning, with five men having gone on board, a tug pulled the Hecla into theport. The Hecla was moored alongside the Cobre wharf in the North Dock, and unloading began.

By midday the mayor had been informed of thedeaths during the return journey and also of thesuspected illness.James Saunders, the sailor with fever, was diag-nosed with dying from Yellow Fever by the twodoctors who had examined him.The mayor, who represented the local board ofhealth, along with a third doctor examinedJames Saunders and within minutes he wasdead, and within four hours he had been buried.With the dwelling of which he accommodated

being emptied and disinfected with lime wash and chloride of lime, further precautions weremade throughout all the houses within the court.After the bedding and clothing of the dead man had been destroyed, the house was again limewashed before tenanted a week later.

Preparations were then made to find the crew of the Hecla in order for them and their rooms,homes and contents to be fumigated with chlorine.

Within twelve days of the Hecla arriving, it isestimated that 29 victims suffered from the dis-ease as the symptoms in each patient were eitherthe same or similar, where milder cases may havepossibly gone unnoticed, with 17 victims losingtheir lives, some of whom died within 2-3 days ofcontracting the disease.

SEX AGE PLACE OF PROBABLE INFECTION DATEOF ON-SET

DATEOFDEATH

M 32 Hecla (able seaman on board). AT SEA 9 SEP

M 25 Worked on North Dock. 15 SEP REC

M 33 Patrolled the east side of the North Dock 17 SEP 22 SEP

F 20 Lived about 150 yards from Hecla's mooring 18 SEP 22 SEP

M 24 Worked on island/on board Hecla 9 Sept 18 SEP 22 SEP

F 21 Lived in house adjacent to where Hecla was unloaded. Ser-vant

18 SEP REC

M 25 Worked in smithy on the island 19 SEP 24 SEP

F 55 Lived on island 20 SEP 26 SEP


M 35 Lived 150 yards from Hecla's mooring 20 SEP REC



F 11 Lived on island 22 SEP REC

F 23 Lived 150 yards from Hecla's mooring 22 SEP 26 SEP

F ? Lived in house adjacent to dock where Hecla was unloaded 23 SEP REC

M ADULT Worked on board Eleanor. Moored near Hecla 16-18 Sept 23 SEP 25 SEP

M 18 Lived on island 24 SEP 27 SEP


M ADULT Lived on island, went on board Hecla 25 SEP REC

M ADULT Worked on island 14-15 Sept 25 SEP REC

M 23 Worked in shipyard next to Cobre Wharf 26 SEP 29 SEP

M 60 Mate of Eleanor, moored near Hecla 16-18 Sept 26 SEP 30 SEP

F 35 Lived on island 29 SEP 1 OCT


M 18 Worked on island in copper assay office. 1 OCT 10 OCT

CASES OF YELLOW FEVER IN SWANSEA1865

M - Ship's Worked on Eleanor, moored boy" near Hecla 16-18Sept

2 OCT REC

M 20 Worked in Richardson's yard 3 OCT REC

F 6 Lived on island 3 OCT REC

M 40 Worked in Richardson's yard 4 OCT 5 OCT

On Thursday 12 July 2001 the BBC News reported the concerns regarding ‘Yellow Fever Vaccine Fears’. Questions had been raised over the safety of the vaccine for yellow fever followingseveral deaths.The Lancet medical journal contained reports of people from around the world who died aftertaking the vaccine.A five year old girl died after having suffered fever, headache and vomiting three days after re-ceiving the vaccination.A 22 year old woman died after developing a sore throat and fever, accompanied by headache,muscle pain, nausea, and vomiting four days after vaccination. She then developed symptomsincluding jaundice and renal failure, and died after six days of illness.A third case found similarities in all victims which demonstrated symptoms of infection by theform of yellow fever virus found in the wild.Three further deaths of elderly patients were recorded by US scientists from the Centres for Dis-ease Control, Atlanta. In each case the victims suffered from fever, muscle pain, headache andconfusion followed by a general deterioration.Writing in The Lancet, Philippe Marianneau and colleagues from Institute Pasteur, Lyons,France, suggest that the virus strain used in the vaccine may occasionally mutate, either beforeor after it is administered.Alternatively, the problem may be that the vaccine triggers an inappropriate immune system re-sponse in some people.They conclude: "The use of 17D vaccination remains highly advisable for people living in or trav-elling to endemic and epidemic zones."However, these three reports raise relevant questions about the mechanisms of attenuation(weakening) of yellow fever virus that should be urgently investigated."A spokesman for the Public Health Laboratory Service said: "The yellow fever vaccine is in factone of the safest live vaccines."It is important to remember that many millions of doses of yellow fever vaccine have been givenworldwide over more than 60 years, and the vaccine has an excellent safety record."In Brazil 54m doses of the vaccine were given between 1998 and April 2001, and just three ofthese possible serious adverse events were observed."Clearly, if this adverse reaction is indeed prompted by the vaccine, it is extremely rare."In contrast to this, the serious consequences of yellow fever disease are well-established."It is vital that those who need the vaccine continue to be vaccinated so that they are protectedagainst the disease."The WHO has called for further research to look at this possible reaction to vaccine, to establishits frequency, and whether particular groups of people are more vulnerable.

ABBERGLASSNEY MANOR HOUSE

HISTORY:

Aberglassney Manor House is situated in Carmarthenshire, and the house that we see today wasbuilt by Bishop Rudd in the mid 1600's.

The origins of Aberglassney are shrouded in mys-tery and myths which have grown over the years.The old genealogies show ten generations ofWelshmen before the arrival of Bishop Rudd.

In the 13th century Gruffydd ab Elidir and hisson Owain resided at the property.

Half a century later came Llewelyn ap LlewelynDdu.

In the1470's the owner was William ap Thomas.

The next owners were three generations of the Thomas family including, Captain WilliamThomas, who was killed in Zutphen in 1586.It is believed Sir William and his wife Gaenor sold the property to Bishop Rudd, who rebuilt thehouse.

The Bishop's son, Sir Rice Rudd was a favourite of James I, married well but received heavyfines for his Royalist sympathies during the Civil War.During 1664, Sir Rice was succeeded by his grandson, the second Sir Rice and in 1710 the housewas sold to Robert Dyer.Robert Dyer only lived in the house for ten years before he died in 1720, passing the house ontohis eldest son, who was also named Robert and married to Frances Croft of Croft Castle.By 1752, Robert Dyer and Frances Croft's son, Robert Archer Dyer, inherited the house. Both heand his brother married Herbert sisters.Robert Archer Dyer and his son, William Herbert Dyer, both struggled financially and in 1798,Aberglassney was put up for sale.

In 1803, Thomas Phillips, who had served as a surgeon with the East India Company for 30years, bought Aberglassney. He died in 1824, and as he had no children, his estate was left to hisnephew John Walters who then took on the surname of Phillips.John Walters Phillips had 4 children, his son had died in infancy, his daughters, grown up andmarried became, Mrs Harries, Mrs Lloyd-Phillips and the middle daughter married John PughPryse, and had 1 daughter, Marianne, before Mrs Pryse died at a young age.

After the death of his wife, John Pugh Pryse remarried. His second wife being, Decima Doro-thea Rice.

In 1872, Marianne married Charles Mayhew, a soldier, and they spent most of their married lifeliving in Derbyshire. Aberglassney was rented at this time.The couple returned to Aberglassney in 1902 on Charles' retirement, yet only spent 5 years to-gether with Charles dying suddenly in 1907 after having caught a cold.

Marianne only spent a year at Aberglassney after the death of her husband before moving toLondon where she spent the last 30 years of her life.

Aberglassney was cared for by relatives and caretakers until 1939 when Marianne died, passingthe property to Eric Evans, who was related through her fathers second marriage.Eric only lived at Aberglassney for a short time. He died at the age of 30 in 1950, leaving a wifeand young son. His son's Trustees decided to sell Aberglassney and in 1955 the house was boughtby David Charles.

With the estate having been split, the land wasacquired by several tenant farmers.

The house was again sold in 1977, yet the newowners found it impossible to restore the housewhich had suffered years of neglect.

1995 saw the start of The Aberglassney Restora-tion Trust where restoration work began on thehouse and gardens.

HAUNTINGS:

Figures, dark shadows, unexplained knocks and bangs and lighted candles floating through theair have all been witnessed by staff and visitors.

It is believed Thomas Phillips has haunted the house ever since his death in 1824. It is thoughthe is responsible for the heavy footsteps heard by staff and visitors.

Another incident of which occurred before the restoration of the house took place involved amember of staff, who recalls her hair being stroked with someone whispering in her ear as shecleaned the bathroom.

A spectral family of a mother, father and daughter have been witnessed walking from the houseinto the gardens, sometimes sitting for a while in the gardens.

A dark figure of a male has also been seen, simplystanding and staring in the grounds. Some rumourssuggesting he was responsible for the possible mur-ders of 6 maids.

Pigeon Wood, which is situated behind the prop-erty, is where many visitors have reported feelingvery uneasy. Approaching the edge of the woodshas the feeling of ‘coldness' and ‘fear'.It is believed a young man who was trying to evadecapture, was actually caught at this point of the

woods and killed by a gun shot, although the identity of this young man is not known.

BLUE ROOM:

Situated on the first floor of the eastern wing this room had experienced a great tragedy in 1630where six maid servants were found dead in their beds. The cause of deaths were asphyxiation,which could have been attributed to the fumes emitting from the lime plaster mortar that hadbeen used during a major reconstruction of the mansion.

Many speculations on the deaths were rife with suggested causes including arsenic poisoningfrom the wallpaper in the room, and a blocked chimney causing death by carbon monoxide inha-lation.

Visitors and staff have reported to have felt anoverwhelming spine chilling experience when enter-ing the room.

With the room empty, five flickering lights havebeen witnessed by many who have stood outsidelooking up to the window.

Members of staff have also witnessed Victoriandressed ladies staring out of the window.

Another story regarding the sighting of flames suggests that the amount of disembodied candleflames witnessed foretell the number of deaths due to occur. This coincides with the story of themaids, where the evening before their deaths during the 1630’s, a house keeper had witnessedfive lights in a room where redecoration had just been completed. The following morning the fivemaids were found dead in the room.

The room of which the maids are believed to have died and have since show their presence islocated on the first floor, middle window of the above photograph.

The Crawshay family who lived at Cyfartha were from yeomanfarmers who originated from the small hamlet of Normanton, York-shire and known as Crawshaw. However, the family tree can betraced as far back as 1582 with Richard Crawshay’s great greatGrandfather having lived in nearby Wragby, Yorkshire.Richard Crawshay, the first of the Crawshay family to come toSouth Wales, and his father William Crawshay had argued whenRichard was 15 years old, as Richard did not wish to become afarmer ,as was his father, grandfather, and great grandfather andbelieved he could earn his fortune in London. His father Williamtold him “You will go with not a penny and make your own way”.This is exactly what Richard Crawshay set out to do, and achievedhis dreams in making his fortune.Richard Crawshay came to Wales from London, acquired Cyfartha works and was known asthe Iron King of Wales.The Crawshay family, through the generations, were admired and loathed by the people ofWales, where some report that the Crawshays were tyrants; others report that they were kindand generous. They brought wealth and they brought unhappiness, they were one of the richestfamilies in Wales and one of the most talked about families throughout the generations.

RICHARD CRAWSHAY 1739 - 1810Richard Crawshay was born in 1739 in Normanton, Yorkshire, son of a yeoman farmer WilliamCrawshay and his wife Elizabeth Nicholson. He was one of 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. Twoof his brothers died in infancy, and his sister Susannah went on to marry John Bailey andformed the Crawshay-Bailey family in Wales.After an argument with his father, Richard Crawshay changed his name from Crawshaw toCrawshay, and left his family home travelling to London on horseback in search of work. Hesold his horse in London in order to buy an apprenticeship in an iron warehouse working for aMr Bickleworth in York Yard, Thames Street, London.Through his hard work he soon earned himself promotion, becoming a flat iron salesman and in1763 eventually became the owner of the company when Mr Bicklewith retired.

Also in 1763 he married Mary Browne b.1745, a daughter of a stonegrate marker.Richard and Mary had five children:Child 1: DiedChild 2: William Crawshay I b.1764 –1834 Married Elizabeth Couzens.Child 3: Anne Crawshay b.1766Child 4: Charlotte Crawshay b.1784 – 1839 Married Benjamin Hall.Child 5: Elizabeth Crawshay b.1768

By 1770 Richard Crawshay was a leading London iron merchant, and by 1774 had changed thecompany name Crawshay & Moser, in 1784 it became Crawshay, Cornwell & Moser and by1816 it was known as R & W Crawshay.

In 1775 he was acting as the agent for London merchant and founder of Cyfartha AnthonyBacon, supplying iron cannon to the Board of Ordinance, and by 1777 Richard Crawshay

became a partner in the company.It was during 1783 that Crawshay and his familyeventually moved to South Wales, where they livedat Cyfartha House.In 1786 Crawshay took over the company and wentinto partnership with William Stevens and JamesCockshutt, but due to making little profit he termi-nated the contract in 1791.By 1796 a blast furnace had been built with thefourth built during 1796 and by 1810 there were 6

blast furnaces.After visiting Henry Cort, Crawshay adopted the process of ‘puddling’ which was the methodused of converting pig iron into malleable iron. This method was a great success and Cyfarthaworks grew extensively, whereby 1,500 workers were employed by 1803 in what was to becomeknown as the largest works in the world.Crawshay had also set up works in the Forest of Dean and become a partner in the Rhymneyfurnace where it’s believed his reason in doing so was to enable him to use this as a dowry for hisdaughter Charlotte when she married Benjamin Hall, along with the Abercarn Estate, of whichhe had also purchased.The Rhymney furnace was later to become the Union Iron Company which when it amalga-mated with Bute Ironworks it became known as the Rhymney Ironworks.Richard Crawshay was highly thought of by his workers for being fair and generous, payinggood wages and having houses built for his workers and their families, some of which are now re-erected at the Museum of Welsh Life (St. Fagans).It was due to himself having been poor that Richard Crawshay was reported to have once said“If I can do it, every man in my employ shall have a piece of beef and a pint of beer for his dinner every day”.Crawshay had made many influential friends through his work and many visited Cyfartha, in-cluding Admiral Nelson. Another of the many visitors was the founder of Sunday Schools, MrRobert Raikes, who was asked, as a special request from Crawshay, to study the living condi-tions in Merthyr. It was through this special request to Raikes that the first Sunday School wasbuilt at Cyfartha.During September 1809 Richard Crawshay changed his will after having an argument with hisson William Crawshay I. He had completely cut out his son from his will leaving him nothing,with shares of Cyfartha going to both his son-in-law Benjamin Hall and his nephew Joseph Bai-ley. The following May he relented and changed his will, a month before he died on 27th June1810, leaving an estate valued at £1.5 million.William Crawshay I inherited three eighths of his fathers ironworks, with Benjamin Hall, whohad married Charlotte Crawshay, inheriting three eighths and his nephew Joseph Bailey inher-ited two eighths. Mary Browne died in 1811.Next Month: William Crawshay I

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CRAWFORD PRIORYFife, Scotland

HISTORY

Crawford Priory is the former home of the Earls ofCrawford, Earls of Glasgow and Barons Cochraneof Cults.The original building, Crawford Lodge, was builtby the 21st Earl of Crawford, George Lindsay-Crawford during 1758 .

During 1809 the building was extensively redevel-oped by Lady Mary Lindsay Crawford, sister of the22nd Earl of Crawford.

Lady Mary hired the architects David Hamilton, and thenin 1811 James Gillespie Graham took over.

Hamilton disguised the original house by introducing a HighGothic style which included buttresses and turrets, whileGraham extended it to the rear in Ecclesiastical Gothicwhere pinnacles were added to create the impression of apriory.

Lady Mary was described as being a beautiful, eccentricindependent woman who never married. She loved animalsand kept dogs, birds, afox, deer and herbrother’s beloved horse.

Lady Mary died in 1833, where her funeral took place in theGothic Hall of the Priory.

The building was further developed where some minor altera-tions were made by the 4th Earl of Glasgow, who had inher-ited the estate from Lady Mary.

The 6th Earl continued with the alterations which includedthe building of a chapel in the east front during 1871.


HISTORY



Lady Mary hired the architects David Hamilton, and thenin 1811 James Gillespie Graham took over.

Hamilton disguised the original house by introducing a HighGothic style which included buttresses and turrets, whileGraham extended it to the rear in Ecclesiastical Gothicwhere pinnacles were added to create the impression of apriory.

Lady Mary was described as being a beautiful, eccentricindependent woman who never married. She loved animalsand kept dogs, birds, afox, deer and herbrother’s beloved horse.





HISTORY



Lady Mary hired the architects David Hamilton,and then in 1811 James Gillespie Graham took over.

Hamilton disguised the original house by introduc-ing a High Gothic style which included buttressesand turrets, while Graham extended it to the rear inEcclesiastical Gothic where pinnacles were added tocreate the impression of a priory.

Lady Mary was described as being a beautiful, ec-centric independent woman who never married. She loved animals and kept dogs, birds, a fox,deer and her brother’s beloved horse.




Due to increasing debts, the 7th Earl, Alexan-der Lindsay, sold the estate to Liberal Union-ist politician and former Under-Secretary ofState for the Home Department, the Hon.Thomas Cochrane, the second and youngestson of Thomas Barnes Cochrane, 11th Earl ofDundonald

Thomas Cochrane, was also brother-in-law to the6th Earl of Glasgow, and became Baron Cochraneof Cults in 1919.

Further alterations were made to the buildingwhich began in the 1920’s, where the Porte cohereto the west front was removed.

In 1968, with the death of the 2nd Baron, Tho-mas George Frederick Cochrane, the mansionwas closed, and by 1971 the whole buildingwas abandoned and what was once a beautifulbuilding, gradually fell into a state of disrepair.

HAUNTING:

The spirit of Lady Margaret Lindsay Crawford issaid to haunt the derelict mansion and grounds.Witnesses have reported seeing her wanderingaround the grounds calling on visitors to followher.

COMING UP IN NEXT MONTHSISSUE!

More Castles & ManorHouses

The Life of IronmasterWilliam Crawshay I

Life During TheCholera Epidemic

Another Headline fromNews of Yesteryear

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What To See and Do On A Weekend Break inHistorical Gloucestershire

PlusA Spooky Tale of

‘The Deserted Cabin’!

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