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WELSH TRADITIONS 4

GWAU HOSANAU – KNITTING STOCKINGS

In rural Wales, one of the main cottage industries which flourished during the 18th Century was that of knitting stockings – not only for the family – but for selling in the local markets – and further afield. The towns of Bala, in southern Gwynedd, Llanrwst near Conwy and Tregaron in Cardiganshire were the main centres of the knitting industry, but we know that it also existed in many other locations all over Wales. It was said that Welsh women knitted stockings whenever they had their hands free. But it was not only the womenfolk who knitted; the men and the children, who were old enough, did so too.

Before anyone could start knitting, the yarn had to be prepared. Sheep farmers’ wives had enough wool for their needs, but the poorer cottagers were not able to afford to buy wool. So, as we heard last month, they would go out on wool gathering journeys, before the sheep were sheared, to collect tufts of wool snagged in the hedges and on gorse bushes and elsewhere. The right to gather the wool was valuable and young women who were employed as servants would make sure that they were given the two weeks off for wool gathering each year.

Once they had gathered a good supply of wool, they would carry it home, wash it and when it was dry, begin the process of carding it. This was often done with teasel heads – combing it or brushing it out until it was ready to be spun into yarn. It was now ready to be knitted – but at this stage, it could be dyed, using plants from the countryside.

Here are some of the colours that could be obtained:

• Different lichens would produce green or a deep pink, depending on the type of lichen
• Sloes would also produce a rose colour
• Elderberries and alum would produce a turquoise colour
• The roots of some types of straw would produce a red colour
• The bark, flowers and leaves of gorse would produce yellow
• Bracken would produce brown
• Dandelions produced magenta
• Onion skins can produce a range of colours from red to orange to brown – and more

As you can see, many colours could be produced by dyeing, but the stockings knitted tended to be plain black, grey or white – although, apparently, blue with white stripes was very popular. Many women of rural Wales were proficient spinners and highly skilled in the art of knitting. Despite the time-consuming labour involved in carding and spinning the wool into yarn prior to knitting, many were able to support themselves by knitting and selling stockings. Such was the demand that a Walter Davies, in 1799, estimated that annual production ran to approximately 192,000 pairs.

The late Minwel Tibbott, of the Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagans, stated that ‘Knitting stockings became a vital industry for many families throughout that time, and during famine periods, saved many a family from starvation – and this cottage industry continued to support families economically up until the early twentieth century’.

Between the financial benefits of knitting stockings and the lack of transportation in rural Wales during the 18th and 19th centuries, women often knitted while they walked or performed other duties. Using a yarn hook in the shape of an ‘S’, women would attach the upper hook to the waistband of their apron, then hang a ball of yarn from the lower hook. In this way, both hands would be free for knitting while they walked, often with a basket on their back, travelling to market, tending to animals, or collecting peat’. Knitting sheaths were popular; suspended from the hip, they bore the weight of the garment being knitted. These were handmade, carved, and given as love tokens, much like Welsh love spoons.

Knitting evenings were always popular – social evenings when knitters of both sexes gathered in someone’s house to enjoy a few hours of knitting accompanied by storytelling and singing. A good storyteller was always in great demand for these occasions and some of them had a great store of tales. Storytellers have been given pride of place at such gatherings in Wales for hundreds of years. We know that two of the most highly regarded members of the courts of the Welsh Princes in mediaeval times were the ‘Cyfarwydd’ – storyteller – and the Court Poet.

When the knitters had a good supply of stockings, they took them to market to sell to middle-men or dealers, who probably sold most of them at English markets, from where, it is said, many were exported to Europe and beyond. We know that some were exported via the port at Barmouth to Charleston, USA, the West Indies and the Gulf of Mexico. We know that stocking markets were held in many towns in Wales, from Llanilltud Fawr – Llantwit Major in the south, to Caergybi – Holyhead, in the north. The price of a pair of stockings varied from 6 pence (2 ½ pence in today’s money) – to ten shillings (50p today). But the average price for a plain pair of stockings was about 1 shilling (5p today).

Some stocking knitters would stand along the stage-coach highways to sell their wares to passing travellers. It is said that Welsh stockings were of high quality and long-lasting. Several members of the gentry purchased pairs as souvenirs during their tours of Wales – and tradition maintains that King George III insisted on wearing Bala stockings to relieve his rheumatism!

Today, the internationally known Corgi Socks factory in Rhydaman – Ammanford – which holds a Royal Warrant, and which has been producing socks, stockings and other items of knitwear since 1892 – is a worthy exponent of the Welsh stocking knitting tradition.

Ann M. Jones

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE SCHOONER “RESULT”

In the April edition of What’s On, I  presented an article about the old  Bristol Channel Pilot sailing cutters. In  that article I mentioned in passing a  ship named the Result which I said was  worthy of its own article. Here is that  article as summarised from Wikipedia  by Tony Hodge.

The Result is a three-masted cargo  schooner built in Carrickfergus,  Northern Ireland in 1893. She was a  working ship until 1967, and served for a short time in  the Royal Navy as a Q-ship during World War I. She  currently rests on land at the Ulster Folk and  Transport Museum and in 1996 was added to the  National Register of Historic Vessels.

Construction of the ship was commenced in 1892 in  the Paul Rodgers & Co. yard in Carrickfergus, for the  shipping company Thomas Ashburner & Co., based in  Barrow. Her overall length is 31m and her beam is  6.6m. She was launched a year later and operated by  the Ashburner company until 1909, when she was  sold for £1,100 to Capt. Henry Clarke of Braunton,  North Devon. In March 1914 a 45 bhp single-cylinder  Kromhout auxiliary engine was fitted.

In January 1917 Result was requisitioned by the Royal  Navy to act as a Q-ship (namely one to entrap Uboats)  and armed with two 12-pounder guns forward  and aft of the mainmast, a 6-pounder gun forward,  and two fixed 14-inch torpedo tubes aft. The crew of  23 were commanded by Lieutenant Philip Mack RN.

On 15 March 1917, Result was on her first patrol,  sailing off the south end of the Dogger Bank, under  the flag of the neutral Netherlands, when she spotted  the German submarine UC-45 on the surface astern  about two miles off. The UC-45 approached to 2,000  yards before opening fire. The “panic party” of five  men rowed away in a small boat, leaving the  seemingly abandoned vessel to the Germans.  However the submarine, wary of deception, closed to  no more 1,000 yards, keeping up a steady and rather  inaccurate fire. Result sustained some damage to her  sails and rigging, and eventually Mack gave the order  to attack, and the aft 12-pounder hit the submarine in  the conning tower with its first shot. The 6-pounder  also hit the submarine, but it then dived, and the 12-  pounders second shot missed. Result then headed for  the English coast, but that night encountered another  German U-boat. Result fired a torpedo, which missed,  and both vessels opened fire, to little effect, before the  submarine dived. For his actions Lt. Mack received a  mention in despatches. Other such missions followed  with a variety of subterfuges and levels of success.

After the war Result was employed transporting  Welsh slate, sailing from Portmadoc to Antwerp and  other ports, and then along the south coast of England.  For most of this time she was jointly owned by Capt.  Clarke and Capt. Tom Welch, also of Braunton, but  shortly before the outbreak of World War II sole  ownership passed to Capt. Welch. During the war she  was employed in the Bristol Channel, transporting  coal from ports in south Wales

In 1946 she was refitted with a new  120 hp engine. In 1950 she was hired  to take part in the filming of Outcast of  the Islands, directed by Carol Reed,  and starring Trevor Howard and Ralph  Richardson. She was refitted for her  part at Appledore, and filming took  place around the Scilly Isles.  Result returned to her previous trade in  January 1951 and, under the ownership  of Capt. Peter Welch, was employed up  until 1967, by which time she was the last vessel of  her type still in operation. She was at Jersey being  converted into a charter yacht when Capt. Welch died  and was laid up at Exeter before eventually being sold  by Mrs. Welch to the Ulster Folk and Transport  Museum. Result sailed to Belfast in late 1970 for some  restoration work at the Harland & Wolff shipyard. In  1979 she was transported to the museum’s site at  Cultra where she remains on display to this day.

THE VILLAGES OF ST LYTHANS AND DYFFRYN

The villages of St Lythans and Dyffryn in the parish of St Bleiddian (Lythan) nestle into the hills and valley following the sources and meandering course of the river Weycock. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years and here in Dyffryn / St Lythans, we are surrounded by pre history and history.

We know that people living here 6000 years ago built two burial chambers dated to 4000BCE. These are just a 10 minute walk away from the church of St Lythans, and the Tinkinswood burial chamber has the largest capstone in Britain weighing 40 tons. It would have needed around 200 people to put it in place, suggesting that the local community must have been flourishing and equal to organising such a mammoth task. There are many legends about the burial chambers, including stones going down to the river to bathe, and dog kennels, but recent excavations found pottery, flint and bones, suggesting burial, possibly of cremated remains. These Neolithic people were early farmers, who seem to have migrated from the Middle East, replacing previous populations, (according to recent DNA analysis of their remains) and bringing farming ideas, and their cromlech tombs. Interestingly the St Lythans burial chamber has a man made hole in the back wall and amazingly the sunset shines through this at the equinox.

The Romans settled nearby, with a villa excavated a few years ago when Five mile lane was straightened, where decapitated bodies were discovered. There are also the remains of a Roman building at Cold Knap on the coast to the west of Barry, which is from where a ferry to Somerset would set sail, perhaps a lodging house for weary travellers.

After the Romans left, the country split into small kingdoms and the local king of Gwent was Arthwrys Ap Meurig who reigned in Caerleon in the 600s AD, making him a possible contender as the origin of the legend of King Arthur. According to local history, his son Ithil ap Arthwrys fell from his horse here, and was injured. He was saved from peril, recovered, and in gratitude his father donated the land to the Bishop Oedaceous ( or Euddogwy) of Llandaff, (evidenced by the 7th century Book of Llandaff), who then built a church here. The church of St Lythans is one of the few churches in the vale to exist before the Norman conquest.

Other local links to the Bishop of Llandaff are the remains of a moated Manor House in Doghill, derived from the name de Horguill who were tenant farmers. Dyffryn which belonged to the Bishop, and the site of Dyffryn house which was also in his possession and were known then as the manor of Worleton.

St Lythan, to whom the church was dedicated, was St Bleiddian, also known as Lupus, a bishop of Gaul. He came to Britain to put down widespread heresy in 429AD. He spent much time in South Wales, becoming well loved by the Welsh who

gave him the name of Bleddian or Bleiddian meaning ‘Little Wolf’.

Archaeologists believe that the location of the church was originally a site of pagan worship, as were many early Christian sites, because the churchyard, unusually, is round. The church site, as a place of worship, is one of the few that can be documented as an early Christian foundation in the Diocese.

The current structure dates from the late 12th century, built in the Early English form of architecture. The chancel arch, corbels and south wall windows are original, as is the holy water stoop. The Norman font decorated with a chevron design was probably big enough for total immersion of babies. (Imagine the screams). The other surviving item of note is the Button chapel. This was built as a mourning chapel for the Button family. The connecting wall is supported by an enormous pillar, and 2 arches. The R and B carved on the spandrels of the Tudor doorway relate to Roger Button, who was under sheriff in 1565 and probably the father of Thomas Button (see later). There is an unusual medieval bread oven in the tower for baking communion wafers, and an exterior chimney.

The roof and porch, and east and north wall windows were restored by the Victorians in an extensive project in 1861.

The Button family, who built the side chapel, rose to prominence in Tudor times and were an important naval family. This can be seen celebrated by later inhabitants of Dyffryn house in the stained glass window in the large reception room. They built the first house on the site of the current Dyffryn House, and occupied the house for several generations from the 16th to the 18th century.

Sir Thomas Button, their most famous member, went to sea about 1589. In 1612-13 he commanded an expedition dispatched to inquire into the fate of Henry Hudson after his crew mutinied, and to search for a north-west passage to Asia. He sailed in 2 ships, the Discovery and the Resolution. Button explored a great part of Hudson Bay, but they wintered at Port Nelson and lost many men (including one of his officers called Nelson) to pack ice, which crushed one of his ships, and never found the passage. Despite this, he was knighted on his return in 1613 by James I. He was a rear admiral in the campaign of 1620–21 against the pirates of the Algerian coast, but his independent mind and outspoken criticism of the Navy Board, led to a reputation for insubordination and a series of legal disputes with the Admiralty. These legal disputes, in addition to his previous debts, impoverished him and remained unresolved at his death.

After the Buttons, in the 18th century, the big house passed into the hands of Thomas Pryce, a coal owner and from there in the 19th century to John Cory, a ship-owner, who was shipping coal to all parts of the Empire, and was extremely wealthy. He

rebuilt the house, and his son Reginald sent plant finders out to bring home rare plant species for his arboretum. During this time the church renovation was undertaken.

Recently during the digging of French drains around the church the ancient remains of a woman and child were found close to the church wall. These were not carbon dated, but are thought to be a clandestine burial, to be close to holy ground but without a payment, as was not unusual. The remains were re buried and are remembered with a stone.

Many local old friends and families are buried in the church yard and remembered with affection and flowers.

The church given its age, is in need of constant upkeep to withstand the elements, and to allow it to stand into another millennium. Recently the church has become a focus for the community with musical and family events. Everyone is welcome and a small donation is always helpful

WELSH TRADITIONS 3 – GATHERING

This time we’ll look at the tradition of GATHERING, collecting, harvesting and foraging various items and crops and from the countryside – and I’ll group them all under the one heading – Casglu – Gathering.

Our forefathers made use of practically everything which grew around them in the countryside – and it was a common sight every autumn to see women and children gathering whatever they could find. At this time of the year their meagre diet of meat and whatever vegetables they could grow, was supplemented by a variety of wild fruit and nuts.

The women – and very often their menfolk too – also gathered the leaves of certain plants, which they would use to prepare medicines and ointments to be used when illness struck or when one of the family sustained an injury. Of course when an illness or an injury proved more serious they would often visit a local ‘wise man’ or ‘soothsayer’ who would provide their own ointments and potions. The most famous family of amateur doctors in Wales is probably the family living in the village of Myddfai near Llanymddyfri in Carmarthenshire known in Welsh as Meddygon Myddfai – the Physicians of Myddfai. (By the way, Myddfai is the village in which King Charles, before he became King, chose to have his Welsh base – Llwynywermwd.) The Meddygon were first mentioned around the 13th Century and their history is bound up with folklore – and the tale of The Lady of the Lake. It was said that their knowledge of herbalism and their healing powers were passed to them by an ancestor who fell in love with the lady who came from the lake – Llyn y Fan Fach – and who passed her knowledge to him before she returned to the lake. Their secret recipes for ointments, medicines, potions and powers to treat various illnesses were passed down the generations – and some of their descendants can still be found in the area today.

Something else collected in the countryside – usually by the women folk – was wool – tufts of wool snagged here and there in the hedgerows – before the sheep were sheared. The wool gathering journey would follow the same footpaths every year and some of these paths have survived to this day and are known as ‘llwybrau gwlân’ (wool paths). The women would stop at farms along the way exchanging shelter, food and local news for odd jobs. If they were lucky, the farmer would have saved a fleece for the women. The right to gather the wool was valuable and young women who were employed as servants would make sure that they were given the two weeks off for wool gathering each year. The women used to carry the wool home in a pillowcase on their backs – and wash it before carding it – combing and disentangling it – often by using teasel heads. It would then be spun – usually by hand – to create balls or skeins of yarn. These might be dyed – using various plants and lichen collected in the area – before being used for knitting

Down the centuries tanneries existed in Wales where animal hides were turned into leather. During this leather making process a chemical compound known as tannin was used – and one source of tannin is tree bark – oak tree bark in particular. As a means of earning a little money, many men would gather oak bark and sell it to the local tannery. This collecting or harvesting had been practised since Norman times and we know that the Cistersian monks also collected oak bark. Spring was the best time to strip the bark from the trees – when the sap was rising and if this was done carefully and at the correct time of the year, the trees would not be harmed and they soon grew a new layer of bark. But because so many people did this at the wrong time, a new Law was passed in 1603 banning the stripping of bark before April 1st and after June 30th.

The men would use a special tool called a ‘barking-iron’ to strip the bark. But it was not only men who did this work – some women helped in the work by stripping the lower part of the tree. As I mentioned, the bark would be sold to the tanneries – and in the 18th Century much of it was also exported to Ireland, Liverpool and Bristol. The last working tannery in Wales – in Rhayader – closed about 60 years ago – but we can still visit it as it was dismantled in 1962 and re- built at the National History Museum in St Fagan.

A little later in the year – between June and August – another crop was harvested – namely that of rushes. As these grow in marshy, boggy land the men – and the children who often accompanied them – would spend a whole day in wet conditions so it was not pleasant work. The crop would be carried home, trimmed and dried, before being used in various ways. Since mediaeval times rushes have been strewn on the floor of houses and often sprinkled with herbs. It must be remembered that the floors of dwellings were often merely compacted earth so the rushes and herbs helped to act as insulation and to absorb dampness and unpleasant smells.

Rushes were also woven into baskets, chair bottoms and matting – and during later times the pith would be used as the wick in the early oil lamps. But long before oil lamps had been developed, rushes were used to create tallow candles or rushlights. This was usually a task undertaken by the women in the family – though the men would help out from time to time. Animal fat would be rendered – often in a specially shaped pot made by the local blacksmith. The reeds would be soaked in the melted fat and then allowed to cool and harden. At the end of a candle making day, the family would have created a good stock for the coming year.

As we have seen, our forefathers were very thrifty and resourceful – making use of more or less everything growing around them. By today, we have lost their knowledge and the many skills they possessed – and on which they depended in order to live from day to day.

Ann M. Jones