Welsh Journals

Mon." Lewis was a Surveyor in charge of the lead mines in Cardigan- shire belonging to the Crown. Richard Morris lived in London, and was Secretary to The Admiralty. William Morris was the Custom House Officer at Holyhead, and John Morris was a Sailor who lost his life in the attack on Carthagena. These brothers wrote freely to each other, and their letters were preserved. They were edited and published by the late Principal J. H. Davies of Aberystwyth University, and form one of the richest sources of information about Wales in the 18th century. Lewis Morris came to the Wells In search of health which I had lost for many years." He says that at this time, the cult of sea water had materially affected the popularity of the Wells, but that the Welsh gentry had kept up their support of Llandrindod. He was like the Shropshire Solicitor, struck with the enormous amount of water drunk by the local people, but he himself not only drank it, off and on, all day, but he took a jug of water to the bedroom so that he could drink it in the night, if he woke up. Mrs. Jenkins was alive and looking after the Wells still at this period (1760), and Morris mentions the fact that no one paid for the water. The only income Mrs. Jenkins received was the charge she made for delivering the water at the various farm houses, where the people stayed. The best company stayed at Grosvenor's Hotel near the Church, which provided a Ball Room for ladies and a Bowling Green for men." Lewis Morris' cure was wonderful, for after ten days, he could put on his shoes and stockings which he had not done for six months previously. He describes the customs of the place That it allows, breakfast, dinner and supper, but perhaps it would not be amiss to take a little generous liquor in the evening." Here follows an extract from a 'Poem on Llandrindod:- Here Methodists and Clergy preach And here Dissenters weekly teach We own while we the Clergy name The Curate here is sometimes lame But is he lame ? shall we for this Limp as he limps and walk amiss ? Tho' fault'ring in his steps, let ours Be constant to the Church's hours which finishes with Here, here, see twofold health await Each different Age and Sect and State Come then and feast without control At once the body and the soul."