Welsh Journals

The Powysland Museum An Account of Recent Progress. R. E. OWEN, M.A. At the request of the Editor I am writing a few notes on the main improvements carried out during the last two years, chiefly in the Museum, which I reported upon at the last two Annual Meetings of the Powysland Club. 1. COMMEMORATIVE AND OTHER WARE CASE.-Over 23 individual and collective series of articles have been assembled in this case from gifts made since 1874: antique china teapots bowls armorial circular dish sporting horn cup with scenes of sport delineated: coronation mugs and beakers: the Commemorative Plate: death of the Prince Consort, 1861 majority of Lord Clive, 1839; majority of Sir W. Williams-Wynn, 1841 of special interest is a blue and white Punch Bowl stand of Nankin porcelain found walled up in one of the rooms at Maesmawr and used at secret Jacobite meetings of the Pretender's partisans of the Cycle about the middle of the 18th Century. 2. A MISCELLANEOUS Case contains small articles of local and personal association; e.g. -Clay wig- and hair-curling instruments, one found 1874 on site of new Vicarage, Pool Quay: ancient clay-pipe bowl found in Bull Field gardens: a clay-pipe found in the plaster of roof at Comer Shop, Welshpool, date of building 1736: specimens of old types of spectacles: Beck's Bank ear trumpet and steel pair of spectacles: gold bracelet and locket containing hair of General Garibaldi and his wife Anita, given to Colonel Chambers together with his sword, presented by Mrs. Luxmoore, Meifod, daughter of Col. Chambers: a silk and bead purse which belonged to the late Alderman Robert Owen, Mayor of Welshpool 1847 and 1856: original seal of the Forden Union, formerly the House of Industry miniature of Thomas Parry, Esq., of Leighton (1765), who founded the great Shipping Company of Parry and Co., Madras. 3. The LIGHTING OF THE HOME Case contains many examples of the primitive methods of lighting used during the 17th and 18th centuries up to the beginning of the 19th century. The first lucifer match appears about 1827. Rushlights: tinder box and flint strike-a-light several examples of Rushlight holders: different specimens of the Padell Fach or gresset," for preparing the rushlight and for melting fat or grease: also of the Padell