Welsh Journals

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On the inside page of the letter was the following :­ Dear Cousin, We shall be glad if you can bring along with you Six Bonnets one for your sister and me the same, four for our girls with fronts neat and not high price-from 8/- to 10/- each. Six pairs of silk gloves. We do not intend to give mourning-Aunt says you may do as you like. Yours, A. Rogers. In case readers wonder why Anne Rogers called her brother-in-law "cousin" the reason is that she was his first cousin and had also married her first cousin, Edward Rogers. The Thomas Rogers mentioned was also a cousin, and was a draper and outfitter in partnership with John Rogers, and it was he who had pur- chased Tynycoed, Pontrobert, from Anne's father, David Rogers, Halfen, in 1849. Funerals in those days were rather important social occasions and were largely attended. My father told me that at the funeral of his grandfather, the Rev. Evan Griffiths, Ceunant, Meifod, in 1839, the head of the cortege had already reached Meifod Churchyard while the rear was still forming up at Ceunant a good half-mile away. In 1843 at the funeral of our "Old Uncle", Mr. John Griffiths of Keel, Mr. Richard Griffiths-Parry, the County Treasurer, records in his Diary that there were over 300 persons present. Doubtless a large number attended the funeral of Mrs. Jane Rogers at Meifod Churchyard in 1859, although only 30 were invited to the service in Bodynfol Hall. One can almost imagine reading in the newspaper report of the funeral: "The chief mourners were Mr. Edward Rogers, Bodynfol, Mr. John Rogers, Liverpool (sons) Other relatives present included Mr. Edward Rogers, Bwlch Goleu, and Mr. John Rogers, Dolobran (grandsons), Mr. Thomas Rogers, Liverpool, Mr. David Rogers, Pontrobert Mill, Mr. John Rogers, Grove, Mr. Edward Rogers, David and William Rogers, Gwemybuarth, Mr. Maurice Hughes, Pontrobert, Dr. William Theodore, Llanfair C., Mr. Robert Pryce, Maesgwyn, Mr. Evan Griffiths, Glanbanw, Mr. Edward Griffiths, Upper Hall, Mr. Joseph Richards, Lower Hall, Mr. Edward Rogers, Halfen. My father was then aged 12, and lived with his father's sister, Mrs. Richards, Lower Hall, Meifod, and doubtless he too watched the funeral procession, his uncle, Edward Griffiths, Upper Hall, giving him a lift in his carriage. The mention above of Mr. John Rogers, Grove, Forden, reminds me that the present Mr. John Rogers, of Leighton, late of The Grove, sent me a photograph of a carved wooden chest of the William and Mary period bearing the initials I.R,