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in the farm-house adjoining. Mr. Edward Laws, who occupied the chair, was the first speaker. In order to give some idea of the amount of work already done, he stated that about £160 had been spent in the removal of 3,500 cubic yards of material. After complimenting Mr. S. Williams on the excellent results that had been attained in laying bare the ground-plan of the Abbey Church, he suggested that further precautions should be taken to preserve the remains from spoliation and decay by fencing in the buildings and roofing over the encaustic tile pavements. He concluded by handing over the care of the ruins from the Cambrian Archæological Association to the local committee, under whose charge they were now placed. Mr. Stephen Williams described the progress of the excavations with the aid of a large plan and numerous careful drawings of the various details recovered. The whole of the lower portions of the piers of the nave were now laid bare, showing that they were rectangular for about 6 ft. above the floor-line and surmounted by round, clustered pillars. The carved capitals and arch-mouldings had also been found with the setting-out lines still visible upon them. On the east side of the north and south transepts were six chapels, three on each side of the choir, containing altars, and having groined roofs with carved bosses. The encaustic pavements in these chapels were exceedingly fine and in splendid. condition, being of thirteenth century date, arranged so as to form coloured patterns of great beauty. The centre of the nave was still untouched, and no attempt had yet been made to trace the plan of the surrounding conventual buildings. Mr. Stephen Williams hoped that funds would soon be forthcoming to bring the work to a successful conclusion. Mr. J. P. Seddon compared the architectural details found at Strata Florida with those of the Cathedrals of Llandaff and St. David's. He pointed out that the sculpture at Strata Florida was of a remarkable character, as exhibiting transitional forms between the stiff foliage of Norman times and the graceful flowing lines of the capitals at York and Lincoln. The interlacing of the leaves and stems indicated a survival of Celtic feeling, He hoped that a strenuous effort would be made to prevent the tile-pavements from being injured, as they were quite unique. Tourists had already begun to show the cloven hoof by carrying away tiles in their pockets, thus damaging the general effect of the coloured patterns irretrievably. If energetic means were not taken to put a stop to these depredations, there would soon be nothing left of a specimen of decorative flooring the like of which was not to be seen anywhere else, in either England or Wales. Mr. Romilly Allen called attention to the exceedingly curious series of graves on the outside of the east wall of the south transept. Owing to the débris of the walls having fallen over them they had been preserved intact for several centuries, thus showing us what was the appearance of the sepulchral monuments in a churchyard of the twelfth century. The graves were placed in a long row parallel to the east wall of the south transept, a few feet

from it.

Each grave pointed east and west. A long slab of slate with a plain cross was laid flat on the grave; at the foot was a small upright stone; and at the head an upright cross of Bath stone, with interlaced work carved on the face. The dressing of the headstones and their general character showed that they were probably of the twelfth century, but the interlaced work was evidently a survival of a previous style. Early headstones had been found at Cambridge, Hythe in Kent, and elsewhere; but this was the only instance where the whole of each monument remained in situ exactly as it was six hundred years ago. Mr. Willis-Bund spoke on behalf of the Society of Antiquaries, expressing his approval of the way in which the work had been carried on. He read a letter from Mr. St. John Hope, who had had more experience, perhaps, than any one else in excavating Cistercian abbeys, insisting upon the necessity of completing the work at Strata Florida, in order to throw light on the conventual arrangements of similar buildings elsewhere.

The proceedings terminated by speeches from Mr. Morris Davies and the Mayor of Aberystwith, representing the local committee, who accepted the responsibility of carrying on the excavations and fencing in the ruins.

The following copies of the inscriptions in the Stradling Chapel at St. Donat's have been supplied by the Rev. Rees Williams :

"The undername Harry Stradlinge, Knight, went on Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and received the order of the Sepylcher ther as his Father... Stradlinge, Knight, the 5. of that name, Granfather William Stradlinge, Knight, the 2nd of that name, did, and dyed on Ile of Cypres on his coming, the last of Aug. in the 10 yere King Edward the 4th, and is buried ther in the Citie of Famagusta. This Sir Harry sailing from his house in Somersetshire to his house in Wales, was taken prisoner by a Brytaine Pirate, Colyndolphyn, whose redemption charges named him in 2200 marks. For Paiment thereof he was driven to sell the Castle and Manor of Basselek and Sutton in Monmouthshire, and two Manors in Oxfordshire.

66

He died before he was 26 years of age.

Anno aeta sve 24."

"Here lyeth Thomas Stradlinge, Esquier, sonne to Harry Stradlinge, Knight, and Elizabeth his wife, the daughter of William Thomas of Raglan in the County of Monmouth, Knight, who dyed at Cardiff, in the Monastery of Preaching Fryers, the 8. day of September in the yere of Our Lord 1480, whose bones, after the dissolution of the said Monastery, Thomas Stradlinge, Knight, his nephewe, caused to be taken up and carried to Saint Donatts, and buried in the chauncell of the church ther, by his Sonne, the 4 day of June in the yere of Our Lord 1537; and afterwards Edward Stradlinge, Knight, his nephewe, Sonne of the 5 of that name, translated the said bones out of the chauncell into the chappell ther in the yere of our Lord 1573, after whose death his wife married with Sir Rees ap Thomas, Knight of the Garter, and dyed at Picton in the county the 5 day of February in the yere of Our Lord 1533, and was buryed at Carmarthen in the Church of the Monas. tery of Preaching Fryers, with the said Sir Rees ap Thomas, her husband."

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Here lyeth Edward Stradlinge, Knight, the 4th of that name, Sonne to Thomas Stradlinge, Esquier, and Jennet his wife, the daughter of Thomas

Mathewe of Rader in the County of Glamorgan, Esquier, who died in the Castell of St. Donatts the 8. day of May in the yere of Our Lord 1533, and was buried in the Chauncell of the Church ther, whos bones were after translated by his nephew, Edward Stradlinge, Knight, the 5 of that name, into the Chappell ther in the yere of Our Lord 1573. Also here lyeth Elisabeth his wife, daughter to Thomas Arundell of Fanheyron in the county of Cornewall, Knight, who died in childbed at Merthermawre the 20th day of Feb. in the yere of Our Lord 1513, and was buried ther, whos bones Thomas Stradlinge, Knight, her Sonne, caused to be taken up and caryed to St. Donatts, and buried in the Chauncell of the Church ther, with her husband, the 8 day of Maye in the yere of Our Lord 1576 and 1536, and were afterwards by Edward Stradlinge, Knight, the 5th of that name, her nephew, translated out of the Chauncell into the Chappell ther in the yere of Our Lord 1573."

"An' aetatis sve

67 incipiente.

3.

Virtues sole Praise
Consisteth in doing.

Anno aetatis sve 90.

"These Pictures do represent Sir Edward Stradlinge, Knight, the 5th of that name, Sonne to Sir Thomas Stradlinge, Knight, and Katerine his wife, to Sir Thomas Gamage of Coyty, Knight, and the Lady Agnes Stradlinge his wife, daughter to Sir Edward Gage of Sussex, Knight, and Elisabeth his wife, daughter to John Parker of Wellingeton in the County of Sussex, Esquier; which said Edward nowe in his life time hath set forth thes monuments of thes his Ancestors Deceased, and by Gods grace meaneth both he and his wife, after their decease, to keep them Bodel....... .....mpany in this sealf same place. "Anno Domini 1590."

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W. R. B. Bassett, Esq.

G. M. Traherne, Esq.

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His Worship the Mayor of Cowbridge (Thos. Rees, Esq.) 1 1 0

Rev. F. F. Edmondes

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W. T. Gwyn, Esq.

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Brought forward 29 7

C. J. Gwyn, Esq.
Sums of 58 -E. J. Thomas, Esq.; Rev. S. Jones; Mrs.
Trevor Tyler; David Wilks, Esq.; D. Evans, Esq.;
D. Jones, Esq.; Iltyd B. Nicholl, Esq.; Miss Stock-
wood; Miss Lucy Stockwood; Rev. Canon Allen .
Rev. D. Bowen

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£32 19 6

EXPENDITURE.

Daniel Owen and Co. for printing circulars
Stationery and postage

Advertisements:-Western Mail, 12s. 8d.; Central Gla-
morgan Gazette, 14s. 2d.; South Wales Daily News,
88. 4d.

Telegrams
Extra expenses in connection with luncheons :—Mr.
Perry, Coyty, £1 10s.; Mr. T. Rees, Llantwit Major,
£1; waitress, Ocean House, 1s. 3d.; ditto, St.
Fagans, 1s.
Fees for holding horses, 18.; church caretakers, Llan-
twit Major, 18. 6d.; St. Donat's, 1s. 6d.

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D. Owen and Co. for printing programmes

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Caretaker, Town Hall, Cowbridge, for attendance during
the week, and cleaning the Town Hall
Gas, Town Hall, Cowbridge, Aug. 13-17
Turnpikes

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Mr. Thomas, Bear Hotel, Cowbridge, for extra wagon-
ette and brake accommodation for representatives
of the press.

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ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF CONTENTS.

VOL. V. FIFTH SERIES.

ACCOUNTS, statement of, 1887, 82 | Cromlech, St. Nicholas, 421

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