POPULAR EVENT AT MYDRIM. CARMARTHENSHIRE GIVEN UP TO REJOICING.
MR. W. J. BUCKLEY AND MISS MURIEL HOWELL UNITED.
In a quiet nook in the southern corner of Carmarthenshire on Thursday a peal of wedding bells rang out in the country stillness and found an echo, not only in the surrounding hills, but in hundreds of homes in the lower half of the Welsh county of broad acres. For one of those rare weddings which move a large area to rejoicing was taking place. The Master of the Hunt was marrying the daughter of a neighbour, and the whole countryside had long been preparing for a perfect riot of rejoicings and festivities. Masters of the Hunt always take first place for firm popularity, and Mr. W. J. Buckley is an illustration that accentuates rather than weakens the universality of this rule. He is also a brother of the present high sheriff of the county, but, so far as Mr. Willie Buckley is concerned, that is only an incident in the minds of the populace. What is neither an incident nor an accident is the abidingplace he occupies in the respect and affections of people of all classes in that portion of the Principality. He is Master of the Hounds, and that, is as good as being a prince any day; he is also president of the Carmarthenshire Agricultural Society, and is regarded as the perpetual head of a similar institution in Llanelly where no one has dreamt of electing anybody else as president during the four years the society has been in existence. Besides this, the farmers of the western half of the county have decided among themselves it is time they were represented in Parliament by someone who knew something about the needs and the interests of agriculturists, and some time ago they went in a body and convinced "Mr. Willie," as the master is called, that, it was his imperative duty to fight the battle of a cause in which he is bound up heart and soul. His bride, Miss Muriel Howell, is well known and highly respected for her brightness, amiability, and all those womanly graces and virtues that make a young lady so popular with rich and poor alike. She is the fifth daughter of Colonel Howell of Penrheol, a pretty residence a short distance from Mydrim. The colonel is an old soldier, having served for many years in the Worcestershire Militia. He likes his home among the Carmarthenshire hills, and is popular with his neighbours of “high and low degree”. Mydrim, indeed, is situated about half way between Penrheol and Castle Gorfod, once the residence of Mr Powell, MP for Pembrokeshire but for years it has been in the possession of the Buckley family and serves as a country seat. Situated at the foot and in the midst of the mountains and reached by an extraordinarily unlevel and uneven and winding road, it was there the bridegroom and his best man Mr Grismond Phillips of Carmarthen and Mr W Buckley Roderick of Llanelly spent the night to be in readiness for Thursday’s ceremony, and their slumbers were all through the night punctuated by the deep roar of cannon which some enthusiastic souls kept on loading and firing on the hill standing right up in front of the house. The house itself stands enclosed in, shall we say, well- groomed grounds and at the gateway an overhanging garland of evergreen and flowers and coloured streamers wished long life and happiness to the bride and bridegroom. Other garlands stretched across the roads at intervals, both on the way from Penrheol and from Castle Gorfod to the church at Mydrim. Right on top of the hill over Castle Gorfod a huge pile had been erected for the purpose of lighting a bonfire at night. The pile, which was a large as a tolerably good sized house, was surmounted by a 36 gallon cask of benzoline. That inflammable liquid would be turned loose at the peoper time by a rifle shot which would be sent on a short journey right through the cask. The festivities were somewhat interfered with by an untoward set of circumstances. A well-known tenant on the Castle Gorfod Estate died on Monday, and an important tenant on the Penrheol Estate had also breathed his last a day or two since. One was buried on the day before the wedding, and the other will be buried to-day, so that the wedding ceremony and the modified festivities were sandwiched between two funerals. Respect for the dead was, therefore, a factor in the wedding rejoicings—a remarkable blending of joy and sorrow.
Nothing prettier than the picturesqueness and unexpected beauties of the district can be imagined, redolent, as it is, with associations of the past, for, standing on an emi nence, one can almost see with one glance the place where Charles o'r Bala was born, and where Griffith Jones, Llanddowror, laboured. There are always little surprises in landscape - a baby range of rounded mountains, a dingle, or a gorgeous valley breaks on the view without notice, and the traveller is kept in a continuous state of charmed surprise. Thus a hilly road, with primrose- covered hedges, runs over mountains and along mountain sides from St. Clears, and when about two miles and a half have been covered one suddenly finds oneself in a perfect basin formed of sloping mountains, and a lazy, meandering river sprawls backwards and forwards at the bottom. Apparently, there is no outlet from the basin, but a sudden turn to the right brings one into a lovely miniature valley, at the end of which is seen a miniature church, right on top of a miniature mountain. At the foot of this little hill, which on closer inspection turns out to be a substantial rooky and precipitous mound, nestles a village of milk white cottages alongside a shallow river, in which the horses are slaking their thirsts and finding welcome relief for tired limbs. This is Mydrim Church, where the ceremony is to be performed. The village and the mountain and the church abruptly end the valley, which forms a kind of stem to the amphitheatre at the other end, and so suggests a gigantic pipe. The previous day's promise of wedding weather was not fulfilled to the full. Towards nightfall on Wednesday the brilliant sunshine faded before the darkening clouds, and with sunset came a thunderstorm. Thursday morning was gloomy and rainy, and occasional showers gave rise to fears, which went again as the sun struggled through the clouds at noon. The sky cleared, the blue showed out again, and from now on the weather was irreproachable. But if it had rained forks and hedgehogs the populace would not remain indoors on the day of the master's wedding. Long before two o'clock, the hour at which the ceremony was due, the church was crowded, with the exception of some seats in front reserved for relatives and friends. Many of the people had come from great distances, and the little village below was thronged with vehicles of all description, while from various directions people could be seen hurrying in the direction or the church built upon the rock. The eloquent Vicar of Mydrim (the Rev. Anthony Briten) is an old Llanellyite, and is a preacher of such power and hwyl that Nonconformists admit he would make a great "pregethwr sassiwn." Mr. Britten is also chaplain to the high-sheriff of the county (Mr. James Buckley, brother of the bridegroom). The church is ancient and quaint, and a tablet on the wall inside bears evidence of the close connection between it and Castle Gorfod. A stone is placed there in memory of "William, Henry, and Rice Thomas, of Castle Gorfod, three brothers, whose virtues and exemplary conduct in the different stations allotted to them in this life rendered them equally beloved and respected, the first as magistrate the second as divine, and the third by the practice and improvement of agriculture." All three died within ten months of each other, in 1764- 5, and the memorial was placed in the church by their nieces, Easter Bowen and Posthuma Lloyd. The church had on Thursday been made pretty with daffodils and moss, and -arer plants had been placed near the altar. Some half-hour before the ceremony the body of the church was crowded, and large numbers were, perforce, compelled to wait outside. A pretty and noticeable feature was the appearance of the choir girls nicely dressed, and each carrying a little basket of flowers. Matting had been laid on the path from the church door to the gateway of the churchyard and here again there was a crowd to welcome the bride. Among the early arrivals were Mr. James Buckley (the high sheriff), Colonel the Hon. F. C. Morgan, Colonel John Morgan, Brecon; Mrs. Roderick, Llanelly; Miss Buckley and the Mises Lily and Rose Buckley, Mrs. Timmins. Mr. and Mrs. Timmins, Bath, and their three sons, Messrs. Louis, Thomas, and James Timmins; Miss Roderick, the Misses Flo, Murie, and Marjorie Buckley, Mr. and Mrs. Buckley Roderick. Miss Morris and Miss Gladys Morris, Miss Westgarth, of Coomb; Mr. and Mrs. Pryse, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Howell, Mrs. John Bearcroft, Miss Howell, Miss Rosalie Howell, and Master Hume Buckley Roderick. Mr. James Buckley brought his party from Llanelly in the morning, and put up at the Swan Hotel, in St. Clears, where they had luncheon before starting for the church. The bridegroom arrived well in advance of the time, and was accompanied by his best man and Mr. W. Buckley Roderick. It was asserted that the bridegroom, who dares do all a sportsman may dare in the field, was just a trifle anxious and nervous, but this allegation is made on the authority of ladies, whose discernment was stoutly impeached by many a man. When the clock showed ten minutes after the hour the vicar, standing near the door. gave out a hymn. Mr. Britten, his wife, presiding at the organ. Amid this volume of song the bride made her appearance. She was leaning on the arm of her father, and looked queenly, her tall figure showing off to great advantage a handsome dress of white satin, trimmed with embroidered chiffon, and a wreath of orange blossoms reaching from the neck to the hem of the skirt. She carried a beautiful bouquet. The bride's face was pale. but she advanced to the altar with grace and composure, and as she took her place by the side of her future husband there was not a heart in that crowded, ancient church which did not wish good wishes to so handsome a pair. The vicar read the service impressively, and during the course of it the ladies were given an opportunity of noticing what other ladies wore. The bride's younger sister, Miss Winifred Howell, was the bridesmaid. Miss Winifred was attired in white satin, with body of guipure lace, and a large picture hat of green velvet and black feathers. Her lovely bouquet of pink flowers, together with a diamond double brooch, were presents from the bridegroom. The bride's mother wore black satin and crepon, trimmed with gold passementerie, and carried a beautiful shower bouquet, also the gift of the bridegroom. There were many pretty dresses to be seen in the body of the church. One lady wore a handsome rainbow silk, beautifully trimmed with gold lace, and another attractive dress was of black satin, with bodice inlaid with satin overlaid with jet. This was accompanied by a pretty hat of jet and lilac. One young lady wore electric blue. trimmed with moire silk. The service ended by the singing of the favourite Welsh hymn.
0 fryniau Caersalem ceir gweled
Holl daith yr anialwch i gyd,
Pryd hyny daw troion yr yrfa
Ya felus i lanw ein bryd.
Cawn edrych ar stormydd ac ofnau,
Ao angau dychrynllyd a’r bedd,
A ninnau’n ddiargol o'u cvrhaedd,
Yn nofio mewn cariad a hedd,
A duoglot prayer by the vicar, the usual visit to the vestry, during which the well-known musician, Mr. Henry Radcliffe, espied in the church by Mrs. Britten, was induced to take his place at the organ, and the newly-wedded pair walked through a shower of flowers and rice, and amid the joyful strains of the "Wedding March” from Lohengrin and the enthusiasm of a crowd of people gathered from a sparsely- populated district, reaching from the chancel in the church and along the churchyard walk to the space outside the gate. Here the carriage was in waiting, and the young couple were fortunate to reach it in safety. It is a custom in this part of the country to shoulder bride and bridegroom when they leave the church. Mr. Buckley, however, had provided against any experience of this nature, and had probably shown wisdom in deciding against taking out the horses at the church gate, for the declivity from the space behind the church down to the village is steep and straight. A carriage drawn down this hill by the sturdy agriculturists of the neighbourhood might lead to anywhere except safety and Penrheol. Down in the village, however, the bridal carriage was unhorsed, and 60 or 70 yards of rope was scarce enough to find occupation for the number of willing hands put out to draw the newly-married pair to the home of Colonel Howell. The guests followed in carriages, many of them supplied from Carmarthen. The greatest enthusiasm was manifested, and in many ways it was shown that the wedding was the most popular event within the memories of the oldest residents. Quiet and solitary Mydrim was in a turmoil of excitement, but the rejoicings and festivities were in no way confined to that little lovely village. From St. Clears to Burry Port, and thence to Llanelly, where the Buckleys have an extensive brewery, employing a large number of people, the wedding was an event to be remembered, and evidences of the general joy were shown on all hands. Later in the day Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Buckley left for the Isle of Wight, and on their return they will take up their residence at Penyfai, Llanelly. BRIDEGROOM'S PRESENTS. The bride to bridegroom, suit case, with ebony and silver fittings; Mr. Buckley, Crown Derby dessert service; the Misses Buckley, silver cigar case; Mr. and Mrs. Gwyn Jeffries, silver fish slice and fork; the Misses Roderick, silver candlesticks; Mr. and Mrs. Buckley Roderick, revolving dish; Mr. F. Buckley, Worcester china vase; Dr. Roderick, brass coal-scuttle; Mr. and Mrs. Frank Neville, silver cream jug, sugar basin and tongs: Colonel Morgan (Brecon), diamond pin; Mr. Wilson, inkstand; the Misses and Master Buckley Roderick, ivory and silver carvers Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Neville, ivory and silver bread fork Mr. and Mrs. Bythway, silver and leather blotter; Mr. Brunel White, fruit stand; Mr. and Mrs. K Trubshaw, silver candlestick; Mr. and Mrs. R. Neville, pair of pictures; Mr. Johnson, silver salver; Mr. T. Wade (Llanelly), box of cigars; Mr. Williams (Ivybush), silver hunting flask; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bond. silver and glass flower vases; Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Neville, lamp; Mr. Thomas Jones Llanelly), saddle and bridle; Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, diamond pin Mr. and Mrs. Ellis (The Plough, Carmarthen), inkstand; Captain Ellis (The Plough, Carmarthen), inkstand; Captain and Mrs. Scott, Limoge china flowerpot; Mr. Phillip (Cwmgwilley), luncheon basket; Mr. and Mrs S. N. Powell, silver spurs; Mr. T. Morris (Coombe), silver and glass inkstand Mr. and Mrs. G. Elkington, liqueur stand; Mrs. Bevan Phillips, silver serviette rings; Captain and Mrs. Hume Nicholl, stand for cases for Bradshaw &c.; Mrs. Evans (Salutation Hotel, Llanellv), gold match-box; Mr. Heyman (St Clears), silver-mounted walking-stick; Mr. Holmes Stead, silver and glass cigar box the Rev. and Mrs. Britten, gold fox's head pin, Mr. W. S. Phillips (Carmarthen), silver sandwich case, Mr. E. Northmore Jones (Llanelly), ivory and silver paper- knife: Llanelly Agricultural Society, silver epergne; members of Carmarthenshire Hunt, silver candleabra; the Hunt's servants, silver-mounted whip; Carmarthen Agricultural Society, silver bowl; friends at Pembrey and Burry Port, statuette; tenants of the estate, silver dessert dishes; servants at 'Penyfai’, writing-table; the licensed victuallers and tradesmen of Llanelly, hall clock.
BRIDE'S PRESENTS. Bridegroom to the bride, diamond necklace and travelling bag; Colonel and Mrs. Howell diamond and amethyst pendant; Mr. and Mrs. E. Howell, silver-backed cloth brushes: Captain and Mrs. John Bearcroft, silver powder-box; Mr. and Mrs. Pryse, silver teaspoons and sugar-tongs Master Jack Howell. pearl necklace', Miss Howell, Miss Rosalie and Miss Winifred Howell, silver card case; Mr. and Mrs. Clutton Brock, gold and turquoise bracelet; JfIw. Walsh, silver-backed hand-glass; Miss Parker, white ostrich feather fan; the Rev. T. P. Parker, pearl, diamond, and enamel pins; Colonel and Mrs. W.