“Life, Writings, and Correspondence of George Borrow”, by W. I. Knapp, 1899, vol. ii, pp. 184–5. Shortly before his death, Dr. Knapp, in a letter (27 Aug. 1908) to the Secretary of the Gypsy Lore Society, thus alluded to this correspondence:—“I have just sent off a bulky parcel that cost me three weeks to write, containing the transcription of one of Borrow’s Note Books of 1857.” See Journal, Gypsy Lore Soc., New Series, vol. ii, (Jan. 1909), p. 196. Life; vol. ii, p. 381, It is difficult to locate the Inn at Laugharne, but from the numerous enquiries we made, it is possible it was the house kept by a Mrs. Brown, and still known as Brown’s Hotel. The bridge and wooded dell. The latter divides the town into two halves. Plashett. Dene or Dean.—Borrow was doubtless well acquainted with this word in the place-names North Denes and South Denes, at Yarmouth, where the term is applied to the sandy waste flats north and south of the town. Llanmiloe, the residence of Mr. Morgan Jones. The Spring Well Inn, kept in 1857 by a man named Saer. Possibly a man named Phillips, a native of Saundersfoot. The original Pendine, grouped about the church. The houses near the shore are probably later additions, in part due to the attractions of Pendine as a summer-resort. Mr. Morgan’s other parish was Cyffic, near Whitland. Borrow undoubtedly included the Island of Caldy as one of the headlands. Saundersfoot Bay.—Borrow makes several allusions to Douglas. He stayed there in 1855. The scene in descending the hill from Marros to the shore at Amroth is indeed a noble one, and for picturesque beauty and charm of colour the view can have few equals. Now superseded by a cart-bridge. A storm-beach. Pont-y-terfyn: the bridge of the boundary. The little stream crossed by the bridge divides Carmarthenshire from Pembrokeshire. Borrow does not mention Amroth. Possibly the omission was due to the state of the tide which, if near high-water, would keep him close up to the storm-beach, and so curtail his view. This is corroborated by the fact that he proceeded to Saundersfoot by road. Had he been able to walk along the shore, he would have materially shortened his journey. Picton Castle Hotel, kept in 1857 by a Mrs. Rees. The Inn is now named Hean Castle Hotel. Monkstone. St. Catherine’s Rock. Borrow evidently confused this with St. Margaret’s Island, off Caldy Island. The fort which now occupies the top of St. Catherine’s Rock was not built till 1868. Presumably Manorbier parish. We have not identified the “half-way house”. Lamphey.—Borrow probably thought the name to be a corruption of Llanfair (St. Mary’s). The name is a corruption of Llanffydd (St. Faith’s). The proprietor of the Lion Inn in 1857 was a Mr. Jones. There is no record of Borrow’s visit, nor is there at the lodge of Pembroke Castle. Pater battery (pronounced “Patter”), near Pembroke Dock. Borrow appears to have crossed Milford Haven by boat (probably from Hobb’s Point) to Neyland, and to have set out on foot via Llanstadwell for Milford; but whether he got as far as Milford that day is doubtful. This is ambiguous. Dr. Knapp, in his transcript, suggests in an insertion that Borrow returned to Milford. But there is no evidence that he reached Milford on the 25th, and on studying the notes we conclude that he retraced his steps to Pembroke, and stayed that night (Aug. 25th) at The Lion. Unfortunately there is no record of his visit left at Pembroke. Next day (the 26th) he probably crossed from Hobb’s Point direct to Milford, though he does not say so. Steynton, on the road between Milford and Haverfordwest. Merlin’s Bridge, on the outskirts of Haverfordwest. Merlin’s Hill. River Daucleddau. The river at Haverfordwest is the Western Cleddau; it joins the Eastern Cleddau about six miles below the town. Both rivers then become known as Daucleddau or the two Cleddaus. Borrow means Milford Haven; the swallowing capacities of the Western Cleddau are small. North-west. Pelcomb Bridge. Camrose parish. Appropriately known as Tinker’s Back. Dr. Knapp was unable to decipher this word. He remarks in a note that the pencillings are much rubbed and almost illegible. We think, however, that the word should be Plumstone, a lofty hill which Borrow would see just before he crossed Pelcomb Bridge. This was a low thatched cottage on the St. David’s road, half-way up Keeston Hill. A few years ago it was demolished, and a new and more commodious building known as the Hill Arms erected on its site. The old inn was kept by the blind woman, whose name was Mrs. Lloyd. Many stories are related of her wonderful cleverness in managing her business, and it is said that no customer was ever able to cheat her with a bad coin. Her blindness was the result of an attack of small-pox when twelve years of age. Dr. Knapp’s insertion. It is doubtful if there was a chapel; no one remembers it. Nanny Dallas is a mistake. No such name is remembered by the oldest inhabitants, and it seems certain that the woman Borrow met was Nanny Lawless, who lived at Simpson a short distance away. Evan Rees, of Summerhill (a mile south-east of Roch). Sger-lÂs and Sger-ddu, two isolated rocky islets off Solva Harbour. The headlands are the numerous prominences which jut out along the north shore of St. Bride’s Bay. Newgale Bridge. Jemmy Raymond. “Remaunt” is the local pronunciation. Jemmy and his ass appear to have been two well-known figures in Roch 30 or 40 years ago; the former died about the year 1886. Pen-y-cwm. Davies the carpenter was undoubtedly the man; he was noted for his stature. Dim-yn-clywed—deaf. Dr. Knapp here says “descriptions omitted.” Up to this point they are complete, but from here onward only a selection has been transcribed by him. The inn is now a private residence. Aber-Gwaen. Mathry. Aber-Teifi, i.e., Cardigan. Borrow alludes to his traverse of this region in a passage in Wild Wales (chap. 93), where he says that “long subsequently” (to 1854) he found that these parts of Breconshire and Carmarthenshire contain some of the wildest solitudes and most romantic scenery in Wales. The “long subsequently,” however, was really not quite three years!
“Life, Writings, and Correspondence of George Borrow”, by W. I. Knapp, 1899, vol. ii, pp. 184–5. Shortly before his death, Dr. Knapp, in a letter (27 Aug. 1908) to the Secretary of the Gypsy Lore Society, thus alluded to this correspondence:—“I have just sent off a bulky parcel that cost me three weeks to write, containing the transcription of one of Borrow’s Note Books of 1857.” See Journal, Gypsy Lore Soc., New Series, vol. ii, (Jan. 1909), p. 196. Life; vol. ii, p. 381, It is difficult to locate the Inn at Laugharne, but from the numerous enquiries we made, it is possible it was the house kept by a Mrs. Brown, and still known as Brown’s Hotel. The bridge and wooded dell. The latter divides the town into two halves. Plashett. Dene or Dean.—Borrow was doubtless well acquainted with this word in the place-names North Denes and South Denes, at Yarmouth, where the term is applied to the sandy waste flats north and south of the town. Llanmiloe, the residence of Mr. Morgan Jones. The Spring Well Inn, kept in 1857 by a man named Saer. Possibly a man named Phillips, a native of Saundersfoot. The original Pendine, grouped about the church. The houses near the shore are probably later additions, in part due to the attractions of Pendine as a summer-resort. Mr. Morgan’s other parish was Cyffic, near Whitland. Borrow undoubtedly included the Island of Caldy as one of the headlands. Saundersfoot Bay.—Borrow makes several allusions to Douglas. He stayed there in 1855. The scene in descending the hill from Marros to the shore at Amroth is indeed a noble one, and for picturesque beauty and charm of colour the view can have few equals. Now superseded by a cart-bridge. A storm-beach. Pont-y-terfyn: the bridge of the boundary. The little stream crossed by the bridge divides Carmarthenshire from Pembrokeshire. Borrow does not mention Amroth. Possibly the omission was due to the state of the tide which, if near high-water, would keep him close up to the storm-beach, and so curtail his view. This is corroborated by the fact that he proceeded to Saundersfoot by road. Had he been able to walk along the shore, he would have materially shortened his journey. Picton Castle Hotel, kept in 1857 by a Mrs. Rees. The Inn is now named Hean Castle Hotel. Monkstone. St. Catherine’s Rock. Borrow evidently confused this with St. Margaret’s Island, off Caldy Island. The fort which now occupies the top of St. Catherine’s Rock was not built till 1868. Presumably Manorbier parish. We have not identified the “half-way house”. Lamphey.—Borrow probably thought the name to be a corruption of Llanfair (St. Mary’s). The name is a corruption of Llanffydd (St. Faith’s). The proprietor of the Lion Inn in 1857 was a Mr. Jones. There is no record of Borrow’s visit, nor is there at the lodge of Pembroke Castle. Pater battery (pronounced “Patter”), near Pembroke Dock. Borrow appears to have crossed Milford Haven by boat (probably from Hobb’s Point) to Neyland, and to have set out on foot via Llanstadwell for Milford; but whether he got as far as Milford that day is doubtful. This is ambiguous. Dr. Knapp, in his transcript, suggests in an insertion that Borrow returned to Milford. But there is no evidence that he reached Milford on the 25th, and on studying the notes we conclude that he retraced his steps to Pembroke, and stayed that night (Aug. 25th) at The Lion. Unfortunately there is no record of his visit left at Pembroke. Next day (the 26th) he probably crossed from Hobb’s Point direct to Milford, though he does not say so. Steynton, on the road between Milford and Haverfordwest. Merlin’s Bridge, on the outskirts of Haverfordwest. Merlin’s Hill. River Daucleddau. The river at Haverfordwest is the Western Cleddau; it joins the Eastern Cleddau about six miles below the town. Both rivers then become known as Daucleddau or the two Cleddaus. Borrow means Milford Haven; the swallowing capacities of the Western Cleddau are small. North-west. Pelcomb Bridge. Camrose parish. Appropriately known as Tinker’s Back. Dr. Knapp was unable to decipher this word. He remarks in a note that the pencillings are much rubbed and almost illegible. We think, however, that the word should be Plumstone, a lofty hill which Borrow would see just before he crossed Pelcomb Bridge. This was a low thatched cottage on the St. David’s road, half-way up Keeston Hill. A few years ago it was demolished, and a new and more commodious building known as the Hill Arms erected on its site. The old inn was kept by the blind woman, whose name was Mrs. Lloyd. Many stories are related of her wonderful cleverness in managing her business, and it is said that no customer was ever able to cheat her with a bad coin. Her blindness was the result of an attack of small-pox when twelve years of age. Dr. Knapp’s insertion. It is doubtful if there was a chapel; no one remembers it. Nanny Dallas is a mistake. No such name is remembered by the oldest inhabitants, and it seems certain that the woman Borrow met was Nanny Lawless, who lived at Simpson a short distance away. Evan Rees, of Summerhill (a mile south-east of Roch). Sger-lÂs and Sger-ddu, two isolated rocky islets off Solva Harbour. The headlands are the numerous prominences which jut out along the north shore of St. Bride’s Bay. Newgale Bridge. Jemmy Raymond. “Remaunt” is the local pronunciation. Jemmy and his ass appear to have been two well-known figures in Roch 30 or 40 years ago; the former died about the year 1886. Pen-y-cwm. Davies the carpenter was undoubtedly the man; he was noted for his stature. Dim-yn-clywed—deaf. Dr. Knapp here says “descriptions omitted.” Up to this point they are complete, but from here onward only a selection has been transcribed by him. The inn is now a private residence. Aber-Gwaen. Mathry. Aber-Teifi, i.e., Cardigan. Borrow alludes to his traverse of this region in a passage in Wild Wales (chap. 93), where he says that “long subsequently” (to 1854) he found that these parts of Breconshire and Carmarthenshire contain some of the wildest solitudes and most romantic scenery in Wales. The “long subsequently,” however, was really not quite three years!
