For quite a few people called Jones, September 1854 was not their best month. In Cardiff Jane Jones repeatedly stopped respectable persons in Duke Street. For this she was arrested, though in court she was cautioned and discharged, since it was her first offence and presumably her offence had been prompted by the considerable shock of seeing respectable persons in Duke Street, Cardiff where they have always been something of a novelty.
There was more Jones trouble in the same police court where two militia men were charged with being drunk and fighting in Charlotte Street on Sunday night. They were David Jones and John Thomas, who was also known by the rather wonderful name of Johnny Noisy. A crowd estimated at over three hundred gathered round and watched them fighting and thus obstructed the thoroughfare. They were fined.
In Bangor, Police Constable Owen Jones, Police Constable H. Jones, Mr. Henry Jones, and another man whose name could have been Jones, got involved in trying to break up a similar disturbance on a Saturday afternoon. The problems were caused by ‘excursionists,’ what we might call day trippers, on a works outing.
Lee, Sharples, and Gilmour, three men out of a very large group of visitors, from the Canada Works, at Birkenhead, were charged with drunken and disorderly conduct near the Market Place. They were riotous and disorderly, challenging people to fight, fighting each other, and striking women and children. All the shops had to close after Mr. John Ambrose Jones had his windows broken, which didn’t help much because he was the magistrate. According to the press, hundreds of people gathered, with women leaning out of upstairs windows screaming about ‘Murder!’ Even for Bangor, this was an unusual Saturday afternoon. The prisoners were fined and Gilmour was then charged with attempting to rescue his pal Lee, who had been one of the first taken into custody by Constable Owen Jones. It was agreed that the excursionists had behaved themselves very badly. ‘Their employers very kindly intended to gratify them by their excursion, and they not only came to the town and created a disturbance, but also beat and robbed the peaceable inhabitants. This could not be tolerated.’
Back in Bangor, Grace Jones was charged with assaulting Evan Rowlands, a little boy. Grace did not appear in court, saying she wouldn’t come because she didn’t have a pair of shoes. It is such a struggle deciding what to wear when you are brought up in court, isn’t it? Anyway, she was described as a ‘rather quarrelsome woman’ and was convicted and fined.
In Llanelly Mr. Williams, master of Llanelly Workhouse applied for a warrant to apprehend Eliza Jones whose husband was in America. She had been recently admitted to the workhouse with her five children, but had left them behind when she absconded, by climbing over the wall as all the gates were locked. There was additional drama in the Carmarthen workhouse where Jane Jones, who was not necessarily a relative of the Jane Jones referred to above, was charged with having broken a pane of glass. She had a strop after being asked to move a bed and became abusive. Well, you know what it is like.
In Brecon, PC Jones charged William Stephens with allowing his dog to be ‘at large in the public streets unmuzzled, in contravention of the statute.’ Mrs. Stephens was not happy about this and so conducted the defence on behalf of her husband. She called witnesses to prove that the dog was no longer hers and so William could not be held responsible for ‘the animal’s rambling propensities.’ The court dismissed the summons and cautioned PC Jones that in future he had to be more particular about the identity of dog owners. These days they would send him on a course. There was more dog news from Llandovery, where David Jones and Evan Williams from Talley, were charged with using a greyhound on a Sunday morning for the purpose of killing game. They were each fined 10s and costs.
There was additional animal- related excitement at the Llandilo Agricultural Society, where Lewis Jones of Derwydd won the prize (£2) for the best two-year old bull, along with £1.10s for the best two year old heifer and £1 for the best one-year old heifer. As far as steers were concerned Lewis Jones won a third in merit, which must have been disappointing. However, the best pen of aged ewes went to Mr Lewis Jones of Derwydd, as well as the prize for the best two-year old cart colt. So a good day out clearly, and as a member of the committee, Lewis Jones was allowed to give a vote of thanks to one of the speakers at the event, the local MP who, inevitably, was called Mr D Jones.
I will end with some exciting news from The Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, which reported the thrilling results of the Rhymney Eisteddfod (The Cymreigyddion of Pontlottyn) which was held at the Lord Nelson’s Arms. The prize for the best Ode on’ Atmosphere,’ was awarded to Mr. D. W. Jones, who used the Bardic name Dewi Glan Taf, but then he was the only entrant. The prize for the best three stanzas on the Rhymney New Railway was awarded to Dewi Glan Taf. There had been two entries.
The competition for the best three stanzas on the ‘Deceit of young men,’ attracted two entries. The first ‘contained genius,’ obviously, but the prize was awarded to the other one, composed by Dewi Glan Taf. I can also tell you that in the competition for the best ‘Dialogue between two gardeners,’ only one entry was received and so the prize was awarded to Dewi Glan Taf.
For the best two stanzas to Miss Mary Jane,’ the daughter of Mr. Isaac Williams, the prize was awarded to Mr. Jones, (Bardic name Dewi o’r Nant) which was clearly some kind of oversight.
But normal service was soon resumed, and there was a little more tension in the competition for the best two stanzas to the ‘Flower-garden of Bedleinog,’ for as many as two compositions had been received. However, whilst the first ‘contained decorous lines and genius,’ the spelling was imperfect, and so the prize was awarded accordingly to Mr. D. W. Jones, otherwise known as Dewi Glan Taf.
