Casgliadau Arlein

A note on the 'Welsh Not' by John Griffiths (Aberdare) - 'The "Welsh-not" was given to a boy at the opening of the school morning and afternoon. The boy transferred it to any one he heard using the native tongue; possibly it would have been in the custody of 20 boys or more during the morning or afternoon. At the close of school it was returned to the master by the boy in posession of it, for which he was caned, very severely, if it was found with the same boy repeatedly. It was in use along the coast schools of Cardigan and Carmarthen Bays. Hugh Davies was the master at Pontgarreg in my time. He was succeeded by Miss Sarah Jane Rees, "Cranogwen", who was a favourite pupil of the school in Hugh Davies's time ... The W[elsh] N[ot] was discontinued in Cranogwen's time, the girls were exemp[t] from this most barbarous practice in Davies's time'. * (Dr Cyril Fox added the following note on the reverse - 'Mr. Thomas Price, of Brynbella, Whitford Flints, told me (July 1925) that the same purpose was served in his schooldays (at Newmarket, Flints, about 1870) by a hoop which passed over the boy's head, but not his shoulders'.) [1925]