363 



All these and much more were exhibited and explained by the Vicar, who 

 also demonstrated how the Parish Church of St. Mary, of Hay, was endowed with 

 tithes at the time of consecration in the time of Henry I., as recorded in a charter 

 of Bernard, the consecrating Bishop, the preservation of which is due to the 

 connection of the parish with the religious house of the Priory of St. John of 

 Brecon. Bernard was the first Norman Bishop in Wales, circa A.u. 1115 — 1135 

 when Henry I. died. The endowment was given by William Kevel, a vassal of 

 Bernard " de Novo Mercato " (Newmarch), the Norman conqueror of this and 

 other parts of South Wales ; Newmarch himself assenting to it, and being present 

 at the consecration. Bishop Bernard's charter is printed in appendix 3 to Bishop 

 Kennett's "Case of Impropriations" (published a.d. 1704), and also in Carte's 

 MSS. in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. The translation into English was read 

 by Canon Bevan ; it is too long to reproduce here, more than the following 

 portion. " Also, he gave to the said Church all the tithe of all his land in Hay, in 

 all things, and of all his tenants of the fee of Hay ; and to prevent question as to 

 what was so defined, he gave and granted the tithes, to wit, of corn and hay, of colts 

 and calves, of lambs and pigs, of wool and cheese, of flax and coppice wood, and 

 of Welsh revenue, and of passage, and pleas ;" thus vesting the sole title in the 

 incumbent of the benefice, whicli was so called, because the incumbent was 

 beneficially entitled to the whole profits of the emolument. (See appendix 1 to 

 "A defence of the Church of England by the Earl of Selboruc," 4th edition). 



BOTANY. 



The following plants were noticed at the meeting : — 



On the railway ballast quantites of Linaria minor (Lesser Toad Flax) were, 

 as usual, growing ; and at the Hay, in the same position, several rare introduced 

 plants were picked, viz., two species of Bromus (Brome Grass), probably 

 tectorum and patuiua, with Lepidium ruderale, with a cruciferous plant which 

 remained un-named by any of the botanists present. Linuiii usitatissimum (the 

 Flax of commerce) was flowering on the railway at Clifford Castle. 



In the " Leech Pool " the Carex stricta was observed, but was not obtained 

 owing to the water being too high ; the handsome Bununculus Liwjua (Greater 

 Spearwort), was noticed here by Mr. Le Brocq, with Moiijantkes irifoliata (Buck- 

 bean), and the rare grass, Alopecurus fulvug. 



On the wooded slopes of Mouse Castle and the adjoining Cornstone (juarries, 

 Mosa micraiitha (the wild Sweet-briar) was found in large quantity, witli several 

 forms of Busa lomcnlosa (the wax-scented Kose) ; and nearer Cusop Hill the lane 

 hedges were bright with a very handsome variety of Bosa arvensis (Field Rose). A 

 rare bramble, ascribed by authorities to Ruhus montanus was also seen here, with 

 another species local in Herefordshire, jB. umbrosus. 



On Cusop Hill several interesting plants were picked. Dr. Wood obtained 

 Hcliosciadium inundatum, an inconspicuous but rare Umbellifer ; and Mr. Le 

 Brocq was fortunate enough to get Veronica humifusa, a mountain variety of the 

 Thyme-leaved Speedwell, witii Pejjlis portula (Water Purslane). Here, also. 



