Unearthing Welsh History

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 4-1-2006 | Jonny Beardsall

[blam]

GGG Ping.

English And Welsh Are Races Apart

[prisoner6]

My Welsh heritage is something I appreciate. Celebrations in my home include St David's Day/Daffodil Day. We usually make leek soup. listen to traditional music and I wear a kilt.

When I was younger my family had a book detailing our Welsh side. Somewhere over the decades I've lost the book. However I DO recall something I've been totally unable to verify. That is that my family was descended from one of the first kings of the Welsh - King William the Ridiculous.

This IS NOT and April Fools joke!

Sadly I've searched the internet and found nothing detailing King Willie, only obscure references. One of these days I'm gonna get serious about it and see if I can determine if the story is true. In the meantime I celebrate the other celtic aspects of my heritage.

prisoner6

[prisoner6]

FOrgot...wanted to post a link to the local Welsh group. St David's Society - Pittsburgh

A Welsh room is in the works for the Cathedral Of Learning at The University of Pittsburgh.

Gotta run..Co-worker calls.

prisoner6

[socal_parrot]

One of the things Thomas Jefferson believed Lewis and Clark might find on their expedition was a Welsh Tribe of Indians.

[Jaysun]

This is interesting. Keep us updated, if possible.

[Larry Lucido]

So who was the first person to ever "Welsh on a bet"? (Or is it Welch on a bet?)

[blam]

"One of the things Thomas Jefferson believed Lewis and Clark might find on their expedition was a Welsh Tribe of Indians."

Yup. However, when Lewis and Clark began to report, he interrupted and said, "I don't want to hear any tales of blue-eyed Indians." His fear was that some other European power would/could lay claim to the western lands.

[Tax-chick]

http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/parks/OldStoneFort/

This site in Tennessee was once believed to be built by Welsh immigrants of a very early date. More recent scholarship suggests American Indians built it. Lovely place for a hike!

[Jessarah]

This site in Tennessee was once believed to be built by Welsh immigrants of a very early date. More recent scholarship suggests American Indians built it. Lovely place for a hike!

Where can I read more about that? I didn't see anything on it from the link.

[Tax-chick]

Here's a link. The key figure is one Prince Madoc.

http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/myths/madoc_usa.shtml

[Verginius Rufus]

Because of your post I checked, and "daffodil" is not connected with St. David other than sounding somewhat similar. The English word "daffodil" ultimately derives from the Greek asphodelos, "asphodel."

I recall reading somewhere that Thomas Jefferson considered himself to be of Welsh descent, based on a family tradition.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

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[Domestic Church]

Welsh Ping!

[prisoner6]

True to the extent that there is no direct connection between St David and the daffodil. However according to this webaite ( and several others)... Flowers and plants assoc.

"Trivia: Facts: Narcissi are mainly cultivated in the Channel Isles, the Isles of Scilly, Great Britain and Holland. The daffodil is the emblem of Wales and is worn on St David's Day." So I always interchange March 1st as St Davids' Day or Dafodil Day. I believe there are several other days in March are called daffodil day, especially in the land of OZ or somewhere else "downunder"

prisoner6

[satchmodog9]

I wish you could buy 4.5 acres that cheap around here.

[P.O.E.]

Portmeirion looks like the place to be this weekend....

[Sic Luceat Lux]

When I was younger my family had a book detailing our Welsh side. Somewhere over the decades I've lost the book.

Just spotted your remarks and may I offer my experience with a missing book. I have an original set of Dickens works (1864) but I was missing #II of "Bleak House."

So, after many years of wondering where Vol. 2 was, I thought about it and decided to ask some relatives. No luck. Then I decided to check with some friends whom I know like English literature novels (maybe I had loaned these volumes out). Again, no luck. Then, I decided to check different areas of my house and searched everywhere. No luck.
So finally I gave up. However, I didn't check the attic. And of course, everyone knows or should know, that old books and heat don't mix, so I never thought it would have been up in the attic. But it was there. When we did our last move, this edition II of Bleak House somehow was placed in a moving box with odd ball 'stuff.' And that's why it was in the attic and that's where I found it.

Anyway, perhaps the various places I've described above will help you to find your important book.

[Ciexyz]

I'm a fan of the two most famous Welsh performers in Hollywood: Catherine Zeta-Jones and Ioan Gruffudd.

[blam]

(Prince) Madoc In America

"Is truth stranger than fiction? Of course it is; it always has been One subject that has been debated for the last four hundred years was whether or not a Khumric-Welsh Prince called Madoc discovered America. Queen Elizabeth I was persuaded by her advisors that this was so and the Khumric-Welsh discovery was put forward as somehow giving England a prior claim in the political wrangles over first rights in the New World of the Americas."