Garden Party & Tea

You are invited to the Society's Garden Party & Tea on Sunday May 20th from 2 to 4 pm at the home of Esther Stroud in the Brookhaven neighborhood of Atlanta. Garden Party Attire encouraged but not required. RSVP and for detailed directions see the Society's Facebook page Atlanta Welsh.

America name for a Welshman

There ia a little-known theory that "America" derives from the name of a Bristol-based Welshman, Richard Ameryk, emerged early in the 20th century. It constitutes an incredible Anglicization of the New World — and would, for obvious reasons, infuriate Carew. The theory was developed by Alfred E. Hudd, a member of the Clifton Antiquarian Club, which in 1910 published his work in its proceedings; the paper, "Richard Ameryk and the Name America," had been read to the group two years before. Hudd opens with a reference to Bristol's 1897 celebration of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of North America by John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), the Italian navigator and explorer who had sailed for England, laying the groundwork for the later British claim to Canada. For his achievement Cabot received a handsome pension conferred upon him by the King, from the hands of the Collectors of Customs of the Port of Bristol. One of these officials, the senior of the two, who was probably the person who handed over the money to the explorer, was named Richard Ameryk (also written Ap Meryke [Welsh] on one deed, and elsewhere written Amerycke) who seems to have been a leading citizen of Bristol at the time. Hudd claims that the name given to the newly found land by the discoverer was "Amerika," in honor of the official from whom he received his pension.

On his return to England the flamboyant Cabot, who dressed in silk, was celebrated as "the Great Admiral." He had a reputation for his extravagance. He purportedly gave one of the islands he explored to a friend, another to his barber, and also promised some Italian friars that they could be bishops. Hudd reasons that if Cabot were so free with his gifts to his poorer friends, it is easy to understand his wish to show gratitude to the King's official, and that he may well have done so by conferring his name on "the new Isle" which, it was thought, lay off the coast of China — Cabot never realized that he had found a continent.

To back his claim that the name America was known in Bristol in the years just before 1500, and well before Waldseemüller's map, Hudd presents the often quoted words of a lost manuscript, one of the "Calendars" in which local events were recorded: "This year [1497], on St. John the Baptist's day [June 24th], the land of America was found by the merchants of Bristowe, in a ship of Bristowe called the 'Mathew,' the which said ship departed from the port Bristowe the 2nd of May and came home again the 6th August following." If Hudd's suggestion is correct, the original manuscript documents the fact that the newly discovered land was already called America in Bristol before that name became known in Europe.

"Amerika," Hudd says, "seems much more like the name of the Bristol Customs official, than that of the Italian [Amerigo] … and having been invented in Bristol, by Cabot, and having been the only name for 'the new island' for more than ten years after its discovery, the resemblance of the name to that of Vespucci struck [the authors of the Cosmosgraphiae Introductio] … (to whom the English 'Richard Ameryk' was quite unknown), and thus through an error of his editor[s], to Vespucci was transferred the honour that the discoverer of North America, John Cabot, had intended to confer on the Bristolian 'Ameryk.'" Hudd fears that his main evidence, the original manuscript of Bristol's calendar, was lost in a fire and acknowledges that this important piece of the puzzle is missing. However, even if the name America were known in Bristol in 1497, Hudd has taken a majestic leap to suggest Ameryk's name as its origin. No proof exists to substantiate his claim that Cabot actually honored the Welshman by naming America after him. But if the name were indeed known in Bristol then, how was that possible?

Rodney Broome’s recent book, Terra Incognita: The True Story of How America Got Its Name (2001), in which he argues for the Amerike theory, is a very good read, but ultimately lacks the hard evidence to support the author’s claim. He presents a compelling inference at best. A longtime U.S. resident, Broome is originally from Bristol. He summarizes his argument this way in the Bristol Times: "Bristol merchants bought salt cod in Iceland until the King of Denmark stopped the trade in 1475. In 1479, four Bristol merchants received a royal charter to find another source of fish and trade. Not until 1960 did someone find bills of trading records indicating that Richard Amerike was involved in this business. Records show that in 1481, Amerike shipped a load of salt (for salting fish) to these men in Newfoundland and I believe the Bristol sailors named the area after the Bristol merchant they worked for."

Read the HWYL

The Mid April Hwyl is now available to read on line.
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=896u84dab&v=001mw_CX3BXxznZvl6YDW2tIz7dfXAsiYz-C4Js87DcT8tg13Awisfly357sDbc1MWSLCatOfOfi3RAr8uSxVTHRahvFp-K3qawsU1ZpnJhhUAedVEX13hrToWla1rI6sOPBTRqXbevMs3fhuoKFckMvg85qdcoL4ay

Van Wert Chapel

Photos of the Welsh Chapel in Van Wert, Northwest Georgia and some of its Welsh graves.

Heritage Days & Welsh Fest Smashing Sucess

On March 24^th of this year, for the first time in over 100 years, Welsh was heard spoken on the streets of Rockmart, Georgia. The St. David’s Welsh Society of Georgia joined with the Rockmart Historical Museum, the Rockmart Public Library and the Euharlee Valley Historical Society to organize and stage the first Rockmart Heritage Days and Welshfest and based on the reception it is now being called the First Annual Heritage Days & Welshfest.

The day started with the dedication of the Rockmart Historical Museum, housed in the historic old Municipal building. The museum features displays and information from all periods and groups in the city’s history. The Welsh Society presented an 1804 Welsh language Bible and a Hymnal to Jean Laltrello, museum co-ordinator as part of the dedication ceremony. The building is just one of the local public buildings being remodelled by the city to be put new uses instead of being either left vacant or torn down.

The festival brought together a wide cross section of community based organizations in this city of about 4000 people in west Georgia.  The local community chorus did a concert of favourite Hymns all set to Welsh Hymn tunes and the Arts Council painted the Draig Goch on local slate and Welsh dragons on children’s faces. Euharlee Valley group offered a wide variety of information on the founding of this area of west Georgia, especially the coming of the Welsh and the founding of the Welsh Chapel.

The Welsh Society offered a mix of fun and education will help residents better understand the rich heritage of Wales and of the Welsh presence in the Rockmart area. Welsh-born Jenny Hubbard Young led a class on how to speak some basic Welsh Phrases to 9 energetic festival goers.  The local market may have a run on lamb chops and leeks after a very entertaining Welsh cooking class.

The Welsh Society's President, Karl Welsher, said: "Our information booth offered a wide selection of free information on Wales and the Welsh and a collection of Welsh gifts as well.”   The Ninnau, the Welsh American Newspaper, provided free copies of their newspaper for festival goers. Next to the information booth, a Taste of Wales table was set up with samples for everyone to try; the salted almonds made with Halen Mon’s smoked sea salt stole the show.

The Euharlee Valley Historical Association proudly showed off the renovated Van Wert Welsh Chapel during the afternoon. Esther Stroud, a former resident of the Welsh colony in Patagonia and native Welsh speaker, in her Welsh costume joined Civil War enactors to lead tours to highlight some of the many Welsh and Civil War graves in the chapel’s cemetery.  The St. David’s Welsh Society recently decorated many of the graves with Welsh flags.

The Atlanta area Celtic band ‘the Ballybeg Band’ along with Welsh folksinger David Llewellyn provided an afternoon musical entertainment at the daylong festival. Earlier in the day, Harpist Linda Carter provided musical backdrop to those visiting the Historical Museum.

ONTARIO WELSH FESTIVAL

The 2012 Ontario Welsh Festival promises to be the beginning of an exciting new journey into our next 50 years of history. Building on the success of last year's anniversary event, we invite you to come to the Marriott Gateway on the Falls Hotel in Niagara Falls on the weekend of April 27-29th  to join with us in our celebration of all things Welsh.

What can you expect at this year's Festival? Our featured choir, Cor Cwmni Da from Pembrokeshire under the leadership of Marilyn Lewis, comes most highly recommended and will delight us all at the Saturday evening concert. They will also participate in our annual Friday evening Noson Lawen where you too can be part of the evening's entertainment.  The second annual Gold Award will be presented at the banquet and your presence will help to make that event extra special. Last year's Awr y Plant was an outstanding success and another exceptional performance is expected this year as Hefina Phillips is back in harness leading the session.

On Sunday there will be glorious hymn singing led by Marilyn Lewis, director of Cor Cwmni Da with Alan Thomas of Ottawa accompanying on the organ.

For more information: http://www.ontariowelshfestival.ca/

You are Invited

The St. David's Welsh Society of Georgia  will be holding their April Meeting this Sunday (15 April 12) at St. Catherine's Episcopal Church, 571 Holt Road, Marietta, Georgia 30068 from 2 to 4pm

April's meeting will be a little different, we will be viewing 4 'shorts' created as part of the 'You're Invited' campaign by Visit Britain.  While these are not all on Wales, they feature spectacular cinematography and dialogue that can melt even the coldest heart. Dame Judy Dench, Rupert Everett, Matt Smith and Twiggy each present one of the four videos, all Dr. Who fans must see Rupert Everett's segment.  We will show exerts from the Ryder Cup concert last fall in Newport.

 

We will also have a short follow up on the Heritage Days & Welshfest and discuss the great Welsh summer events on this side of the Atlantic.  And wonderful Welsh style Cheeses, from Harmony Dairy Foods in Wisconsin,  and crackers with our tea.