The Ancient History Of Barry, South Wales: Part Two

By Owen Jones

In the 1700's, dishes, saws, knives, flints, a scraper, a prehistoric horn celt with strange markings, a spokeshave and some arrowheads from the Neolithic Period were found. These are now safely housed in the museum in Cardiff, but at the time no one thought to organize an excavation and later a housing estate was built on the site.

An ancient Roman kitchen replete with cooking utensils and food remains was also abandoned without investigation. In 1533, Leland, the King's Antiquary, was ordered to visit 'all places where records are held'. It took him nine years and he wrote of Barry Island:

"It is about a mile in circumference and has good corn, grass and some wood, and there is no dwelling on the Island, but in the midst of it is a fair little Chapel of St. Baruch which is visited by many pilgrims. It took the name Barri from this holy man who was buried there and whose remains are yet on the Island". (The Welsh name for Barry is Y Barri).

Viking raiders attacked the south Wales coastline, often taking hostages from monasteries in the 10th. Century, but they did not try to settle in the area. The island was long known as the Saints Retreat or the Island of Saints. Later, in the early 16th. Century, the island was used by smugglers and pirates and was nicknamed the Smugglers Fortress. This coincided with the increase in shipping to and from Bristol, Britain's second biggest port at the time.

Barry Island became the centre of piracy in the Bristol Channel. In 1784, the island was known as the Fortress of Knight. Knight was the top smuggler and pirate in the area and people were frightened of testifying against him, although he was also something of a local hero. His armed brig's name was John O' Combe. He was eventually moved on to Lundy Island, which he also turned into a fortress, although he and his successor, Arthur, still returned so often to Barry, that H.M. Customs requested the government to permanently post a cutter to Penarth and 60 light infantry to Barry.

The seaside village of Rhoose was so renowned for its wreckers that George II sent troops to break up the gangs. They landed at Aberthaw, just up the coast a bit, "the Rhoose men's favourite landing zone, from where they could easily transport the contraband along Port Road to Cardiff, the main market for such things". While building the docks at Barry in the late Nineteenth Century, several large caves were filled in. They were probably used by the pirates who were moved on again in or about 1850.

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Mark Cella The Story Of The Creation Of Amazing Grace

By Mark Cella

Mark Cella on the Creation of "Amazing Grace"

[John Newton] (Mezzotint by Leney after Russell, n.d.). Prints and Photographs Reading Room, Library of Congress.

Arguably the best-known Christian hymn is "Amazing Grace." Its text, a poem penned in 1772 by John Newton, describes the joy and peace of a soul uplifted from despair to salvation through the gift of grace. Newton's words are also a vivid autobiographical commentary on how he was spared from both physical and spiritual ruin. It relates the happy ending of the tale of a defiant man who manages again and again to escape danger, disease, abuse, and death, only to revert to "struggles between sin and conscience."

Newton was born in 1725 in Wapping, a London suburb that thrived on shipping and sea trade. His father, a merchant ship captain, was often away on sea voyages that typically lasted two to three years. During one of these absences, Newton's mother succumbed to tuberculosis, leaving him in the temporary care of her friends, the Catlett family in Kent. His father remarried and Newton was placed in boarding school. He stayed in close contact with the Catletts, however, primarily because of their daughter, Mary, whom he eventually wed. Mary was the cornerstone of Newton's existence. No matter what befell him, his goal always was to return to her.

In spite of the powerful message of "Amazing Grace," Newton's religious beliefs initially lacked conviction. Raised far afield of the prevailing Anglican traditions, Newton's youth was marked by religious confusion and, as he later confirmed, a lack of moral self-control and discipline. His father was educated as a Catholic by Jesuits in Spain and his mother was a so-called Nonconformist Christian who rejected the liturgy-based worship of the Church of England.

Nevertheless, Newton's life, rife with the "dangers, toils and snares" at which his text hints, repeatedly brought him face-to-face with the notion that he had been miraculously spared. On one occasion, he was thrown from a horse, narrowly missing impalement on a row of sharp stakes. Another time, he arrived too late to board a tender that was carrying his companions to tour a warship; as he watched from the shore, the vessel overturned, drowning all its passengers. Years later, on a hunting expedition in Africa on a moonless night, he and his companions got lost in a swamp. Just when they had resigned themselves to death, the moon appeared and they were able to return to safety. Such near-death were commonplace in Newton's life.

Yet no matter how many times he was rescued, Newton relapsed into his old habits, continuing to defy his religious destiny and attempting to dissuade others from their beliefs. Of all of the sins to which he later confessed, his habit of chipping away at the faith of others remained heaviest on his heart.

In 1744 Newton was press-ganged--taken by force into service in the Royal Navy. He was disgraced, relieved of his post, and traded for another man from a passing merchant ship, a slave vessel.

Beginning his career in slave trading, Newton soon became tempted by its profits. Merchants believed that trafficking in human trade was justified since slavery was permitted in the Bible as long as slaves were treated with dignity and kindness. [ 2 ] That Newton engaged in the slave trade in such a manner was demonstrated by the willingness of slaves to secretly carry his letters to port to send to Mary.

Despite a promising start with a slaver off the coast of Sierra Leone, Newton once again found himself in tough straits. Felled by malaria, he was at the mercy of the slaver's native mistress, whose abuse reduced him to the condition of the "wretch" he later described in "Amazing Grace." He recovered, however, but was soon to face another trial during which he was strengthened and inspired by Thomas Kempis' Imitation of Christ.

Newton was aboard ship one night when a violent storm broke out. Moments after he left the deck, the crewman who had taken his place was swept overboard. Although he manned the vessel for the remainder of the tempest, he later commented that, throughout the tumult, he realized his helplessness and concluded that only the grace of God could save him. Prodded by what he had read in Kempis, Newton took the first--albeit small--step toward accepting religion. In the words of his hymn, this incident marked "the hour I first believed."

Mark Cella the Story of the Creation of Amazing Grace

Upon his safe return home in the late 1740s, Newton immediately wrote to the Catlett family to plead his case for Mary's hand, although he could offer her no financial security. When Mary herself replied that she would consider his suit, he returned to slaving to better his fortunes, this time on a ship full of slaves bound across the Atlantic to Charleston, South Carolina.

Newton wed Mary Cartlett in 1750. A changed man, he accepted the helm of a ship bound for Africa. This time, he encouraged the sailors under his charge to prayer rather than taunt them for their beliefs. He also began to ensure that every member of his crew treated their human cargo with gentleness and concern. However, it would be another 40 years until Newton openly challenged the trafficking of slaves.

Some three years after his marriage, Newton suffered a stroke that prevented him from returning to sea; in time, he interpreted this as another step in his spiritual voyage. He assumed a post in the Customs Office in the port of Liverpool and began to explore Christianity more fully. As Newton attempted to experience all the various expressions of Christianity, it became clear that he was being called to the ministry.

Since Newton lacked a university degree, he could not be ordained through normal channels. However, the landlord of the parish at Olney was so impressed with the letters Newton had written about his conversion that he offered the church to Newton; he was ordained in June 1764.

In Olney, the new curate met the poet William Cowper, also a newly-born Christian. Their friendship led to a spiritual collaboration that completed the inspiration for "Amazing Grace," the poem Newton most likely penned around Christmas of 1772. Some 60 years later in America, the text was set to the hymn tune, "New Britain," to which it has been sung ever since.

Even though many of England's great shipping cities prospered from the slave trade, social critics began to speak out against the practice by the mid-18th century. By the 1780s, the powerful voice of William Wilberforce (pictured to the right) was added to this chorus.

Wilberforce, a Member of Parliament, was the nephew of one of Newton's London friends. Inspired by the former slave trader, and paralleling Newton's own conversion, Wilberforce began to question his role in life. Although Newton, then a lowly Olney curate, was convinced that Wilberforce was just another wealthy politician, he persuaded him to crusade for change and use his station in life and his powerful friends (including Prime Minister Pitt) to seek reform. One of the chief topics for such advocacy was abolition. In fact, Wilberforce wrote in his journal on October 28, 1787, that one of the two goals that had been set before him was "the suppression of the Slave Trade."

Newton joined in the fight for the abolition of slavery by publishing the essay "Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade." Because Christians still felt that slavery was justified in the Bible, Newton and Wilberforce wisely avoided building their protests on a religious platform. Instead, they condemned the practice as an inhumane treatment of their fellow men and women. Newton, speaking strongly from his own experiences, also proposed that the captors were in turn brutalized by their callous treatment of others and cited offences including torture, rape, and murder. Newton's friend, the poet William Cowper, joined their fight by writing pro-abolition poems and ballads.

In 1789 Wilberforce introduced a "Bill for the Abolition of Slavery" in Parliament. The bill faced opposition in both Houses, but the forces against enactment became weaker each time it came up for a vote. The bill finally was passed by the House of Commons in 1804 and by the House of Lords in 1807 after which King George III declared it law.

There is no direct link between "Amazing Grace" and the abolition of slavery in Britain. Nonetheless, the hymn was written by a man who was moved to speak out against something from which he had once profited. In an essay Newton said: "I hope it will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me . . . that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders." Thus, it seems fitting that his hymn has become for so many--including those fighting for Civil Rights--an anthem against all forms of social injustice.com

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Mark Cella Better Ethics Are Needed In America

By Mark Cella

Mark Cella Why Better Ethics Are Important

Better Ethics Stem From Moral Values and a Belief System. Today's Society is Very Complicated and Corrupt and Better Ethical Direction Will Bring Prosperity.

If ethics is the glue that holds any society together, then better ethics can only make life better for each and everyone in our society. Most Americans have a firm and honest grasp of ethics that governs the way they behave and the choices they make.

It is these ethical stances that dictate whether a community will stand firm together as one, or disintegrate due to the resulting friction brought about differing ethical positions.

Ethical values come under threat by people who are ardent for success by using unethical means. While the pressure to succeed in life can prove too much for some, that is never a good reason for one to abandon ethical values, which are the moral fabrics that keep societies and families together.

The pillars of good ethics such as responsibility, loyalty, and truthfulness assist in making right decisions regardless of the current situation or the environment that individuals may find themselves in at any given time.

Adhering to ethical behavior when faced with tough situations facilitates self-confidence, which is directly attributed to courage, a quality necessary to maintain ethical behavior.

These are qualities that successful people have in abundance and as a result are willing to overcome their fears and take risks in accordance to the principle of success. Better ethics are part of success, and for this reason it is imperative to have the pillars of good ethics be entrenched at an early age.

Mark Cella Why Better Ethics Are Important

The unethical on the other hand result to such tactics as telling lies or cheating due to their fear of failing. The evening news is impregnated with examples of unethical behavior in politics, corporate America, and families.

For example, the unethical behavior of a Susan Smith led to the murder of her two children in October of 1994 when she drown them in a lake in order to revive a relationship with a local man who didn't want a ready-made family.

The Unethical behavior of former President Bill Clinton, who had intimate relations Monica Lewinsky in the White House and then lied about it, resulted in lowering the standards of our positional presidential candidates, which may have been the direct cause of overlooking the un-convicted felon Barak Obama as a candidate for president.

Mark Cella on the Foundation of Ethics

Ethical behavior is a result of moral beliefs, which stem from a value system often attributed to a foundation spiritual belief or the worship of a higher power.

While a small minority of society races to eradicate any public acknowledgement of God, these same people would be replete to explain their own foundations of right and wrong absent the moral law of the Bible.

Better ethics stem from a sense of right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral, which all come from a source, and in America, the source is the Bible. Even the laws of America were established in lock step with the principles of the Bible.

In Washington D. C. you can see a monument of Abraham Lincoln, a true man of freedom who reverberates a sense of right and wrong, an ethical man who said in regards to the Bible:

"In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book."

- The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume VII, "Reply to Loyal Colored People of Baltimore upon Presentation of a Bible" (September 7, 1864), p. 542.
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Mark Cella Why Better Ethics Are Important

What better ethics is there than to do good to one another in society? But today in America ethics are under attack.

While military's can protect a nation, and Congress can control the governing of a people, without ethics and ethical behavior a nation is defeated and lost, imprisoned and enslaved, and oppression reins supreme.

Therefore let those who are unethical fail in their pursuits and those who are ethical richly succeed.

But most importantly, let us never forget where the foundations of our ethical behavior stems from, and let us display courage to acknowledge truth, never forgetting that freedom is the result of better ethics from courageous men.

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Ways To Conduct A Great Political Campaign

By Arnold Barker

If you have ever considered putting yourself forward to run for any political office then you need to consider your campaign closely. Do you start off with donor lists or do you research past local elections to see what the people want?

This however is not the best place to start. There is one more far important place to start any campaign and that would be to look at your family.

No matter whether you are running for local council or something a little smaller it is your family that will undoubtedly be your biggest supporters in this cause.

Running for any office and organizing a campaign will undoubtedly be filled with lots of pressure and stress. It will also involve very hectic schedules. This will obviously have a great impact on you and your family.

So if you do have the notion of running for office it could be a good idea to discuss it with your spouse. If she has no problems with it and gives you her full support then that is your first battle won in your campaign.

If you have the full support of your spouse then it may be a good idea to let your children know your intentions and see how they feel about it. There could be a lot of sacrifices that have to be made along the way so it is far better to have everybody understand this from the outset than to get upset later on.

Stress does not just play a part of your life during the course of the election however. If you do manage to succeed in getting elected then your new job may bring with it its own pressures and stress so you should be aware of this. The job may only be part time but it brings with it certain responsibilities that you must live up to.

No matter what your political aspirations are you should always remember that it is better to have your family on your side. With their continued support it can make the whole process of being in office a far more rewarding experience.

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The 5 Gyres And Your Reusable Bag Motivation

By Albert Jefferson

What's with the controversy surrounding plastic and paper disposable bags? If you've been paying attention to the news in recent years you may have heard about the negative effects of plastic and paper disposable grocery bags. Why is that? Why is it important to stop using disposable bags and commence using eco friendly reusable or recycled bags? Before buying into any trend or cause, it is essential to be familiar with exactly how your commitment will produce a positive impact on the environment and our world. In today's article, we will analyze some key ecological issues and problems connected with disposable shopping bag usage.

The Environmental Literacy Council does a wonderful job of explaining the negative effects of both plastic and paper disposable bags at EnviroLiteracy.Org. Let's start with the environmental impact of producing plastic and paper bags in the first place. Plastic bags are manufactured using oil, and so the environmental consequences of creation includes everything from extracting the oil, to the separation of chemicals in the oil refinement process, to the plastic manufacturing process, and the energy used and emissions created to dispense the bags to shopping stores. So in reality, the creation of plastic bags (caused by our demand as consumers) is a contributive factor to our dependence on oil. Paper bags, are obviously created from trees and add to worldwide deforestation and reduction of habitats all over the earth. Moreover, the sum of effort exploited to fabricate and distribute paper bags and the carbon emissions produced even exceeds that of plastic bags. The reality is that paper and plastic bags are not a healthy product for the environment, especially when you compare it to eco friendly recycled grocery bags.

Obviously, as you may know, one other key issue with disposable bags is the extensive pollution and litter problem, especially connected with plastic bags. Plastic bags are like the "modern tumbleweed" blowing down the road. They show up everywhere and often end up in swamps, streams, rivers, lakes and in the ocean. While researching this piece I came across some startling data at 5gyres.Org, which educates people regarding the 5 gyres in our world's oceans. Here's a tid bit: "At sea floating plastics are swept up into slow moving currents. These currents are called 'gyres'. Our Oceans are dynamic systems.... made up of complex networks of currents... Large systems of these currents, coupled with wind and the earth's rotation, create 'gyres', massive, slow rotating whirlpools in which plastic trash can accumulate." Out of all these Gyres, the most renowned is the North Pacific Gyre, also known as the "great pacific garbage patch", has been studied the most and is a collection of trash and plastic estimated to be roughly the size of Afghanistan.

What many folks don't recognize is that there are actually 5 gyres distributed throughout our world's oceans and seas where floating trash, and mainly plastic is accumulating at a fast rate. One of the scariest things about all this is that aquatic mammals often ingest this waste floating in the sea and suffocate or starve to death as a result. By utilizing biodegradable bags, as opposed to disposable bags, our daily human actions contribute to the answer instead of the problem.

The ecological dilemma our earth finds itself in today requires that we take immediate action. You now can obviously see, the widespread use of disposable shopping bags contributes to significant environmental problems that won't just disappear. We must alter our daily habits by reminding ourselves to use eco friendly shopping bags whenever we can possibly do so. When we take a stand against the common pollution problem caused by disposable shopping bags, we are creating a healthier world one choice at a time.

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Albert Jefferson is an educated author going over environmental and sustainability concerns in addition to spreading the idea to companies to use eco reusable green bags to advertise both their brand and awareness for the environment.

Cargo Screening: Providing Cargo Safety

By Lola Francis

Cargo Screening is a very important part of anything that is imported or exported to any country in the world. Europe and North America are probably the most important continents that need to have this very important procedure done.

Shipments that are checked good will help make people more safe. If cargo that is inspected seems questionable it needs to be reported promptly to the authorities and this can help save many lives if done correctly.

Things have changed a lot since the war on terrorists started many years ago and this makes screening even more important. The terrorists are always trying to find a way to hurt innocent people by sending packages with bombs in them and trying to blow something up.

Of the many laws out there the safe port act, which is a standard in the industry and has had many improvements to the law over the years is full of different safety requirements for shipment screening world wide. Laws are much less tolerant since the attacks during 9/11 against the United States of America and the different railway attacks throughout Europe. One of the main threats Osama Bin Laden is still out there along with the Al Qaeda terrorist network which is recruiting more than ever and this puts everyone in a very dangerous situation.

Even Passenger based companies must look at items before they can let them on board whether it is air or sea. This screening is something that will not decrease in the future and will probably increase more. People can only bring certain items on board planes and must use a checklist to decrease the chances of an attack.

There are many ways to find bombs and illegal contraband and x-ray screening is a very popular way in the industry. An x-ray machine is able to look inside many packages before they are allowed on board which makes it an important part of screening in today's world. One of the greatest assets we have for this job and seeking out unwanted items are dogs. These specially trained dogs are able to use the sense of smell to find almost any threat that may be unnoticed. Security personnel also play one of the biggest roles inspecting things visually and are able to seek out anything that may be out of place or just strange looking including the people in the area.

The cargo screening is increasing for many safety reasons and will hopefully continue to keep people safe all around the world. The dangers that are found in shipments can mean the difference between life and death.

cargo screening

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Golden Wedding Rings

By Owen Jones

The most frequently used element for wedding rings and engagement rings is gold. White gold is even more exclusive. Gold wedding rings look good whether the design is just a straightforward, basic band or an engraved band like a Celtic Knot. Gold rings can be given on other occasions too of course. Some people give their children a gold ring for their coming of age birthday.

Until not so long ago, it was customary for the man to give a gold ring when he asked for his girlfriend's hand in matrimony. However, nowadays it is more usual for the couple to go shopping for the engagement or wedding ring together. This makes good sense, even if it is less romantic, because the wearer can get the design that she likes.

Gold stands for purity in many cultures and that is one of the reasons why it is given to brides and brides to be. The symbolism is all but lost though in today's consumer society in the West. For many people though it still represents the hope that they will stay true to each other, until the day they die. It is a way of showing that the wearer has taken vows and intends to stick to them.

There is a vast variety of gold rings available. However, the variety lies not only in the design but also in the purity of the gold. Logically, the purer the gold, the more expensive it is. In the UK, most gold rings are either 9 or 18 carat. In the USA, most gold rings are 14 carat, but in Thailand, not many people would buy gold that is less than 18 carat and 22 carat is the norm for women. Pure gold is 24 carat, however pure gold is so soft that you can mould it with your bare hands.

This might sound fine, but it is not. A 24 carat gold ring goes out of shape every few hours, just by you doing what you do every day and then it can pinch your skin. Opening a door can buckle the ring. This means that you can not set stones in pure gold, because they would soon fall out. Pure gold rings are best not even engraved because the design would soon rub off.

Therefore, the best place to start, if you want a gold ring, is to think about what style you want. Do you want precious stones set into it? Then you cannot really go above 18 carat. If you cannot afford 18 carat then 9 or 14 carat is for you. If you want something like a Celtic Knot ring, that is one with an engraved pattern, then anything up to 18 carat for you too, depending on your finances. If you want a pain band of gold, then a thick ring of 22 carat gold would be great, but not if you do a lot of labor-intensive work.

If you really want something unique, why not have a gold ring crafted to your own design? It is not so expensive as you might think and you will end up with something exclusive, especially if you provide your own stone to be polished too. Such a gold ring would become a family heirloom and could stay in the family for centuries.

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Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring