Information was passed on to me a little time back about some pub on Welsh Side of Border in Fflintshire which had given it's address as being Chester, England. I do not know all the facts but it reminded me of the Lost Lands Liberation League that Toni Lewis of the Patriotic Front sought to establish to campaign for return of Welsh lands stolen at time of the 1536 Act of Annexation.
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Both Toni and I were keen to see in particular Anergyng - Erging in Herefordshire returned as we both had ancestors which were Welsh born in these particular stolen lands of both ancient Celtic Siluran tribe and later border Welsh who still populated much of this Welsh East Bank up to the Severn River. It is a fact that at time of the 11/12th Century Norman conquest of these parts, the native Welsh were slaves of the Saxons and, rather ironically the Normans liberated them to make use of them as 'Castle Guard' to keep the Saxons in check. In passing it is of interest to me anyway, that one side of my fathers family were 'Griffiths' who tramped out of Herefordshire to the Southern Valleys in the 19th century, seeking work in the Coal mines.
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However, it was Eurig ap Gwilym Cofiwn's research officer who made a much fuller study of our 'lost lands' and his labours were published in Celtic League journal No 30, 1980. I post below pp 1&2 of this feature, a p3 is missing but I do have a copy of Eurig's original article in tact, if any one wants a full photo copy do let me know. Am I serious about reviving this campaign? What do you think? Well if I had the time and energy I might but at moment I will leave it to others to think over. Whatever, it makes and interesting study and of course a reminder that the English are still chipping away at our borders if not fully occupying large area of Wales as Ffilntshire, Ceredigion and elsewhere. Sooner or later, I can visualise Powys has a kind of 'Sais - Kossovo'. Ain't that the truth!
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. G.G.
