Helena Watney (alias Mary de Clifford)

daughter of Alexander Raby junior

Around 1840 a book with the title: Mary De Clifford or A Tour in South Wales, by Madeline Jones, London, was published by J S Pratt.

The book was a skit about the people of Llanelli and caused much consternation when it first appeared. The small volume contained 14 chapters of 300 pages and was about Mary Mortimer de Clifford who was supposed to be an orphan from the town of "Melton" and was an exposé of local townspeople and their foibles.

The town of "Melton" was Llanelli and it was described as a vile place, the streets always dirty and full of black coal-dust from the neighbouring collieries and the houses small and ill-built. The description of the surrounding country was more favourable and included Swiss Valley, which was said to be a very pretty valley at the back of Belinda (Felinfoel).

Before the book was actually published ‘Mary de Clifford’ was issued as a serial in the World of Fashion under the name of ‘Mary Mortimer’. The magazine was a London monthly costing half-a-crown (2/6d in pre-decimal coinage or the equivalent of 12½p following decimalisation) in 1971). As can be imagined, when local people realised that they were portrayed in the articles albeit under assumed names, there was great excitement.

Local tradition suggests that a gentleman was despatched to London to horsewhip the editor. Apparently when it was discovered that the editor was a lady, the gentleman was bemused and not quite sure what to do.

When the book was published as Mary de Clifford or a Tour in South Wales copies that were on sale at a local stationer’s were very soon suppressed. Years later it was an open secret that the author was Helena Watney, the daughter of Alexander Raby junior and grand daughter of the old Ironmaster Alexander Raby senior.

In later years Mrs Watney sent literary contributions to Arthur Mee, editor of Carmarthenshire Notes, from her home at Liss in Hampshire.

Helen remembered also that some years previously a man well up in riddles or as the Welsh say, ‘Pwnc’ accompanied the party, and on arriving at the house the kitchen door would be opened to admit one of their lot, then carefully bolted again. The outsiders began to propound Welsh riddles which this inside friend guessed at first going off, but then came a very hard nut to crack. It was ‘given up’ and then the horse’s head entered, followed by the men. When Helen arrived at Diss some 16 years previously the local mummers (actors) sang the same Christmas rhyme that the Tenby mummers used to sing at Christmas.

The story of the horse’s head reminded her of the mummers’ Christmas song – the first four lines of which were:

Here come I old Father Christmas

Christmas or not

I hope old Father Christmas

Will never be forgot

Llanelly & County Guardian

December 7 1899

DEATH OF MRS HELEN WATNEY

A well known contributor to our paper of many years standing in the person of Mrs Watney, widow of the late Alfred Watney and daughter of the late Alexander Raby of Brynmor Llanelly, died on 21st ult. at her residence Berry Grove, West Liss, Hants., aged 77 years.

The name of the Raby family takes us back many years in the early history of the commercial life of Llanelly for it was the Raby’s who built the iron furnaces at Furnace, the remains of same of which are to be seen to this day on the pretty dingle now covered with cottages and gardens. It was to feed this railway also that the old Llanelly tramway through Pentrepoeth and Felinfoel to the mountain was made running almost parallel with the present Mynydd Mawr Railway.

There is a story and much believed many years ago that when the Raby’s first came to Llanelly they brought into the town waggon loads of god in sacks and seeing that housing in those parts was then in its infancy and the expenditure on the railway meant a heap of hard cash possibly there may be some foundation for the rumour.

Although Mrs Watney had not touched Llanelly for many years yet she took a keen interest in all that appertained to is so much so that she read the Guardian minutely since its start in 1863 and for the past 26 years there have been few weeks throughout the year but what she communicated with the Editor with regard to the death of some person or other or about some item of news which she had seen in the paper – Very recently had Mrs Watney written to the paper on the Mansell Family and other county families of which she possesses a fund of information.

Note

Special thanks are given to Joyce Mollet who provided information about Helena Watney from her research notes on the subject.