Naturalists at Trecwn. (The County Echo, 13-7-1905)
Accepting the kind invitation of Capt F R. Barham, a good number of the County School Naturalist Club members visited Trecwn on Saturday last. Two brakes conveyed most of the party while several cycled out. After a joyous ride in the glorious sunshine the lovely grounds were reached in good time, the Rev H Miles, rector of Llanstinan, tactfully receiving the explorers at the entrance to the grounds.
Before tea Mr D E Bovonni, headmaster of Barham School, himself an ardent well informed naturalist, conducted the group through the woods, viewing the lake at the foot of Graig-llwyd. While at the lake the able guide pointed out some of the animal life including the moor-hen, a native grallatorial bird. Mrs Bonvonni, also a member of the Society and a keen botanist, drew atteution to the water plant (llanunculis Aquatilis) generally known as the water buttercup abundant on this lake. A very interesting hour was thus spent and with whetted appetites the majority sat down to tea served by Mrs Gowing at Trecwn, while several accepted the hospitality of Mr and Mrs Bonvonni, Barham School-house.
The cloth removed,Mr Gledhill proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Capt Barham for his kindness in entertaining the naturalists, and also acknowledged the good offices of those who had helped to make the visit interesting. The vote was seconded by the Secretary, and carried with acclamation. The party then divided into sections, some of the leading lights on matters of interest in the neighbourhood undertaking the pioneer work. Some accompanied Mr Gledhill, while the fair adults and juveniles went to the Trecwn School where Mr Bonvonni conducted interesting illustrations of insect life. With eagerness the members examined the splendid collection of shells, butterflies, moths, birds’ eggs, botanical, geological, Roman pottery, and zoological specimens.
An ingenious apparatus for dealing with butterflies and moths was shown together with a number of boxes all containing lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) in the various stages of transformation. The demonstrator described the habits of the insects, their preference for darkness, their protective instincts by imitating the leaves of plants they settled upon; he described the common tiger moth and the giant oak beauty, besides other numerous specimens, occupying an hour or more most profitably.
Several moths were emerging from their chrysalides at the moment of demonstration, forming one of the chief attractions. The management of bees was also one of the attractive items of the programme, the hives at school being very large and prosperous. With all the courage and nonchalance of the expert, the headmaster opened a hive, soothed the busy bees, and took out the honey sections and showed how exceedingly industrious the insects had been during the last, two months.
Other sections of this admirable collection of nature studies thoroughly imbued the visitors, and at the close Mr 0 Gledhill complimented Mr Bonvonni on his valuable progression, and accorded him a hearty vote of thanks for his deeply interesting illustrations. Mr Bonvonni suitably replied, expressing the pleasure it gave Mrs Bonvonni and himself in welcoming their fellow members of the society. The members then mounted the vehicles and the drive to Fishguard was no less enjoyable than the jaunt out.
During the afternoon the Rev Henry Matthias, of Henry’s Mote, visited the place, with his two nephews, who examined the wondrous collection of specimens at the School, where Master Reginald, aged seven years, displayed a knowledge of the insects surprisingly wide for one of his tender years and engaged the youngest of the visitors for sometime. This is not to be wondered at when the tutors and environments are considered. Mr Gledhill supplied the following list for publication :—Twayblade (Listera ovata) comirey (Symphytum patens), sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), greater eclaudin (Chelidonium major), enchanters’ nightshade (Circaea lutetiana), water buttercup (Ranunculus helerophyllas), mountain backler fern. (Aspidium montana), male fern (Aspidium felix-mas), hares tongue fern (Scolopendriurn vulgate), hard fern (Bleohnum specaut), black spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes).
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What a fascinating report – in particular the part played by Barham School, its headmaster and his wife. The Bonvonni family seems to have been a very interesting one. Not only was David Bonvonni a teacher, a naturalist, a photographer, a beekeper and later a draper in Fishguard, but his wife (whose first name I don’t know) was also a teacher. In 1912 she bicycled daily to the school at Henry’s Moat, a distance of several miles along narrow, hilly roads. They had two sons and for the period that he was head of Barham School they lived in the school house adjoining.
David Bonvonni appears to have been a man not reticent in expressing himself. In the County Echo of October 4th 1906 the case is reported of a boy, Morris Bonvonni, caught trapping rabbits at Trecwn on private land belonging to Captain Barham. There was some discussion on whether permission had been given and whether or not it had been withdrawn. The boy was pronounced guilty and fined.
The report was followed by a letter from the boy’s father, David Bonvonni, as follows:
“Sir, Anent the case of poaching preferred against my little boy [Maurice Bonvonni] aged 12 years, and which appears in the present issue of your newspaper, I beg to draw the attention of the public to the true facts of the case. Captain Barham three years ago gave myself and boys full permission to wire and trap rabbits on the grounds adjoining the Trecwn school premises. This was given on account of the depredations caused by such vermin to my garden produce. Matters in connection with the right of permit worked well until Mr Barham has reason to appoint a fresh gamekeeper (two years to this Michaelmas). At the end of the first 12 months the keeper objected to my boys setting traps near the woods on account of the possibility or otherwise of their catching a pheasant. We agreed to obey the keeper’s wishes. Still, trapping has continued off and on up to the date the boy was summoned. Why? Because Mr Barham has never withdrawn his permission originally given to me of catching rabbits on the ground adjoining the school premises. Therefore in justice to my boy I hold that he was wrongfully charged and fined the sum of £1 5s 6p [over £200 in today’s money].
I am appealing against such justice and furthermore I denounce this selfish mania for the preservation of game – preservation for the purpose of destruction. We, country folks, are warned off from the quiet country ways, even the road leading to the school is labelled up a private road. My school children are prohibited from entering the copses to gather wild flowers, and for this enclosures are made, fitted up with barbed wire fences all around the school premises. For this curse was my little boy – delicate in health – brought up for sentence before a tribunal of gamer preservers. Where does reason play a part in such a course? Our roadside here is disfigured by impudent noticeboards, telling our children in arrogant language, suitable to the Philistine, that all trespassers will be prosecuted, all dogs destroyed and cattle impounded. It is contumely. Such is the land of Gwalia under the rule of the game preserver.
David. E. Bonvonni, Trecwn, Letterston.”
It’s noteworthy that while the letter begins in a relatively respectful tone it becomes more assertive and irate as it goes on. MrBonvonni appears to have been a man with a strong sense of justice and a refusal to defer to upper class privilege.
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