Eye on Wales

On Mother’s Day (in much of the world), it seems appropriate to give a belated nod to the woman known as the mother of Wales. (In Wales, Mother’s Day is usually celebrated in March; the date varies with Lent.) With numerous descendants, Catrin of Berain (1534/35–1591) has been dubbed the “Mother of Wales.” Catrin was […]

Looking at punishment devices from past centuries, I’d say today’s criminals are coddled. Years ago, criminals might find themselves manacled to a punishment tree, fitted with a scold’s bridle, or positioned beneath a guillotine. Hard labor ranged from stone breaking to working the treadmill at Beaumaris, essentially serving as a human water pump. Noncompliant criminals […]