How Green Was My Valley? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Offa's Dyke

It was built on the orders of Offa, King of Mercia, who lived from 757 to 796 A.D.in order to keep out the ferocious Welsh, who constantly raided the English villages just across the border. The dyke was 27 feet wide and 8 feet high.

Answer: Longbow

A full 500 years before use by the English, the Welsh used the longbow to great effect and it is recorded that Offrid, the son of Edwin, King of Northumbria, was killed by an arrow from a Welsh longbow in the year 633 A.D.

Answer: Tommy shops

Tommy shops as they were known, offered goods at higher prices than local shops but as the vouchers were not transferable, you had no choice. The practice of paying employees in vouchers was made illegal by the Truck Act (1832).

Answer: The Irish potato famine

The potato famine affected many of the Irish, who came to Wales and since they would work for less money than the Welsh, took their jobs, which led many of the Welsh to seek out work in the New World.

Answer: Pennsylvania

The Welsh men left the valleys, went to Pennsylvania, found work and sent for their families. When they were given positions of responsibility, they would write home and invite many more Welsh people to join them. Welsh migration to the U.S. had begun much earlier, however. For such a small country like Wales, it is amazing they have had such a great effect on the USA, with many of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence having Welsh ancestry.

Answer: Argentina

The ship, Mimosa, landed in Patagonia, Argentina, where 150 Welsh settlers disembarked. Why Patagonia ? It was noted that the Welsh in the USA had started to lose their national identity, so Patagonia was chosen as it was a wild country that the Argentinians did not want to tame. Isolated, the Welsh were left alone and kept to their ways, their language, their religion.

The villages still bear Welsh names but now the Argentinian government have insisted that they cannot be separate any longer. The Welsh must now have Spanish names so children are not called Myfanwy or Bleddyn but Jose and Maria. You can still go to Trevelin and get a cup of tea at Nain Maggie's.

Answer: Tea

Black Bart captured 400 ships, amassed a staggering 50 million pounds in loot, encouraged prayer but discouraged drinking and gambling. His favourite drink was tea, and he was something of a toff. He achieved this during the period 1719 to 1722, when he was killed in battle.

Answer: Dr. David Samwell

Dr David Samwell, 1751 to 1798, travelled on Cook's ship, the Discovery to the Sandwich Isles, now known as Hawaii. He was very popular with the crew but was a womaniser. He became an expert in the treatment of the transmission of sexual diseases and would not allow a woman aboard who was not free of disease. However, he died from venereal disease!
He retired from the sea and in 1791 was involved in the theory that Madoc, a Welshman was the first to discover America, many years before Columbus.

Answer: Swansea to Mumbles

In 1806 a horse drawn passenger train service started between Swansea and Mumbles, but due to lack of cash closed in 1960.

Answer: Taffy

Taffy is the name given to Welsh men and it means "beloved". Well, Welsh men are lovely and this is a lovely quiz.