"Im 'freien' England"

Name of traveller

Heinrich Geehl

Reason for travel

• leisurely travel during life in exile in London

Date of travel

1875

Mylord war Friedensrichter; der Kerl hatte in Mylords Park geschlafen; Mylord war Richter in seiner eigenen Sache und schickte den Mann ohne Verhör drei Tage "in the holl!" [sic] Wenn es in Rußland gewesen wäre! Aber hier, einem Bürger des freien Englands gegenüber! Nachdenklich machte ich mich auf den Heimweg. (Geehl 3)

Content

• customs:
  • recounts reading a local tale about the church bells of Bangor Cathedral in the church register
  • recounts not being able to finish his pint owing to closing time and feels intimidated by the arrival of a policeman in the pub
• language:
  • identifies English as a foreign language in Wales
  • Welsh words notable for their length; guttural sounds
• history: brief reference to Roman conquest
• people:
  • describes a chance encounter with an unnamed Lord, possibly Edward Douglas-Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn (1800-1886)
  • shocked to witness the people's display of servility towards the Lord
  • gains access to the nearby estate, possibly Penrhyn Castle, after tipping a servant and promising to keep away from the castle and confine his visit to the gardens
  • is discovered by the Lord and invited inside for a personal tour of the castle
  • is shocked by the Lord's harsh treatment of a trespasser who is immediately sent to three days imprisonment
• terrain:
  • conflation of Wales and England
  • Wales defined by its mountains
• click here to read the full account

Nationality of traveller

German

Language of publication

German; English translation

Gender of traveller

Male

Type of publication

essay; travelogue

Citation

Geehl, Heinrich. "Im 'freien' England." Berliner Tageblatt (8 July 1890): 2-3. Print.